S Gauge - Sequestered and quiet here??

Bill,

I agree that the amount of posts has not increased.

Among other things, I have been using the time to update many of my passenger cars to LED, my cabeese as well. 

With our club, we would normally get together weekly for what we call bragging rites, have a theme for that evening, and vote on the best consist of that theme for that weeks bragging rites member, with the shutdown, I am trying to make it a virtual bragging rites with video entries sent to a central point, our website, and let the members choose their favorite, and socialize in a virtual manner.

Jim Elster, of Scenic Express products, called me today to see how I was doing.

I have used his huge variety and excellent quality of products for decades, now, and recommend him to all of you, unequivocally. If you are looking for something to do, search through his site, and let your creative juices flow...!

FrankM

Well, seeing my railroad is disassembled and waiting for the weather to stabilize so I can haul it out into Bagsters, there's not much to say, other than I've been packing up an awful lot of "Nothing's available in S Scale..."

Rusty

Believe it or not Bill, some of us are still working from home, so the trains are still relegated to our spare time.

I have a vintage Marklin HO layout in my work area and may take a break to enjoy a cup of coffee in my train room and run the Lionels.

Being 75 and with a bad heart I have hardly left the lot in over a month.  I get several hours a day in the train room.  I have been going through my American Flyer engines finding things to repair.  All of my "Smoke-In-Tender" steam engines this week.  342, 322,and 312s  

@Rusty Traque posted:

Well, seeing my railroad is disassembled and waiting for the weather to stabilize so I can haul it out into Bagsters, there's not much to say, other than I've been packing up an awful lot of "Nothing's available in S Scale..."

Rusty

Rusty,

Preparing to move or rebuild?

What are your plans?

Bill-keep working on those old AF engines! I love to see them at Bay Area train shows!

Can you post us a photo of your layout?

One of the working from home people, but without the long commute I have the time. My problem, as I have mentioned elsewhere, is convincing myself that  it is okay to lay out the funds for the next step, buying the track, which even on a relatively modest layout can be expensive (I am likely going to use Ross sectional and curve pieces, with gargraves for the straights). One of the frustrations of the time is that when I want to do something that requires materials, it isn't as easy as popping out to a store on a whim (for any kind of projects, not just trains), and with ordering stuff it takes time plus with people ordering truly essential stuff I get concerned about flooding shippers with what I have to admit is non essential stuff (unlike the dog chews that if I don't keep in stock, will mean two 100 pound dogs gnawing on my leg, or worse, looking all sad and depressed at my wife, who will in turn gnaw on my leg until I order them *lol*).  Then too I am coming into the outdoor season, that involves such wonderful things as powerwashing the siding, fixing a concrete patio, building a ground level floating deck, etc.

On the other hand in the past weeks this has served as a refuge, plus I have accumulated a lot of knowledge that once I get over my reluctance to spend on the layout, will help a great deal as I start working on it, and just to have some moments when  I don't have to think of the real world is a blessing. 

@Monsoon, the travel trailer in one of your pictures, is that scenic express? Would be cool to have something like that as part of the scenery on my projected layout

@Lionelski posted:

Rusty,

Preparing to move or rebuild?

What are your plans?

Lionelski, I'm preparing to move, but haven't bought a new basement yet.  I'm still going through my current house preparing it for sale.  There's also some things that can't happen until this C-19 thing settles down.

The old layout was designed to be taken apart, but not salvaged.  I'm kicking around a couple of ideas in my head.  I'll be starting fresh when the stars align.

Rusty

@Rusty Traque posted:

Lionelski, I'm preparing to move, but haven't bought a new basement yet.  I'm still going through my current house preparing it for sale.  There's also some things that can't happen until this C-19 thing settles down.

The old layout was designed to be taken apart, but not salvaged.  I'm kicking around a couple of ideas in my head.  I'll be starting fresh when the stars align.

Rusty

For a minute there, my puny little brain was in confusion mode.  I couldn't understand for the life of me why there was a problem with securing a D&RGW C-19 in any scale.  I figured you were going to Sn3, and needed to sell off equipment so you could convert to narrow gauge. 

Then reality set in..........................................................................................................

I liked my dream better. 

Regards,

Jerry

I ripped up the old layout and in the design stage for a new one, it will be a bit smaller because of my age and ability to do the wiring needed. I am going through train withdraw big time.  I cuddles a f unit last night and stoked it.  My wife says I need professional help I told her no I just need a loop of track and my meds.

@Ron_S posted:

Bill,

I agree that the amount of posts has not increased.

Among other things, I have been using the time to update many of my passenger cars to LED, my cabeese as well. 

With our club, we would normally get together weekly for what we call bragging rites, have a theme for that evening, and vote on the best consist of that theme for that weeks bragging rites member, with the shutdown, I am trying to make it a virtual bragging rites with video entries sent to a central point, our website, and let the members choose their favorite, and socialize in a virtual manner.

 

 

Ah....in fact the activity on the forum has increased!  Comparing to last year at this time, we are approximately 1.3 million page views ahead of last April...!  All of the reports we are getting from our provider are showing a trend of more activity over the previous month as well as over last April's stats.  Of course, we expected this since we are "homebound"....

By the way, we already have a long going thread which discusses what folks have/are doing on their layouts so lets try to post there instead of having another similar thread such as this one...that way it will be much easier for the membership to find what other's are doing as far as layout activity.

Thanks!

Alan, maybe there has been a lot on the O Gauge side but if you look is the S Gauge group.

Thanks for noting that you saw it.

I changed the topic to reflect S Gauge. 

Bill

@John Pignatelli JR. posted:

 I am going through train withdraw big time.  I cuddles a f unit last night and stoked it. 

Woah there!  This here is a family forum!

Rusty

Don, some photos of my layout as you asked for.

As for Bay Area train shows that is hard for me as I live in Texas.  I moved from San Francisco in 1995.  I used to love to go to the monthly Norcal TCA shows in Oakland.  Do they still happen?

@Roundhouse Bill posted:

Don, some photos of my layout as you asked for.

As for Bay Area train shows that is hard for me as I live in Texas.  I moved from San Francisco in 1995.  I used to love to go to the monthly Norcal TCA shows in Oakland.  Do they still happen?

 

My cousin had Flyer's growing up. I thought those transformers were the coolest.

Well, the meters on the transformers were the coolest looking part.  Lionel didn't have them on the early ZW.  To tell you the truth I never really use them.  Their voltage is less than a ZW, but Gilbert engines required less. New Flyonel Flyer use less than 21 volts also.

Prewar Gilbert had three rails.    

Folks,

Now that I am stuck in the house, except to forage for food at the super market. I am working to write more material for "S Gauge Insights", a new section for the digital version of OGR magazine. We have already put one article in the Digital version and I am now finishing up two more S gauge articles that should appear in the Digital Edition of Run 313, the next issue of the magazine we will publish.

After that..more to come in a steady progression of S gauge articles for the Digital Edition of OGR.

So being stuck in the house is not so bad after all, when it comes to S and OGR

Ed Boyle, Partner, Associate Editor, O Gauge Railroading magazine

Right now, I"m doing absolutely nothing related to trains.  We were within 2 weeks of getting a real estate agent and listing our house and looking for anther house to move to  when the virus hit.  I had disassembled my layout and 99% of my trains and put it all in a climate controlled storage unit.  All I have is a few items on a display shelf in the basement to show potential buyers what can be done there.  We aren't listing the house since we don't want people trooping through the house, nor do we want to visit other people at this time.  And a "virtual" or video listing of a house is totally worthless.  Would you buy a house online?  So, we're stuck here. 

Doing OK, but missing not only my trains, but our grandkids' hugs.  When the weather breaks, I'll continue to do even more to spruce up the house and yard, and maybe take my hot rod out for an "attitude adjustment" from time to time.

I was really looking forward to the upcoming Train Season where I was planning on selling off a lot of surplus items and connecting with fellow train guys, but that ain't happening either.  All those items are also in the storage unit, so online selling isn't in the cards. 

Hope all of you out there are doing well and are staying healthy!