The On30 Guy

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LokSound Select with optional speaker and NMRA medium wire harness

The good folks at ESU who make the LokSound decoders have just released something new: LokSound Select. At an MSRP of under $100, the new decoder offers some really amazing specs, including the ability to play up to 8 simultaneous sounds, up to four different engine sounds (different prime movers in diesels, different chuffs for steamers), and six high-output function leads. Further, it will drive two 8-ohm speakers in parallel, and the low current design does not require a program track booster! That’s all in a package 1.4″ x .6″ x .25″.

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Atlantic Scale Modelers Harbor Master's Office

Just downloaded my advance copy of MRH this morning, and in the news section, found an announcement of a new kit from a “new” supplier, Atlantic Scale Modelerrs. Atlantic Scale Modelers got their start back in the 70’s providing scenery materials to modelers and were a pioneer producer of what has become a staple in the modeling world — ground foam!

Atlantic’s first kit offering is this Harbor Master’s Office, which was inspired by a structure on Dave Frary’s layout. Dave Frary’s modeling, along with that of Bob Hayden, sparked my interest in Maine 2-footers many years ago.

The small footprint of this model make it a perfect “fit” for the shadowbox shelf layout I talked about yesterday, and I’m sure it will look great on the big layout, too.

Scotty Mason LCL Freight House

Another must-have for the big layout looks like it may be this new freight house from Scotty Mason. It’s patterned after a much larger structure located in Franklin, MA, but I think it would work just as well somewhere in Maine.

Donna and I were talking last night about the possibility of building, in addition to the main Maine railroad, an industrial switching layout that would be a small, bookshelf kind of thing. At first, we remarked about just how much railroad could be built in four square feet in N scale. But, the more I thought about it the more my thoughts diverged.

On the one hand, I have a lot of On30 stuph that isn’t going to make it to the primary layout — Peco track and funky gas mechanical switchers and little Porter steamers, for instance. On the other hand, I could build a whole lotta railroad in a very small space in N scale. Or, a compromise could be achieved in HOn30.

In any event, the idea has continued to grow, so to speak, from one little micro-layout into a two-, and then three-section affair, with each section being a complete scene. Essentially, three separate micro-layouts that are designed to link (and travel) together, each in a shadow-box setting. Overall length would max out at about 12 feet, and the overall depth and height would be limited to 12 inches.

Removable-pin hinges would be used to align and connect the shadow boxes, and for transport, the whole thing could be folded up and a protective panel added to the open face. When at home, the layout would simply sit on either book shelves or shelf brackets. On the road, tall folding tables (or standard folding tables with leg extensions) would be the layout base.

This is the kind of thing that could keep a couple of operators busy for at least a couple of hours, so, DCC would be the control system of choice. Since the layout would be so small, only a couple of locomotives would even fit. So, it’s a natural choice to use the modified MRC Command2000 system I have laying around.

Since the locos are going to be very small no matter which scale I choose, sound in the model itself is probably going to be a problem, so I’d have to make all the sounds ambient “suggestions”. This could be easily achieved using “sound only” decoders with their outputs coupled with various other sound modules through a mixer of some sort, feeding small speakers placed in each layout section.

Lighting could be provided for each box using strings of inexpensive Christmas tree lights (that I already happen to have on hand).

The more I think about this, the more I like the idea!

Well, we’ve put an offer on a house, but we have to wait until we get a contract on our house before it will be accepted. That may (fingers crossed!) come very soon.

The new house will have a most excellent room for the railroad. I’ll have at least 12′x32′, and possibly 12′x36′! That will allow for a nice long mainline, plenty of switching and I’ll be able to include some nice things that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. For instance, I can use the Schomberg Scale Models “Forney House.” It’ll be perfect for my “three horse road.”

I’m actually starting to get excited about the prospect of moving. Yeah, it’s being a real pain in the ass right now, going through stuff and getting the house ready to sell. But, as I weed through things and clear out all the accumulated stuff that I’ve been dragging around and not using, I’m starting to feel some weight lifting. Sure, right now it doesn’t look like much has happened in the house. But, there are at least a dozen big Hefty garbage bags lined up beside the house ready for Monday morning trash pickup. And, a full van-load has already gone to the dump (it was almost all biodegradable).

John, our agent and long-time friend of mine is great, helping us with a million stupid questions and putting us in touch with contractors to get the work done that we need to get the house salable. I don’t think we’ll make the December 1st target for listing the house, but we’ll see. Maybe we’ll go ahead and listed even before some of the work is done. We have our next meeting with John on Sunday, and we’ll discuss that possibility. We’ve seen pictures of lots of places on the MLS that are being made ready after the house is on the market.

We’ve also learned, I think, what we want in a house and where we’d like it to be. That will help John greatly in helping it find our new home over the next few months. We’ve certainly started to learn what we don’t want.

Anyway, off now to lunch!

We have a target date for getting the house on the market — December 1. And so, we’re heavily into the “getting the house ready to sell” business. Tonight, I tore out the layout and benchwork. There’s a huge amount of work to do, and our agent wants us concentrating on two things: finding our new home and reducing clutter. He’s much less concerned about the “fix-up” aspect of things than we are, and has his fix-it man coming over tomorrow to discuss things. It’s time for a pretty wild ride, I think.

It looks as if we’re going to move. We don’t necessarily plan to move far, but we are looking to move out of this dratted townhouse and into a real house somewhere. That means that all railroad plans are temporarily on hold while we prepare. There’s lots of packing and getting things ready to sell this place. We do have a pre-approval letter, so our financing is set, and we’ve started to investigate properties.

Obviously, I’ve returned home from the Mid-Hudson meet. Spent a lot more money than I intended, on things I hadn’t intended to buy. Specifically, I bought a couple of pairs of Micro Engineering code 70 switches, and a bundle of flex track. Clem convinced me to give it a try. And, Dallas convinced me to try a package of the Blue Point switch “machines.”

I also came back with a few structures from Deerfield Laser, an additional NCE CAB04 and USB Interface, some details and a couple of rolling stock kits.

So, back to the track. I’ve never had good luck with Micro Engineering track in the past. But, the tie size and spacing is pretty much perfect for representing Maine 2-footers in On30. And, I got the Code 70, which is the right size to model the 35lb rail. My plan is to build a small section of layout, and, if I like it, I’ll switch over (so to speak). All that Clem had on hand was two pair of switches, so I’m probably going to ask him to send me a couple — just as soon as I decide what I want. I’m thinking that the arrangement for this layout section will be based loosely on Monson Junction on the Monson. However, what was “engine facility” on the prototype will be a couple of small industries on the layout — and the town will represent Corinna. Some sketches will follow…

Not far from the meet, we happened across this nifty building that could’ve/should’ve been rail served at some point in its history. With its funky rooflines, I think it’s a natural to be “Maine-ized” and included in some compressed form — likely as a low-relief model up against a background somewhere. I took a few pictures to use reference for building a version from scratch.

Needless to say, I’ve got my model railroading groove back. We’re going to decide in the next couple of days if we’re going to stay in our existing, crappy townhouse and refinance, or try to buy a new home. Once that decision is made, I’m going to get into construction gear!

Related event

• Posted by: The On30 Guy
• Event Type: Modular Meet
• Date: Friday, October 30th 2009 - Saturday, October 31st 2009
• Time: 7:00am
• City: The On30 Guy in New Paltz, NY
• Venue: Mid-Hudson On30 Meet
• Country: US
• Admission: $10.00
• Age restrictions: All Ages
• Notes: Full information on the meet can be obtained by joining the Mid Hudson On30 Meet group at Yahoo!Groups.
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