KC Lines "West Bottoms" Pt. 2?

Andre, I don't have a problem with you keeping in touch with us here.  Who knows, you might even see the error of your ways and repent.

Rusty

 "so here's my question: Should I use a thread (such as this new one) to stay in touch with you guys and offer some updates along the way, or simply continue interacting via replies as I have been doing? I certainly don't want to upset the S scale apple cart by talking about what I'm doing in HO scale, don't 'cha know!"

    Hi Andre, you can run but you can't hide. Once an S scaler you are in for life, the 1:64 bug will find you.  Just view the HO time as vacation, research on foreign culture,or espionage for new product.....DaveB 

Rusty:

Ah, well, S will always hold a special place in me ol' heart.  Truly is a beautiful size. IF I was wealthy, I would have kept that OMI S-2 and just gawk at it every now and then.

John said:

"Don't know what we'd do without you."

Why this place would just perk right along without me polluting young minds and subverting good judgments!

DaveB:

Well, like I said to Rusty, S scale will always hold a soft spot in my heart: I SAW firsthand why an S scaler can become a dyed-in-the-wool S scale follower.  As for me and HO, as with all things, it remains to be seen how that will turn out.  Often times my dreams and schemes are bigger than my energy/commitment to said dream/scheme.  Hope that's not the case in this particular excursion... but the possibility certainly exists when dealing with Mr. Flighty himself.

Thanks for the input and encouragement troops!

Alrighty, then!

I shall now give you an update on what the Consummate Wildman has been doing within the hobby world and model trains in particular...

First, the biggest news:

For some time I have been dealing with a severe lack of space, not just for a layout, but to hold/store/accommodate all of my craft-type hobbies. This small (9'6" x 12"6" room plus closet) just hasn't been cutting it for YEARS. 

You see, in addition to model trains, I also like to build and fly control line model aircraft and dabble in 1/32 scale slot cars. This small hobby/computer room is absolutely crammed full of stuff for all three craft-type hobbies AND has an around the walls layout going on, too!. I essentially have zero space for "more", and selling off unwanted/outdated stuff to make more room has been a slow I sometimes do/sometimes don't affair.

For some time I've been thinking about a storage out building that could double as a construction room complete w/heat and AC, even including a recliner w/WiFi for the wife to sit in comfort and do her things she likes to do on the laptop (or read a good book) while I tinker at the workbench. But I didn't get serious about this until a month or so ago.

I originally looked at a 12' x 16'. This would hold the workbench, control line airplane stuff, and the slot car stuff, and whatever else it needs to hold, all organized on nice shelving units. To make a long story shorter...

I will be committing to an out-building to be constructed onsite soon. The final dimensions will be 16' x 20'. Into this will go much of my hobby stuff, a workbench for the messy stuff, and will include a new railroad along the walls. This small interior room I'm currently using will be reclaimed, refurbished, and used strictly as a computer/book room and hopefully a model railroading work station using a modest roll top desk. (When finished for the evening, pull the roll top down and presto: Neat w/no mess!) The current closet with a layout shelf through it will become storage for HO train stuff only (no control line airplanes/supplies, slot cars, etc, etc!)

This is a big deal and is likely going to take the better part of the year to get all switched over to the new building and this room reclaimed and redone back to being a "room" and not have to unsuccessfully house a layout, workbench, supply storage, book shelves, mess, etc. 

I'm super thrilled that two things will be accomplished:

* This small room will again become a nice, pleasant "room" in which to do my research and tedious "model train" work. I'll actually have a place to hang pictures, display some items (using a wall mounted display case) and such as that!

* I'll have a new decent-sized building/room that will accommodate a good sized workbench for model airplanes, my paint spray booth for all the hobbies, along with storage of all of my needed supplies for all three hobbies via storage space under the all-new around-the-wall KC Lines layout.

Can't wait!

(More news will have to wait until later. This post was getting a might "wordy".)

Lessee if'n I have this right:  The new room has 270% more square feet with no more need for computer stuff and books.  The new trains are 26% smaller than existing S scale.  Seems backwards to me.  You should be switching to O or #1 scale.  Then again, S does not stand for "sensible".  Enjoy it.......Ed L.

Hi Banjo!

S is a perfect size, no doubt about it!

Ed L:

Yup, your math looks right to me.  Only seems backwards to you because you haven't a clue what factors had driven my decision to return to HO. However, the hope is, as you admonish, to enjoy it! 

>> Ed L: Yup, your math looks right to me. 

OK.  We are on the same wavelength there.

>> Only seems backwards to you because you haven't a clue what factors had driven my decision to return to HO. 

Can I make a guess?  I'd wager that you could not find enough products, mostly engines, to model your favorite railroad in the way you wanted.  Finally gave up waiting and hoping and praying.  HO had it all in the Walther's catalog.  Easy decision. 

How close to the right answer is that?

HO can be enjoyable as well.  Just in different ways.  If the S size bug has not bitten, switching to a different scale is logical and easy.  If the S size bug has bitten, then changing scales is impossible no matter the reasons.  No other size even comes close.

Philosophically speaking, of course......Ed L. 

Ed "The Clairvoyant" L said:

quote:

Can I make a guess?  I'd wager that you could not find enough products, mostly engines, to model your favorite railroad in the way you wanted.  Finally gave up waiting and hoping and praying.  HO had it all in the Walther's catalog.  Easy decision. 

Darn.  That IS a factor. Not the ONLY factor, mind you, but it WAS a factor. 

In my case it's not just one favorite railroad, but instead railroads (plural)... like 13 of them.  For you see I am modeling the KC area, circa early 60s, so that I can have lots of engine and livery variety on the layout that will hearken to my memories of KC as a child/lad/youth. (Born n' raised there until aged 16.)

There are some other factors, but the above was definitely one of the main ones.

quote:

If the S size bug has not bitten, switching to a different scale is logical and easy.  If the S size bug has bitten, then changing scales is impossible no matter the reasons.  No other size even comes close.

Well, I guess in that case Bill L. was right: I wasn't really an S scaler all along. 

Bummer. 

I guess I view the medium as a means to the end, and not the end in itself.

quote:

Philosophically speaking, of course....

But of course.

BTW...

Ever planning, ever scheming, ever dreaming... I have been thinking about "down the road"... when I'm getting a bit too long in tooth (or no teeth) to truly enjoy the wienie trains any longer.  Then what?  Three rail?  (Bigger, easier to handle, see, etc, for an older guy perhaps?)

Nahhhh....

I'm now thinking an AF-type roundy-round the wall layout (using the same benchwork) using readily available products and be done with it.

HOWEVER... I'm still a young pup at 62... so that day might be a ways down the road... I hope????

That thought has crossed my mind occasionally.  I've got a small cache of S-Trax, just in case...

Rusty

"I'm now thinking an AF-type roundy-round the wall layout (using the same benchwork) using readily available products and be done with it."

   I'm not sure there would be much advantage of Flyer over S scale? You'd still have to build the same scenery, etc. which is the hard part of a layout,  and once one learns to use flextrack I doubt they forget how to put it together?  Old Flyer stuff is cheap and plentiful but more detailed Flyer compatible stuff costs about the same as the scale versions. 

I'm trying to decide right now whether to build my new layout in HO or S scale, I had a nice HO plan but then got some of my S scale equipment out and set it on the benchwork and it looks pretty nice sitting there :>  I'd have less operational features due to more compression of the scenes but I'd also have less things to build as they would all be a bit bigger. The good thing is the bench work will be suitable for either scale so I can keep building till it's done then lay down which ever track I settle on.....DaveB

Hey Andre,

Start another thread with S then sneak in some of your HO work.

By the way, I met a person Sunday who spoke of you.  Brenda Rouse ring a bell?

Greg

Daveb,

I can’t tell you how often I go through this, too.  Right now I’m thinking about DCC and the task of installing all the decoders seems daunting.  I look at H0 and the DCC is already installed.  Yes, I realize anything new I buy in S could come DCC compatible (though one still has to put up with all that proprietary crap form L-AF and MTH which would take us to the old thread about longevity), however that is not the case with all the equipment I have now.  I’ve been running DC for years without the thought of DCC – ‘running’ is a misnomer, actually I’ve spent the last ten years building turnouts for other people and the only running I did was to test them.  But that part of my life is over.

So now for the first time in a long time I am beginning to think about a layout and I find myself in the H0 vs. S dilemma again.

Tom Stoltz

in a blizzard - Maine

 "actually I’ve spent the last ten years building turnouts for other people and the only running I did was to test them"

   Hi Tom, You made a lot of folks happy with your turnouts so look at it as time well spent. and you are well practiced up to build your own layout now too :>  I guess we will find out eventually whether the ease of HO or the perfect size of S wins out for us? .......DaveB

Greg:

Lessee'... a UP Engineer in Nevada, and a Manager from Arkansas.  Hmmm.  Now how in the world did you and Brenda cross paths?  THAT ought to be a good story.

All:

Brenda Rouse is the manager of the passenger train operations where I work. I have worked with Brenda for the last 7 years or so when in passenger service. She's a hoot, and she has been responsible for significantly growing our passenger (excursion) business.  Seeing as I have made/make a lot of $$ running the engines on those passenger trains... I'm okay with that!

Private Passenger Car Association came by the WPRM on Sunday the 26th.  I was there as a docent and meet her then.  I asked a couple of questions about the ACe's and she answered them.  I gave her a tour of our museum and before she left I asked her about you.  She smiled and said "he's one of my engineers on the passenger train."   So that's the short version of the story.  Like you said she's a real hoot and knowledgeable about passenger cars and trains. 

Greg