Hi to all on board.
I have begun a return to this occupation after many years in the R/C car ranks. After 20 years racing in 1/8th scale 4wd gas cars around the world I have retired and settled down into this exiting hobby. During the early 80's I picked up a few HOn3 brass models and worked on a few diorama's, this kept the passion for the skills and hands on work I enjoyed alive but in the background for these many years. I am planning a On30 layout for the finished basement I have been working on the past few winters.
The layout main room will be 15' x 25' with a 12' x 12' shelf passing thru the media room. Two other rooms (furnace and storage) will contain return loops for continuous running, and will hold the staging yards for operation. Planning a freelance coal hauler, with a main town, mine complex, mountins with the always required spindly trestle spanning the drop into the abyss. Over the past year I have purchased a few Stoney Creek Kits and various others to begin the town element of the layout. I have a Bachman 2-8-0 as the largest locomotive on the line and will stick with Forney /Climax / Shay sized engines for the rest of the roster. DCC and Sound will be a must from the displays I have seen during the NMRA Detroit show this adds the "being there" feel to this scale.
My background contains 15 years as a Tool Maker, 5 years as a Designer, and the last 10 years as a Senior Design Engineer for the firm I work for. I am planning a company to continue on into retirement and to supply items for this ever expanding scale. First project I am designing is a turntable, with Bolt-on indexing feature based on the "Atlas" HO units and drive motor. All of the design work is done on AutoDesk " Inventor" software and as the project develops I will post images for review and comments.
Well as spring approaches here in Southern Ontario I plan on taking the SRT out of the garage on a road trip to Schomberg next month and hope to meet a few "NGM" members while attending the show.
Until then!
BMW ~ 2009-03-15
