1:24 RC cars

I now have two cars, so they can race each other.  I have to figure out a good course.  I did pick up some inexpensive "guard rails" at Lowe's.  Enough to build a 20 ft long drag strip.  I have a grandson coming from Michigan next week and we will have fun with them.  Maybe I can incorporate one in the circus display, you know - jumping through the ring of fire. OK, I am only kidding, signing off. 

How close can you build to the train tracks?

I guess it depends what Country you grew up in.  Click here to see the vegetable market and train track which seems to occupy just about the same space.  To view click here:    From Tiny in NH.

Amtrak Quiet Car

I did not know they had quiet cars.  I like the idea.  Here is a story that Tiny came across.  To read, please click here:

Spring steamup at the Winnegance and Quebec

We ducked the rain on saturday the 7th here in phippsburg and had a great time on the railway. Several MGRS folks stopped by.

As I do, I made a little video of the day. sorry it took a while to get it done: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLr0Oub0AOk

Ready set, Action!

This is a 1:24 Radio Controlled car I bought for very little, I think it was $12 dollars.  I liked the color and the fact it was G scale, plus it reminded me of many years ago when my kids and I where both kids, we had a HO train that crisscrossed an HO road race set.  What fun it was racing the car to the crossing and how many times the engine would win and shoot the car down the track!   Now I do not plan to do that. But, I can imagine a G scale drag race diorama down an old country road.  (They have plenty of competition cars to choose from designed to race together at 27 and 49 MHG frequencies.)

UPDATE - I am having fun with this!  Runs great, fits perfect on the flat cars and the wheels are as wide as the track. I wonder if I could add a washer on inside of wheels rims to keep them on the track? 

Dumb Question

This is to anyone who has an Aristo-Craft RS-3 diesel engine.  I bought one last year from a man in the NHGRS who lives in Mass.  It was new in the box.  But it seems to have a strange little quirk about it.  The seats, engineer and the controls in the cab face the "short" end.  Everybody tells me the "Long" end is what faces to the Front.  There is also the letter "F"  printed on the frame of that end.  When I look at some other Aristo-Craft RS-3 engines on Ebay they show the engineer facing the long end.   So my question is, Why do some of the Aristo-Craft RS-3 engines have the cab interior facing backwards?
That does not make any sense to me.  


RESPONSE:   I did ask Aristo-Craft the same question and I did get a response back very quickly in about 1.5 hrs.

John,

 

Thanks for choosing Aristo-Craft Trains.

 

Some railroads ran the RS3 short hood forward. Depending on your roadname, the cab may be oriented correctly ... even though the F is marked at the opposite end.

 

The cab can be oriented in either direction, as items were produced to match RR practice.

 

Regards,

TATE

The Aristo Train Engineer

Open House at Jim's

A big 'Thank you' to Jim Jenkins who hosted an Open House today at his garden railroad in West Bath.  Thanks also to the good crowd that attended and to those that brought delicious thinks to eat!  Jim has worked hard on his layout and it is very good looking and nicely done with lots of good looking landscaping, plenty of detail and room for lots of rolling stock.   It is 5 years old and has some long smooth grades which he loves to hook up long trains on!   Check out the video, it is very impressive.  To see more pictures please click here:

Maine Train Trip

Good day for a train ride.  Here is a good video of a train many of us know, Interesting shots, Good music.  Taken before the Brunswick Station was built.  To watch please click here;

Post a Picture

I enjoyed being outside in the sunshine today.  It was windy but no problem running trains.  Good day for 'puttering around'.   I was admiring the flowers and decided to take the little 'people' from inside that sell flowers on the corner and bring them outside.  (You have to look real close).  It is to bad that the real flowers do not last longer but we have a whole summer to enjoy different varieties.  If you have a picture of your favorite items in bloom, email them to me and I will post them. Enjoy the good weather, thanks John

Colorful Combination

 The bulbs that grow in early Spring combined with my newest train love (The Circus Train) help to brighten up my back yard as a new outdoor season arrives!   Here are some pics of some of my 'one of a kind' circus specials as I am in the process of decorating them.   Picture Album

Happy Motherts Day

Mother’s Day ride launches railroad’s 8th season

Maine Eastern Railroad conductor Henry Groth shares a story with Lena Page aboard the annual Mother’s Day Train a few years ago. This year’s annual Mother’s Day excursion will depart from Rockland at 10 a.m. Sunday. (Courtesy of Maine Eastern Railroad)

Published:

Monday, May 2, 2011 2:09 PM EDT

 

BRUNSWICK — The annual Mother’s Day ride aboard Maine Eastern Railroad on Sunday will launch the eighth season of excursion service along the 57-mile stretch of tracks between Rockland and Brunswick.

The Mother’s Day train will depart from Rockland at 10 a.m. Sunday, with stops in Wiscasset and Bath. Mothers ride for half price on Sunday.

Regular weekend round-trip service will begin May 28-29, when the Alewives Special will make special stops on those dates in both directions at Damariscotta Mills to deliver passengers to the annual Fish Ladder Restoration Festival during the Memorial Day weekend.

Five-day service will begin June 29, with two round trips per day, Wednesday through Saturday, and one round trip on Sunday.  There will be no train service on July 4.

The railroad will also make special stops in Newcastle for three events this season. The first will be the annual Damariscotta Pirate Rendezvous, when Maine Eastern will run the Eye Patch Express on June 11; then the Oyster Shell Special for the annual Pemaquid Oyster Festival held in Damariscotta on Sept. 25; and the Pumpkin Patch Special during the Great Pumpkin Festival and Regatta on Oct. 8 and 9.

These special stops in Newcastle and Damariscotta Mills are planned specifically for the unique events on those weekends, while regular service for the rest of the season will be the usual destination and starting points of Rockland, Wiscasset, Bath and Brunswick.

The railroad also will make an additional special stop in Brunswick, directly across the road from the main entrance to the Brunswick Executive Airport for the Aug. 27 Great State of Maine Airshow and Aviation Expo.

National Train Day

Bangor Daily News - link to National Train day article

Jenkins A & J Railroad Open House

One and all are invited to Jim and Anne Jenkins' Open House on Saturday, May 14 (Sunday rain date), from 10:00 to 2:00. Bring a chair and dish to share, if you'd like.

The Jenkins live at 17 Brigham's Cove Road in Bath. From Portland follow U.S. 1 to the first Bath exit (Congress St.). Bear right at the Y onto Old State Road for about a tenth of a mile until you see Berry’s Mill Road on the left. Take Berry’s Mill Road until it ends at Campbell’s Pond Road (about 3 miles). Turn right on Campbell’s Pond Road and follow it to a sharp curve. Brigham’s Cove Road will bear off straight from this curve. The Jenkins’ house is the second on the right on Brigham’s Cove Road. Signs will be posted along the route.

Hope to see you there!

Quick Reminder

This Saturday May 7th Eric has his Steam-up.  Next Saturday May 14th Jim has his Open House.  
See 2011 Event Listing for details.

Congratulations Eric!

Congratulations to Eric.  I know he has written other articles for them before, but today when my copy of Garden Railways Magazine arrived I saw a very familiar name.  Eric Shade has a nice long article on his covered  bridge which he has built.  Great Job Eric!

Heres one for Tiny!

This train video will suprise you as it did the guy takeing the pictures http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQAiTBoJf3Y

WW&F Work weekend...

I brought my model of #9 along. Here she is posed in front of the Sheepscot station.

Here are some photos of the work weekend:

We added a new spur which will eventually include a car-barn and roundhouse.

Here is a shop of placing the switch stand for the spur. the stand was old...salvaged from some abandoned line. It needed a lot of TLC to get operational...half a gallon of WD-40 and some serious arm twisting!

Number 10 was steamed up for a little switching and pulled the evening passenger train.

Here is a little video of lining the track:

Reminder: Please join me for my Steamup on Saturday!
click here for more info: http://mgrsmembers.blogspot.com/2011/04/steamup-open-house.html

Mt. Washington

We usually think of the Cog Railway, but more of us have probably gone up Mt. Washington on the Auto Road.
Here is an interesting article sent to me by Deneth Lee. With some great pictures and video only a couple of days old. Thanks Tiny!
  Please Click here:

The Circus Car Arrived

  Charlene, our very nice Mail Lady rang the bell and dropped off a small box with my name on it.  Oh Boy, oh boy!  I was all ready outside running my Circus Train.  The timing was perfect and so was the little LGB sound car that plays circus music!  I love Ebay but I need to take it easy.  I can't wait to see all the beautiful flower colors that will be there in a little over a month.  And, this year it will sound and look a little brighter when the circus comes to visit.  Take a listen, click here:

Full scale Work Weekend

Feel like a workout while playing with trains? The WW&F railway museum is having its annual spring work weekend Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All are welcome work hard work easy at your choice.

Full size trains will be run...probably including steam http://www.wwfry.org