Model Railroad Podcast

MRCS#113
Mon, Jul 19, 2010
Posted by: Ryan Andersen

Show #113 - Smurge - It's a technical term.
Craig, Dave & Ryan - Relying on once source for research.

 Updates from Craig and Dave
  • Craig travels the world
  • Dave travels the US.
 Tool Time
  • Cincinnati gets a Harbor Freight
  • Tools, tools and more tools
  • Band-saw or router?
 Round House
  • Craig explains his modeling dilemma
  • Trusting someone else to do your research
  • Possible solutions
 Tips
  • Right angel and corner tips from Dave E.
  • Dave, Ryan and Craig recommend the The Right ClampTM from Coffman Eng.
 That's a Wrap
  • Length: 2 hrs
  • special thanks to Craig Bisgeier and Dave Emery
  • The Model Railcast Pioneers support this show!  Thanks Guys!
  • Support your model railroad community, sponsor the Model Railcast Show, contact Ryan
    ryan (a-t) modelrailcast.com

Have an iPod or other device that can play MPA (AAC) media files?  Then subscribe to the  AAC feed here or right-click this link here to download the AAC version of the show.

comments(15) • agreeboasted(0) • no waytoasted(0) • Listen
 
 
Commentsshow votes
Posted by: darkterritory MRCS Pioneer on Tue, Jul 20 2010     www.Housatonicrr.com
Hey Guys

Hope you enjoy the show - I hope to give Ryan the diagrams explaining everything very shortly, it's not his fault. I've been under the weather all weekend thru today (Tuesday) and haven't been able to draw them up. I hope to do so sometime today, and when he gets them, you'll get them. In the meantime I hope it make sense!

Some notes on the cast - The Bosch 1587AVS jigsaw is no longer made. It's been replaced by the top-grip model 1590 ($169 at Amazon.com) and the barrel-grip 1591 ($144 at Amazon.com). Everything I said still applies, these are still the best jigsaws you can buy and totally worth the money. Yeah, it's a decent investment, but you'll never need to buy another.

the link to the research website I referenced is www.tylercitystation.info. Click Track 10 to read the article on Danbury.

Tom Hintz's website is one I refer to a lot for woodworking reviews and how-to's. I think you'll get a lot out of this link, be sure to click around and check out some of his other pages for great information on woodworking. http://www.newwoodworker.com/basic/usetsbasics.html

And here's an example of how to make a crosscut sled for your tablesaw. These can be made for small benchtop saw as well as the really small modelers tablesaws and they really work great and make cutting safer. http://www.thewoodshop.20m.com/howto_crosscut.htm
Posted by: darkterritory MRCS Pioneer on Wed, Jul 21 2010     www.Housatonicrr.com
Trying to help Ryan out, I just uploaded 4 maps to the photo gallery, and I'll put in links on the forum to reach them. When Ryan gets a chance I'm sure he'll work his hyperlink magic on them. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have!
Posted by: Ryman MRCS Pioneer on Thu, Jul 22 2010     www.modelrailcast.com/
Not sure why it is so quiet again. The show has been downloaded a bunch of times.
Posted by: mr_mike_m MRCS Pioneer on Thu, Jul 22 2010    
@Ryman - Just listened to the first quarter of the show tonight. I'm sure a TON of people are on vacation!

@Craig - I could tell by your voice you were going to make changes!
Posted by: RobHinkle MRCS Pioneer on Fri, Jul 23 2010    
Very interesting show, I enjoyed the talk on the tools of the trade. There's a harbor freight's place not far from me haven't had a chance to stop in there, maybe this weekend.

On the research side, I've heard of some people running into similar issues where they thought something was there at some point wasn't, however I think most of them just ignored the facts since they weren't doing as good a job of prototype modeling as Craig is.

I know for my plans, I haven't been able to find a lot of original documents for many reasons, so I've used some newer ones as a base and then tried to figure out what was changed between the plans date and when I'm modeling.
Posted by: jimgif MRCS Pioneer on Fri, Jul 23 2010     halletcovesouthern.blogspot.com/
Ryan, thanks for the show the three of us working on my layout have been listening and there are many great ideas and the dialogue often rings true to experiences we have as a group down here.

I always enjoy it when Craig is on. It obviously was a shock to his system to find out that some of the info was not strictly correct.

The issues covered is a number of shows such as 'construction' and 'running' teams' attitudes compared with what the owner is trying to achieve overall has been constructive and enriched the contribution of our Monday night crew.

The "Tips and Tricks" are carefully listened to even by the most experienced in our group.

Looking forward to the next installment and listening to the early shows in the CD I've ordered.

I sincerely hope you and Tim keep up the great work.

Cheers

Jim
Posted by: darkterritory MRCS Pioneer on Fri, Jul 23 2010     www.Housatonicrr.com
Thanks Jim, I'm glad someone out there actually enjoys listening to me. My wife and my crew seem pretty tired of it! I was shocked that I could be that surprised after ten years of research, but that's life for you.

Mike - yeah, anyone who knows me knows I can't leave well enough alone. Dave Emery even chided me for being a perfectionist! But I don't want it to be perfect - I just want it to be right. :-) It's not the design I would have planned 10 years ago, but it can be salvaged with minor changes to operate like the prototype - and that's what is most important.

Rob - I've had to use later photos and documents to fill in as well. But as we've seen, that can trip you up at a later date. You do the best you can with the resources you have available, and if you find later you've made a mistake - well, it's up to you to decide if it's something you can live with or not, and how difficult it is to recover from it. I got lucky this time.
Posted by: dtommy MRCS Pioneer on Sat, Jul 24 2010     otrr.blogspot.com/
Another enjoyable show!

Craig--I enjoy listening to your insights about your layout and the hobby in general. Bummer on the "modeling dilemma."

Tom C.
Posted by: bobcatt MRCS Pioneer on Mon, Jul 26 2010     bobcatts2bits.blogspot.com/
Always good to hear insightful comments about useful tools. Good content!

Craig, thanks for sharing the 'horror story' about the incorrect trackage. It was fascinating to hear the progess of the research.
Posted by: alkemscalemodels MRCS Pioneer on Tue, Jul 27 2010     www.alkemscalemodels.com
I think Craig is dangerously close to be being nominated for drama queen 2010. If it makes you feel better, I have no clue what the prototype track design for my most of my layout looks like. I just have a few photos and a crude map for about 13 miles of track. It probably really doesn't matter anyway as I have no where near the room necessary to capture it exactly. I have always admired your layout design and I think you can make things work in the foot print you have allotted.
Posted by: alkemscalemodels MRCS Pioneer on Tue, Jul 27 2010     www.alkemscalemodels.com
After looking at drawings of your three proposals, I like the original best. If you were willing to accept a totally fabricated yard, it shouldn't be too much of a stretch to move the loop forward a few years. Like a war gamer, you can view the whole scenario as a "what if," such as, we all know Lee ordered Picket to charge up the open to Cemetery Ridge , but what if he didn't?
Posted by: darkterritory MRCS Pioneer on Wed, Jul 28 2010     www.Housatonicrr.com
Drama queen! Well! (storms off in a huff.)

You're not the only person to say that, Bernie (not the DQ thing, the other thing). It could continue just as it is and it would work fine, but that's not what it is about for me. What if? just isn't good enough.

As it happens changing the plan also takes care of some thorny operational issues in the original plan I'm happy to be rid of. Had I known then what I know now, Hawleyville would have had a much more significant role to play, and would have fixed a lot of issues that became problems later. I see this as correcting a problem long overdue for change and not change for changes' sake.

And if I did sound a bit hysterical, well, it was quite a big surprise to me.
Posted by: CVSNE MRCS Pioneer on Wed, Jul 28 2010     snery.com
If you don't make the changes, I'll never visit your layout again . . . Seriously

If it takes care of other operational issues go with David's suggestion.

If this is truly a "I have to know it's right" I'd get over it and use the time and energy to scratchbuild a Housy Ten-Wheeler.

Marty
Posted by: markpierce MRCS Pioneer on Thu, Jul 29 2010    
The problem I have with the Ramos/Schweizer-favored plan is one can't follow one's train between Bethel and Hawleville. One must walk around a peninsula.
Posted by: darkterritory MRCS Pioneer on Thu, Jul 29 2010     www.Housatonicrr.com
Marty,

Yes - even when it is an issue of "I have to know it is right" there is STILL a certain point where you have to fish or cut bait. This rides the line but I'm comfortable enough with the changes to make them and move forward - even if a small part of me inside screams to tear down and redesign the upper level completely.

Mark - very true, that is an issue (and one that probably would not have happened if... Well you all know the drill now). That said, it's been an issue all along since Danbury got moved where it is now - even under the current plan you had to walk around when using the Hawleyville Cutoff - so we're not losing anything here that worked better before. If I were to do a teardown and re-design, that would be one of the issues I'd try to fix. We've lived with it up till now, we'll continue to live with it because there's no other choice. Good catch, though.
 
 
Comments Expired. Comments are no longer being accepted for this post.