Website loaded fine.  Layout is too cool for words!  Congrats!

Jonathan

Thanks, will check it out tomorrow.  Gotta get some zzz's.

I don't, and I'm hesitant to publish my email address on a public forum.  I understand the 'sending a personal message' feature doesn't work on this forum.  Perhaps you have an idea.    My best Roundhouse stuff is this set of SHAY commemorative cars... OT box car to 36' passenger cars and a matching caboose.  Bought the set about 25 years ago I'm guessing.  I just put metal wheelsets and knuckle couplers on them... really I'm putting the last wheels on as I type this.

BTW I notice on your "collection" website, you have the royal blue 4-4-0.  There's one at my LHS and I've been holding off on picking it up.  How does yours run?  Did you make extra wipers out of centering springs (saw this on line somewhere)?

r,

Jonathan

I don't get out to the Timonium show, but I do make it to the one at the EXPO center (Chantilly) twice a year... once in a while Fredericksburg.  Last time one of the vendors told me he had a dozen of the B&O ore cars (Roundhouse), and a fellow came in 5 minutes before me and bought every one of them.  Was that you?

Those are cool cars you acquired.  Congrats, the most fun about this hobby is finding that rare "treasure".  The great part is we all have a different idea about what "treasure" is.  Theoretically, that makes more treasure for all of us.  AAAARRRRRGH.

Regards,

Jonathan

Roger,

Just visited the GER Photoalbum. Your backdrops and weathering are awesome!  Great job!  Would love to see that in person some day.

Jonathan

Gorgeous, man!

Jonathan

What's done:

Benchwork, trackwork, repairs/fixes to poor benchwork/trackwork, landscaping (plaster), ballast (99% complete).  DC wiring and temporary control stations (2), roads and parking lots (but always need repair),... and I have all the locos and rolling stock I NEED, but will always want MORE.


Short term:

I have two more structures to order, build and plant. 
I have a few more locos and rolling stock that need metal wheels and/or metal couplers.  There's always ground foam to deal with.  Roads and parking lots, need to be smoothed and repainted.  Track lighting is 75% complete.  Cleaning and maintenance is ongoing.

Long Term: 

Layout needs a signalling system, street lights, building lighting, figures, more vehicles, DCC someday (dark side),... and oh yes, I have planted 325 homemade trees to date (not as expensive as you'd think).  Giving up on that for the year.  Will try complete the tree project next spring.  One gets burnt out on certain projects after a while.

I am crossing all my fingers and toes that we stay living in this house long enough to complete this layout.  It's my first and hopefully not the last.

Thanks for asking.

Jonathan

Just scored 5 Roundhouse Ore Cars for $6 a piece.  They came with Intermountain wheelsets, kadee's, and loads.  I weathered 'em a bit.  Looks like B&O is truly rare.  So far I have 1 B&O and 11 B&LE.  Oh well, I like these, too.  Now all I need is a bunch of brakewheels... seems Roundhouse forgot to put them in the kits.  Where's that box of old, broken rolling stock...

R,

Jonathan

You are indeed fortunate to have such an excellent model.  Those city scenes kits are rare and do look great.  I've never had the opportunity to build one, or even see the specific kit your referring to.  However, I suspect that general parts sprue came with several kits and would be hard to pin down to a specific model.  Perhaps other forum members have built one.  Enjoy!

Regards,

Jonathan

Hi Trainman

Could you be a little more specific?  Is this a part of an entire layout kit, which includes everything?

Regards,

Jonathan

I really just like to watch the trains run.  I have a freight yard with industries, and cars that would frequent those industries.  I can put together cars and send them out to the mainline.  I can stop a passenger train on my commuter station while another one passes.  But that's just not my bag, man! 

I would rather set 3 or 4 trains in motion, and just wander around the layout, getting down to HO eye level, checking out the scenery and the trains passing, especially when they meet.  I've always wanted a double track mainline, just to watch the trains pass each other by.  I set one at a slightly different speed so they never meet at the same place twice.  For me it's about the art of creating a scene that draws you in. 

I don't have a clue about waybills or a card system.  Heard of 'em... just not interested for now.  There's a good chance I'll get bored of just looking someday.  For now,  I'll just stand around going "Choo Choooooooo!"

Regards,

Jonathan

If I were perfectly honest with myself, I'd have to call my layout freelance.  However, I do model some of what I see.  Haven't named it yet either... am open to suggestions.

Modern Era is the main portion of my layout. Every day I sit within 20 yards of a double-track line that is part of the Corridor passing from Maine to Florida.  So I see a lot of CSX/NS/NYC, etc.  Especially enjoy watching the Tropicana Fruit Trains pass by (haven't tried to model it yet).  I also see lots of Amtrak. 

I am modeling an "Old Towne" district, along the lines of Fredericksburg, Alexandria, Oklahoma City, or any other City that has a refurbished tourist trap area.  I enjoy the look of renovated old buildings, which works well with the model structures available these days.

My Union Station is based loosely on DC's Union Station... and I mean loosely.  The prototype is around 24 tracks wide with pantographs running everywhere.  Mine is 8 tracks wide, and I seriously doubt I will ever hang all that wire.  However, the trains do park underneath the station, and I'm building a shopping/observation area between the station and the tracks.

On the same layout I also model the transition era (40s-50s), because I love steam and the early diesels... especially B&O, they were beautiful.  So I'm attempting something that looks like switchbacks running around the low WV/PA mountains, hence small engines, small coal cars and big trees.  Those trains are headed to Ohio to deliver coal to Lake Erie for processing and shipping.

So call me a little schizophrenic,  but I like it.

Regards,

Jonathan

I'm DC... Is this a separate category?

Two MRC Tech4 dual packs:  operates two main lines, freight yard (4 tracks)and passenger terminal (8 tracks).  Also provides power for 7 switch machines.  Another 8 turnouts are manual (push/pull rods under the benchwork). Can toggle on/off individual yard tracks as needed

Bachmann Spectrum pack that came with my Acela set:  Controls mining loop
and provides AC for lights, etc.

Tyco Pack 1:  Had it for decades; still works.  Operates my transition era loop and AC for lights, etc.

One Kadee under-the-track magnet, in freight yard, for assembling trains.

Can operate up to six trains at once, if I ever wanted to... would need help of one other person to accomplish the feat.  Can run 4 simultaneously by myself

R,  Jonathan

Rusty,
Thanks for taking this on.  You beat me to the punch.

I did some measuring to make sure.  Benchwork surface area is 120 feet, around the walls layout in a 21'X24' garage.  Total trackage is about 325 feet.

Jim,
BTW, I thoroughly enjoyed your club website.  Do post current stuff on your personal layout anywhere?  looks like everything on the club site is from 2001, or maybe I wasn't paying attention.  Would love to see some contruction pics.

WGL,

can't get an idea of your layout from your post.  Can you give benchwork  area or room size?

Regards,

Jonathan

_{"Question:  I know that Kaydee is (for most model railroaders) the gold standard when it comes to couplers, but has the coupler technology of other manufacturers almost caught up with Kaydee?  For example, Athearn RTR freight and passenger cars come equipped with plastic knuckle couplers that seem to work very well once I switched back to them on my Athearn passenger cars (Santa, Southern Pacific, Denver and Rio Grande Western and Union Pacific)"}

As a new disciple of the metal coupler, I'll add my two cents worth... There are plastic couplers, that work perfectly well, as you mentioned.  I have McHenry (Athearn), EZ Mate Mark II (Bachman) and the ones Atlas uses.  They would couple and uncouple and haul cars all day long.  Then, one day a coupler here and there started to let go for no apparent reason (I fixed all my humps and dips a long time ago).  Turns out the plastic was starting to weaken, particularly on an unmentioned brand.  For me it took three years to have a problem.  Mind you my layout sits in a garage, and is exposed to more extreme temps than most others, perhaps speeding up the process, but happen it will.  So I've been making the change over to metal.  Haven't tried a Protomax metal coupler, yet, but I'm sure there fine, too.  Now I'm not doing it all at once, just when I deem necessary.

If you already have some kadees in you rolling stock, please keep them, adjust them, the track, whatever, just don't toss out a perfectly good coupler.... or better yet mail 'em to me.

Respectfully,

Jonathan