Quote from: ScottyB on March 04, 2025, 07:58:47 PMI've got em all. Might as well keep the streak going!

Yeah, once I got into On30, I went back and got the old ones, too. I've been lucky a few years with author's copies as these things are NOT cheap!
I also have a few of the HOn3 ones as well, the ones with ET&WNC articles.
Still, those annuals aren't cheap, but I contend they're worth every penny.

If you have model train shows nearby, I'd go there first and then eBay next. I usually see at least one of the Bachmann coaches at each model train show I go to.

I will always contend that an Army S118 2-8-2 would be a home run for Bachmann. Many were built in WW2 and used all over the world. Several are still running.
I'd also love to see (Lee Riley's favorite) ten-wheeler get put back in production...

It's either Peco or Micro Engineering as it is right now.
  *Peco is very sturdy but generally considered toylike
  *Micro Engineering looks great but it's amazingly fragile when you install it
I'd love a third option between the two (even though it's far too late for me as my track has bene in place for 10 years and it's not going anywhere).

A few decently noted modelers have passed recently.
Let's face facts; this is still an 'old man's hobby'.
I was born in 1969 and when I go to model train events, I'm usually the youngest there by many years.

Here's the only other ten year apart shot on the layout, of the first run of the mainline. The turntables weren't in at that time.
This is the same locomotive and cars.

Quote from: Fred Klein on August 15, 2024, 12:21:58 AMLee, your layout ranks among my top favorite layouts, right along-side with David Popp's Olympia, Dave Meek's Thunder Mesa and Garry Beatty's Puerto Borracho. I always enjoy seeing pictures of your layout and it continues to inspire me even after 10 years. Looking forward to seeing more articles.

Thank you very much, Fred. That means a great deal to me.

Maybe I'm risking a jinx, but oh well...
On August 12, 2014, I ran the very first movement of a locomotive on my layout, using ET&WNC # 12 on a small section of the layout with a spur in place. My friend Robert Scott and I started laying track from one end to the other and had maybe gotten 4 feet of mainline in at this point, on plywood bench work. I didn't have a lot of confidence in my modeling ability at the time, having been out of the hobby for many years. I didn't think much would come from this other than a way to have fun running my own trains instead of waiting for op session on other layouts.
Within two years of this photo, scenery was in place and I've been improving stuff ever since.

Ten years later exactly, here's the same locomotive. This area is more of staging area with scenery. But had someone told me the layout would be in almost two dozen magazine articles, three commercial videos (including a Blu-Ray) and many dozens of visitors over the years, I'd have told that person they were nuts!

It's been an amazing journey to get to where it is today. I am continually surprised at how well my work has been received over the years.

I made my own number plates as one of the few things Bachmann never got right about their On30 locos were the builder and number plates. The builder plates were black lettering on a bronze background, the opposite of how they should be. I made my own and printed them onto decal paper.
Did the same for number plates, and printed them onto cardstock or photo paper.

I finally got mine this afternoon. It was well worth the wait!

Just a few that come to mind:

• EBT 2-8-2 (with blind center drivers for the tighter curve types)
• Baldwin S118-class 2-8-2. That Army took those things all over the world and a few still run here and there
• Re-release of the Baldwin ten-wheelers, to include White Pass & Yukon 10 and 14 (formerly ET&WNC locomotives, the very same prototype Bachmann has already made)
• Release of current On30 cars for the ET&WNC road name applied to match the same 10-wheelers. They tank car is a darned good representation of their tank cars 600 and 604 as they are, just with different lettering

The On30 Conspiracy IO Group has people posting since yesterday that they're getting their copies in the mail this week.
Can't wait to get mine. I hope I don't traumatize too many people as I should be in one shot, as my article is about running ops on a On30 layout (Something Chis asked me to write, at last year's narrow-gauge convention).
I do hope that shot made the cut not because I'm in it, but my wife took that and I so badly want to be able to tell people she's a published model railroad photographer!

I heard the recent Denver Narrow Gauge convention had some manner of outbreak of COVID and I emailed Chris last night with wishes that he hadn't caught it.
He hadn't, thank goodness. But even though I didn't ask (but I'm sure he knew I was wondering anyway), he mentioned the Annual "should be out any day."

Quote from: Ken Clark on September 04, 2023, 11:32:51 PMjust visited White River site, On30 annual due out Oct 1st, hopefully by Xmas

I wouldn't bet an appreciable amount on that. The Narrow-Gauge convention just ended and Chris Lane was one of the movers and shakers for that, so I bet he hasn't had any time for the annual over last month.
I still haven't seen the proof of my article, which I usually get long before publication.
No slam on Chris because he's a great guy and does an excellent job with everything, but he's a one-man band and was dealing with the convention which just ended.

I've seen one and I agree they look great. Sadly, the RR I model (the ET&WNC) never had anything like that, so I can't use one.
But I'm glad you love yours!