Hi, my name is Jerry, and I just subscribed ( 4-2-06 ) after Googling for UA Turbo trains, and finding The Gauge Forum, and also found the slot car/ train thread from 2001. Current personal interests are HO gauge ( modular ), BL-2 EMD engines, AMC Gremlins, HO Blimp / helium industry, and bits and pieces of other interesting things too numerous to mention.
I joined a local ( northern Virginia ) Model Railroad club ( www.pwmrc.org ) 2 years ago, and had raised some eyebrows and hackles with the old-timers about my suggestions and questions regarding Interactive / Animated additions to HO model railroading, like adding slot cars to have additional movement. I provoked quite a fire-storm of controversy over my "innocent" questions! LOL. I'm nothing if not a "free thinker". Anyway, spotted George's posts in the archived area of The Gauge, and see I am not alone in love of cars AND trains. They are NOT mutually exclusive in my mind. Still on board here, George?
Anyway, since it's been 5 years since those posts, just wondered if anyone has had any better ideas for animating a vehicular roadway other than slot car track. My idea was to have a switchback road in a mountain backdrop, so the slots wouldn't be as obvious, and the train would still be in the foreground. with only a 2' setback for HO, though, that is not much, I was planning an "out of standard" module of 3 foot deep to accomplish my goal. Anyway, life's imposition of recent family health emergencies, and losing a job, and trying to clean out the house of my Pack-rat tendencies, has complicated any effort to have room and time for a project of this size. One day, just not anytime soon, probably.
Recent acquisitions have included some more yard sale slot cars, vintage Aurora stuff close to HO gauge. Got my interest in Model Railroading animations rekindled again. So, that's my post, and I'm stickin' to it. Anyone feel free to contact me on Forum or off about anything. Thanks, Jerry in Virginia
I joined a local ( northern Virginia ) Model Railroad club ( www.pwmrc.org ) 2 years ago, and had raised some eyebrows and hackles with the old-timers about my suggestions and questions regarding Interactive / Animated additions to HO model railroading, like adding slot cars to have additional movement. I provoked quite a fire-storm of controversy over my "innocent" questions! LOL. I'm nothing if not a "free thinker". Anyway, spotted George's posts in the archived area of The Gauge, and see I am not alone in love of cars AND trains. They are NOT mutually exclusive in my mind. Still on board here, George?
Anyway, since it's been 5 years since those posts, just wondered if anyone has had any better ideas for animating a vehicular roadway other than slot car track. My idea was to have a switchback road in a mountain backdrop, so the slots wouldn't be as obvious, and the train would still be in the foreground. with only a 2' setback for HO, though, that is not much, I was planning an "out of standard" module of 3 foot deep to accomplish my goal. Anyway, life's imposition of recent family health emergencies, and losing a job, and trying to clean out the house of my Pack-rat tendencies, has complicated any effort to have room and time for a project of this size. One day, just not anytime soon, probably.
Recent acquisitions have included some more yard sale slot cars, vintage Aurora stuff close to HO gauge. Got my interest in Model Railroading animations rekindled again. So, that's my post, and I'm stickin' to it. Anyone feel free to contact me on Forum or off about anything. Thanks, Jerry in Virginia