Excuse pleeese, this new guy dont know what the (traveling gauge car) is, could you explain pleeeeese?. but from the three peviouse post it sounds like a good idea... have a good one ...steve
Helping Underpriviledged Children!!!
- Thread starter 77railer
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Thanks for the tip TRFlyer and nice meeting you this weekend. Aussie I dont know what it is either but agree that it sounds like a good idea,lol. So much has happened in one week its hard to keep up with. Looks like I need to get that room ready this week and make sure Im the only one with a key. Do any of our members own a hobby store that would be willing to give us a huge discount on some ground cover/ roadbed/ ballast/ paint/ trees etc. I have also decided to include the kids I teach academy (math enrichment) into the mix of things. That way I can get more involved since the principal has to limit the size of the club. Those classes are usually no bigger than 10 so that should be ok and they come to me everyday. Just think how cool it would have been back when you were in sixth grade to be able to go to school and play conductor every day. As long as Im teaching and or demonstrating a mathematical skill or procedure Im fine and there is a white board in there so instruction could be a simple as determining the best tool for finding the degree of accuracy in a particular measurement. The kids are going to be doing so much math and the best part is I will be sneaking in most of the lessons. They just think they are playing with trains,lol. I bet the behavior problems in sixth grade reduce drastically as well.
77Railer
77Railer
kids
77railer, I haven't read it in any of the posts, and I haven't the faintest idea of your expertise, but once you start laying track, if the kids help, we can't stress enough that the track must be laid very slowly and carefully. It only takes one bad joint to upset the apple cart. Too many could cause loss of interest. It took me a few lessons, but I finally got the message. Lots of other pointers, but I'll let more knowledgeable modelers get them.
Lynn
77railer, I haven't read it in any of the posts, and I haven't the faintest idea of your expertise, but once you start laying track, if the kids help, we can't stress enough that the track must be laid very slowly and carefully. It only takes one bad joint to upset the apple cart. Too many could cause loss of interest. It took me a few lessons, but I finally got the message. Lots of other pointers, but I'll let more knowledgeable modelers get them.
Lynn
I like the idea of the Gauge car being put in service by 77railer and the kids.
Ausien, the Gauge Traveling car was made by 88fan1 and was sent from member to member, photographed on their layouts,and passed on. 88, how many countries did it travel to?
Ralph
Ausien, the Gauge Traveling car was made by 88fan1 and was sent from member to member, photographed on their layouts,and passed on. 88, how many countries did it travel to?
Ralph
77railer said:Do any of our members own a hobby store that would be willing to give us a huge discount on some ground cover/ roadbed/ ballast/ paint/ trees etc.
I do know that Hobby LObby carries their model RR supplies at 50% off from time to time, a real good savings worth keeping up with on their website if you have one near you.
Thanks ralph, for the explanation, and I think as it has been to x-amount of countries, and that 77railer is getting assistance from all over the world, that the gauge traveling car would be right at home on that particular layout, so for whats its worth you have my vote...have a good one..steve
Im working on designing the layout now. I like the idea of a U shaped layout.Thinking of making the two branches being 2ftX8ft and a middle section of 2ftX4ft. Perhaps this way I could do it in 4x2 modules incase I get transfered to a different location. Teachers tend to get juggled around every so often, we call it the shake up. Im wanting to run at least 2 main lines that way more than one person can operate trains at a time. Gonna have to see how tight of a turn I can pull off. Checking in to that now.
77Railer
77Railer
I'm thinking I wont be able to make a loop at the end for the turnarounds in a 2ft width. Dont I need 36 inches for HO?
Help....77Railer
Help....77Railer
Can I make a suggestion? How about doing something along the lines of T-Trak modules? That way each student could conceivably have their own module, the track would be uniform and if it was a successful program you could easily allow more children to be involved in the club. It's just an idea. I just purchased a couple of the ready to build modules from ntrak.org this afternoon as I don't have the space to even run a table saw at my place to make them myself. There are a couple of pages out there with more info, with ttrak.org being a page I can recall offhand. There is also a nice TTrak yahoo group which has lots of photo. I would think children would take alot of pride if they were working on a module of their own and could at some point if funds permitted could take it with them when they left school to go onto bigger and better things. (Hopefully middle or highschool whatever the case may be).
Leroy, just out of interest, what age group do you little ones fit in, I know you said sixth graders in one of you post but I am, not familur with you school ssystem... have a good one..steve
Leroy, Just make the last module at each end 36 inches wide. You always have better access at the end, because you can reach over the end! You may want to think of this layout as more of a "sectional" layout as opposed to a "modular" layout. That way you have more freedom to cross the tracks over from "module" to "module" at any point along the edge. That's because the "sections" always go together in the same way. "Modular" layouts have to have the tracks end at the same points on each module, because you never know what the next module is going to be.
Regards,
Ted
Regards,
Ted
Thanks TR I will figure that into the design. Aussie they are sadly 11-15 and all in the sixth grade. The age range for 6th grade is supposed to be 11-12. I went and talk to the late Vollie Boggs's wife which at one time owned one of the largest K-Line distribution centers in the southeast US from listening to his wife talk. She is possibly going to donate some roadbed to are cause, which would be cool. Just to let yall know they have everything at just about half off since he passed away last year and now his family is liquidating his assests. I recieved my first package today which was from Yellowlyn. Thanks man I will be taking the parcels to the school as they come in. Gonna see if Lowes will donate the lumber/foam for the tables, if not gonna try a few other building supply stores.
77Railer
Anyone have a copy of Trainz laying around I could load on a pc or two for the kids?
77Railer
Anyone have a copy of Trainz laying around I could load on a pc or two for the kids?
Leroy, please ignor the price tags on the buildings, as they are member prices and were taken from stock for speed reasons... have a good one..steve
Well so far Yellowlyn's stuff has arrived and shaygetz as well. Thank you both for your help. I took some of the stuff in today and setup an oval to show the kids a few things. They seemed really interested. As I am new to this myself I am gathering a few good railroaders here locally that might be able to help some. Still not sure about the layout as of yet. Thinking its gonna be to tight to run 2 mainlines. Might have to change some things around a bit. I sure dont know enough about wiring and blocks to run to trains independently....yet. Im certain to learn though,lol. Good night all. Thanks again. I will keep you posted on arrivals and news.
77Railer
77Railer
Received another package today, this one from RKSSTL a snap-on set. Thanks Man. Im thinking it might be better to wait and see what all we get before I go designing any layout. Kinda hard to design a layout not knowing how much of what you got,lol. I got some old turnouts out in the shop as well as a cossover or 2. Gonna have to find some switch machines. Are there any hobby sites that take Purchase Orders? Talk to yall later...thanks again for all the help.
77Railer
77Railer
Spent some of the clubs cash today. Bought a log company, working log mill, unloading car, lumberjacks, trees, tree stumps, railroad crossing gates, graveyard, grieving people (lol), rail joiners, layout book, 2-6-0 smoky mountain steam engine with smoke. We had $93 to spend and the principal gave us another $50 to boot so it made for a nice day. Cant wait for this stuff to come in so the kids can play with it. We had an oval set up today with the snap-on set and the unloader that was donated. The kids laughed when the guy threw the package out,lol. Will keep you all up to date.
77Railer
77Railer
Well, I found out Thursday that out in the old Ag Shop there is a rather large loft, as in a second floor. I spoke to the Principal about it and she said as long as the district approved she would have the stuff up there removed and we could have our club out there. The kids would really like that, "lets go out to the loft and play with trains". While I was out and about today I stopped in at the local flea market and bought a tyco set for $4, still in the box,lol. Getting late. Talk to yall later.
77Railer
No new packages to speak of...still waiting anxiously.
77Railer
No new packages to speak of...still waiting anxiously.
i wish my school had this when i went i may have had more intrest in going. i did finish but that was only because jobs are harder to find and i knew with out atleat a diploma i would be unemployed.
Well there are roughly 250 kids at my school and everyone of them will have exposure to the trains in one way or another so that is a good thing. Thanks go out to our latest donation of a brand new in the box Harley Davidson HO Set from Bob in Greenville SC. Apparently this project has also been posted on several other forums as well and other people are getting in on it. I wonder if I emailed Atlas if they would be willing to donate some flex track to us....whatcha think?
77Railer
77Railer