The MUK Raker

THE MUK RAKER  Vol 2

News That No One Else Will Print

I'm having a good time constructing My Underwater Kingdom. I've added a fourth rail line and have had pirates seize "The Friendship Bridge" that connects MUK with the Rock Island Railroad (which has sunk to a new low by building an underwater rail line). And of course you don't want to miss this short relaxing video of our four rail lines.

The video doesn't work if you are using Microsoft Edge as your browser. However it works fine with the Chrome browser.

THE MUK RAKER Vol. 4

Printed news that will give you fits.

Last night I put on some Gospel music and spent a pleasant two hours assembling this 167 piece Lego knock-off. Although cheaper than genuine Legos, knock-offs do not have the strict quality control that Legos have. Two small pieces were the wrong size. And don't blend them with real Legos--they are often just a little bit "off" and won't fit well.

But it is a nice-looking addition to My Underwater Kingdom.

I love antique cars and have assembled a small collection. I purchase some as collectables, but my best buys are junk purchases that my wife repaints to look like new.

I next added a second platform on top of the first and used it for pirate ships.

A tape measure told me that after subtracting the size of the eight support pillars, I had added 4.827 square feet of space to my lay-out. Since my lay-out is built on a 6' by 8' table, that is a little more than a 10% increase in size.

THE MUK RAKER

I got this Mexican Coast Guard swamp attack boat for 50 cents., and then cleaned and painted it. It is a rare find, because Mexico does not have a Coast Guard.

In my opinion, cardstock is about the most cost-effective addition to your lay-out. The figures are sturdy enough to last for months.

And one of my favorite cardstock models is a WW2 British destroyer that I "converted" to the Polish destroyer "Thunderbolt!" As the German super-battleship "Bismarck" tried to escape a British fleet in the dark, the Thunderbolt sailed a parallel course, exchanging broadsides for 58 minutes before the two got separated in the darkness. The Thunderbolt scored about five hits and made it impossible for the Bismarck to slip away.

The Thunderbolt had to leave the battle site for refueling, but the British Navy sank the Bismarck the next day.

That’s astounding!!!

Thank you, Bernard.

Now remember that I have absolutely no talent at all. I have salvaged Styrofoam fruit crates and used them for my lay-out. I inserted dowel rods (round wooden sticks) into the holes, in order to create a "dock" for the Treasure Island dockyard. Obviously, it is still under construction. Plus, I had to move The Friendship Bridge and I'll need to put it up again somewhere else.

The ORP (Ship of the Polish Republic) Thunderbolt is refueling and reloading before setting out.

Ha-ha, this certainly is unique!   Looking forward to further misadventures!

Thank you, Bill.

I found this 1931 Rolls Royce at an open Air market here in Mexico today. The doors open, but it has no tires. They wanted 50 pesos ($2.50 US), which a rip-off price for the Gringo (That's me). I offered them 20 pesos (a fair price) and when they accepted, I gave them thirty.

My smart, intelligent wife is already planning how to paint it, and I have to find tires for it.

Nice Vincent - it looks like you are having a lot of fun!

Sean, my dad had two 1953 Lionel trains when I was a kid. I have always wanted trains, and about a year ago (when I was 64 ) I was finally able to get some. HO, because my wife and I live in a small house, but I love them.

Now that I have the Treasure Island dockyard assembled, I can't figure out what to do with it. After setting up an unimpressive display, I found some sparkle flannel at Walmart. I have to get at least one more package to do it right, but here's what I've got.

I got the idea for a pirate railcar from a large battery-operated Christmas train set I have. I looked carefully for Christmas trains with interesting railcars, and this is one of them.

Okay, I got enough sparkle to finish the job! Here's some before and after photos of my pirate sleet.

I added the sparkle foam to my antique car display, and it does look much better.

I didn't like my Treasure Island dockyard, so I sold it to Bruce Wayne for his old Batmobile collection.

But how did a 1949 Mercury Custom get there?  It was the Batmobile  in one of the black and white Batman movie serials.

At 55 cents apiece at a Mexican open-air market I got two new recruits for the Mexican Navy, and one addition to Baron Barracuda's evil army.

It took more than two weeks to find tires that would fit the 1931 Rolls Royce I bought at an open-air market. Then I had to slice them in half because they were too thick. But my smart intelligent wife painted it up, and now it looks pretty good.

A lengthy tour of an open-air market here in Mexico provided some treasures.

The evil Baron Barracuda has a new cannon to threaten MUK, and the pirate fleet has a new sailor.

With Christmas only ten months away, I have added another two cars to my  2019 display. When I got home I was surprised to learn that the diesel opens up.

I keep adding figures to my future Disney display.

SODOR ISLAND PURCHASES ROCK ISLAND RAIL LINE!

MUK hailed the decision by the fictional Sodor Island (home of Thomas the Tank Engine) to purchase one of the two underwater rail lines owned by Rock Island. Rock Island has been bitterly criticized by MUK for selling passenger tickets to pirates who seized the Friendship Bridge before being driven off by Mexican Marines.

Analysts believe that the heavily-industrialized Sodor (about 3,600 square miles), with its well-developed railway system, should be able to improve the mostly-unsuccessful industrialized area east of MUK.

The MUK Pack consists of MUK, Mexico, Poland, and Wayne Industries, which are united for mutual defense against pirates.

THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE TAKES OVER FORMER ROCK ISLAND RAIL LINE

Sodor Island announced that they were sending Thomas the Tank Engine to run a two-car passenger line that will service Wayne Industries, the Treasure Island dockyard, and MUK. Rock Island Railroad will confine itself solely to freight.

Sir Topham Hat explained that he sent Thomas because he was a really useful engine. The fat comptroller denied reports that he sent the little pest to run an underwater route in hopes that he would drown.

SODOR ISLAND JOINS MUCK PACK!

The heavily-industrialized island, which has no military, had been reluctant to join due to fears of pirate attacks. But accepting assurances from Mexico and Poland to provide protection, Sodor plans to begin construction in the area to the east of MUK.

Vincent Massi posted:

I got the idea for a pirate railcar from a large battery-operated Christmas train set I have. I looked carefully for Christmas trains with interesting railcars, and this is one of them.

Nice job! I like this setup!

SODOR ISLAND BEGINS CONSTRUCTION!

Sodor Island has put up a small railyard on an uninhabited island east of MUK. They have brought in two diesels (one friendly and the other evil) and a crane car. More details to follow.

WORLD MARKETS RIDICULE SODOR ISLAND EXPANSION!

World financial markets unanimously downplayed Sodor Island's expansion east of MUK. Analysts stated that the undefended island is too vulnerable to pirate attacks, does not have enough room for extensive industry, and is too small to support a railroad.

After failing to procure more tracks earlier today (I couldn't find any Thomas the Tank Engine pieces in the open-air market), Sodor moved some heavy equipment onto the island, as well as a freight car. But analysts say that there is little or nothing for the equipment to do.

Sodor did purchase the abandoned Friendship Bridge and its searchlight car from the now-defunct Rock Island Railroad, but analysts cannot figure out w Sodor will benefit from these acquisitions.

PIRATE FLEET HEADING TOWARDS SODOR!

A fleet of four heavily-armed pirate ships, which had been previously driven away by the Mexican Navy, has changed course and is headed for Sodor Island. The fleet is expected to reach Wayne Industries' underwater storage area tomorrow, and should reach Sodor the next day.

In an unusual statement to the media, reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne assured investors that Wayne Industries' facilities were in no danger, and that he was personally flying to the area today.

And Sodor faced political embarrassment when Thomas the Tank Engine tooted a greeting at a passing French naval vessel. The warship surrendered immediately, but was quickly released. France has not joined MUK Pack, and its warship was legally gathering information.

POLISH NAVY SEIZES PIRATE SHIP!

Responding to a report that a pirate ship in the vicinity of Wayne Industries' underwater antique car garage was drifting, the Polish destroyer "Thunderbolt!" boarded the vessel without a fight. Poles found the entire crew beaten unconscious, while their radar confirmed that the rest of the pirate fleet was fleeing the area.

Sodor Island is no longer in danger of attack.

The Tripoli-based Pirates' Right League refuted the Polish report, claiming that Polish sailors had beaten up the pirates. "If the Poles didn't beat up the pirates, who did?" the PRL demanded.

SODOR ISLAND COMPLETES NAVAL BASE

The mystery of what Sodor Island was doing with so much construction equipment took a strange turn today, when Sodor completed construction of a naval base south-east of MUK. Mexican Coast Guard has stationed a small swamp boat on Sodor's only lake, and Sodor added an anti-aircraft gun to its searchlight railcar.

Vincent Massi posted:

 ...snip... The Thunderbolt scored about five hits and made it impossible for the Bismarck to slip away. The Thunderbolt had to leave the battle site for refueling, but the British Navy sank the Bismarck the next day.

I suspect that if the Bismark had scored even one hit there would have been a vastly different ending to the Thunderbolt's story!   Keep the story line coming, it is a fun read.

ISRAEL JOINS MUK PACK!

INS New Horizons docks at Sodor Island Naval Base.

Smaller, faster, and less-heavily-armed than most modern warships, New Horizons is designed with an extensive anti-missile defense system, as well as a limited ability for combat. With an anti-missile shield that will heavily increase MUK's defenses against surprise attacks, New Horizons swings the balance of power heavily against the pirates.

MUK WELCOMES PATCH THE PIRATE!  (Who?)

In 1978, Christian song writer Ron Hamilton lost an eye to cancer. The children at his church quickly nick-named him "Patch the Pirate," and he began writing Christian songs for children, followed by a series of "Patch the Pirate" adventure stories.

We used to play his tapes for our foster children, and it helped them calm down. While his adult Christian songs remain popular, his pirate stories and songs have made him a popular speaker in churches and meetings.

So when I found this for $2 at a yard sale, my wife and I did some minor repairs, clean-up, and painting. I've got to recruit some more friendly pirates for the crew, but Patch the Pirate is now part of My Underwater Kingdom.

Canadian friends took this photo yesterday.

MUK RESTORESSECOND RAIL LINE!

Sunken Valley Railroad had removed one of its two rail lines due to mechanical issues, but rebuilt it today.  In addition to providing additional freight service, the new line restores passenger service to MUK. Designed primarily to help MUK extract its extensive mineral resources, Sunken Valley Railroad provides a variety of cars to help transport mined products to the surface. 

PIRATES ADD FIFTH SHIP TO FLEET!

The HMS Bounty, an armed cargo ship, has joined the pirate fleet in international waters north-east of MUK. Fairly new and well-made, the Bounty (like most pirate ships) was not built as a warship, but was armed and modified.

The United Nations immediately warned MUK Pack not to respond, for fear of escalating the military situation.

Sodor Island has purchased a large container from MUK. The UN condemned the action as an escalation of the military conflict, and the Tripoli-based Pirates Rights League stated that this proves that MUK initiated the conflict that began by the pirates expanding their fleet.

Analysts have asked for help identifying the contents of the container. 

SODOR ISLAND BUILDS LIGHTHOUSE!

The Sodor Island Naval Station has completed construction of a lighthouse, which will aid navigation in the south-east quadrant of the MUK Pack. The naval station itself is lightly-armed, with a small attack boat and a single anti-aircraft gun (The pirates don't have any aircraft). It is farther from MUK itself, as well as the pirate fleet, than any other member of MUK Pack, and is regarded as a secure area.

But it is also the home port of the Israeli frigate "New Horizons," and critics protest that if the Israelis put to sea for combat, the lighthouse will help them keep Sodor Island aware of any threats.

SODOR ISLAND COMPLETES SUBMARINE BASE!

Critics have complained about the failure of the Rock Island Railroad to develop the area east of MUK. Today the Sodor Island Naval Base completed construction of a submarine base in that area.

MUK Pack's only submarine is an unarmed Mexican construction/research vessel, and Sodor insisted that there is no military significance to the new base. But critics pointed out that the base's radio antenna extends above the surface, increasing communication between the surface world and the underwater world.  

Vince, I think you're having entirely too much fun.  Keep it up!

                                                                                                                              Logan

MAJOR RENOVATIONS PLANNED!

Sunken Valley Railroad announced the purchase of a new construction train that includes a working (manually operated) crane car. It will replace a Union Pacific freight train that was dismantled due to operating problems.

Because of the large amount of extra construction equipment included in the purchase, final construction is expected to take at least one week.

SUNKEN VALLEY RAILROAD COMPLETES NEW RAIL LINE!

PIRATE FLEET DISAPPEARS IN MASSIVE THUNDERSTORM!

A gigantic storm front has enveloped the entire area, leaving MUK Pack's military forces unable to track the pirate fleet to the north.

The pirate ships "Lucrezia Borgia," "Jezebel," "Cruella de Ville," and "Ma Barker," led by the heavily-armored dreadnought "Old Battleax" (named after the wives they left behind), along with a heavily-armed sea platform, make the pirates and MUK Pack about evenly matched. A surprise attack by either one would swing the military balance in the attacker's favor.

PIRATES SEIZE SEA OF MUK!

Mexican Navy Suffers Massive Defeat!

Just as a gigantic storm front began to clear, the Mexican warship " Vencedor" spotted the pirate fleet  north of the Sea of MUK. A WW2 heavy cruiser that had been converted to a support ship, the Vencedor opened fire with its two remaining guns, destroying a heavily-armed pirate railcar serving as a pirate observation post, and then opened fire on the fleet.

The five pirate ships sailed into the Sea of MUK, destroying a Mexican sea platform, but not before its two unarmed reconnaissance helicopters escaped. The fleet then sank the Vencedor, cutting off communications with MUK. Observers reported that the Vencedor's badly-damaged combat helicopter has landed safely on Treasure Island. Observers also reported that the pirate ship "Lucretia Borgia" was sunk, and the "Jezebel" is crippled and adrift.

The "Cruella de Vil" and "Ma Barker" then landed pirates on the western shore of Treasure Island. The pirates are heading north to the island's valuable dockyard facilities. The heavily-armored "Old Battleax" is also heading north, hoping to bombard the dockyard facilities tomorrow.

One day to the east, the Polish destroyer "Thunderbolt!" is heading west at full speed, but analysts noted that the "Thunderbolt!" is low on fuel. Two days to the east, the Israeli frigate "New Horizons" had just refueled and is heading west at full speed.

More news tomorrow!

PIRATE ATTACK STALLS!

Adversaries Fight To A Draw On Every Front!

On Land: Advancing pirates on Treasure Island were stopped by dock workers who activated Bruce Wayne's collection of obsolete Batmobiles. The workers gave battle, battering the battered pirates with a battery of weapons. But as the pirates fell back, they reached the cover provided by the guns of the "Cruella de Vil" and the "Ma Barker," which left the pirates in firm control of the western half of the island but unable to advance.

At sea: The Polish destroyer "Thunderbolt!" attacked the pirate dreadnought "Old Battleax" in a 58 minute battle fought in total darkness. The undamaged "Thunderbolt!" inflicted light damage to "Old Battleax" before withdrawing due to lack of fuel. The destroyer reached the Treasure Island dockyard, where it was joined by the Israeli frigate "New Horizons."

Underwater: An unarmed Mexican industrial submarine re-established contact with MUK. MUK reported that they had held off an attack from Fort Evil but were unable to advance because of the fort's large cannon. The submarine then cruised up to Fort Evil, seized its cannon with the sub's claw, and brought it to MUK.

More news tomorrow.

THE BATTLE OF MID DAY!

Muck Pack Wins Major Victories On Every Front!

Mexico's recently-repaired combat helicopter was joined by the Israeli attack helicopter in a surprise attack on the crippled pirate ship "Jezebel." After a ten minute attack with rockets and cannon fire, the two copters sank the "Jezebel" and returned safely to Treasure Island.

Minutes later, the Israeli frigate "New Horizons" entered the Sea of Muck unchallenged. Using its advanced radar, and guided by Mexico's two reconnaissance helicopters, "New Horizons" sank  the "Cruella de Vil" and "Ma Barker." As the frigate prepared to open fire on the western portion of Treasure Island, the pirates there surrendered.

Underwater, Mexico's construction submarine carried MUK's cannons within range of Fort Evil, but the fish fled before the net could be drawn. Although Baron Baracuda and Triggerfish escaped, MUK captured the fort intact. It has been renamed "Fort Good," and Sunken Valley Railroad is already building a rail line into the area.

IT'S OVER!

Muck Pack Sinks "Old Battleax"!

Guided by the advanced radar systems of Israel's "New Horizons" frigate, and assisted by two Mexican Navy reconnaissance helicopters, the Polish destroyer Thunderbolt" pounded the pirate ship "Old Battleax" into oblivion. Despite its superior firepower and armor, the pirate ship was unable to match the "Thunderbolt's" accuracy.

The two Muck Pack ships rescued a small number of pirate survivors, who will be given a fair trial before their hanging.

The pirates have no remaining forces.

ANALYSIS: Pirates Lost War on First Day

Business Outsider--The pirate strategy of secretly assembling their fleet just north of the Sea of MUK  was  a brilliant move, analysts say, but pirate intelligence collapsed after that.

While technically defeating the Mexican Navy, the pirates suffered more losses in the opening battle, giving MUK Pack military superiority.  And while MUK Pack was able to fall back to auxiliary weapons (obsolete Batmobiles and a construction submarine) the pirates had no reserves when their invasion of Treasure Island stalled.

So uncoordinated were the pirates that they abandoned a ship full of cannons and crew; while MUK Pack utilized each other's radar, helicopters, and cannons to pick off the pirates' scattered forces. And while technically allied, the pirates and Fort Evil gave each other no assistance after the first day.

We'll leave this thread with MUK and its allies in firm control of the entire area. I'm already disassembling MUK and will begin building V.I.P (Vincent's Industrial Park) on Friday.

"A Mexican helicopter reported unusual activity at the farthest edge of its scanning equipment. The MUK Pack-based reconnaissance copter was near the end of its patrol and had to return to base for refueling, without investigating further."

The unimportant news article had escaped the notice of all but two people who mattered. Clark Kent had a variety of search engines scanning reports on the Daily Planet's network. Unfortunately, by the time the obscure report had reached the media, several hours had passed. And by the time he was able to slip away and fly to the area, even more time had passed.

When he finally searched the area with his super-vision, a concerned Superman had found exactly what he had feared: absolutely nothing.

PIRATES OPEN FIRE ON MEXICAN  AIRCRAFT!                                                                                                    Reconnaissance Helicopter Returns Safely to MUK Pack. 

Like most major corporations, Wayne Industries had multiple sources of information, most of them legal. And every one of them told Bruce Wayne that no one was building pirate ships. So where were the pirate ships coming from?

The World's Greatest Detective rejected the common view that the pirates who had attacked MUK were incompetent bunglers whose luck ran out. Instead, the Caped Crusader believed that a brilliant leader had successfully guided the pirate fleet through heavy storms in order to launch a surprise attack. But when the Mexican Navy inflicted heavy losses on them, the leader abandoned the buccaneers. The  pirate ships then fought intelligently enough, but without anyone authorized to coordinate their actions. And now a second pirate fleet had appeared.

Who and where was the leader? Bruce Wayne had a suspect, but even Batman couldn't catch him: Prince Namor.

Unknown to the humans, the underwater kingdom of Atlantis had spent decades destroying itself in a civil war. Prince Namor led the forces that wanted war with the humans, while Aquaman led those who wanted peace.

Far, far too late, Namor had realized that his defeat was inevitable from the beginning. Having destroyed each other's most advanced machinery, along with the machines that could build new machinery, the shattered kingdom could not possibly go to war against the surface world. They had used up much of their mineral resources and destroyed each other's mining equipment, leaving Atlantis in a state of  poverty.

So the Submariner had abdicated, leaving Aquaman and his wrecked kingdom in peace. Leading some loyalists and their families who refused to leave him, the failed monarch found himself in an empty part of the ocean where starvation was imminent.

And now Superman had shown up, carrying tons of food, medical supplies, and survival equipment. And all he wanted in return was information about the pirates.

Surrounded by a bank of computers that were monitoring the underwater situation, Bruce Wayne conferred with his press secretary, Clark Kent.

"Namor swore that he had nothing to do with the pirates," Clark explained, "and I believe him." "But he did manage to examine some of the wrecked ships. His engineers told him that the pirate ships were a hodgepodge of different technologies, all were new, and all were  well-built. The Sub-Mariner also explained that all of Atlantis' scientists and engineers were accounted for, so they hadn't been involved."

The Man of Steel continued:" Namor believes that an air-breathing scientific genius is behind the pirate attacks. This leader knows plenty of technology but lacks the machinery to put it to use. His plan is to seize MUK and its mineral wealth, build new machinery, and then seize Atlantis while it is still wrecked up by its civil war.

The two super-heroes looked at each other briefly, and then said it at the same time: "Lex Luthor!"

Over the decades, the scientific genius had built a variety of hide-outs so well-hidden that even Superman couldn't find them. And Lex Luthor was glad he had built this one. Equipped with underwater mining machinery along with some manufacturing facilities, Luthor had easily built a pirate fleet.

A super-villain whose only super power was his incredible brain, the arch-criminal had so many back-up plans and alternate plans that his fading sanity could not grasp the fact that his schemes rarely worked. His wooden fleet had successfully blasted its way into MUK Pack's territory; he had gotten detailed scientific information on their defenses, machinery, and mineral wealth; and as for his pirate crews...dead men tell no tales.

In just a couple of months, he would advance on MUK, forcing its talking fish to accept him as "Protector." His starving machines would only need a few weeks to devour MUK's vast mineral wealth, and then he would force the shattered kingdom of Atlantis to "voluntarily" accept his benevolent rule. Then, equipped with minerals, machinery, and slaves, he would seize Treasure Island and Sodor Island (actually a heavily-industrialized territory of the real Sodor Island) and continue to expand his empire.

"I couldn't find Luthor's Lair," Superman explained, "but I did find this. To attack either MUK or Atlantis, Luthor has to pass over this underwater plain. And that plain has a small supply of concentrated mineral wealth right in his path. If Atlantis will build a small, fortified colony at that spot, they might be able to hold off Lex Luthor while rebuilding their military."

Aquaman, however, shook his head. "Atlantis is too shattered and poverty-stricken to build a colony that can defeat Lex Luthor," he explained. "We cannot afford to build a military fortification, even if we knew it would win. Not only that," the underwater monarch continued, "our military now consists of a hodgepodge of technology from centuries past, because we lost so much machinery in our civil war."

"I expected that problem," Batman replied. "However, I have contacts with Bruce Wayne, the billionaire industrialist. He has authorized me to offer Atlantis some financial incentives to build that colony."

The talking fish of MUK were happy to see their friend Aquaman. Dismayed by his warning of an immanent attack by Lex Luthor, they immediately agreed to his plan.

Superman secretly explained the situation to Israel, Mexico, and Poland. The super-heroes were unable to provide round-the-clock protection to MUK, and Lex Luthor had the know-how to sink all their naval vessels. The three nations unhappily agreed to the Man of Steel's plan.

Bruce Wayne personally flew to Sodor Island to explain the situation. He was abandoning Treasure Island, along with its extensive docking facilities, and the lightly-defended Sodor Island territory wouldn't have a chance. Reluctantly, the government agreed to his plan. 

The world was amazed when MUK withdrew from MUK Pack. With nothing to gain by staying, Israel, Mexico, and Poland also withdrew. The heavily-industrialized Sodor Island immediately annexed Treasure Island (with its extensive docking and repair facilities), but analysts agreed that the undefended island's actions would not accomplish anything.

And then quietly, secretly, Atlantis annexed all three of them. And now, having adequate minerals and machinery, the battered underwater kingdom began constructing a military mining colony directly in Lex Luthor's path.

Coming in January! "The Knights of Atlantis" train lay-out!

We've moved!

The MUK Raker has been absorbed by "Knight's Watch!', the official news source of the Knights of Atlantis.

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/knight-s-watch