Wellllll.... We actually had our first actual 'operations run' on THERR. THE Wife ran the trottles and I was her 'switchman'. She ran every consist we own !! 4 frieght and 2 passenger. She ran 2 trains at a time and after awhile she had to drop one in Lucky Penny Yard and swap consists. She pulled in nice and slow....dropped what she had...pullled the locomotive out slow and let me 'align the switches' so she could back in and hook up to the next one. She even switched out the 2 hoppers at "Stevens Concrete" !! One of the passenger trains stays on the siding at Jeans Valley. The other...an Amtrack stays in the yard. She was able to pull out of the station and onto the main real nice. A few trips around she pulled her SExcursion train into the yard and swapped out for the Amtrack. She took it around a few times and pulled it in Jeans Valley Station. Back out on the main and around to the yard where she parked it. She unhooked and brought the locomotive back to Lucky Penny Yard to hook up for a freight run. 2 trains out running loops for about a half hour and she was ready to call it. Parked both trains in the yard....and made sure the throttles where off. Turned of the lights in THE RV...grabbed our coffee and that was that...for now. Sure was nice when we got inside the house and she gave me a big ol kiss and asked "Did I do ok...and Is it was allright for the engineer to kiss the switchman?" I told her... "You can always go on TB and ask the REAL engineers if they kiss their switchmen."....ROFLMAO!!! I like our arrangement...we may just have to sneek into one of the Amtrack or SExcusions sleepers...and pull down the shades ;-) One Very Happy Mtntrainman here
:funny:My my, such fun after all these years! I guess model railroading can be good for the marriage.
Having THE Wife there and actually interested makes a world of difference. The last 'hobby' we enjoyed together was when our kids where little and we used to go fishing every weekend. Now its just THE Wife and I and we have a hobby together...again. Life is grand !!
Um, er, careful how you link the fun you had fishing and the children. For a moment I had the wrong thought. "A couple that plays together stays together".
Been 'Muddin" lately. Closing in the incline behind Lucky Penny Yard and Georgetown. Doing my best to fade everything into the backdrop. THE Wife has been painting it up as I go Just set the buildings back into the Georgetown area to get them off the pile of buildings in Jeans Valley. It looked like a tornado picked up Georgetown and deposited it all over Jeans Valley !!
I can tell someone has been busy working on their layout. Looking mighty fine. I can't say the same for mine...dissed off, at myself and the location. Cold weather is coming in and I'ma not ready for it. Thanks for sharing all your hard work and good to hear you and the Misses are enjoying the layout. I knew there was a reason why she installed a dance floor, in the baggage car and redecorated the sleeping cars. Grin! Have fun! Well, now hold on I don't need to wish you that. :uhoh:Grin! Nice Avatar!
Thnxs Rick... It has been more fun with her involved. But dont get to happy on me yet. This will be the FIRST winter in THE RV for the trains...and me running them. Time will tell (come spring) if it all survives the freezing cold and 3 foot snow storms we get. Already the nights and mornings are cold. I go out there and the temp aint to bad for me...but...the trains sure dont like it. They run slow for a few laps around....until their guts get warmed up...lol. I know in a few weeks I am gonna have to go out in the morning and start the RV with the heater on to prewarm the place. Then when I go back out I can flip on the RV furnace to maintain the heat and shut the RV motor off. Thats IF I can shuffle my old achy body thru the snow to get out there !!! Sounds like a hassle but sure beats the old THE Trailer... ;-)
Brrr... and here I am, down by the Bay, worried about temps falling into 40s/50s. Puts it all into perspective (but the trains complain about those temps, too). Looking good. Are you going to ballast the Unitrack?
Ole Rick B., has the best location, to build a layout. Must be nice to live in Union City, CA. George, we are both at about the same elevations and see virtually, the same weather. Heads up: We are getting ready to send you a snow storm. Snowing here at the moment and has been since I got up this morning. Rained all night and turned to sleet early on. The ground is to warm for the snow to stick but it's quite the sight, as it comes down. Temp's have been in the 20's at night and lower 60's during the day. I keep a frost watch heater and a small radiator, oil filled heater going in the train shed. My mouser likes them. I found her drapped over the top of the radiator heater when I opened the door to check on her and the layout. All appears to be doing fine. George, at least your train environment does have a semblance of insulation wrapped around it. I was hoping to get to mine and isulate the train shed this summer but alas, that wasn't to be. Soon, I hope.
Oh yea...gonna ballast for sure. The ARM mauve (red) for the mainlines and I picked up some 'BLACK CINDER SAND' I am sifting out n scale size ballast for the entire yard Should make a nice contrast :- )
Yea...we started with hail last night...yikes !! I have to go buy about 4 metal roof vent covers !!! These old plastic ones will never make it through many more hail storms !!! :-( The rear most one already has a couple new holes it it...and the rain is leaking in.....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Heavy snow just may break thru and put real snow on the layout :-( :-( We went to run the new locomotives and I cranked the RV heater on...its already getting toasty in there....sorry. NOT LOL !!
Ok...some people can do it no prob. BUT...The decision has been made for me. I will NEVER buy another locomotive that DOESNT already have DCC already installed and working !! Maybe its my fat ^$&^$^* fingers or my lack of knowledge. My brand NEW FVM ES44DC BNSF #7687 Is now a Shelf queen !! After easily taking out the 6 pin DC chip and putting in the Digitrax DCC decoder chip...per instructions...it dont work !! Not only that but I discovered the motor tabs where somehow twisted out from under the board tabs !! I never took the thing apart ! I just pulled out the chip and slid in the dcc one...piece of cake...right???? !!!! Tried to program on JMRI...no luck there !! I tried numerous times. Just took it out to the layout for the last time tonight...and P O O F went the magic smoke...GRRrrrrr !!!! I even put the original chip back in and put it on a piece of track hooked to DC.....NOTHIN !!!! I love DCC...just not decoder installs. Some people have the knack some dont. *sigh*
Thnxs Jerry.... After I calmed down...had dinner and a drink or 2...and a phone call with a friend from here on TB...thats the plan I believe I will contact the etailer first to get the ball rolling. I was told the etailer is also top notch with customer service. I am sure Matt can help if it comes to it. I am just so upset. I dont blame anyone...even myself really. I will explain it all to those people and see where we get thnxs again ;-)
