tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91745395924738448812024-03-06T14:59:11.895-05:00Up Dunes JunctionModel railroadin' and trains. . . the South Shore line, mostly, but anything electric or Northeast Corridor or Northwest Indiana turns up hereSteve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.comBlogger272125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-38913759199443300212023-03-26T21:03:00.003-04:002023-03-26T21:03:48.007-04:00ON MY BENCH: COLOR ON THE GONDOLA<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wJD6e1mFj0nnsWKbU-BY5dmW9w7KRRFwKHvyIN4Xo_G9DPL2JZZbAurpkGUZcKrQ9wHzbjP6dM0p7dzc_I5INZfAUNzrCh9qvhenNshe_VbbncPvda1D6_mCzX1-0sDM_32nNLMzi1AM3l0KPFZ5NKn8Nnv1DJyRrTKguBoI7JAhKLM4iULeYQvE/s4032/IMG_1771.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wJD6e1mFj0nnsWKbU-BY5dmW9w7KRRFwKHvyIN4Xo_G9DPL2JZZbAurpkGUZcKrQ9wHzbjP6dM0p7dzc_I5INZfAUNzrCh9qvhenNshe_VbbncPvda1D6_mCzX1-0sDM_32nNLMzi1AM3l0KPFZ5NKn8Nnv1DJyRrTKguBoI7JAhKLM4iULeYQvE/w640-h480/IMG_1771.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Crossposted from my other blog, <a href="https://spruepiewithfrets.wordpress.com/2023/03/25/on-my-bench-color-on-the-gondola/">Sprue Pie With Frets</a></i></div><br /><p></p>Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-44436842675975882582023-03-26T20:58:00.003-04:002023-03-26T20:58:58.742-04:00On My Bench: Painting A Train The Plastic Model Way<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcUvRqHz7CiTs35V4DJtxZS8iq3av3sWgJ9Ug1abJn_WDUKTWcdDzD_B45ip8vrBYGNPzNQZsHyXE_xwmr5k8m2psU3uLhOz1T_VwvSFcp0W9O17DhzlGQM19O5HWiEVgKRdkRX-vCF7a5tkNer6PzVUm6u7idN87GgBmlrKehdhgHh8upLg3Zf3o/s2971/IMG_1765.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2228" data-original-width="2971" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcUvRqHz7CiTs35V4DJtxZS8iq3av3sWgJ9Ug1abJn_WDUKTWcdDzD_B45ip8vrBYGNPzNQZsHyXE_xwmr5k8m2psU3uLhOz1T_VwvSFcp0W9O17DhzlGQM19O5HWiEVgKRdkRX-vCF7a5tkNer6PzVUm6u7idN87GgBmlrKehdhgHh8upLg3Zf3o/w640-h480/IMG_1765.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 8px 0px; text-align: center;">Black Mr. Surfacer on the Grandt Line HOn3 (1/87 narrow gauge) gondola. Not the way most model railroaders paint things, but I’m not most model railroaders. Indeed, most model railroaders don’t really paint much nowadays, as evidenced by the conspicuous absence of model railroading paint in the hobby marketplace. Ironic, especially in light of the seemingly weekly appearance of a new line of paint for plastic modelers. </p><p style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 8px 0px; text-align: center;"><i>Crossposted from my other blog, <a href="https://spruepiewithfrets.wordpress.com/2023/03/21/on-my-bench-painting-a-train-the-plastic-model-way/">Sprue Pie With Frets</a></i></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-51703696176116120362023-03-26T20:55:00.002-04:002023-03-26T20:55:40.103-04:00ON MY BENCH: A LITTLE RAILROAD GONDOLA<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieR4hTCsPewgQto5bd4B3yTZnLhIO4M5otKT1LBXdzkbhv_KHd0ZXU9VNDWttyzBDQgGL1G7ZHYHHJCauOJm6Sjw4Jk7XY6NEWgeoY4Hp-JzIogCRXHC9yElIKgixDPQSMFdvC5EQQeOPS5TPLPRTGoKwYsNfh6ohC32GOJhDZ_3vgzEu6DG4Ss0X/s4032/IMG_1760.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieR4hTCsPewgQto5bd4B3yTZnLhIO4M5otKT1LBXdzkbhv_KHd0ZXU9VNDWttyzBDQgGL1G7ZHYHHJCauOJm6Sjw4Jk7XY6NEWgeoY4Hp-JzIogCRXHC9yElIKgixDPQSMFdvC5EQQeOPS5TPLPRTGoKwYsNfh6ohC32GOJhDZ_3vgzEu6DG4Ss0X/w640-h480/IMG_1760.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></p><figure class="wp-block-image size-large" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 1em 0px;"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; font-size: 0.8125rem; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.3em; text-align: center;">Injection molded model railroad car kits—at least, kits that build up a out of a lot of separate injection molded parts—are far and few between. This Grandt Line (now San Juan Car) narrow gauge gondola kit dating back to the early 80s or late 70s is such a build. Shake the box like a Tamiya kit, this ain’t. But it’s a model and it’s what’s on my bench.</figcaption></figure><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled" id="jp-post-flair" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; padding-top: 0px; text-align: start;"><div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(48, 48, 48); clear: both; color: #303030; font-family: "Open Sans", Tahoma, Arial; font-size: 17px; margin: 2em 0px 0px;"></div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-align: start;" /></td></tr></tbody></table><i>Crossposted from my other blog, <a href="https://spruepiewithfrets.wordpress.com/2023/03/19/on-my-bench-a-little-railroad-gondola/" target="_blank">Sprue Pie With Frets</a></i>Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-22174170385699727002023-03-12T23:50:00.004-04:002023-03-12T23:50:57.344-04:00On My Bench: Red Car Killer<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lj-K3MODIMuHKy-gQfdEJj1toIizHAKQklnAsD_PIh0gN7B_t3WNmtCuFz44cEU8F9aLP8YJCnJPAVh1qBJxBI5ePlib0re522V2kkG3qTQnA5WRlzJ6OJHDku2MFOISElI7Ohq5PpQNzBRTjRoQEQhFmOSWVDDpTFsp4rmKiyASx2pWSzzkNt8D/s4032/26D797F5-EEAA-4C09-9DF8-6729029259E1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lj-K3MODIMuHKy-gQfdEJj1toIizHAKQklnAsD_PIh0gN7B_t3WNmtCuFz44cEU8F9aLP8YJCnJPAVh1qBJxBI5ePlib0re522V2kkG3qTQnA5WRlzJ6OJHDku2MFOISElI7Ohq5PpQNzBRTjRoQEQhFmOSWVDDpTFsp4rmKiyASx2pWSzzkNt8D/w640-h480/26D797F5-EEAA-4C09-9DF8-6729029259E1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 8px 0px; text-align: center;">GMC bus in Pacific Electric livery, 1/87 or HO scale. Just a little weathering to introduce depth and grime. For you non-model railroading savages, the Pacific Electric was the ‘Red Car’, a symbol of old, pre-freeway Los Angeles, the demise of which was immortalized in the movie “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”. Watch this space, more Pacific Electric coming soon.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 8px 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica-Oblique; font-style: italic;">Cross-posted from my other blog, <a href="https://spruepiewithfrets.wordpress.com/2023/03/12/on-my-bench-red-car-killer/" target="_blank">Sprue Pie WIth Frets</a></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /> </p>Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-82954243891688015052023-01-17T22:35:00.000-05:002023-01-17T22:35:07.809-05:00What I’m Thinking: Big Models Of Swiss Narrow Gauge<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Big models of metre-gauge Rhätische Bahn (RhB, or Rhaetian Railway) rolling stock have been on my mind of late. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">American and Swiss narrow gauge railways were built around the same time over a hundred years ago, for many of the same reasons. However, for a variety of interesting reasons, Swiss narrow gauge modernized and even electrified, while US narrow gauge mostly skipped dieselization and even forthright embrace of such modern niceties as steel underframes and signals. As a result, RhB and its connecting narrow gauge lines in the south and east of Switzerland not only are still running, but are distinctively modern and modelgenic subjects.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">For an idea of what’s been particularly inspiring to me, have a look at this video of </span><span style="text-align: left;">Rhätische Bahn‘s own Om (O scale metre gauge) museum layout:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3f4nNDHYlrU" width="320" youtube-src-id="3f4nNDHYlrU"></iframe></div>Meanwhile, chunky models of RhB locomotives and cars might have been sighted on my workbench:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5yVe0COKWV14RkJ9zw2JMrX04VfFV4XGyB_Lh-q8rvaKRnY_IotD_JZvKmINrTk8Ke1BKPjBSEKp7QInD-M-3Fg2ESpVfokym0tXFdnjb9rM9yo8moLKymV1KmECN8iIxv-vwsrIrQGadWIecP0O-jlmzGNnCdwd8l67LDQJzBZWzXgOef2XqwfO/s4032/1DEAA997-D924-4DB5-ADF5-B504DD0B9E01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5yVe0COKWV14RkJ9zw2JMrX04VfFV4XGyB_Lh-q8rvaKRnY_IotD_JZvKmINrTk8Ke1BKPjBSEKp7QInD-M-3Fg2ESpVfokym0tXFdnjb9rM9yo8moLKymV1KmECN8iIxv-vwsrIrQGadWIecP0O-jlmzGNnCdwd8l67LDQJzBZWzXgOef2XqwfO/s320/1DEAA997-D924-4DB5-ADF5-B504DD0B9E01.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiux4Nf9D58Ez7zPxMwWfDqR93PQKKi3luRYhUxXXI-kAIKxnXWVO8KLCI_UTiXRNn3s3n7F5E_YhfI1XWoXazDUm_GHija6GI3_MGlEd__RzWA5myT38yF33RI3jKjErMfam2tzD2yTcBkc0dmYAmUroMm_-rxRPWOJE6mJBpkmqUbyF4S1ugomYg2/s4032/C0C9EB04-AE47-463C-B286-D306584350D0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiux4Nf9D58Ez7zPxMwWfDqR93PQKKi3luRYhUxXXI-kAIKxnXWVO8KLCI_UTiXRNn3s3n7F5E_YhfI1XWoXazDUm_GHija6GI3_MGlEd__RzWA5myT38yF33RI3jKjErMfam2tzD2yTcBkc0dmYAmUroMm_-rxRPWOJE6mJBpkmqUbyF4S1ugomYg2/s320/C0C9EB04-AE47-463C-B286-D306584350D0.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJ3iVp0XGa0_aEuD1hLh9iNmlTO5VDqJDqCbUup6yJY3yFMR3k9od6bKmFZMU7-1O2ebVtTNyFiNh69ZR5bxe5qSwTB_7mBJB8iQwNLfWbLHz_d1g4f5WejBC4eWtZAzM9vWSnZZ6I95roXn1D9CqTgoGs3q7SsMUDTBFWN5rEJHlfHJTB0BL4TZY/s4032/C54B0991-49F9-401C-A549-1E64C36EB7BB.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJ3iVp0XGa0_aEuD1hLh9iNmlTO5VDqJDqCbUup6yJY3yFMR3k9od6bKmFZMU7-1O2ebVtTNyFiNh69ZR5bxe5qSwTB_7mBJB8iQwNLfWbLHz_d1g4f5WejBC4eWtZAzM9vWSnZZ6I95roXn1D9CqTgoGs3q7SsMUDTBFWN5rEJHlfHJTB0BL4TZY/s320/C54B0991-49F9-401C-A549-1E64C36EB7BB.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">What’s not to like? Small electrics pulling short trains through scenery and curves that would make Malcolm Furlow say, “That looks fake.”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Let’s see where this adventure in big ol’ little Swiss trains takes us…<br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p></p>Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-81676833389555237992021-07-04T16:52:00.006-04:002021-07-04T16:52:47.628-04:00Inspiration for My Next Layout Project? <div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://flic.kr/p/zJSwzo" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1463" data-original-width="2048" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutU-6qiEmu4zI2MZUY7r0wrcITOzMg19IVj2pSPLnMFJkncTSgWkyEuYXPH7NgQzqWyDgVMnVI5Peav-HDScectLCAmouVzL3lbsO1bxp52Y4ISJGDNJ7guyRR-M7hJXlawPpPLgNSFQ/w640-h458/36C41C84-E1AF-49EF-B359-56A20098CA78.jpeg" title="Photo by Richard Pryke" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Still makes me think of Bob Hegge’s Crooked Mountain Lines, but in the 21st century. <i>Photo by Richard Pryke</i></td></tr></tbody></table>Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-16412917416691449862021-05-29T23:11:00.001-04:002021-05-30T08:23:27.507-04:00And Then There Were None: Long Live Dunes Junction! Long Live Old Line Corridor!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Just like that, the Dunes Junction and the Old Line Corridor layouts are gone.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Our house is getting a new family, renters with young children from overseas who are coming to Washington for medical training for a year. We’ve spent the past few weekends decluttering and clearing out the place for our new guests. Among the personal junk that needed to go were the Dunes Junction and Old Line Corridor layouts. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We knew the layouts would need to be disposed of back in March, so I started making inquiries among model railroad network, and you like likely read about it here on the blog. I sought the advice of a few of our old heads in the Washington DC modeling community, who to a man wished me luck and told me to prepare to take a bath recovering layout building expenses. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">One option was to transport the layouts to our new home in Delaware. Realistically, we could really only accommodate one of those layouts, but after much soul-searching, I decided that any model railroading I would do in Delaware would be a clean sheet, all new project. I’m already plotting a modular European prototype project either N scale or possibly HO narrow gauge. Look for a future post on this topic. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiev0Z0za070mjSvDPKtXDaoCddMQA-7BLaV_vnhseHB876nW-nIHGOivvPwqwVBU71F6jjwt2H6Bk9uMC9HrYZOtR_33tvFuEW3Un2SccJeyoxALFet5t5cRlk7SW2IEKMxEX3fXhTrbE/s4032/IMG_1920.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiev0Z0za070mjSvDPKtXDaoCddMQA-7BLaV_vnhseHB876nW-nIHGOivvPwqwVBU71F6jjwt2H6Bk9uMC9HrYZOtR_33tvFuEW3Un2SccJeyoxALFet5t5cRlk7SW2IEKMxEX3fXhTrbE/w640-h480/IMG_1920.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dunes Junction getting ready to ride to Michigan. It stood up well to man-handling off its shelf brackets and into Greg’s car.</td></tr></tbody></table>The announcement to my network didn’t yield the quick sale I had hoped for. I formed a backup plan to donate the layouts to clubs that had expressed interest in accepting them. A module group had its eye on the Dunes Junction for incorporation into its collection of show modules. An N-focused group thought it might be able to use the Old Line Corridor as either an exhibition layout or as salvage for its trees, structures, and catenary poles.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ebay did the trick to motivate some buyers who had been lurking in this blog and on the Facebook groups to which I had been posting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dunes Junction sold first, to Greg, a modeler from Michigan. He was very excited to receive the layout, and he did a two-day road trip to come pick it up. He drove straight back with it and sent me pictures of it temporarily set up in his train room, complete with some of his own South Shore equipment running on it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BXeEDQytcsu7qRecUWi00it310t9uYVGw3uhnAwWqs3lHUO5DfL-YtujpCuvvMA2vQBIiSutduz9Ku_nVnMyVpW8E850rn0wl2gAdBGIPo1M6tjz3YhXh6iBTj9JRQvVz9SWUx0DRbQ/s1450/IMG_0595.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="1258" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BXeEDQytcsu7qRecUWi00it310t9uYVGw3uhnAwWqs3lHUO5DfL-YtujpCuvvMA2vQBIiSutduz9Ku_nVnMyVpW8E850rn0wl2gAdBGIPo1M6tjz3YhXh6iBTj9JRQvVz9SWUx0DRbQ/s320/IMG_0595.HEIC" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dunes Junction in its new home, complete<br />with South Shore rolling stock.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A week or so later, I sold the Old Line Corridor to Ryan Thoman, one of the owners of <a href="https://www.whiterosehobbies.com/" target="_blank">White Rose Hobbies in York, Pennsylvania</a>. I was thrilled to learn that the <a href="https://www.whiterosehobbies.com/blogs/news/white-rose-hobbies-acquires-old-line-corridor-n-scale-layout" target="_blank">OLC’s new home would be a public display at a hobby shop</a>! A back-of-mind ambition for OLC had been exhibition, UK-style, and it pleases me immensely to know that kids and aspiring model railroaders will be able to enjoy and take inspiration from the layout. Ryan is a veteran of the Norfolk Southern on the Keystone and Northeast Corridors, and he looked forward to having an N scale re-creation of his former professional stomping grounds. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ1xTIXdGEJ9iwLELccux5RFSt__Oi-v8EVgegqwX5kyACSOjw05cRo989vHfmmuD8yM9T6gMTSdx9i6gPn_uY3Ut15SyTAh1iiDaCiZjA24t7TlMZ3T09Q5241VkbeigXBGzhlol1TY/s4032/IMG_1956.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ1xTIXdGEJ9iwLELccux5RFSt__Oi-v8EVgegqwX5kyACSOjw05cRo989vHfmmuD8yM9T6gMTSdx9i6gPn_uY3Ut15SyTAh1iiDaCiZjA24t7TlMZ3T09Q5241VkbeigXBGzhlol1TY/w640-h480/IMG_1956.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Old Line Corridor loaded up and ready for transport to White Rose Hobbies in York, PA.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">York is a couple of hours away, and Ryan wasted no time in putting the OLC back to work. In less than 24 hours, NS and Amtrak trains were rolling through the OLC on White Rose Hobbies’ YouTube channel. It was truly a thrill to see the layout in action on line!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ETKICWT5LFg" width="332" youtube-src-id="ETKICWT5LFg"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I expected to somewhat sadder about the departure of these two layouts than I actually was. I’m already thinking through the possibilities for my next model railroad project, which is likely to be N scale modules depicting European or possibly Northern Indiana prototypes. Watch this space…</div><br /></div><br /><br /><p><br /></p><br /><p></p>Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-66576124584191926582021-05-16T08:37:00.000-04:002021-05-16T08:37:08.384-04:00The Old Line Corridor is for Sale, and I Mean It (It’s On Ebay)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4TtsLh62wmF-yH3EI41WpYdgZh3omLrGQKqyHa3tY-VadnfGKdUjkOfaYff8ucYhJR0tKxGVP7pDyU6U9PiB_I4BAIaKH8zj73Rt4mKRSli8Sfx2ltGhjwoJ3gVPUgWv1aOuLH5Upl8/s1000/_1040278-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4TtsLh62wmF-yH3EI41WpYdgZh3omLrGQKqyHa3tY-VadnfGKdUjkOfaYff8ucYhJR0tKxGVP7pDyU6U9PiB_I4BAIaKH8zj73Rt4mKRSli8Sfx2ltGhjwoJ3gVPUgWv1aOuLH5Upl8/w640-h480/_1040278-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We’re getting down to the wire on moving the Old Line Corridor out of the house. Lots of interest, no takers. I succeeded in finding a buyer for Dunes Junction on Ebay, so I’m following suit with the Old Line Corridor.</p><p></p><p>Here’s the link: <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/294177977458">https://www.ebay.com/itm/294177977458</a></p><p>Tell your friends! As some wag out in the social media universe remarked, the price is less than the cost of the catenary poles alone.<br /></p>Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-83424001362676959552021-05-05T19:16:00.000-04:002021-05-05T19:16:10.537-04:00…And the Old Line Corridor Needs a New Home (For Sale)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">A change in real estate circumstances has occasioned disposal of the ‘Old Line Corridor’, which is difficult in view of its recent feature in the </span><a href="http://rrmodelcraftsman.com/this-month/" rel="nofollow noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">May 2021 <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Railroad Model Craftsman</em></a><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">It’s 3x7, DCC-ready, does not include any rolling stock or vehicles, and is themed around the Northeast Corridor. It is transportable via a van, trailer, pickup, or large SUV and located in the Washington DC area. ‘</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I’ve added some photos below, never before seen on this blog, to give a complete picture.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">If you’re interested, please reach out via the comments or the Facebook Old Line Corridor page.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vPC9BA08oL4rIkUswEFtQw1bakgSgtgUI9BD01Jv-ccDDAfkW7l4MTqLrR0Ck9dX-ffRQSgg5axPVBmJYO4kkqeAWltdgxSOmAtDytLjZm9ar79PEi2RVOBeuE5NDaM2OaJq8jR-xBM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="640" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vPC9BA08oL4rIkUswEFtQw1bakgSgtgUI9BD01Jv-ccDDAfkW7l4MTqLrR0Ck9dX-ffRQSgg5axPVBmJYO4kkqeAWltdgxSOmAtDytLjZm9ar79PEi2RVOBeuE5NDaM2OaJq8jR-xBM/w640-h292/image.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4u93nynHxExa-ls6Tn357kr0CIjAlSjN5QDbDTpCs2DAOHCqv1k-GDj4VQ4GZqhCEOnAUhXxBOmFCcZSGUDGuCv-asIkctSZokhT8EJeVfoaGxCOvdIhZ2nqkF2wILq9l-cFDFfO85g/s1000/_1040278-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4u93nynHxExa-ls6Tn357kr0CIjAlSjN5QDbDTpCs2DAOHCqv1k-GDj4VQ4GZqhCEOnAUhXxBOmFCcZSGUDGuCv-asIkctSZokhT8EJeVfoaGxCOvdIhZ2nqkF2wILq9l-cFDFfO85g/w640-h480/_1040278-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNjdpg32DWa-l5iGB-yyCd2-B1ARQWAsjF1F0uwUjCYTSbUuISeJROx0VrmsWu5h9sOYwgEWUZ_30eFQOBXz3BFmItOr0qbSXTpryWq4ktDqHS-pviUe-8Nue2pc7T1DQbsdnN1O2bVA/s1000/_1040258-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNjdpg32DWa-l5iGB-yyCd2-B1ARQWAsjF1F0uwUjCYTSbUuISeJROx0VrmsWu5h9sOYwgEWUZ_30eFQOBXz3BFmItOr0qbSXTpryWq4ktDqHS-pviUe-8Nue2pc7T1DQbsdnN1O2bVA/w640-h480/_1040258-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOx6awSZ3Isho6ynlBc0VyEScyIGn9mtlCbCY9kYWu50b0ru9P4XFDjzrJVygTvWa2YxNjqgope89-W_5GwaXIaFSAg2_AXVvoo-Qg2K2BOIR9enoCqDu-k6yuPYyOiFAVQ9WXABUJ53I/s1000/_1030004-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="1000" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOx6awSZ3Isho6ynlBc0VyEScyIGn9mtlCbCY9kYWu50b0ru9P4XFDjzrJVygTvWa2YxNjqgope89-W_5GwaXIaFSAg2_AXVvoo-Qg2K2BOIR9enoCqDu-k6yuPYyOiFAVQ9WXABUJ53I/w640-h482/_1030004-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KB0co0RzKVW2hKJXRvfuAA34aE0_dJwjAxq3qo5Pt_0piaSINq488yFihmeXQ9iqxQDDQEBS_phqnIxNA2lNBpaGTx_Z1kbFniEKRkwa_qfIBYMRfM-rS1NuBy0WJcAyAqKXl22jGms/s1000/_1020692-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KB0co0RzKVW2hKJXRvfuAA34aE0_dJwjAxq3qo5Pt_0piaSINq488yFihmeXQ9iqxQDDQEBS_phqnIxNA2lNBpaGTx_Z1kbFniEKRkwa_qfIBYMRfM-rS1NuBy0WJcAyAqKXl22jGms/w640-h480/_1020692-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-47607588717469530112021-05-05T18:36:00.002-04:002021-05-05T18:36:18.197-04:00Dunes Junction Layout on EBay<p> It’s up for sale here: <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/294146510618">https://www.ebay.com/itm/294146510618</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmLM_MQwRjEouVOAdcTCicqNnrJkJmqtF7CJdzUVfw1B-PxqyhR_kiYI3m1QEWn6k8_-FXM_6O7jxfu9mMW1j-GGtMpEGVc0UenW4MEW0Je_anedYwbHDtuT5X7zyc525DdeQBlq0qgU/s640/IMG_0533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="640" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmLM_MQwRjEouVOAdcTCicqNnrJkJmqtF7CJdzUVfw1B-PxqyhR_kiYI3m1QEWn6k8_-FXM_6O7jxfu9mMW1j-GGtMpEGVc0UenW4MEW0Je_anedYwbHDtuT5X7zyc525DdeQBlq0qgU/w640-h192/IMG_0533.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-85271754421970662882021-04-24T19:09:00.003-04:002021-04-24T19:09:44.210-04:00Now It Can Be Told: Old Line Corridor in the Pages of Railroad Model Craftsman<p>Now it can be told: the Old Line Corridor is featured in the <a href="http://rrmodelcraftsman.com/this-month/" target="_blank">May 2021 issue of <i>Railroad Model Craftsman</i></a>! The article has been in production for most of the past year, and is a contributing factor to the inactivity here on Up Dunes Junction. It is a gratifying relief to finally see it in print. Go buy a copy if you aren’t already subscribed, and let me know what you think!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0GYMRa1Fq2UuIH26x5aEB1TACx70Mg7NL0O8VZpcdnKtTlIQrHc-Y0TMf73bTCbczK8qJXfY84aJg2CfnGR0qf-IABLtLg8LniPR5hpgKFYfb42hoNpgigVWZWNlqQprXo4wSeUvTBU/s2124/IMG_0525.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2124" data-original-width="1668" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0GYMRa1Fq2UuIH26x5aEB1TACx70Mg7NL0O8VZpcdnKtTlIQrHc-Y0TMf73bTCbczK8qJXfY84aJg2CfnGR0qf-IABLtLg8LniPR5hpgKFYfb42hoNpgigVWZWNlqQprXo4wSeUvTBU/w502-h640/IMG_0525.PNG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPquh9gJOb1gUEi1PnzQsihf1rKgmL-LxFYIxl_9R7SFeku7eUNFPFJTojxFOnZkCyrBBrugYx7KEZ9a8uw5ItOamWvqHMEMbIHODr4Rf00OGPT-85RhOp-GyMMkR5pyuqcadfLjgPWs/s2134/IMG_0518.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2134" data-original-width="1624" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPquh9gJOb1gUEi1PnzQsihf1rKgmL-LxFYIxl_9R7SFeku7eUNFPFJTojxFOnZkCyrBBrugYx7KEZ9a8uw5ItOamWvqHMEMbIHODr4Rf00OGPT-85RhOp-GyMMkR5pyuqcadfLjgPWs/w488-h640/IMG_0518.PNG" width="488" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-63770123858197797912021-04-21T20:23:00.001-04:002021-04-21T20:25:32.944-04:00Dune Junction Layout Needs a New Home<p>Life throws curveballs, and the house where Dunes Junction layout lives will soon be the home of a new family.</p><p>After much soul-searching, I’ve opted to dispose of the Dunes Junction layout, instead of moving it to our new house. </p><p>Its small size—1.5’ x 5’—and Freemo-ish track would make it versatile starting point for a South Shore layout or module, and easy to transport in a station wagon or small SUV. It’s DCC ready, and will not include DCC hardware, rolling stock, or vehicles. Track plan and pictures from earlier posts assembled here for viewing convenience.</p><p>All reasonable offers will be considered—feel free to reach out to discuss if you are interested.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-6VgXXoXVLG9FtdJnXR-M1pm4-aOhitDewmYy-sWmGEud0GTSEjjU35aLlM28-2eiv3plFs4X6HiJhJo32vZHm7YKjCrEXlv_UvvdMRcURE13GuUMDRg5wsBYubv7cduJFiNRD42zFc/s1200/SAM_2572.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="1200" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-6VgXXoXVLG9FtdJnXR-M1pm4-aOhitDewmYy-sWmGEud0GTSEjjU35aLlM28-2eiv3plFs4X6HiJhJo32vZHm7YKjCrEXlv_UvvdMRcURE13GuUMDRg5wsBYubv7cduJFiNRD42zFc/w640-h224/SAM_2572.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYTPMvrFsvcLaqxh_cC66O3Vj2ZGptYQ2aG_HcEklUy1E-sRQXjDr1sJteH4C7duAtr0YxnIvdi3F4KyOy_cNuVMuhBlgdz6YtUqSBURsepX2pLoGlgG5iHsyilIY1-Lv5ZqTitlUlbQ/s1000/Imported+from+Dunes+Junction+Code+83.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="1000" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYTPMvrFsvcLaqxh_cC66O3Vj2ZGptYQ2aG_HcEklUy1E-sRQXjDr1sJteH4C7duAtr0YxnIvdi3F4KyOy_cNuVMuhBlgdz6YtUqSBURsepX2pLoGlgG5iHsyilIY1-Lv5ZqTitlUlbQ/w640-h192/Imported+from+Dunes+Junction+Code+83.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwai9mrg9HPLaq4RZCfFj604dQKa_u66Cp0EKkFNDmU9Kb24orxMqTMeh40Ye4CrpMR8NiX8SYaBsmufoGpFuxjI7Jn4evjmSE9x5ha4FiBKbfmf_N9tjlX9EriKnoNx4bxE6BPJEONfk/s1000/SAM_3386.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="1000" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwai9mrg9HPLaq4RZCfFj604dQKa_u66Cp0EKkFNDmU9Kb24orxMqTMeh40Ye4CrpMR8NiX8SYaBsmufoGpFuxjI7Jn4evjmSE9x5ha4FiBKbfmf_N9tjlX9EriKnoNx4bxE6BPJEONfk/w640-h392/SAM_3386.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYWO1JD021JfzoxLfuS5BsKR1ZDiBf6Z1c5HOzq0ruRCk5FbUQVgjIfL0tWH0RlZcGPIW8utuNgE04oxZi6LGG38Ph99qDkfJVM079eu9XXC4IX1Ck5NG335gTBAiqp5_kWCyuO_5l7M/s1000/SAM_3398.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="1000" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYWO1JD021JfzoxLfuS5BsKR1ZDiBf6Z1c5HOzq0ruRCk5FbUQVgjIfL0tWH0RlZcGPIW8utuNgE04oxZi6LGG38Ph99qDkfJVM079eu9XXC4IX1Ck5NG335gTBAiqp5_kWCyuO_5l7M/w640-h312/SAM_3398.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUyL4OzhibK7ngPdiA31g0NvXAG8xFOjKmBGF6zAmZbcJuwrasqYQjggvcsdbQGYpJ1OLeEZmomwXxZjV8LQLflckeXn_CoEdQmGi1lEbaLYoYfY4-iccTf0nPE7IVjkY9llG4o9GS9o/s1000/SAM_3392.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="1000" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUyL4OzhibK7ngPdiA31g0NvXAG8xFOjKmBGF6zAmZbcJuwrasqYQjggvcsdbQGYpJ1OLeEZmomwXxZjV8LQLflckeXn_CoEdQmGi1lEbaLYoYfY4-iccTf0nPE7IVjkY9llG4o9GS9o/w640-h272/SAM_3392.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-86838822168970932902021-04-16T22:10:00.004-04:002021-04-16T22:10:55.209-04:00Coming Soon!<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOZoMQBB0aDkHOe-uWQChfkIQ2-1LksdkQr3h8EmV0k8pMrKJK0bl6BrCtKA7z_Rmdr_EoQlV_Ztr9sBfmolnVSsZiQK5RnOossrtf_XXbS_1GgVtxQEyqCo1PgSkiJPB2D8H7wKsXMk/s2285/IMG_0510.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="2285" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOZoMQBB0aDkHOe-uWQChfkIQ2-1LksdkQr3h8EmV0k8pMrKJK0bl6BrCtKA7z_Rmdr_EoQlV_Ztr9sBfmolnVSsZiQK5RnOossrtf_XXbS_1GgVtxQEyqCo1PgSkiJPB2D8H7wKsXMk/w640-h256/IMG_0510.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://rrmodelcraftsman.com/this-month/" target="_blank">Look closely</a>, and you’ll see where the Old Line Corridor has been for the past year or so...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p>Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-72408297210948971492020-05-17T18:35:00.000-04:002020-05-17T18:35:49.676-04:00In Other News: Celebrity Model Kit Maker Closes DoorsInterrupting our usual coverage of big ol’ electric railroads and their models: interesting <a href="https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=11118.0" target="_blank">story</a> about the recent demise of Wingnut Wings, beloved maker of 1/32 WWI airplane kits founded by Sir Peter Jackson of epic movie fame. The hobby business is tough and certainly not immune to the laws of business or the tragedy of human folly.<br />
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Also, any actual reporting on how the hobby business actually works is catnip to me.Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-70619336635539167912020-03-14T09:49:00.001-04:002020-03-14T09:49:26.458-04:00Railroad Safety Boss Lady in the House (Literally)<a href="https://www.railwayage.com/safety/a-reinvigorated-operation-lifesaver/" target="_blank">Railway Age story on Operation Lifesaver’s national Executive Director, Rachel Maleh, otherwise known as my spouse.</a> Very proud of this awesome lady, who is also a tireless supporter of my railroading passions.<br />
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Meanwhile, stay off the tracks!<br />
<br />Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-52064310750580210582020-02-05T06:00:00.000-05:002020-02-05T06:00:05.551-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglfZAcDpio0Tymj-RsJL-zmt7k9EYjR4oJpSIRH4aNZ0-jvjgT_5b1y-rJYGnO0qwdGKUCaOBzneUvq1IGq_8Xtly8P0eaT5BNj-sJCTw74IZRFP6_xSQRJPwFglO_DdVFT_YdGDywlQE/s1600/_1020976-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="1000" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglfZAcDpio0Tymj-RsJL-zmt7k9EYjR4oJpSIRH4aNZ0-jvjgT_5b1y-rJYGnO0qwdGKUCaOBzneUvq1IGq_8Xtly8P0eaT5BNj-sJCTw74IZRFP6_xSQRJPwFglO_DdVFT_YdGDywlQE/s640/_1020976-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-66572517882408809662020-01-06T06:00:00.000-05:002020-01-06T06:00:07.026-05:00Focus Stacking Experiments<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xVJdVow5cJzCF_fFhyR2ZopMBGJYz4qbgRb3OQ3x5YUe7iGjxENnHH_RvuG0Mo-SKhqw8lsLNrcNLHtAqDFXBF47sae_fv-QAP6wwOOezafm1p66zVcfhk9fpbqGiA-5fu1tLsizARI/s1600/Focus+Stacking+Test+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xVJdVow5cJzCF_fFhyR2ZopMBGJYz4qbgRb3OQ3x5YUe7iGjxENnHH_RvuG0Mo-SKhqw8lsLNrcNLHtAqDFXBF47sae_fv-QAP6wwOOezafm1p66zVcfhk9fpbqGiA-5fu1tLsizARI/s640/Focus+Stacking+Test+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are my first tries at using focus stacking for photographing the Old Line Corridor. The foreground marsh is in as good focus as is the background. I've also got my new light set going here as well.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_pr4GvMzvIH6TrDBax_J-ER9wJXnSRnFO2LLvEsWR3Y6sdOcfIR0ErDlOQdKcICGzJsSTcC90Tsh1FT4HxlqDZ-t0ebj7EO7dKztO2mjdMW01iWj0ngLtJ8DbIdNkPc3kDUhwaU0uRg/s1600/Focus+Stacking+Test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_pr4GvMzvIH6TrDBax_J-ER9wJXnSRnFO2LLvEsWR3Y6sdOcfIR0ErDlOQdKcICGzJsSTcC90Tsh1FT4HxlqDZ-t0ebj7EO7dKztO2mjdMW01iWj0ngLtJ8DbIdNkPc3kDUhwaU0uRg/s640/Focus+Stacking+Test.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another focus stacking experiment-again, everything appears to be in good focus throughout the image. I used the focus stacking feature built into Photoshop. There are other software solutions for focus stacking, such as Helicon Focus, but for this initial test I used what I had at hand, which was Photoshop.</td></tr>
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<br />Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-22998809300062775712020-01-01T19:46:00.000-05:002020-01-01T19:47:32.713-05:00New Year Old Line Corridor VideoTesting out a new light set, running trains, thought I would shoot some quick video on my smart phone.<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/382330464" width="640"></iframe>Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-66492745552873505712019-12-23T06:00:00.000-05:002019-12-24T22:00:11.374-05:00What's new on the Old Line Corridor<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7KXTNp_rMEfxkT1yXKpLH39T66M_tefu3fkaWI3MpmDrhbuHAKQISmhyFEACf8ZrxycE8x6cLugRCPX-srrngPL2Zy9Fvp0qCcFvfEw8CpP3AAuk63gyRBtEyWXUUsaf0mumvVrJfmU/s1600/IMG_0459.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7KXTNp_rMEfxkT1yXKpLH39T66M_tefu3fkaWI3MpmDrhbuHAKQISmhyFEACf8ZrxycE8x6cLugRCPX-srrngPL2Zy9Fvp0qCcFvfEw8CpP3AAuk63gyRBtEyWXUUsaf0mumvVrJfmU/s640/IMG_0459.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junk and vehicles add life to the big factory</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvYFwkV8ZDMvGPLMRwq74uz3JeMdMOiu_E6UnabK8PeLsGtPrFsJTbEI3tZPm8MIbxIi9IAp13TrpjN5A8_nc2aqj5CExKj7pszTu4tml4EqZUp-vG-9IyQXYfC3eyLP4RTxJn4SvfYQ/s1600/IMG_0458.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvYFwkV8ZDMvGPLMRwq74uz3JeMdMOiu_E6UnabK8PeLsGtPrFsJTbEI3tZPm8MIbxIi9IAp13TrpjN5A8_nc2aqj5CExKj7pszTu4tml4EqZUp-vG-9IyQXYfC3eyLP4RTxJn4SvfYQ/s640/IMG_0458.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signal heads and right-o-way clutter</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9HuU7W3D703GRZTFQMsG6Bvyub1qs0IXuWwgix8KvOhmyhxVYqiGC64ORckko_tp7BhHFnrYCBDca7LCHrLZjbTS5t1-7JEmRTxWGil1fgLa_8GqSEyJvggbEqyRVq6_eV5ZTF7ds_E/s1600/IMG_0457.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9HuU7W3D703GRZTFQMsG6Bvyub1qs0IXuWwgix8KvOhmyhxVYqiGC64ORckko_tp7BhHFnrYCBDca7LCHrLZjbTS5t1-7JEmRTxWGil1fgLa_8GqSEyJvggbEqyRVq6_eV5ZTF7ds_E/s640/IMG_0457.HEIC" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More signal heads, dumpster bodies and a port-a-potty</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PogmBVM4ucMY3s5W_5HC4DhZsWH5i1WHasMTW4aMaQKKbFYM4x-h1EEcB-VFnSVGKcIpUteXKCi4oU8JUuLIR2ffw-1PO4bb9peXTywMoJdiqj1Q0GliwILHZmeizqlAks_OxPOjlo0/s1600/IMG_0456.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PogmBVM4ucMY3s5W_5HC4DhZsWH5i1WHasMTW4aMaQKKbFYM4x-h1EEcB-VFnSVGKcIpUteXKCi4oU8JUuLIR2ffw-1PO4bb9peXTywMoJdiqj1Q0GliwILHZmeizqlAks_OxPOjlo0/s640/IMG_0456.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piles of stuff </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJY04x4bZDDO1Yhm6vgwNS_nVhcgYiO3DkIlyWnXJEsqNLvUarew80LGfS6xmd2H3mHdY2nREH18wCQUcqLkIHx_Zr1Tk9Z-aBA4GTU-PG647CaybrRbUqO9HhHT9ymYbMBg9ttJj8xNU/s1600/IMG_0455.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJY04x4bZDDO1Yhm6vgwNS_nVhcgYiO3DkIlyWnXJEsqNLvUarew80LGfS6xmd2H3mHdY2nREH18wCQUcqLkIHx_Zr1Tk9Z-aBA4GTU-PG647CaybrRbUqO9HhHT9ymYbMBg9ttJj8xNU/s640/IMG_0455.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More stuff</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAF0buia0NfaJwIj0luZxVnaX9CalCpSrTGWTUR7mvpHrPAC4mXHWXRbDB7VWFdtK8aMCV6niMY6AMEx-XyNaKDBi5NzGZFbdL1jvWUU4SaRcNyEQmlXgTE1ygusBJtwjDGsWELJ9aLA/s1600/IMG_0453.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAF0buia0NfaJwIj0luZxVnaX9CalCpSrTGWTUR7mvpHrPAC4mXHWXRbDB7VWFdtK8aMCV6niMY6AMEx-XyNaKDBi5NzGZFbdL1jvWUU4SaRcNyEQmlXgTE1ygusBJtwjDGsWELJ9aLA/s640/IMG_0453.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And even more stuff.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-13226047399558927522019-11-23T19:58:00.000-05:002019-11-23T19:58:27.270-05:00Michael Murray’s Classic Photo Take on Modern Electric Action<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AjCxIrfGzrT59JxEPPn9QzEZ_AfVbkA-40vJRgAe31KAWKSrSm8PPF7lpKwaHZl0qSH50Dwp4oBiHo48LPhUc1rt_6LnXGCKJ-BC9m0EFrqolgCX139FhzVUic40geC4-UKhyphenhyphenF1xQt8/s1600/IMG_2226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="960" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AjCxIrfGzrT59JxEPPn9QzEZ_AfVbkA-40vJRgAe31KAWKSrSm8PPF7lpKwaHZl0qSH50Dwp4oBiHo48LPhUc1rt_6LnXGCKJ-BC9m0EFrqolgCX139FhzVUic40geC4-UKhyphenhyphenF1xQt8/s640/IMG_2226.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Amtrak ACS-64 639 leans into the superelevated curve at Newport as it overtakes a Norfolk Southern tank train near Wilmington, Delaware on November 11, 2019 in this excellent photo made by Michael Murray, who originally posted it to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/7860063780/?epa=SEARCH_BOX" target="_blank">Amtrak Northeast Corridor Railfans Facebook group</a>. Michael’s dramatic photo is reminiscent of the Pennsy-era photography of that famous chronicler of electric railroading, <a href="https://updunesjunction.blogspot.com/2011/07/on-passing-of-william-d-middleton-who.html" target="_blank">William Middleton</a>. When this image surfaced in my Facebook feed earlier this month, it inspired me to reach out to Michael, and now I look forward to seeing his photos on the regular. <i>Photo used with kind permission of Michael Murray</i></td></tr>
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Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-2163124982059911002019-11-04T06:00:00.000-05:002019-11-04T06:00:02.512-05:00New Takes on the Ol' Helix<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxJAmX5GFmFaLCX1EOHCdCvBBz6lQlyREOjnQJzm-M2qIKW9W5wQVXdpAJa49juIJPztadfHbIyobCheuLBgdBskE8JZ1SqWzA0CZHiQfNDyrjoY-2LsQ1JYArS68ZSKLlse575murSo/s1600/IMG_0224.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxJAmX5GFmFaLCX1EOHCdCvBBz6lQlyREOjnQJzm-M2qIKW9W5wQVXdpAJa49juIJPztadfHbIyobCheuLBgdBskE8JZ1SqWzA0CZHiQfNDyrjoY-2LsQ1JYArS68ZSKLlse575murSo/s640/IMG_0224.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The World's Lightest Helix on display at the recent train show in Timonium, Maryland. The subroadbed and vertical risers are laser cut from Gatorboard, making this helix very light and dimensionally svelte. The smoothly operating helix sports 11" radius curves and an approximately 2 percent grade, and is roughly the size of a laundry basket.</td></tr>
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Track helices and multi-level layout plans have always seemed too complex for my typically minimalist approach to model railroading. I'd never seen one in real life until I visited fellow Rockville Model Railroad Society member Ben Sullivan's <a href="http://www.sluggyjunx.com/rr/gb/" target="_blank">Georgetown Branch layout</a>, and his helix confirmed what I had noticed in the magazine depictions helices: they typically require what is arguably among the most elaborate and dense possible benchwork of any layout feature. <i>Model Railroader</i> magazine's recent N scale Canadian Canyons project layout--which features a helix--required such complex benchwork that the project went over the magazine's production schedule. In short, a helix seemed like a daunting prospect, with a very specific payoff in terms of modeling satisfaction. As a result, I was cool to the idea of ever incorporating a helix into my own layout construction.<br />
But helices have repeatedly worked their way into my model railroading ideation over the past few months. Most significantly, Ben pointed me to an innovation that addresses the complex and dense construction challenge of a helix: the use of digitally-cut Gator Board for helix construction. Ben passed me a link to <a href="https://youtu.be/4N2Uqi--2xc" target="_blank">this entertaining video demonstrating a compact HO helix built from Gator Board</a>, which also links to the makers of this helix. Then I encountered both the HO and also an N scale version of the "World's Lightest Helix" featured in the video on display at the train show in Timonium, Maryland. The light, elegantly constructed, and reliably operating helices have caused me to reconsider how I might actually incorporate a helix into a future layout.<br />
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MIBA Special 122 - "Pro-</div>
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<i>courtesy MIBA/Verlag</i></div>
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<i>Gruppe Bahn</i></div>
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Meanwhile, Trevor Marshall planted another helix idea in my head during a conversation on my growing interest in European narrow gauge, specifically the electrified Swiss narrow gauge Rhaetian Railroad, or the RhB. He mentioned that he had helped a friend plan a multilevel RhB layout, but that the multilevel concept was ultimately shelved due the complexity of helix construction. RhB operations, with short-ish trains and mountain goat-like locomotives, would have been particularly well-suited to small, steeply graded helices.<br />
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Further helix inspiration surfaced in a recent special edition of the German-language model railroad magazine <i>MIBA</i>. In an article that would be right at home in Kalmbach's long out-of-print <i>Creative Layout Design</i> by John Armstrong, <i>MIBA</i> detailed a layout concept featuring a scenicked vignette or stage flanked by two helices built into a <i>Schrank</i>, a large wall cabinet/book case console very common in German living rooms. The helices, and a yard below the vignette stage, would serve as staging tracks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfo86ZDRiAC9vW8YkFFWX8mdssl7Wy5D3vMvguNL-jJy81ZUCd7m0GfavI9ecNUM99T2oMo3ITUQmDBRKnF-gG4TBFuQbzbn1HfJZaR7QdGZ5svXjEAh3B1K33qQsSuRPjAuow0wu80I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-11-02+at+10.00.03+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="838" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfo86ZDRiAC9vW8YkFFWX8mdssl7Wy5D3vMvguNL-jJy81ZUCd7m0GfavI9ecNUM99T2oMo3ITUQmDBRKnF-gG4TBFuQbzbn1HfJZaR7QdGZ5svXjEAh3B1K33qQsSuRPjAuow0wu80I/s320/Screen+Shot+2019-11-02+at+10.00.03+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ilustration from MIBA showing the multilevel vignette/stage<br />concept <i style="text-align: justify;">image </i><i style="text-align: justify;">courtesy MIBA/Verlag </i><i style="text-align: justify;">Gruppe Bahn</i></td></tr>
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A minimalist helix might be in my future as a I contemplate my post-retirement model model railroading. For example, perhaps the stage or vignette could be sized to fit T-Trak-compliant modules. The maker of the World's Lightest Helix <a href="http://www.tracksidescenery.com/index.php?id_cms=26&controller=cms" target="_blank">is currently planning to offering the Gator Board product commercially</a>, but perhaps modelers could produce their own custom-sized helix components with a Cricut or similar digital craft cutting machine. I look forward to seeing the product and design concept evolve in the years to come.Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-77714471098751386742019-10-28T06:00:00.001-04:002019-10-28T06:00:11.048-04:00Old Line Corridor on Facebook<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHdNIzeN2GAN0E5q3alaa3xuL6N5FQVVAhg6IedgXW00O2Ml8gvKv1E_R-YHNZpUQQilUWd5kK4-4r9DNglPEDoGW9LnNocw6CTUcJal9AQwiZ9YDynFhCWBn5MiKYtYQ5Vtbamgf0Es/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-10-17+at+9.50.30+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="1151" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHdNIzeN2GAN0E5q3alaa3xuL6N5FQVVAhg6IedgXW00O2Ml8gvKv1E_R-YHNZpUQQilUWd5kK4-4r9DNglPEDoGW9LnNocw6CTUcJal9AQwiZ9YDynFhCWBn5MiKYtYQ5Vtbamgf0Es/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-10-17+at+9.50.30+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Facebook users, I've set up an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Old-Line-Corridor-106731944078465/" target="_blank">Old Line Corridor Facebook page.</a> I will be crossposting over there, and also sharing interesting and relevant Facebook-based content. Hope to see you over there!</td></tr>
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<br />Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-22006151891583287752019-10-21T06:00:00.000-04:002019-10-21T06:00:00.294-04:00Quick Snaps: Finishing Touches on Old Line Corridor Scenery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJQZvMYwd5rG-pFu7K82DWotjbLcosIAAaNeo0cGmmDu_hpMtuM_ewX9buKdfM4rqtdrmgBINobyhhgbNczPnr8Jg6dhuydC6QiPaHNtPVeBZGAIc3B_7TjefcTh5X-m76-0uozhAQ_Q/s1600/IMG_0186.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJQZvMYwd5rG-pFu7K82DWotjbLcosIAAaNeo0cGmmDu_hpMtuM_ewX9buKdfM4rqtdrmgBINobyhhgbNczPnr8Jg6dhuydC6QiPaHNtPVeBZGAIc3B_7TjefcTh5X-m76-0uozhAQ_Q/s640/IMG_0186.HEIC" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More trees, weeds, vegetation, signs, vehicles. Hard to believe I have finally reached this level of completion on the Old Line Corridor.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More trees and vegetation, plus signs and weeds. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down the road on the street side of the substation. Trees and weeds and a railroad</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijakW0nwCyXajos22zH9SvnBl8CVXTTzQH1juBj1Hh4L0ikVgXlPOHr9iYx4gHw5sJlDLZYVzxqwPRwyFdAw1jgQssJym4weZX-eSp_J0sxdXMPh9Yxy9ce6tL9RLjJCJzS3zX2N1TxZU/s1600/IMG_0162.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijakW0nwCyXajos22zH9SvnBl8CVXTTzQH1juBj1Hh4L0ikVgXlPOHr9iYx4gHw5sJlDLZYVzxqwPRwyFdAw1jgQssJym4weZX-eSp_J0sxdXMPh9Yxy9ce6tL9RLjJCJzS3zX2N1TxZU/s640/IMG_0162.HEIC" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> A weedy, swampy area under an embankment, instead of just scrubby lawn</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7tcg3hHa38ylllJcX9IPEhY0q3bOmRQkkQKWjeDNPfWCpt_c6iYFcSKseLIMqF_3ZtrpnOaRlUlLK6y-fVltEzyb0Cbi8l4FdNVQiKGFLZNxV5Ar3Xhym6A1OSwO0c8OWrk4EePDqGg/s1600/IMG_0212.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7tcg3hHa38ylllJcX9IPEhY0q3bOmRQkkQKWjeDNPfWCpt_c6iYFcSKseLIMqF_3ZtrpnOaRlUlLK6y-fVltEzyb0Cbi8l4FdNVQiKGFLZNxV5Ar3Xhym6A1OSwO0c8OWrk4EePDqGg/s640/IMG_0212.HEIC" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under the expressway</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the cattails and swampiness under the expressway</td></tr>
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<br />Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-44831235932483602812019-10-10T22:57:00.001-04:002019-10-17T10:10:38.127-04:00Heritage Units...WITH PANTOGRAPHS!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/commuterregional/man-those-prr-pinstripes-look-awesome/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="950" data-original-width="797" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOc0ZL2jmNxzX2PqEGKzqpUU6u8lcFnI2r6FYUjrM9Oqb5-DMMWmJcjOyQoYhP56n6naGMOcEie3xOOAvOfhatx8OIgVoNSyt8zODCURpZv1LbzDIKEwuSNreXF2kpF6Gm7-TTpcg_sk/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-10-17+at+10.04.46+AM.png" width="536" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NJ Transit has jumped on the Heritage Unit bandwagon with Tuscan-and-Pinstripe ALP electrics. Intriguing meeting of old graphics and new lines. Go read about it at <i><a href="https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/commuterregional/man-those-prr-pinstripes-look-awesome/" target="_blank">Railway Age</a></i>.</td></tr>
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<br />Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9174539592473844881.post-73033502418992112082019-10-07T06:00:00.000-04:002019-10-07T06:00:03.027-04:00611 Sighting at Strasburg<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqOqmafKvdB_LEy_N3JZFhCTxTo5j4PnKddeDfGawh23fNRRgyjmIFI0k4vZgxAwL9kz2WhmhHigMuoly1F2OM5FmP5T_AyGlN6bIkh259kTRySAeSNO4eybrwVzAcIeWw6n5wVRc-_s/s1600/_DSC3425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqOqmafKvdB_LEy_N3JZFhCTxTo5j4PnKddeDfGawh23fNRRgyjmIFI0k4vZgxAwL9kz2WhmhHigMuoly1F2OM5FmP5T_AyGlN6bIkh259kTRySAeSNO4eybrwVzAcIeWw6n5wVRc-_s/s640/_DSC3425.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Norfolk & Western 611 on the nose. The J-class streamliner is doing a "residency", kind of like Celine Dion in Vegas, for the months of October and November. Rachel had railroad business at the Strasburg kickoff event and I tagged along. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGOdlGAxE74WYttYubEZUeINuY0eD-EloXWR-xP0ldfTc9u6gNNEWhUYVo6dqjiq9kRpGwR_GYT5KHBWKXOzjXr3qRWwEegNYWbk4YY08REWensI3atj_2ZPWSN2ZZQVmzUDlLlWX8nw/s640/_DSC3337.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">611 oriented the right direction, tiptoeing back into the Strasburg station. This extended visit to Strasburg is reportedly her first venture north of the Mason Dixon line.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGOdlGAxE74WYttYubEZUeINuY0eD-EloXWR-xP0ldfTc9u6gNNEWhUYVo6dqjiq9kRpGwR_GYT5KHBWKXOzjXr3qRWwEegNYWbk4YY08REWensI3atj_2ZPWSN2ZZQVmzUDlLlWX8nw/s1600/_DSC3337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGOdlGAxE74WYttYubEZUeINuY0eD-EloXWR-xP0ldfTc9u6gNNEWhUYVo6dqjiq9kRpGwR_GYT5KHBWKXOzjXr3qRWwEegNYWbk4YY08REWensI3atj_2ZPWSN2ZZQVmzUDlLlWX8nw/s1600/_DSC3337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgW5g4lP0oCQhl2wdfAUV9FfGIpfzDXkewLyctuPCJ_D-dY4A8q17Jq_nu5o0-nkVIteRsJv4OmPsPXRB_SCU3aXQC0_ie_X5sLkEWcv1_Glbc2NuZp1ub-TDru89Mxhg9UWrJ2ZbWhHk/s1600/_DSC3438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgW5g4lP0oCQhl2wdfAUV9FfGIpfzDXkewLyctuPCJ_D-dY4A8q17Jq_nu5o0-nkVIteRsJv4OmPsPXRB_SCU3aXQC0_ie_X5sLkEWcv1_Glbc2NuZp1ub-TDru89Mxhg9UWrJ2ZbWhHk/s640/_DSC3438.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 'other' N&W locomotive that lives at Strasburg, 475, with a string of cars approaches the station/shops complex.</td></tr>
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<br />Steve Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05110351547045693224noreply@blogger.com0