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My hope for visitors to this site is that they take away something of benefit whether it be an insight, inspiration, or modeling tip.   For my part, I was first exposed to model railroading by my parents around age eight.  As with most kids that age, I went through every conceivable hobby with none being able to hold my interest more than a few months before something newer and even more interesting came along.  I re-visited the hobby more seriously as a teenager only to drop it again as I focused on obtaining an engineering degree and getting established in the work force.  The hobby finally took hold for good in my mid-thirties.   As a pursuit model railroading has provided more enjoyment, creative expression, self-confidence and friendships than I'll ever be able to re-pay.   When I'm not building models I enjoy following basketball and football (where I'm an unabashed fair weather fan), watching my favorite crime show dramas on television or DVD's, reading crime novels, and haphazardly following a physical fitness regime to stem the body decay that inevitably begins after age 40.   I'm a full time custom layout builder by profession, details of which can be found on my business site www.shelflayouts.com.

Lance Mindheim 

July 24, 2010

The Rule of Three Tries

There has been a good thread on the Model Railroader Forum about the use of the Alclad 2 metalizer paints.  For those that aren't familiar with them, Alclad paints lay down a surface  that is amazingly close to true metallic.  Like everybody else, I suffer from inertia when it comes to teaching myself new skills.  I finally broke down and ordered some Alclad for some signal boxes I want to try it out on. 

When learning a new technique I subscribe to the rule of three tries.  In other words, it generally takes three tries to get the hang of something.  For example, say you're trying to learn to build your own turnouts.  The first attempt will teach you all of the things NOT to do, point out the problem areas and will ultimately be consigned to the trash (and it should be trashed.  Don't put it on the layout).  The second attempt will be rough but marginally good enough to add to the layout.  By the third attempt you will generally be off and running.  These practice tries can be run in short succession and for some things done quickly enough that you have the skill down in an afternoon.  The key point is to have the mindset that the first attempt may not be great, accept it for the valuable information you get from it and not get down.  Stick with it.  Understand that it is a process and the sooner you get attempts one and two behind you, the sooner you'll master something.  I think there are two myths surrounding the work of good modeling results.  First, is that somehow the modeler was touched by the hands of god and learned the technique on the first try.  No, the guy just practiced.  The second myth is that you need to devote an eternity of practice to acquiring a skill.  I disagree with that as well.  You do need to practice but you'll be amazed how far you advance if you work at something over just a few weekends.

Sometimes a modeler will reluctantly show me his layout, head hung low in discouragement.  The resulting model pretty rough on all fronts.  It's not what he sees in the magazines and he's ready to quit.  What he doesn't know is that,  if he builds another layout it won't be slightly better, it will be significantly better.   He'll circle the layout showing me all of the flaws and mistakes.  That's my point exactly.  The importance of the fact that he made the early attempt, made the mistakes, AND recognizes them can't be emphasized enough.  It's crucial at that point to not give up.  It's also absolutely critical to be aware of the areas that need improvement so they can be worked on.   Without having tried something, it's hard to approach another modeler and say how do you do 'X'.  No matter advice you get, the value will be watered down.  However, if you say, "I tried X, I had problems a,b, and c.  How do I fix them." Now you have the perspective to know what to ask.

Often modelers don't try to advance their skills toolbox because they look at a nice model and think they could never do that.  Well they could probably get pretty close if they made a few attempts and understood there is no shame (and tremendous value) in rough practice trial runs.  They  may also believe that so many months or years of effort are required to master the technique that it just isn't worth it.  Finally, they may just suffer from inertia....like putting off how to use Alclad metalizers.....for years.............

July 23, 2010

Grocery Wars 

Like a lot of guys I hate shopping and measure the success of a shopping trip by one statistic, how short it is.  Last week I’m driving around town when the call comes in reminding me of the fact that cell phones are a double edged sword.  Sometimes it’s handy to be out of pocket.  It’s my wife on the other line asking the rhetorical question of whether or not I can pick up some peanut butter at the grocery store.  It wasn’t really a question. Translation, stop what you’re doing and take care of it.  Grocery shopping is the worst.  It’s not so much the shopping itself but the parking lots and check out lines. 

As the call came in I’m about two blocks from one of the larger grocery stores in the area, a store known for having pretty efficient check out clerks.  There is a wrinkle though, it’s also within walking distance of two large Jewish retirement homes.  Decisions. Decisions.  Do I take a chance and get it over with or risk getting mired in the swamp.  If I think this out like a swat mission there’s a chance to make it moderately painless.  I decided to go for it, a decision I would quickly regret. 

The parking situation is easiest to deal with.  We all hit the age where we no longer ‘park’ cars but more accurately, ‘dock’ them.  Around age 80 or so parking becomes a process on the level of berthing the Queen Mary.  It’s a safe bet that Antillean Marine can get a 600 foot freighter half way up the Miami River and secured at its moorings faster than your typical old timer can maneuver his or her Caddy into a parking spot.  Easy to deal with that one.  Park on the fringe of the lot where everybody else is too lazy or too old to make the walk and hot foot it the 100 yards to the store.  Just make sure you don’t get caught in the blind spot of an old timer berthing that Buick and get cut in half at the knees. 

O.k. , safe in the store. That part wasn’t bad.  Keep the feet moving. Look for a stock clerk.  Learn that peanut butter is in aisle 7. Grab it.  Done.

Now for the unpredictable part, the check out line.  You need to be fully aware that old timers view shopping differently.  A trip to the grocery store is an experience, one to be savored, drawn out and enjoyed as long as possible, the exact opposite of my mindset.  To me you need to quickly scan the lines, do a personality check of those in line ahead of you, pick the line you think is fastest and commit to it.  In particular you want to identify and avoid the ‘couponers’ and the ‘exact changers’.

A couponer will get to the point where it’s time to ante up and invariably get into a knock down drag out with the clerk as to why the canned peaches are $1.50 and should ring up at $1.35.  You know you’re screwed when the clerk gets on the store pager, “manager needed at  line nine.” Damn.  Nothing short of a ten minute détente with two managers will satisfy the couponer. 

The exact changer will never slap down a five dollar bill to pay for a $3.15 order.  Even though they’ve been in line for ten minutes, they wait until it’s time to pay up to root through their purse for their wallet.  Then they reach their cute, sweet, wrinkled hands into the change purse and dig out the $3.15…. pennies and nickels at a time.  God bless them.

These women have been through a depression, a world war, and possibly a concentration camp.  Unlike those of us in the spoiled, financially un-disciplined, weakling generations that followed, they appreciate the value of a dollar.  I admire and respect it, I just don’t want to be behind them in line when they are exercising their fiscal discipline.  One of the core pillars of the man code is to never ever be disrespectful to elderly women.  No matter what they do, no matter what they say you have to smile pleasantly and defer to them.  Given that you’re hands will be tied, that you will have no choice but to take deep breaths and smile, you need to avoid being stuck behind them in line. 

What you do want is a line with all men in it.  They want to get the hell out of there as quickly as you do, won’t carry coupons, and will slap a twenty on the counter for that $3.15 order. 

This particular day is looking shaky.  All women.  All from the retirement home.  Pick your poison.  Take the shortest line and hope for the best. Just to my left is ‘Reasonable Ruth’ probably 5’2” in heels.  Polite and calm, but not the type to take crap from anybody.  In front of me in line is ‘Witchy Irene’ no more than 4’10” with a custom made shopping cart with the same proportions as a standard cart but something the size a small child would have.  Extending from Irene’s cart is a fiberglass staff atop of which sits a small blue flag, the purpose of which I have no clue. Elderly women don’t own blue jeans, tennis shoes, or tee shirts.  When they go out, it’s dressed to the hilt.  Both Ruth and Irene were immaculate in their print dresses, make-up, broaches, and pill box hats and probably pushing 90.  Through the luck of the gene pool, they have fully charged batteries and are nowhere close to decline.  

 Irene is focused on the line in front of her.  Reasonable Ruth had been in the self serve line to my left and the computer scanner was reading her the riot act.  Ruth stepped to the side sending the signal to any employee that she needed help. 

Witchy Irene misreads Ruth’s half step towards our line.

“Excuse me, but the line ends back their missy.”

“I’m fully aware of where the line is.  I’m not in it.”

“Don’t give me that, you’re trying to butt in.”

It was on. They immediately start going at it, quickly flipping between English and what is either Hebrew or Yiddish.  I couldn’t make out the Hebrew/Yiddish but I gathered terms synonymous with the world’s oldest profession were being fired back and forth.  Every time one would stop, the other would have to get the last word in and start it back up.  Irene, finally advancing to the cashier,  used the opportunity to unload a parting salvo.  She turns and slowly runs here eyes up and down me from head to toe.  Assuming I’m with Ruth she says to her, “You know, if you did a better job of physically satisfying your boyfriend (meaning me) he would be more willing to put you in a place emotionally where you wouldn’t act like this.”

 Are you kidding me??????  This is what is called getting caught in the crossfire. Beam me up Scotty.  Get me the hell out of here.

July 22, 2010

Reds

As a freshly minted civil engineer out of college, my first job was as a field engineer in the heavy construction industry, a field characterized by massive public works projects and the astronomical dollars associated with building them.  A large heavy construction contractor considers a twenty million dollar project to be a small one.   One of the primary challenges of that type of construction is that the unexpected is a daily event.  As soon as you scrape the first layer of soil off of mother earth the surprises start.  Utility lines exist that weren’t on the drawing, soil is less stable than expected, rock exists where it shouldn’t.  You are behind schedule and dealing with obstacles the second you start.   

The primary job of the field engineer is dealing with these surprises and making adjustments.  You need to take the original drawings and figure out how to modify the design on the fly so as to make it fit the situation as it actually is.  You need to straddle several worlds.  First are the structural engineers, the guys that got straight A’s in calculus class.  They design and prepare the drawings as if there will be no surprises.  Of course, that never happens.  You need to deal with the project manager, your boss, typically a vice president who is under enormous pressure to keep things on schedule and on budget and more often than not is in a foul mood.  You need to satisfy the owner’s representative, typically an un-motivated bureaucrat that seems to take perverse pleasure in exercising the only power he has in his life….. on you.   The bulk of your time though will be spent elbow to elbow with the steel workers, dockworkers, heavy equipment operators, and electricians that actually build the project, a group that doesn’t suffer fools gladly. 

My first assignment was at the site of a massive pumping station being built to supply water to a nearby nuclear power plant.  The challenge of this project was sinking a 100 yard diameter pit, five stories into the ground through very unstable rock.  In the construction industry, there is no ’break in’ period for new hires.  Usually your position has been sitting vacant for a few months so when you arrive you are pretty much behind already, expected to produce immediately, and thrown to the wolves.   

I was told I’d be assigned to working with the dockworkers union crew whose primary job was building a huge lattice work of steel beams and pilings to restrain the walls of the pit.  If the steel failed, anybody below would be killed. 

My first day on the job I walked into the field office to report for duty and, after what could not have been more than two or three minutes of chit chat with my new boss, was dismissed with a wave of the hand, told to get in the bed of a waiting company pick-up truck and driven the several hundred yards to the job site.  At the site I was introduced to one ‘Reds’ Norman, superintendent of the dockworkers union based out of Philly.  Reds was morbidly obese, stood about five ten, and had skin that looked like red leather hence the ‘Reds’ nickname.  Decked out in tan overalls, white T-shirt, battered hard hat, tattoos,  Marlboros in his vest pocket, a cigarette in the corner of his mouth with about an inch of ash hanging off the end Reds was probably in his mid fifties and a true original.   

He seemed to be expecting me and swallowed my hand up in a vice grip handshake.  With the obligatory niceties behind him his  eyes narrowed and smile faded as he began to size me up.  We’d be working right next to each other and I would be shuttling back and forth between him and the management office.   Given his shrewd evaluation that I could  impact his life for better or worse, he took a much more intense interest in the situation (my arrival on the scene) than the project manager had.  Although he was polite, I could tell the next few weeks would be spent with him figuring out what to make of me.  In his black and white view of the world I would fall into one of three categories of people, only one of which was good.   If I could be trusted not to make him look bad or rat to management about what he was up to and was a hard competent worker then I would be labeled a ‘decent son of a bitch’.  If I was harmless but weak and incompetent I would be a ‘worthless dumb f…k’.  The worst would be to be labeled an untrustworthy weasel or, in his words,  a “f…..’n prick”. 

Reds probably had an IQ of over 140.  He also had the uncanny knack of flipping a switch and appearing to be as dumb as a post if it served his purpose or got him out of a jam.  He was ‘untouchable’ on many fronts.  He had maximum seniority in the dockworker’s union (A union he loved to tell me he suspected was tied to the mob.  This was a typical Red’s embellishment used to liven up a conversation).  He was one of the most skilled of his craft and he had broken in numerous other engineer apprentices, including the present owner of the company.   

Reds was also a problem to management on a few fronts.  He had learned long ago that if you work too quickly, all you do is  hasten your trip to the unemployment line.  He had developed a work practice he called “f…. ‘n the dog’ which means looking productive without being very productive at all.  He took enormous pride in his work but often used ‘doing a good job’, a better job than the situation called for, to drag a task out.  It was not beyond Reds to know a drawing was wrong and sink a piling in the wrong location just so he could get the extra hours to remove the pile and re-install it in the right place.  In those situations he would then blame it on the field engineer (me on a few occasions) and throw his hands in the air in mock exasperation saying, “These kids ‘deez days. I try to work wit ‘em but there’s only so much I can do.  What da hell do they teach dem in school?” 

Ultimately it IS the field engineer’s job to make sure the structural members go in the right place but clearly Reds wasn’t above occasionally building off what he knew was an incorrect drawing  just to extend his employment.  I learned I had to watch him in those situations.  His ultimate responsibility was to keep his crew gainfully employed as long as possible, not to take a bullet for my mistakes. 

The other problem with Reds was that he’d get bored and create situations just to keep himself amused.  For example, stating that the executive vice president had once gotten drunk and confided in him a secret fetish about wearing women’s nylons.   All of this rolled into what the owner called “Red’s never ending bullshit.” The owner would constantly threaten to fire Reds but, knowing he couldn’t live without him, never did. 

My first several weeks Reds spun out a number of very subtle tests to see how I’d handle them.  He’d make disparaging remarks about management to see if I’d pass  them on to the home office.  He’d intentionally make small mistakes that put me in a jam to see if I blamed him.  He’d see if I could take a practical joke.   He wasn’t a fool and wasn’t going to get burned by a twenty year old kid he didn’t know from Adam. 

I must have passed the test because about a month in, my relationship with Reds and the unions dramatically changed from polite but stand offish to being branded “a decent son of a bitch’ .  In retrospect it was almost ceremonial.   

The union crew’s day ended at 4pm but I was expected to stay until five or six. One Friday about 3 o’clock  Reds called me on the radio in a frantic voice. “Mindelhime (he intentionally mispronounced my name to jack with me) I need you out here and I need you now.  We got us a ‘seetch – ee- ashun’ (Translation: a situation.  A big problem) out here.”

I went from zero to dead panic in a few seconds.  The field engineer’s job is to make sure there aren’t too many ‘situations’ and even a minor one could cost thousands of dollars to correct and  could get you fired.

 “What’s wrong?”

“It’s too serious to talk about on the radio now get your f…in’ ass out here and I mean now.”

I left the office at a dead sprint , face ashen white, rolling over in my mind the million possible mistakes I could have made that would cost me my job in the first month.  I found Reds calmly leaning against his battered black F150 pick-up truck.  Spotting me, he stuck a leathery hand in his pocket, rolled out some twenty dollar bills and said, “I need you to run down to the deli and pick up a few cases of beer for us.  Make it Schaefer. “  

“What about "the situation? “

“ There ain't  no f…. n’ situation.  I just wanted to make sure you didn’t drag your ass getting here.” 

Reds  was the one guy that could keep the project moving or bring it to a dead stop so I knew it was in my best interest to keep him happy.  A half hour later I returned with the beer to see he and his crew all sitting on the ground like Indians at a camp fire.  I set the beer cases next to Reds and turned to head back to the office to catch up on my reports that were now about an hour behind. 

“Whoaaaa there.  Where da f…..  you tink yer goin’?”

“Back to the office.”

No.  No. No. F…., No!”

He then reached into the case, pulled out two Schhaefers and tossed them to me.  He patted the ground next to him and said, “You ain’t goin’ nowheres. Now sit yer skinny ass here with us.”  To emphasize his point he grabbed one of the beers from my hand, opened it, and stuck it back in my hand.   This all seemed pretty much against company rules so I politely declined saying I had reports to do and that the project manager was waiting on me.

“F… all that. Give me the f… n’ radio.”

In a matter of seconds he had the project manager on the line (also a former Reds ‘apprentice’).  He switched to his high IQ, business mode.

“Yeh, uh Don.  Reds here.  We had a pretty serious situation out here with pile number 97 but that new kid Mindheim pretty much has it worked out. Did a good job. He’s pretty green but I think if I can work with him he’ll be o.k.  Anyways, I’m going to need him for the rest day with this pile 97 deal.  Can I have him?”

The project manager, obviously focused on bigger problems, signed off on it and I was free for the day. Reds raised one eye brow, smirked and tapped my beer can in a toast.  He loved playing the game. 

This Friday routine became a weekly ritual.  Talk would start with endless rehashes of days on old jobs, old co-workers, and as the beer intake mounted, various sexual conquests most of which I’m convinced were totally fabricated.   In the ensuing months they taught me how to weld, how to use a blow torch, and how to drive heavy construction equipment.  To bolster my confidence Reds would seek a consultation with me to ask how to solve a difficult problem even though he knew full well how to solve it.   As people go, he was as good and solid as they come. 

 As is the nature of the construction industry, I was eventually transferred to another city.  Without fanfare, the union guys called me aside and presented me with a gift I still cherish to this day, a handmade paperweight made from one of the rocks we had blasted out of the ground. 

I always wondered what happened to Reds and his crew.   Despite their coarse exterior, I realize in retrospect how vulnerable they were to the whims of the economy.  Guys like that are cast for one way of life and one way only.   If their employment prospects dim, they aren’t going to re-invent themselves as a website designer.  If their way of life disappears, they are lost, not having the ability to adapt and too much pride to do anything else.   Honest to the core and totally inflexible they are a fragile species indeed.

July 17, 2010

A New Day

For a number of years, perhaps five or ten, the hobby has slowly drifted to a state of hazy stagnation.  There is no air of excitement or buzz.   Fewer are charging to their basements on the weekends and nobody on the outside is clamoring to get in.  They aren’t clamoring to get in because there is no compelling reason to do so.   Even if there were a reason, those on the outside, (or those in the hobby but drifting), see no obviously apparent, clear roadmap, platform, or vehicle to enter and pursue the hobby in a satisfying and attainable way.   

Through a combination of societal events, and the natural cycle of things, we’ve reached the point where we need a new entry level platform.  That platform is the small to moderate size, modern era, switching layout.  It’s certainly not a new concept, but a case where the time for this platform has arrived.  People are motivated not only by seeing inspirational layouts but inspirational layouts that they can build. 

I’ve felt for many years that there is a vast pool of model railroaders circling the fringes of the hobby waiting for a way to get in, waiting for a reason and means to join.  I can’t entirely put my finger on it, but there seems to be a tinge of sadness at being on the sidelines as well as a lack of self-confidence, a misguided feeling that, because they may not yet possess a vast array of  modeling skills, that they aren’t worthy of joining the hobby full force and without apology.   

The common characteristics of these ‘sideliners’ are that they are smart, much more knowledgeable than they realize, personable,  large in number and a group the hobby desperately needs in the game.  Mobilizing this group of ‘sideliners’ and getting them building layouts will add new energy, new ideas, and a breath of fresh air that model railroading needs, and needs badly.  Such mobilizing improves the quality of life for the sideliner.  To a larger extent it improves the quality of life for those already actively in the hobby.   As the sideliners get up and going, their modeling works will ultimately provide inspiration and a jump start all of us.  Magazine circulation will strengthen, industry purchasing will increase, and the slow plodding ship that is the momentum of the hobby will gradually start steaming forward again. 

To an extent we have failed the sideliners through a lack of leadership, direction, and support.  We haven’t given them a roadmap.  Although they may not yet have attained a vast arsenal of construction skills, they have no interest in mindless starter layouts on the level of a Brio set.  They don’t want the frivolous Disneyland express.  They don’t want something that looks like a first grade craft project when they are done (nor does their family).  What they do WANT is something that: 

They want something simple and sophisticated.   Yes, the two CAN go together.   There is no reason that the beginner should resign themselves to something one step above a Tyco train set.    A well thought out switching layout provides that energizing combination of visual and intellectual captivation and attainability.  This platform is ready for its time in the sun.  I’m not talking about dopey switching puzzles.  I’m talking about small, simple, intellectually stimulating MODELS of a small piece of an actual railroad.  Switching layouts are: 

Switching layouts can be set in any time period but I suggest the modern era for several reasons.   First and foremost, being able to experience railroading’s full mass and power  rolling by in front of us provides constant positive re-enforcement.  If the visceral experience of watching, hearing, and feeling a sixteen cylinder machine the size of a house push a freight car also as big as a house down a grassy patch of track doesn’t get your juices flowing, nothing will. 

Rumors of the death of the ‘golden age’ of railroading are greatly exaggerated.   In an industrial setting, modern railroading unfolds with the same power and flavor as in previous ages.  In addition, information needed to model the modern era is readily available whether it be operational practices or infrastructure. 

Any reasonably secure, grounded adult understands that there is no relationship between the size of an object and its quality.  Leonardo Da Vinci’s horse sketches are just as worthy as Albert Bierstadt’s full wall murals.  Following that same line of reasoning the modeler should never have the sense of ‘settling’ when they build a small switching layout.   

There is no shame in being a beginner or building small layout.  The reality is that exceptionally handsome layouts that don’t insult your intelligence CAN be built on a first attempt.  Those sitting on the sidelines do belong in the hobby.  Those adrift in the hobby do have a catalyst to jump start their interest.  In both cases, the small, modern era switching layout, is a platform whose time has come.

July 8, 2010

Industrial Park Web Page

It's become clear to me that I've under estimated the amount of interest among modelers with respect to modeling and railfanning modern industrial switching districts.  With an admitted bias, they make for fascinating subjects both to view in person as well as to model.  I  receive a lot of inquiries about the prototypical East Rail industrial park and Downtown Spur in Miami.  The great news is that they are just the tip of the iceberg. The west side of Miami is literally blanketed with industrial parks, not just CSX (formerly SAL) but  FEC as well.

Contrary to what the doomsayers profess about the demise of the golden era of U.S. railroads, throughout the U.S., the scale of modelgenic, rail served industry is massive, so much so, the challenge is how to take it all in and how to narrow down our modeling subjects.    Miami is not an enigma.  There are many cities with equal appeal.  To that end I've created a new web page to serve as an information center showing the locations of industrial parks in the U.S.  (There are some great subjects in Mexico although, given today's political climate, I think I'll limit my research of those cities to the internet).  I'm hoping that updating and expanding this page will become a community effort.  If you know of cities with vibrant and appealing rail served industrial districts, drop me a line and I'll add them to the site (help me out though and let me know roughly where in the city the site is).

To visit the new page click HERE.

July 4, 2010

Athearn Reefer Upgrade

If you plan on modeling Miami you'll need a stable of reefers to service the produce businesses.  Some time back, I purchased the Athearn 57' reefer shown above with the thought of using it as a stand in until the appropriately lettered Intermountain units came out.  I had some time today so I thought I'd putter around with it.  This would make a good project for a teenager or other entry level modeler.  In assembled (ready to roll) form the cars cost around twenty bucks.  As a blue box kit they are less than ten dollars. 

When taking on any modeling project you should, even if only casually, be aware of what your goal is.  Do you want something that looks very realistic or do you want something that has all of the correct details.  It is counter intuitive but, you can have one without the other.  The two are NOT necessarily related. If visual realism is your goal, your attention should focus on two areas.  First is the correct treatment of color, shadows/highlights,  and weathering.  Second is how you will deal with un-realistic or grossly oversized shapes.  Making sure you have the correct details can  be very relaxing  but isn't directly tied to realism.  For example, if you look at the model above, would it appear to be more (or less) realistic if the ladder had four rungs instead of three?

As I mentioned, today I was just playing around with the car to see what I could do without expending too much effort.  I knocked the shine off with Dullcote and then applied chalk weathering to bring out some contrast. For chalk I used a 50/50 mix of dark brown and black applied very lightly and in layers.  The right side of the car with the WFE logo is about what I want. The left panels could use some more subtle contrast and shadowing.  The underbody was painted grimy black.  I painted the tack boards light gray and added some scrap decals for waybills although this doesn't impact the appearance that much.  The car would benefit by running a sharp tipped black pencil along some of the cracks and seams to insert shadows.

The molded on grab irons and ladders aren't as visually objectionable as you would think.  Shaving them off and replacing them with stand off ladders would be an enormous amount of work without a proportionate visual payoff.  The most objectionable visual problem is the grossly oversized stirrup steps.  I shaved these off, and for less then two bucks, picked up some nice Detail Associates replacements.  Replacing those stirrups plus the weathering got the car 90% of the way home visually.  Looking at the photo, the brake wheel is noticeably oversize so I might replace that with a Kadee at some point.

Other details include scale couplers, air hoses, and a short piece of wire to represent the exhaust stack.  Unless you have uncoupling magnets on your layout, there is zero need for the unsightly J hook/air hose hanging off of the Kadee couplers so that can be snipped off.

 July 2, 2010

East Rail Update

One of the challenges of modeling modern industrial parks is that the landscape changes so frequently.  The nature of commercial real estate is that warehouse tenants change.  This can be a mixed bag for the modeler.  A favorite industry represented on our layout may uproot and move across town leaving an empty building that is no longer rail served.  However, this dynamic can work to our advantage also in that previously empty buildings may get a new rail served tenant.  I know a number of visitors to this site are modeling the East Rail industrial park.  Putting two and two together there is a new tenant in town that takes rail shipments, Veco Enterprises Group on 59th Street.

When I took this photo of the structure in question in 2006 it clearly was not rail served.  In this view I am standing on 59th street facing east towards Guixens Food Group.

When I re-visited the same location in January of 2010 I became curious.  The structure had been re-painted and a 'Stop/Dismount' sign had been placed on the spur.  CSX would not have planted the sign for an abandoned siding.  Note also that the switch stand is in good working order.  These were all signs that something was up.

Sure enough, my suspicions were confirmed.  In this Google Maps aerial view you can clearly see a box car spotted at Veco.  There you go, another industry for you East Rail modelers.

 June 29, 2010

Video Games

When historians look back on the internet and technology age, few would argue that this time period will likely go down as one of the more significant and beneficial of mankind’s achievements.   For all of the tremendous good the technology age has brought upon us, there are, however, some dark spots that have hitched a ride. 

The top of my list is the coming of age of the video game.   What started out as seemingly harmless, trivial entertainment has become very destructive to young people.  What is truly scary is that the subtlety of the situation masks it’s seriousness.   What could be the danger in flipping a few knobs on a controller as you watch a small screen?  Short term, there is no danger. The problem is that those few minutes of knob flipping, over time, eventually becomes hours and hours.  Over a period of years what started out as a few minutes here and there eventually becomes an unshakable addiction.   The minutes becomes hours.  The hours become many hours, day after day after day. 

The devastation can not be understated because it steals the kid’s childhood.  The child gradually becomes less and less engaged with others as he is lost in his video game world.  When kids go to each other’s house to play video games, they are not interacting.  They are sitting next to each other playing the game.  We’ve all had the experience of trying to engage a kid in a conversation only to realize that nothing will pull their attention away from the game.  The games are addictive.  The games, violent or not, often make kids agitated if not downright aggressive.     

The games encourage sedentary behavior.  Instead of biking, swimming, or running through the neighborhood, the kids are planted on the couch.   There is also an opportunity cost.  Every hour spent in front of the game is an hour not spent in scouts, playing an instrument, or participating in sports.  What is particularly troubling is the degree of violence with some of the more popular games, the whole point of which seems to be humans hunting other humans and blowing them away. 

The way that the problem sneaks up on parents is terrifying, leaving them to wonder at what point the line was crossed and things got to this point. If most parents were asked, they’d certainly say drug abuse is a far more serious problem.  I disagree.  The games reach a much larger audience and start at a much younger age.   

This is not to say we don’t have the games in our house also.  We do.  I’m pragmatic about the fact that they aren’t going away.   They can be handy on long trips or keeping the child occupied while waiting at the doctor’s office.  They also give you leverage when you want the kid to do something (e.g. clean your room or you’ll lose video games.)  In comparing notes with other parents, we’ve come up with the following rules regarding video games in our family: 

Looking back I’m afraid behavioral scientists will find that the video games will have had a much more destructive effect on society than we are willing to acknowledge or accept today. 

June 22, 2010

The First Layout, A Better Example

Model railroading is a lot more fun when we achieve some degree of success early in the process.  Having a layout that never reaches critical mass or doesn't run reliably just isn't that enjoyable.  I believe not having a satisfying first experience is the reason a lot of people leave the hobby in frustration.  One of the largest reasons people do lose interest in the hobby is that they take on layouts that are simply too large and/or too complex.  The newcomer often bites off too much before they have the skills to build a large layout.  Newcomers also get sent down the wrong path by choosing one of the ultra complex spaghetti bowl layouts featured so frequently in track planning books.  Mislead by the 4' x 8' size of the stereotypical spaghetti bowl starter layout, the newcomer doesn't realize that radical elevation changes, up and overs, and the numerous curves common in the 1950's era spaghetti bowl plan makes them poor candidates for a layout that can be built reliably on the first try.  Veteran hobbyists aren't immune to biting off too much either. Even experienced modelers grossly misjudge how little time they have to work on the layout and take on something too large.  Veteran's who enjoy prototypical operating sessions often grossly misjudge how hard it can be to round up the necessary crew members on a consistent basis and then watch as their grand vision sits idle in the basement.

The July issue of Railroad Model Craftsman features one of the best conceived layouts I've seen in some time, Vince Lees 28th Street Terminal.  Vince laid two hollow core doors end to end and rather convincingly modeled the prototype.  He built it using readily available components and kept it simple on all fronts.  Simple doesn't mean un-sophisticated.   When the situation calls for it, the layout can keep four operators occupied for four hours.  It's really the perfect combination of a scope that can be completed in a reasonable period of time and still hold a lot of interest for the real diehards.  I point Vince's layout out because it is a great example of matching a modelers interests with a realistic and attainable concept.  Any newcomer could pick up two doors, carefully lay down some Atlas track, hook up a power pack and have a bullet proof model railroad right out of the chutes.  After they get it running they could go back and add more detail.  That sounds like a lot more fun to me than wrestling an 18" curve up a 4% grade for an overpass on the old spaghetti bowl designs.

June 20, 2010

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there.   I’m pretty pleased with my gift, George, the screaming monkey.  George is a sling shot.  You slip your fingers into pockets in his palm, pull back, and launch him towards any target that catches your fancy.  Mid-flight he screams like a primate on crack.  O.k., I admit it, I’m easily entertained.  What is equally pathetic is that the majority of the fathers reading this would be equally impressed with the entertainment value.  It’s a guy thing. 

There is no other relationship in a person’s lifetime comparable to being a parent.  It is simultaneously the most exhausting and most rewarding experience life has to offer.   Particularly during the teen years, there will be many a day where you fantasize about  literally strangling them.  No, I’m not exaggerating, you really do….at least I do.   The thing that makes parenting such a unique relationship is that, no matter how furious they make you,  there is never any lingering resentment.   Because of the depth of the emotional attachment, kids can find your hot buttons and push them with a skill level not to be matched by any person on earth.   On the flip side, with the smallest of gestures, on a daily basis, they make it all worth it a million times over.

June 17, 2010

Scratch Building

This scratch built structure cost less than five dollars to build and produced several weekends of modeling enjoyment.  The simple box shape was not that difficult to build using sheet styrene.  The end result was something unique, something that 'fit' with the layout, and wasn't something I could ever find a kit for anyway.

I was browsing through the structure listings of one of the larger online suppliers.  As I scrolled through the pages, I was particularly struck by how expensive the plastic structure kits were.  I'm not talking about intricate craftsman kits but rather routine, average size, injection molded kits priced in the $40 to $60 range.  Putting together a cluster of a few of these would certainly be out of reach of your typical teen on an allowance or retiree on a fixed income.  Cost aside, there are other issues that you run into with many plastic structure kits.  As a custom layout builder I assemble a lot of them throughout the year.    Frankly, I'm astounded and appalled at how poorly made many of them are.  If I make my living building models and am struggling with a kit, how is a sixteen year old just getting started going to fare? When you plop down $60 to $100 for an average kit it is reasonable to expect that the parts not be warped, that the parts fit, and there by limited flash.  Often that is not the case.  In addition, commercial kits have large production runs.  If you populate your layout with them, it will look pretty much like everybody else's layout.  The New River Mine, ADM Grain Elevator, and Atlas Interlocking stand out in any photo.

I've made a point before that I firmly believe that being of modest means (or close to being broke) is an advantage in our hobby.  Having limited funds means you have no option but to learn to make things for yourself rather than purchase them.  In other words you will be forced into learning to be a model builder.  Long term it's a blessing. Building a structure from scratch is much easier than one would expect and is often a matter of getting over the mind set that it is difficult.  Like anything else it takes practice but after a half dozen attempts you'll get into a groove.  You will often find that scratch building is EASIER than building a kit with poorly cast parts.

Advantages of scratch building include:

-Extremely low cost.  Once you have a few rudimentary tools and a stock of styrene, a typical scratch built structure is probably a quarter the cost of a kit, maybe even less.

-You get exactly what you want.  You aren't limited by what is available on the kit market.

-Unique look.  Scratch built structures will make your layout stand out as unique and have a more cohesive look since the model railroad won't be covered with something ten thousand other people own.

If you want to get started, I suggest picking a simple, smaller structure.  Work from photos. Accept the fact that your first attempts may not look that great and be willing to discard them as 'practice'.  In terms of tools you won't need much: sheet and strip styrene, perhaps some window castings, X-acto or razor  blades, a straight edge, and some solvent.  Rather than purchasing commercial hobby glue I just use lacquer thinner from a paint store and an old paint brush.    Rather than sitting on the sidelines saving up for a structure kit that won't be that great anyway, take control and jump into the scratch building game.

June 14, 2010

Life in the Suburbs

Anybody that has been banished to the vast cultural wasteland known as the American suburbs will be able to relate to these two YouTube videos.  Not from the US?  There really ARE people like this here!  My apologies in advance, here they are:

Soccer Mom

Sky Rats

June 12, 2010

Fun vs. Long Term Satisfaction 

Excelling at an activity often means giving up what is most fun at the moment in exchange for what is the most satisfying long term.

I’m a firm believer that most people should have at least one activity in their life that they pursue with passion.  Pursuit of this activity should be geared towards performing to the best of one’s ability, not just casual recreation.   Performance in this pursuit should be measured against oneself, rather than anybody else.  The activities could be all over the map - music, art, athletics, youth mentoring, or hobbies to give just a few examples.  The list is endless. 

I realize that having this opinion probably puts me in the position of sounding rather judgmental.  I’m fully open to the fact that, in many cases, I’m flat out wrong (maybe more than ‘many’ cases).  Undoubtedly there is a large percentage of the human race that experience very enjoyable lives just hanging with friends and family.   My point here is to make the very concrete distinction between fun and deep, long, term satisfaction.  They are often two totally different things. 

I further believe that pursing at least one endeavor with one hundred per cent passion and effort is especially important for teenagers.  I believe that a teenager should have one activity that they put everything they have into being the best they can be.  Not the best, their best.    This is not an area they can go back and get a do-over on later.  The confidence, skills, and deep friendships that are formed from this all out effort will last a lifetime. 

The problem is that many teens are focused on the moment and have no long term perspective.  They have no life experience to draw on.  The proliferation of video games, text messaging, and social media such as Facebook compound the problem.  It wouldn’t take much for the high school experience to slip away and the sum total of that experience being one solely of just ‘hanging out’.  As a parent should you 'make' them do such an activity?  As hardcore as it sounds, I believe the answer is yes.  Yes you should make them.  Here’s the key.  THEY have to pick the activity, not you.  In most cases they are drawn to something naturally and you just have to encourage and support them to do their best.   As a parent you are treading on slippery ground if you say ‘as a teen I really enjoyed X so you must do it’.   You are on firm ground to lay down the law that they will pursue a given endeavor of their choosing at 100% effort.  Possible choices are in the hundreds: art, music, sports, scouts, hobbies, auto mechanics, computers (NOT video games).  Regardless of a teen’s physical make up or personality, there is something for every kid. 

As overbearing as it may sound, I think as a parent you are within your rights to keep them on track with their chosen activity.  In order to excel at the activity the child will constantly be faced with making the distinction between what is fun at the moment vs. what produces long term satisfaction.  Without the parent’s guiding hand they will often make the wrong decision.  Unfortunately the only formula for being skilled at something is through hard work and practice over long periods of time.  If you want to be an excellent swimmer you had better spend a substantial amount of time swimming laps.  People have been trying for centuries to find an easy way to the top and haven’t come up with one yet! 

There will be many days when your child’s peers are on the phone wanting to come over and play video games.  Do they spend the weekend playing video games or do they block off the hours to practice those musical chords, finish the scout project, or master the gymnastics routine?  Usually, with a little planning, they can get both in.  Many (most) kids though, without the parent involved, will take the fun choice. 

As a parent, by being that ‘jerk’ and making them stick to the plan you are putting them on a path towards long term satisfaction even if it means not having fun at any given moment.  You will be very un-popular at those times when you remind them of their long term plan.  Protective gear is suggested when you provide such ‘re-direction’!  This isn’t to say that a kid won’t have casual downtime.  Children have so much free time that with a little planning and prioritizing the majority of their time can still be spent ‘just hanging out’.  The key is to make sure the ‘work’ part of pursing their passion gets consistently done. 

This disciplined approach, if they stick to it,  will pay major positive dividends for them for the rest of their lives.  Deep, as opposed to casual, friendships are formed by pursuing difficult goals with one’s peers.  Skills are developed that can help them discover and even prepare for satisfying careers,  careers that cater to their passions as opposed to those that just put food on the table.    

Disclaimer:  I have not yet received certification as a ‘perfect or knowledgeable’ parent.  My child reminds me daily that the likelihood of ever achieving that status is slim at best J   Like everybody else I pretty much have to make it up as I go and hope it works out in the end.

June 10, 2010

Laredo

The local switches out some reefers in Laredo, Texas.  Laredo is packed with industrial switching and would make for an excellent model railroad theme.

Anybody who considers the classic Clint Eastwood movie, 'High Plains Drifter', one of the best westerns of all time would have plenty of company.  Take that gritty, dusty, scorching, dry heat theme, and mix in modern day industrial switching and you have Laredo, Texas.  Laredo is one of the largest inland ports in the U.S. and home to dense catacombs of rail served industrial parks served by  the Texas-Mexican Ry. (Kansas City Southern) and UP.  Perched on the border of Mexico and the banks of the Rio Grande River, anybody that watches the news knows it's  in pretty dangerous territory as far as the drug wars are concerned.   It would also be an ideal candidate for a model railroad theme.  Grab a cup of coffee, fire up Bing Maps Birdseye,  take a virtual flyover, and see what you think.

June 5, 2010

Trimming The Scope of Your Scenes

A Layout Designer's Ace in the Hole

We all have been in the situation where we have our design in front of us and scratch our heads as we wonder, 'how am I going to fit everything I want into this space'?  We twist, turn, and grimace and finally rejoice when we've shoe horned that quarter mile stretch of prototype railroad into the six square feet of layout we have available for that particular scene.  Deep down it gnaws at us though.  Sub-consciously  we know we've signed a deal with the devil.  Although we did fit everything in, we know that, frankly, it doesn't look very good.

More often than not the life preserver that saves the day is to reduce the boundaries of the geographic area we are modeling.  For most of us (maybe all of us) the thought of such trimming makes our throat constrict to the point that we become oxygen deprived.  Our first thought is of loss.  If we narrow the boundaries of the scene we are modeling then all sorts of cool stuff will be lost.  Yes.  But once we can accept that loss there is a sense of release in finally being able to have a reasonable number of elements that will easily fit into the space we do have.  We have fewer elements and can execute them better.  In other words we have two choices.  We can select too large of a geographic area to model and try to shoe horn ten pounds of poop into a five pound bag.  Such an approach is rife with compromise and generally ends up with a mess where we have done a lot of things  not so well.  The other choice is to model a smaller,  more reasonably sized area, and do it well.

Shown above is my original plan for the staging approach to the Downtown Spur junction.  There were a number of problems with this design.  1. Having a track pass through a scene twice is a visual no-no.  In this case the visual screen really wouldn't be enough to separate the scenes and I didn't want a backdrop here.  The overall vista of this area doesn't even come close to what a visitor would see if he were to visit the area.  2.  The CSX main is straight through this area and the necessary curve the design calls for stretches the bounds of plausibility.  3.  The junction where the branch splits from the CSX main would be interesting to model and this design has it buried next to the support column.  4.  As designed, the aisle next to the peninsula is too narrow.

In my efforts to include a longer stretch of the CSX main, I was making the mistake of modeling too large of a geographic area.  The result was doing a lot of things poorly and creating the four problems just mentioned. 

To solve the problems I took a deep breath and reduced how much of the CSX main I would incorporate.  For a one train operation such as this I didn't need such a long staging lead and would have to just learn to live without modeling the Tri-Rail station.  Letting go of my desire 'to have it all' was liberating and completely solved the major design problems I was facing.  I now have much fewer elements to fit into the same space and can do justice to those elements I kept.     I now have the same scenic vistas I'm used to seeing when I visit the area, have the junction in a prominent  location and have a wider aisle.

The lesson here is this.  The next time you're faced with a design dilemma, bite the bullet and narrow the boundaries of the area you are modeling.  Let go of your desire to have it all at all costs.  Make the decision to do a few things very well as opposed to a lot of things poorly.

May 24, 2010

Two Good Reads

You can consider this blog entry a watered down version of Oprah's book of the month club.  At any rate, both of the titles below are street smart, easy to read, books that have valuable lessons to pass on to broad audiences.

 Crossover, The New Model of Youth Basketball Development .  Brian McCormick.   As a parent, one of the most difficult balancing acts centers around your child's sports or extracurricular activities.  If you are under involved the child risks not making the most of, or missing entirely, one of the most valuable  experiences life has to offer.  If you are over involved, too heavy handed, or live vicariously through the child, then you risk poisoning the experience.   The Crossover Movement provides a much needed sense of balance, guidance, and insight into how the youth athletic world works.  Although it leans towards basketball, the lessons apply to all sports and I suspect to music, the arts, or any other youth endeavor.  If your parenting approach places a high value on extracurricular activities of any kind, this is a must read.

The Millionaire Next Door.  Thomas Stanley.  In this fascinating book Stanley debunks the myth as to who the wealthy are  in America and how they got that way.  Hint, it's more likely to be the person in the Camry next to you at the stoplight than the BMW blowing by you on the interstate.  If you don't want to read the book, the basic messages is as follows.  You have two choices.  You can spend your money trying to 'appear wealthy' or you can manage your money intelligently, live reasonably, and give your self a chance of actually accumulating some degree of net worth.  Having spent over fifteen years in the financial services industry, and having viewed literally hundreds of personal balance sheets, I can say Stanley is dead on accurate.

May 19, 2010

Where Does the Time Go

I went to the progress photos section to add the images of the completed Chavez Used Autos structure and was a little surprised to see that almost two months had elapsed since the last photo.  Several weeks of that was spent getting the layout ready for the ProRail operations convention.  I've also been spending some time replacing my temporary Atlas track with  Micro Engineering code 70.  The process I use for painting and detailing the final rail is sort of time consuming in that I use oils to stain the ties and that takes some time to dry.  My son is now a freshman in high school and has become very involved in athletics both for the school team and an outside AAU club.  For anybody that's been down that road you can appreciate the fact that I often feel like I spend entire weekends (or in same cases the whole week) in a gym attending his games and practices.   Times like this remind me of the fact that a much smaller layout would be perfectly adequate as far as fulfilling my modeling needs. 

May 14, 2010

This is one of those DIY.DESPAIR.com parody posters that I got on a forwarded email.  I wish I had the creator's name so I could give credit.

The Ten Pillars of Career Success

May 11, 2010

On a recent airline flight I was seated next to young  woman in her early twenties.  She was a pleasant sort and towards the end of the trip we struck up a conversation to pass the remaining time in the air.  She volunteered that she was attending school at one of the more expensive private universities in the city, all funded by her well-heeled father, a physician in  Florida.  I asked about her area of study, her interests, and what she planned to do after school.  It became clear she was simply passing through school (probably with good grades) and had no long term goals, passions, or for that matter,  any idea what she wanted to do in life.  This young gal was not even remotely employable in any capacity.  Her father, certainly with the best of intentions, had purchased the most expensive education available in the hopes of giving her every opportunity in life.  Unfortunately, you can't buy the foundations of career success.  If only it were that simple.   Particularly in suburban enclaves such as where I live, a college degree is viewed as the primary determinant of career success.  The amount of stress parents experience positioning their child to get into a specific institution must be excruciating.  It's also a misplaced emphasis. Having knowledge never hurts.  Knowing more is certainly better than knowing less.  It has to be the right knowledge though.  It has to be the right set of skills.  With the exception of certain highly specialized fields such as medicine, much of this knowledge can be picked up outside of college.   For the purpose of our discussion, I will define career success as performing one's chosen occupation at a high level of competence.  I will not define success with any particular income level or position in the hierarchy as that is irrelevant.  The ten pillars of career success are:

The list above contains ten elements of career success.  A college education is but one of the ten, and frankly, the easiest to compensate for if you don't have it.  However, your chances for success are minimal if you can't get along with others, don't work hard, and can't handle adversity.   Far too much emphasis and focus is put on SAT scores and getting into the 'right college' when, in reality, the other areas above deserve far more attention.  If you are over thirty, when was the last time an employer asked about your gpa or SAT scores?  If they cared, would you want to work for them?  I'm not saying a college education has no value but rather that it should be placed in a realistic position in the list of career success elements.  The amount of energy spent worrying about which information dispenser your child will go to would be far better spent helping them find a passion and developing top shelf personal relationship skills.

Disclaimer: For those wondering, yes I did attend, and graduate from, a four year university with a degree in Engineering and a minor in Economics.

ProRail 2010

April 24, 2010

Kevin Leyerle and Keith Jordan give a smile of relief having successfully worked the switchback (left).  Earlier in the day Kevin and  Rene LaVoise work the scrap yards (right).

Now it's Saturday and Jim Senese and Chuck Hitchcock get their shot at running things (left).  Saturday's operators, left to right, Mike Peters, Walter Appel, Chuck Hitchcock and Jim Senese.

Although I wouldn't classify myself as a diehard operator, I wouldn't like my layout much if I couldn't operate it prototypically on occasion.   Having our miniature worlds come to life  every now and then is what keeps them from being static dioramas.   Over the past year I've been doing a lot more model building than train running.  When I was contacted by the organizers of  ProRail about being a host layout when their annual event hit the Washington, D.C. area I jumped at the chance.  Over the course of two days I hosted a total of four operating sessions.  Each session was about two hours long.  Four guys showed up each day.  The first two ran in the morning, we broke for lunch, and the other two ran in the afternoon.  The layout ran reliably and I think it's safe to say a good time was had by all.  I had a chance to re-visit with some old friends and make some new ones.

Interstate Oases

March 27, 2010

Last year I had one of those twelve hundred mile road trips where there really wasn’t much of interest to me between the origin and destination.  Twelve hundred mile trips are sort of a no mans land in terms of splitting the mileage up.  The first option is to do it in three days, a four hundred mile leg each day.  Going that route typically leaves you done with the four hundred miles, out in the middle of nowhere, in a Motel 6 by 3pm with absolutely nothing to do but wait for morning to arrive so you can get on the road again.  Option two is to split the trip into two legs of six hundred miles each.  That’s a pretty long haul for one day.  For this particular trip I decided to bite the bullet and do it in two days. 

At the end of the first day I pulled into one of those interstate oases which promised, if nothing else, a large selection of average eateries.  Probably nothing great but then no nasty surprises either.  As I pulled off the exit, I was pleased to see that the travel gods had smiled on me to the extent that there was a regional steakhouse chain that actually served above average food. 

As I walked into the restaurant, my body still had that buzzing road vibration feel even though I wasn’t even in the car anymore. You know the feeling.  The steakhouse was packed and I was directed to one of those two person tables with stools. 

In no time at all I was greeted by “Amber”, all of nineteen years old with a pony tail on each side of her head.  As if somebody had pulled an invisible draw string on her back, the show started.

“Hi.  I’m Amber.  This is my first day on the job.”

Perky and enthusiastic, I’ll give her that.  She was “happy”, each sentence punctuated by a side to side head dip like a dashboard bobblehead going down a gravel road.    Being totally road numb,  my waitress choice that night wouldn’t have been ‘perky’ but she was nice and dedicated to doing a good job, nothing wrong with that. 

“Can I get you started with something?”

This is really the sentence I wanted from Amber.

“Sure I’ll have a beer (preferably 33 degrees and administered intravenously).  What types do you have?”

Anxious to please, Amber was delighted to finally be able to apply her job skills.

“Ohhhh.  We have ALL types!”

All types?  A quick glance to my right revealed  three spigots behind the bar and a half dozen bottles behind the bartender.  Unless there was a cold storage warehouse behind the restaurant that I hadn’t noticed, it was unlikely they had “all types” of beer.

“Amber, all types?”

“Yes sir, we have ALL types.  What would you like?”

So perky with that head bob thing and vacuous smile.

All right, I’ll bite.

“O.k. then, give me a Spaten Optimator”

“A whhhhuuuuh?”

A look of confusion came over Amber and the head bob stopped for a second.

“Spaten Optimator.  It’s a type of beer”

“Oh, I don’t think we have that”

Big surprise.

“O.k., a Shipyard Ale.”

“No, I don’t think we have that either.”

“Sledgehammer?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Amber, I think we could speed this up if you tell me what types of beer you DO have.”

“Oh we have ALL types!!!”

Lord, strike me down and end this thing for me right now.

“Give me a Budweiser.”

“Seeeee,  I knew we had what you wanted.”

“Amber”

“Yes?”

“Nevermind…..”

Gotta Make Progress, A Note To Myself

January 25, 2010

Recently I was exchanging emails with a modeling friend of mine and the subject turned to what we were working on with our respective layouts.  I mentioned I was going back and adding another layer of details to the section of layout I finished last year.  He emailed me back with something along the lines of, "I wish I was further along so I could do some fun projects like that."  This is from a guy that makes more progress than 99% of the modelers I know.

The comment set me back a second because it sounded like something I would say.  I can get pretty goal oriented at times when it comes to getting certain tasks done by a certain date.  Too much so I'm beginning to think.  Frankly I was feeling a little guilty about doing the recent detail work rather than moving on to the next structure that needs to be built.   Rather than focusing on how our check list of projects is looking, perhaps a better approach would be to just slow down and enjoy the ride.  A  healthier measure is probably more along the lines of just making sure we are doing something related to the hobby that we enjoy on a halfway consistent basis.  What does it matter if we spend our time detailing a six inch square of the layout instead of mowing down yards of real estate in some manic quest to get our to do list done by a certain time?  (My only caveat being that excessive time spent on chat forums and binge/accumulation purchases don't count, neither being very productive by any measure and not what I consider to be  model railroading or any hobby for that matter.)  In other words, the focus should probably be on setting casual goals for time spent on the hobby as opposed to goals for completing specific projects by a given date.

Think of it this way.  Suppose you were suddenly possessed with super human modeling powers and were able to get most of your layout done in the next week.  What the hell would you do then?   By virtue of having completed the layout  you would have instantly eliminated most of the activities you enjoy.     A better mindset would probably be something along the lines of "I want to make sure I set aside  three hours for myself this weekend to get in some model building" as opposed to setting a goal of "I gotta get two structures done by the end of the month".  

Why I Love Miami

January 10, 2010

I'm fairly certain that those that frequent this site would be perfectly content to spend hours talking trains at the C.O.D. Seafood Restaurant on 37th Avenue.  I'm equally certain that the appeal would be lost on the rest of the population though .

On Thursday I caught the 6am flight from DC to Miami which put me on the ground at 8:30, early enough to get in a full day of photography.  I dropped by the river first where I ran into a signal maintainer and was told that Y120 was working East Rail and if I hot footed it up there, I might catch him.  A short drive up 37th Avenue brought me to East Rail in time to catch the action.   I quickly became fixated on the C.O.D Seafood Restaurant structure and did my best to frame the loco. against it.  Apparently all of this photography caught the attention of the owner, an immaculately groomed Cuban named Ruben.   I don't think I've ever had a person send the message that they really wanted to know what the hell I was up to while at the same time being so polite in making the inquiry.  I explained the railfan aspect to Ruben after which he concluded that a) I was harmless and b) I was probably insane.   Satisfied that I was safe, Ruben immediately shifted gears and stated that it would be a good idea if I came into his restaurant for coffee as his guest.  Stepping into the restaurant was like going back into the 1950's, or the set of Happy Days.   It was spotless chrome and Formica everywhere. Not contrived interior design though.  Authentic.   He asked if I'd ever had 'Cuban' coffee.  I mentioned I'd heard of it, knew about it, and always wanted to try it.  He snapped his fingers and the waitress dropped a tiny cup in front of me about the size of those small McDonalds ketchup containers.  "Here drink this.  It will get you through the morning."  Well he was right about that.  Wow.  I pulled out my wallet to pay and, as I expected, he stated I was his guest and it was on him.

 That's what I love about Miami.  The people will engage you.  They'll make that connection.  They constantly ask me what I'm doing and seem genuinely interested when I tell them.   Sadly, in most of our suburban middle class cultures we've drifted from 'not offending or bothering' to really just not caring that much about the people around us.  We don't want to get involved.  We all become numb to each other.  You don't even notice it until you go somewhere like Miami. 

The idea of a vacation being several days walking 22nd Street or 37th Avenue in Miami and meeting the Rubens of the world is just beyond the comprehension of most.   Trading Six Flags or Disney World for that dump?  You...are... out of your mind!!!  It really is a shame though.  I'll take C.O.D. over Applebees ten out ten times.

22nd Street and 13th Avenue, NW.  Eerie desolation in the late afternoon.

After rail fanning East Rail, I dropped by the Downtown Spur.  I was shocked how different it looked from last year.  The streets were empty.  It was desolate. There seemed to be a lot more trash everywhere.  Maybe it was the time of day but it wasn't the beehive of activity I remember.  At any rate it made for some great mood shots.  The above images were taken at the corner of 13th Avenue and 22nd Street.  When I got home I played around with them in Photoshop.    I dropped the saturation, added soft focus, applied a rose wash to the sky and burned in a sun.

A Look Back At 2009

January 2, 2010

Here's a 'warts and all' look at the layout progress during 2009

It's been awhile since I've done a model railroading related blog, mostly because the non-rail blogs have proven to be immensely more popular.  Nonetheless it's worth taking a look back at the layout's progress in 2009.  I promise to return to the regular scheduled programming in due time.

At the beginning of '09 all of the bench work was done, the scenery base was down, and mockups of the primary structures fabricated as stand ins.  Atlas code 83 track was laid in place temporarily and the dcc system installed.  I had a fully operational, totally un-sceniced layout at the beginning of the year. It was a blank slate.  My first structure was the Miami Produce Center at the end of the switchback.  While I was very happy with the overall look of my first several industries, reality began to set in with respect to the time involved in building an urban layout.  While it should have been obvious to me from the outset, it became clear that this layout would  primarily be an exercise in building structures and pavement. 

Whenever you switch layout themes or scales, initial progress is slow as you make the adjustment and build new skills.  I was a little surprised how much more I got done the second half of the year.  By the end of 2009 I had completed almost twice the square footage of layout than what I had originally planned.

Looking back on the year I was also a little surprised how little money I spent on the railroad.  Simply put, scratch built structures are very inexpensive to build.  I could have had a king's ransom to put into the layout and it would not have altered the overall results.  During the year I used up two, 4 foot by 8 foot sheets of styrene, and went through two boxes of photo paper.  Throw in some printer ink and details and I bet I spent less than $500 on the layout the entire year.

I had a handful of formal operating sessions where guests came in to run trains.  These sessions generally ran about 90 minutes to two hours.  I also had about a dozen thirty minute sessions where I ran trains myself.

I still haven't decided where to focus my efforts in 2010.  The river scene looks tempting as does the courtyard area by Trujillo and Sons.  With the economy turning around I feel more comfortable increasing layout expenditures and will probably beef up the budget as far as adding vehicles to the layout and perhaps putting the flooring down in the train room.

The Miscalculation of Otis

December 24, 2009

My Great Dane Elmer and I in the late 1970's.  Danes are a noble, amiable breed but they are not particularly tolerant of bullies.  They also like to hunt anything that resembles a wild boar.

One common characteristic of bullies is that they often don’t know when to quit when they are ahead.  Their success is built on a business model of picking on the smaller and weaker.  If they would only stick to that plan they could go on for quite some time.  Stray from that model and it often ends badly for the bully.  This holds true in the animal world as well, a corollary of Darwin’s law so to speak. 

Back in the 1970’s, when I was in high school, there was a sorry excuse for a dog in our neighborhood named Otis. Otis wasn’t much to look at weighing in at around 30 pounds, covered in a mangy coat, and dragging a pot belly underneath.  He wasn’t much in the personality department either, allowed to run wild by his owner, he only stopped by his house to re-load his belly. 

Over time Otis’ neighborhood wanderings became more and more aggressive.  Cats and other small pets began to disappear, including ours.  He also started running with a pack of like minded hounds of which he was clearly the leader.  Emboldened by having his posse of loser dogs behind him, and with quite a few dead small animals to his credit, Otis becoming increasingly aggressive and menacing.  We and the neighbors began to worry what would happen if they came across a small child.  Thankfully it never got to that point. 

Minus one cat, our other pet at the time was a jet black adolescent Great Dane named Elmer.  Elmer weighed in at over 100 pounds, most of which was pure muscle.  For those that haven’t ever owned them, Danes are a noble, good natured breed, that are great around children and protective of their families.  They are however a working class breed with their background rooted centuries past in wild boar hunting.  This is where Otis comes in.  Otis does, or at least did, look a bit like a pig. 

At the time we lived in a house at the top of hill, set back about 100 feet from the street.  In front of the house was a small porch rimmed with a wooden railing.  One fall afternoon following school I was sweeping the porch.  Elmer was there also just taking in the sun and watching the birds fly by.

 After awhile who should amble by on the street below but that worthless excuse for a dog, Otis, shoulders slouched shifty eyes darting back and forth.  As soon as Otis hit the Dane’s radar, Elmer went from bird watching to maximum alert.  He inched up to the porch rail, eyes fixed on Otis like lasers, muscles twitching.  Otis slowed in front of the house, lurched to a halt, and in no particular rush turned and faced the house.   For a second they just stared at each other.   

It could have ended there had Otis just kept walking.  It was not to be. Otis’ made a “miscalculation” and decided to test Darwin’s law.  He decided to make his play, stepped several feet into our yard, put the hair up on his back, and showed his teeth to the Dane.   

All I remember is the explosion of shattered railing as Elmer literally launched himself, through the rail, off the porch in the direction of Otis (which, as I mentioned before, did look a little like a pig and Dane’s are bred to hunt boars).  The other miscalculation of Otis was the speed of a great Dane,  probably just a little bit less than that of a greyhound but not much .  Otis’ eyes, generally half opened slits when he’s on the prowl, immediately assumed the shape of half dollars as he realized in an instant that 100 pound Great Danes don’t take to bullies the same way a 10 pound Chihuahua does.   

Going into maximum survival mode, Otis spun around and blasted down the hill as fast as he could, yelping and howling as any coward would knowing their life is about to end.  To make things worse, the dogs were completely out in the open. There was no refuge.

Like a sidewinder missile homing in a target, the closure rate of the Dane on his fat quarry was alarming.  In fact, it was this adrenaline induced full throttle burst that ultimately saved Otis’ worthless hide.   Within a matter of seconds the Dane intercepted his target and buried his one inch canines into Otis’ fat ass.  However, his momentum was so great that after making the first strike, he blew right up and over the smaller dog and continued to overshoot his mark.  The initial impact rolled Otis head over feet like a bowling ball in a cloud of dust screeching in pain and terror.  Still in life support mode, he spotted a gap in the neighbor’s hedge and was able to escape.  I eventually came on the scene where Elmer was pacing back and forth and snarling on one side of the hedge and Otis whimpering like the pussy he was on the other side.  I clipped the leash on my pet dragged him back up the hill and back home.  Otis’ owners stitched him up but we never saw much of him after that.

Thought For A Thursday Afternoon (Dec. 10)

Being 'busy' and being productive are two entirely different things.

Becoming an Employable College Graduate

December 6, 2009

There has been a lot of press lately about the difficulty college graduates are having finding jobs after graduation.  Alarming percentages are moving back in with their parents because they can’t find any jobs of any description let alone one in their field of interest.  Even sadder, many of the parents have invested well into six figures on college tuition.  The economy is part of the problem but the larger issue is taking a very misguided approach to preparing for the day a person needs to enter the work force.  Job hunting methods consistently proven to be ineffective continue to be used over and over at great cost to the parents and great cost to the young person’s confidence. 

When you are looking for employment, particularly if this is your first job, you do NOT want to be in position where you are mailing résumés.  A resume is a piece of paper about as useful as the one hanging on the spool in front of the porcelain god.  It does not tell an employer what he needs to know.  Specifically, are you a hard worker, can you produce, can you get along with people, can I count on you?  Sorry but attending a ‘name’ school, having high grades, having a well worded resume and having ‘prestigious internships’ won’t tell an employer much.  No matter how hard the student studied, having a 4.0 gpa and an internship with Senator Smithers doesn’t tell the employer what they really want to know. 

As a student, you do not want to be in a position where your job hunting strategy consists of mailing a sheet of paper out to total strangers.  You want to be hired by somebody that knows you well before your senior year.   So, what is another approach that is easier on the student, parents, and has a much more likely chance of working?  Start early, abandon traditional methods that have been proven to be ineffective, become aware of what skills and traits really do matter, and teach yourself those skills.  Notice that I said ‘teach yourself’ as opposed to expecting a professor to surgically implant them in your skull. 

Let’s look at one example of a way to be reasonably sure the student will be employable at graduation without bankrupting the parents in the process.  Take a young student that is fairly sure they want to be a business manager. For college, I would pick an institution that is affordable to the parents, has a management program (most do), and also a liberal arts program. Spending huge sums on tuition at a college solely based on an arbitrary listing in Newsweek or to impress your in-laws and neighbors is not likely to return the investment as far as making the child more employable or employable at a higher salary.  Sorry.  Investments in an MBA (very profitable for the schools by the way) provide equally questionable odds of returning the investment.   

Spend the first year letting the child get established into the college rhythm.   In terms of curriculum, get basic training in the areas of finance, processes, writing, and public speaking. Through a combination of courses and self-teaching, learn absolutely everything you can about getting along with and dealing effectively with people.  While in college have fun and meet lots of people.  Develop a reputation among your fellow students as being somebody of very solid character that doesn’t get caught up in social bullying, meanness or being un-dependable.  College friendships often last a lifetime so keep that in mind. 

Note to myself:  I wonder how many parents will stop reading this blog after the next paragraph :)

The employment plan starts towards the middle of the sophomore year.   Research the fast food industry in the area and find a string of McDonald’s (or equivalent) owned by a local entrepreneur.  Get a job there, doing anything. I have never worked at McDonalds,  however, I do have very close relationships with people that have owned them – not single stores but regional dynasties.  These regional franchise owners are millionaires many times over and they didn't get that way by being idiots.  One of the greatest keys to their success is knowing how to find good people and believe me, they know how to do it.   I know how they think, how they hire, and what matters to them.  It is common for them to mention that they have keyed in on potential manager candidates in kids still in high school based solely on the child’s character. 

Once you are on staff (minimum wage by the way), you will arrive early, leave late and establish yourself as the hardest worker on the shift.   You will get along with your co-workers and make your manager look good.  After a few months, introduce yourself to the regional manager and tell him your plan, specifically to develop management skills.  Do whatever it takes to meet the franchise owner and tell him your plan.  Your fellow shift workers, focused solely on the moment may giggle.  The owner won’t giggle I guarantee it.  You are now on his radar as a potential solution to his biggest problem, finding great employees.  Continue to be the hardest worker.  Develop the relationship with the owner and management.  Make sure they know you and know that you’re there for a specific reason.   During your junior and senior year meet other franchise owners and central office staff.  While in college, read everything you can find on dealing with and getting along with people. 

At the age of 21, months before graduation, I can be reasonably certain that you will have a management position at the franchise regardless of the state of the economy.  Before anybody gasps about their offspring ‘just working at McDonalds’ lets look at a few facts.  Even shift managers at a profitable franchise make a very good income, have great benefits, and have a lot of job security (people need to eat). Your child may have one of the highest incomes in his graduating class.  Simply being employed after graduation will put him/her in the top half!  A promotion to regional manager, which could be realistic before age 30, would put the child well into six figures.    Throw in the vacations that franchise owners reward their managers with and things start looking even better. Remember that the industry and product is irrelevant.  The kid has learned to be a manager.  Managing a staff at McDonalds is just not that much different than being a manager at an aircraft parts manufacturer, medical supply dealer, or anyplace else.  If after a few years they want to change industries they will be well qualified to do so and have a bank account flush enough to allow them to be picky. 

Using the fast food industry is just one example since it would be relatively easy regardless of geographic region.  Other industries could be used the same way.  I did it with construction.  My college roommates did it in the steel and oil industries.  The point is, to start early, focus on the right approach, and be willing to shake off deeply embedded job search methods that simply do not work very well.  Focus on the values and skills that absolutely do matter: work ethic, communications skills (written and verbal), and the ability to deal with people.   There are millions of small businesses in our economy, recession or not many, many of them are growing and are always on the hunt for good people.  Get yourself in front of them, do it early, and show them what you are made of in person. 

Four Quotes

November 20, 2009

"It’s best to be nice to everybody.  You never know who you might need help from in the future." R.M.

This quote comes from a business owner I know.  Yes, we all know you should be nice to everybody not because of what they can do for you but because it's the moral thing to do.  He knows this and it wasn't his point.  His point was, that from a purely pragmatic business perspective, it IS good business to be nice to everybody.

"Never confuse IQ, grade point average, a college degree, a high salary, or professional credentials with wisdom.  If you fail to understand the distinction, at some point in your twenties or thirties the world will teach it to you in a way you won’t forget."  Lance Mindheim

Those most at risk for learning the above lesson the hard way are those just out of college, often with an advanced degree.  If they haven't figured it out before they enter the workforce, the lesson will be imparted before they are forty.  A corollary to the above quote is: "True wisdom is understanding how little you know".

"Better to keep one’s mouth shut and thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

This is a timeless classic credited to a number of sources.  As we get older we find ourselves falling back on it more and more.  It's a great way to stay out of trouble for sure! 

"The most powerful professional skill to possess is the ability to get along with, and deal effectively with people. "  Author unknown

Not Thinking Things Through

November 7, 2009

One of the characteristics of teenage boys is they aren’t particularly adept at thinking things through.  On many occasions they  don’t mentally run through the possible chain of events to see if there could be a potentially less than pleasant outcome.  This, along with the fact that they have no money, is why we don’t give them credit cards or allow them to be air traffic controllers. 

This age and gender trait recently played out at my son’s ball practice.  The coach of the team is particularly sensitive to mental lapses.  If you go all out and make a mistake he’s fine with that.  If you make a mental error, or aren’t paying attention, his shorts knot up very quickly. 

Several months ago his young charges were particularly un-focused at practice, made one mental lapse after another, and seemed to be more interested in fart jokes than the task at hand.  Under his system each mental lapse earns the player ten pushups.  Generally, he makes them ‘pay up’ right after the lapse.  That particular day he let the penalties accumulate.  He stayed perfectly calm, not commenting once about the rather ugly practice in front of him.  As an observer though you did have a sense that something was brewing. 

Practice ended and he called them together.  He calmly stated that to make things simple they had all earned 150 pushups for their lack of effort and focus.   But, he said, I have an offer for you.  As an alternative you can each just do ten pushups providing you do them ‘My Way’.  Every parent in the bleachers saw what was coming and mumbled, “Do NOT take the offer”.   

Of course, being the dopes they can be, they all bounced up and down laughing and giggling.  “Coach. Coach. Yes. Yes.  We want to do ten your way”.  Fine he said.  This is how it works.  You only have to ten but, they have to be perfect and if one player messes up, you all have to start over at zero.  If I see one butt in the air or one chest not touching the ground you all start over.  The giggling stopped and you could sense the anxiety creeping in. 

To make a long story short, they were there for a full thirty minutes doing pushups as the coach sat there, arms crossed, rocking back and forth on his heels making them start over and over and over.  By the time they left the gym the giggling had stopped and you had what is best described  as an atmosphere more conducive to focusing on the task at hand.  Again, this is why they don’t give fourteen year old boys credit cards.

Baltimore

October 21, 2009

I spent a fascinating day yesterday rail fanning in Baltimore.  Although I only live 45 minutes to the south, it's been quite awhile since I've been to the downtown proper.  It is a fascinating, beautiful city that has gone through a transformation that leaves me with mixed feelings.  As it stands now it is a sparkling, immaculate place that should be on everybody's list of travel locations.  A large percentage of the trademark industrial structures and row houses have been perfectly restored and prepared for another half decade of service.  This revitalized zone doesn't go for blocks, it goes for miles....and miles.    I wrapped up the day with a touch of sadness though with the realization that the Baltimore I used to know is gone.  The buildings are there, in even better condition than before, but the atmosphere has changed.  Structures that used to house canneries and factories now serve as condominiums.  Corner bars are now coffee shops and art galleries.  Lifetime residents have been replaced by young people jogging with their cell phones and ipods.  I guess that's progress and it is certainly far better than having history fall to the wrecking ball.    As they say, the one thing that is constant is change.  Adios old friend.

Deliberate Practice

October 11, 2009

A number of years ago Florida State professor Anders Ericsson published a study of individuals that  excelled in their chosen fields of endeavor.   An excellent summary of the article was done by Geoffrey Colvin in Fortune Magazine. Click HERE for the article. 

In summary, Ericsson’s conclusion was that acquiring a high skill level in an activity had very little to do with inborn talent and very much to do with hard work and practice. Not any practice but ‘deliberate practice’.  The key though was how he defined ‘deliberate practice’.

In the article Colvin writes, “The best people in any field are those who devote the most hours to what the researchers call "deliberate practice." It's activity that's explicitly intended to improve performance, that reaches for objectives just beyond one's level of competence, provides feedback on results and involves high levels of repetition.

For example: Simply hitting a bucket of balls is not deliberate practice, which is why most golfers don't get better. Hitting an eight-iron 300 times with a goal of leaving the ball within 20 feet of the pin 80 percent of the time, continually observing results and making appropriate adjustments, and doing that for hours every day - that's deliberate practice.

I see this consistently in model railroading.  I’ll be contacted by somebody that has been in the hobby for some time that, for one reason or another, has decided they want to improve their modeling or photography.  They usually send me photos at the first contact and then follow up every several months.  For many months the results look pretty much the same as they plug along trying to improve.  Then, in a matter of weeks some magical switch seems to flip and they go from being a good modeler or photographer to an exceptional one.   Had they just kept going along using the same techniques and mindset they would not have improved.  However, these folks were very deliberate.  They read up on new techniques, sought feedback, analyzed their efforts, read books, and spent a fair amount of time at the work bench (or behind a camera).   It wasn't just the time they spent modeling or doing photography it was that they 'deliberately practiced'.

Project Post Mortem

October 11, 2009

After most projects I do a post mortem of things that worked out and things I'll do differently the next time.  The above photo is of my recently completed model of the D&E Argentinas structure.  Like all projects there were things that worked, some mistakes and blemishes, and some approaches I'll change the next time.   I do like looking at this model and can calmly accept that it is not perfect.  I rarely if ever go back and correct or change a finished structure.  I accept it was my best effort during that time span, place it on the layout and move to the next thing on the list.

Things that worked:

1. Graffiti and patch out on walls and doors

2. Drain holes cast in concrete wall

6. Subtle stains created by wiping India ink wash off in a downward motion

7. Hurricane window covers

Things I'll change next go around

3.  Roof weathering is too brown.  Use gray or black next time.

4.  Railings are too thick.  Try to find something thinner in an etched metal product.

5.  Door frames are too over powering.  Leave them off next time.

8.  Downspout looks too wide, go narrower next time.

Made In The Basement

October 8, 2009

I want to take a moment to recognize those small niche companies that we as modelers are so dependent upon.  I'm talking about the guys that make the parts for markets too small for the big houses to touch them.  Not only do these little guys make such critical parts, they do so to exceptional standards.  Off of the top of my head here are some of my 'go to' companies:

BLMA. www.blmamodels.com. Craig Martyn.  Favorite Parts: chain link fence, security fence,  window mount air conditioners, grade crossings, K barriers

King Mill Enterprises:  www.kingmill.com. Chris Jessee.  Favorite parts: laser cut pallets, laser cut scale corrugated cardboard boxes

Model Memories:   www.modelmemories.com    Favorite parts:  wafer thin etched manhole covers

Proto:87 Stores:  www.proto87.com  Andy Reichert. Favorite parts: etched turnout details

LogicTech Technologies.  www.logicrailtech.com   Chuck Stancil     Favorite Parts:  functional fusees

Modeling 101

Learning The Hard Way

October 4, 2009

Been there.....done that.....as I expect have many experienced modelers reading this.  Live and learn.

How We View Occupations

September 23, 2009

The very public passing of actress Farrah Fawcett brought forth some interesting commentary on the state of cancer research.  Sadly, for many forms of the disease we really haven’t made much progress.  I particularly remember an interview with a cancer researcher at USC.  The scientist re-iterated what others had said about the painfully slow progress being made in treating an illness that effects so many.  The part of the interview that stuck out the most to me, however, was his comment that the lack of progress had very little to do with a lack of funding.  According to the researcher, there was plenty of money.  The problem was a shortage of human capital.  We just aren’t getting enough high quality people entering the fields of scientific research.  The same could be said for many conditions that plague society such as, autism, Alzheimer’s, obesity, addiction, and on and on. 

Our society has gotten to the point where, many of the most important professions just aren’t viewed as being ‘cool’.   Working with rodents in a basement lab somewhere just doesn’t hold much glamour.  Trying to find the cure for something that will eventually effect many of the people reading this blog doesn’t make us daydream as much as say, being a pro athlete.  Those in the most critical occupations just aren't appreciated and given  the degree of admiration that they should be.

Without giving it too much thought I made a quick list of the most important occupations that exist in society.  I know I’ve missed many of them but for starters I came up with: 

In many cases these professions, society's most important occupations, have the following characteristics:  low pay, long hours, a lot of grief from those you interact with, little recognition, and little appreciation from society as a whole.  It’s a wonder anybody does them at all! 

Conversely, there are many occupations that simply are not that important to society, that pay well, and offer prestige in the public’s eyes.  The solution to many of society’s ills lies not in more funding but in an overhaul of our values as they relate to critical occupations.  The day we hold the work of that twenty-four year old teacher, who buys her clothes at Marshalls,  in higher esteem than the celebrity will be the day that the tide turns.  The day the work of that fat balding scientist at NIH is viewed as more important than whoever is on Entertainment Tonight will be the day things get better.   

I have no ill will towards celebrity or other ‘cool’ occupations, it’s just that in many cases what they do is just not that important to society.  Heck, my occupation is not that important to society.  What I have an issue with is when we hold critical professions in lower esteem than more glamorous but less important occupations.    It is our values, not the individuals that hold glamour jobs, that is the problem. 

We now live in a culture where the coach of a top flight college athletic team is the highest paid employee in the state.  I love sports but come on.  That is INSANE!  A sports coach making more than the university medical researchers?  We really have lost our collective minds.  It’s not the coach’s fault.  It’s the fans of the program that value a win loss record so much that they’d pay a salary like that.  Whether my alma mater’s football program goes 6-6 or 10-2 just really is not that important.  It’s a game.  It’s entertainment, just as a television show is.  Medical research is not a game.  It does impact us. 

Imagine sitting at a traffic light.  On one side is a well known celebrity in a luxury automobile.  On the other is a Toyota Corolla missing a hubcap with a scientist behind the wheel.  Which holds our attention and causes us to daydream about trading lives? 

Those that are employed in these seemingly thankless professions do have a secret though.  They do get something out of it.  Specifically, they get a degree of immortality.  They live on beyond their actual life spans by changing the lives of those they helped.  It’s a ripple effect.  Not only do others benefit directly from their work but so do those that follow.  The daughter of the woman saved from cancer benefits as do her children and on and on for generations.  

The next time we whip out our check book to send money for the ball club at State U., maybe we should pause for second and consider whether there is a research department at the school that would do a better job of serving our long term self interests.  The next time we are in the hospital for food poisoning maybe we should be pull aside that nurse that held the barf bag and make sure she knows she’s appreciated.  The next time we see a celebrity in public, maybe we should be less in awe. 

Vehicle Colors

September 12, 2009

If you want to have an accurate mix of colors for the vehicles on your layout then almost 60% of them should be white, black, gray, or silver.  The annual DuPont Automotive color popularity report broke down as follows:

Chart by DuPont

Building a Successful Layout

August 22, 2009

To me the definition of a successful layout is very simple.  In my view, it’s simply a layout that provides the maximum amount of enjoyment given the owner’s circumstances.  What other’s think of it, its technical characteristics, the theme, the degree of detail etc. really is irrelevant.   If an individual would truly enjoy placing Star Wars figures on his layout and enjoy running civil war era locomotives around them, that’s the way they should go.  They shouldn’t cave and build, say a 1950’s era Santa Fe theme, simply because others would enjoy it more.   We (particularly me) have to be very careful not to dismiss or be condescending towards the modeler that is truly enjoying themselves simply because their project is not of interest to us, viewed as un-realistic, or does not have operational potential.  The twelve year old student, with unbridled enthusiasm for his newly discovered hobby, oblivious to the crudeness of his early efforts, is light years ahead of the old curmudgeon who spends his time doing nothing more than pontificating on a chat forum. 

Having said all of that, there are some things that can be done to maximize your enjoyment and increase the odds it will meet your definition of success.

I had a lot of reservations prior to building the East Rail layout.  I’m embarrassed to admit that I was fairly pre-occupied with what others would think.  Here we had what I thought others would view as a rather boring industrial park, in a less than popular era, all located in a region of the country that was not as popular as say the west or Appalachia.  In addition, the layout was not very big.   In the end I put my natural desire for accolades aside and proceeded anyway.  The end result was a layout that provided me more enjoyment than any I had built since.  It was (and still is) a total joy and until I started the Downtown Spur I practically ran the rails off of it.  Surprisingly, people I had never met before came out of the woodwork expressing their interest in the theme, simple design, era. etc.  So now I could count among my misjudgments how inaccurately I judged what others interests were.    Don’t be afraid to be utterly selfish and design a layout for yourself not others.  The vast majority of the time it will be you and you alone that is around it so make sure it satisfies the primary audience – YOU!

A Character Test

July 29, 2009

You can get a good sense for the character of people you don’t even know simply by watching how they handle the most ordinary of situations.   It’s really not much of a leap to assume that how a person handles a seemingly insignificant event is often a pretty good indicator of how they handle everything. 

Every now and then I drop into the local Wendy’s fast food joint for lunch.  Several weeks ago I was seated at my table and watched as a well dressed gentleman in his early sixties walked to his table, tray in hand.   His meal was in the center of the tray and a large milk shake on the corner.  As he scanned the room for an appropriate table, he inadvertently let the corner of his tray dip and there want the milkshake.  Sixteen ounces of frozen dairy product literally exploded on impact like a wet hand grenade. 

At this point my interest is picking up because, without knowing it, this poor guy was going through a character test.   Surprisingly, he didn’t react much one or the other to the fact that his dessert was now spread out over a fair number of square feet on the floor.  Without saying anything, he walked to the condiment stand, pulled out about fifty napkins and proceeded to clean up his mess.  A few minutes later a restaurant employee came over to deal the situation.  At that point, with the cavalry on the scene, I would have expected him leave.  He didn’t.   He moved to one side to make room for the restaurant employee but continued the clean up until the task was completed.  He then finished his lunch, got up, and drove off in his Mercedes. 

On the surface this would appear to be such an insignificant event.  Maybe, but I think it says a lot.  People of character clean up their messes.  People of less character walk away and let others clean up after them.

Self-esteem

June 28, 2009

You here a lot of talk about self-esteem these days, particularly when it comes to young people.   Most would agree that developing, nurturing and protecting it, particularly in kids, is a key component in creating a sense of well being and feeling of worth as a person.  I agree wholeheartedly.  Where I sharply part ways with many though, is how it is developed.      The current view seeming to be that self-esteem is so fragile that anything short of  gushing praise, even for the completion of the most mundane task, will cause irreparable damage.   While the intent is altruistic, the approach subtly takes us down the wrong path.  By going so overboard in praising and rewarding efforts that are far below a young person’s true potential, we inadvertently condition them to be comfortable with mediocrity.  In short, we get the opposite of what we are trying to accomplish and effectively rob them of the true joy that comes from accomplishing something meaningful.  I know for a fact that at some universities the professors are instructed to never give out a grade lower than B regardless of performance, including students that never show up for class.  The thinking behind the policy being that low grades will limit the student’s ability to find a job (all of which might roll back on the university which could be seen as turning out unemployable students). 

Self-esteem can be built in many ways.  One of those ways is to reach a goal that is a real stretch.    The true masters at building self-esteem are those teachers and coaches that have an innate ability to know what a child’s true capabilities are and demand that they work to that level.   If little ‘Billy’ puts five minutes of halfhearted effort into an art project and the teacher holds it up and say’s “Ohhhh, Billy, that’s sooooo good. “  Or, “It’s o.k. Billy you really tried”, they are doing the child a disservice.  We seem to be obsessed with the word “tried”.  Trying is great, if in fact that is actually what happened…. close to maximum effort.  Unfortunately we throw the word out pretty loosely, often applying it just for showing up and putting one foot in front of the other.  Taking the same scenario, the true master will pull out a high quality piece of art and lay it in front of Billy and say ”Let me show you what really good art is about Bill.  I think you are capable of this.   It’s going to be tough but you should really buckle down and put in the effort.  The five minutes you put into what we have here is not going to get you where you want to go.  It is just not going to cut it.” 

My first exposure to ‘self-esteem’ building came in the sixth grade back in the early 1970’s.  As anybody my age or older can attest, the world view was much different back then.   Teachers  tended to stick with their profession well into their sixties and carried much more power to do things their way in the classroom.  They were generally free from meddling bureaucrats and absurd, endless, government mandated achievement tests.    Coming into sixth grade, I had a pretty high opinion of my academic abilities and felt I had good grip as to what doing a good job meant.   I was to be in a class taught by Mrs.  Fiscus, a teacher I knew little about other than there was a long waiting list to get into her class and that my parents had lobbied very hard to have her be my teacher.  This should have been a tipoff as to what lay ahead. 

Anybody my age has had a Mrs.  Fiscus – barely five feet tall, plump, gray hair pulled back in a bun, pearl necklace, unpretentious but immaculately dressed every day, age 60 plus, turkey flaps under the chin and arms.  You know the look.

At the beginning of every school year there is a defining moment that determines who is running the class, the teacher or the students.  Sixth grade, 1971 was no exception.  The first week of the year, while Mrs.  Fiscus scrawled away on the blackboard, her back to the class, one of my heathen ‘home boys’ launched an eraser at the board.  Mrs. Fiscus calmly turned around and asked for the perp. to confess.   Nobody came forward.  Keep in mind that this women had been teaching almost 40 years so there was nothing the band of savages in front of her could put forth she hadn’t dealt with before. 

She made the request a second time.  The offender could step forward or she’d move to plan B.   No takers.  On to plan B.  “O.k.”, she said.  “I know that the person who threw the eraser was a boy (it was).    I need every boy in class to come to the front of the room.  I want all of you to circle around the conference table, grab it by the edges, and bend over”.  Nervous laughter ensued as we wondered what she was up to.  A hefty ping pong paddle hung from a hook behind her desk.  She took down the paddle, walked behind each boy in the line, and began to ‘lay the wood’ to each and every one of us. Despite being an older woman, she had a swing like Willie Mays.   I don’t know what was worse, the sting of wood hitting flesh or the humiliation of crying in front of your peers.  Somewhere in that line up of sixth graders the misbehaver, without question, got his punishment.  The rest of us got a very clear message.   When it comes to disciplining kids, I’m more of a time out type of person myself. In retrospect, however,  I have to say I don’t think I suffered any lingering long term psychological damage from the event.  I will say this, 38 years later I still remember it.  I think I can speak for every other boy in class that we took her message ‘on board’.  The tone was set. We now had what was called "an atmosphere conducive to learning".  With the point having been made, the remainder of the lesson continued with absolute silence from the peanut gallery. 

Shortly thereafter, the real lessons began.  Even at that age, I was somewhat of a history buff and took a fair amount of pride in my knowledge level.   We were given a history report assignment that was of interest to me and I took it upon myself to hit this one out of the park.  I really put a lot of time into it and was sure I’d covered all of the bases when I turned it in.  My mind drifted to the day the grades for the report came out.  I fantasized about being called to the head of the class to collect my gold star and rake in the teachers praise and admiration of my adoring fans. 

The big day arrived and the papers were returned.  My paper was dropped on my desk, I flipped it over and found a page totally covered in red ink.  At the top was a large C-.  I was stunned feeling is if I’d been hit in the gut with a 2x4.  I studied the paper from end to end and become very confused.  Without question, I had indeed covered all of the required topics.  After school, I waited for the class to clear out and approached the teacher. 

“Uhhh….Mrs. Fiscus I’m a little confused here about this C-" .  This was the first time I’d ever received a grade lower than a B.  She smiled, took a look at the paper and said, “Sure, what are you confused about?"  I explained that I had  hit all of the bases and felt I was deserving of an A.  “That’s quite right.  You did adequately address the history topic but, as you can see, there were numerous spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors.  Taking all of that into account, the net result is indeed a C-".  Whooaaaaa.  Back up the bus.    “I think you made a mistake Mrs. Fiscus.  English class is first period.  This is history.  They are two separate subjects”

“Not in my class Mr. Mindheim.  Now if there isn’t anything else, I have further work to do”. 

I ran home at a dead sprint and laid the full injustice out in front of my parents.  Surely they’d load the whole family into the car and race back to school, tires squealing,  to confront the principal and demand that Mrs. Fiscus be fired.   I’d completely forgotten the extended lobbying effort they’d put into getting me into the class in the first place.  Nor did I factor in the fact that even if I were pulled from the class there were other families eagerly waiting to put their kid in my spot.  Let’s just say my parents were totally unsympathetic to my plight. 

Having exhausted what limited legal options I had at my disposal, I had  no choice but to go back to school and do things Mrs. Fiscus’ way….as unreasonable (perhaps psychotic) as I felt they were.   I had to waste my time making sure the reports were grammatically correct.  I had to waste my time making sure that they followed the  intro., body, and conclusion format- all sorts of stupid stuff like that.   Having no choice, I stuck with it.  I still remember my final term paper grade.  It was a B+.  That B+ meant more to me than many of the A’s received before or since.  That is how you build self-esteem and she was a master.  

 (God help me for any English errors in this blog as I can almost feel the wrath of Mrs. Fiscus reaching out from the grave. She was that tough.)

The Law of Natural Consequences

June 21, 2009

Several years ago a counselor at my son’s school gave a parenting presentation.  It was done very professionally in Power Point.  The main point of the talk was that, when raising teenagers, it was best to rule by the law of natural consequences.  If they don’t want to do their homework, let it go.   When they reap the natural consequences of flunking, they’ll make a better decision the next time.  According to the speaker, the role of the parent was to provide positive examples, stay on the sidelines, and let them make their mistakes and grow from them.  He went on to say that if the only reason a child does something is because you make them, the second you aren’t in the picture they’ll stop.  It’s a valid point of view.   

I actually gave it quite a bit of thought and came to the conclusion that, no, that’s not the way I want to roll with things.   As much as I’d like to say I’m a liberal, progressive parent I’ve come to accept the fact that I simply am not.   When I was a teenager I swore I’d never be as old school as my parents were and unfortunately I’ve become just that, old school. 

Taking nothing away from this speaker’s opinion, my view is that the role of a parent is to be one of a leader.  When a teenager is making a really ill advised decision the parent should step in.  In my previous blog, I explained my philosophy on grades.  Frankly, I think it is pretty lenient.  The expectation was a B in English and all out effort in any class he really enjoys.  Well, my young acorn got too far behind, couldn’t close the gap, and missed both marks.   Video games are now gone for at least a full marking session. 

After a few days it sunk in an he came to me with “a proposition”.  That proposition being if he got an A in summer school English he could have his games back.  I like the way the conversation is heading but will let him twist in the wind a few days before getting back to him. 

On a related note (that probably also qualifies as overly controlling parenting) I’ve put him on notice that in areas where he consistently shows dubious decision making, I will step in and make the decision for him.   One such example is occupying himself productively during the summer.  He and I differ but I don’t consider sitting on the couch playing video games productive.  Nor is circling behind my desk and whining “I’m b-o-o-o-red”.  Last summer was one strike and you’re out.  This summer, I took the liberty of booking the majority of his non-school summer with athletic camps.

Howls of protest ensued along the lines of not letting a kid being a kid, no time to relax, and on and on and on.  On second thought, maybe that is the law of natural consequences.  Happy Fathers Day.

Education, How We Learn, and Success

June 9, 2009

One of the keys to being an effective kid is to keep your parents off balance.  For example, after bringing home a particularly lackluster report card, take apart your computer and then re-assemble it in perfect working order.  At that point your parents will understand that you are not lazy, just efficient.  You are efficient because you don’t waste time acquiring  irrelevant information.  Learning how to take apart a computer  is relevant.  English class is not.  Now your parents understand.  And of course, every 11 year old is perfectly equipped to make the decision as to which educational subjects are relevant and which ones are not.  Yeah. Right.

My teenage son’s report card came in the mail this week.   Without opening it, I was reasonably confident what I’d find inside.  I was fairly certain that every letter in the grading scale would appear at least once.  The only unknown being how he chose to spread the grade letters out this time.  Sure enough, things started off with an F in English, a D in science, a C- in history, a C- in physical education and in the ultimate passive aggressive screw you, an A in his hardest subject, advanced algebra.   I stress over the report cards much less now than I used to but do make a point of at least going over them with him.   My first question was the C- in phys. ed.  How could a kid that plays two little league sports and works out three days a week get a C- in physical education ?  Did he have a system?  It must have taken some planning.  I pressed the issue and without looking up, he muttered in teenspeak  ‘Idunno’ which in English translates into, ‘not only don’t I know, I don’t particularly care’.   I was also curious about history.  How could somebody that watches the History Channel every night get a C- in that subject?   “Idunno”.  What about the F in English? At least here I got some clarification.  “They’re doing poetry this quarter and I didn’t really feel like doing it”.  Wonderful…. 

Several years ago I would have been in full meltdown over this performance.  I now look at in a much different light.   Frankly, I’m just not that worried about it.   He and I have settled into an informal understanding of my expectations.  I expect an all out effort in one class that he’s passionate about and don’t care what the grade is.  I expect a B in English or video game options will be non-existent until it gets there.    Everything else I can live with.  If  he can’t play sports because of a low gpa, don’t come whining to me.  Why am I not worried?  It’s not that I don’t value education.  I do.  I graduated (barely) from a four year institution of higher learning and both of my parents are retired teachers.    

However, I’ve come to the opinion that Americans have a somewhat archaic view of education.   It’s a view best described as a form of tunnel vision in which the primary determinant of success is the acquisition of factual data.   It’s a belief that the best means of gaining that data is via a formal education in a classroom setting.  Finally, it’s a view that the quality and usefulness of the knowledge obtained is dependent upon the specific institution that dispensed it.   In other words, the information can be the same but if MIT dispenses it, it is somehow more valuable than if the same data were obtained online or from a city community college.   Fortunately we have numerous publications that will guide us through the fog and point out to us in the lists we so dearly love, the rankings of which institutions are the best ‘dispensers’.   I’m told I went to a very prestigious ‘dispenser’ (aka university) of information.  Who told me that?  The dispenser itself, the university. It must be true.  What a great system we have.  So neat.  So tidy.  So easy to measure. 

The prevailing view assumes that information transmitted in a classroom setting is the primary determinant of success.  As a culture we generally believe that information obtained in that manner is somehow more valuable than identical knowledge gained from another source.   If  only it were that simple.   The classroom is only one of many ways we learn and frankly, it is not the most efficient.   With the advent of technology, the internet, YouTube and immediate access to information, traditional formal education is moving even further down the list in terms of efficient ways of learning.  Don’t get me wrong, it does have it’s place its just not as efficient as some of the other methods. 

So how do we learn?    Here’s my partial list:

As a species, I don’t think we really understand how we gain knowledge or what types of knowledge are important.  Nor do we really grasp the fact that knowledge is just one of many important components of success.   We think knowledge alone is the end all and be all.  We place way too much emphasis on which institution gives us the information.  We often lose sight of the fact that people generally get out of school what they chose to.  A motivated student at a no name school will find a way to get what they need.  A slacker at a name school won’t get much out of it, and vice versa.   We also err in discounting the power of knowledge gained outside of a classroom setting.  Does it really matter where you get the information as long as you get it?    There is also a very dangerous gray area. That is the well meaning student that gains a false sense of security thinking that all they have to do is graduate from a ‘name school’ and their career will roll out in front of them like a red carpet.   

I think parents create undo stress in their lives by discounting a critical and key characteristic their children probably possess.  That characteristic is a passion for something, anything.  If they have at least one thing they are deeply interested in, there are two likely outcomes, both good.  First, they will eventually find a way to transform that passion into a way to make a living wage.  Or, they will take the skills, knowledge, and discipline developed in pursuing that passion and apply them towards another way of making a living. 

Knowledge/education, while important, is only one component of success.  Of equal or greater importance are passion for your job, creativity, work ethic, the ability to get along with others, integrity, the ability to handle set backs,  and the ability to communicate an idea efficiently to somebody else.   

It really is very simple.  The largest number of job positions in the U.S. are at small firms.  When assessing a new hire the owner or executive of that firm really only wants to know two things.  Can you produce and can you produce without disrupting the chemistry of the company.  In other words, can you get along with people.   If the company has their backs against the wall, grades on a report card, certificates, and credentials don’t matter.   They want the best problem solver and want an employee that can solve the problem without creating other problems.    

My note to parents would be to take a breath and relax.  Don’t overlook one key attribute of young people.  That attribute is their astounding, staggering, ability to make up lost academic ground at lightning speed.    It’s not an exaggeration to say that a 16 to 25 year old, when they grab a hold of something, can make up two, three, or more years of education in a matter of months.   In terms of which college they go to, if they do, it just does not matter.  If they really want an education they will find a way to get it and do so rather quickly. 

If they have a passion for at least one thing, have the capacity to treat others fairly, and a strong work ethic everything will be just fine.