On Thanksgiving eve, 2000, I asked a number of Garden Railroaders if they had any projects planned for the winter. The point of this collection of input wasn't so we could go back at the end of the winter and rub people's noses into the things they didn't get done, but to give everyone ideas for ways to "keep their hands in" when it's too cold to play outside for long.
Some of the replies to the original survey are posted in the Winter Projects article.
In May, 2001, I did another survery and posted another article Son of Winter Projects in which people volunteered information about what they actually got done (not necessarily the same list as the first article).
On October 28, 2001, I asked people what they were planning on doing this winter. As for myself, I got most of my "winter projects" done by late summer, and with any luck, would get some of my planned "summer projects" (for last summer) done by this spring in time for G-Day and the Cincy Convention. This includes finishing a loop and laying foundations for several buildings. Other folks' replies are below:
Ouch. Me, too. Except I've pretty much given up on the idea of running all my wire through conduit, and have bought a bunch of direct-burial cable, instead. (Yeah, Dave, I know, "What's a wire?" Pbthhh!) So, I'm not stuck at burying conduit any more. Now I'm stuck at burying the pipes for the stream plumbing. I'm making progress! :-) On the other hand, I've been rethinking my entire track plan. So I'm back to the drawing board...
Still doing decals of all sorts. My biggie last year was for the 1:20.3 budget boxcar kits: (Click here to see Rick's decal page) I picked up some commercial clients so my decals will appear in HO and O scale kits of various sorts.
Luckily I didn't add to my list during the summer. Cars are still in boxes all over but I did build a caboose kit: (Click here to see Rick's caboose, er the model he built.)
Still need to weather it and all that stuff.
After that, it will be a long winter program of building and bashing various 1:20 rolling stock to go behind said loco, as well as the B'mann consolidation once it comes out. (I know, the EBT never had an outside frame consol, either... ) I'm likely going to start with a few boxcars bashed from my collection of B'mann boxcars, lengthening them so I get two longer boxcars for every three I have currently.
Next will be a brief program of refitting a few of my EBT hoppers with extension boards, and getting a few more of them up and running. They're not going to be quite so detailed as my first two, but I want running rolling stock, not works of art. The first two will be sufficient for photographs.
Thrown into the mix will be a small bobber caboose, and two passenger cars. I don't quite know when they're going to be fitted into the mix, I suppose as I feel like it.
So, that's what is supposed to happen up here this winter. We'll see how much actually gets done.
[Note: Bob runs Large Scale Central--I'm just happy that he keeps his classified ads and chat room functional - Paul]
The other module set contains the local parks district public viewing of the home site of an old scientist, complete with On30 tourist train, hedge maze and overly trashed workshop. This set has seen duty during the past summer, but needs lots of "work" to complete, so is taken out of tour duty for a few months.
Built a jig for underframes and completed 11. Bought sufficient sheet styrene to complete maybe a half dozen boxcars/reefers but this project is stored in the GIPC car along with the various tools and castings to implement same. Pushed ahead with 'A' Class Climax II and the two cylinder Shay so both of these should run by January. Meantime I've been seduced by 'Annie' I blame Ferd for this. His notion that the Anniversary 4-6-0 was as close as you could get to a brass model in plastic set me off on a kitbash that has lasted -as an on/off affair(e)- for weeks. Its nudging close to 140 'add-ons' so far and I'm sworn -under Felonious Oath- to produce words and pictures when done. I did manage to squeeze in a conversion of a B'mann Baggage to half RPO and a start on a coal tender for the LGB ex-Sumpter Mallet (OK -I marked out the styrene sheet)
Would like to attempt to finish at least some of the above this winter, rip some wood in storage for ties and trestle bents and make a start on a 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt loco - for which I have the wheels and aluminium for the frames. Also finish the masters for Andrews trucks. I am assisted by Ole Rip van Inkle (a couple of beers and his expertise is anybody's) providing I can stop him falling down the Garderobe.
Before that however I need to build another Gondola for the "Good Intentions Paving Co" Looks like their business is picking up
C.U. in Cincinnati in 2002!
This article copyright ? 2001 by Paul D. Race. Reproduced by permission.
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