"Have I become the Jerry Lewis... of railroaders?"

I enjoy a good joke as much as anyone, and if it's at my expense, so much the better... usually! I do not take myself, or anyone else, too seriously. But I don't care for unsolved mysteries very much, and there's one that's got me befuddled. Perhaps a fellow blogger or computer savvy reader can help.

Various statistics are available to bloggers regarding their viewership, including country of origin. For the first ten months of this blog's existence, American visitors dominated, accounting for about 75% of all views. Canadians comprised about 15%, Brits 5% and the rest of the world the remaining 5%. No surprises there. But in the past month, French viewership has rivaled that of American... and there is no rhyme or reason to it. It's defies any rationale.

Goofy American comic Jerry Lewis enjoys an unrivaled popularity in France to the point that he was named to the country's Legion of Honor. His work on behalf of the Muscular Dystrophy Association is legendary. He has even earned a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. But to many Americans, first and foremost, he'll always be the Nutty Professor!

I do not mean to denigrate Mr. Lewis or the French people, but I can not determine what about my blog should be so appealing to a Francophile. I have on occasion used French phrases and even once mentioned the Tour de France in my Sam Posey post, but that simply can't be it. Have hundreds of avid readers collectively relocated to the Cote d'Azur? That would be neat, but doubtful.

Last night at 10 pm EST here in north central New Jersey, there was a greater French audience than American and it was 4 am on the Champs Elysee! Is my blog the sure-fire cure for, how do you say, snooty insomniacs? "Mon dieu!"

Google support has assured me that this cannot be a glitch. Of course not. But then why am I identified as "a visitor from Sugarland, Texas" whenever I click on other blogs? That's a suburb of Houston, more than 1,600 miles from my basement laptop. Anyone? What am I missing?

UPDATE: March 7, 2016
Once again, at 9:45 pm EST, only five views are currently logged in from the United States and 25 views are supposedly logged in from France, where it is 3:45 in the morning! In the past month, more views have allegedly come from France than the US, while in the first ten months of this blog, US views outnumbered those from France by a rate of 6:1. Someone has some real 'splaining to do. This is ridiculous, but enough about this. More model railroading up in our next post.



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   BONUS:  JUST  ONE  MORE  THING  BEFORE  WE  GO...  

 

"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now... and not defer nor neglect it." - Jerry Lewis

"Honoring our veterans... a word of thanks!"

A quick word today on Veteran's Day. I can never grasp the horror of combat or even the disruptions to one's personal life while serving in peacetime. But it has never been lost on me that the life my family enjoys is due to the commitment of so many brave souls who always have, and always will, protect our nation.

It seems like the observance of today's holiday has gained some traction this year, but the cynic in me wonders if such promotion is ratings and profit driven. No matter I guess, if it results in greater awareness of our veterans and of the sacrifices each and every one of them have made to maintain our freedom.

What if the proliferation of commemorative camouflage apparel in professional sports reached our hobby? Hmmm... Should the Old Main Line salute our nation's veterans with this one-size-fits-all cap?  I'll check with NFL Properties for a suggested retail price and potential licensing fees, because after all, they are the bastion of  social conscience. 

 

I'll honor my dad today with a phone call and some small talk about his time on Guam with the Air Force in WWII. His memory is vivid about the old days, including never wearing camouflage, although sadly he can't recall what he had for breakfast, or if he even had breakfast. Be well and enjoy the day.

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   BONUS:  RHETORICAL  QUESTION  OF  THE  DAY...  

 

Is it possible that a not-too-sharp hunting enthusiast misses the point when professional athletes compete in commemorative camo?

 



"The 50th Post... Time to review, assess, decide."

"Who'd a thunk it?" My golden anniversary! Fifty posts since the introduction of this blog April 1, 2015. With that in mind, here's a brief end-of-summer summary of this effort. Keep in mind, I'm learning as I go... hopefully.

I'm not quite sure how Google measures views, but I am curious about the total number of views, as well as the number of views by post. I can understand when a viewer clicks on a post, but what about once that reader starts scrolling, reading other posts? I also don't understand the benefits of membership to any blog, so I haven't provided that side-bar feature for followers... that, and the fear of embarrassment of not getting anyone!

Anyway, some highlights follow below, with never-before-seen photos!

MVP (MOST VIEWED POST): Jim Dufour's beautiful B&M Cheshire Branch takes top honors as the most popular post. It continues to hold off all challengers comfortably, even most other layout features which, other than the first one, have been widely viewed also.



LEAST VIEWED: At the other end of the spectrum is the least viewed post entitled, 'Practice Makes Perfect... Really?' from April 26th about my preliminary kitbashing efforts of the Ilchester depot. So to recap succinctly, the most viewed posts on my blog are those of other modelers' work and the least viewed is that of mine. Ouch, but  I can actually see that.



PERSONAL FAVORITE: The April 17th feature on Art Curren is very popular with readers, but it really holds a special place for me. It's personal, it's nostalgic and the writing captures some moments through the eyes of an awkward, star-struck 21 year old.



HONORABLE MENTION: The post from May 31st embodied exactly what I would like all of my construction posts to embody... clear writing, detailed photos and a consistent theme. Architects understand 'Firmness, Commodity and Delight' to be the three ingredients necessary for sturdy, useful and attractive design. It's applicable to model railroaders, too.



MOST IMPROVED: The recent post on modeling the key elements of Ellicott City's structures using 'Selective Representation' started slowly with readers, but is really gaining steam... climbing with a bullet, as they say on the pop charts. It's the type of post that I hope will engage readers and spark some dialog.



UNSUNG HERO: Somewhat unexpectedly, the June 16th post about Sam Posey's 'Playing with Trains' generated considerable viewing and comments from readers. It's just outside the top five all-time and obviously everyone has thoughts about why we do what we do.



PARTICIPATION TROPHY: April 24th's 'Road Trip' post earns inclusion here for having the best 'Rhetorical Question of the Day,' whose answers I rehearsed prior to returning home when my wife would inevitably inquire about my dietary decision making. Alas, despite the prepared answers, she was only interested in knowing if I had had a good time.

So a word of thanks to readers and to fellow bloggers for their help and support. Props to those who have offered comments. And a special shout out to those who have included the Old Main Line on their own blog listings. The blogs of Trevor Marshall and Marty McGuirk especially seem to direct many readers here. I appreciate that very much.
 

The blog itself has been fun, overall. It's been a creative work of self expression, much as a layout itself is. My interest in building dialog and engagement with readers is probably the equivalent of a layout achieving the point of operations.

Maybe this isn't the format for such engagement or maybe it just takes time. In any case, I'll be back in some fashion after Labor Day, but whatever time and energy I have left after life's mounting daily requirements will most likely be directed to the layout itself. In all honestly, it remains to be seen how motivated I will be to update this blog as regularly as I have been. Have a great Labor Day.

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  BONUS:  RHETORICAL QUESTION  OF  THE  DAY... 

Exactly whom is photo-bombing whom in this canine-only picture?



"Beers, burgers and bros... GSD Summer Meet."

If you are a member of the Garden State Division or any neighboring division, you are probably aware of the much-anticipated meet this Saturday, August 1st. But here's a reminder for all.

The GSD is featuring something different for the summer, crossing into Pennsylvania to visit the slate industry in Bangor, including the opportunity to have a nice lunch at the restored Broadway Pub, plus New Jersey layout tours including those of Harold Werthwein, Tony Koester and Ed Suhy.

The very spry 93 year old Harold Werthwein's basement empire features the Delaware Division of the Erie RR. It was featured in Great Model Railroads 1999 and is amazing.



Tony Koester's Nickel Plate Road is well known to readers of the hobby press and is nearing scenic completion. It's as close to the real thing as possible. Now, you can see it in person.



Ed Suhy's HO scale Sante Fe layout is under construction and features a helix, large classification yard and detailed scenes like this one.



The Paulinskill Viaduct is one of the prototypical attractions in the region near the layouts.



Bangor, PA is the center of the slate belt and offers the Heritage Center Museum, nearby quarries and piles of slate slag debris along roadsides.



The Broadway Pub is in the heart of Bangor, PA in the restored Colonial Hotel. Ample public parking is available. Pick-up free, self-guided tour maps here from 11 am - noon.

The general area for all of these attractions is just off of Interstate 80 in the northwest corner of New Jersey a few miles east of the Delaware Water Gap. If you live within a couple of hours of here, take a nice scenic drive for the day. As of now, we know that groups from New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania are joining many Jerseyans for the day. Check out all details here . Hope to see you.

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  BONUS:  RHETORICAL  QUESTION  OF  THE  DAY... 

 

Did you know? Harold is still expanding his 85' x 30' layout and fine-tuning existing areas including the fabrication of hand-built turnouts.

"Serenity now!... and other summer highlights."

Boy, did I need a break from this blog. Totally bonked. Hit the wall and the wall hit back. Blogger Eric Hansmann warned me about this. So please allow me to ease back into this slowly as I am suffering from post-Tour de France withdrawal. Nevertheless, my July has been filled with some of life's precious little moments. And some actually have railroad tie-ins. Herewith a sampling:


The morning of July 4th  began with Stormy and Duffy denied their independence by an intruder in our yard who would not leave until all select foliage was consumed. My attempts to frighten the vandal were comical including the throwing of scraps of wood left over from my bench work. Apparently I've lost a lot off of my fastball. I pray the neighbors weren't watching. Storm and Duff were less than impressed. Their incessant barking sounded something like, "Give us liberty or give us treats."

My daughter and I visited hulu's  Seinfeld exhibit in New York celebrating their purchase of all rights to the series. Larry Thomas who played the Soup Nazi, is interviewed amidst such props as David Puddy's Devil jersey and Jerry's puffy shirt. Nothing beats waiting 90 minutes in the blazing sun to get in. But isn't it every dad's dream to end up standing directly behind two scantily clad 'performers' from one of Manhattan's fine gentlemen's clubs who felt compelled to talk shop? Tough to say who was more uncomfortable... my 21 year old or me. Good times.



Near the Seinfeld exhibit was the NYC High Line, an elevated park along the old New York Central right-of-way running from just below 14th street to 34th street on the west side.



The high line has become an amazing oasis worth visiting for anyone visiting Manhattan.



If you wait long enough here, you will inevitably see someone try to throw the turnout. The 2015 issue of Model Railroad Planning has an article on  modeling the high line.



A college kid backed into my wife's car causing considerable damage. After weeks of inconvenience and frustration with the local police, insurance companies, rent-a-car dealer, leasing company and auto dealer, we were assured that the car was ready to be picked up, "good as new." ... OH COME ON, GUYS! REALLY?



What's more American than waiting at the local DMV for a new digital driver's license? Nothing says, "U-S-A, U-S-A,"  more, than a three hour wait with several hundred of  your closest friends. Hey Mr. absent-tee gov-en-ah, we were packed into a room clearly marked for a maximum occupancy of 64. Good job! Just telling it like it is, right, gov-en-ah?



But just down the street from the service-challenged New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is the former Rahway Valley station in Springfield. Although the right-of-way is long gone, the structure has been preserved and now serves as home to a chiropractor. Nice.

That's the highlight reel for now. Sorry about the lack of railroad motif, but we'll get back on track shortly, so to speak. No worries, I won't be going all Facebook. Thanks for the emails of concern, but all is well, big picture-wise. See you soon.

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  BONUS:  RHETORICAL  QUESTION  OF  THE  DAY... 

 

Is there an update available on the layout?

A) "Oh, it's actually finished, but I lost the photos."
B) "There have been a few minor glitches that experts are studying." 
C) "Asking for an update seems rather forward, doesn't it?"
D) "What layout?"

"Playing with trains... and understanding why."

About 25 years and 25 pounds ago, I was mercifully ending my thoroughly mediocre foray into bicycle racing. It was a leisure pursuit that I defined much too literally in most races. But I knew that I could always look forward to my beloved Tour de France every July, and American television's butchering of its coverage. (To be fair, CBS and John Tesch did a nice job in the 1980's.)

In this particular year, ABC Sports assigned former Grand Prix auto racer Sam Posey as its analyst on the three week bicycle race. Not a good omen. Surprisingly, this gearhead did a wonderful job conveying the beauty, ferocity and strategic nuances of this 21 stage spectacle. It was evident that he had done his homework and sincerely seemed captivated by the non-motorized event.

Fast forward about ten years. Now who is this Sam Posey with a cover article in Model Railroader? No-one-single-man races at Le Mans, covers the Tour de France and builds a model railroad layout worthy of cover status, right? Wrong!

 



The December 2001 issue featured Sam Posey's home layout in a brilliant, but uncharacteristically abstract article for the magazine.



Various tricks were detailed for readers interested in expanding the perception of their layout space, if they could grasp 'the sensory inputs and visual mechanics,' Sam espoused.



Dave Frary's photos were easy to understand. Sam's conceptual sketches? ... not so much.  I accepted the possibility that he was on an intellectual level that I may not know.

 

Fast forward now to 2005. A new book is out about model railroading... by Sam Posey! Boy, this guy is motivated! In it, he examines participants' passion for the hobby and identifies what he sees as two distinct camps within. One is the 'artiste,' or imagineer as Disney would say, characterized by Malcom Furlow and his fantasy-inspired free-lanced creations. The other is the 'pragmatist,' or operator of prototypically-based layouts, best represented by Tony Koester, he of the Time Table and Train Order gang.

 



The book is a thoughtful analysis of our hobby and makes for a great summer read. Sam tracks his childhood memories of his first layout to his current observations about the many extremes that modelers exhibit.



The architectural graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design now spends his days with another love, painting, while unfortunately coping with the effects of Parkinson's Disease.

I bet that neither Furlow nor Koester were all-that-willing poster boys for the two extremes, at least not to where either believed in mutual exclusivity. But Posey's examination of the two factions forces the reader to assess his own focus. By holding up two of the best known magazine contributors with very different emphases, readers can evaluate their own belief system against that backdrop.

It's a good read, written by a true renaissance man whose mantra has been, 'conceive, believe, achieve,' through a life of distinctly varied personal successes.

Next, 'Friendly Fridays' returns featuring a layout whose creators skillfully combined both artistic expression with prototype authenticity to produce a wonderful re-creation of a Vermont railroad. See you then.

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  BONUS:  RHETORICAL  QUESTION  OF  THE  DAY...  

 

Did you know? The author's only real weakness as a bicycle racer was that he got winded before anyone else which, as it turns out, tends to be a very real impediment to winning races.

"Dreaming of trains... The jazz version."

While I finagle with track plans, contemplate the relative benefits of single deck vs. multi-deck and digest the much-appreciated thoughts of friends and readers, I do so listening to soft jazz on one of my cable provider's 'Music Choice' stations. In fact, unless I have a ballgame on when I'm downstairs, the flat screen is always tuned to the relaxing instrumental sounds of, among others, The Rippingtons, Acoustic Alchemy, Peter White, Chris Botti, Earl Klugh or David Benoit.

It's particularly relaxing to be at my drawing board, or at my computer or working on the layout to this music. One artist with whom I was not familiar, but who has grown to be a favorite, is guitarist Ken Navarro. Ironically, one of his most popular albums is entitled, Dreaming of Trains. Now that's  kind of a neat coincidence! But there's more.



Released in 2010, the album features the title cut, plus hits like, 'The Stars, The Snow, The Fire,' 'Self Propelled' and 'Shared Air.' The artist's current album is 'Ruby Lane,' with hits as the title cut and 'Running Toward the Sun.' It also contains, "Westbound and Rolling!"





Influenced by the likes of Pat Metheny, Ken was born in Lafayette, Indiana, but it is his current place of residence that makes his inclusion on this unusual entry most appropriate.



Duffy particularly enjoys chilling downstairs to soft jazz, while Stormy, Chief of Security in the mold of Barney Fife, remains upstairs dutifully policing all doors and windows. 



I don't know what the derivation of that album's title is, or whether he has any particular interest in trains. But, according to the bio notes that run on screen during an artist's song, Ken Navarro currently resides in... drum roll please... Ellicott City, MD! I knew I liked this guy. But that's wild. What are the odds?

 

If you are curious, you can check out selections from all of his albums at his website here. I think you'll enjoy his richly layered tracks and uplifting, soulful melodies. Duffy and I certainly do. See you Friday with our next installment of that day's regular weekly feature.

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  BONUS:  RHETORICAL  QUESTION  OF  THE  DAY...  

 

Did you know that Ken Navarro occasionally performs at Baldwin's, the former B&O depot in Sykesville? I just may need to get there next time. Take a listen...

 







"We interrupt our regularly scheduled program..."

... to bring you this commercial message and a Public Service Announcement.

The Garden State Division of the NER/NMRA will be co-hosting its spring meet with the New Jersey Division of the MER/NMRA next Saturday, May 9th at 9 am at the Municipal Building in Hillsborough, NJ. Assorted morning activities include two clinics, a white elephant table, bring and brag session and door prizes. Self-guided tours of some terrific home layouts throughout central New Jersey follow in the afternoon. Plus, there's free donuts!

Come on out if you are anywhere in the vicinity. The exact address is 379 South Branch Road, Hillsborough, New Jersey, very near to Interstates 78 and 287 and highways 22, 202 and 206. Click here for full details and directions.



The very personable Mike Prokop of the NJD will give a lively clinic on the varied uses of LEDs for layout and model lighting, while yours truly will discuss four different applications for styrene as a backdrop material, three of which have been covered on this blog so far. Please say 'hi' if you're a reader here and have some free donuts!



Have you paid your dues this year to the only non-profit, all volunteer organization charged with promoting the ongoing growth of the world's greatest hobby?  Just asking...

  

Now the Public Service Announcement:

"Scenery is a terrible thing to waste!"  The photo below has been sent to several friends who are wonderfully talented, but who have procrastinated for years at this next step. They want to get to it. Their shelves are full of products from Scenic Express and Woodland Scenics. It just hasn't happened yet, but it will. They really mean it.

Well, as a former business mentor of mine used to say, "One day and some day ain't days of the week!"

The message is a relevant one, for all aspects of living. It's not always an easy one to follow, but it's worth considering, especially for scenery. (Boy, just wait til I get to wiring. Talk about procrastination!).



Hey look...  I've already started scenery on the Old Main Line!... Have you?

 

Give me a second to get back down off the soapbox here. OK, I'm good.

Tomorrow we'll visit a beautiful layout by a modeler whose research and affection for this New England branch line comes through in every scene he carefully recreates. See you then.

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  BONUS:  RHETORICAL  QUESTION  OF  THE  DAY...  

The best reason NOT to be a member of the National Model Railroad Association and NOT to support the hobby is:
A) I don't care if advertisers and media undervalue my participation.
B) A former NMRA official treated me badly once so I have a grudge.
C) The sustainability of the hobby that I love is not my problem.
D) I haven't always agreed with every decision that the NMRA makes.
E) I just can't afford dues because I buy a lot of stuff that I never use.
F) None of the above.



"Setting the stage... Scoring some points, too."

The ambience of a layout area is important to me. Beyond railroad memorabilia, things like campaign materials, calendars, advertising signage and movie posters can help set a mood while defining time and place. There has been no shortage of such articles in the railroad press so hopefully I've learned something. I'm trying to build my inventory smartly.

Movie producer/director Barry Levinson has done four movies depicting his hometown of Baltimore during the post-war baby boom. Two of them, Diner and Tin Men are all-time favorites and absolutely drip 'Bal-a-mer' nuance. I am keeping my eyes open for these two posters. I'm also interested in anything Baltimore Colts (remember them?) and National Bohemian Beer, simply known as Natty Bo. I welcome readers to offer any advice on other items too.


The coming-of-age comedy of
five friends in Baltimore, 1959. 

The hysterical home siding

scams in Baltimore, 1963.

Many of the photos you'll see on this blog have been framed and hung around the man cave, but a couple of new additions are really neat. My father-in-law is a retired New York City police officer, but unbeknownst to me, he worked for the New York Central Railroad right out of high school for a few years.

He apparently has been very quietly intrigued with my basement venture because he recently donated two artifacts that he has had in his attic. One is a blue lantern and the other is a spike, mounted on a plaque. Although neither is affiliated with the Old Main Line or even the B&O, I will proudly display them.

The spike came from the demolition of the Third Avenue 'elevated' in New York City, circa 1972. The lantern was used on the New York Central during train repairs in the yard. It signaled in no uncertain terms that the train was under service by repair personnel and could not be moved under any circumstances.

 

The sign below is perfect for the former entry and was purchased from the B&O Historical Society. It is a recreation of actual management signage. Note  the acceptable spelling of 'employes'  for that time. That's not a typo.

 



That's about it for now. Over the weekend we'll get back to more construction issues in closing off the former entry with bench work and backdrop. But first, we'll have a very special 'Friendly Fridays' feature. See you then.
 

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  BONUS:  RHETORICAL  QUESTION  OF  THE  DAY...  

 

What best speaks to the universal ambience of modelers?
A) Two empty pizza boxes, some uneaten crusts and half a beer.
B) Piles of scrap foam that are ideal for something, someday.
C) A workbench strewn with tools favored by dentists and jewelers.
D) All of the above  

"Not that there's anything wrong with that..."

One of the beauties inherent in our hobby is that it offers participants the opportunity to set priorities and choose areas of emphasis. In short, we decide what's important and what's not. We do what we like to do and try to minimize that which we don't (like electrical!). 

During the last couple of years, several bloggers have utilized a commercial service that manufactures plastic labels which modelers can customize to use as layout identifiers on their fascia. I had looked into this, but after I determined exactly what I needed, I concluded that it was $100 better spent on flex track and commercial turnouts.

I wanted to base my labels on B&O depot signage so I turned to Power Point and tinkered around for awhile exploring different commands and applications. After some trial, but mostly error, I learned how to produce what I wanted in size, shape, font, color, etc. Each measures 1-1/4" x 4-1/2".

I included mileage markers and directional indicators with the station names to avoid having too many labels on the layout fascia. I'll print this sheet out on mid-gloss peel-and-stick paper and cut out each label. I'll experiment with mounting directly to the fascia as well as to  styrene backing to determine what looks best.

Of course the beauty here is that the lads who chose to purchase the commercial labels happen to lay their own track and build their own turnouts, and unlike me, they seem to actually enjoy wiring. Beautiful!

And now if you'll excuse me, I'm being paged by my two very hungry buddies, Stormy and Duffy. Apparently I've lingered too long at the computer. Tomorrow we get back to my peninsula's bullnose backdrop that's been bugging me. See ya.

 

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  BONUS:  RHETORICAL  QUESTION  OF  THE  DAY...  

True or false? The inclusion of two cute dogs into this blog is nothing more than a shameless stunt directed at the female demographic.

"Testing 1,2,3... Testing... I think I'm on-the-line!"

Good morning. In a hobby filled with accomplished blogs and bloggers, it is only fitting that one by a technologically-challenged MWMABM (married white middle-aged balding male) debut on this specific day of the year. No fooling!

Fortunately as we move forward, any self-deprecation will probably be offset by the re-telling of the miscalculations and unfortunate events that resulted in the iconic Old Main Line's ultimate irrelevance. And in a purely accidental, but convenient excuse to replicate the prototype, the many foibles and mishaps of building this layout will be embarrassingly detailed in full disclosure.

The developers of the 19th century textile mill complex at Daniels, MD sought to harness the full power of the Patapsco River by situating  it inside a very tight elbow of the modest river. It seemed like a good idea at the time. But we'll see that this wasn't the first, or biggest, miscalculation made on the OML.

 

Begun in November 2012, the layout's progress has been stalled by two major design changes that necessitated unexpected construction delays. In real life, contractors refer to such as change orders, and they can be very costly. In my case the dollar cost was minimal, but the time cost was not.

The realization was this: I needed to change my mantra from "Get it right the first time," to "Just get it right before it's too late!" Although each decision represented one step back for two steps forward, the ultimate net result should be an improved layout.

We'll play catch-up on the last 2-1/2 years for awhile before we arrive at present-day status. Tomorrow we'll look at the generous basement space that was available for a layout and a contentious ruling by the household's Senior VP of Real Estate Distribution and Utilization. See you then.

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  BONUS:  RHETORICAL  QUESTION  OF  THE  DAY...  

 

The introduction of this blog is a positive development because:
A) It fills a real need in a hobby devoid of opinions and preferences.
B) It distracts the author from career and family responsibilities.
C) It justifies the author's degrees in journalism and architecture.
D) None of the above.