#1 Uber Guru

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

#1 Uber Guru

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

What's up with dat? I better get back into gear here...

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Ya, you've been quiet lately, must have something else to occupy your time ?

RDubya · Poncho Master!

69Laurentian wrote:

What's up with dat? I better get back into gear here...

SLACKER!

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Umm, that's the boss you just called a slacker!!!

He can nuke Ray any time he wants. He doesn't have to get back into gear!

RDubya · Poncho Master!

Carl, it's ok...if Todd ever wants to get onto the radio i'm safe. Of course if he doesn't...well it's been nice know'in ya!

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Carl Stevenson wrote:

He can nuke Ray any time he wants.

Huh, me what did I do....... confuse

RDubya · Poncho Master!

73SC wrote:

Carl Stevenson wrote:

He can nuke Ray any time he wants.

Huh, me what did I do.......

Don't worry Ray, twas I who did it...i take ownership. Maybe my honesty will save me from the wrath of Todd wink

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

"have something else to occupy your time?"

Well, kind of:

My kid is actually into the model trains. Man, they sure aren't toys anymore- Digitally controlled. You can now upload sound files to the locomotives, control lighting, speeds, run the trains off a laptop etc etc. Cool! (yes, my wife called me a geek). My son and I built the table. We are using 1.5" foam insulation panels for the tabletop. It's the latest rage. I picked up a digital command controller on ebay for a song. I like the electrical aspect of it and doing the scenery. My son likes running multiple trains at the same time. We finally got past the test phase of the track plan and are starting on the road bed. Thanks to Kijiji and Ebay we are buying items pennies on the dollar. The warm weather is coming so we'll take a break for the summer and get back into the four-fifty-four for the Pontiac baby!

Todd

73SC wrote:

Ya, you've been quiet lately, must have something else to occupy your time ?

-- Edited by 69Laurentian on Tuesday 14th of April 2009 09:11:11 PM

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

That is neat. I was into slot cars but my cousin had a great set up of trains, we spent hours and hours with them.

RDubya · Poncho Master!

Here i was thinking you had taken to sewing Todd. I saw the sewing machine in the background. Thought maybe you were going to start making some shirts yourself. CP shirts crafted from the Master's hand. When i was little i had an AFX set, that was fun. Dueling Peterbuilt transports was the set i had and we added from there.

67Poncho · Uber Guru

69Laurentian wrote:

"have something else to occupy your time?"

Well, kind of:

My kid is actually into the model trains. Man, they sure aren't toys anymore- Digitally controlled. You can now upload sound files to the locomotives, control lighting, speeds, run the trains off a laptop etc etc. Cool! (yes, my wife called me a geek). My son and I built the table. We are using 1.5" foam insulation panels for the tabletop. It's the latest rage. I picked up a digital command controller on ebay for a song. I like the electrical aspect of it and doing the scenery. My son likes running multiple trains at the same time. We finally got past the test phase of the track plan and are starting on the road bed. Thanks to Kijiji and Ebay we are buying items pennies on the dollar. The warm weather is coming so we'll take a break for the summer and get back into the four-fifty-four for the Pontiac baby!

Todd

I know what you mean,Todd! And at this very moment there is a train going past my house just 2 blocks away....Here are some of mine!

This train is going west just west of town. The CP line goes through here...

-- Edited by 67Poncho on Tuesday 14th of April 2009 10:36:14 PM

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Gotta love trains (real and toy)

We have a CP railway at the end of our driveway (or we used to until a few days ago!!!) which is only about 1000 feet away and a CN railway about 3/4 mile east of our property. I remember watching trains all the time as a kid. I still sometimes stop to watch them if I'm driving along beisde the tracks and see one.

Today I took my boat right over the railway and I didn't even look first for trains!

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Looks like a lot of fun and to have the real things so close is neat. Here in Toronto we don't really pay much attention to the trains anymore, even have laws against blowing their horns.

When I was a boy we'd head into the Don Valley on our bikes and ride beside the lines waiting for something to appear. We'd stop and pump our arms a few times then the engineer would lay on the horn. Man was that power and here we are 8 or 10 years old standing ten feet away from a speeding locomotive. The soccer Moms of today would die!

I even recall a few spewing out thick smoke as they powered through the Valley leaving Union Station. What was the last year for coal fired steam engines?

PS. I did a search and it shows 1960 for last steam CN with one working until 1970 as a tour train.

-- Edited by 73SC on Tuesday 14th of April 2009 11:51:50 PM

67Poncho · Uber Guru

I have always had an interest since a young age. My Dad was with CN/Marine Atlantic for 42 years. The elevator here has since closed but I always watched them spot cars. Got to know one guy in particular and he took me aboard while they spotted. Then he showed me the engines and of course I bombarded him with questions!!! I stayed aboard and we went to the end of his run about 1/2 hour car ride to the west and then he drove me home!!
Did the same this past winter and it is was again thrilling. (30mph line though) If you get a chance to tour an engine, do it!!!! Awesome!!!!!

-- Edited by 67Poncho on Tuesday 14th of April 2009 11:08:13 PM

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

I got into trains when I was about 10. My parents got me a set from Sears for Christmas-Via rail. My dad would take me to the local hobby shop and we slowly expanded the layout on a 4x8 table. He would buy me a locomotive and say "don't tell mom". Some things never change! After I had gone to bed I could sometimes here him in the basement running them! When I got my drivers license I sold it all. I've always wanted to get back into it and having my son say he might be interested in it was all I needed. It's a great hobby as you learn so many things-patience, wiring, electronics, painting, woodworking, craftmanship etc. A lot of what I learned came in handy when I got my first car!

Vincent, looks like you have a lot of great items there. DCC as well! That's the way to go. There is a huge model train convention in Woodstock this weekend. Unfortunately I have to work as on Saturday there will be tours of a small branch line nearby and everyone will have a change to operate one of their locomotives. Damn job makes me miss so many great things! Oh yeah, it helps me pay for many things too...
There will also be layout tours in the area and a huge swap meet Sunday. Some of these layouts on the tour are garden railways in peoples yards.