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Hey all,
So I'm currently in the process of rebuilding my layout. Currently the bencwork is in place and I've got the basic plan...but now I need more than just the track plan... I need a 'region' to mimic for scenery and industrial purposes.

The plan is:



My motive power consists of a lot of steam and some early diesel locos. 2/3's are Canadian National, 1/3 is Canadian Pacific... I got some other locos that I got because their gorgeous (Challenger, Daylight) but are not prototypical of Canadian operations.... Out of my buildings, all I currently have thats not directly related to the main terminal is a Forestry Co. kit from Walthers.

Obviously I'm modeling Canada... but what would be a good area to use as an inspiration for my layout's scenery...and what should I call it? The Pacific South Eastern really doesn't work without the mountains. And this layout only has gentle rolling hills....

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The Wilmington & Western Historic Tourist Railway derailed yesterday...

I got a question for all who want to put in thier 2 cents. Is it possible for Thrall 4750 Covered Hoppers to be bought out bya company or private owner and be used to carry plastic pellets?

HO Scale Concrete Segmental Bridge Side-by-Side Comparison:
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Please let me know what you think, this one has been a work in progress for a month or so now, just finally got around to properly finishing up. Its not too in depth, but will give you a good sense of what the products offer.

This was posted on Atlas

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I always wonder about this possibility when I am sitting there counting cars!!
This is a real matter of the-wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time, I guess. Quite sad.

Here we go now.I chose to bash a Walthers Carfloat apron in HO scale.It was a partially assembled (poorly) and damaged kit I picked up some time ago for a steal, Perfect kitbash fodder. I will have to "unglue" most of the kit somehow to get all the parts to line up properly. The Headhouse and steal pear will have to go,They will be back dated to some thing a little less modern looking. the apron rail will be electrified and a system for getting power to the barge will be added because I intend to move some small locos over the water also.    
Because of the nature of this bash I'll need to build it in place. So first up is to prep the layout where it is to be installed.    
That is the future site of the Susquehanna river. I first figured out the height of the "high water mark" and build the river bed from 1/2 inch ply wood. It was then covered with a layer of Durham's water putty and painted a dark green.    

Well, last night I attempted to install an MRC sound decoder (diesel) into an Athearn F-7 (not DCC ready). Things were moving along fairly well and I had the two power pick up wires and the two motor control wires installed, checked and double checked. The front head light was the only connection left. I also had to figure a way to mount the speaker. At this point I decided to test the decoder on the program track. It checked out fine and I entered the engine number for the address. I then placed it on the track and gave it a try. It immediately sounded off, engine rumble, bell, horn. WOW! Cool, I did it first time. Then I moved the throttle a little and SNAP! When the engine moved forward ever so slightly the blue wire, the hot lead for the headlight, touched something on the frame, sparked, and that was that. It shorted out the entire decoder. All I could hear was a buzz-click, buzz-click. The buzz was the short, the click was the dcc system circuit breaker kicking out. From that moment on the decoder is toast. It gets hot to the touch every time I try to run it. Well, I will salvage the speaker anyway. The $67 decoder is now history.

Lesson learned; if you have any loose wires be sure to cover the end with tape before applying power for testing. Guess I'll install a non-sound decoder for the time being.

Later,

KT

Yep, June 21st... Have a

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

SUMMER SOLSTICE

BIG BLUE STRUCTURE CHALLENGE.

As you may know, I am modeling roughly 1917-1920. In looking though period photographs, I notice nearly all of the men are wearing hats, and all of the women are wearing hats. That means, when placing figures on my layout, they all should be wearing a hat, right? Has anyone done historical etiquette research who could enlighten us when wearing a hat in public became less commonplace in the USA?

The small details... Has anyone ever added a hat to a LPB that didn't come molded with one?