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Monthly Reminder
#monthly-notice
Discussion of the design and construction of small model railroad layouts. PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT ACCEPT SALES AND WANTS ADVERTS - EBAY IS THERE FOR THEM. This group is intended for the average model railroader who does not have an entire basement or even an entire room to devote to a layout. Here we will discuss smaller layouts -- table-tops, shelf layouts, micro-layouts, modules and modular layouts -- and how they can be designed and built for enjoyment and modelling satisfaction. The above is an example borrowed from Carl Arendt's excellent site http://carendt.com/scrapbook/linkindex/index.html and also at http://carendt_backup.gully.org/ Due to restrictions in file space, 4 separate groups had been set up for the sharing of design files and photos. /g/sldfiles /g/sldfiles2 /g/sldfiles3 Due to space restrictions on groups.io photos from the Small Layout Design yahoo group are located at the following /g/small-layout-design-photos By the way, we do not tolerate trolls or flaming
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Now: Monthly Reminder - Tuesday, April 1, 2025
#cal-notice
Monthly Reminder When: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 View Event Description: Discussion of the design and construction of small model railroad layouts. PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT ACCEPT SALES AND WANTS ADVERTS - EBAY IS THERE FOR THEM. This group is intended for the average model railroader who does not have an entire basement or even an entire room to devote to a layout. Here we will discuss smaller layouts -- table-tops, shelf layouts, micro-layouts, modules and modular layouts -- and how they can be designed and built for enjoyment and modelling satisfaction. The above is an example borrowed from Carl Arendt's excellent site http://carendt.com/scrapbook/linkindex/index.html and also at http://carendt_backup.gully.org/ Due to restrictions in file space, 4 separate groups had been set up for the sharing of design files and photos. /g/sldfiles /g/sldfiles2 /g/sldfiles3 Due to space restrictions on groups.io photos from the Small Layout Design yahoo group are located at the following /g/small-layout-design-photos By the way, we do not tolerate trolls or flaming
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Hi! I?m working on this layout in my bedroom but I'm not sure if it qualifies as a small layout in this group. Utz
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Now: Monthly Reminder - Saturday, March 1, 2025
#cal-notice
Monthly Reminder When: Saturday, March 1, 2025 View Event Description: Discussion of the design and construction of small model railroad layouts. PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT ACCEPT SALES AND WANTS ADVERTS - EBAY IS THERE FOR THEM. This group is intended for the average model railroader who does not have an entire basement or even an entire room to devote to a layout. Here we will discuss smaller layouts -- table-tops, shelf layouts, micro-layouts, modules and modular layouts -- and how they can be designed and built for enjoyment and modelling satisfaction. The above is an example borrowed from Carl Arendt's excellent site http://carendt.com/scrapbook/linkindex/index.html and also at http://carendt_backup.gully.org/ Due to restrictions in file space, 4 separate groups had been set up for the sharing of design files and photos. /g/sldfiles /g/sldfiles2 /g/sldfiles3 Due to space restrictions on groups.io photos from the Small Layout Design yahoo group are located at the following /g/small-layout-design-photos By the way, we do not tolerate trolls or flaming
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Do we really need sldfiles/sldfile2/SLDFiles3
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Ok, I know this an administrative question and probably should just be directed at the moderators. I think the extra groups for Photos/Files are not needed, as I see the groups.io allowing 1 Gigabyte of storage space for a free group, and those three other groups have about 80 Megabytes of space between files and photos, can't they all be combined and moved to this group or the small-layout-design-photos group? Even that one only has 301 megabytes of storage used. Seems very counter productive to have 5 groups to look through for ideas. -- - Jim B. Baltimore Society of Model Engineers Estd. 1932 O & HO Scale model railroading Join Us: https://bmoremodeltrains.org/membership Check out BSME on: Facebook, Instagram
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Now: Monthly Reminder - Saturday, February 1, 2025
#cal-notice
Monthly Reminder When: Saturday, February 1, 2025 View Event Description: Discussion of the design and construction of small model railroad layouts. PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT ACCEPT SALES AND WANTS ADVERTS - EBAY IS THERE FOR THEM. This group is intended for the average model railroader who does not have an entire basement or even an entire room to devote to a layout. Here we will discuss smaller layouts -- table-tops, shelf layouts, micro-layouts, modules and modular layouts -- and how they can be designed and built for enjoyment and modelling satisfaction. The above is an example borrowed from Carl Arendt's excellent site http://carendt.com/scrapbook/linkindex/index.html and also at http://carendt_backup.gully.org/ Due to restrictions in file space, 4 separate groups had been set up for the sharing of design files and photos. /g/sldfiles /g/sldfiles2 /g/sldfiles3 Due to space restrictions on groups.io photos from the Small Layout Design yahoo group are located at the following /g/small-layout-design-photos By the way, we do not tolerate trolls or flaming
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Now: Monthly Reminder - Wednesday, January 1, 2025
#cal-notice
Monthly Reminder When: Wednesday, January 1, 2025 View Event Description: Discussion of the design and construction of small model railroad layouts. PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT ACCEPT SALES AND WANTS ADVERTS - EBAY IS THERE FOR THEM. This group is intended for the average model railroader who does not have an entire basement or even an entire room to devote to a layout. Here we will discuss smaller layouts -- table-tops, shelf layouts, micro-layouts, modules and modular layouts -- and how they can be designed and built for enjoyment and modelling satisfaction. The above is an example borrowed from Carl Arendt's excellent site http://carendt.com/scrapbook/linkindex/index.html and also at http://carendt_backup.gully.org/ Due to restrictions in file space, 4 separate groups had been set up for the sharing of design files and photos. /g/sldfiles /g/sldfiles2 /g/sldfiles3 Due to space restrictions on groups.io photos from the Small Layout Design yahoo group are located at the following /g/small-layout-design-photos By the way, we do not tolerate trolls or flaming
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Be Part Of The Next Layout Tour (So. Calif.)
Be Part Of The Next Layout Tour (So. Calif.) [Please do not hit “Reply”. Contact me directly.] Model Railroads of Southern California’s next layout tour will be Saturday, February 15. The tour area will be Burbank and the surround cities. Railroads in any scale plus garden railroads are welcome to participate. I would like you to consider participating in the tour. Participating in a layout tour is a great way to share your work and meet your fellow model railroaders. You’ve probably worked hard on your railroad so you might as well get some recognition from people who will appreciate your efforts. All you need to do is operate your trains. I will do all the planning and publicity, as I have done for sixty-four previously tours since 2006, including tours for the NMRA national convention (Anaheim), the National Narrow Gauge Convention (Pasadena), the Southern Pacific Historical & Technical Society, the Santa Fe Historical & Modeling Society and several PCR and PSR regional conventions. The tour is self-guided (No busses) and free. If you have any questions before committing to the tour, please ask. In any event, please contact me directly in the next several weeks if you are interested so we can add your railroad to the tour. Once you have been added to the tour, I will contact you to establish the hours that work best for you. Thank you. Bob Chaparro Moderator Model Railroads of Southern California https://www.facebook.com/groups/150347595443 chiefbobbb@... [chiefbobbb At verizon DOT net]
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Now: Monthly Reminder - Sunday, December 1, 2024
#cal-notice
Monthly Reminder When: Sunday, December 1, 2024 View Event Description: Discussion of the design and construction of small model railroad layouts. PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT ACCEPT SALES AND WANTS ADVERTS - EBAY IS THERE FOR THEM. This group is intended for the average model railroader who does not have an entire basement or even an entire room to devote to a layout. Here we will discuss smaller layouts -- table-tops, shelf layouts, micro-layouts, modules and modular layouts -- and how they can be designed and built for enjoyment and modelling satisfaction. The above is an example borrowed from Carl Arendt's excellent site http://carendt.com/scrapbook/linkindex/index.html and also at http://carendt_backup.gully.org/ Due to restrictions in file space, 4 separate groups had been set up for the sharing of design files and photos. /g/sldfiles /g/sldfiles2 /g/sldfiles3 Due to space restrictions on groups.io photos from the Small Layout Design yahoo group are located at the following /g/small-layout-design-photos By the way, we do not tolerate trolls or flaming
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Now: Monthly Reminder - Friday, November 1, 2024
#cal-notice
Monthly Reminder When: Friday, November 1, 2024 View Event Description: Discussion of the design and construction of small model railroad layouts. PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT ACCEPT SALES AND WANTS ADVERTS - EBAY IS THERE FOR THEM. This group is intended for the average model railroader who does not have an entire basement or even an entire room to devote to a layout. Here we will discuss smaller layouts -- table-tops, shelf layouts, micro-layouts, modules and modular layouts -- and how they can be designed and built for enjoyment and modelling satisfaction. The above is an example borrowed from Carl Arendt's excellent site http://carendt.com/scrapbook/linkindex/index.html and also at http://carendt_backup.gully.org/ Due to restrictions in file space, 4 separate groups had been set up for the sharing of design files and photos. /g/sldfiles /g/sldfiles2 /g/sldfiles3 Due to space restrictions on groups.io photos from the Small Layout Design yahoo group are located at the following /g/small-layout-design-photos By the way, we do not tolerate trolls or flaming
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The Wandering Spruce Railroad Yesterday I visited this On30 railroad in Claremont, CA, at the home of Sean Williams. It is a joint project of Sean and Kevin Spady. This 5-foot by 10-foot layout represents the mining and logging industry in the Pacific Northwest. As you can see, it is very detailed. The entire layout can be lifted into the ceiling of the garage where it is located. Bob Chaparro Moderator Model Railroads of Southern California /g/ModelRailroadsofSoCalif
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Ryan Di Fede’s Railroad Yesterday I visited Ryan Di Fede’s N-scale railroad in San Diego. It was the featured layout on the San Diego Division/PSR/NMRA layout tour. Ryan established the Southern Pacific Railroad's Cascade Line N scale model railroad in 2009. The railroad is based on Eugene, Oregon, through to the east, to the Cascade Summit. The main town on the layout is Oakridge, Oregon, which was home base to helpers for trains heading up the “Hill” to the Cascade mountains. The railroad is prototypical to a point and with artistic license also in play. The era for the railroad is 1954. This means that he can have anything on his railroad that is from 1954 and decades prior. No buildings, vehicles or trains on his railroad can be from any year that is later than 1954. Ryan has traveled to Oregon and has done extensive research, including interviewing local people and railroad employees to make his layout as prototypical as possible. The model railroad layout has a number of industries, a hotel, urban buildings and more, including lumber-based industries, furniture factory, an oil storage facility, a gas station, a restaurant, railroad station houses, an animal coral, an engine house, city buildings, a paper mill, residential houses and more. In addition, the railroad has railroad yards, staging yards, storage yards, sidings and a wye. The railroad is a multi-level layout and has a track elevator that moves the trains to and from each level. Ryan also has night lighting so he can operate his trains for nighttime running. He has a variety of trains. Some are prototypical trains and others are not. Ryan uses Digital Command Control (DCC) & Sound for his railroad and he uses NCE Power Cabs and a phone app to run the locomotives. The track elevator is used for both storage track and to position trains on either level of the model railroad layout. The railroad has been made for operation sessions. His operations sessions usually have about five people, and it can take approximately two hours to complete the event. There are three engineers, one dispatcher and one elevator operator. The model railroad layout is in Ryan's backyard inside a completely enclosed outdoor air conditioned 8-foot x12-foot storage shed. I took these photos. Bob Chaparro Moderator Model Railroads of Southern California /g/ModelRailroadsofSoCalif
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Show Your Railroad - Pacific Coast Region/NMRA Convention
Show Your Railroad - Pacific Coast Region/NMRA Convention Hello - The Pacific Coast Region/NMRA will hold its annual convention in San Luis Obispo, CA, next year on March 27-30 (Thursday-Sunday). A major highlight of the convention is the layout tour. I would like you to consider participating in the tour by showing your railroad to convention attendees. Participating in a layout tour is a great way to share your work and meet your fellow model railroaders. You’ve probably worked hard on your railroad so you might as well get some recognition from people who will appreciate your efforts. All you need to do is operate your trains. I will do all the planning and publicity, as I have done for sixty-four previously tours since 2006, including tours for the NMRA national convention (Anaheim) and several PCR and PSR regional conventions. The tour area is San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara Counties. Layouts will be open in the afternoons, Thursday through Saturday and anytime Wednesday and Sunday. The tour is self-guided (No busses). If you have any questions before committing to the tour, please ask. In any event, please contact me in the next several weeks if you are interested so we can add your railroad to the tour. Once you have been added to the tour, I will contact you to establish your day(s) and hours that work best for you. Thank you. Bob Chaparro Model Railroads of Southern California chiefbobbb@... [chiefbobbb At verizon DOT net] 951-265-2483 PCR Convention Website: https://pcr2025.org/
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Now: Monthly Reminder - Tuesday, October 1, 2024
#cal-notice
Monthly Reminder When: Tuesday, October 1, 2024 View Event Description: Discussion of the design and construction of small model railroad layouts. PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT ACCEPT SALES AND WANTS ADVERTS - EBAY IS THERE FOR THEM. This group is intended for the average model railroader who does not have an entire basement or even an entire room to devote to a layout. Here we will discuss smaller layouts -- table-tops, shelf layouts, micro-layouts, modules and modular layouts -- and how they can be designed and built for enjoyment and modelling satisfaction. The above is an example borrowed from Carl Arendt's excellent site http://carendt.com/scrapbook/linkindex/index.html and also at http://carendt_backup.gully.org/ Due to restrictions in file space, 4 separate groups had been set up for the sharing of design files and photos. /g/sldfiles /g/sldfiles2 /g/sldfiles3 Due to space restrictions on groups.io photos from the Small Layout Design yahoo group are located at the following /g/small-layout-design-photos By the way, we do not tolerate trolls or flaming
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Preview: Central Coast RR Festival Layout Tour – Ron Hamley’s Cuesta & Pacific Railroad (N-Scale) The Central Coast Railroad Festival returns this year to San Luis Obispo and northern San Barbara Counties on October 4-6, 2024 (Friday-Sunday). Also returning is the free, self-guided layout tour, starting on Thursday, October 3, and running through Sunday. Here is a preview of one of the layout tour venues: This is a detailed, compact N scale U-shaped layout measuring 4”x4”, 2’x2’, 3’x7’. The mainline runs thirty-eight feet. Ron models California’s coastal mountain area in the 1950s to early 1960s. Scenery includes oak forests, grasslands, small streams and an ocean harbor. Many trees are handmade. He runs a logging train plus freight and passenger trains. There is a small operating yard, freight station and engine house. Structures include a sawmill, a town with multi-story buildings and harbor area buildings. Power is DC. Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLyzYO81_jM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKWWewhOgF0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSaoT_Uklpk Festival Layout Tour Website: https://slorrm.com/ccrrf/2024/2024-Model-Layout-Tour.pdf Bob Chaparro Moderator Model Railroads of Southern California /g/ModelRailroadsofSoCalif
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Preview: Central Coast RR Festival Layout Tour – Anthony Harris’ Multiscale Railroads The Central Coast Railroad Festival returns this year to San Luis Obispo and northern San Barbara Counties on October 4-6, 2024 (Friday-Sunday). Also returning is the free, self-guided layout tour, starting on Thursday, October 3, and running through Sunday. Here is a preview of one of the layout tour venues: At this stop you can see two separate model railroad layouts. There is an N-scale railroad that is 4' x 7.5' running three trains, and a Z-scale railroad that is 3' x 5' running two trains. Both railroads contain tunnels, bridges, and changes in track elevation to create interest. The railroads and rolling stock are a mix of older and modern equipment. Power is DC. The railroads are meant for railfanning as opposed to doing any switching operating sessions. Here is a video of the N-scale railroad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAncgyWjdb8 Festival Layout Tour Website: https://slorrm.com/ccrrf/2024/2024-Model-Layout-Tour.pdf Bob Chaparro Moderator Model Railroads of Southern California /g/ModelRailroadsofSoCalif
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When we moved to Kauai, Hawaii in 2019, I took one module from the NorCal Nn3 modular layout with me. I subsequently discovered a small informal group on the island with a common interest in model trains. With “no fixed abode” this group sets up their portable tracks several times a year to exhibit trains ranging in scale from Z to G to the public. Sometimes this may be at a crafts fair or other event at a school or similar venue with available mains power, and other times it may be outdoors at Grove Farm Museum which has a collection of 1:1 sugar cane plantation locomotives and cane cars. . Initially I would bring my portable test track which has two concentric loops of track – one 9mm gauge and one 6.5mm gauge allowing me to run Z, Nn3, N, TTn3 and HOn30 trains. More recently, I dug out that 1-foot-by-four-foot module, added a removable run-around track and started taking this to the gatherings along with the portable test track. Attached is a drawing and photo of this “layout” at one of the outdoor get-togethers, where I operated for the entire meet on battery power. Tom K.
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Now: Monthly Reminder - Sunday, September 1, 2024
#cal-notice
Monthly Reminder When: Sunday, September 1, 2024 View Event Description: Discussion of the design and construction of small model railroad layouts. PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT ACCEPT SALES AND WANTS ADVERTS - EBAY IS THERE FOR THEM. This group is intended for the average model railroader who does not have an entire basement or even an entire room to devote to a layout. Here we will discuss smaller layouts -- table-tops, shelf layouts, micro-layouts, modules and modular layouts -- and how they can be designed and built for enjoyment and modelling satisfaction. The above is an example borrowed from Carl Arendt's excellent site http://carendt.com/scrapbook/linkindex/index.html and also at http://carendt_backup.gully.org/ Due to restrictions in file space, 4 separate groups had been set up for the sharing of design files and photos. /g/sldfiles /g/sldfiles2 /g/sldfiles3 Due to space restrictions on groups.io photos from the Small Layout Design yahoo group are located at the following /g/small-layout-design-photos By the way, we do not tolerate trolls or flaming
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Now: Monthly Reminder - Thursday, August 1, 2024
#cal-notice
Monthly Reminder When: Thursday, August 1, 2024 View Event Description: Discussion of the design and construction of small model railroad layouts. PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT ACCEPT SALES AND WANTS ADVERTS - EBAY IS THERE FOR THEM. This group is intended for the average model railroader who does not have an entire basement or even an entire room to devote to a layout. Here we will discuss smaller layouts -- table-tops, shelf layouts, micro-layouts, modules and modular layouts -- and how they can be designed and built for enjoyment and modelling satisfaction. The above is an example borrowed from Carl Arendt's excellent site http://carendt.com/scrapbook/linkindex/index.html and also at http://carendt_backup.gully.org/ Due to restrictions in file space, 4 separate groups had been set up for the sharing of design files and photos. /g/sldfiles /g/sldfiles2 /g/sldfiles3 Due to space restrictions on groups.io photos from the Small Layout Design yahoo group are located at the following /g/small-layout-design-photos By the way, we do not tolerate trolls or flaming
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Air Simulation of gravity switching / shunting
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What if you want to put an loco on the other side of a rake of cars? Without a run around track? Use compressed air to push the cars past the loco, which has ducked into another track! 49 years ago, Model Railroader, when talking about a man's "new" layout, it mentioned he made a working hump yard, with compressed air blasts working a retarders. So that a rolling car would not slam at high speed into a rake of cars already sorted. But now, many of us have shop compressors, tire inflators, and air mattress inflators. (I doubt an airbrush compressor would give enough ooomph to make this work.) And, now, there is a lot of different nozzles possible and a lot more ways to deliver and control the air blast.) I believe that layout belonged to Ed Ravenscroft, who had retired to Arizona. He was an early president of the NMRA (National Model Railroad Association, formed in 1935). I do not remember any other details of his air blast setup. Mike Nickerson Living in Concord, California, USA. That is in the San Francisco Bay Area, You may not be aware of this city of 120,000 people. Because it is 21 miles due East from the much larger Oakland (pop 440,000), the label for Concord is overshadowed by that of the larger city. And San Francisco is 30 miles West of us.
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Sat 8:39am
Sat 8:39am