Morning all! We have a damp, humid, rainy NYC day. Of course with the wind whistling thru the buildings an umbrella is next to worthless. [:-censored]

Coffee definitely sounds like a plan!

I got a little work done on the train-stuff over the weekend. I was working on building a jig to use for making corrugated metal for siding, roofing etc out of aluminum foil. I wound up with a bunch of 1/32 squares of basswood glued to a piece of scrap, put the foil over it and press it down with a scrap of balsa wood (soft enough to get between the slats). Seems to work OK. Might be better off with round pieces, but square is what I had so square is what I used!

As for today's topic, while I base my layout on CNJ, I very much follow the philosophy of "I like it even if it's not prototypical so if you're going to complain about it there's the door". For instance, I have a Bachmann Spectrum Russian Decapod which I intend to letter for CNJ. CNJ got rid of their's long before my era (late 40's), but I love the engine so I'm gonna run it. Anyone who points out to me that CNJ didn't run such engines after the USRA stopped controlling them will be told "I know, but I like it". Anyone telling me I SHOULDN'T run it will be told to leave and not come back.

It's a hobby, I do it because it's fun, and if something makes it fun for me that's good enough for me.

Have a great day folks!

Good morning everyone from the dry hot Southwest.

Thanks for the coffee. "Humidacious"??

As to today's topic, I try to keep my industry protypical for the era I model, not to a specific day. Geography, motive power, rolling stock, motive power are "loosely" modeled to that era and location.

But, I have to agree with Mhd, if I like it, I use it

Have a good'un,

Jim.

Morning Railroad-Line Crew. And, seeing it's still real humid out in MO, also Mold Mike!

Had a real strong line of thunderstorms chase me at 80 MPH from Indy to Cincy this morning and about 10 minutes after getting into the building it started to pour rain. What was interesting is it was like a Sci-Fi movie as I'd have all three rear view mirrors light up real bright like there was a freight train on my rear bumber.

As to topic: well I try to create elements that would probably be seen in the time frame I'm modeling but I'm not a perfectionists. My layout is going to be from 1900-1930 but if I find a nice 1933 truck it will probably be on the layout anyway. And of course items built before 1900 would probably be still servicable in my time frame so they could also be there. VERY wide latitute here!

Everyone have a fun day at the beach, you too Mike but move around more as your getting a high water mark just about your ankles!

Just a thought: "Howcome izzit we can make coffee that will grow hair on your chest but can't make it grow hair on our heads where a lot of us need it?"

Good Morning All!

Thanks for the coffee,Mike.I'll definately take a cup,or 2 or 3.

We had what is reported as 2 or 3 tornados touch down in the Cedar Rapids area last night between 11 and midnight.One supposedly touched down downtown itself.Have quite a lot of tree damage and some roofs taken off.

Here in Marion,which is on the northeast side of CR,we didn't get a tornado,but have tree branches down and got a lot of rain.We (my wife,son,and I)spent over an hour in the basement under my workbench.We were fortunate not to loose power and were able to listen to the radio the whole time.

On today's topic.Hey,it's Model Railroading,right? So build a railroad in model form and throw on it what you like!Model Railroading gives us the opportunity to do what the real railroads wouldn,t or couldn't do!DDA40X's on the PC,Baldwins on BN into the 80's,or how about an all Alco L&N?Big Boys on the UP in the 60's and 70's.Heck,who'd have thought Missabe would have tunnel motors (SD40T-2's)?How about the famous Hill lines merged and keeping the Great Northern name and paint (SD40-2's and SD40-2B's with Rocky on them)?Quit nitpicking and Have Fun Already!

Thanks for the coffee,Mike.Have a good one.

Bill Burge

GN Blue and Rocky too in the new century

Marion(just outside tornado torn Cedar Rapids),Iowa

Now you could get RICH in a hurry if you learn how to do that!

Good Morning Folks

I model the T&P, so I have to use EMDs for power. They had one RS-2 for a brief time and then got rid of it. However, in my world the T&P took over the MoP and then the U.P. so you might see SD-70s or 90s in Swamp Holley Orange on my layout. I think model RRing is about having fun.

Ya'll have a good'un

Bye now

Good afternoon fellow modelers. I think I pass on the coffee since I didn't get to it while it was fresh.

How close do I stick to the prototype? Well, since I basically model the anthracite roads, I would not put an adobe freight station on the layout, but I am not hung up on modeling an exact station at an exact site either. It has to look believable for the time period and location. If it looks good to me, it passes the test.

As far as Tony's quote, it is probably not too far from the truth.

Bruce

Good afternoon all

Well since the coffee is gone here I will have to try Tom's place to see if any is left over there.

Weather is similar to that posted for New York but no wind so that makes the humidity worse. :erm:

As to what Tony posted I am sure he is correct.

When all the uproar appeared over at the Finescaleminiature Yahoo group about Malcolm's new project and the fact that he had trees growing out of rocks etc., people posted saying that they have seen these things in the real world.

So I am following that philosophy by modeling a real life railroad in a real life area but the scenery will be as I imagine it and not as it actually is.

For example I am adding fish warehouse based on a structure found in Florida and moving it to Alaska with some minor modifications.

Have a great day one and all.

Hi gang! Sticking close to prototype is a very diverse thing..You can model it exactly(such as in advanced prototype modeling),advance modeling or good enough/close enough prototype modeling..All have their merits and weak points depending on the view of the modeler.

Sure enough if one states that the old XY&Z didn't do that or never ran a 2-8-4 chances are they did even if that 2-8-4 was lease due to traffic demand..Remember even the "experts" is not around that railroad 24/7.So Tony is correct in making that statement.