Too Rich for Your Blood?

     I got an e-mail a few weeks ago from a gentleman who expressed the concern that model railroading was becoming too expensive, and being on a fixed income, wasn't sure if he could stay in the hobby.
     Well, there's no doubt that the cost of products in our hobby has risen. Everything has. That's called inflation.
     In the early 1970's when I was getting into the hobby, you could buy an Athearn locomotive for $7.99. Freight car kits were $2.99. A piece of Atlas flex track was $0.79. Today the Athearn locomotive is $79.99, freight cars are $29.99…well, you get the idea.
     But here's the thing…the Athearn locomotive ran like crap, the freight cars had poor paint jobs and lousy details, and Atlas flex track had huge plastic thingys that held the rail to the ties. Basically, the stuff was junk.
     Keep in mind too, that in the early 1970's, gasoline was about $0.50/gallon, the average home cost $24,000. So, everything changes. In the case of model railroading, it has changed for the better.
     Today, we have locomotives, including those made by Athearn, that run like Swiss watches. If you want, they even come with DCC and sound. The selection of styles and road names is larger than ever before, and best of all, many manufacturers are now producing high-quality plastic steam locomotives.
     You like freight cars? Well, then today is your day! Companies like Kadee, Atlas, Intermountain, Athearn and many others are producing ready-to-run cars of the highest detail. Of course, if building freight cars is your thing, there are more choices than ever from Westerfield, Funaro & Camerlengo and others. The paint jobs on these beauties are first class, and they come with knuckle couplers and steel wheels. How can you go wrong.
     But I still hear the traditionalists say that there's less available for the scratchbuilder. WRONG! Not only are there more selections from stripwood manufacturers, but the quality of the wood is better than it ever was. Have you seen Mt. Albert stripwood? Manufacturers like Tichy and Grandt Line make a complete line of windows, doors and details in every scale. Companies like Paper Creek, Rusty Stumps, Northeastern Scale Models and old standby Campbell , make lots of roofing materials.

Building the Rutland Railroad APRIL 2007

     Well, I worked my fanny off in March and finished the layout. Since it's done, there's no reason to talk about it anymore, and certainly no reason to waste your time with pictures of another “finished” model railroad…

I know, you know I'm kidding…

     I wish I had big news to report, but the fact of the matter is that I accomplished nothing in March…zippo, zilch, zero. This is certainly no way to make progress. Excuses? Yeah, I've got a bunch, but the truth is that occasionally, just like all of us, work and family take precedence, and that's what happened in March.

     April won't find me on the sideline though. Dick Elwell will be paying me a visit later this month, and he and I will be roughing in a large portion of scenery in the Proctor/Center Rutland / Cavendish areas of the layout.
     The initial scenery that was built was done so with plaster gauze over cardboard strips. This is how Dave Frary and I work. Dick uses a different technique that he wants me to try. He uses beaded Styrofoam and shapes it with a Bonsai saw.
     He then paints the foam with earth colored paint, sprinkles on a layer of contractors sand using undiluted white glue, adds ground foam, trees, etc…and is done with it. I you've seen his layout, you certainly can't argue with the results.
     I've got my work cut out for me in the interim though. I have to finish setting the final track grade in those towns as well as cut out and remove the excess plywood around the right-of-way.
     So for a while anyway, I can turn my focus away from making trees, although the reality of it is that new hill means I'll need even more trees.
     Last month I talked about using a material called Peppergrass (also known as Candy Tuft) to make trees. I received close to 200 e-mails from folks wanting to know where to get the stuff. Well, I decided to become a dealer, so now you can get it from me. A case, which is 40 bunches and about enough to make 750 trees, costs $110.00 plus $12.00 shipping and handling. That's about $30.00 less than list.
     I can only sell this material by the case, as I have no desire to stock the material, then separate it and ship small quantities. It can be ordered right on my website.