My dad & I are thinking of putting money into a scanner.
My questions are
1: is this a good choice? never mind 1.
2: Does the rail count as the channel (if 2 U.P.s come on the CSX line its CSX?)
3: Where can i find the channels I'll use? (N.S., CSX, etc.)

Thanks!

i was video taping trains at berea today (real busy today!) and not too many people were their. A person that usually comes and 2 other cars i guessed come once in a blue moon. Usually something good comes... well, something did, a diesel caught my eye on the CSX side, a smoking diesel was heading over and stopped. their was double red. So it stopped before the over pass. I zoomed on the diesel and it looked like it was a steamer behind the diesel! it looked like a SD40-2 or a gp40-2 from what i could see. When it came (it never stopped smoking once), it was a lonely SD40-2 CSX diesel in blue and yellow paint. The cars were orange mow hoppers. The last 2 had solar panels! i was even more surprised because those 2 were the only loaded ones. The material looked like coal. Does anyone know what this train is suppose to be? and why it had solar panels? I'm gonna try to upload the video on youtube soon so I'll put up a link later. thanks!

i was looking at a model railroad video when i found this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqlc7cAoDxA&feature=rec-rn-3f-2-HM

It was sad to hear that the passenger died. I hope that guy is still doing OK today.

This might seem strange but i think my inmagination took it too far this time!

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=287313&nseq=19

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=279474&nseq=42

the head lights look like eyes to me! I must be watching too much Thomas the tank engine these days. (lol)

I've been thinking about this and could not figure it out. isn't a triplex bigger than the big boy? or did they just not count it at all due to it being like a failed experiment? So is the triplex the biggest steam engine? what about garrets? they seem to be bigger too. Unlike the triplex, these actually made many runs and are still used today. Thanks for the info.

My mom got the package from model train stuff with my 4 gifts! (3 bachmann, 1 walthers) I got to get 1 look and it took my breathe away. The GE-70ton is greatly detailed, the F7a is also beautiful. I'm very pleased and i was sad to think that i have to wait a good month. I didn't get to see the Dash 8 but the spectrum box was huge.(even surprised my mom! lol) Thanks Mr. Bachmann for making such great items!  Now i just have to wait for Christmas...

Now before you say"its cheap, what do you expect..." I know, i know it's cheap but i like to give things a try. Anyway, Its been a pain due to electric pick-up. It has great quality and is a good puller. I tried a test and found out that 2 pairs of wheels (the front pair and back pair). I was kind of hurt by that because it has 6 pairs of wheels! I do like this model but the pick-up is making my personal rating drop on this model. Is their anything that i can do to upgrade it?

Well, the other is gonna be in another post (it was 5 pages double spaced and 3 single space) Well, i hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!

         Work order madness
It was a chilly February morning in Cleveland Ohio, Tom was working with switching cars when Molly signaled him to finish his job and come back to the office. Walking over, this is what was said in the office.
   "Tom, you know why you're here?", Molly asked.
   "Nope, getting train 121 switched like you said. Get the autos in the intermodel side, switch the rest into track 1. Also, put the broken SD-40-2 in the shops. I did all of that! What could I have done wrong?" , replied Tom
   "Well, we got an extra for you, like the snow?"
   "Its alright why? ... OH NO! I'm not doing snow plough duty if that's what your asking!"
   "Nope, your gong to push a jet heated car!"
   "we have one of those?!"
   "No, we rented 1 from Union Pacific. In return, they get a month's worth of free trackage rights."
   "How much do we charge them?"
   "About $200 a train, same with BNSF"
   "Wow! That's a good lot of money! Well, I don't want to do it! Why can't Bob or Jerry do it?"
   "They were called onto the Santa Train at Virginia. So, you're the only one available for this. Please do this, we got a business train coming in today and we need to pass sense they heard about those three box cars getting tagged."
   "I see, well, fine. I'll do it, just for the sake of our jobs."
   "That's the spirit!" ,cheered Molly
   "No... the spirit is going 60+ M.P.H."
   "Well, yeah... don't tell the president of the CSX railroad about that!"
   "She already knows." , said Tom.
   "Oh great! What she say?"
   "Oh well, just don't crash it! If you do, and it is because of speeding, that's $2 mill. Out of your pocket!"
   "I see, well get to work, and don't be late!"
   "Ok, see you later! Bye."
   "Bye."
Tom gets back into the GP40-2 he was driving and goes back to work.

I was at Collinwood yard today, it was great! i saw a Guilford Rail System diesel near the engine house, a Conrail caboose, and lots of rental diesels. I went over to the fuel facility to tape trains. When the first train left, it stopped about 100 feet away from its position, and backed up a good 50-80 feet. i don't know what happened but it seemed like something went wrong. 10 minutes later, it restarted on its journey. Anyone know what might have happened?

My mom told me i could order stuff and get things from the hobby shop for Christmas. I was told the budget was $150 so i planned on looking on model train stuff and hobbylinc. I went to Ho scale diesels first and my mouth dropped!
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/mdp/mdp96854.htm
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/mdp/mdp96855.htm
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/mdp/mdp96851.htm

Can these run as good as they look?! If they have the background story of walthers trainline, then Its Heaven all over again! Any info would be great!

now where's the boat? http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=172381&nseq=4671

I think Mr. bachmann should make a ho scale Katy the caboose. http://www.billpeet.net/PAGES/katy.htm I'm sure a lot of people read this story. Something little and cute to put at a station or have it *cough* in a tree? Well, it would be a nice little add on to a layout that goes a bit in the country a bit. just a fun little idea...

Well, today i had playbacks in my mind about when i was 5-6 and remembered a video i used to watch. It had a weird intro... lightning, i think... well, i forgot a few things but do remember this, the diesel was named Nicolas, his grandpa is a hesier or shay...(im more sure it was a hesier) and it takes place at a museum/scenic railroad area. It was interesting seeing lightning hitting the diesel and hearing a motor growling louder. The second time it was Nicolas couldn't see in a forest. This was real strange. Then the 3ed and last time... i think... was when he had to get a box car as a run away. He catches her and he drops her off at the camp. They became friends... black screen then Nicolas talks with his grandpa on history of his relatives. And the video ended... Can someone help me out here?  Any info is appreciated. I don't remember everything but know a bit more... thanks for the help!

I noticed sense about Sunday, that their has been 2 coal trains passing on the EX. nickel plate road R.R.(now Norfolk southern) /And their a hour earlier from the local mixed freight(mainly auto carriers...). I noticed 2 coals only over the entire summer. So is their a coal season? If so, how long does it last? I plan on trying to catch the morning 1 tomorrow(7 in the morning for those curious people). My reason is i got time to burn on before school mornings. And it would be nice to see it go by the old Norfolk western station. I might catch that too but i plan on going to triskett a bit earlier due to the hopefully nice weather. So i might not stick around for it.(4 P.Msh...) The reason id like to know is if they might continue this through the winter.(snow looks nice with coal in my opinion) Thanks for the info!

This is for model railroader issue November 2009. I got mine yesterday and was fasinated by the workshop tips on p.30. Is this capable with ho scale too? id love to do it sense im still figuring out what will be working my new yard(in progress still...). thanks.

Today i was out at triskett rapid station watching trains. Its probably the closest rea i can think of that you can see the logos easily(model, etc) i looked at this ethanol passing and saw it was in ns paint. I read the logo(i love to do this ) and saw NW SD40-2. I was very surprised! i have seen only NS logos. I started to think of my facts. "lets see.... north folk western merged with southern. ok, check. and... Norfolk western was during when the SD40-2 was the top loco(up their)." I thought of why they dont have any of those like they did to Conrail, they put a black logo, or left it totally alone. I also thought the same for southern. Except i heard of 1 still in that paint scheme... doing real work. I thought of other railroads that did this. BNSF= Santa fe and burlington northern, both have locos living in their old paint but with BNSF on the side. I was thinking long and hard about this. I would ask Norfolk southern... but, they have no e-mail for this. In ways i should be happy for Conrail to still be around, and i am. I think the reason is because of age. conrail was done in the 1990s... The merger of Norfolk western and southern was 1960s...? please correct me if wrong. Well, this is what happens when i see these and im open minded! Thanks.

Well, my internet was shut off again! and to pass the time, i made a online journal. I put down all the data, ideas, the future series, etc. in their. And i was thinking of LTEX(why? the world may never know! ) So i thought and thought and as i was thinking... my mom said she'll clean off the table and i can do whatever i want with it!(except light it on fire ) so i thought, "man! my table is a wreck! my yard is small too! what can i do? . .. ...(light bulb) I know! I'll make something she'll think is crazy! A extended yard!" their would be a 3 pieces of wood that would fold up when not in use. It would be like a bridge! the yard would be ran by small diesels, preferably a homemade LTEX diesel. A switch would be added near Lakewood and would go 8ft. 1in. to the table and it would connect to a 3-5 track storage yard. Now, this is not decided when work will be done but scene safety precautions will be taken, it will be costful. I'm fine with that. So if you think this is crazy... so do i! 2 questions. 1. what do you think 2. is it possible?

Steel mills are amazing places. I told my dad i would do some research on some of the areas. Well, here i go! let's start with the area near the plaza. the closer half is CSX and the other, American crow. Well the American crow ends and on the other side of the building...More lines! the other lines slowly head north east and the csx line going east. In between these lines is the roundhouse museum. They connect and lead to a 2 rail bridge. It has not been down for years. and it leads to a business's that uses tankers. The other side of the line has eroded and i cant find a trace of them. . so what is the other bushiness's? A few shop areas(look abandoned), and the yard on the other side of the cuyahoga river(i go here all the time). This is where they store their diesels. Their is a couple of other islands and a bridge leads back other their side but can link to other lines that are used for Norfolk southern. By the looks a third yard is used by Norfolk southern. Their is a area that is ran by a different road(thank my mom) that runs down the line from the sheds. Their is one more business i know about but cant find at the moment, it made steel coils. it's right by the highway. If you want to try, their is more. unless you wanna follow the overgrown weed kingdom(or queendom*shrugs*). You can find a lot of things out. What is the nightmare of these? Modeling them!  It is a pain. if you do, i say do it one part at a time! Well, this gives you an idea of the puzzles of steel mills! If you ask the owner for a track plan.... good luck! they probably never had one!(no offence) Maybe if i find another source i can make a series of these... probably will not happen(the yard at Wendy park is simple). So if you want to add something, go ahead!

Note: I'm not responsible for fried minds/brains and missing bottom part of your mouth!

Note: this is the Cleveland steel mill.

Last question i have for a while...
1.What do you need to put decals on a caboose.
2.how do you do it?

Thanks, this is hopefully my last question related to my Bobber caboose project.

Well, i guess fill in the blank! My G scale one loves to pretend to be a bull , so does the ho scale one does? Their is in any way no one will talk me out of buying one, it is for my ho scale re-make project for Bachmann's G scale white pass 903. If you have never heard... here http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,9136.msg75122.html#msg75122