Well, I've been busy. The results are posted over in the "SouthWestTrakers" blog.

Jump over there and take a look, okay?

Joe

These are "Wide Corners," using R414/381mm superelevated curves.

Apartment Corner - pictures 1-6

The track has power feeds, and is glued/nailed down, awaiting some ballast.
The two-lane roadway inside it needs striping.
As for the stairway to nowhere, see #5 & 6.
I still need to add details indluding figures, shrubs and trees.
Note each apartment block is trimmed in a different color.
Block numbers will be added.
The sidewalks are glued down, but the apartments will wait until I add figures.

In #5, the intent is to add a jogging/bikeing trail along the outside ridge.
And #6, well, I need to raise the walkway a bit. And, yes, it will get railings.

Hotel Janet - pictures 7-8

#7 and #8 are glimpses of the wide corner named for my sister-in-law. It is in
the Payne box while I let various parts thoroughly dry. It just barely fits, but
the box is due to be rebuilt a bit larger. In the meantime, the hotel lifts off.
There are trees, shrubs, flowers and figures and other details still to add.

In #8, the track is taped in prep of a glue "seal" coat being applied.
The blue shrubs look more dark green in 'real life' than the blue seen here.

Not shown is the first wide corner, "MGBI Headquarters." That stands for
Mega Greed Banking and Insurance. It needs some figures (they all do!) and the
addition of power feeds to the track. Otherwise, it is about finished.

Speaking of power feeds, these are the first modules in which I am soldering all
internal joints. All modules Old and new) will eventually be so soldered. In
addition, most of my modules, new and old, will get power feeds to a terminal
block. That way, depending on the setup configuration, power connections can
be easily added where needed.

There is a fourth wide corner, as well as two wide junction modules. So far,
various ideas have been considered, but nothing firm has taken shape for them.
When these three are "finished" I will have to get something going on them.

Editing the LSR

Next month, the local railroad club here in the Lubbock area is hosting a convention
for the LSR Region of the NMRA. Since, due to a combination of circumstances, we
(the TTrak-N modelers) are not able to have a display layout there. The room space
is available, the bodies to set up and run are not. Most are tied up with convention
tasks, while I will be out of town. Oh, well.

So, some of the group thought that we could substitute a slideshow video display of
our recent shows. It seems that a freeware program, IrfanView, has the capability to
use both .jpg and .avi files in a screensaver function. From a hint given to me, this is
proving to be a most useful program. The trick is to save it as an .exe file, not as a
.scr file.

So much for the boring bits. I'm collecting and editing the video files and jpg's. In
the end it will be a large file. So, unfortunately, I'm not sure that the result can be
shared. Oh, well, my masterpiece (ha!) may forever be mine.

Digital fever

It took a bit of study, but the new DCC system is beginning to m ake sense - and that's scary!

But, with about four hours effort over two days, I now have five DCC locos ready for showtime. The addresses are set, all came with knuckle couplers, and four railroad lines are represented.

So, small steps, but forward, none the less. It's been a good weekend.

Catching up

It's been a busy 2011 so far. I've participated in three (only?) train shows and helped

with the preparations for the NMRA's Lone Star Region Convention to be held in

Lubbock in June.

Not to mention a fairly busy chedule subbing in middle and high school classes, and

slipping in a short get-away to Albuquerque with Cindy.

I'm thinking that it should slow down sometime, but I don't know. My model railroad

group is getting very active, and it looks like it will speed up over the summer. We have

a show in Wolfforth (a Lubbock suburb) in mid-August, and an invite to join several

other groups in Austin in October. So many modules to finish (and start some, too!)

before then.

Anyway, winter's gone, summer's coming, and I'd best stay busy before it runs over me.

Ah, such is life in the fast lane of retirement.

Missing in Action?

Oh, my, I'm over a year behind. I have GOT to get back to documenting my drivel and misfortunes.

It's not all bad, I've just been busy with TTrak modeling. My total is somewhere the far side of 30 modules, with a few (ha!) more in process. My friends and I have named our local TTrak group "SouthWest Trakers" and there is a blog starting under that name.

Well, other tasks call. More later - - -