Author Archives: Administrator

Interesting Finds on Google Maps — December 2018

If you can add any more information about any of these places, please do so in the comments section at the bottom of the page. Five-Point Turn Around (Carbonia, Province of Carbonia-Iglesias, Italy) Location: 39°10’02.1″N 8°30’40.1″E (39.167250, 8.511139) Via della Stazione16-1909013 Carbonia CIItaly Texas Northwestern Railway Co. Yards (Sunray, Texas) Location: 36°00’09.7″N 101°53’38.8″W (36.002694, -101.894111) Texas… Read More »

Interesting Finds on Google Maps — January 2018

If you can add any more information about any of these places, please do so in the comments section at the bottom of the page. Abandoned Locomotives in the Wilderness (Northwest Piscataquis, ME) Location: 46°19’20.8”N 69°22’30.0”W (46.322444, -69.375000) Eagle Lake and West Branch Locomotives Northwest Piscataquis, ME 46.322737, -69.375014 The Eagle Lake and West Branch Railroad… Read More »

Interesting Finds on Google Maps — December 2017

Stub-Ended Yard with 50 Tracks (Pasadena, TX) Location: 29°43’25.3”N 95°10’52.5”W (29.723694, -95.181250) Kinder Morgan Jefferson Road Pasadena, TX 77503 http://kindermorgan.com Loop at Rail Car Repair Facility (Calera, AL) Location: 33°06’07.6”N 86°45’34.9”W (33.102111, -86.759704) Transportation Services Inc 1480 Woodbine Avenue Calera, Alabama 35040 (205) 668-0058 http://www.tsi-rci.com This facility looks like someone’s 4×8 plywood sheet layout. Yes, there is… Read More »

Interesting Finds on Google Maps — March 2017

If you can add any more information about any of these places, please do so in the comments section at the bottom of the page. Transloading in Progress (Beaumont, CA) Location: 33°55’43.9”N 116°59’10.0”W (33.928861, -116.986111) Perricone Juices 550 B Street Beaumont, CA 92223 (951) 769-7171 Caught in the act! Something is being transloaded from a covered… Read More »

The Danger of Lying in Bed

Mark Twain’s tale about railroad accidents and accident insurance, The Danger of Lying in Bed, was first published in the Buffalo Express on January 7, 1871. The man in the ticket-office said: “Have an accident insurance ticket, also?” “No,” I said, after studying the matter over a little. “No, I believe not; I am going to… Read More »

Triple Crossing in Richmond, Virginia

Photo About Triple Crossing Triple Crossing in Richmond, Virginia is believed to be the only place in North America where three Class I railroads cross at different levels at the same spot. At the lowest (ground) level, the original Richmond and York River Railroad was extended after the American Civil War to connect with the… Read More »

NMRA Clearances for N Scale

Introduction These are the clearances for bridges, structures and tangent tracks for Old Time (pre-1920), Classic I (1920–1969), Classic II (1969–1983), and Modern (post-1983) eras. The numbers here are for N scale (1:160). The prototype (1:1) dimensions are given for conversion to other scales or you can check the NMRA standard to get information for other scales. The numbers… Read More »

N-Land Pacific Free-moN

I got up bright and early this morning to go to the 8:00 a.m. N-Land Pacific Free-moN club meeting at Corky’s Kitchen & Bakery Restaurant in Upland, California. The club meets there on the first Saturday of each month. I hate trying to find a group of people where I don’t know anyone in the group or what… Read More »

Interesting Finds on Google Maps — February 2017

If you can add any more information about any of these places, please do so in the comments section at the bottom of the page. LD Commodities NW (Portland, OR) Location: 45°31’46.1”N 122°40’09.4”W (45.529475, -122.669268) The Louis Dreyfus Company Northwest Facilities have interesting trackage surrounding their elevator, including some really tight curves. LD Commodities NW 900… Read More »

Model Master Acrylic Paint Colors

I went to my local hobby shop (LHS) today looking for a special fitting for my new airbrush. While I was there I looked at the brands of acrylic paint they carry. Later I went to the local Hobby Lobby and checked out their selection of acrylic paints. My LHS carried a lot of the… Read More »

Hemet–San Jacinto Railroad Club

This morning I got up early (for me) and headed over to Dynamic Hobbies to check out the Hemet–San Jacinto Railroad Club. They meet at the hobby shop at 10:30 a.m. on the third Saturday of each month. I’ve never been a member of a model railroad club before so I wasn’t sure what to… Read More »

How to Remove CA, Super Glue, Krazy Glue, etc.

CA (cyanoacrylate /ˌsaɪ ə nəʊ ˈækrɪ leɪt/) glues—also known by the brand names “Super Glue” and “Krazy Glue”—are good stuff! They are a family of strong, fast-acting adhesives with industrial, medical, and household uses. CA has a short shelf life if not used—about 12 months from the date of manufacture if unopened, one month after opening. A very thin… Read More »

Making N-Scale Flags

I was following a thread on The Railwire where the photos included a car traveling the layout that had had a flag added to the side of a car. (The thread wasn’t about the flag.) The flag looked like it had been cut out of a photo of a flag waving in the breeze. Personally, I… Read More »

Jagged Ben’s Ingenious Method for Adding Magnets to Intermodal Shipping Containers

I asked about the compatibility of intermodal shipping containers from different manufacturers (see this post) in the N and Z Scales forum at The Railwire on January 26, 2017. I got several good responses to my question, but contributor Jagged Ben pointed out his January 25, 2007 tutorial about installing magnets inside your containers to hold them… Read More »

Compatibility of Intermodal Shipping Containers from Different Manufacturers

I started a new thread, “Need Advice: Shipping Containers from Different Manufacturers”, in the N and Z Scales forum at The Railwire on January 26, 2017. So far I have 10 40’ intermodal shipping containers that came with a Kato 5-unit well car. I want some more and maybe some 20’ and 53’ containers too. Many manufacturers… Read More »

Where to Buy Foam Sheets?

February 1, 2017 Update February 7, 2017 Updated March 6, 2017 I can’t seem to find either the pink or the blue foam sheets anywhere near Hemet, California. I see modelers online using foam sheets in 1/2”, 3/4”, 1” 11/2”, and 2” thicknesses. It must be a regional thing—it appears to be readily available back east.… Read More »

Cadiz Southeastern Railway

The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Steam Locomotive No. 3751 might be making regularly scheduled runs again if Cadiz Inc. is able to get their Cadiz Southeastern Railway up and running. Press Release Cadiz Inc. Announces Agreement to Operate Steam Powered Excursion Train on the Arizona & California Railroad September 19, 2013 Cadiz Southeastern… Read More »

Interesting Finds on Google Maps — January 2017

If you can add any more information about any of these places, please do so in the comments section at the bottom of the page. Bombardier Transportation (Thunder Bay, ON) Location: 48°21’33.4”N 89°18’03.1”W (48.359265, -89.300851) Bombardier Transportation 1001 Montreal St, Thunder Bay, ON P7C 4V6, Canada, (807) 475-2810 http://www.bombardier.com/ This yard has some incredibly tight… Read More »