... did not disappear off the earth. His original screen name here was "Cid" and he had problems logging on, so he created a second account, "Cidchase". He asked me to fix things, and apparently I "fixed" things alright. I had to delete his "Cidchase" profile to change his "Cid" profile the way he wanted it, and I though I could move his posts to his old profile. Well, I deleted him and set up his old profile OK, but when I went to "move" his posts to the old name, bingo... it didn't work. :oops: So in case you were concerned, Cid Chase is here, he's just Cid... well, he is if I actually got the job done 2/3 right. I haven't heard back from Cid, so I don't know yet.

To those of you that have paper backdrops...
I don't recall who makes em right now but I've seen 'em at the hobby shop... they come in a square tubular box and you unroll the backdrop inside to find a nice picture. The question... when taking pictures of your layout, do these backdrops show glares, reflections, or flash highlights? I'm considering just pasting up a ready made backdrop picture as opposed to trying to paint my own but only if they are photography friendly.

Guys, I want to trace my track plan from the paper overlay onto the foam below and I've seen this thing that looks like a sprocket on the end of a handle. Any ideas where I could find one? I've looked at all the arts and craft stores and searched on the internet but have come up empty... well, not entirely... I did find out a lot about the tools needed to make pizzas and 500 ways to make a pizza.

I am adding a Gern facility to my layout. Some of this is already in existence as a truck manufacturing plant and just needed modification. This transformation actually started before I entered this contest. What has happened so far is not part of my entry as it is only cosmetic, such as signs. The facility already in existence is a simple scratch build from about 12 years ago.
My entry is a part to be added to this. Here are some pics of what I have done to this point. these have been posted earlier in the upper berth, under A FEW PICS GERN IN WV .




I am showing this to make sure I am not disqualified on a technicality. Also I have already begun my project a few days ago. So if this is a problem tell me now.I am using some out of the ordinary material. Here is what I have as of now.

This is 2" PVC pipe that I had just collecting dust.


This is what it looks like now.


Plastic Sign I picked up at LHS (local hardware store)


here I now have a top added to it.


Add some steps. and that is all for now.

Stay tuned for more updates

Well, well, today, June 17th is our "official" 6th anniversary. Yep, it’s hard to believe but it’s been six months since we opened Big Blue and welcomed all train enthusiasts. When we (Mikey and Don) started to seriously talk about reviving what was once a top-rated train forum, we had some rather large misgivings. Mikey had some eight years on the old Gauge, Don had almost six and it was difficult to leave all that we built up over that time. We really didn’t want to abandon all the information that was there, plus the tutorials and all those great pictures, wow; but mostly we thought about not leaving behind all the friends we made there. The question was, could we save what we had, or did we need to start anew? We concluded that saving the old Gauge was out of our hands and we had hoped that our friends would all agree, so, we decided to start anew. We wanted to make our new forum, look and feel the same as it was, when all our long time Internet friends were members of that close knit forum. Well you answered the question, and you followed us in droves. All of our staff followed us, and most all, joined our new staff. Some old staff members that had left because of the many changes that happened over time even joined us. The first day that we were open to posting here, we had a phenomenal number of posts and it hasn’t stopped since.

We are proud of what we’ve accomplished, it feels uh, comfortable again. We have close to 300 members and we’re averaging 100 posts a day, not bad for a “new forum”. We appreciate your support and your confidence in what we’ve put together here, and we assure you, that we’ll never let these forums get into the situation that has befallen us in the past. No ads, no unreasonable rules. Our growth has been slow but steady, and we think we’ve given you what you want, the ability to post pictures and links, our own chat room, the return of the Big Blue colors but most of all, a friendly place, that feels like home. Now, for those of you that have a hard time with our color scheme, hang in there. We’ve asked Pat to see what he can do to add another color style so you can have your choice, white text on blue, or black text on white. It’s not as easy a task as it might seem and Pat’s been a bit preoccupied, but it is on his “to do” list. Believe us, we listen to you. Some things take longer than others, but this is your forum, we just make sure it runs smoothly.

Aside from thanking you from the bottom of our hearts for being here, we can’t ask any more of you beyond that. Keep these forums what we intended them to be, a family-friendly place where good friends can come to get away from other worldly things and to share their experiences and information on all aspects of railroading.

Don (ezdays) and
Mikey (ngauger)
Administrators and co-owners of Big Blue

My sons and I often go rail-fanning and wave to the train crews, etc. I just thought I should find out a little more about present-day train crews as well as those in the past -- as I realize that I'm a little confused about some modern-day train crew roles.

Today, there are usually two people staffing freight train engines. One is the driver on the right-hand side of the engine ... and, since we no longer need a fireman, is the other person a conductor who is in charge of the train and its overall operation?

In the 1960s-80s, during diesel power operation, would the conductor have ridden in the caboose with other train crew? And would the other guy riding with the engineer still be called a fireman or an assistant?

Going back to steam days, the engine would obviously be staffed by an engineer and fireman, and I expect the conductor and other crew would have occupied the caboose.

Thanks for any feedback or clarifying! I'm especially interested in modern-day train crew roles.

Rob

Hello Everyone---whenever I travel,I like to pick up a souvenir to help remember the occasion.The trip to Scranton's Steamtown with the Gauge members was one of those events---here's what I was lucky to find

Some times ago I purchased this older brass model at US-Ebay.



The HO-scale model represents a New York, New Haven & Hartford gasoline rail coach where ten coaches with #9014 to #9023 which were built by Brill in 1925.
That what is so fascinating to me is the very long hood overhang far in front to the front truck. I have got a few copies of pictures from a book and all my impressions are confirmed by these pictures.





The underbody has had a very simple detailing however the problem was the rear truck that could not turn or swing to move in curves. Look the primitive fixing of rear truck that is wide far from a correct modeling quality. In result the coach did run but only on straight tracks.





A more problem was typically for the model in original condition. A mounting plate for a coupler on backside was arranged however the rear truck was positioned at most back end of ground plate so that a rear coupler could not added to the model. Why a coupler adds to such a coach? (At end I mounted a small no. 158 whisker coupler.)

My wish list for modifying this model was not a very short one.
- First the model should run without restrictions; I think this is the basic requirement for each model.
- Second the model should have a rear coupler for moving a single car from station to station as an exception but model should be usable for small switching jobs in a small station without an own yard goat. Thereby a working front coupler is the next requirement.
- Third the model should get a more detailed under-floor after that what I can do. In a further step I planned also a completion by interior, a driver for the coach and a few passengers.
- Fourth the model must be digitalized because all my friends own digitalized layouts with the according model equipment. If I would let to run this coach so I must equip it after their requirements – and thus this model should be my digitalizing job. Part of this digitalizing job should be also a lighting of front and back lamps (also inside?) – all things that I never did before.
- Correct or nearby correct coloring and lettering is one of my basic requirements also.



First step was removing most of under-floor details for replacing and a repositioning.





Here two pictures of the new detailed under-floor.
The upper picture shows e lot of holes for the speaker which will be installed with the sound-digitalizing. And the frame did get a new fixing bridge for the rear truck, above at right side, lower picture in above-left position. Most brake parts have got a changed position and they are completed by a lot of small additional parts; a brake as I love to build it.





I modified the front truck so that the one side frame can turn and so I get an all wheel contact to the rails. I think that this is a really needed requirement for a well running motor car avoiding powerless track positions. The second picture shows also my solution for a four wheel power pick-up.
The rear truck is a Tenshodo power truck where all four wheels are equipped with power feeders however the two wheel sets do not swing in the truck frame. Thereby I must not invest additional work.



Here a picture that my friend has shot who colored the coach following my instructions. The rail coach moves from the paint shop back to my home shop, yet without lettering and yet with the need for adding LEDs to front and back lamps. Now I know that this was a mistake in the sequence of work steps. The housing did get a few small marks while adding the LEDs and the wiring.



A view inside: Speaker and decoder are glued in the bow of high roof and all wires are added. You see also that I added a big number of connectors so that I can remove or also add additional wiring. So I have got a free space for adding an interior without seeing all the electronic components through the windows.



One of last steps in the moment was the making of the correct lettering because I would own a model in date of origin of these rail coaches. However not one of the decal makers offer the right lettering so I must draw them by self – not the first time. I have straightened picture of a real coach and did set a cutout to background and then I have drawn the new letters in foreground until I was sure that the proportions of my own letters and digits are close enough for good model lettering. A professional decal maker did print my decals after and so I have got decals exact to real rail coaches of 1925.







A few more details must be added yet; the windows do not have glass in the moment and will try to add safety chains to the trucks.
Especially I will like to change the sound, the bell rings too fast and the chime sound isn’t that what I would like to have. And a friend inspired to me adding a white LED to the roof lamp at back.

Last weekend I was guest at the yearly held FREMO-meeting in Unna, Germany and there I could the model let run on a really big modular layout for a first time. Look three small videos of model and the interest of other guests for it. Click and enjoy!

First run
Shay meets rail coach
rail coach and visitors

Special thanks also to the members of the NYNH&H Yahoo-group for their friendly help and helpful information to my questions.