On 2018-01-18 16:09, Chris & Barbara wrote:
The subject line says it. I have not seen a new post since December 12,
2017. What is going on?
Nothing.
That's th trouble. No one wants to say much of anything. Do you want
some update on what I've been ding? Ok:
a) I've just assembled a McKean kit of a two-bay ACF hopper. Had to
"open out" most of the holes so the stem on brake cylinder, etc would
fit. Replaced the trucks with old Athearn Hyatt r/b, installed 36" metal
wheels first. Couplers came out at the perfect height. Also had to add a
bit of weight, which I did by gluing in 3/16th nut. Used Lepage's
contact cement for that, works just fine. Needs decals, but the guy I
built it for hasn't said what he wants.
b) Have been mulling over how to cut up two Model Power Boston Mills
kits to make a background low-relief building with at least two set-out
spots. Made photocopies of the kit pieces a couple of months ago, will
have to do that again, as the photo-copies have, er, disappeared.
c) Got involved online in the perennial discussion about whether the
hobby has become too expensive. Looked up a few prices from the mid-50s
(around the time I started saving my pennies to buy MRR stuff) and
calculated today's equivalent using an online inflation calculator. A high-quality wood kit from that time would cost around $40 today,
without trucks or couplers, but including a few strips of wood, a
handful or precut wood-shapes, and a few blobs of metal that looked
vaguely like brake system parts.
d) BTW, the first "real" engine I bought, a brass 2-8-0 imported from
Japan in 1956, cost me $10. I answered a classified ad and took a bus
out into the wilds of Edmonton suburbia. That $10 represented about 14
hours at minimum wage, which is all I was qualified to earn at the time.
I still have it, much worked over, still with its temperamental original
motor, but with a genuinely _sprung_ suspension, which doubled its
pulling power.
--
Wolf K
kirkwood40.blogspot.com
"The next conference for the time travel design team will be held two
weeks ago."
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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