IIRC, Andre, You were asking about removing factor lettering from Athearn 2-8-0s. I had the Fingernail polish remover out to dissolve some super glue and decided try it on one of my engines. It did a good job;




Bob

Interesting.

What did it do the base coat of paint? Still shiny and nice?

Andre

yes, ready for a new decale

Bob

Sounds great! I'll have to give it a shot!

Andre

I'm also interested in how it turns out.

Mike

Testing 1, 2, 3...

Is this mic on?

Looks like it is!

Yay, I'm BACK 2!

Okay... lemme' see if I can learn to post photos...

The mist rises off Alpine Lake as a C&P engine shuffles cars in the small yard at Red Cloud...



Fingers crossed!

Hitting the "Post" button.

Okay, that worked. Now to learn the "Edit" function.

Easy peasy! This forum software is the same as used at Home Racing World, so I'm right at home with it!

Andre

It's been a while since I've updated this thread. I guess now is as good a time as any.

I turned 70 years of age this past March. That, in conjunction with the passing of Don Ball, gave me pause to reflect on where I'm at with my model railroading goals in view of where I'm at in life.

As I looked over my proposed plans for my "Colorado & Pacific" layout, as well as the status of its equipment, I've had to be brutally frank with myself about my "schemes n' things" within my hobbies. (Not just model railroading.)

At best, the C&P theme is a 10 year project. Other than amassing the needed switches for it, I have nothing truly "layout ready" for such an undertaking. To complicate matters, Micro Engineering made it known that their company was for sale. That caused a huge run on ME products, and the result is the supply of code 70 flex and many other of their products is now depleted. Most sources are now "back ordered". I use ME flex track, joiners, insulated joiners, exclusively.

To cut to the chase: I'm going to have to start editing my schemes n' things to be more attainable in view of my age. Thus, I have pulled the plug on my C&P idea.

Instead, I'm going to focus on my HO Kansas City & Gulf diesel theme that lives in the dedicated 20' x 16' out building. I already have the Ozark Sub layout 100% functional (and I've been enjoying running it with friends for over 2 years now), and it's overdue for "The Big Project": The installation of the backdrop boards, sealing/smoothing/blue paint, overhead lighting, and basic fascia. This "Big Project" is my goal for this summer.

Later, I will strip out this room-intrusive around-the-walls bench work that the C&P was to occupy, plug and smooth the screw holes it leaves behind, and repaint this computer/hobby room. In its place will be a simplistic and much smaller (and far less intrusive) L-shaped shelving consisting of prefab L brackets with 1/2" AC ply and Homasote for its base. Onto that will be a laid an urban industrial switching layout using the extensive code 83 Peco switch and flex track supply I have left over from pre-out out building KC&G years. This new L-shaped layout will replace my C&P plans, and will be far more readily attainable. I expect to have it up and 100% functional by years end. (This layout will at long last give me an interior layout on which to piddle when the weather sucks, or it's too late at night to go traipsing to the out building, etc, etc.)

My KC&G's "Riverfront District" L-shaped urban industrial layout will share KC&G equipment with the "Ozark Sub" layout that's in the out-building, thus no need to build-up and ready an entirely new fleet of rolling stock or engines. (As was the case with my C&P idea.) Also, seeing as it will be urban industrial, I already have the skill sets to create the entire layout., including the scenery. (In the case of the 1880s C&P, I would have had to learn the skill sets needed for creating convincing Colorado scenery as well as "good enough" painted backdrops. Both of those would be serious obstacles to the C&P ever having a resemblance of a "finished" look.)

Sometimes, we dream dreams that just aren't really in the works for what we are truly willing to invest our time into. I've had this "steam dream" layout idea for almost 4o years. Yet, to date, there has not been even one functional steam layout in my history. Instead, there have been a more than one diesel layouts. This in itself speaks volumes about how sincere my desire for a steam layout truly is: More of a "dream" than a concept that I was willing to commit to.

Diesels are where the overwhelming bulk of my prototype railroading experience and exposure have been, and those experiences have apparently etched themselves permanently into my modeling psyche.

SO... in view of all of the above, it should come as no surprise that I will eventually have some TOC19 equipment for the used market: Several RTR engines (some DCC/Sound equipped), three dozen or so "in process" pieces of rolling stock, unfinished kit bashes, NIB kits, etc, etc. All in good time.

I fully intend to stay connected here at Railroad-Line and this Early Rail forum, for I will always and forever enjoy seeing pictures of TOC19 projects and layouts, however, I feel I need to invest my modeling time I have left into my 1964 era KC&G theme. However, perhaps "someday" I may want to open a KC&G-specific thread at the appropriate forum here at Railroad-Line?

All fer now!

Andre

Andre,

Nice hearing from you. You have a choice of forums for a new thread. I look forward to reading about your progress.

Don’t forget to work in a little of your philosophy.

Mike

Thanks Mike for your supportive words.

Me? Incorporate a bit of philosophy into my threads? Surely you jest.

Alas, I'm a'feared drivel in my threads are inseparable. I'm sure there will be tons of my philosophy mixed among ANY thread that I concoct!

All fer now.

Andre

Sounds good to me.

Mike

stick around Andre, I enjoy your input. Like David said wrong era choice but I understand why. This hobby is a lot more fun with friends and you really got to keep them happy too.

Bob

Andre,
I had been wondering what you've been up to. Sounds like you've made a difficult but wise decision. Look forward to your new threads.

Scott

Sounds like you done a wise descicion. I'll follow along with your new endeavors as it is always fun to see what you are up to Andre

Time catches up to all of us. I just realized the other day that at work that I'm one of the old farts now that everyone (mostly anyway) come to for advice and how things was done previously. As one workmate put it. We were the future of the company and among the younger ones. Now all of the sudden we are the ones nearing pension. How did that happen?

Håkan

Hi All!

Some replies...


Bob:

Oh, I'll be hanging around. I enjoy watching the progress of my 19th century online friends such as yourself, Mike, Håkan, Dave, Dave, Scott, and others.

You are right: Having modeling/operating friends that are interested in the same things (and for sure if they're interested in what one is modeling) does help motivate to make progress. Several of my MR friends find my KC&G theme to be quite interesting (and entertaining), so that adds even more fun to my hobby.


Scott:

Well, now you know! I've been making progress, but on my KC&G theme. Prior to my decision, aside from acquiring a turntable, I hadn't done a thing with my 19th century theme for, what... over a year? That in itself is quite telling.

Yes, it was a difficult decision. It is hard to turn loose of a dream. I had come to suspect that all it would ever truly amount to was sporadically dreaming, planning, and acquiring. Even though I knew this was the case deep inside me, it's still hard to think: "This isn't going to happen and I need to pull the plug".

Well, feel free to stop in over at my "Meet The KC&G" thread in the "Mid-Scale" forum. I created/started that thread and I I took off like a jet... but the responses have been slow and I got busy with other things. I need to post up something before too long.


Håkan:

I know it's a prudent decision, but like I said to Scott: It's really hard to pull the plug. I knew my desire for a 19 century layout has been on life support for a long time... but it was hard to face that fact, and then reach over and unplug the support mechanism. It seems quite "final" (and saddening) to do so.

Yes, time does indeed catch up to all of us. Don's passing really hit me. I now realize that once a fellow enters his 70s, "long range planning" takes on an entirely different meaning, because "long range" is no longer all that long. Plus, what you intend to do... you'd better get to doing it.


Okie doakie, that's all for this one!

Andre