No More Spills | 9 Comments - Click Here :

    Thanks to my friend Patrick Tillery, I won't have to worry about knocking over any more bottles of glue or accelerator. Patrick was concerned with my repeated clumsiness and suprised me with this neat little bottle holder for the three things I spill the most (surely I'm not the only one?):

Thanks for protecting my workbench Patrick!

    While on the subject of my workbench; I was previously asked if I could share a little bit about it. So with no rodeo Friday night (thank you rain!), I cleaned it off and took some pictures. Since my layout and workbench share space in the basement family room, I want them to have a finished look.

     I found an upscale, solid oak receptionist desk on Craigslist for $100 (many thanks to the investment firm who were hurriedly evacuating their office, and sold me this $3000 value before the Feds showed up!). It is L shaped and measures about 7' X 8'. I like how the desk gives me multiple work spaces so I can have different projects going on at the same time.
    The high sides block the view from the outside if it ever gets messy (and it does!), yet they are still low enough so I can see the big screen TV while sitting at it. My favorite part though, is the counter top. It works great as a bar for snacks (just don't spill anything) or for show n' tell when the guys come over.
A quick search turns up many similar reception desks in all sizes and price ranges.

And completing the work area is my all original 1946 Westinghouse shortwave radio (glow in the dark tubes and all). It is usually tuned to Rockies baseball, Avalanche hockey or to KEZW for classic radio programming from the 30's and 40's. It is definitely a time warp and a very cool way to keep me relaxed while modeling.

Now to go make it all messy again!

~ Cowboy Up!

"Along the Blue" #17 | 3 Comments - Click Here :

    One of the benefits of my recent giveaway is getting to meet some of the folks who either entered or commented on this blog. On Friday, I met up for the first time with two of the lucky winners to deliver their loot in person. One of those meetings turned into an opportunity to operate on Keith Hayes' nice Sn3 layout depicting Leadville during the late 1930's. Keith's layout models both the C&S and the D&RGW.
    Of course, I worked the C&S local, while Keith switched the Rio Grande. The interchange between the two roads provided for an interesting operation, and we spent an enjoyable hour and a half breaking and making up trains. Thanks Keith!
    A couple of times I was reminded of the article below, as operator error on my part seemed to be my downfall:

Breckenridge Bulletin; Oct 28, 1899;
A Small Wreck.
    A small wreck occurred in the yards of the Colorado & Southern, at this place, on Wednesday afternoon. A "light" engine ahead of a freight came in and passed through the yard going on the "y", and in some way the switch was left open. The freight was close behind, making pretty good time to get out of the way of the passenger which was almost due. On arriving at the switch, the engine left the track and completely blocked the road for seven or eight hours.
    Outside of a little shaking up for the engineer and fireman no one was hurt, and about twelve o'clock that night the track had been cleared so as to allow the passenger train to continue its journey west.

Lost: One head from the herd | 8 Comments - Click Here :

This:

 Plus a whole bottle of this:

Leisurely spilled all over; results in this:

 Luckily, the rest of the herd escaped the carnage:

Cowboy Up and continue onward...