Prototype Research

First a quick update on the GDP progress - It looks like my Big Boy is going back to Athearn. Out of the last 4 loco purchases I made (2 PCM HO SD7's for the club, an Athearn Challenger and Athearn Big Boy for my layout) two ended up going back to the manufacturer. PCM will pick up the shipping costs, as best as I can tell Athearn won't. Considering how many locos I would buy from Athearn since Big Boys and Challengers are the main power on the road, I have to start wondering if I should reconsider what I am modeling.

Do to the requests, I have started on a new Gondola to feature in a How To. It is similar to the Evans I modeled before I chose an ACF 41'6" gondola, orginally purshased by SP&S, GN, and NP. This car was featured in an article by James Kinkaid in Nov '03 mainline Modeler.  So far I have a main parts cut and the underframe is mostly completed. I'm gonna estimate that this will take about 10hrs to build the first one. Do to my current work schedule, I only get a few hrs a day to work. I hope to have the article up by this weekend.

Some say science and government work best together. I'm not so sure about that. Here is an article (story?) on the a newest heavy (in fact it's the heaviest) element found. 

This combination has affected may things in our lives.  IMO, it may have had some influence on the demise and deterioration of many passenger railroads.  And perhaps is starting to have an affect on MRR industry.  

Check out this link and see what you think.

http://www.dullmen.com/governmentium.htm
 
See ya
Ron

As many of you are aware I have had an ongoing fascination with the Doodlebug! I finally broke down and bought one primarily because they are no longer manufactured and I don't know how much longer they may be available. They are pretty darned scarce right now, as it is!

http://community.livejournal.com/abandonedplaces/

I just spent an hour just scrolling through this livejournal community (you don't have to be a member to see it). It's entirely dedicated to photos people have taken of, obviously, abandoned places. I can't pick one to use as an example. They are AMAZING. Nobody here probably needs to weather a dilapidated Russian palace, but there are also farmhouses, schools, grain silos, entire towns...all kinds of stuff. Check it out if you're into that sort of thing.

As the U.S. entered WWII, the government decided to create a War Planning Board to direct industry in strategic areas. This was not necessarily popular amongst all the captains of industry. Particularly unpopular with GDP Lines management was the decision to concentrate on steam engines rather than diesels. The GDP had begun its dieselization in the 30's with the acquisition of E-units for its passenger trains, and NW-units for the yards.

I am getting settled into the new place and it seems to have an extra room (11'x14') that just isn't being used for anything. Darn, what a shame. I do believe the Great Divide and Port Railway Corp. has secured its right of way. The GDP lines have existed in my head since I was a teenager (many, many years ago), it is basically the slice of world that was John Allen's Gorre and Daphetid but with some twists and more connections to the real world. This will be my third time to try to get the GDP Lines across the Akinbaks.

I recently visited the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico Museum in Puebla, Located approximately 90 miles south of Mexico City, the Museum is in the Old Puebla Station, which was part of the first line in Mexico, "Mexico - Veracruz" built during the second half of the 19th Century.

The pictures I took are random and have no description since the offices were closed and there were no guides on hand, sorry.

The Herzog rock train is headed up Sherman Hill to Granite. Taken September 2007.  Often they have a nice combination of UP and BNSF power, this one better with no orange...Yes I am tired of orange engines.  I see orange all the time, worse it is often the same old Heritage 2 Dash9s though seeing the new nightmare paint scheme ES44s is worse.

Good morning to you all, Dear Reader's that you are of 'Komata's 'Blog' - welcome to my world . . .

As usual, I have no idea about what is going to eventuate, but, here goes - so come along for the ride. . .

Telegraph Poles!!

For those of you to whom this term may be confusing, these are the line-side 'power'-poles that seem to be ubiquitous in many parts of the world - wherever there is a railway, a line of telegraph poles seems to follow - carrying the RR's lines of communication between the company stations.