I posted a comment  on (one rr's opinion) that must have hit a nerve. I was not atacking any one. I feel many mr folks think the same , but are afraid to say anything.  thanks for removing my comment. By the way, I look at all options before I do anything in modeling.

Dave Aarons  ON30 logging rr

how bout a responce.        THIS IS THE USA, relax and listen you do it your way and the rest will do it there way.

OK, This conversion began at the tail end of my blog on making a Southern Railways Crescent Limited Pacific out of an old Tyco/Mantua Pacific kit.  I had run into a cheap Roundhouse Old Timer 2-8-0, without tender and pilot wheel, most detailing broken off and a badly damaged kit cab.  The gearing and motor were flawless, though; once oiled and greased it ran absolutely beautifully.

I feel like hearing myself talk, and I have a soapbox sitting here, so here goes.. feel free to ignore me.

If you're using MP3 players for background sound (see the August MRH magazine article) and would like a free downtown city sound file, click on the link below.  The file is 15 minutes long, 14mb and has ambient background sound, cars, trucks, kids playing, dogs barking, and other various other sounds.  This is the first of (4) four downtown sound files that I have and use on my railroad.  I'll be posting others later.  I created the files myself using totally free sounds so that there are no license issues.  You are free to use and distribute them.

Bowie is a simple place on the layout, containing the industries of Womack Wire and Seymore Cement.  The station will be a simple place, a whistlestop more or less, but an important link nonetheless for the people who live in this region.

This project will by and large aim at installing a station and finishing the groundwork in this area of the layout.  The area is literally 4' by 30," so it isn't very large, but there's plenty to fit into the scene.

Inspired in part by RAGC's conversion of a Tyco pacific and the desire to clean up a project backlog (and maybe fund some other projects!), I've started construction on Southern Ry.

I was bored last night, waiting for glue to dry on a locomotive project, so I started looking for something to cut up.  When the muse is upon me, strange things have been known to happen.  In this case, I came across an old Life-Like 40' box car that a friend had given me.  If you've never seen these cars, they're the best sort of toy train junk - out of proportion, clunky details, holes in the body to mount the frame, and of course really crappy trucks and couplers.

Here's one I found on E-bay:

As a boy I used to frequent drive-in restaurants - some with car hops, but most without.  I figured that the motel needed someplace for it's customers to eat, so I'm building the Blair Line(tm) #182 "Dari-King drive-in.  It will be viewed from 3 feet away, thus the less than stellar construction.  It is still under construction with a bunch more to do, but is presentable at present.

Washington Northern MP15DC #5033 is an example of the last switcher-type locomotive purchased by the WN in 1979, when they ordered 4 of these units numbered 5030-5033. It is assigned to Discovery Yard in Port Andrews and frequently can be seen in the Tideflats District.

Atlas Gold Series with Quantum Sound in custom paint and decals. Weathered with artist oils and airbrushing.