If, anyone can obtain the files (photos, text, html etc) I can put the site back up.

let me know...

@Dewey Trogdon in the post above about Mr. Sheil's passing, do you have contact info for his family? We would likely need to get their permission to try to contact tucowsdomains.com that seems to have been his hosting site.

That is a shame as I used his site to check  for small Fastrack layouts to incorporate in my large layout.   A week a two ago I tried to get on his site.  I had it book marked and could pull up that one specific track plan.  Oh well.

I was not aware that he had passed two years ago.  Like many, I've visited the site countless times over the years to get ideas and also sometimes just to look at the layouts, didn't matter if I had read/reviewed it 100 times before.  I hope that the information on that site can be successfully saved.

While we're saving websites, the late Dale Manquen had a really great information site on Lionel electronics with lots of valuable data.  While it's still up, who knows for how long.

Dale's TrainFacts

When you get those generic pages when attempting to reach that domain, it means the domain name registration has expired. Given that, someone would need direct access to his former server in order to retrieve any of the site’s data.

Dale Manquen, Wasn't he the one that had the upsidedown train layout?

Yep, he was a very interesting guy, some of his creations had to be seen to be believed!

GRJ,

Dale's site makes mention of a meter for testing TMCC/Legacy strength on a layout (not just at the base). Is there a way to obtain either the meter itself, or a schematic to roll your own?  Obviously, getting this info from Dale is not an option...

Chris

LVHR

Chris, Dale had posted in the forum how to make the test box, it's dirt simple, just a couple of components.  Here's a description from his website.

Testing the TMCC/Legacy Track Output Signal

Truthfully, I found that a much more definitive test was possible using an oscilloscope.  I find the TMCC command base puts out about a 3V to 3.5V peak to peak signal, and the Legacy command base should be in the 5V to 6V range.  The problem with the measurement is it seems any change in the circuit or meter used can throw off the results.

@eddie g posted:

Dale Manquen, Wasn't he the one that had the upsidedown train layout?

Years ago there was a bar in Glen Bernie Md that had a Lionel train layout attached to the ceiling with the train running upside down, never could figure out how it was done.

I too just recently realized that Thor's website was no longer available and my usually pretty trusty friend "wayback machine" for whatever reason did not save his website. I also was on it just a month or two ago and didn't try to save it then, much to my regret now.

In this thread a month or so ago @Ted Bertiger mentions actually knowing Thor personally via the local train club and his wife a little too. I do not want to be a burden on anyone but if his wife can be re-contacted, she may appreciate knowing the interest in and appreciation of his website that still exists and be able to assist with getting the data needed to get it rehosted.

If there is anyone that was smart enough to save the website or if we can get in contact with Audrey and get the information, I for one will donate towards getting it back online. It looks like @Dennis-LaRock may have the knowledge/experience to get it back up?

I have also thought about contacting the provider, (which seems to be yahoo if you follow the link to find the provider on Tucows?) and seeing if, assuming they still have the data and it is just a matter of payment and flipping a switch, would except payment from someone else, aka like one can with paying utilities.

I spent countless hours of my childhood on his train and army men website and have continued to reference it over the years and would love to get this jewel of a website and resource back on line.

Yup, I can do it... just need the files

BOOM!!!  Got It!!!

GREAT JOB!  CaptJ (Corey) located Thor's files and got them to me!

I am pretty busy at the moment… liquidating my business, finishing my layout and a large Honey-do list.  It may take me a month or two… but, I will get it up!!!

BIG round of Applause to CaptJ Thank You!

dennis

thortrains.net  ip linked to 104.27.154.122   -  It's hosted by Cloudflare... what a mess... I got into the account which is really, really weird.  I can change the DNS servers...this is *not* very secure.   I think the site was hacked/hijacked.  I just called Cloudflare... got message, they didn't identify themselves in the message and it hung-up without taking a message.

This is going to take some time...

OK... the registrar is Go Daddy.  It is hosted by Cloudflare.  thortrains.net is now owned by some Indonesian entity, I tried to speak with them to see if I could get the html (if they kept it) but they do not speak English.  So, the html is gone.  I can register thortrains.something and I can get something up very soon.  However, I don't have a good recollection of the layout of the site and, I am not a web 'designer'.  Are there any (or several) WordPress (or, the like) wizards out there who would like to work with me in recreating this?  I don't think it has to be a precise replication... just so it makes sense.

I'm not an expert on these things by any means but in the zip file I sent you, once you unzip it, I know you can go to the index.html file and it will work like his website, just pulling the various links from that folder?  I'm not sure how that translates to actually having a hosted site as I am sadly not one of those wizards haha.

Also for what it is worth, when I followed the Tucows Domains finder thing (pre its hack/buyout), it had suggested that Yahoo Smallbusiness was the owner of the domain?  *shrug*

If you have a complete website right down to the index file correctly linking to other pages in a folder tree on your computer, it should transfer directly to a web host.  I use FTP to transfer folder trees to and from the web server site, that always worked for me.

That works with sites I've captured using HTTrack Website Copier.  They work off-line on my computer, and if you FTP them as a complete package to the web host, they should work there.

When I get a minute (I'm behind the knee wall today) I'll set it up on one of my Go Daddy domains and run a test.  It will just be ibax.net or .com or one of the others... hopefully it works out of the box!

@CaptJ posted:

Also for what it is worth, when I followed the Tucows Domains finder thing (pre its hack/buyout), it had suggested that Yahoo Smallbusiness was the owner of the domain?  *shrug*

I did a trace route then called GoDaddy to confirm registrar and ownership... who knows who is who?

OK... it's *working* locally (on my machine).  I set it up temporarily on ibax.com ... give the name servers a day or two to propagate.

Hmm...  The DNS is working, but it seems the server is empty.

Click on graphic below to expand.

Darn!  It was uploading (the .zip file) when I left the house.  I'll check it when I get home this afternoon.

Thanks John!

I don't know about your web host, but maybe they had trouble unpacking the ZIP file?  I used to point the FTP client at my web image folder and turn it loose.  When all the stuff was processed, the website was on-line.  However, each host has their own requirements for uploading content.

Yup, Something didn't unpack... or, the file didn't make it at all ...

New Account, upload your files!
Valid indexes: index.php index.html index.htm index.shtml Index.htm Index.html INDEX.HTML INDEX.HTM default.htm default.html home.htm home.html Home.html Home.htm

Attention! File name is case sensitive.

I question if you can send them all in a ZIP, maybe they don't have the ability to unpack them.  What FTP client do you use?

Just got back.  I use Filezilla.   I'm trying to use a free hosting site to test... the two I am playing with have browser based ftp... which sucks.   I'll get it up eventually... I would like to avoid a recurring hosting charge.

Update... I'm in communication with one of the hosting sites now...

I think the free sites want to do things in the browser so they can show you their great ads.

With you on that John!  I just threw in the towel on the free hosting.  Just got off the phone with iPage.  I bought thortrains.us and hosting for three years.   I can use filezilla (which they prefer) for the ftp and there is a money back guarantee.

That's not too outrageous, and I'm sure they'll help you get it running as well.

I know my way around WordPress pretty well. I do web site design for several clients, including OGR.  I’m willing to help.

Some of my sites, all of which are done in WordPress.

• OGR
• Gemco Aviation
• Best Jets
• Paul Melvin (my Dad)
• The Wade Raridon Singers (I sang with this group for 14 years)
• My Personal Site

Rich,

That would be GREAT!  I'm a programmer not a web designer and terrible at formatting documents... look at the 3D catalog ...OUCH!   I should have it set up and quasi functional in a few days.  The .us is a restricted use domain which is why it's so cheap... I had to provide my Federal ID card (had to have it for NASA) to get it and it has to be 'approved'.   I'll get you the admin permissions and we should be good.  It does work *locally* (on my computer) using IIS so it shouldn't be to difficult to work with.

Thanks!

Are you kidding me!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrzi5lNIG7o

Good magnets.  Dale Manquen used to do a lot of displays that did crazy upside down stuff!

You want crazy?

I love how he controls the engines so that they balance each other, clever engineering.

This one is pretty cool as well.

@Dennis-LaRock, your efforts here deserve some recognition! I have always recommended the original ThorTrains site to anyone first starting off in the hobby. The amount of information that was there, in one single place, was impressive. And for anyone who has limited space, Thor's small layout designs are inspirational. And the 3-D illustrations that were included on some of them helped bring them to life. No where else on the web could you find that amount of smaller FasTrack layout suggestions. Very helpful since FasTrack is now the standard in starter train sets. I've always felt that Thor's site would have been a great candidate for Lionel to sponsor.

So again Dennis, I commend you for taking on this project. And to @Rich Melvin, that is very considerate of you to offer your further assistance to make the ThorTrains website available again. No question in my mind that this site, the OGR Forum is certainly the most informative train forum out there. Nonetheless, the Thor site certainly was packed with information in one single place. Very helpful to anyone first starting off in the wide world of 3-rail trains, where every product is not so necessarily easily compatible.

Bravo!

Brian, Thank you for your kind words and appreciation... I hope i don't disappoint.

This is just a *test* there is still considerable work to be done...

http://www.thortrains.us/

There is a little more activity here... click on some stuff ...

http://dennis18003.ipage.com/316scale/index.html

Have to remove references to thortrains.net or you wind up in Indonesia...

Dennis and all who responded, very good work. Dennis I would recognize that red page banner anywhere. Great start!

Thanks Mike!  It's a group effort for sure... and, we could not be in better company!

this puppy is tired... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ... l8r

Try this...

http://www.thortrains.us/

Still have to comb through the html for .net and change it to .us

Let the folks on... https://www.facebook.com/groups/allgauge/ ...know that

Thor

Is Back!

Hey facebookers!  Don't forget to join us and become a member of OGR!!!