M Graff

Considering that you own a ECoS, I would recommend that you at least buy one sound decoder (of quality), just to find out if it's the way you want to go with your hobby. I would recommend that you buy a ESU V4 as it is both state of the art and very easy to use with the ECoS. I have almost went all-sound myself, and I find it most fascinating! What I have noticed, is that I don't run my non-sound locomotives much, and that I try to drive the sound equipped ones as realistic as I can! Sure it's expensive to equip a whole fleet of locomotives, but then again, it's not necessary to do them all at once. I have been sound equipping my locomotives for close to 12 years now, and at a pace of about 2 each year, it doesn't feel expensive..... The worst part of that way of doing it, is that I, at some point, will have to start replacing the older ones as they aren't as good as the later ones...... My first sound decoders were ESU loksound V2 bought back in 1999, and they were state of the art (to say the least) back then, but not so today..... So try it out, if it's something you like, go for it. Otherwise it's not hard to sell it.....

All too real I'm afraid! And some people asks why Märklin went through a bankruptcy......

I just installed a ESU Loksound V4 micro in my Boxcab (see part 19 & 20), I used the OEM-speaker and I think it is just wonderful! There is noticeable improvement with this decoder compared with the 3.5. I bought the "empty" decoder and used my Lokprogrammer to install the sound. There is no soundfiles for a 1925 AGEIR Boxcab though.... But until I can find some nice sounds to make a soundproject of my own for it,I will use the sound that I installed as a "good enough" sound. The sound is from a Baldwin VO6, and I think it sounds rather nice (and yes, I have rather low sounds on my locos as I find it more realistic that way). I made a small clip of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NwGXMGSxgQ Source: The M-K & Eastern RR Harbour branch

Yes but it didn't work until I made an update....

I found another way to do it as well, when doing the tap/hold on the image and get the window with save/view, and select view. It opens in a new tab, and if I copy the URL it works too! I made this one like that:

Thanks 30801! It works!

So far so good, now a big one:

Let's see if it works then:

The only solution for now seems to be to change from Picasa to Photobucket.... A nuisance really, as I have all of my pics on Picasa.

I tried one of the Android forums, but they didn't care/bothered to answer..... and as it is more of a concern for us that use more pictures in our responses, I thought that it could be of interest for us here. I can use my tablet almost the same as my PC, but sometimes it gets a bit silly, when I can't access normal sites but have to look at amobile version.... I got a 10,2" screen on this, so I prefer normal viewing.... I write this on my tablet, so no problems with that.

Hi all, I have a small problem. I just bought an Acer Iconia A500 tablet, and it works great except for one thing; I can't copy the picture URL on my Picasa picures.... On the regular PC, it's just right click on the pic and use "copy picture url" and then paste into img-clamps. When I do the equivalent to right click on the Tablet I only get the option of saving or viewing the picture. All help is very valuable for me as a newbie on Android.

Really nice pics of the Live steamers, I wish I still had my Aster steamers whenever I see Live steam locos... Really cool sketch of the layout! It will be fun seeing the progress of the build.

Thanks, that means a lot to me To depict a believable US layout when living an ocean away, isn´t the easiest thing, and then to inspire someone else makes it all so worthwhile.

I've had some thoughts about the freelance prototype when building a freelance layout as I´m doing .... When I started the construction of my layout, I envisioned it located in Maine somewhere (a bit vague ...) The name of the company came after the initials of me and my wife ;-) "M-K & E RR" = Michael & Kerstins Enskilda Järnvägar (Michael & Kerstins Private RR) Something has to give when you get to build the layout in the living room ... The "real" readout of the name I had back then was: "The Maine-Kennebunkport & Eastern RR". It was to be situated and have its route around Portland somewhere (unclear where ...). Now, I have had the opportunity to study some more maps and so on, and after some thought, and suggestions from some acquaintances in the U.S., I´ve moved my company "a little" south to Connecticut and Rhode Island! That also goes together a lot better with the kind of car-float operation that I have. This is the route as it looked in 1943: The company was first named "The Berlin and Mystic Railway" when it started in 1911. The owner, Colonel Michaels, who was a cousin of the area's greatness; Woodrow Wilson (The U.S. 28:th President and Professor of Political Economics at Wesleyan University in Middletown). The Colonel had made his fortune in manufacturing Machine parts to the shipping industry. He sold his factories to "Wilcox, Crittenden and Company" in 1903 and bought the beginning to his railway in 1905. The first investment was a railway line that went from Berlin Conn. to Saybrook Junction Conn. After a swift sale of shares, the construction of the stretch to Mystic (just before Stonington) could be initiated in 1908 . It was completed in 1911. The First World War caused a big demand for rail transportation and the profits increased significantly. Construction of the eastward route to Providence was finished shortly after New Year 1915. Thanks to a past history in the shipping industry, Col. Michaels thought that a new locomotive driven by a "Ship engine" could be of interest ... The railroad was amongst the first to purchase a diesel locomotive. In 1925 AGEIR delivered a 300 HP 60 tons Boxcab locomotive to the Port of Middletown: It was supposed to replace Shay # 5, but the increased traffic during the second world war demanded that both were run simultaneously. Which the picture below, dated 1943, shows: After 1939, they changed the railroads name to "The Middletown-Kingston & Eastern RR", as they would not advertise a German-sounding name as it could cause some bad PR..... And the fact that the Railroad had it´s headquarter in Middletown and that the track was now stretching far beyond the Mystic, had it´s influence on the name change as well.... The Second World War has increased the traffic by the double and the company has been able to make some new investments in new material. A new SW-7 for the short freight trains between Middletown and Saybrook Jct as an example: So far the story behind my Railroad The section of the route I have built is supposed to be situated just south of Middletown. And it's fun to have a little more "history" behind it all ...

As someone who has worked with artists and seen their habits up close, I can´t say that I´m surprised of her death. I have had relatives of my own with addiction problems, and one that has died of an overdose.... I don´t feel sorry for them. [Admin Edit: potentially offensive / insensitive comment removed] regardless of their fame! And in Ms Winehouse´s case, it will just make her an Icon, together with the rest of the "I don´t care about society, just drugs"-27 club! Together with some other overrated druggies..... I think we, as a society, should embrace the artists that actually can be role models!

Not all copies are good.... A friend of mine that is a service technician for a big brand of RC-transmitters, was at a trade show in Hong Kong a few years ago. The "big brand" had just released their new flagship, and it cost in the region of £1500.... After they had made a visit to some factories, they went to a hobby shop in H-K and there they had the new transmitter for sale at a 5:th of the price.... He bought one one the spot, just to try it. When they got back home he tested it in the lab, and compared it to the regular ones, he found that it had some issues..... When opening it, he found out that almost all components in it was of a cheaper quality, and as built would never be CE certifiable! The factory that makes the original, makes a version for the "Asian market" of sub-standard components...... So, even a copy made by the factory, can be a very different creature!

Hi all, I have a small problem, when programming the adress on the Switchpilot to get the switches to be controlled on the Multimaus at #1 - #4, it wont work but instead is being controlled by #5 - #8?!? I use the ESU lokprogrammer to programme it..... So I don´t understand why it wont work. I would like to have the two switchpilots I have to be controlled by #1 - #8 on the Multimaus. Any input? Thanks!

Hi all, I "finally" got a bad thing on eBay.... I bought a chassi for a Bachmann Brill streetcar, and in the photo it showed this: Clearly the newer chassi (just like the one I have and I needed a new power truck for...... Instead, he sent me an old chassi with two broken sideframes and a PANCAKEMOTOR like this!: Isn´t that fraud?!?! I thought that you had to show the item for sale in the pic...... Or at least an equal one... Then I saw this: My link Okay........ That explains a bit at least.... Obviously the seller isn´t so keen on taking pics for his ads.... The hard part is that the seller has no negative in the feedback and a 100 % score, but he won´t answer my emails..... Then I don´t know if it is something wrong with eBays mailservice or something else that´s up. I don´t know what to do really...... On one hand I think I´ve been scammed, but on the other hand it could just be a simple misunderstanding.... Tricky! And for the price I paid, I could have bought a new truck from Bachmann including shipping..... I don´t think that ebay will help either, they want me to return the item to the seller at my own expense to get a refund...... As I live in Sweden, that will cost me MORE than I paid for the chassi..... If it had been lost on the other hand, then I would have got a refund.... Too bad that I´m an honest person .

Am I glad that I live in a country with "free" healthcare..... The way that the world is working it´s way through capitalism is horrendous to me. To have privately owned companys making a profit on something that is more or less life important (read healthcare...) is not really intelligent... I refuse to accept to pay more for something, just to keep the stock holders and owners fat, and be able to afford another house in Tuscany! Just my opinion.....

Weathered O-scale SD-40 Well, this raises a few questions..... Firstly, let me say that I found that weathering totally uninspired...... Only two bidders, but they obviously WANTED it! Is this an example of that some of the O-scale crowd are hitting the pipe a bit hard, or is it that no one makes good weathered O-scale equipment for sale??? But I forgot, it had "coffe stains on the cab" and an engraved plate...... That sure makes it worth the money..... I especially like that he mentions all the factory standards, as they would be exclusive... The rest of the work is way over exclaimed as well (as is a LOT of stuff on eBay...).... I hope the buyer is satisfied.....

Here is my latest pic. It features a Ahrens-Fox Fire engine in US Navy markings.

Thanks, I added a period photo as well .

I have some favorite "hate objects" in model railroading. Among other things, in terms of cliches .... For example, I would not like to have a church on the layout, as there is one in every old track book! The same applies to fire trucks .... Scenes of burning buildings with smoke generator and fire trucks with flashing lights ..... Not for me thanks . I happened to see a kit that almost converted me! A-(nother) Jordan-kit! An Ahrens Fox fire engine!?!. I just had to buy it ..... But I couldn´t allow myself to paint it red! Since my layout is depicting a big city in New England during World War II, one can imagine that there were variations on the theme. Then I had an idea, because both the model year on the fire engine was a bit old, and it was wartime, it could be "normal" that they used older equipment as rescue vehicles. In my case, I checked around and saw a lot of references to older material which was painted and served during the war. Several used by the U.S. Navy, and painted intermediate blue! Said and done! That decided it. A U.S. Navy fire engine, stationed in the harbor as an emergency vehicles in case of bombing or other sabotage (or even an explosion in the nearby "Hughes Industries" ). This is the result: I´m satisfied B) Edit: I made a period picture of it: Source: The M-K & Eastern RR Harbour branch

Hi all, I took some new pics of the SW today. It is always hard to photograph black locomotives, but outdoors with some reflector screens, it works quite nice: The rust on the sideframes with the soaked in oil is something I think worked out really great. The custom made heralds is very nice to work with, really good quality! (thanks Jack) All in all, I´m really happy with the result! I have bought some figures for the layout: It was some need for some work crews for the yard duties "Bob the brakeman", has the switch list at hand.. It looks a bit more "yard like" now I think... Source: The M-K & Eastern RR Harbour branch