Got my copy of MRR, Trains, December Walthers catalog and the Dream Plan Build DVD today. Well my reading/viewing schedule for the weekend is now set. I also picked up the Paasche spray booth I had my LHS order for me on Wednesday.
No snot or snow here - just rain and high winds for Southeast PA - temp is now 71 - was 68 at lunchtime. Then down into the 40’s for the weekend.
I like to measure the success of any training or learning situation with the number of “take aways” I can get out of and then apply for future use.
In the January 2007 MR issue the highight for me was the article written by Richard Senges on page 80, Oil Creek Railroad. Now the real tidbit of information that I got out of this one was the “Meet Dick Senges” section on page 84. It mentions that he is the current editor and publisher of Rochester Model Rails, an online model railroad newsletter.
So, I do a Google search for Rochester Model Rails, and found their website. Their newsletter is just great model railroader reading and reference material.
Another “Golden Nugget” opportunity! [yeah]
Have you seen the Trackside Photo section with the winter picture of Chicago Surface Lines streetcar. I think this picture is one of the most realistic photos I have seen published. Bob and Matt Kosic did a great job modeling the scene, I hope to see more of their work!
A comment, a question, and an observation:
On the topic of ballasting, I personally thought that Joe Fugate’s article and method in MR’s How To Build Railistic Layouts was better and easy to follow than the the MR Jan 2007 article on the same topic. I used Joe’s method to ballast a 27" section of test track for the first time a few months ago and was pleased with the results. It even included a step about working around switch points.
Now that we’ve finally seen the winner of the Small Layout contest, I was wondering what your thoughts were on the top three finishers. I thought Mr. Daze’s layout was nice, but I’m not sure if I’d say it was better or more interesting than Bob Grech’s 3rd place layout. The Model Railroader billboard on pg. 67 bothered me.
Does it seem to you that the more you can cram into a layout, the more likelihood that you’ll get your layout published in a magazine? I’ve seen only a few published layouts that follow the “less is more” method. (And half of those are usually mostly or completely unscenicked.) I do realize that select compression is a subjective issue and a necessary evil - especially on smaller layouts.
Tom
You caught that too eh!
Add my vote for Bob’s as #1!
Regarding the Small Layout contest, I found it strange that not one of them is what I would consider “small”…
at the risk of sounding like a home team fan… id say that bob;s layout dominates the other two… while nice, they seem to be lacking the character and detail that gets my attention everytime bob posts up a photo on here…
“Just Great” is an understatement for these PDF Newsletters!
There’s a zen to ballasting. Last time I did it I either turned on the radio or listened to my favorite CDs. Very soothing.
Oh, I know. A lot of the Model Railroader’s projects remind me of watching The Old Yankee Workshop (if only I had Norm’s budget and tool inventory). But, it IS nice to daydream. And who hasn’t gotten a great idea from MR?
The Kosic brothers’ photos were a big deal and a regular feature in the pages of MR perhaps a decade ago, Steamage. This is the first of their shots I’ve seen in a long time (and a very good one, I’d say). It seems us serious model photographers work in spurts, with a flurry of published photos often followed by a long layoff. You see that time and again.
Incidentally, if you want to see the ultimate in realism in HO model photography, take a look at Vic Roseman’s images in varous model railroading publications back in the late 1970’s and through the 1980’s. To my mind, none of the current crop of photogs can touch his work.
CNJ831
My issue finally arrived yesterday. I have only browsed it briefly and read a couple of short articles. I have to agree about the ballasting article. Joe’s article–and thechnique for that matter–are MUCH better. I did enjoy the short article on modern coal hauling though–thourough. I look forward to reading the rest.
Ron
Make that 2 guys. I like the fact that I can see instant results in making my track look more realistic. It’s the weathering and cleaning of the track that drives me nuts.
Ah, Dave make that three. Now if you really want to work at ballasting try your hand at 7.5 inch gauge. I use a front end loader to load ballast from an old grain trailer into a steel gondola. I then push the gon down the track with my locomotive. After that it gets real work. I shovel the ballast out onto the track and spread it with the shovel then finish it off with a small rake. HO is easer but 7.5 has it’s moments.
Ah, now I never said I couldn’t ballast. I just don’t like it![:D]
Actually, as a volunteer at the New Hope Valley RR in Bonsal, NC, I’ve ballasted REAL standard gauge track. I’ve also done spiking and rail-jacking (for mounting tie plates). Tamping ballast is not my favorite activity in any scale!
Here’s my effort in 1:160 scale:
Ouch ! Just saw Kato has the track package for this layout for sale…$790 !!..just for the track, whew.
I’d like to give Unitrack a try, but that is out of my league 