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I love red & green lights on the layout. Block signals. the more the merrier. Tall ones, short ones, over the track signals, turnout signals, even ones with yellow in them. Usually controlled by relays. Changing from green to red as the trains do their thing. Making sure that two objects do not try to occupy the same space at the same time without some warning.

 

So imagine my surprise when I looked at the March cover of "that other magazine" and saw a beautiful block signal next to a CanPac diesel. Now the diesel is coming toward you and the block signal is on the right hand side near the middle of the diesel. AND IT IS GREEN!!! It is signaling an oncoming train that it is just fine to go straight into the CanPac diesel. Against the law of physics.

 

Delving into this a little deeper, I find that this is apparently a photo taken on the Sr. Editor's layout. And placed on the front of the magazine.

 

I think Allan would've caught it. And while I don't know for sure, I think he would have practiced the 42 inch drop to see what would happen. I figure he would have dropped the block signal, the relay, the CanPac diesel, the photographer and the Sr. Editor. But I'm suspect Allan will voice his own opinion.

 

Gerry

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I would like to think that I would have caught it.  I did notice it when I received the magazine, if that counts for anything.

 

But as Rich noted, he would have caught it if I hadn't, assuming it was a photo for our magazine.  I select the images and Rich preps them for our design team.  Between the two of us--and sometimes even one of the designers--we generally manage to cage the gremlins.

 

But things do slip by on rare occasions--a derailed locomotive or car in a photo, for example.  Sometimes you look at something so often that you tend to look right past the glitches.

 

Kent is a good friend and he has one heck of a fine theme layout.  I would be content to be 1/10th the modeler he has become since I first met him and his dad back in the early 90s.  I can even the some small credit for getting him hired at Kalmbach, and he has more than justified my faith and confidence in him and his abilities.

 

The truth be told, I have more than my share of screw-ups from time to time with our magazine.  Fortunately most of them escape the notice of our readers, or if they don't escape notice, they aren't reported to me.

 

My beloved pooch and faithful companion is in the vet hospital tonight, so I really can't sweat the small stuff.  I'm going to have a stiff Scotch on the rocks and try to get a bit of sleep.

Last edited by Allan Miller

Things like that slip by - it takes a keen eye and all that. 

 

Run 260 (this past Christmas) featured a Superstreets track with trolley right on te middle of the cover, but without the transition track piece needed to make sure the trolley (or anything else) runs smoothly does not derail when it goes in and out of he curves. I had looked through the magazine many times before my son, who never missed anything in his thirty years, pointed it out to me.

Ever wonder why nothing ever happens to your dog until the weekend? Then you have no choice but to go to the Emergency Vet, where it costs you $200 (up front) just to walk through the door, then after spending the price of 3 new command diesels, you still end up going to your regular vet on Monday to get your dog well.

Same thing happened to me with that other magazine. The last subway photo was scrapped from my list to use but somehow it made it into the article. Green signal, train going the opposite way along with the incorrect caption! 

 

Aside from leaving out the other 4 main modules that were in the original track diagram, it slid by. 

 

Blame it on media apprentice I guess, LOL!

Hard to find good help these days. 

How does one know the engine on the cover is not a trailing A unit with the engines being dead headed and traveling left to right. There are 2 engines in the photo back to back. It also looks like the engine has no lights on which is further evidence it is a trailing A unit.

 

I do not know how a real railroad works. However, on my little empire I wire the signals to turn red after the engines pass the signal.

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