Dats, nice video and layout.

Dats, nice video and layout. You have more realism on your, small sized, railroad than many others do because of great use of backdrops. In addition, your videos are good and reflect crew language.

One suggestion? Train crews normally, don't use names on the radio or long engine numbers. We like to shorten our identifications to a easy to pronounce name or just use a short number like:"switcher" or " 53" . Use of crew names is not allowed to avoid radio, confusion and provide safety if for example, there are more crew members with the same name. 

As info. back in the late 60s working as brakeman on the Illinois Central we had a train which came out of the Chicago Sanitary plant which was liquid sludge destined for down state, Illinois farmers to spray on their fields as a rich fertilizer. It didn't really have an odor or smell but we crews called it the "ICBM" which did not mean Intercontinental, ballistic, missle".  

Barry

great start to the day

a good funny story on a monday morning - really sets the tone. Thanks!

Hello   Thank you for the

Hello

Thank you for the information, Barry.

Nice to know all the details from a real railroader!! Any input would greatly appreciate!! Thank you again!

Philip, thank you for your time commentating. Hopefully you didn't feel that you wasted your time much. (The sideeffects of watching my videos are "feel emptiness" and "anxiety" from waisting your time.)

A few more photos.

I made this tarp from tissue papers.

Ropes to tie it down are missing but it's OK for now.

Scratch built Biosolids shed. The roof is made out of a plastic shopping bag from grocery store.

Biosolids itself is made out of dried used coffee beans.

The fence is also scratch built.

Street parking. A billboard sign is a scratch built and I made those street signs from Joe Leal's excellent article. Thank you, Joe!!

Dats

new industry on the closet

Glad to see the old SP rolling along. That sky must be the first omen of the coming borg?  :> ) .....DaveB

Thank you for your comment.

Thank you for your comment. Dave.

How's your N scale Espee GP10 doing?

I still like your signature photo!

And yes, I'm still here and still doing this.

At Minty Flash Ceramics. Loading the state of art toilet bowls. It makes a loud "Bahwoosh!!" Sound which adds an extra freshness to your bathroom experience.

This car wash that right next to a suspicious used car dealer has a proper instructor with proper technique. The owner would hire local punk kids then the instructor Mr. Miyagi-san would straight them out. Eventually some of those kids graduated from Cambridge University.

Everything scratch built except a freight car and vehicles.

Dats

Nice!

Dats, how did you make the message boards for those two signs?  That's the most realistic rendition of those signs I can recall seeing and plan to do one for a restaurant on my layout.

Hi Dave Thank you for your

Hi Dave

Thank you for your reply.
I printed out an image from internet with ordinary home printer using ordinary paper.
Then I cut and glue(Elmer's school stick glue) them on $0.99 "Beware of dog" plastic sign. And just trim it to its size. The pole for the carwash is a toothpick. Used car dealer's poles are scrap thin wood.

I'm sorry I wanted to show you some cool stuff but my way of modelling is nothing enlightening about it. I'm still using low tech method.

Formally known as Bugsmax lumber is now under new management. 

They change their name to Plunger lumber.

Everything scratch built except a freight car. I'm still working on my low-tech backdrop.

As you can guess, my extension module's theme is "Bowel movements". If I can find a room, I'm planning to make a gastroenterologist office.

Dats

Low tech or not

that is pretty effective.  I'm going to give that a go, for sure.  Often the simplest solution is the best one.

Thank you, Dave  Here is a

Thank you, Dave

Here is a new video.

Dats

Haha

Reminds me of Tehachapi in the old days, the SP drags  went on forever and ever......DaveB

Thank you for your reply, DaveB.

A tiny bit of progress.

 I added a billboard sign. It matches the theme of my extension module.

The billboard is a scratch built.

Dats

I've been making junk for my

Newspapers and soda cans.

 Newspapers and a soda can again plus cigarette butts.  

Also with help from my modeler friends, I installed street lights.

A little bit of trash and

A little bit of trash and ties are added. 

also experimenting with plastic optic cables.

i bought 36' of cable on eBay for $0.99.

lighting up with key holder flashlight.

lights itself are good (N)size but I think they are a little too dim for this.

Probably I have to combine with mini LEDs.

Dats

Hello    Tiny progress on a

Hello 

Tiny progress on a tiny land.

Detailing a locomotive for the first time. Bachmann F7. 

A bus stop with scratch build newspaper vending boxes.

First time I tried to renumbering Atlas GP9.

And a new video.

I am impressed

great work

I enjoy your posts.  Great layout. Very nice montage. The music was great! Easy on the brain and ears.

Such a unique and deailed N

Such a unique and deailed N scale layout. Thanks for sharing. Look forward to seeing more.

That was a good video. It

That was a good video. It reminded me of the many nights I spent working as an engineer for a switching railroad moving, slowly, through the city in the wee hours of the morning. The only difference is that I had to contend wirh drunks driving and not wanting to stop at crossings or tried to crowd me out when street running.

Even though it was hard, working third trick and trying to sleep during the day there was, indeed, something "special" about running trains when the city slept. You captured that time well.

Barry

Hi Bremner How are you doing

Hi Bremner

How are you doing these days?
For my ground cover, as you know I have an extremely limited budget for this hobby so I had to find materials that I already have.
First, I used actual sand for the ground cover but the texture came out too rough for N scale. 
I thought of using grout powders but I didn't have any.
So I ended up with plaster with fine art sand mix for the ground cover. 

Hi choo choo chuck

Thank you for your kind words.
I tried to turn down the volume of music and it still came out loud. 
But I'm glad that hear you liked it.

Hi Deemiorgos

Thank you very much for your encouragement.
Hopefully I'm be able to keep enjoying this layout for many years to come.

Hi Barry

I'm pretty sure that you've seen quite different views while you are on duty. 
Also I can imagine that some people behave so dangerously near tracks!

dats

Hello I think being a

Hello

I think being a railroad employee is not so easy.

Especially, front line like the train crew.

You have to work on rain, snow, hot, freezing, remote places, middle of the night and if you are on the extra board, you have to get the sign up location in a very short notice thus restricted social activities.

Doing it only one day is OK but to do it for 30+ years!  

All kind of situation that they have to deal with.

Not only railroad stuff itself but your own physical conditions like catching a cold , fatigue and of course Including "You gotta go when you gotta go" situation.

Dats

Yep, some days are better

Yep, some days are better than others.

I worked 50 years as a railroader in all kinds of weather and when feeling good and feeling crapy. Most days I enjoyed the work as an engineer/conductor but some were really tough and not much fun.

For most railroaders, the work is just a job, and when off duty don't want to talk about it or even think of modeling it in miniture. However, this site is fortunate to have some young railroaders (younger than 70) who enjoy the hobby and share their often, great, modeling, skills like Greg Mountain Goat and James Moe among others.

This little N scale layout is a great example of detail modeling on a budget and done well. This gentlemen, is not afraid to model the stuff most of us avoid like trash and junk but it really does make the scene real. I also like his simple track layout with no "puzzels" to complicate switching and his equipment is nicely, weathered but not "beat to death" weathering. Myself, I try to avoid the messes, trash and other stuff along the right of way because I saw a lot of it during my time on the rails and I like to model things neat and clean...even if it's not always accurate. 

Barry, living life in the cold, snowy, North country. 

Hi Dats

Wowser.....that's N scale.

That's Great!

Hi Barry I assumed that

Hi Barry

I assumed that professional railroaders would see unusual(?) scenes.

From track side, it will be totally different views even in a town you know.... I think.

Thank you very much for your comment!

Hi Bremner

I had a hard time making N scale ground cover.

I'm not totally satisfied the way I did it. All materials that I used were too coarse for the scale. 

It seems like using grout is the answer. 

Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing your EP empire update!

Hi Patrick 

Thank you for your reply. 

I'm trying to make some suburban atmosphere scene on my extension.

But actually I'm just having fun with my tiny layout.

A little shopping carts added. 

Dats