Anticipation

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

it’s all coming together, but it sure isn’t there yet.

With plastering the terrain, there are trains all over the house. No operations in the woodshop are possible, due to parked trains. Access to the computer room requires stepping around parked trains on a “yard board” on the floor. Trains in the den, trains in the MBR, might be able to expand storage into the baths but not that desperate yet.

The plaster is looking good, and it calls to me at night, saying “paint me Jeff, paint me”.

Big pile-o-goodies ordered from Musket Miniatures, not here yet.

The masking tape has sprung up off the ends of the ties, adhering only to the railtops, the next step will be when it jumps clean off the layout, exposing shiny twin parallel strips of machined steel, begging to be driven on.
.

All these poor trains, unpainted scenery, and new stuff trapped in the nether world of other dimensional UPS combine to drag me towards my first basicly complete operating session, and I just have to keep repeating, “as long as it takes, and not one second sooner.” Wiping genuine drool off my chin ala Homer Simpson thinking of pork chops, so it won’t splash on the plaster, over the prospect of cool trains running on, around and under green and gray mountains is getting old.

So…

…what do YOU anticipate?

2

Oh, yeah, I know the feeling. I’ve been finishing up my first custom paint and decal job, on a Bowser PCC trolley car. I’ve still got 5 more structure kits to assemble, plus a planned coal receiving facility that will be scratch-built. Still, though, you’re way ahead of me on scenery, I suspect. Lots of pink foam still showing on the Moose Bay.

3

I am anticipating having at the hardshell once again. I got one good glop on two weeks ago, and have had to let it go at that due to many demands on my time. Tomorrow, with any luck, now that hell-week is behind me, I will try my hand at another batch of Joe’s batter.

Somewhere, way in the future, I look forward to running trains once more.

4

I anticipate starting all over!

Just after my wife’s relatives went home a few weeks ago, she told me I could have title to “her” stall in the 2-car garage - doubling my available space! To make proper use of the space without unacceptable operating compromise problems, a complete redesign is required. Some parts of the one-stall layout can be recycled, but the benchwork will have to be completely reconfigured (Let’s hear it for L-girder construction!) and a lot of new roadbed and trackwork will be required.

Before that can be undertaken, I have to do a full space prep - including providing air conditioning to bring the temperature in the oven (122 degrees as I type!) down to something liveable. I foresee a long and interesting conversation with the city building inspector.

The good thing is that I don’t have to reinvent the wheel. The JNR Nichigeki Route will still run from Takami (up staging) to Minamijima (down staging,) with the main junction at Tomikawa providing a connection to the Tomikawa Tani Tetsudo. Hopefully I’ll be able to make the narrow(er) gauge Kashimoto Forest Railway at least partially operational. There might even be a way to incorporate the Harukawa Electric Railway in the area I didn’t have space to model before.

Now, if I can somehow figure a way to represent the Tomikawa Electric Tramway, my cup will surely be filled to capacity.

I LOVE it!

Chuck

5

Jeffers, that was a cool epistle. Also an interesting situation. I’m up to my ankles in foam shavings, but isn’t progress nice.

6

Getting a big enough house that I can get my stuff out of the storage unit!

7

Actually running some trains on my 80%-scenicked garage layout - after 18 months of grunt work[yeah]

8

Selector, there are a lot of downsides to gooping with lightweight spackling compound, but the potential for “drive-by” senicking isn’t one of them. Two scoops of goop into a paper cup, rinse the putty knife, spread, wa***he cup, and onto whatever it was I was supposed to be doing, 5 minutes, tops.

Texas Zephyr, you know I’m not the kind of guy to recommend violating a lease agreement, but I can’t help wondering…is there a light bulb in that storage facility? Standard socket, one that an extension cord adapter plug might fit in?

Hang in there Arthill, not only does the foam phase eventually end, but at some point in time, you will actually get to enjoy food witout styro-grommets, too.

Mr. B, I don’t know how you do it. I’m way too nervous to be detailig any structures right now, and that won’t change till I can run some trains. I envy you.

CSX, you need to invest in a circle of EZ-track. 18 months of withdrawal can be fatal.

So…this evening just before starting dinner, I went to scoop out the last of a gallon of spackle into the quart container I use to avoid drying out the stockpile. A lot of water has settled to the bottom, so when I stirred the dregs, the consistency ended up similar to runny whipped cream, totally unsuitable for carving rock faces.

But…since the rock is mostly done, I scooped abit of it up with a foam 1" brush and slathered it around on the rolling hills areas, and it works GREAT, way better than trying to do smooth terrain with stiff spackle.

I LOVE it when a plan comes together. Even better when no plan at all looks like the perfect plan. I’ll take lucky over good, any day.

9

WHile there are still 7 buildings to be completed and backdrops to construct and mount, I’m spending today trying to get all the electronic gremlins to go away, fixing existing signals, constructing a bunch of dwarf signals and figuring out why my grade crossdbucks flash like disco lights!! [%-)] The worst part is that as soon as this 12 ft of modules is done, then the next part starts, and I already have caught myself playing with structure kits for the addition…Can’t stay focused…[:slight_smile:] Gotta stay on track!! [xx(] Aiiiiiieeeeeeeee[V]

Why is it that your mind can build a layout faster than the rest of your body can??[;)]

10

“Why is it that your mind can build a layout faster than the rest of your body can??”

In my case, it might be because the mind spends half the available work time planning what goes where and how to physically achieve it, wile the body does nothing towards making plans a reality. If I could focus 100% on planning, while still working to standard with both hands, the layout might be done already. Since I can’t, and it seems to be one or the other, it takes longer.

Still, I’m not about to stop planning, because having objectives well thought out makes the most of the time I actually do spend working.

11

Last October, I decided that I didn’t like the way the structures sat so low against my EZ track, so I decide to change the landscape profile. Well, while I was at it, I ballasted the track, and added some hardshell. By the time I got to the point I could run again, six months had passed–but the layout was transformed.

12

Hehehe… good idea but I couldn’t wedge another box in. Let alone a layout. But maybe the unit next door.