Off the tracks

Motorcycles, (Street and Dirt). Animation, (WarnerBrothers Primarily). Keeping up with Formula 1, CART, WSB, SBK, 500GP, Motorcross, Supercross and AMA Superbike takes enough time I guess it is a hobby. Hot air ballooning when I get the chance, Shifter Kart racing once in a while...
Then there's the house...
and the two kids...
and the wife...
School...
Hmmm... I think I figured out why I haven't started my layout yet!
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[This message has been edited by YakkoWarner (edited 04-25-2001).]
 
Rich,
I threw in my second towel too. Wish I had never tried a second one, the first should have warning enough.
Glad you had a laugh.
By the way, listening to the radio over coffee this morning a song by Roy Clark, "thank God and Greyhound your gone" was played. I had heard it years ago, it has now moved in the number one hit of all time on my list of the best.
Lance
 
For those that have showed a teensie weensie interest in AFL football, try this weeks Game of the Week. (international broadcasts). You should get the Essendon Collingwood game. Nail biter... in front of 90,000. And the winner was........
 
Lance and Shay2, take a lesson from a great;

"Never buy anything you can rent!" Walter Matthau.

Woodie, do you have a dish?

Voice- You mean a BASEMENT near the tracks! I rented a 5th floor condo for 8 years. I walked out on the terrace, saw the commanding view of a railyard, walked back in without even talking to my wife and said; "I'll take it". Fortunately it had a 60 foot terrace, spaceous living room, a master bedroom, a train room, dining room, two marble bathrooms and a large jacuzzi!

My profession used to be my hobby. Now I leave it behind at work and don't think about it unless I'm getting paid to. For this reason I was advised against starting a train store when I entertained the thought. Capital advice!

I like gardening too. Used to grow tomatos but in the woods now without enough light. We're doing great with moss! I'm also president of my neighbourhood association, voted unanimously by 180 households. They don't know me very well, now do they?
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Civic minded? Nawww, I just like things my way like everyone else, and they seem to like the way I do things, I guess.

Who likes to grill until it's too cold to stand outside?????
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And micro brew beer is for Wussys who don't know anything about real beer! I'd still like to go to Braumeister school in Germany. That's a lotto dream. Who plays lotto?

George.
 
George,

A dish? Yep. Plenty in the kitchen cupboards!
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Or do you mean satelite for TV? Nope. Pay TV is all cable here, and then not many have it. NBG. Pay TV is satellite in remote areas, however subscriptions are not allowed in city areas of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Against trade practices if you ask me, but that's the way it is. Protection of the cable operators in the high population areas. Get their return on investment for putting up the cables.
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TOOT!
 
Woodie, that's too bad. I can get either. The dish for the same money offers three times the channels, plus music. The only problem is you don't get local weather, nor your public access and local government channels without Cable.
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How far do you live from the nearest tracks?

George.
 
George,

I live about 4km from the centre of Sydney. Sydney is served by a very extensive above ground suburban system of around 160 stations. Rolling stock is double decker 8 car electric. So tracks abound all over the place! Train station 5 mins walk, and 2 stops into town. So i've got 6 tracks pretty well runnning past my back door! Sydney "Central" station has 24 platforms. Long distance passenger services (Perth 3 days, Alice Springs, 4 days, Melbourne 12 hours, Brisbane 14 hours) go past my back door. Freight does not come this close into the city. Sydney is a city of around 4.5 million. Melbourne is very similar. try http://www.ozemail.com/~trainman for some pics.

As for pay TV, it is a dismal failure here. Too expensive, just old junk on it. What's the point in paying for TV when you can watch it for nothing? Everthing I wanna watch is on the 5 free to air networks.

TOOT!
 
It's great that Australia still has long distance varnish. You ever take the ride west? Did they ever make the trip all one gauge, or do they still have to change trucks on the wagons?

What upsets me in the United States with the dish is that we can't get any Canadian networks (there are three) nor any European services. They now offer BBC World, but forget about Skynews, Superchannel and RTL. In Canada, they want at least 60% CDN content, by law. It gets pretty boring watching highlander games with guys throwing telephone poles all the time!

Liked your site, but need a driver where I am to see your videos. LATER.

George.
 
George,

Yep. Have taken the trip across to Perth. Long time ago, must have been 1970??? As a child with Grandma. Also did the Trans Siberian in 1981 and the middle of Winter! Now that was an experience! Eventually I'll put the pics on my webpage. The major trunk lines are now all Standard Guage, except up to Nth Queensland beyond Brisbane. They have just announced that they will complete the line from Alice Springs to Darwin. First peg gets laid next month and should be complete in 4 years. (about 1,500kms). This line was first commenced about 100 years ago, but never got any further than 100 miles south of Darwin. They were going to complete it during the war, but never did.

TOOT!
 
Woodie, those must have been some rail odysseys! Were you to take the Trans Siberian today, they'd probably kill you for your underwear. Is the full length of that electrified?

In Australia, have they gone all concrete sleepers yet?

George.
 
Not all of it was electric then, not sure about now.

Most of the trunk lines here are now concrete, no timber is being used for new/replacement sleepers. Garahbara is timber sleepers, cause Peco don't make concrete ones!!
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Hi Woodie,
When did Peco stop making concrete looking sleeper track, My local hobby shop still has it in stock. Code 100 rail.
I know they don't make concrete looking Turnouts.
 
Shamus and Woodie,

I was never aware that PECO made code 100 with concrete sleepers. The only manufacturer at this point is Micro Engineering and then only in code 83, or so I thought.

ATLAS was marketing it about 7 years ago or longer for a brief period. About 2 years ago I wrote them asking if they had any in stock, but it was long gone. What surprised me was they told me they had imported it from ROCO, but there were no plans to reorder. I don't even know if ROCO still manufacturers it at this time. Anyone know the answer to that one?
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Funny in this day and age there isn't a demand for it. I wanted to make a stretch on my layout, but gave up looking for it. During that same period, ATLAS was offering code 100 flex with either black or brown sleepers. Wonder what happened there as well, as you don't have the choice any longer.

George.

[This message has been edited by George (edited 05-01-2001).]
 
OK, I guess it's my turn!!
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I have a '72 Catalina that I show in car shows, and go on "Cruises". I maintain my web page about the BLW in Eddystone. Digital photographer, (cars - trains - family) and I volunteer at a local railroad museum, as an assistant teacher during the winter (when I can't go to flea markets & car shows). Further I am a "Renaisance Fair "Ren Geek" which simply means, I and my wife & kids go to the local faire, get dressed up in period clothes & "participate" as guests of the 16th century England Queen. It's almost as much fun as working on the Model Railroad. On top of all that, I have collected every issue of Model Railroader, I've mostly bought them at flea markets, But I have subscribed for 25 yrs
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- and you guys wonder why I have no free time
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My wife says if I buy One more Train, she'll leave me...
Gee I'll miss HER!!!! :) -- N Gauger
 
Ok, Walthers 2001 HO Catalog, page 287--Peco Code 100 Flex track, concrete ties, nickel silver rail--no. 552-1162, available only in boxes of 25 for $104.99. If you have a good hobby shop, you can probably get them to order it, and get fewer than the whole box!!

I knew I'd seen it somewhere..
Dick
 
Other interests?
I'm new to model railroading and can't get enough of it. I'm a retired electro/mechanical engineer with strong interest in carpentry, so the fit is good.
I enjoy most water activities (kayaking, fishing, power boating, lobstering, Coast Guard Auxiliary). Currently modifying a barn so I can move my carpentry equipment out of the cellar to make more room for my layout plus get rid of the saw dust.
Also enjoy biking and walking especially with the grandkids. Most of all retirement has allowed me the time to focus on having fun with family and friends. Jim
 
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