Things I know about model railroading................

[Atlantic Central]

Model Railroading is on the list of things subject to More's Law

"If some is good, more is better, and too much is still not enough"

Stephen, in our local round robin group, "locos must be bought in pairs" is the standing "rule".

Sheldon

[IandOFan71]

Always pick up that track nail that you just dropped, or you will find it later.......most likely in your foot.

[Matthew Ginkel]

"Dragging a double deck autorack  behind your 10 wheeler will always raise a rivet counters blood pressure by 10 points."- Been there done that  , although it was a 2-8-0 and double stack cars 


"Trains will run FLAWLESSLY until a visiter comes" , same goes for video camers 

[LD303]

no matter how much time you spend on your layout....it never gets finished!!  as soon as you think youre finished,  you decide to rip something up and re-do it!!  lol   

[lanny]

Brad mentioned, among other things: "Kids will ALWAYS ask "How fast does it go?"

This is kind of the same thing.  My 'kids' (grand kids) 'spin' on that is to always ask one of two questions: "How fast CAN it go?" or "Is THAT all the faster it goes?"  (Thanks, slot car hobby! :-)

Regarding Jim B's comment about Kadee springs. I've found this personally to be something that 'always' happens to me. (I count on it with the same regularity that I can count on receiving our real estate tax forms twice a year.) Exactly ONE very important, tiny, detail part from the craftsman kit or kit bash project I am working on WILL always dissappear. Where these parts go I have not the slightest idea. Maybe into Cyberspace. It will happen. Especially if that particular part is an obviously visible part of the finished model (such as one of the 20+ grab irons that are needed, or one of the four car corner step/stirrups needed.

One other: At the end of any given 'work session', after I have turned off my special, flexible arm, modeling light that is attached to the area above my work space, and pushed it back, out of the way; when I stand up I will always hit my head on the sharp ended corner of that light.

lanny nicolet

[SteamGene]

Reference Kadee springs.  I THINK I learned this trick on the Bachmann board, but:
Thread a needle with a long thread.  Leave it with your Kadee couplers.  When you need to replace a spring, run the needle through the spring lengthwise, then pull so you have only one piece of thread going through the spring.  Then attach the spring and pull the thread completely out.  If the spring springs, the thread: (a) stops its flight (b) leads you right to it. 
If you are like me, ask your wife to thread the needle.
Gene

[Stephen Warrington]

You start to clean out your closet and find two complete TYCO train sets and you wonder how did you ever survive the hobby long enough to discover the true scale models, always keep to hobby knives handy because someone will always want to borrow the good one to open the tough tape on packages.

Stephen

[kevin2083]

I'll be sitting there working on something or soldering , then I set something down for just a second to do something else-without moving anything more than my hands-and that thing I just set down dissappears. I usually find it several days later or right after I make a part to replace it.

Another thing that happens is I can't get something out of my way because I don't need it, but when I do need it, it has hidden itself very well. Same thing when working on engines...

Athearn coupler pockets join the Kadee coupler springs in the forrest of no return (thick carpet floor).