Rubber-gauger

Hi - Charles in Boston. I actually joined several years ago, as I discovered when I was told that my email address was already taken, but I don't believe I ever posted.

I've never had or wanted a large layout, but have operated on several and enjoyed it. I've got HOn30 and HO modules, although I haven't used them this century. I have some equipment in a dozen or more scale/gauge combinations, and potential trackplans for most of them. I suspect that like some of you, I will acquire the materials for a project, only to then be distracted by a new project. The result being that not many projects actually get started, and far fewer completed.

My most recent interest has been Japanese N-scale trams, and I recognize a bunch of names in the N-scale forums from JNS. However, I'm about to order some On18 stuff from Backwoods Miniatures, largely inspired by the lovely, and quite innovative, Totternhoe Mineral - see



I've had mixed feelings about T-Trak (probably best not to discuss), although have recently been considering it, but then (as the result of an image search) saw the NTrak trackplan halfway down this page:

http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/n-t-track-who-said-its-just-for-kids.58261/

The fellow who designed it acts like he wasn't really serious about it, but I rather like it - although I'd change about a half-dozen things, and perhaps more when I study it more closely. I built a HO module (never quite finished) similar in concept: independent shunting on a lower level while the mains pass above, but with nowhere near that amount of track - or operating potential.
http://www.carendt.com/small-layout-scrapbook/page-62-june-2007/ Worcester - 3rd layout down
I like the idea of being able to do my own operation if I'm not running a train on the main.

So many scales, so little time . . . .

 

Thanks, Bill. I'm Boston Charles - Charlie is from Frisco ;-)

This forum seems to log you out really fast. It's telling me I need to be logged on to reply, but I already am ???

 

I can't tell if you're expecting me to go anywhere with that or not.

If yes, you're going to need to be a whole lot more specific.

I enjoy writing - but not that much ;-)

 

Hi B-Charles, welcome. Being required to re-login is a known problem with Microsoft browsers, Internet Explorer and Edge. I allowed Edge to store my login ID and password, so when I'm told that I must login, I click on the User ID block which shows my ID. Then when I click on the ID, my password is filled in automatically, after which I click Login. Quick and simple, and only annoying if you allow it to be.

 

I belonged to the New England HOn30 modular group (still an existing, if inactive, Yahoo group) in the late 90's, and believe all my photos from that era are slides and not digital. There used to be a one-day Maine 2-footer show in SE MA around Thanksgiving. I bought a module that was started by Jeff Bissonnette of CT - you can Google him with hon30 and get some hits; he's best known for his milled frames and compensated chassis, combined with high quality motors and ridiculously low gearing - I think he has a blog. I added a siding along the waterfront and a couple of buildings, and brought it to a couple of the Little Rhody shows put on by a great guy named Roland.


The big event was the NNGC in Providence - I think it was 2002. After that the NE group seemed to drift apart, and the Midwest group became the most active HOn30 modular group, and I believe they'll be at NNGC in Maine next September. There was also a California group for a while, but I don't know their current status. A guy out there designed a bunch of structure and rolling stock kits; I just saw recently that he sold them to RSLaser, but I don't know when he will be producing them. The boards were 2 x 4, with a 48" rail height, and the single track was offset from the front by 17" at module joins.


While most of the guys were primarily / only interested in the Maine roads, my interests were more catholic and I acquired equipment from England (009), Germany, Austria, France, India, and perhaps a few more countries. Many of the kits, such as those from the UK, are still unbuilt. I had some serious brass / etched kits built for me in the UK, including DHR equipment and a lovely little crane tank from Backwoods Miniatures.


I've also built a few micro layouts through the years, and that is still a strong interest:


http://www.carendt.com/small-layout-scrapbook/page-65a-september-2007/


Just last week a fellow on another forum (JNS) announced he was interested in building small HOn30 "islands" and connecting them. That made me think of the unique presentation style of Totternhoe - see my intro; the video is highly recommended on many levels, including the background music.


Anyway, that made me recall an old interest in building a half-dozen HOe / n30 modules, each one themed for a different country. My new idea was to use 2" foam to create my islands, treat the edges similar to Totternhoe, and have one train (minimum) for each. There would be one larger "yard" island (perhaps a T-Track inside corner kit), and the connecting track could be bridges, flex on foam, or whatever. In theory there would be a lot of interchangeability, at most requiring a new connecting track.


This was related to another idea of the time that you didn't really need standards for modules within a small group of folks that knew each other's interests. As long as the scale / gauge was known, and you agreed to an approximate rail height, there was no need to define how or where the track left the module - this could be handled post construction by the connecting "bridge" (in both the literal and figurative senses) sections. I even toyed with having a challenge / puzzle of starting with all the trains in the yard, and operators would need to match them to the islands and place each of them correctly - with no hints from me. As each (most) island(s) would just be a single track, the order of dispatching them would also be part of the challenge - there is a need to electrically isolate each island. I've gotten distracted from this over the past week, but still think it's an interesting idea. . . . . . now if I could just get one of those neat funky French NG railcars, and an Indian station building, I'd be in business.


I'm mostly interested in small layouts and modules these days, including micro layouts. However, I have strong biases on what I like operationally (and visually). I could never get myself excited over the Inglenook Sidings approach, although will admit to never actually having tried one. I'm OK with background structures, but not a photo of a building pasted on the skyboard, with a bunch of equally 2D trees apparently growing out of the roof. I do have specific N / HOn30 projects in mind for the Craftsman Expo in late March and NNGC.


If I do come across any old digital images, I'll add them to this topic. I know I have some of a Oe / On30 micro in a small aluminum case. There's some really beautiful German equipment in Oe, particularly that from Henke:

http://www.modellbauhenke.de/html/philosophie_e.htm

I started a Magic Train Oe Yahoo group when I was into this. It's been inactive for years, but Yahoo didn't kill it so I saw no reason to. Among other oddities, I have a bunch of amazingly well crafted cars and coaches in cardboard that I bought used from the 7mm NGA in the UK.

 

Boxcab - I just found an image of the module in the NEHOn30 Yahoo group files. Jeff built the frame, laid the track, ground cover and bayside rocks. I added the stone wall, the pier-supported siding, the structures, and leafless trees. I will also add a 2002 version of the module standards - the Midwest group would have an updated version - you can probably find them via a search.

The colorful railcar is an Austrian proto from Halling and is a very smooth runner; I also bought some of their power trucks - they have one with an adjustable wheelbase. Somewhere I have a shot of the proto running over a high bridge in the middle of a totally white snowscape.

 

Well, I found a bunch more from NNGC 2002 and other regional shows, but it's a question of when I have the energy to copy them and clean them up.

 

Welcome back