July 6, 2009 - Just completed the first full day at the NMRA National Convention in Hartford. We shot video of several clinics and will be posting them on MRH Theater in the coming weeks.

One of the more interesting highlights of the first day was the Operations Road Show that teaches Timetable Train Order operation.

Aftre reading a few of the notes here about scratchbuilding I find the title question coming to my mind. Adn, if one thinks about it, one has to realize that modelrailroading is a job for most of us.

Here's a general overview of the Mopac Bagnell Branch.  More information is on my web site http://mopac51.tripod.com/

Hello again

I've been working for the past month on bench work after re-drawing and tearing out the other Bench work I'd Started I have a few Photos of the Bench work my work areas and some of My HOn3 Rolling Stock and Engines as well as supplies laying out ready to be installed. Starting Is a drawing of the first stage in room #1.

This month I have a little progress on a few different things:

I have finally completed my AC Static Grass Flocker Mark I

I have practiced painting my bridge abutments

I have begun to ballast my track.

This is kinda silly, with the magazine coming out tomorrow my timing is poor, but here we go..

A long overdue layout update for August 2010.

Most of the last few months have been spent working on extending the lower deck benchwork and kitbashing some freight cars.  A few revisions were made to the track plan and a work continues on developing an operating plan.

The following are some images from the last few months of work.  

First off... Two kitbashed 60ft double door box cars that are close reproductions of BC Rail prototypes.

I read something interesting in the current issue of Scale Rails. It was two page article describing something that either has afflicted all of us at one time or from which we are currently suffering: Procrastination.

Introduction

This autumn I will have a room free for setting up a permanent model railroad. The room is 4 x 5 meters and along with the railroad I also have to make room for a working table and some storage. The space is a bit limited but big enough to make an interesting layout that can provide many hours of fun building and operation.

What brought me to model railroading was the technical aspect of the hobby, but the operational part is getting more and more interesting as times go on.

I have been trying to find a source for two cornerstone kits for almost six weeks. I'm trying to find the Nort Shore Refinery kit, and the Modern Amtrak station one as well. They're both retired and the only place I've been able to locate them is on E-Bay. I guess that I'm just not very adept at the whole bidding thing, as I've lost out on both items twice. It's kind of good news and bad news, though.

Thank you for allowing me to receive your magazine.  I've looked at the April issue, and read some of the reviews and blogs.  As a hobby store (family) owner for 20 years, and a full-time (now part-time) consultant to the FAA, I rarely had a chance to sit down and read the very magazines I sold in my store.  But there is always time to go online and read your magazine while waiting for a call or email to come in.

Thanks

Dan Veiga