Anybody have an idea for a good structure to use for a mine headhouse? I think I have room for one of the tipples to have a headhouse.
Gene

I bought an actual HO track inspection car - three pieces of transparent plastic - body and two bolsters glued together and tapped for the trucks.  The trucks are metal Kadees. The body is as long as a 40' boxcar, but the trucks are mounted so that the lead and trailing wheels are beyond the plastic body.  The whole thing weighs one oz.  I'm wondering if adding weight to the center - between the trucks so that the car replicates actual car weight, yet you can watch the action of the wheels, would be a good idea. 
Gene

I've always painted my car trucks, using dull, weathered, oily, or other black paint to cut the plastic shine and weather the trucks.  In the past, I've brush painted them, but I came up with an idea today.  I took a scrap of wood which was approximately squre and drove two nails into it , about an HO 40' boxcar apart.  Then a Dremel took the heads off the nails.  Now I can slip trucks over the nails, or a car body, and spray paint it without the dang thing moving from the force of the air.  Works like a champ!
Gene

From the Wikipedia article on the NYC:

The story of their (the only two modern NYC steam locomotives nto be be scrapped) survival is a fascinating one: L-2d #2933 (4-8-2 Mohawk) was somehow overlooked during the 1956-57 scrapping process, and was literally hidden for years after this by sympathetic NYC employees at the NYC's Selkirk Yard, New York roundhouse, behind large boxes. In January 1962, when scrapping her would have been a public-relations disaster, she was donated to the St. Louis museum. Since the last NYC steam locomotive operated in New York State on August 7, 1953, her survival defies credibility.

Gene

For you guys who really know electricity.  An answer to this question may save me time to work on my layout and perhaps save an animal's life.  One of our boxers, the female, can climb our chainlink fence.   She lived for several months two doors down and likes to return for a visit.  We have a wireless fence as well, but she'll endure the shock from the one wire in order to get over the fence.  The wire leaves the control box, circles the yard and returns to the other terminal on the control box.   What I'm thinking of is to put a "passing siding" to the wire.  That is take some of the left over wire, strip insulation, attach the wire to the "fence," run it along the fence she goes over at the top, and then bring it back to the "fence" at the end of the fence she climbs. 
Will this work or will I create a short? 
Gene

I'm blocking my engine ready tracks so I don't put power to all the locomotives at once.  For you electricians in the group - does it make any difference which rail I make the common rail? 
I've used insulators on both rails for the power districts, but I figure using common rail I only have to put one d - - - insulating joint per power section. 
Gene

Take a look at this little beauty!  The tender is a bit old fashioned, but...
http://www.scenicrailroads.net/

Gene

I told Mr. B this yesterday, so nothing was done behind the Bachmann back.  I spoke to the Athearn reps at the Hampton show yesterday and told them that I thought they should consider some Harriman steam as a new project.  I pointed out their UP steam and told them I thought the workaday Harriman would be a great addition.  They seemed to know that the Harrimans would match several different western/midwestern roads and said they'd pass the comment on. 
Maybe it will help.  If you want Harriman and go to a show that has an Athearn rep, talk to them about it.
Gene

I went to help out the Tidewater Division, NMRA at the first ever Hampton, Virginia train show today and will be there tomorrow.  I brought my wine and beer train and VT&P 455 (USRA light Mountain) for the point.  Having some time on my hands I wandered around and found the Bachmann display - a very classy display with two Bachmann reps there.  Both had people talking to them and waited until the first was free and asked "Would the Bachmann be here?" and he responded, "That would be me," so we talked for awhile.  Johannas is a very pleasant man and I enjoyed the talk.
Unfortunately there was a decoder issue and the wine and cheese train had to settle for VT&P 845 (USRA light Mikado). Tomorrow I'm going to bring out the C&O George Washington, but maybe bring two locomotives in case the J-2 has problems.  I may put the train behind a high stepping Hudson regardless. 
Gene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB7i7SLdRV4

Gene

I'm building two steel girder, concrete pillar highway bridges made by Rix.  The concrete parts are actually a good color and I may just dullcote them.  The I beams and the railings are an almost Kelly green.  I'm modeling, as many of you remember, Sep-Oct, 1957.  i've already looked at local I-beams.  So you older guys or younger guys who study bridge history, what would be the appropriate color for:
1.  The I-beams
2.  The wrought iron railing
I'm thinking that the red brown spray paint primer may be justwhat I want for the I-beams and perhaps weathered or engine black for the railing. 
Thoughts?
Gene

It's obvious that using any liquid to make a body of water on the layout, one needs to have a waterproof streambed.  Any suggestions to cope with "subflooring" that is not continuous?   I'll have one run (as in Bull Run for those not familiar with Central Atlantic dialect) and one "river" - the South River, which is really the South Fork of the Sheandoah River, but shortened by the locals to South.  Mickie's Run will have a waterfall.  South River will have a trout fisherman - an anachronism in 1957 as the river was highly polluted then. 
Gene

http://steamgene.myphotoalbum.com/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album02&id=PICT0078

This is an experiment to see if I can post pictures at long last.  If it works, this is the track from Hannahville to the west, going eastbound to Leesboro.
Gene

I've just learned about fish/trout cars - cars for transporting (normally) live fish from the hatchery to the release point.  They looked like passenger cars from the outside.
Gene

I'm about to fire up a new paint gun for weathering, the first victim being coaling and sanding towers.   I plan on using a water based paint, probably mixing grimy and oily black 50:50.  What would be a good dillution to represent the amount of smoke that would gather by 1957?  The large towers are concrete, erected in the 20s and the smaller ones are wood, probably from late 19th, early 20th century.  I'll proably do the tunnel portals, too.
Gene

I have the old Bachmann plus coaling and sanding tower.  I bought it new from a dealer and kept it unopened all these years.  Now that I'm building it, it appears that the sprue which contains the sand drying house is missing.  I have looked on my work bench, at the complex's layout location (Sarah's Mountain), and working kit storage area ( South River Yard East {not yet constructed}) and can not find the sprue which contains the walls and chimney, at least, of the drying house.  Are parts for this kit still available or do I scratch build?
Gene

Yesterday was the annual auction for the local division of the NMRA.  I bought a signal bridge kit and discovered it to be an old wood and metal kit - today we'd call it a craftsman kit.  The plans have a copyright date of 1939!
Gene

Who has tried positioning/attaching buildings to the layout using blocks inside the building?  I'm thinking strongly about beginning to attach some buildings and would like to try that method.  Any hints?
Gene

I'm at the point of thinking about viewblocks.   What is the best material and method for what is essentially a single level layout?  Most of the viewblock will be sky and rise maybe three feet above the benchwork.
Gene

Has anybody here installed Decoder Pro on a Mac?
Happy Fourth Day of Christmas
Gene