Edit: I will post some photos once I get back home. I had to take down the pics I put up at the bosses request as it shows company operations. The management is considering letting me take the big camera with me next week to get plenty of photos, so I'll post a bunch more pics of the countryside when I get back. I can't do it here as the net conection is VERY slow and spotty at best. I did get some photos of the countryside (the REAL Jamaica, not the one they show on TV). We are completely opposite side of the island from the tourist areas. People here are GREAT. VERY friendly, very laid back. They'll do anything for you.

I'll post a trip report when I get more time.

has anyone read the book that recently came out about Bethelem Steel Railroading? i am thinking about getting it, but wanted to see if anyone had read it, before i bought it. thanks very much.



todd

I am looking to buy Code 83 and Code 70 rail for my Highway.Switching Layout project im working on. im going to be using Central Valley turnouts and tie strips so i will need the rail to finish them.

I would like them in 36" lengths if possible, but i will take 24" and up pieces too. I also prefer for the rail to be unused and in good condition, no bends, kinks......

If you have some extra rail in Code 83 and/or 70, please let me know

Thanks in advance

Well here is the poll, sorry about the long waiting period

Greetings all, I created this thread to document the progress of my Chessie System layout. I hope to gain some good feedback and I hope that you all enjoy following my progress. The line I model is the Athens Subdivision of the Chessie System in the 1970's. The line ran from Parsons Yard in Columbus, Ohio to Athens, Ohio. The real Athens sub was once the main coal artery of the Hocking Valley Railway, but during the 30's the coal mines played out and the C&O merged the Hocking Valley to utilize it's line from Parsons Yard to Toledo. As traffic declined over the years the Athens sub was little more than a branch on the C&O system.
I chose to model this line as a "what if". In my world, the coal mines are still running strong and the Chessie uses this line as a vital link in it's system. The Penn Central also takes full advantage of trackage rights to bypass it's own hilly and curvy West Virginia secondary, which the NYC really did. I like big six axle 2nd generation power and coal and I represent them both well on my layout. You'll see six axle PC power, leased Reading Geep's and even a DT&I SD38 that finds it's way to Logan once in a while. I built this layout largely out of my head meaning that I had a plan and just started building benchwork. I also laid out the trackage without a trackplan, just a general idea of how I wanted it to look. I've reconfigured the layout several times mostly to enhance the operation and in the last case to open up my train area. I think I've finally settled on something and I've been busy building scenery and trying out various techniques. I'll post pictures as I go along and I hope that you all enjoy watching my progress. To start out here is my layout as it exists today. I figured this way it would be easy to look at a picture and find it on the layout. This should be fun. Take care all until next time.

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On February 28 and Mar 1 there will be a train show in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This is a nationally recognized train show. My beautiful wife and I plan to attend. For more info, PM me and I will be happy to send you the details.

Now is the time for your input to count, and this is the place to voice it.

Several people have asked about us having Big Blue Train Forum decals for starting a Big Blue railroad, or for just to decorate a car or two. We are thinking about having multi-color water decals, probably in 8 1/2" x 11" sheets. So I'm going to pose two questions for you regarding the decals, and one question regarding the general use of these decals. Note that these decals are independent of the vinyl stickyback ones we have already in the works.

1. The first question is in two parts:

1. should we keep the logo the way it is to put on our railroads, or should we adapt a name for the railroad and do the logo that way?
   
2. If we adapt a name, what should we call it? Like for instance, "The Big Blue Railway Co.", or "The route of the Big Blue Express". These are suggestions, we'd like to hear yours.

1. Should we have one sheet for each scale, or multiple scales on a single sheet?
   
2. What else would you like to see on the sheet besides the logo? Road markings, car numbers and/or other markings are some possibilities. I would like to make the decal sheet as versatile so it could be used to decorate several cars and possibly even a engine or two.

When I built my first modular layout, I had one place where I had to place a turnout right at the joint between two modules. Unfortunately I have no photos of that turnout, but....I was able to mount the turnout, and its motor on a short piece of 1/8" Masonite, which bridged the joint (with some strategically placed supports), and was "dry scenery'd " at each end. Through the several moves, before the layout was scrapped, I had no problems with the operation of that turnout.
I might think more than twice about doing that on a more repeatedly moved module, but at the once every three years rate it was fine.