A Modest Model Railroad

Just amazing by calmdude · 2004-01-23 14:04 · Score: 5, Interesting

A System One "hammer head" throttle for the DCC system; note that these tethered throttles have since been retro-fitted by North Coast Engineering (NCE) as radio-controlled throttles. The various buttons are labeled for control speed, direction, sound and lighting effects, etc. Programming of a locomotive can also be done "on the fly" using these throttles.

Apart from the attention to detail, the actual functionality is absolutely astounding!

Re:Just amazing by DMCBOSTON · 2004-01-24 06:11 · Score: 2, Informative

Model railroading is as addictive as free beer. A Slashdotter would understand it, if exposed to it. Just plain fun. I remember the days of the eighties where a PC could be used to control the switches and stuff through the printer port. Some folks are into history, some into accurate modeling (including weathering, some into track layout and fabrication and of course scenery construction. It's all fun, you can pick and choose what you want to do and there's no criticism, really. But Google for "garden railways" and you will find the outside, huge layouts. Like I say, fun.
Re:Just amazing by DMCBOSTON · 2004-01-24 06:17 · Score: 1

Oh and my programming skills are obvious by the unclosed parenthesis in the previous post...heh...
Re:Just amazing by TheCrazyFinn · 2004-01-26 06:12 · Score: 1

Bruce Chubb's running a series in Model Railroader right now on computer controlled signalling and turnouts.

Bruce is the reigning king of computer control for Model Railroads.

--
"You've got an invalid haircut" -Warren Zevon - Life'll Kill Ya

Re:didnt read the article by Acidic_Diarrhea · 2004-01-23 14:05 · Score: 3, Insightful

Knowing when he started working on this doesn't mean that you know how much time he spends on his hobby. If he can only devote one hour every year to his hobby, you wouldn't make a snide remark, would you?

Come on, use some logic. You don't have enough information with only the year the project was started to make a comment in the vein that you want to.

--
I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.

Mr. Comductor by drayzel · 2004-01-23 14:05 · Score: 4, Funny

Wow! That is some great detail! I think I can even see a little minature Ringo Starr as MR. Conductor standing next to Thomas the train.

Re:Mr. Comductor by Green+Light · 2004-01-23 14:24 · Score: 0

George Carlin in the narrator...

--
"Send an Instant Karma to me" - Yes
Re:Mr. Comductor by mbstone · 2004-01-23 14:24 · Score: 0

No, actually it's George Carlin.
Re:Mr. Comductor by tarquin_fim_bim · 2004-01-23 15:09 · Score: 1

George has been a very naughty engine and must spend the rest of the day in the sidings.
Re:Mr. Comductor by drayzel · 2004-01-23 15:30 · Score: 1

You should count yourself lucky that you never saw Ringo as Mr. Conductor. He is almost as bad an actor as he is singer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shining_Time_Station

Ringo Starr - Mr. Conductor (1990-1991)
George Carlin - Mr. Conductor (1991-1993)

~Z
Re:Mr. Comductor by magores · 2004-01-23 17:45 · Score: 1

Ringo in the movie "The Point"... Damn fine performance.

The little website that could.... by stefanlasiewski · 2004-01-23 14:10 · Score: 5, Funny

Ever wonder what happens when a website gets smacked by a locomotive?

CHooooo Chooooo!

I-serve-I-can I-serve-I-can I--serve--I--can I---serve---I---can
I------------serve----------- I------------can

CHooooo Chooooo!

Slash-a-dot-a Slash-a-dot-a Slash-a-dot-a Slash-a-dot-a Slash-a-dot-a

--
"Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."

Re:The little website that could.... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-23 14:36 · Score: 0

Still up and running. It's better to observe the /. effect rather than assuming it.
Re:The little website that could.... by tarquin_fim_bim · 2004-01-23 15:12 · Score: 4, Funny

To an adult that wouldn't be funny.
Re:The little website that could.... by corbettw · 2004-01-23 15:28 · Score: 1

To an adult that wouldn't be funny.

And to a Slashbot, it's hysterical.

--
God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.

Re:didnt read the article by dsplat · 2004-01-23 14:10 · Score: 3, Insightful

Damn, does this guy have too much time on his hands or what?

Or maybe he didn't have enough free time for years which is why he's been working on it for nearly a quarter of a century. Okay, model railroading isn't my personal hobby. But I spend enough time pursuing hobby interests to respect someone's ability to go beyond just puttering and create something on an impressive scale. Having too much free time on your hands often has dramatically different results.

--
The net will not be what we demand, but what we make it. Build it well.

A True Historian by jrandall · 2004-01-23 14:11 · Score: 5, Interesting

You are very quick to make fun of this gentleman, who has obviously invested quite a lot of his time into creating this railroad. I am sure he has quite a lot of fun doing this work, but aside from that it should be obvious to anyone who actually visited his site that he is a true historian. He has actually researched the original railroad and presents much of his information on-line as well as running what amounts to an operating museum.

I, for one, appreciate his work and would love to be able to visit his layout and enjoy it as I would any other historical museum.

Re:A True Historian by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-23 14:24 · Score: 0

I don't think he's making fun of the guy or the project, but rather the poor webserver that has to host any slashdotted site.
Re:A True Historian by tarquin_fim_bim · 2004-01-23 15:14 · Score: 1

Agreed, a grand effort, we're not worthy.
Re:A True Historian by samschul · 2004-01-23 15:25 · Score: 5, Informative

I have meet Jack Burgess when I was researching the Yosemite Valley Railroad to build by own version under Microsoft train simulator. Jack has so much data that he has collected on this railroad, I could believe he is probablly the worlds most knowlegable person on its history. He has also produced a book that is scheduled to be published soon that covers the history of the YVRR along with modeling tips.
Re:A True Historian by jusdisgi · 2004-01-23 15:47 · Score: 1

That's cool; how's your version doing? Got anything we can look at? URL?

--
Given a choice between free speech and free beer, most people will take the beer.
Re:A True Historian by samschul · 2004-01-23 16:06 · Score: 1

I had all the DEM data moved into MSTS. but their lousy editor got the best of me and I gave up
Re:A True Historian by speleo · 2004-01-23 16:11 · Score: 4, Insightful

I've visited Jack's layout several times. To say it's impressive would be an understatement.

Jack is *the* expert on the Yosemite Valley Railroad and has modeled it down to the smallest detail, including time-table operation for the scheduling of the trains based on what was actually running on the real railroad in August of 1939.

And his craftsmanship is outstanding.

Jack is an engineer and is very familiar with computers and has used CAD to design to construct his layout.

To put it another way, Jack is an ESR or Linus equivalent in the model railroad community.
Re:A True Historian by zangdesign · 2004-01-23 18:12 · Score: 1

History? Who cares! It looks like a load of fun!

One day, perhaps, I'll have the time to break out the old HO-scale train set and do something like that (or as near as I can manage).

--
To celebrate the occasion of my 1000th post, I will post no more forever on Slashdot. Goodbye.
Re:A True Historian by DerekLyons · 2004-01-23 21:00 · Score: 2, Insightful

To put it another way, Jack is an ESR or Linus equivalent in the model railroad community.
Not really... What he did/is doing seems odd to 'outsiders', but it quite common inside the model railroad community. (Read Model Railroader for a few months and you'll see more than few.)

If model railroading has a guru, it's John Allen of the Gorre & Daphetid.
Re:A True Historian by Nodatadj · 2004-01-24 00:45 · Score: 0, Flamebait

Jack is an ESR ... equivalent in the model railroad community.

What? He's a gun toting nut case that loves himself, thinks he can channel the gods (especially the god of sex) and seems to think that he is the most important person in the community without actually having done much that is useful?

I think you do Jack a disservice by comparing him to that asshole.
Re:A True Historian by geoswan · 2004-01-24 01:55 · Score: 1

Now don't hold back! Tell us what you really think!

What? He's a gun toting nut case that loves himself,

Ah. A gun nut. That is not that uncommon in the States, is it?

thinks he can channel the gods (especially the god of sex)

Channeling the god of sex. Hands up everyone who would channel the god of sex, if they could?

seems to think that he is the most important person in the community without actually having done much that is useful?

I think ESR's biggest contribution are the articles he wrote, which came at a key moment.
Now I didn't agree with one passage from his Halloween document. The original leaked Microsoft memo said (paraphrasing) " Linux doesn't have the same vulnerabilities as our traditional enemies. One weakness however is that the Linux volunteer's efforts are driven by their egos, and their egos can be turned against them. "
I thought this was a perceptive criticism -- one to be taken very seriously. But ESR discounted it without addressing it at all.
Good thing Linus is a sweet-natured modest guy.
Re:A True Historian by TheCrazyFinn · 2004-01-26 06:15 · Score: 1

He's good, but no ESR or Linus.

That would be Allen Mclelland or the late John Allen.

Jack would be one of the minor gods though.

--
"You've got an invalid haircut" -Warren Zevon - Life'll Kill Ya

Question for a rail enthusiast... by Embedded+Geek · 2004-01-23 14:15 · Score: 5, Interesting

route of an old rail line...

I've seen a few layouts done that are supposed to recreate actual rail lines and I've always been puzzled by one thing. Given the geography of the room where someone sets up their layout and also the necesity of accessing the layout (if only to observe the fruits of all that hard work), I've always presumed such layouts are not attempts to faithfully duplicate the layout of the rail line but to represent the scenery through which a traveler would pass. That is, there's no attempt to duplicate or scale "Then this spur goes east for 24 miles before it turns north for three more..." just do something like "and after we pass through the pine forest here near the bedroom door, we hit the town of Pidegeonville, which I placed next to the window..."

A silly question, but wanted to make sure I understood the "ground rules" of these recreations.

Personally, I never got past an oval under the Christmas tree and trying to scare the cat, although I did work as a waiter on the Southwest Chief one summer in college. I don't think most modelmakers would care to recreate the Leavenworth prison or the vagrant we ran over near L.A. Union Station, though.

--

"Prepare for the worst - hope for the best."

Re:Question for a rail enthusiast... by clem.dickey · 2004-01-23 14:42 · Score: 4, Informative

>I've always presumed such layouts are not attempts to faithfully duplicate the layout of the rail line

True. A 40 mile run in N-scale would be 1/4 mile of track. Most people don't have that much space. Nor do they want to spend the hour or so that it would take a train to travel that distance. Modelers use "selective compression" to show only the most interesting parts of the line, and a "fast clock" (typically 10x normal time) to get a full day's railroading done in an hour or two.
Re:Question for a rail enthusiast... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-23 15:00 · Score: 0

There's no way to precisely duplicate distance; the key idea is to capture the "interesting parts" while eliminating the uninteresting. The National Model Railroad Association's Layout Design special interest groupargue over such topics.

That said, the La Mesa club at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum comes close. Their model of Caliente, California is only compressed by about half; the few buildings of Caliente are represented exactly.
Re:Question for a rail enthusiast... by tarquin_fim_bim · 2004-01-23 15:18 · Score: 0, Flamebait

wanted to make sure I understood the "ground rules" of these recreations.

There are no 'Rules', these things are limited only by the immaturity of your own mind.
Re:Question for a rail enthusiast... by jusdisgi · 2004-01-23 16:04 · Score: 1

Now see here! This fellow hasn't done anything wrong...all he did was ask a good question. Your message is right, that there aren't any rules, but it's certainly not warranted to harass him over the question. His mind isn't immature...it's certainly reasonable to wonder how these guys are going about reconstructing a "faithful rendition" of the original.

Not to mention, I do feel a bit gyped by the compression. I mean, sure, I understand that it is definitely necessary...but still, seems like it's never quite complete that way. Not that I fault the guy...like I said, necessary.

--
Given a choice between free speech and free beer, most people will take the beer.
Re:Question for a rail enthusiast... by badasscat · 2004-01-23 16:26 · Score: 4, Informative

I've always presumed such layouts are not attempts to faithfully duplicate the layout of the rail line but to represent the scenery through which a traveler would pass. That is, there's no attempt to duplicate or scale "Then this spur goes east for 24 miles before it turns north for three more..." just do something like "and after we pass through the pine forest here near the bedroom door, we hit the town of Pidegeonville, which I placed next to the window..."

You are correct. There are actual scale model railroads (there's a museum in Chicago with a real scale model railroad of the Chicago area, for example - it's really impressive!), but they're rare. Most model railroaders attempt to model the "spirit" of a railroad, along with maybe some of its individually distinctive features, but they'll drastically shorten the "dead" areas of a railroad and/or combine the less distinctive features. The point is to capture the highlights of a railroad. Of course, many people don't bother modeling real railroads because they don't want to burden themselves with questions of accuracy - they just build whatever they think looks nice.

Same is actually true for the trains themselves. There's a segment of model railroaders who are derisively called "rivet counters" by the rest - these are people who are absolute sticklers for train model accuracy down to the last rivet. Most model railroaders, though, will accept some inaccuracies in their trains, and one of the main areas of inaccuracies is in the consists. Like layouts themselves, this is to save space - in HO scale, a typical passenger train made up of three or four locomotives and 17 or 18 85' cars could be 21-22 feet long! Most model railroaders do not run accurate trains; they run representations of them, featuring one or at the most two of every type of car in a passenger train, or simply shortened freight trains (many of which are just long and monotonous in real life anyway, IMO).

Of course, choosing a smaller scale will let you model more in the same space, but sometimes in less detail. In the US, HO scale is most popular because it still generally offers the best balance between detail level and space savings (vs. the original O scale). In Japan, N scale is the most popular because of the small size of many dwellings there - and I also think because Japanese model railroading is more fixed-consist passenger-oriented (vs. mixed freight here), so to model a train that looks remotely realistic you have to run fairly long trains. N scale has also improved dramatically in detail level over the past 20 or so years, so I expect if this hobby survives there will be a gradual increase in the popularity of N scale in this country, leading to somewhat more realistically-sized layouts.

It's a hobby still in slow decline in the US, though, going hand in hand with the decline of passenger trains in general (and the rise of other pastimes such as video and computer games - kids who in generations past would grow up with train sets are now growing up with PlayStations instead). Which is a shame - many of these layouts really are true historical documents, in the same way any museum diorama is. And they're fun, too!
Re:Question for a rail enthusiast... by WinterpegCanuck · 2004-01-23 17:43 · Score: 1

In addition to cutting out the long lengths of track between stations, most modellers do try to maintain the realism by keeping all the stations and towns in order, replicating real industries at the proper locations, and sometimes even the correct track configuration (orientation and order of all the switches and yard tracks). Like any art, liberties are taken when needed by the space or just the personal taste. There are lots in this hobby that are pure prototype replicators that chastise their fellow modellers for only having 25 rivits on a steam engine instead of 28 (almost like using the 'wrong' gui in your favorite *nix distro) but then there are also those that 'freelance' so much as to make up their own railroad. This is something all of us geeks can relate to as we have seen the hard core "I wrote my own multitasking routine for my kernal" geeks to the "I bought the colourful box and it just seems to work. sorta." gamer geeks.

Besides being able to relive their youths or bring back parts of their pasts (and I have seen many a grown men make choo choo sounds as they follow their trains) there are those that love the challanges posed by the almost puzzle like tasks of getting the cars from your train into the siding and in the right spot without being hit by another train cause you took to long. And that is nothing compared to actually building it, with your digitized signalling system, crossing lights, sound effects and trying to simulate the momentum that a heavy freight train actually has on a miuature scale.

I will still chuckle at the self made choo choo sound effects though.
Re:Question for a rail enthusiast... by Kaboom13 · 2004-01-23 18:07 · Score: 2, Informative

The Musuem you speak of is the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Easily the most enjoyable musuem I've ever been in, the model railroad is much more then the Chicago area. The actual city is only one small part of it, it is actually a scale model of the entire route from Chicago to Seattle. There is a site for it here: http://www.msichicago.org/exhibit/great_train_stor y/index.html
The musuem also has a complete locomotive on display. If your ever in the area it's definitly worth seeing.
Re:Question for a rail enthusiast... by geoswan · 2004-01-24 03:00 · Score: 1

The Musuem you speak of is the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago...

Thanks for the suggestion. Here is the actual link. (You had a spelling error in your link.)
Re:Question for a rail enthusiast... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-24 05:14 · Score: 0

No, fwapdash puts spaces into long strings so that you can't force the html browser to think the page needs to be wider than the screen resolution.

Which is why everyone should be using links. <a> tags are easy, everyone should be using them. B-)

Model Railroading by nemesisj · 2004-01-23 14:17 · Score: 4, Informative

This reminds me a lot of the beautiful Gorre & Daphetid Railroad by the late John Allen. Hands down the most amazing layout I've ever seen, there used to be a book in print called "Model Railroading with John Allen". He revolutionized the hobby because he was a professional photographer and spent incredible time on the photos he would send in to magazines etc.

It's been awhile since I was a subscriber to Model Railroader (50 bucks a year for a student is steep), but in the early nineties it seemed like the convergence of computers and model railroading was finally beginning to happen so that people who weren't in MIT and were still interested in controlling trains with computers could begin to tinker.

Course, the ultimate limitation on model railroading seems to always be space, so I'm hoping that when I have some space in the future I'll be able to get a layout going again, and even have fun working on the computer aspect.

--

$45 per U Colocation Special

Re:Model Railroading by clem.dickey · 2004-01-23 14:46 · Score: 3, Insightful

> [John Allen] revolutionized the hobby because he was a professional photographer

His college training was in art, and he made some good investments which left him financially independent at a young age. Both of those help. Those and a sense of humor.
Re:Model Railroading by Spud+Stud · 2004-01-23 15:04 · Score: 2, Interesting

The Gorre & Daphetid was the primary inspiration for me to build one as a kid. I could never duplicate the sheer vertical scale of John Allen's masterpiece, but I did the best I could to build winding tunnels and towering tressels. John Allen and the Gorre & Daphetid - RIP
Re:Model Railroading by tarquin_fim_bim · 2004-01-23 15:21 · Score: 1

Yeah, but the problem is he was five years old at the time.
Re:Model Railroading by nemesisj · 2004-01-23 15:51 · Score: 1

I know what you mean - I came across his book as a fifth grader and was completely blown away by his layout. The story, scenery, and ridiculous attention to detail really raised the bar from other railroads I've seen in the past. Plus, there was just something so authentic from the scenes that he designed, and in the book it talks extensively how he spent years planning his railroad, building a first test layout, then a medium sized one, then his masterpiece.

He's also really famous for the switching game that I think was called "timesaver" which was a couple of locomotives and cars on a board...I'm hazy on the details.

Anyway, all this talk is making me really wish I knew what happened to my book.

--

$45 per U Colocation Special
Re:Model Railroading by calidoscope · 2004-01-23 17:31 · Score: 1

John Allen and the Gorre & Daphetid - RIP
I remember feeling a bit cheated to read of John's death and the loss ten days later of the G&D. That's 31 years ago.
Another memory was watching Warren Beatty in "Dick Tracy" - the nightime scenes by the docks looked just Like one of John Allen's simulated nightime shots of Port City (well at least the color and mood).
Wonder how many of the young'uns on Slashdot would know how to pronounce Gorre & Daphetid.

--
A Shadeless room is a brighter room.

Not bad, but... by uradu · 2004-01-23 14:20 · Score: 4, Interesting

for probably the largest digital layout in the world, check out this in Hamburg. Unfortunately it's only in German, but the pictures speak for themselves (click the logo to enter, then "Fotos" in the top menu, then any of the secondary menu items). The layout was designed fully digital from the beginning, with all accessories (cars, boars, cable cars etc.) also fully digitally controlled. These guys are true nerds that built a lot of the electronics themselves. The layout has cost over EUR4M so far.

Re:Not bad, but... by Wakkow · 2004-01-23 14:35 · Score: 4, Informative

I know most of you are too lazy to look at the photos.. but please look. That setup is amazing.
Re:Not bad, but... by Tewara · 2004-01-23 15:00 · Score: 1

It is truly amazing. They spent 4,000,000 Euros on this and counting.
Re:Not bad, but... by uradu · 2004-01-23 15:19 · Score: 1

This picture is precious: Klitschko and a biker-looking dude demonstrating fine motor skills.
Re:Not bad, but... by tarquin_fim_bim · 2004-01-23 15:23 · Score: 1

I've always been a fan of German engineering, they also make practical stuff too.
Re:Not bad, but... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-23 19:44 · Score: 0

I visited madurodam when i was young. Very cool, and, i suspect, much larger than the one in Hamburg. Though I've also been to Hamburg I don't remember this.
Here's another site with images. Too lazy to find anything else.
Re:Not bad, but... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-23 23:26 · Score: 0

Look at their cars! Each one if fully operational, and has LEDs for lighting and mini-motor! Truly amazing!

Best wishes,

Te"blown away"ls
Re:Not bad, but... by The+Cydonian · 2004-01-24 01:07 · Score: 1

I like the attention given to detail. :-)

--
More than mere navel gazing.
Re:Not bad, but... by Afty0r · 2004-01-24 02:26 · Score: 1

I saw the Miniature Wonderland at the age of 13, and I have to say hats off to them, and thanks to you for reminding me, I hadn't thought about it in years.

It's true in that it is truly a wonderland, the size of place and the attention to details were remarkable, I had never imagined such a thing could exist until I saw it.
Re:Not bad, but... by uradu · 2004-01-24 02:27 · Score: 1

> I like the attention given to detail.

Hey, what would Hamburg be without the red light district?
Re:Not bad, but... by uradu · 2004-01-24 02:32 · Score: 1

> Very cool, and, i suspect, much larger than the one in Hamburg

It does seem very large, though not necessarily the model train part.

> Though I've also been to Hamburg I don't remember this.

The Hamburg layout was only opened to the public in 2001.
Re:Not bad, but... by The+Cydonian · 2004-01-24 04:07 · Score: 1

A dead small-town somewhere in the middle of California? :-)

--
More than mere navel gazing.

1981! by bombadillo · 2004-01-23 14:25 · Score: 2, Insightful

Trains are so 1981. Trains were geek magnets back then. It seemed like everyone had trains back then. It would be nice to see a come back for trains.

Re:1981! by tarquin_fim_bim · 2004-01-23 15:26 · Score: 1

No actually they're 1801 or something, really topical.
Re:1981! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-23 16:37 · Score: 0

thank you for proving what a dork you are. Maybe you might want to check the difference between what a geek is and following the latest trend is.
Re:1981! by Rotten168 · 2004-01-24 04:49 · Score: 2, Insightful

I thought the first steam powered train didn't come along until the 1820's or something?

HO, baby! by Wakkow · 2004-01-23 14:26 · Score: 3, Funny

While you all argue over which text editor to use, the real debate is on which gauge is best. You N and O scale ain't got nothin' on my HO.

Re:HO, baby! by tarquin_fim_bim · 2004-01-23 15:31 · Score: 1

No argument here, HO has alway been the choice of champions.
Re:HO, baby! by AsimovBesterClarke · 2004-01-23 16:40 · Score: 1

Although HO (1/87) rules (sorry no 133t speak for me), if you want the the biggest bang for the smallest space, I've some really cool stuff in Z scale (1/144???).

--
Ads are broken.
Re:HO, baby! by Bob+McCown · 2004-01-24 02:22 · Score: 1

Bah you puny scales. Large Scale is the way to go!

Local Model Railroad Clubs by BenFranske · 2004-01-23 14:26 · Score: 4, Interesting

If you find this sort of thing interesting (and their is a lot of application of computers in modern model railroading) why not join a local club. Heck, you could make the entire thing availible on a web site and allow remote control and view it over a webcam.

One such local group is the Twin Cities Model Railroad Museum which has a pretty nice layout itself.

Re:Local Model Railroad Clubs by Cyno01 · 2004-01-23 14:46 · Score: 1

Yeah, until some skript kiddie comes along and crashes your trains into each other. :p

--
"Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
Re:Local Model Railroad Clubs by spitzak · 2004-01-23 15:01 · Score: 2, Interesting

One in the middle of Massachusetts I once was a member of: Nashua Valley Railroad Association. The web site is retro (to be charitable), but the layout is quite nice.
Re:Local Model Railroad Clubs by tarquin_fim_bim · 2004-01-23 15:36 · Score: 1

(and their is a lot of application of computers in modern model railroading)

Is that real railroading or pretend railroading?
Re:Local Model Railroad Clubs by Duke · 2004-01-23 16:24 · Score: 2, Informative

If you are in the USA, the national organization is
the National Model Railroad Association. You can find everything you might want to know at the site.

Hobby Stuff by pipingguy · 2004-01-23 14:26 · Score: 2, Interesting

I like hobby stuff and I've hosted the rebuilding story of a real steam car at http://stanleysteamer.pipingdesign.com for the past couple of years. Check it out if you like rebuilding originals.

I Don't even know where to start with this one... by SideEffects · 2004-01-23 14:27 · Score: 4, Funny

"Jim Dias holds short of the Merced yards to allow Ray deBlieck to clear a passing track so that he can run around his caboose and turn his engine and put it away on one of the turntable leads.

All kidding aside, it's just a great setup.

Pretty Cool. Reminds me of when I was a kid. by weeboo0104 · 2004-01-23 14:29 · Score: 4, Interesting

I wish there were more pictures of these layouts though.

I used to be a member of a model railroad club in Holly, Michigan. It was in an old movie theater and the layout covered ALL the floorspace. There was a balcony where the movie screen used to be and that's where we controlled the engine by wireless and kept the dispatch busy by updating them with our engine locations.

It was a first-class layout there. Anybody else in Michigan ever visit the Detroit model railroad club in Holly?

--
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. -Frederick Douglass

Overcoming obstacles by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-23 14:29 · Score: 1, Funny

See...people with Asperger's can do amazing things!

Re:Overcoming obstacles by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-23 14:51 · Score: 0

How the hell is that funny?
Re:Overcoming obstacles by tarquin_fim_bim · 2004-01-23 15:47 · Score: 1

How the hell is that funny?

Because he has more 30 degree turns than is required to make a double loop circuit with a bridge.
Re:Overcoming obstacles by SleepyShamus · 2004-01-23 19:37 · Score: 2, Interesting

This comment made me chuckle, and I was tempted to use my moderator points (jealous?) to mod it up, but then decided to do something even more rare for me... post a reply. My 3 year old daughter was recently diagnosed with Asperger's, and I had begun researching Model Railroading has a possible therapy tool and something that she and I could do together through the years. At the moment she is in love with her Thomas the Tank Engine wooden set. Nurturing such interests in Asperger's cases is key. Anybody have any suggestions / experiences for a beginner Model Railroader with a small child?
Re:Overcoming obstacles by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-23 21:44 · Score: 0

You want to read "The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time" by Mark Haddon. Probably the best book written last year, told from the point of view of a boy with fairly severe Asperger's.
Re:Overcoming obstacles by PatrickThomson · 2004-01-23 22:07 · Score: 1

I'm a guy who's had Aspergers for a while, and I had a lego railway when I was smaller, ok maybe about the age of 10 or so but it's a great toy nonetheless. Interoperable with all those old lego sets, who wants to drive a train through Bob's house?

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I am one of many. My idea is not unique, nor do I expect my voice alone to sway you. I speak in a chorus of opinion.

Stop motion films... by addie · 2004-01-23 14:29 · Score: 3, Interesting

Being a stop-motion hobbyist, a setpiece like this would just be a dream to work with. Amazing!

Re:Stop motion films... by tarquin_fim_bim · 2004-01-23 15:51 · Score: 1

a setpiece like this would just be a dream to work with

Isn't it fantastic what can be done when a hobbyist has enough resources!
Re:Stop motion films... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-23 18:03 · Score: 0

SHUT UP!! You are not witty, funny, or interesting.
Re:Stop motion films... by FTL · 2004-01-24 01:57 · Score: 1

> Being a stop-motion hobbyist, a setpiece like this would just be a dream to work with. Amazing!
"Now arriving on platform 1 is the 10:45 from Yosemite."
"Ready to depart on platform 3 is the 12:05 to Kirkwood".
"The AT-AT from Hoth is currently boarding on platform 7."

--
Slashdot monitor for your Mozilla sidebar or Active Desktop.

Original American Geeks by toxic666 · 2004-01-23 14:32 · Score: 4, Insightful

Before /. techno geeks laugh at this guy's dedication to the hobby too loudly, remember that the railroads were the work of America's original high-tech geeks. This is much more impressive than running a Trash 80.

Railroaders were the technical cutting edge of the 19th century. Financial over-investments in transportation (both canals and rail) contributed to the 1837 Panic. Gee, times have changed (heh!).

Yeah, I play Loki's RT2 Linux port. But I'm not knowledgable enough about the real thing to be a credible rail fan.

Re:Original American Geeks by simontek2 · 2004-01-23 16:33 · Score: 0

I play that too, But I do Volunteer for railroads. Used to for Coopersville & Marne RR,(in Michigan) and now at the Savannah Roundhouse. I enjoy rebuilding locomotives, and rolling stock. I even own a Box car. yes i model them too. But working on the real thing is so much more fun. Anyone coming down to Savannah, Check out the Roundhouse. Yes, we are a haunted city too. ~SimonTek

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SimonTek
Re:Original American Geeks by toxic666 · 2004-01-23 16:56 · Score: 1

Well, you've got it on me. I live a mile from the Eddystone Baldwin works (now a Wal Mart) and hang in South Philly near the original Baldwin works.

People care about rail in PA, but they'd rather have a Rails-to-Trails project so the hordes can mountain bike.

Very few rail lovers left. Shoot me a URL if you know of people interested in saving SE PA heritage.
Re:Original American Geeks by Endive4Ever · 2004-01-23 19:29 · Score: 1

We own a few hundred feet of railroad bed here. Including the second track bed that was the interurban line south from Indianapolis. It was ceded back to the former owner of this property when the line was abandoned and now it's ours. Can't really 'claim' the other railbed that stock rolls across multiple times a day, but technically it's ours. Supposedly it's a bad thing having the railroad run across your land, but I like the sound of trains.

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Re:Original American Geeks by toxic666 · 2004-01-23 19:40 · Score: 1

Too bad you don't get to experience some real rail. I live within walking distance of a regional rail line and get to take it to work on my better days.

How does it comapre? Rail: talk to new people and make friends; might be 10 minutes late. Car: isolated experience and sometimes people try to wreck with my piddly $25 grand rolling investment.
Re:Original American Geeks by DerekLyons · 2004-01-23 21:05 · Score: 1

Before /. techno geeks laugh at this guy's dedication to the hobby too loudly, remember that the railroads were the work of America's original high-tech geeks. This is much more impressive than running a Trash 80.

Railroaders were the technical cutting edge of the 19th century. Financial over-investments in transportation (both canals and rail) contributed to the 1837 Panic. Gee, times have changed (heh!).
Also consider that from around 1900-1930 1 in 5 Americans worked directly for the railroads. No other industry so dominated society.
Re:Original American Geeks by Goth+Biker+Babe · 2004-01-23 23:14 · Score: 1

Before /. techno geeks laugh at this guy's dedication to the hobby too loudly, remember that the railroads were the work of America's original high-tech geeks. This is much more impressive than running a Trash 80

Not just American. My first interest when I was very very young was model railways. It's that that taught me electrics, electronics and logic. From there I moved on to electronics as a hobby and then from there to computers starting with the ubiquitous TRaSh-80 and following it up with the Beeb.

Model railways are still big over here in Britain. Like the canals powered the Industrial revolution in the UK in the 19th century, railways powered the 19th century. For example I work in an old woollen mill that is a world heritage site and was built in 1853. It was only built where it was because on one side it has a canal and a river and the otherside is a railway. 150 years on the mill now houses high tech industry but the railway is still there and used by those who work in the building.
Re:Original American Geeks by Arctic+Fox · 2004-01-24 05:38 · Score: 1

I live in MontCo, Pa... Check out railroad.net.... and a few of the yahoo groups... Lansdale_Rails, TristateRR..... email me for more alex (at) arclyte.com
Re:Original American Geeks by Endive4Ever · 2004-01-24 19:25 · Score: 1

Yes, I wish sometimes that I could take a passenger train, particularly over the line that runs on our land. The old train station is in town, less than a mile from here, but it's the home of a Historical Society now, not a railroad stop. At least they didn't tear the structure down...

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Interesting by cubicledrone · 2004-01-23 14:35 · Score: 5, Insightful

Isn't it interesting how the first response to anyone who is truly devoted to something other than getting drunk or watching Celebrity Idol Millionaire is "they must be wasting their time" or they need "a life?"

Does this not perfectly describe the difference between "producer" and "consumer?"

Would that we, as a society, could find a way to encourage people to value productive, thinking time. Such people produce literature, invention and wisdom.

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Business isn't willing to pay for products, innovation and careers, so we get brands, mortgage commercials and layoffs.

Re:Interesting by Carmody · 2004-01-23 16:35 · Score: 3, Insightful

You are on the money. I hate it when someone does something creative, and the TV watchers he works with tell him "you must have a lot of time on your hands" or "get a life" or whatever.

Issac Asimov has the right to tell me to "get a life." But someone whose seen every episode of Law and Order does not.

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God is real unless declared integer
Re:Interesting by AsimovBesterClarke · 2004-01-23 16:51 · Score: 1

> Does this not perfectly describe the difference between "producer" and "consumer?"

Not sure. Having delved into many, many different areas of both modelling and model railroading, I kinda' find this completely mudding the border. In all honesty, I've been the 'consumer' of a considerable amount of brass and resin, yet I produce many things which give a great deal of satisfaction (for myself, at least). Maybe the the ultimate test would be if I started casting my own resin or set up a (C)NC mill for brass.....

Then again, maybe I had to much vodka tonight..... And it definitely beats the hell out of getting drunk *and* watching Celebrity Idiot Millionaire.

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Ads are broken.

Poor guy by lblack · 2004-01-23 14:38 · Score: 5, Interesting

Model Railroad Tour - I have had hundreds of visitors to my layout. Here is a chance to take a short virtual tour.

[Emphasis mine]

And I mean, it's *right there* when you read the page. Couldn't you at least set up a Paypal account or something so that people who visit the site can kick a pity dollar for smalltime, image-heavy, hobbyist sites like this?

Did the guy get a warning, at least? Since the site hasn't buckled, I'm assuming he's bursting his metered bandwidth as I type, and paying an awful lot for the privilege.

Slashdot should at least buy one of his books.

leem

p.s. Totally amazing dedication that this guy has put into the hobby.

Re:Poor guy by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-23 15:17 · Score: 2, Informative

Looks like he has sbc hosting,

Additional Data Transfer (Billed Automatically) $ 0.10 / MB / month

(the plans look like they start with 7-10GB/mo)

That can't be good if he goes over. That price is a total ripoff imho.
Re:Poor guy by Alioth · 2004-01-23 23:34 · Score: 1

A static site (which his is) can easily handle a Slashdotting on very modest hardware. Since hosting with oodles of bandwidth is relatively inexpensive these days, his web server may have barely noticed. I know my server can handle a Slashdotting with ease for static pages, and I get 700GB bandwidth a month so it would be a drop in the ocean bandwidth-wise.

--
Oolite: Elite-like game. For Mac, Linux and Windows
Re:Poor guy by quist · 2004-01-24 10:01 · Score: 3, Interesting

...Additional Data Transfer (Billed Automatically)

Unfortunately that appears to be the case. This morning I received a frustrated reply from Mr Burgess to a short complimentary email I sent last night. Quoting:

...exceeding bandwidth and running up the bill for a person with a personal web site. I have maintained a web site to share my hobby with others. ...is now costing me in excess of several thousand dollars.

This is not good, guys. Not good at all.

Granted, we know that bandwidth can be throttled or connections suspended when certain thresholds are reached--we should know that's our bailiwik--but most folks don't. Sorry, but "tough luck" does not reflect well on the community.

Any ideas out there on how we might heal this?

Large-scale railroads by druiid · 2004-01-23 14:40 · Score: 1

Kinda off-topic, but this made me think with all the roller-coaster stuff lately linked on slashdot... does anyone know of people with backyard railroad setups using large-scale equipment, with steam powered mini locomotives and all that? I've seen a couple things like this on Home and Garden type shows, but no cool pics online, etc.

Re:Large-scale railroads by Arctic+Fox · 2004-01-24 05:41 · Score: 1

http://www.palivesteamers.org/ These guys are pretty serious, though they may be a little larger than what you had in mind. You can get live steam in HO (1/87) scale...

Re:didnt read the article by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-23 14:41 · Score: 4, Funny

"Damn, does this guy have too much time on his hands or what?"

Oh, does he? He could probably waste that time by sitting on slashdot and posting assinine comments like yours.

Re:Pretty Cool. Reminds me of when I was a kid. by weeboo0104 · 2004-01-23 14:46 · Score: 4, Informative

Call me a karma whore, but I forgot to include the Detroit Model Railroad club info.

Detroit Model Railroad Club. . . . . . . Scale: O
104 N. Saginaw
Holly, MI 48442-1405
248/634-5811
The Detroit Model Railroad Club was founded in January, 1935 as an off-shoot of The Detroit Society of Model Engineers. The Detroit Union Railroad is the basis for our freelance theme with connections with the various railroads which served the Detroit area in 1957. The narrow gage will depict eastern type narrow gage. We have 35 active members and a number of associate members. Calling the old Holly theater our home, we feel that being in an old theater creates a unique atmosphere for model railroading. Being the largest model railroad in the State of Michigan brings people in from many areas.

Meetings: Tuesday nights from 7PM to 10PM to work on the layout and have Open Houses for the public on certain weekends. We have about 40 active and 60 associate members and new members are welcome.

Here a list of model railroad clubs in Michigan.

--
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. -Frederick Douglass

Another train layout (shameless plug) by k4_pacific · 2004-01-23 14:58 · Score: 3, Interesting

These are my dad's trains.

I built some of the buildings.
Lots of pictures.

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Unknown host pong.

Re:Another train layout (shameless plug) by simontek2 · 2004-01-23 16:47 · Score: 0

nice layout

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SimonTek
Re:Another train layout (shameless plug) by Spunk · 2004-01-24 04:55 · Score: 1

[tripod.com]?

Oh dear. Even this little comment-slashdotting brought it down. :(

Sure-fire way to get me to clean my basement by Buran · 2004-01-23 14:58 · Score: 1

... keep posting stuff like this! I've been wanting to really get going into a good hobby after some false starts in high school, and just last week I fetched my Alco PA-1 model out of storage as an inspiration.

Gotta get off this computer and actually do something for once, y'know!

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i am a soviet space shuttle

Beautiful! by humankind · 2004-01-23 14:58 · Score: 4, Insightful

The work this guy has done is amazing. Even if you aren't into these types of things, you cannot help but respect the tremendous attention to detail he has put into his work. If only most commercial programmers had the work ethic of this guy imagine the stability and performance of our software and other systems.

Re:Beautiful! by Rallion · 2004-01-23 15:36 · Score: 1

Well, attention to detail, maybe. But he has been working on it for 23 years.

Re:had to be said... by tarquin_fim_bim · 2004-01-23 15:04 · Score: 0, Offtopic

Fuck you, asshat.

The Phones by sch1sm · 2004-01-23 15:13 · Score: 1

I'm confused about what the phones do. From what I read it looks like they are a party line to the station? what? The whole thing is pretty impressive, I didn't know people did things like that. That's my ignorance though.

Re:The Phones by certsoft · 2004-01-23 15:33 · Score: 1

The phones are for communicating with the dispatcher. One method is for the dispatcher to light a signal light at a station when he wants an engineer to stop and contact the dispatcher. It is also common for an engineer to call the dispatcher when departing a station.

That much floor space... in the bay area by NotQuiteReal · 2004-01-23 15:20 · Score: 0, Troll

Dude - you could sell your house, move to South Dakota and live like a king, and watch real trains go by!

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This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.

It's only 20' x 20' by Animats · 2004-01-23 15:36 · Score: 1

It's not that big. He just crammed way too much detail into a modest room by stacking it up. The layout really ought to be about five to ten times as big.

Re:It's only 20' x 20' by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-23 17:02 · Score: 0

At a guess, you've never built much more than a lionel figure-8. Having done a few ranging from 4x8, 8x12, and 1.5x15 (which ended up being my personal favorite), part of the challange is fitting it into the available space.
Re:It's only 20' x 20' by britneys+9th+husband · 2004-01-23 18:38 · Score: 0

Only 20' by 20'? That's four hundred square feet of space! A sprawling mansion like that in the Bay Area must cost at least a million dollars, minimum. Or at least a good fraction of a million.

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Hear recorded Slashdot headlines on your phone! New service beta testing. Just call (248) 434-5508

As model railroaders go... by JAlanSnyder · 2004-01-23 15:40 · Score: 4, Informative

Jack Burgess is considered to be one of the all-time greats. His layout and the quality of his modeling are as good as any found anywhere. If you are involved in the hobby in any way you have most likely heard of him. It's a multi-faceted hobby; some like the modeling, some like the history, some like 'operations' which involves a small group of operators who try to run the layout like a real railroad, and some like the electronics. You can even write your own Java apps to control the layout - http://jmri.sourceforge.net/ - some guys are doing it with Linux. For more examples of some outstanding layouts search on George Sellios or Howard Zane.

Re:Pretty Cool. Reminds me of when I was a kid. by tarquin_fim_bim · 2004-01-23 15:42 · Score: 1

Anybody else in Michigan ever visit the Detroit model railroad club in Holly?
I did. It was the biggest pile of shit that you could possibly imagine. I got separated from my guardian and couldn't find an adult anywhere. That was my first nervous breakdown, I've had several since, but mostly under control if I stay away from trains.

Maerklin is the way to go! by GreenKiwi · 2004-01-23 16:38 · Score: 2, Informative

http://www.maerklin.com/

The above system in Hamburg looks like the Maerklin trains. They have a digital control system where by you don't have to have any blocks to control your trains. You put out full voltage onto the rails at all times and then the engines know what direction they should go and how fast to go. It is a much better system and more realistically approximates the way real trains work.

I believe that you can even control the switches with this system.

In reading through the MIT page, I was excited because I had thought that they were implementing a similar system, however, it would appear that they are just creating a new implementation of the only multiple circuit system.

kiwi

Re:Maerklin is the way to go! by badasscat · 2004-01-23 17:56 · Score: 4, Informative

The above system in Hamburg looks like the Maerklin trains.

Or as we call them in the US, "Marklin" trains :)

Not sure which is more technically correct - it's an "a" with an umlaut over it, which is just too hard to type on an English keyboard/OS!

They have a digital control system where by you don't have to have any blocks to control your trains. You put out full voltage onto the rails at all times and then the engines know what direction they should go and how fast to go. It is a much better system and more realistically approximates the way real trains work.

Marklin has no copyright or trademark on this. It's called Digital Command Control and it's what most model railroaders the world over use today. See here. Nearly all current model locomotives made and/or marketed in the US (and Europe and Japan, for that matter) are now DCC-ready.

btw, Marklin trains are some high-quality trains, alright (my brother deals almost exclusively with them)... but so are a lot of other makes. There's always somewhat of a debate on who makes the best equipment, but I think most model railroaders agree that it really depends these days on the specific car/locomotive being modeled - one company may make a better looking and running ICE, another may make a better looking and running SD40-2, another may make a better looking and running Hudson J2E. All of the major manufacturers in HO and N (Kato, Tomix, Walthers, Atlas, Marklin, etc.) maintain at least a basic standard of quality - they're all at least good, all the time.

Oh, and if you're wondering, metal is not better than plastic! At least not as a rule. It's nearly impossible to get the same level of precision and detail in die-cast as in plastic, and while brass is still fairly popular, it's also extremely expensive and extremely fragile (relegating brass trains mainly to display duty these days - nobody wants to derail a $5,000 train and see it go tumbling to the floor, pieces breaking off all the way down!).
Re:Maerklin is the way to go! by uradu · 2004-01-23 18:06 · Score: 2, Informative

> Maerklin is the way to go!

They implement the DCC system, which was first developed by Lenz in Germany and then made an official standard by the NMRA. They do make very high quality and expensive equipment. But my opinion of Marklin is marred by my memory of my childhood Marklin AC train set with the center pickup. I just never really cared for either the unrealistic center pickup, or the equally unrealistic jerk when reversing direction. I know their DCC systems won't have either issues, but old prejudices die hard.

> I believe that you can even control the switches with this system.

Most DCC systems also provide accessory decoders, which can be used to switch incandescent lights, LEDs, motors, relays, etc. You can automate just about anything on a layout with accessory decoders.
Re:Maerklin is the way to go! by ahillen · 2004-01-23 21:50 · Score: 1

Or as we call them in the US, "Marklin" trains :)

Not sure which is more technically correct - it's an "a" with an umlaut over it, which is just too hard to type on an English keyboard/OS!

Well, the "official" way (in Germany/Austria/Switzerland at least) to transcribe umlauts(?) if you don't want/can't use them is to replace them with the normal letter + 'e'. So 'Marklin'(with umlaut) would become 'Maerklin' as you can see by their websites www.maerklin.de and www.maerklin.com. OK, I just realized that they also have www.marklin.com, but... who cares anyway ;)

Just like Gomez..... by thomkt · 2004-01-23 16:40 · Score: 2, Funny

I wonder if he's ever been tempted to put a couple of M-80s under one of the bridges and blow it up just a train passes.

Forgot to put the URL in a tag by GreenKiwi · 2004-01-23 16:44 · Score: 1

http://www.maerklin.com/

Model Railroading has become high-tech by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-23 17:26 · Score: 2, Interesting

As a model railroad enthusiast since I was a boy, I have been going to model rr shows all my life and you would be amazed at what they have integrated into them with computer controls and whatnot. When I retire I plan on building an 1800 SQ Foot building to build the ultimate RR in. If you thought this guy was off the wall... check this out... Nothlandz RR A spectacular adventure on this 1 mile indoor tour through a miniature world. Up to 100 trains running daily, and 8 miles of track are just the beginning. 25 years went into sculpting 35 foot mountains and building 40 foot bridges. Marvel at the thousands of handcrafted buildings and over 10,000 freight cars.

wow by loadedgeek · 2004-01-23 17:40 · Score: 1

Now that's what I call impressive. Just imagine the kind of time and dedication it would take to finish something like that.

Anyone remember the book YV88? by calidoscope · 2004-01-23 17:41 · Score: 1

Yosemite Valley 88 was pitched as an "eco-fiction" (more like and eco-fantasy) about how Yosemite could be made more in tune with nature. It does make mention of the YVRR (although not to the detail of Burgess's upcoming book) and explores replacing the roads in the park with solar electric powered railroads (one of the areas that came across more as fantasy than fiction).

One reason for bringing it up is that the book described a computer network running over fiber-optic lines and a displaying several people writing at once. Bear in mind that this was written in 1976-77 (this is when Dr Dobbs was published by the Peoples Computer Company).

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A Shadeless room is a brighter room.

Strange... by Rrave · 2004-01-23 17:55 · Score: 3, Interesting

Kinda funny this showed up here. Been a slashdot watching for awhile now... Never expected to see this.

I am actually part of a business that manufactures kits for model railroads. Right now we mostly make LargeScale which is for outdoor gardens... We use to do HO scale, and plan on going back into it soon.

I have actually met the man who made the railroad posted, very dedicated, and great model railroader.

Anyways, was just surprised to see something like this... Posted here...

If you want to check out some largescale models you can check out our site at www.railroadavenue.com

Just recently changed our host server (a couple days ago) so if you find any missing or screwed links, e-mail me if you could... I checked them all and it all worked, but you never know.

P.S. You'd be suprised to see how many techies are in this hobby. I have met more than one rocket scientist, tons of engineers (the kind who design things), and a bunch of other "geeks".

:)

+1 funny by ArmorFiend · 2004-01-23 17:56 · Score: 1

Mods, could this guy have a +1 funny. C'mon, admit it, it made you laugh.

This is slashdotting? by foom · 2004-01-23 18:33 · Score: 2, Funny

Come on, I'm disappointed, only 7143 people linked to TMRC from slashdot in the last 4.5 hours? At least you're nearly saturating our puny 10bT connection to the outside world. :)

Outgoing rates: 7329.4 kbits/sec 621.8 packets/sec

for /.ers new to the hobby... by chocolatetrumpet · 2004-01-23 18:35 · Score: 3, Informative

Since this may be the first exposure many /.ers have to some serious model railroading, I thought I'd broaden the perspective a little bit from the old standby HO (though not to at all belittle the beautiful work of Jack Burgess).

Some stuff I've been drooling over lately:

West-Side Locomotive Works

garden railroading images like this one

and of course my favorite model train company, Lehmann Gross Bahn

Enjoy, and add your own links!

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Spoon not. Fork, or fork not. There is no spoon.

Must resist by aliens · 2004-01-23 18:51 · Score: 1

Must... resist... urge... to go on Godzilla-like rampage.

Probably why I never got too far in Sim City games either.

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-- taking over the world, we are.

Roadside America by AnalogDiehard · 2004-01-23 19:59 · Score: 3, Informative

Jack Burgess does have an eye for anthenticity, but his 20' by 20' layout is dwarfed by this old time tourist attraction called Roadside America, which is a miniature village that fills an entire warehouse with O scale model trains complete with running cars, trolleys, waterways, working crossing gates and signals, working coal trestles, wood mills, you name it. It still fascinates me since I saw it when I was a kid. And they turn the lights down periodically for a dramatic nighttime scene.

Wholesome tourist attraction for kids and adults - you'll love it. Usual disclaimer applies.

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Eternity: will that be smoking, or non-smoking? I Corinthians 6:9-10

Charlemange's Castle by some+guy+I+know · 2004-01-23 21:15 · Score: 1

Not as realistic, Charlemagne's Kingdom in Helen, Georgia (USA) has a stylized representation of Germany.
The trains are only part of the setup, and run automatically.
I went there on a slow day and mentioned that I was interested in model railroading.
The owner took me in back and showed me the control room.
It was pretty impressive.

--
Those who sacrifice security to condemn liberty deserve to repeat history or something. - Benjamin Santayana

Nice but tiny. by corrosive_nf · 2004-01-23 21:17 · Score: 1

In San Diego California the worlds largest model railroad is run. http://www.globalinfo.com/noncomm/SDMRM/sdmrm.html

*sigh* by WhodoVoodoo · 2004-01-23 21:43 · Score: 1

I thought for a second is said "Modern Major General" and thought that /. was FINALLY posting all those Gilbert and Sullivan performance dates I've been harping.

But, instead I got a railroad. No pirates, no somewhat homoerotic prancing, no Captain Corcran. *sigh*

Please learn how to use links. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-23 22:00 · Score: 0

Please learn how to use links.

<a href="http://www.globalinfo.com/noncomm/SDMRM/sdmr m.html">worlds largest model railroad</a>

yields: worlds largest model railroad

Re:Pretty Cool. Reminds me of when I was a kid. by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-24 00:14 · Score: 0

Call me a karma whore, but

Thanks for the address and link you whore.

Helen, Georgia by dtmos · 2004-01-24 01:28 · Score: 1

Helen, Georgia (also here) is a fascinating place in its own right. You drive along the highway through dozens of nondescript small Georgia towns (each fading into obscurity in its own way) then come around a curve in the road to find an alpine villiage from Bavaria! In the late 1960's, with the town's major industries gone, the citizens decided that they needed a new industry if the town was to survive, and went with tourism. To separate themselves from their neighbors, they went with a "theme": The entire town was rebuilt with cobblestone alleyways, bavarian-style buildings, etc.--everything from doghouses to government buildings is done in the same style. The effect is quite dramatic and has been a great economic success; far from fading into obscurity, their biggest problem now is controlling the town's growth.

Did he use an Itanium 2? by G3ckoG33k · 2004-01-24 01:40 · Score: 1

Did he use an Itanium 2 for this, as indicated by the little sign "Merced Tower 2" a bit down one this page. I bet that was one of those subliminal messages.

ooooo pretty. by paintbrush12 · 2004-01-24 02:14 · Score: 1

it truly is an awasome little set up from both a RR lovers ,and visual effect minature point of view. would love to play with that on camera ,great job and deatail.

other layouts... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-24 02:25 · Score: 0

There is an entire culture atound the world devoted to the production of beautiful layouts, some emphasizing faithful reproduction of specific areas, others elaborate operation, and some free-lanced just for fun. There are hundreds of them. Understandably but unfortunately, most are not open to the public. Two that are are the newish layout at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, and the Railroad Museum at Balboa Park in San Diego. Have a brose in Model Railroader or Model Railroad Craftsman in any good manazine store to see samples. To see the real thing, the best way is to visit your local club, or take the layout tours of the frequent conventions held in most states and around the world. Probably the most famous of all was the Gorre and Dephedid by the late John Allen, a California who never married and spent much of his life developing it. Alas, it was destroyed soon after his death in a fire. But a book with man photographs of the layout was published, and you may be able to find it in your local (serious) hobby shop.

Links links links by buss_error · 2004-01-24 02:40 · Score: 1

I've been a railroad nut since I was a onion (sorry, NPR reference...)

Dr. Bruce Chubb has a series running in Model Railroader (Starting Jan 2004 issue) to use input/output cards to run signals, turnouts, just about everything on a model railroad. Thing is, it's useful for any computer controled need. You can find the circuit cards here: Serial cards

If model Live Steam is your thing, check out these photos here

If you have a spare USD $800,000.00, you can buy a real, running steam locomotive.

Or if you just want to know this in's and out's of a real railroad engineer you can look over Al Krug's "Tales of the Krug" (Check out the photo essays).

Or a railfan's hangout running on slash code here.

If you want to check out digital cab control for your model railroad, check out these three: EasyDCC, or North Coast Engineering, or DigiTrax. Personally, I liked EasyDCC because the main control comes with an RS232 port built in, and "It just works".

--
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.

Rail industry in America... by Rotten168 · 2004-01-24 04:54 · Score: 1

If you want a good site on the current state of North American railroads the American Association of Railroads is a good place to start. Interestingly enough rail is on track to set intermodal (truck to rail loading and vice versa) records next year. Slashdot always seems to think that rail in the US is dead but au contraire, the US ships more goods by rail by weight than almost any other nation (along with Canada and Mexico).

S gauge, dude! and Debian by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-24 05:20 · Score: 0

They were made for each other.

My uncle is the Lionel King of Cleveland by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-24 05:30 · Score: 0

he has been fixing the trains for the Hobby Shop for as long as I can remember. He bought out the other big guy in town who retired. He remanufactures parts that are no longer available, most specifically, screws. (we always joke about him selling screws)

He did the layout for the May Co. in the movie "A Christmas Story".

Glad to read this article and see that this hobby will never die!!!

I've been there, and it's Awesome! by grEchelonSurge · 2004-01-24 05:31 · Score: 1

It's a whole garage full of trains!

He sometimes has a bunch of railfans over, and they'll run a simulation of an actual run. He's got a place for a switchboard manager to sit, and all the forms that they would have used on the YVRR. They'll have multiple trains running, and the manager has to make all of the right switches switch at the right times, and everything. IIRC, they even stop the model steam engines every so often at a water tower to 'refill.'

He's built the thing based on primary source documents. He's got pictures of the YVRR dating back to when it was actaully running, and everything that he has modeled is exactly the way that it was back then.

All in all, it's an amazing setup he's got.

What's with this 'Mr. Conductor' nonse? by Novaldex · 2004-01-24 16:48 · Score: 1

I only know him as 'The Fat Controller'. And he has a colleague on another railway known as 'The Thin Controller'...

Re:What's with this 'Mr. Conductor' nonse? by drayzel · 2004-01-24 18:36 · Score: 1

Ringo Starr and George Carlin where the narators of the 'Thomas The Train' sketches. Yes there were fat and a thin plastic Conductor figures in the sketch but they were differnet characters. They called him Mr. Conductor because when he interacted with the real people (mainly the kids) of shining time station the narrator was a tiny magical Mr. Comductor. I dunno... it's a freaking kids show. It's not supposed to make too much sense.

I watched it sunday mornings as a teenager because it was the only thing that was not an informercial on the 3 channels we were able to tune in with the rabbit ear antennas (I love my Dish!).

As I watched I would always wonder if all those model railroad geeks were thinking about similar situations when they played with their trains... well that and whether or not the adult female actor was good looking or not... I never really could decide about that one.

~Z
Re:What's with this 'Mr. Conductor' nonse? by Novaldex · 2004-01-30 18:36 · Score: 1

Ahhh, it would appear that 'Mr. Conductor' and 'Shining Time Station' must have appeared as a americanised translation. The UK version (to which I was brought up with) stayed true to the original text written by Rev Awdry.

It's a shame people feel the need to alter past works. I think it's better to remember them as they are so we don't forget where we came from.

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