I was watching the modern marvels show on trains last night on the History Channel. I also enjoy watching Top Chef. So that got me thinking[sigh]. Wouldn’t it be great if a show was made like Top Chef but with a modelrailroading theme. It would be called Top Modelrailroader. We would gather 20 people who would try for the coveted prize as Top Modelrailroader.
Their first challange would be to install the grab irons on a Walthers passenger car, with only one #80 drill bit, in under 1 hour. Or try to speed match to locomotives from different manufacturers in under 15 minutes.
The challange I would win is: Wife puts my 2 1/2 yr old son to sleep. I set up a layout in the living room. Unpack some rolling stock and engines. Run some trains for about an hour. Son starts to wake up… Pack the rolling stock and engines. Disassemble the track and have everything hidden before he shows up downstairs before he destroys the locomotives.
I think you should buy some age appropriate track and trains and play trains with your son.
You will both have a blast! [:)]
As for the show…nah there is too much junk reality tv already but a show about the hobby would be great. Just not modeled after top chef etc. IMO! [2c]
I hear ya on the reality shows. 99% are really garbage. But after 22 years in the army and living on MRE’s, I like watching shows on cooking real food. I do run the trains with my son. He loves pushing button number 2 to make the horn blast. Unfortunatly he is at that age of terrible 2 through 21 stage. Last week my heart jumped into my throat as I watched him walk over a punt my Empire builder into the wall. Oh well, just part of the hobby. I was just trying to inject some humour into the forum.
I too like watching cooking shows. Cooking is one of my passions along with model railroading. I grew up working in restaurants and did a stint as an owner/chef. I can’t imagine spending 22 years eating MRE’s! Yuck! [;)]
I didn’t explain my response as clearly as I should have. Please don’t be offended at all by what I said. I did not mean to offend or chastise. My suggestion to get some age appropriate trains was made with the idea that you won’t have to worry about your boy damaging an expensive piece of equipment or rolling stock. Not having that concern will make it more fun all around IMO. Soon enough he will be old enough to be careful with the “real” train stuff. Trust me, they grow up really fast so treasure those “terrible two’s” while you can. [:)]
My little guy, (16 months) has a push engine we play with on the floor. I make the chugga chugga’s and whoo whoo’s right now but pretty soon he’ll be copying me. I can’t wait to introduce him to the fascinating world of model railroading!
One of my favorites.
Grill up some boneless, skinless, chicken breasts.
In a skillet, saute some mushrooms in butter with a clove of garlic and a dash seasoning salt.
When the mushrooms are browning nicely, add 35% whipping cream, I use about 1/2 a quart for 3-4 servings. Seasoning salt and fresh ground pepper blend to taste.
Cook covered over med/high heat until the sauce reduces to a creamy thick consistency, stirring and checking occasionally to avoid burning or boiling over.
Once the sauce has reduced, place the grilled chicken in the sauce and simmer a few more minutes.
Serve the chicken whole or in slices and drizzle with the mushroom sauce. Great served on a bed of rice with some fresh steamed vegetables.
If you can somehow work in female mud wrestling and some chimpanzees in business suits into your program, I think you’d have a marketable show. Not worthwhile or anything, just marketable.
Has anyone looked into local cable programming? In our town, they negotiated for multiple channels, and there is a full TV studio in the high school, paid for by the robber barons cable company. They even pay for someone to staff the place. The point is that these people have nothing to do, and nothing to fill the bandwidth, either. Year-old high school football games. Church services. School awards ceremonies. They even came down and taped my wife’s arts and crafts sessions for little kids.
Female mud wrestling, while I’m sure is very much politically incorrect, would be interesting but it would probably be no go on the chimps in business suits - they are all in Washington. I concur on the worth of reality TV, but the local access cable station here is always looking for programming. If I ever get my layout going I may contact them. There used to be model railroading shows on PBS but I haven’t seen any of those in a while.
You didn’t offend me at all, I do have some old Bachmann engines and rolling stock packed somewhere around here. I plan on digging those out to let my son play with them. Living in on post housing, we don’t have any room, so the only thing I can do is run trains on the living room floor. Oh you think MRE’s are bad, try the T-rations[xx(]!!! I’ve been lucky that for the last two years I have been working in a Division staff. So home everyday for lunch and dinner. Wednesday I report to an Infantry battalion and then off to the fight. Don’t know how the chow will be, but I plan on having my send lots of peanut butter and cigarettes.
I showed my wife the chicken reciepe and she will make it next week[dinner] . Enjoy your weekend.
If you’re headed to some nasty place, take care of yourself, and keep your head down. Thanks for your service, and I hope you’re back with your family as soon as you can be.
Several years ago, I worked at a LHS. The store owner suggested that we develop a sitcom about a hobby shop, with the plots revolving around the really odd items that people came into the shop. The shop which had a large sign out front saying “HOBBY SHOP,” mind you.
Some of the things requested were:
One-person (full-size!) helicopter kits
Soccer supplies
Taxidermy kits
And there was a whole list of things that I can’t remember at the moment. The owner is on these forums, so maybe he’ll chime in with the rest. [:)]
Somewhere in the dusty records I have a copy of a top ten list of the most outrageous things people came into the shop looking for.
A young man came into the store; I asked if I could help him. He looked very perplexed. He wanted to know if I had the kits that were in the back of “Popular Mechanics”, you know, the “One Man Helicopter Kits.”
I was feeling evil that particular afternoon. I looked at him sincerely, and with a very serious tone replied, “you know, I sold the last one I had just last night. Unfortunately, I am not able to get any more.”
He said something to the effect of “Oh man, I should have come earlier.” Then he walked out of the store.
Soccer supplies. Telephones. Extension cords. Power strips. Macrame supplies. Plastic flowers. Knitting needles/supplies. The list was almost endless…
Then there was the Texas A&M student from China. Lots of stories about him. He came in the store; bought one tiny bottle of Testors red paint, and one paint brush. I knew he had a red car. I followed him out of the store, to watch as he painstakingly tried to paint a very large dent and scratch on the front fender of a car (that was probably not his).