I survived long enough to see my 65th Birthday, September 5, 2014. Not bad! To mark the day. The kids gave me a most unique birthday gift. My son in law and now associate gave me a blog. Oh, it's been a pain in the butt to figure out how to use it but it's finally coming together. My daughter says to me I remember how you used to tell stories. This would be perfect for you. My own blog and I'm not a blogger, clogger or even a Dodger's Fan. Ok, let's take it out for a spin and see what I can do with it. Actually, it's been nothing but fun. You might remember, where I started a How To Thread here on TrainBoard.Com. A Video Tutorial. I don't think this has been done before but I wouldn't bet on it. Not wanting to take anything away from it or TrainBoard for that matter but to use it here as a tool to enhance both TB and promote the hobby. If you know of a newbie, close friend who is interested in building a train layout. You can always point to TB or BarstowRick.com in hopes of getting them up and going. Either one Down to the nitty gritty: You are invited to stop in and visit BarstowRick.com, A Model Railroad-How To, with video tutorials and advice from the Rickster on how to build a smooth operating model railroad. Did I say all that in one breath? Feel free to browse the Categories section as it's the best way to get around. Lot's of interesting How To's, advice and video tutorials. One thing this is not. I don't believe it is my place to tell you or anyone else how to build your model railroad. I stick pretty close to that in the blog. It's your railroad, you make the rules and you set the standards. Always open to suggestions. Let me know how you like it or not. I have some "Rick's Story Time". Here's a sampling. This is a contraction in terms. I not one to blog, tweet, bling, or yahoo. Unless doing a search. I do flatulate but I usually walk away over to the bean section of the store to release such odoriferous stink. A dear old lady happened along and said, "Those darn beans work fast...did you do that or did I?" True story. Well, they aren't all that bad. Have fun.
Happy belated B-day Rick.... You have a great blog Rick. Lots of good, important info there. Have fun with it. Shades
I've been messing with a way to present to you the various subjects presented. I don't know if this is going to work but here goes. Categories: You can go to categories and find the following list of subjects click on one and you should be off and running. Scenery A Pep Talk-It's Your Railroad Advice To Newbies Basic Training Benchwork & Subroadbed Budget Cad Rail / Computer Control Panel DCC - Digital Command Control Dremel Tool Review & Uses Etiquette or Behavior Visiting A Layout Good bye to Teaching Layout??? Grades and Gradients Layouts Highlighted Maintenance of Train Equipment Mentors & More Operations Night Painting-Air Brushing Photography As A Tool Planning Your Model Railroad Political Product Review-Recommended Prototype Radius Curves-How Tight Railroad & Model Railroad Terminology Realistic Hand, Lantern & Whistle Signals Realistic Light Signals Realistic Signals and Radio Chatter Resources-Books-Videos-How To Rick's Vent, Lament & Lessons Learned Security For Your Railroad Soldering Procedures Track Code & Gauge Track Laying/Installation View Blocks Weathering Trains & Buildings Wiring
To my friends here at TrainBoard.com thank you for visiting my blog. In the last month we've had 96 visits from TB. If you found it helpful...tell a friend. It's not a discussion board in the same sense of what you find here. You can contact me with a better idea, either here at TB or over there via the "Contact Us Page". I prefer you bring the discussion here to TB. We can talk it out here. The pages visited most often, Radius Curves, Railroad Terminology, Ricks Vent, Lament and Lessons Learned. The last one was actually hard to write as it deals with layouts that no longer exist and I built. Being it's a Video Tutorial, I've filled the posts with Video's from Model Railroader, Dave Frary and others. Just a few written tips from me. I highlight a number of model railroads as examples of what can be done. If you haven't' checked it out then feel free to do so. It's free to access, you don't need to register to read the posts and see the pictures. It's all about promoting the hobby. And, yes I'm long winded. Enjoy! Let me know what you think of it. I had one person send me a picture of a cat flipping me off. That was funny! Correction: Rick's Story Time: A contradiction in terms not a contraction in terms. By the way I can edit anything any time I want to over on BarstowRick.com. I like that feature. Is it to early to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving!? No...Yes? Well, if I don't hear from you or we don't get a chance to visit....Happy Thanksgiving!
Rick, Just took a test drive on the blog! Looks good, categories work well. Didn't have time to read everything in detail, but will be going back. Happy Belated Birthday and Happy Thanksgiving to you as well. One story, and it is a good story, you could consider adding is the one you posted here many moons ago about your intro to DCC. Your friend brought a Prodigy system with him and connected it to your two cab DC layout. There's a jumping off point for it, too. Right where you say you're not converting all your locos to DCC. As I mentioned to you in a PM almost as many moons ago, it was your post here about connecting the Prodigy to your layout that convinced me to do the same. That story was the inspiration I needed to make the jump, knowing that my wiring wasn't going to waste and I didn't have to rewire the layout. There are probably lots of other guys who also built two cab DC layouts with blocks (state of the art back then!) that could be inspired as well. With the story could be a tutorial (maybe just pictures with arrows) on how and where to wire in DPDT 1. Thanks for listening and keep up the good work!
That's a great idea. I will get that done and put it under the Category DCC. I figure since I authored the original here on TB. I can lift it from here, without upsetting the boys and girls who are worried about copyrights. Thanks E9 for the idea.
All done. Check it out: http://www.barstowrick.com/dcc-easy-peasy-dpdt-cab-cab-b-22-gauge-wire/ I went through and revised it, updating and clarifying things a bit. Thinking everyone from a newbie to the experienced modeler will be reading it. If I was just getting started I'd wire in DCC and never look back. Thanks again for visiting and your support.
BarstowRick, Looking good! I fell off the grid what with TG and all. Keep up the good work and have fun!
My freight trains run with crummies, hacks, captains cabins, way cars all synonymous with cabooses on the tail end. I've been fine tuning and re-editing some of the posts on BarstowRick.com. It seems to be coming together all though visitors have dropped off and I suspect that's because the Christmas Layouts are already built, up and running. Traffic should pick-up after Christmas as the new train sets get unwrapped and the newbies hit the bricks. Not just for newbies but everyone including the experienced model railroader. We are never to experienced or to old to learn something new. EMD E9, Thanks again for your input Nothing but fun.
I need to go back through what you've listed. I was watching a video yesterday on making water, by Dave Frary. Excellent.
Ha ha ha, good one John, Thanks to all. Oh you want to have some fun, check in on DCC Friendly Switches. Gosh did that have my head spinning before I finally settled on how to present it. You get it all....pro's and con's. And then check out Wireless Control with DCC and batteries. Then you don't have to worry about DCC Friendly switches. :startled: All about having some fun and escaping the real world for a little while.
Speaking of DCC Friendly Switches. I decided it was time to wrap my head around the subject and explore what A DCC Friendly Switch is all about. Some of you have already visited the post and you may want to return to see what's changed or been added. It's taken forever to review all the information out there and study the impact of Alan Gartner's, coined "DCC Friendly" Switches/Turnouts. Which you will discover as per his suggested resolutions to said problem is anything but "User Friendly". Feel free to visit: BarstowRick.com DCC Friendly Switches, http://www.barstowrick.com/dcc-friendly-switches-turnouts/ As always you will be on your own to decide whether this is a viable enough subject to implement it on your DCC Layout. Oh yes, my two cents is in there. See 2 Comments at the end of the presentation. It's a wrap.Unless I missed something. hboy: Enjoy!
