Captain Applesauce to the rescue

Yes, readers, Captain Applesauce is the name of the Apple Festival mascot. He presides over a number of festival relate activities. From the accounts I saw online, the festival was a great success again. Kudos to the folks in Murphysboro, Illinois. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, as they used to say. The Omega Scale Railway is making very slow progress. Some equipment needed a rework. Fortunately, the upgrade was indeed just that. Improved construction methods are being used or designed. I strongly dislike these delays but as I have related before, they will save time and trouble down the road. I must be diligent for all our sakes. See you next time, omscaler

Looking for a report

As previously mentioned, the big Apple Festival was recently held in Murphysboro, Illinois. I also stated that I would be unable to attend. I had hoped that blog readers would come forward and relate their experience at the festival. So far, no response. I am somewhat surprised. Given that this festival has such a storied history. Oh well, I will try to get some reports for next blog post. As far as The OSR is concerned, upgrades continue. Keeping you posted, omscaler

The Big Event

It's finally here! The big Apple Festival, Murphysboro, Illinois. A very historic family friendly event.

Unfortunately, omscaler was unable to get away. I can hardly wait for the media reports of this event. In the meantime, work on The Omega Scale Railway continues. Once again, slowly but surely. A little side note. Murphysboro back in the day was home to two milling companies. Two competing railroads served each one separately. That is the GM&O worked the one on 1^st Street, now 17^th Street. The IC was on the one by the renovated IC Depot. Now used by the Jackson County S.T.A.R.T., program. It's nice when old historic basically sound structures can be re-purposed. If you are at the Apple Festival make sure you check it out before you leave town. Back to the milling companies. Initially, grain was delivered by boxcars. Grain cars did not come into use until much later. Anyway, what they did was use “grain doors” inside the boxcar door way. These were wood and corrugated cardboard (boxboard back in the day). They came up part way leaving about a two foot gap to the top. The grain chute was place over the grain door and the grain loaded. Upon arrival, the door was crowbarred out and the grain spilled into a lower level augur to be uploaded into the milling storage bin, usually a massive structure. Now you know how the did it. See you next time, omscaler

Label: Still tweaking...and a SECRET...

Last post I related about the new coupler efforts. This is a paramount project. Tolerances are very tight as you can well imagine. I will let you, the readers, in on something. What I have decided to do is to build a larger prototype that is not to any scale. This will help with the design. Then, what I plan next is to... and this is the controversial part... design an N-scale coupler. That's right, something for another scale. When it is successful, (notice, not if) then it can be down scaled. In my opinion, this will help in working out the bugs. But, remember this is a big SECRET. So don't tell anyone. Yours covertly, omscaler

Label: Time to couple up        

that's right, time to couple up. No, I don't mean cuddle up. Unless you're with your sweetie. And you may be as you read these exciting posts. I mean time to couple up the railcars and locomotives. I stated earlier that the coupler model needed a rework. And rework I mean. Fidgeting and fiddling and finally getting it right. That's what's critical. Getting the right operation down to a tee. Just a little more tweaking and hopefully an announcement of completion. omscaler

Label: Laaabor Daaay!

Whoo hoo! It's Labor Day day after. Summer's official end in most folks mind. Schools are back in session. Vacations are mostly complete. The weather, thankfully, is a little cooler. Some warm days still to come but not as warm now. I was glad to note that The Omega Scale Railway hobby was very enjoyable in the super hot weather. I was inside in the air conditioning of course. Plugging along as usual. What is going to happen now is that great fall days will compete for time with the OSR. That's okay, I need to get out more. Ah yes, end of summer. And don't forget, The Apple Festival in Murphysboro is fast approaching. Mark your calendars. omscaler

Label: Coupler redux, again?

As mention last post, a coupler rework is in progress. However, progress has been slow. Probably due to a little down time I had to take for personal needs. Nothing serious, just necessary. What we are looking at is a coupler that is two feet in height, about the same across the widest point and may be three or four feet in length on the real thing. What this works out to is 1/16th of inch high by 1/16th inch wide and 3/32 long more or less. We need to have an internal latching mechanism so the outside will look as realistic as possible hopefully working similarly to the real thing as well. We will start big and work our way down. I once saw a bit of graffiti in an old railyard that was on a small yard shed. The graffiti said, “Start at the bottom and work your way down”! Sounds like someone was discouraged. Not me. Onward and downward, omscaler