Pere Marquette, Mark II

[iis612]

Here is a quick rundown of what I have to show...
I am working on a 6 stall roundhouse, a coaling tower, various structures that have been started but never finished.
Within the year I will start laying track for the layout, as well as dust off the bowswer models I have been working on.
I have an Atlas S-1 that I that needs to be rehabilitated and fitted with dcc.
All of these items will have a ton of pics to go with whatever progress I have made.
Ohhh... I almost forgot. My Father in Law gave me a bunch of MOW equipment kits. These are all going to debut sooner rather than later.

Matt

[iis612]

In keeping with my word... I decided that the 2012 challenge would be a good reason to get me moving... Follow here:
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Matt

[iis612]

This is what the train room looks like today...

[iis612]

I wish I had some progress to share... I do have a few more locos and rolling stock items to share. These are courtesy of my father in law. He has no interest in having a layout, but he loves building kits and is hoping to live vicariously through my layout.

Item 1:

A well detailed (at least to me) REA Reefer. It has brake details installed, and a light weathering job.

Item 2:

This is an assembled bowser USRA pacific. It will need a re-letter/number, some weathering, motor isolated and DCC with sound installed

Item 3:

This is a Samhongsa Pacific. It is lettered for the PRR, but it doesn't have a belpaire firebox. It will be re-lettered/numbered, weathered and motor isolated and DCC with sound installed

Item 4:

A Bachmann Spectrum C&O 2-6-6-2 with DCC/sound. The prototype of this H5 has never seen rails in MI, but this one will...

Item 5:

A Milwaukee Road box car. It has brake details and a light weathering job. I might do some more weathering on this one.

Item 6:

A CNW livestock car

Item 7:

This is a Walther's MOW kit set. They should be good to go right out of the box, right?


My Father In Law has TONS of MRR stuff laying around that he no longer wants to keep, so he is passing it on to me in hopes that it will see some time on the rails. My In-Laws ROCK!!

Matt

[sailormatlac]

Great to receive such support from in laws! You got your hands on interesting cars!

Matt

[iis612]

Now that the work life has changed, and I am now home...

Over the last month, my basement flooded (again, don't buy cheap home depot sump pumps). The layout half of the basement is a disaster, and there is water damaged items all over the place. My wife has had a litany of medical issues that we have been trying to figure out for years. She received a confirmed diagnosis of MS. We don't know what type yet, but just having a diagnosis is good news. Now we have a direction to go. I changed jobs. I am still in trucking, just out of the truck. I am an operations manager of a 40 truck fleet at a dedicated operation. This is where I shine. I have been in management/education since I was 18. I have taught paramedicine in the field to new paramedics and trained rookie cops/detectives. The best part, my office is 6 miles from home. The company is over 60 years old, which means stability (thank goodness).

Enough of all that. I will post pics this evening of the train wreck my layout area has become of the last year. I have decided to enter a project in the Get off your Duff contest. I haven't revealed what it will be yet, but look for that this evening as well.

I am thrilled to be back, and I thank everyone who welcomed me home.

Matt

[Charlie B]

Matt, I am so sorry to hear of your wife's medical problems but if it is any consolation I worked for a fellow with MS and he managed it well. I think I recently read they were on the verge of a cure so I'll put her in my prayers.
As for a flooded basement, I just can't imagine what a mess you have.
When I was a kid we had a basement that had water back up every time it rained. We had to put a plug in the floor drain. I don't know why my "old man" (think the movie A Christmas Story) never put a valve in the drain or installed a sump pump. That was in the fifties.
I operated a small hydroelectric plant for 15 years and the floor would flood at least 4 times a year.
Even though this was supposed to happen it was still a pain to clean up, though not as bad as when it got high enough to get in the generators.
We are looking forward to you getting off your duff. (I'll bet you are thrilled to sit in a seat that isn't moving.)
Charlie

[iis612]

As promised, some pics...
Yes, a little late.




As you can see, a train wreck. I have to finish cataloging everything that was damaged by the flood.

Matt

[iis612]

Charlie,

Thank you. We are actually happy to have the diagnosis. Mind you, not happy that she has any medical issues, but the diagnosis is good. Now we have a direction to go in for treatment. MS isn't the death sentence that most people make it out to be. It's a lifetime supply of challenges and changes lives, but it is something that many people live long happy lives with. Yes, my grammar is horrible.

I started the new job. The learning curve is steep, in terms of the processes and technology in place, but I am adapting well. I am hoping I will be able to get some work done on the duff challenge this weekend. I have to finish cleaning out the basement and take care of some screwy kitchen plumbing first. I'm in the mood for modeling, so I am motivated to get the other minutia out of the way.

Matt

[iis612]

Hello All...

I lost my password to my iis612 account and the password to the email linked to the account, so I created a new login. I have some pictures to share but I have to get them uploaded to photobucket... I have to remember the password for that...

[doctorwayne]

Glad to see you back again, Matt. You and I seem to be working at about the same speed, but at least you have plenty of excuses for your rate of progress. As for me, I just keep forgetting what I'm supposed to be doing.

Wayne

[Charlie B]

Hi Matt, glad to hear from you. I had even sent a PM and didn't get a reply, I guess that explains it.
I don't have any problems with passwords anywhere but my ATT email. There are times it won't accept my password and I know it is the right one. I have to reset the password, but I use the same one.
Looking forward to getting back up to speed with you.
Charlie

[ezdays]

Hello All...

I lost my password to my iis612 account and the password to the email linked to the account, so I created a new login. I have some pictures to share but I have to get them uploaded to photobucket... I have to remember the password for that...

I'll email you a new password to you old account.

[ezdays]

Matt, I sent your new password to your comcast email address. Let me know if you need anymore help.

[ezdays]

OK Matt, one more try, I sent the password to you new email address.... The old one bounced back...