I picked up this little guy in a local auction - I had no idea what it was, and I simply bid blindly on an assorted box.

Turns out he covered my costs pretty well. You can see the original thread here.

The model was identified by another Forum member (shout out to Joe Brugger) as a Ken Kidder brass import, and it turns out he's right on the money.

So....I had a momentary lack of weakness, and put a bid at a local estate auction for a box of HO. I didn't look too closely, and fortunately I didn't bid too much.

Come to find out, I won it. So I went down and picked it up. So what did I get?

A CP gp38m and A CN SW, both Athearn blue box

Tyco? BN F unit and three freight cars along with a CN F and a Soo. All tyco or similar.

Well, there's no point to calling something a chainsaw layout, if you don't cut it up. Yesterday, I decided it was time for my first (4x8) layout.

This layout served it's purpose for the past two years, namely

1. got me into the hobby

2. allowed me to try some things

3. allowed me to run trains while working on the next one

But more and more recently it's just taken up physical space, and become a collection point for tools and junk. I also need to put in a support post for the house in what was basically the same space.

Layout Element - Hartford High Bridge

I finally made the effort to shoot some pictures of my prototype, or at least what's left of it as it stands today.

I have a gallery,  Railroad Photography, and hopefully others may find some of these pictures of use.

Cheers!

Work has finally begun on converting a stock, undecorated Atlas S2 to represent the Central Vermont's #7917 circa 1956.

I chose this loco and this year as it had some very unique visual features including a long toolbox forward of the cab, and triangle shaped number boards.

To prepare for this project, I had opened another topic that proved to supply some additional historical data, and some great ideas on the parts to be used. I won't duplicate that post, but you can see it here.

The other thread got me off my duff from just plain thinking to thinking about a plan for the next step for me.

I've taken what I've learned from my own chainsaw constructions, and what I've been reading, and what I've picked up from operating sessions, and come up with the following factors for my purposes.

With testing on the benchwork, roadbed, Fast Track turnouts and hand layed track behind me, it's now time to begin putting some of this into practice. As I've noted in other posts, I've already made a Code 83 No. 6 crossover and now all of my Code 83's,  which leaves me with 2 left, 4 right, and a crossover in Code 70 (No. 5), and one left Code 70. No. 6.for the yard area.

I had originally planned on  just No. 5 turnouts; but as I got a No. 6 jig on eBay, I've converted the mainline turnouts to 6's (not reflected on these plans.)

Ever since I saw the Fast Tracks display at the Amherst train show, I was hooked, I've managed to acquire a couple of jigs, pointforms, and other tools from Fast Tracks direct as well as eBay, and last night I finally had the time and tools gathered to get to work.

Ah yes, hand laying track. Some folks say you're not a model railroader until you hand lay your own track, others say what's the point with modern quality track available.

Me, I've wanted to do this, so therefore I am.