.
- Thread starter Jordan
- Start date
InvernessTMD
Western Thunderer
I don't do anything for ages then I have a mad period where lots of stuff gets done (but not always finished...) and not always useful stuff!
I am currently working on Witts End, and I dug out Iceni Road the other day and did some more pipework between the buildings on it, but that has to be the first time it has been out this year...
I am currently working on Witts End, and I dug out Iceni Road the other day and did some more pipework between the buildings on it, but that has to be the first time it has been out this year...
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Dear confused of Black Country.
Just sing this to Roger Millers 1965 song England Swings.... (with due apologies)
Doncaster swings like a O scale show
GP9’s, two by two
Cot-ton belt, the Southern Pa-cific
The rosy-red cheeks of the Soo-oo Line
Now, if you huff and puff and you finally save enough
Money you can take a trip across the Pen-nines
Take a tip before you take your trip, let me tell you where to go
Go to Doncaster, oh
Doncaster swings like a O scale show…..
Just sing this to Roger Millers 1965 song England Swings.... (with due apologies)
Doncaster swings like a O scale show
GP9’s, two by two
Cot-ton belt, the Southern Pa-cific
The rosy-red cheeks of the Soo-oo Line
Now, if you huff and puff and you finally save enough
Money you can take a trip across the Pen-nines
Take a tip before you take your trip, let me tell you where to go
Go to Doncaster, oh
Doncaster swings like a O scale show…..
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
I bet it was good to get trains running. Where's the SOO? 
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Dear confused of the black country, suggest you start here.
Search: Soo line | Flickr
or this
For a little more grunt
Probably won't find your mojo, but who cares, it's a 567 block.
In addition, you don't find mojos, they find you
I find spending money often lures them out of hiding and then usually not the ones you were looking for but new ones.
Sadly, having fallen down the above rabbit holes, I'm having to beat several of mine back into submission, perhaps I should send them your way?
MD
Search: Soo line | Flickr
or this
For a little more grunt
Probably won't find your mojo, but who cares, it's a 567 block.
In addition, you don't find mojos, they find you
I find spending money often lures them out of hiding and then usually not the ones you were looking for but new ones.
Sadly, having fallen down the above rabbit holes, I'm having to beat several of mine back into submission, perhaps I should send them your way?
MD
Dog Star
Western Thunderer
Of course there are... do you want one for 1:43.5 or 1:48? Or maybe a flexible friend that can offer 31.5mm, 32mm, 33mm or maybe even 1 1/4" if you have a desire for an American Mojo?
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
Jordan,
I think my mojo feeds off other people! Certainly being part of a tight knit group in Finney7 and having my own projects gives me the right mix; there's always something to do, or some encouragement, to suit my temperament at any particular moment.
Steph
I think my mojo feeds off other people! Certainly being part of a tight knit group in Finney7 and having my own projects gives me the right mix; there's always something to do, or some encouragement, to suit my temperament at any particular moment.
Steph
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Ah well, in a few weeks a treat awaits; I will be getting to see American trains for real, for the very first time.On my return, I hope to find my Mojo waiting at the top of the loft hatch!!
Awesome, anywhere in particular, you will be impressed if you see some, the physical size is the first thing that hits you, then the length if you get to see a roll by.
After posting the above I clicked the youtube links on the left, as you do, and ended up down a very big rabbit hole of a guys videos in Florida around the area I haunt, so I've a nice list of new locations to visit if/when I go back.
MD
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
)
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Jordan,
Okay, forget Rachels and Taft, pretty dead since they moved the intermodal to down near Winter Park.
You will see the two Amtraks each day though and they pass between 11:00 and 13:00, most freight is nights or early morning. The new SunRail platforms do get reasonable viewing of the north end of the manifest yard and you may get lucky and see the rock train, there's also a coal train two or three times a week but I never managed to catch that.
I've also just found out that CSX have been making cut backs since last year and now Winston Yard is also closed with all the traffic concentrated on Mulberry. Mulberry has two yards...so I've just found out but the second isn't as accessible as the one I visited. You will almost always find locos at Mulberry first thing in the morning, I think I maybe had a 10% fail rate at Mulberry as opposed to 90% at Taft since the intermodal closed. Now that it hosts all the Winston traffic as well, it should be a lot busier, so it should be a better place to go. There's a road runs right past one of the engine tracks and you can get real close.
Another definite spot for trains is Plant City, it's a nice town so the wife can wander and shop if she likes, but no malls I'm afraid. Plant city is a junction so trains are usually slow and it's in the middle of town so no long vista shots and very short warning times for approaching trains.
Don't trust barriers as a sign a train is coming, if it's running at track speed it'll be down about...oh roughly 10-20 seconds before the train hits the crossing, there's none of this down for two or three minutes before the train arrives messing around we have over here.
If you want fast trains then Dade City or Bushnell, though the curve at Bushnell has a mild restriction on it.
Another place is Wildwood, always something going on there, mostly shunting in the morning but some pick ups arrive mid morning and the train engines will do the switching. Some trains will stop for a crew change, usually the coal ones so plenty of time to get nice close ups, others just blatt through at line speed.
As far as trains go, Orlando (A line) is a bit dead so you need to get about a bit more, even then you can get some real dead spots on the S line (Plant City - Vitis - Dade City - Wildwood) but you'll get the most hits early to mid morning and later in the afternoon.
I'm lucky, wifey and kids can look after themselves in the parks or malls and we usually go with the in laws (separate houses) so they ferry them around but if the family want a pool day or day at the villa then that'll be your best day to get some mileage in.
If not and you've only got a few hours here and there then try Taft, there might be some local power tied down there, there's usually some across the road behind the gas station, you can park there and walk up to the fence but it's not the best place to view trains really.
The other option is get up real early, whip down to Mulberry, grab your shots and head back to the villa / hotel, you'll be back by ten easy, then a day with the family.
I can mark on the maps the best places to see and photo trains if you want, it'll save you hours driving up and down dead ends. Give me a rough area where you're staying and I can mark the best roads in and out to save time, if it's around where we were then I know most of the ways in and out.
It all depends on how much free time you have, if your alone or with family, or what type of train you want to see.
I may be going next year and am going to head up to the Folkston gap, about sixty trains a day through there but it's a hell of a drive so will motel for a few days and explore the area.
All of the public stuff I've put in my Flickr site in this album CSX It's no where near all or even a small dent in the photos I have but it'll give you and idea of the general areas I'm on about. Which reminds me, I do need to sort some more photos and process them in due course.
MD
Okay, forget Rachels and Taft, pretty dead since they moved the intermodal to down near Winter Park.
You will see the two Amtraks each day though and they pass between 11:00 and 13:00, most freight is nights or early morning. The new SunRail platforms do get reasonable viewing of the north end of the manifest yard and you may get lucky and see the rock train, there's also a coal train two or three times a week but I never managed to catch that.
I've also just found out that CSX have been making cut backs since last year and now Winston Yard is also closed with all the traffic concentrated on Mulberry. Mulberry has two yards...so I've just found out but the second isn't as accessible as the one I visited. You will almost always find locos at Mulberry first thing in the morning, I think I maybe had a 10% fail rate at Mulberry as opposed to 90% at Taft since the intermodal closed. Now that it hosts all the Winston traffic as well, it should be a lot busier, so it should be a better place to go. There's a road runs right past one of the engine tracks and you can get real close.
Another definite spot for trains is Plant City, it's a nice town so the wife can wander and shop if she likes, but no malls I'm afraid. Plant city is a junction so trains are usually slow and it's in the middle of town so no long vista shots and very short warning times for approaching trains.
Don't trust barriers as a sign a train is coming, if it's running at track speed it'll be down about...oh roughly 10-20 seconds before the train hits the crossing, there's none of this down for two or three minutes before the train arrives messing around we have over here.
If you want fast trains then Dade City or Bushnell, though the curve at Bushnell has a mild restriction on it.
Another place is Wildwood, always something going on there, mostly shunting in the morning but some pick ups arrive mid morning and the train engines will do the switching. Some trains will stop for a crew change, usually the coal ones so plenty of time to get nice close ups, others just blatt through at line speed.
As far as trains go, Orlando (A line) is a bit dead so you need to get about a bit more, even then you can get some real dead spots on the S line (Plant City - Vitis - Dade City - Wildwood) but you'll get the most hits early to mid morning and later in the afternoon.
I'm lucky, wifey and kids can look after themselves in the parks or malls and we usually go with the in laws (separate houses) so they ferry them around but if the family want a pool day or day at the villa then that'll be your best day to get some mileage in.
If not and you've only got a few hours here and there then try Taft, there might be some local power tied down there, there's usually some across the road behind the gas station, you can park there and walk up to the fence but it's not the best place to view trains really.
The other option is get up real early, whip down to Mulberry, grab your shots and head back to the villa / hotel, you'll be back by ten easy, then a day with the family.
I can mark on the maps the best places to see and photo trains if you want, it'll save you hours driving up and down dead ends. Give me a rough area where you're staying and I can mark the best roads in and out to save time, if it's around where we were then I know most of the ways in and out.
It all depends on how much free time you have, if your alone or with family, or what type of train you want to see.
I may be going next year and am going to head up to the Folkston gap, about sixty trains a day through there but it's a hell of a drive so will motel for a few days and explore the area.
All of the public stuff I've put in my Flickr site in this album CSX It's no where near all or even a small dent in the photos I have but it'll give you and idea of the general areas I'm on about. Which reminds me, I do need to sort some more photos and process them in due course.
MD
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Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Knickers to Purists & Rivet Counting!!
Love it.
Reminds me of the time when both Steph (of this parish) and myself were helping operate a friend's large double track Austrian HO layout at an exhibition. Our friend at the time was explaining to a member of the public how the layout was operated in a prototypical fashion at which point Steph and I decided to have some fun and race trains much to the disgust of our friend.
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
I'd forgotten about that! There was a Hornby class 58 that used to make the odd appearance when either of the owners started showing off...
Steph
Pugsley
Western Thunderer
Having been through what you're currently going through, I don't think you can force it, it will just return of its own accord when the time is right. I haven't been doing any modelling for a couple of years, but all of a sudden a couple of weeks ago I got the urge to start modifying some tank wagons and started thinking about what needs to be done to finish the layout off.
I don't know what triggered it, it's certainly nothing I can precisely identify, but I'm just going to go with it and see what happens!
Have fun in Florida - I'm in the process of convincing my wife that we want to visit Montana later in the year so I can spend a bit of time train watching at Livingston
I don't know what triggered it, it's certainly nothing I can precisely identify, but I'm just going to go with it and see what happens!
Have fun in Florida - I'm in the process of convincing my wife that we want to visit Montana later in the year so I can spend a bit of time train watching at Livingston
JasonD
Western Thunderer
Hi Jordan, only just seen your sad story. Apparently there are less Mojos in the world than people, which is why you see enthusiastic American O-scalers suddenly eating rich tea bics while they watch Gardeners World. So find someone just finishing an astounding project, like exhibiting a layout for the first time and grab his Mojo. Or find another with the need to walk dogs regularly and a 2-year old grandson .... OK competition time, first to get a sound chip working in his favourite Alco gets to keep the Mojo. Now, which is my favourite Alco, wow have I eaten all those rich teas? Talking of wow should I get one of those TCS thingys? OK you lot, dog walk time.
Jason
Jason
oldravendale
Western Thunderer
My mojo tends to disappear when I have something to do which I don;t particularly enjoy - like painting. I have an LMS twin bolster in the workshop which has been complete for at least two years, has seen the paint brush, but is far from finished. I much prefer the building and assembly challenges, otherwise I find excuses not to go out to the workshop......
Brian
Brian
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Still reckon my ESU Loksound L is the best decoder I have at present.
I concur - ESU Loksound decoders are about the only ones I use now as you can tweak the motor control/drive parameters to the nth degree. And their 'Full Throttle' sounds aren't too bad either.
As for my Mojo - it has spent the last month thoroughly enjoying itself messing about on a 1:1 scale 1998 Volvo V70 engine- and the car passed her MOT last week as well....
Mojo now just needs translating to 1:48 scale.
ceejaydee
Western Thunderer
.........As for my Mojo - it has spent the last month thoroughly enjoying itself messing about on a 1:1 scale 1998 Volvo V70 engine- and the car passed her MOT last week as well....
Mojo now just needs translating to 1:48 scale.
A working 1:48 scale V70 engine would be very impressive
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
I contrast, I think my mojo is in pretty good order at the mo;
An ancient pair of Rega Kytes have had new terminals fitted this evening and are now back to full working order. Look a bit of a state, but sound lovely. Public Service Broadcasting is the order of the day...
I've got a good learning project in recent 3D CAD work;
A box of 1:48 scale bits and pieces arrived this lunchtime (thanks @JasonD);
Right; cuppa, then back to the CAD
Steph
An ancient pair of Rega Kytes have had new terminals fitted this evening and are now back to full working order. Look a bit of a state, but sound lovely. Public Service Broadcasting is the order of the day...
I've got a good learning project in recent 3D CAD work;
A box of 1:48 scale bits and pieces arrived this lunchtime (thanks @JasonD);
Right; cuppa, then back to the CAD
Steph