To celebrate my impending 50th birthday , my wife & I are thinking about going on the Agawa Canyon train in late-September but are a little concerned about the long journey which is apparently 9 or 10 hours from Toronto. How difficult a drive is it? Just curious if anyone — who has gone on this train trip before -- has any tips or suggestions. I believe you can you do the whole thing in 3 days (i.e. Allow two days for driving in either direction & one day for the train).

One of our concerns is that we’d have to leave our two young sons with friends and would not want to do this for more than three days / two nights — it would be too hard on our friends!

Also, are there more than one tour train? I seem to have come across two different websites/railway companies?! Of course, I'd be interested in going the more retro/1950s train.

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OK, I've just read further on one of the websites and there ARE two different trains that share the same line. This is all news to me but I'm sure excited if it would be possible to go on a 1950s train. Again, open to advice and feedback.

Thanks in advance,
Rob

I just received an email from the old site asking me to go through all of my old posts, 4,755 posts, and remove any links in said posts to commercial sites. I haven't been to the site since I left to join this one other than to see what P.M. they were notifying me about. I guess they can ban me. I certainly don't have the time to fulfill their request, and I don't want to waste that much time with them regardless.

I was at a friends house yesterday, and was going to show some of the photos I had posted on "Z". Got the dreaded "Red X"!!

I didn't realize until this morning that one must be "logged in" to see the photos. In the process of finding this out, I happened to take a moment to read MS' "reasons why", about deleted links.
Being somewhat confused, I ran the post through my "Universal B******t Translator.
The results were. . . well, take a look----- "We deleted all links because we are greedy and want to make our fortune now!, and not have to wait. Your links benefit others and we don't get the money we want. Greed is good! Step between us and our greedy desires and we will delete you. One small step for greedyness, and one enormously gigantic leap for greed itself ."

In slight disbelief, I recalibrated the translator, and got the same results. Oh, the translator indicated the post was made by "AP". . . . . the tech manual indicates that abbreviation means Apex Predator. . .shark? AP? it figures.

Foolish me, I thought even apex predators stopped eating when they were full.

Hi guys,

I have been fitting backboards to the layout and of course have the join lines now to disguise ...... the scene is warehouse/industrial with sky behind them what methods have you used that wont show but allow the boards can be pulled apart when needed? eg: house move

Yesterday morning at work, I heard a loud "thump". Being in the building, I didn't hear the whistle or the warning signal at the crossing near the building that I work at. Figuring it was just the sound of construction going on near us, (I got used to the sounds of thumps etc) I went on a patrol.
I started hearing sirens, then saw a whole slew of emergency vehicles come to the front of my building. At first I thought some idiot had called 911 as a joke and then when I saw the GO train stopped and cops walking along the track, my heart sank. I reached the area, saw a pickup truck at the crossing with its front end smacked in, (the signal arm was wedged behind the back of the cab) and asked the cop if anyone was hurt. He replied 'no' and kept searching. I found out later they were looking for the license plate of the truck which was sheared off (they found it).

What had happened was that the truck approached the crossing, stopped at the last second, had the arm hit it and tried to back up. The train came by and smacked the truck's nose. The leading edge of the hood and fenders were neatly crushed in, the bumper was crushed, and the plate, grille and headlights were very neatly sheared off the truck. It almost looked like the parts were taken off carefully as I couldn't see any bits hanging on to the truck. I overheard the guy saying that the arm came down abruptly before the signals and lights activated so this remains to be seen in court. The crews were at the scene for the rest of the day after the cleanup was done testing the signals and checking the tracks for damage.

Heard the news broadcaster giving his broadcast later and apparently the guy is facing over a thousand dollars worth of fines as he was charged with "Making an improper stop", "Ignoring warning signals", "Failure to have an insurance card" and "Operating an unsafe vehicle". That broadcast may have been seen on CTV.

Hello all,

I would like my latest creation imagine.
Since my junior for his Forest RR a Engine House needed, I've developed.
This has now developed the extent that I as the shed kit can offer
The production has just begun and the next few days in small quantities have to be.
Kit for a typical american Loco-Shed at 1:48.
This kit, a timber-loco-shed from the forest track time, it contains all the necessary wood slats and laser parts, windows, functional hinges, 305mm (1ft.)Track Code 100, roofing and detail parts. The roofs are removable and can be designed to look at the truss-free.

Instructions in either German or English.

Dim.: 230 mm x 150 mm x 140 mm (LxWxH) / footprint is 9 "x5.9" x5.5 ". Gate from top of rail 66 mm x 84 mm (WxH) / 2.59" x3.30 "(WxH )

The kit can also by less experienced to be built as tricky parts
such as windows, from plastics (products) as well as from wood (strips and
drawing) attached.

Here are a few pictures:









Thanks again to modelsof1900/Bernhard, for the help with the drawings!

We made it up in time to chase the 4449 today...






Tomorrow we'll be going into the festival...I'm really excited about seeing the Leviathan...a brand new 4-4-0.

There is a major change in the schedule up here: the 1225 has experienced problems and is now cold. The 765 will replace her on tomorrow's excursion. It is a bit sad as the previous time they were together, the 1991 NRHS Convention, the 1225 had problems and the 765 had to tow her plus 34 passenger cars through the mountains. It is always sad whenever a group of volunteers suffer through something like this. At least they've sold out all their excursions and the festival is well on its way to a huge success.

I've heard all sorts of stories about what is wrong, several of which I know can't be true as they wouldn't sideline a locomotive, but I'm under the impression that the exact problem is yet unknown from an inside source.

With the 1225 down, there will be a guest engineer for part of the trip tomorrow, Doyle McCormick of 4449 fame. My dad says that he pulled the 765's throttle back in 1980...but he grew up on the NKP and is a major reason that the NKPH&TS has a Portland chapter.

Tonight we're going to have a railfan trip to the depot at Durand, MI...and the modern 4-6-2 parked there. Earlier today, I was unsuccessful at locating the old pacific in Jackson, MI. We will have a shorter night due to the 765's excursion tomorrow.

If you see us there, say hi...
I'll be wearing a brown shirt... I'm young, 6'2 and thin. My wife is 5'10" and similar. We'll have our baby in a running stroller...probably be a part of a group of 9.

Found a link on the internet with dates for the 2010 High Wheeler model train show in Palatine, IL.

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Please go to the Shorpy's site and check out thw 1864 train station, depot and engin yard. It is small, detailed and fabulous. It's foot print would translate well into the early 20th century. Enjoy

This one involves kitbashing grain hoppers.What I am doing is taking two of these ,



and making one of these.



Current plan is (by the way there will be two of them) to paint them for CSX though the idea of doing them for the GVR is starting to sound pretty good to me. If my Oldtimer's disease behaves itself when I start the second car I will take some pics of the process.

I am currently involved in getting the roof hatches in their proper places or at least close to where they belong.