Why I Love Aviation An Interview With John H

November is National Aviation Month:

This is an interview with a former staff member who's hobby is aviation.  John is now a pilot and loves getting air under his wings whenever he can.

John Hunter

 Valerie:   Have you always been interested in Airplanes?  

John:  I've always liked airplanes.  My dad travels a lot and I really liked to be at the airport and would watch airplanes take off and land.

 Valerie:  What was the first Aircraft you became enamored with and why? 

John:  My first aircraft that I loved was the Lancaster bomber.  There was an airshow some time ago that I went to that you could get inside and look around it was pretty cool.

Lancaster Bomber   (click photo for more info)

Valerie:   When did you know you wanted to become a pilot?

John:  In high school the high river pilot school came down and gave a presentation I pretty much decided then.

Valerie:  When did you take your first flying class?  What did that first flight feel like?

John:  My first flight was in the summer right after high school. It takes a minute for you to really grasp that your are actually flying.

Valerie:  What two facts about flying an aircraft do you find the most interesting? 

 John:  Just look up a video about aircraft spins that can really be 10 interesting and terrifying things.

 Valerie:  Do you have a favourite pilot? Why do you find him/her interesting?

  John:  Alan Shepard the first american in space.  I really found his story interesting because he wasn't chosen because of his background or piloting skill there were better choices out there.  He was picked because all those pilots really liked and respected him.

 Valerie:  Have you built any model airplanes? Which one? Do you have a photo?

   John: I have a few models airplanes my favorite being the SR-71 or the blackbird.

SR-71 Blackbird   

Valerie:   What plane do you fly?

 John:  The aircraft i do most my flying in is the Diamond DA20

Diamond DA20

The Diamond DA20 is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation aircraft designed for flight training. In addition to its role as a civil and military training aircraft, it is also used for personal flying by pilot-owners. Wikipedia

Cruise speed: 256 km/h

Range: 1,013 km

Length: 7.16 m

Unit cost: 198,800–238,375 USD (2013)

Engine type: Aircraft engine

Manufacturer: Diamond Aircraft Industries

We hope you enjoyed this blog and we would like to know what you think.

Chinook & Hobby West

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Video on sound installs tips and an update of the replaced scenery

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Finally an itch to scratch Modeling time!

Spent the past weekend at the Great Scale Model Train Show up near Baltimore, Maryland and this may have been the thing to get me going.  One of the show owners needed some help manning his tables all weekend.  I gladly obliged and I even had a 2 tables to sell my excess.  I did quite well both days and even found a few great deals.  It was a great weekend and I want to thanks Mike for inviting me and all the hospitality.  I may even be helping out with all their shows in the future!  In case you have never heard of the GSMTS, here's some info about it:
Great Scale Model Train Show

This show is one of the biggest in the mid-Atlantic and is held 4 times a year.  The fall and winter show are the most popular and larger ones.

Look what I found!  My lost work desk and it's clean.

Picked up this kit at the show.  An older Walthers kit.  A kit is always a good thing to get your modeling juices flowing again.

Never put one of these together.

Deal of the show.  Like I need another locomotive! But this one was too good to pass up!  A Bowser VO-1000 that has Tsunami sound, $50!  had to get it.

 

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Chapter How to build an o gauge toy train layout

How to build an o gauge toy train layout

Here is How to build an o gauge toy train layout

Build a model train layout: model railroad scenery part 1 how to wgh, How-to workshop techniques you need to know to take an ho scale electric train set and make it a scenic model build a model train layout:. Model train layouts & track plans in o scale - various, Model train layouts expanded version of the lucasville train layout in o scale, this is a proposal #5 for christmas model train layout with lionel. Build a model train layout: model railroad benchwork train table how to wgh part 1, Build a model train layout: model railroad benchwork build a model train layout: model railroad 1950's lionel o gauge train layout.

S & o scale national model railroad association, Model railroad layout tours: s & o scale / gauge s scale layouts: carl's s gauge empire: model railroad layout tours: s & o scale / gauge. s scale layouts:.

1000+ ideas about model train layouts on pinterest model, Find and save ideas about model train layouts on train table over on lionel s how to build ho ho scale model train layouts plans try awsomic nov 10 2011.

Track plans and ideas – trainz, Trains made by o gauge train makers will work on one another’s track. model railroad layouts fall into five basic types: loop [continuous] layouts:.

A How to build an o gauge toy train layout maybe this article useful this post is great for you know to process the work without confusion.

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An HO Layout In Progress

This layout is by Tyler who works at our South store.

• The Thompson River Snow Sheds in HO
  
  
  This is a project that has been sitting in the back of my mind for too long. I wanted to do some rugged mountain modeling with cliff faces that would be impressive to look at. I was too short on space to create a floor to ceiling mountain range but I knew some compromise could be found. I also knew there had to be grade built into my plan in order to avoid the mountains blocking my previous scenery. To do this I had to settle on a rather steep down grade to drop six inches below my current track level. A four percent is what it came out to be. Such a steep grade means helper service which just added to the appeal of this project.
  
  
  The snow sheds along the Thompson River are an iconic sight for the few remaining passenger trains that follow the route along the CN line. One of those trains is the Rocky Mountaineer which can just barely span the series of tunnels and sheds. They have taken a brilliant panoramic shot of their train spanning those sheds which I have been using to get my version as close to the real one as possible (see figure 1).
  
  
  
  
  
                       Figure 1- Basic foam mountain faces with Rocky Mountaineer panorama in the back ground. Panoramic photo source: Rocky Mountaineer [1].
  
  
  
  
  
  
  For me there was no time to waste in beginning this project, I did up a quick drawing of the proposed route and began construction (see figure 2). The benchwork was really just a simple shelf design, nothing pretty as the mountains will overhang and the skirting will cover the rest. I won’t go into any particulars about how I constructed the benchwork but rather I will lean towards the scenery techniques used through this series of blogs. 
  
  
  
  
  
                Figure 2- Plan for the Thompson River route along current layout.
  
  
  
  
  With the benchwork complete, I went straight cutting some basic mountain faces from foam. The foam I used was salvaged from a roof repair, unfortunately for me this foam was fiberglass based and I was left with some irritated hands after avoiding the use of gloves. The foam itself did a great job though and being several inches thick it didn’t take long to build up the six inches of mountain face I was able to have. I tried to keep the foam carving rough to make the future plaster work as easy as possible. This is where a hot wire cutter (and some better foam) would come in very handy as it would keep the mess down and allow you to be even more creative with how you cut the foam. For the tunnels I drew an approximate track center line along the table top and used a tri-level auto-rack to make sure I had sufficient clearance through the tunnels. An NMRA gauge is also a good tool for this, however be careful as it won’t properly gauge the overhang around a tight curve. With the pieces of foam fully cut out (see figure 3), I secured them to the layout with a generous amount of hot glue (however I left the tops of the tunnel sections off until the track has been secured). There are certainly stronger glues you could use but I haven’t had any issues with hot glue, especially when the track work isn’t relying on the rigidity of the foam. If you are laying your track on a foam base I would strongly advise a glue which will cover the entire surface between the layout and the foam. It should also have enough flexibility to hold up to any flex and movement the layout may be put through.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

          Figure 3- Basic foam design of the tunnels.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  Once the foam was finished, I began laying cork roadbed along the entire length of my Thompson river route. You could use foam roadbed which I’ve done it in the past, however I have grown to prefer the rigidity of cork and I feel it will keep the track level and aligned better than the foam will (with a 4% grade even the smallest of issues could be dangerous). To secure the road bed I used contact cement which provides a quick yet strong hold. I used Atlas code 83 cement tie flex track for the entire route. The concrete ties are prototypical to that portion of the CN line and has a very contemporary look which fits my modern layout well. To secure the track I used a very hot glue gun. It must be “very hot” to avoid any lumps if the glue has cooled before the track was properly laid. The hot glue is again quick which was important to me (being an engineering student, time is always at a premium). I soldered every rail joint to ensure good electrical connection, operational reliability, and realism because the prototype has welded rail meaning there should be minimal “click-clack.” 
  
  
  This project has been a lot of fun so far and I look forward to its completion along with every other step along the way. Hopefully I have inspired some of you to tackle that mountain railroading project you’ve been imagining. With some careful planning it doesn’t have to take up much space and in return it will cost you less in plaster. With the next blog I will begin the task of creating snow sheds and tunnel portals, as well as begin the plaster rock-work and show some other little details I have been adding. Lastly I would like to say that while I am modeling a prototype location and wish to be as accurate as possible, I don’t mind missing a few details along the way, it’s the big picture that I’m aiming for. So if I have misinterpreted any facts along the way I apologize and would be very interested in hearing about how it should really be from you guys. I will likely even change what I’ve done if it’ll help make this project as realistic as possible. 
  
  
  Disclaimer:
  
  [1] Rocky Mountaineer Rail Tours owns the panorama seen in the photo, this is not my own image. Rocky Mountaineer (Copyright 2011).
  
  This is Tyler's Layout. He works at our South store and is part of the FREE-MO group. Please feel free to come down to our South store to talk to him, Jesse, John or Rob; at our North store Ross, Leigh or Ken.

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An Interview with Model Train enthusiast Robin Cain

An Interview with Model Train enthusiast: Robin Cain 

Robin: I saw your Facebook request for photos of hobbies people are working on.  I thought you would like to check these out.

 

Chinook: Fantastic! Did you customize/paint it yourself? Tell me about this piece and why it's so special. 

Robin: It's an SD45 I made about 3 years ago...yes I did everything to it.  Athearn BLUE box

Chinook:  Is there anything else you would like to share about this SD45? 

Robin:   (thumbs up) ATHEARN BLUE BOX DC POWERED pepped up a little bit... Jewel marker lights, air hoses, grab irons, fire cracker antenna, rotating yellow Beacon, installed handrails, roof hooks, extra decaling on steps & body, custom painted & numbered number boards, center air hoses, box behind cab near turbocharger cover, custom painted & decalled.... Here's more pictures

Got it at a YARD sale for a dollar, it was a SANTA FE originally. Started off as a dummy. Recently was upgraded to a powered unit.

Chinook:  Why did you choose this loco to customize or paint?

Robin:  I was a hobo in the late 70's and rode a lot of FRISCO trains. The FRISCO SD45's was one of the giant purring kittens I slept in sometimes at night in different yards...lots of engineer's & trainmen knew me...I had a blast...miss it

Chinook:  a hobo? Where you checking out North America or just the US or just Canada?

Robin:  USA, NORTH AMERICA

Chinook:   Was it undecorated when you started? or did you strip it and repaint it? or did you do weathering and adding some things to a pre-painted loco?

Robin:  .it was a freight paint job for SANTA FE, only washed it with warm water & blue dawn, I primed it grey, painted it white, taped over white areas & put the orange to it with a badger spray unit, I altered the orange & added red, gloss colors of course.

Chinook:  How many build hours did it take you to do the work you did on it?

Robin:          13 hours to do units spread out over a month...I paint a tremendous amount of trains

Chinook:    How long have you been a model railroader and how long have you been painting/customizing your own pieces?

Robin:   I am 57, I have been a model railroader for 53 years...I been painting my own pieces since I was 10. I model the SEABOARD COAST LINE RAILROAD between AUGUSTA, GEORGIA & GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA. Just finished these BRIDGES built out of yard sticks & paint sticks

Chinook:    Do you have a designated hobby area?

Robin:  Oh yes! My layout! And my creator’s table.

Chinook:   What is your next project?

Robin:  My next project is to paint 10 SD45's.  6 BLACK...SCL 3 ROCK ISLAND BLUE 1 ROCK ISLAND RED

Chinook:   What city and state/province do you live in? Are you married? Do you share your hobby with your kids/grandkids?

Robin:  ONEONTA, ALABAMA.  My kids thinks I'm crazy because I tell them stories about people I've met honking and who I've played drums for.  I have a kids ministry. I give train's away to kids year round.  I am a train vendor, non-profit status.

I'm a little different than most people...LOL...child of the 60's & 70"s

Chinook:  Thanks so much for taking some time out of your busy day and answering these questions.

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Thanks and Happy Hobbying!

Val, Chinook & Hobby West

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