Nice Work

Very realistic switching. Like the nice scale switching speeds and protoypical crew talk as the car is picked up and spotted. Outstanding scenery on your layout!

Splendid!

A splendid presentation James!

Neato

Very nice James.  Did you just catch them working the Grimes line recently, or did you pull that audio off one of the web scanners?

Scanner Traffic

Thanks everyone!

Caught the Tramp working CB&I about a month ago. Scanner + iPhone = Fun!

James

WOW

You have raised the bar quite high with this magnificent video. It's just simply amazing.

Excellent.

Really enjoyed the video - keep them coming!

DOF Issues

Again, thanks everyone.

I'm still adjusting to a large format camera from decades of shooting on B4 video lenses, so the depth of field isn't as deep as I wanted. More light next time.

James

Very cool!

Nice work, James!

Sweet!

Well now, that was just too cool.

Very nicely done.  I like everything about that.  

Randy

CB&I looks great!  Excellent

CB&I looks great!  Excellent video too.  Did you make the flatcar load?

-Hunter

Flatcar Load

I wish I did. I picked it up at a LHS a few years back. Can't remember who made it, but it's a great product.

James

Light n' load

Jaeger made sheet metal and aluminum ingot loads at one time. Looks like it would be easy to replicate.

Getting enough light for still photos is always a problem. Charlie Comstock's Bear Creek has fluorescent fixtures all over the ceiling and he still supplements with halogen work lights. Giant softboxes would work but most model railroads can't accommodate them.

A 'point', if I may.

Love the layout, Marty, and always enjoy your updates.

However, if you don't mind me saying so, the unrealistic judder of the flat car as it traverses the switch rather takes the shine off it. I've also noticed one or two other items of rolling stock in your previous video doing the same.

Now, I've scrutinised this as best I can and noticed that there are two judders - one on the approach to the frog, the other on the exit - which means that the crossing 'nose' is not the problem. I note that you're using ME Code 70s, and having a couple or so in my possession I think I can safely say that the cast crossing insert is to blame i.e. the insert is proud of the adjoining wing rails. 

Without teaching my granny to suck eggs, Marty, I cured mine with a couple of passes with a small swiss file (taking it easy to avoid any tears: file-run test bogie over it-file a bit more etc.) which improves things no end.

My most recent switch was found to be proud on the approach to the straight ahead road ( the exit being level), and proud on the exit of the diverging road (the entry being level). The others were proud on both roads (entry and exit!!). Nice looking track though.

Again, I hope you don't mind my pointing this out; please keep posting.

jonte

ME Frog Height

Not sure who Marty is... but I'll take your advice.

James

Audio/Video Sync

A couple of points where the video didn't quite line up with the radio chatter (e.g. the movement is already crossing the road when he calls out "traffic is stopped, keep it coming") but nice switching operations video.

Highlights

You also didn't see them stretch after coupling. Or give slack before uncoupling. Or hook up airhoses. Or open and close angle cocks. Or align couplers. Or not move before clearing out of the RedZone. Or... Or... Or...

That wasn't the point of the video. Consider this your highlights of working CB&I, in under 90 seconds. If you want to sit thru the 35 minute version, I'm sure there's plenty of options on Youtube.

James

Nice!

Watched again...

Still loved it !

...got my own scanner today. Can't wait to figure it out and put it into action.

Hey, nitpickers

Thanks, James!

For those of us who want to experience more about railroad operation, this type of video is just awesome and very much appreciated. I love it and watched it several times. 

I’m sure James knows his cars wobble a little and that he compressed time to make the video short and sweet. We’re modelers -- we compress just about everything.

Thanks, James, for a neat little video that kept me on the edge of my seat. I’m looking forward to the sequel.

Nice models, oddly enough I

Nice models, oddly enough I just looked at your railroad in one of the other magazines, your article about the right place and the right time. I like it better on here, photos are better, and it is actually interactive. Also the magazine (print) did not have one single movie in it that would play.

It could be said that the guys picking the nits were trying to help solve an issue on your railroad that they have had to deal with themselves, so I would take it that way. The fact that some have to look so hard to find something slightly off in their mind with what you have done really shows that you have perfected everything else. Great layout and great video, thanks for sharing.

Rob in Texas

Same again

Enjoyed the short clip, now you're experienced at video work(!), can we have a longer session....

James, if you did that on your own, then no doubt you found it wasn't easy. I tried to do one recently, getting everything to line up is not a straight-forward task, and that was only just a simple run through, before I even thought of trying to switch and juggle everything else.

A simple layout that certainly looks enjoyable to operate!

Thanks.

Brian

An apology

My sincerest apologies, James, for that massive faux pas: 'Marty' was a former colleague who also shared your surname. Ol' habits an' all that!

I hope you don't take my observation as a criticism of your excellent creation. It's targeted at Micro Engineering whose quality control is at least 'questionable' as I'm surely not alone in my experience. I simply offer my post as an observation and solution to this 'niggle' with an otherwise excellent product.

Best wishes,

jonte