Hobo Jungle

[webenda]

Thank you for the link Jon. That must have been quit a coup for the M.S.I. to get that Junkers JU-87R-2 Stuka.

When I was there in 1953 there was an O-Scale Santa Fe model railroad right where they lowered that Stuka. The Stuka, Spitfire, Boeing 727 and Engine #999 were not there in 1953. I do see they still have a model railroad.



A little googling revealed the O-Scale model railroad has been replaced by an HO model railroad. I didn't think HO was suitable for large museum operating displays.
More googling found Bill Davidson, MSI's Train Guy. Bill says, "HO trains just weren't designed to run 8 to 10 hours a day. It is a constant battle to keep them running all day long."

=> http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2013/07/ ... -train-guy

Just as I thought.

P.S. on the O-Scale railroad.

The Chicago model was built at an unusual Q scale, which derived from the fact that O-scale trains were supposed to be 1/48 of life-size, but the tracks were just a bit wider, at 1/45th of life-size. Meticulous modelers like Cronkhite decided to build everything at 1/45th scale, which they called Q scale because a Q looks almost the same an O. The brochure says the Golden Gate model was 1/48th, so it may be true O scale.

Reference: http://streamlinermemories.info/?p=4463 --Thank you to Jerry (aka gnnpnut) for the reference.

Edit 1: Fixed broken link.

Note 1--See Sarge's correction on scale and gauge for Q gauge in a later post in this thread.

[rogruth]

Wayne,

The old Q scale [17/64" = 1'] was named "The Museum and Santa Fe Railroad" and, obviously, sponsored by the ATSF.
Bob Turner can elaborate on this.
After all of the mergers the ATSF became a part of BNSF and I understand BNSF wanted a new layout and that would
also open that area for more exhibits that the museum wanted.
The old one depicted a trip from Chicago to Los Angeles and the new trip is from Chicago to Seattle.

Most on this forum probably know all of the above but a few may not. I got the scale info from a booklet published
by the museum and describing the old layout. I visited the museum every summer from 1947 t0 1952 and spent
way too much time looking at the layout. The museum was fantastic for a kid. A gazillion buttons to push and
much more to do. There were very few signs that said don't touch but one was on the operating mechanism of a
steam loco that showed how the valves and pistons worked. The sign on this said something like "Please do not
touch.It might break something". The best thing about the museum at that time is that it was free.

[The Dirt]

A story of a hobo.
Happy Valentine's Day to all the ladies, from their imperfect men.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRHPkseMFnU
________________

Bill Horton was a cautious man of the road
He walked lookin' over his shoulder and remained faithful to his code
When something caught his eye, he'd measure his need
And then very carefully proceed

Billy met a young girl in the early days of May
It was there, in her arms, he let his cautiousness slip away
In their lovers twilight as the evening sky grew dim
He'd lay back in her arms and laugh at what had happened to him

On his right hand Billy'd tattooed the word 'love' and on his left hand the word 'fear'
And in which hand he held his fate was never clear
Come Indian Summer he took his young lover for his bride
And with his own hands built her a great house down by the riverside

Now Billy was an honest man he wanted to do what was right
He worked hard to fill their lives with happy days and loving nights
Alone on his knees in the darkness for steadiness he'd pray
For he knew in a restless heart the seed of betrayal lay

One night Billy awoke from a terrible dream callin' his wife's name
She lay breathing beside him in a peaceful sleep, a thousand miles away
He got dressed in the moonlight, and down to the highway he strode
When he got there, he didn't find nothing but road

Billy felt a coldness rise up inside him that he couldn't name
Just as the words tattooed 'cross his knuckles, he knew it would always remain
At their bedside, he brushed the hair from his wife's face, as the moon shone on her skin so white
Filling their room in the beauty of God's fallen light

[sarge]

Someone has the gauge bit all wrong, Jerry, the website cited, Roger &c.

It isn't Q Scale, but Q Gauge. The scale is not 17/64" but 1/4" to the foot. The gauge is corrected to 1.1875" from 1.25".

Minton Cronkhite was an early proponent of correcting the gauge for 1/4" scale and is generally credited with the fathering of Q Gauge, arguably the progenitor of P48.

17/64 scale corrected the scale to the track gauge. Q corrected the track gauge to 1/4" scale.

The Museum and Santa Fe was 1/4" scale, not 17/64" and Q Gauge, not O gauge.

[webenda]

Someone has the gauge bit all wrong, Jerry, the website cited, Roger &c.

Jerry is blameless, he only gave a link: => http://streamlinermemories.info/?p=4463

I am guilty as charged as I quoted from "Santa Fe in miniature" by Train Lover and paid no attention to the inaccurate description of Q gauge.

More, this time with accurate description of Q gauge:=> http://midnightrailroader.blogspot.com/ ... ge_27.html

[sarge]

That's twice today I've had my unqualified faith in the voracity of everything on the Internet shaken to the core. The next thing someone will tell me is the American medical profession is only interested in treating rather than curing so they can clean out your savings, and the press has different motivations than keeping the masses informed.

Whatever shall I put my faith in now?

[MurphOnMillerAve]

That's twice today I've had my unqualified faith in the voracity of everything on the Internet shaken to the core. ...
Whatever shall I put my faith in now?

The benefits of oatmeal?
Murph, the resident eccentric (in very good company)

[Rufus T. Firefly]

The next thing someone will tell me is the American medical profession is only interested in treating rather than curing so they can clean out your savings..........

Your cynicism is partly misplaced and not aimed at the originators and perpetrators of that condition. Take aim at Pharm, Insurance companies, and Congress which knowing supports being paid off by the former. They set the system up and the medical profession for the most part has to play along.

[J. S. Bach]

...snip... and Congress which knowing supports being paid off by the former. ...snip...

You are so right, Sir. Why, here in America, we have the best politicians that money can buy.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

...snip... and Congress which knowing supports being paid off by the former. ...snip...

You are so right, Sir. Why, here in America, we have the best politicians that money can buy.

And, it's going to encourage me to retire since I have lost any belief that there is any hope in finding real cures for many diseases. They'd rather feed you a pill forever than actually cure you.

[rogruth]

I have found my little booklet concerning the M & SF Railroad.
The pages are not numbered but counting the cover as page 1,
page 9 states that the "scale of thetrains track and buildings is
one-fourth inch to the foot"and "the gauge of the track is 1 3/16
inches". Minton Cronkhite is mentioned on the next to last page
as the builder and designer.

Nowhere is Q anything mentioned. I was going with my aging memory
and messed that up pretty bad. I had been told that 1 1/4" track
worked out to be 17/64" scale and was called Q.
Now please getr me straight on Q.

The booklet mentioned above was printed in 1941 and I bought it at
the museum in 1946 for five cents.

[sarge]

Your cynicism is partly misplaced and not aimed at the originators and perpetrators of that condition. Take aim at Pharm, Insurance companies, and Congress which knowing supports being paid off by the former. They set the system up and the medical profession for the most part has to play along.

Really now.

Funny how I really can't hear all the protestations and recitations of the Hippocratic Oath wafting gently in the direction of my waiting ear on a quiet evening. The medical industry is one leg of the Unholy Triumvirate that includes the Pharm and the Insurance Industries, all in cheerful lockstep up the Capitol steps and into the lobby to make sure the Affordable Care Act doesn't include anything either affordable or having to do with care, so they can continue to suck the population penniless by the time each is finally ready to crawl in for their dirtnap.

If any country needs an NHS this is it, but don't worry. It will never happen. The Unholy Triumvirate has it all sewed up only having to use the word "socialism" so they suddenly have the most unlikely allies in this scheme, the hardworking Joe they intend to fleece.

Its brilliant.

[sarge]

Roger:

The pamphlet is correct, 1/4" scale and 1-3/16" gauge rather than O gauge's 1-1/4".

It becomes clearer when one remembers "Scale" and "Gauge" are not synonymous.

Minton was a champion of Q gauge, which is 1-3/16" gauge. There is no "Q Scale", just Q Gauge. He championed this approach in many more venues than the M&SF, and I believe he actually gave the gauge its name.

He believed it easier to change the gauge and keep the scale at 1/4"=1' for the builders rather than try to further 17/64" to the foot (as a harder conversion to deal with) just to keep O Gauge.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Your cynicism is partly misplaced and not aimed at the originators and perpetrators of that condition. Take aim at Pharm, Insurance companies, and Congress which knowing supports being paid off by the former. They set the system up and the medical profession for the most part has to play along.

Really now.

Funny how I really can't hear all the protestations and recitations of the Hippocratic Oath wafting gently in the direction of my waiting ear on a quiet evening. The medical industry is one leg of the Unholy Triumvirate that includes the Pharm and the Insurance Industries, all in cheerful lockstep up the Capitol steps and into the lobby to make sure the Affordable Care Act doesn't include anything either affordable or having to do with care, so they can continue to suck the population penniless by the time each is finally ready to crawl in for their dirtnap.

If any country needs an NHS this is it, but don't worry. It will never happen. The Unholy Triumvirate has it all sewed up only having to use the word "socialism" so they suddenly have the most unlikely allies in this scheme, the hardworking Joe they intend to fleece.

Its brilliant.

You can't hear any of them since you're too busy yelling,

Note that I stated, "for the most part". There are a lot of Doc's out there that scrape by doing what you and I would file under "the right thing", and they do so by not playing the game any more than they have to keep their licenses and certifications up to date - there's another good game...... For the most part however, a new Doc can't survive on their own w/o playing the game, joining an established practice, and running an assembly line. The medical industry is not the medical profession; two different entities.

NHS? Could have been done but would have had to be done a long time ago. Won't happen now until there's a collapse and revolt.

Our healthcare is in the hands of multi-national corporations and their accountants first and foremost. Congress goes along for the ride getting paid off regularly.

[rogruth]

So I should not look for anything to help me through my late years, I am 80, except pain medicine
that is being made harder to get and seems to be a little less effective. Of course that might be
because I am older and just hurt more because there are more things wrong with me.

I was told that if several things were done to my eyes I would see better. Had those things done.
Do not see better. Sort of feel that is what will happen with any fix that is tried on me.
I will live with it at least until I die. So there.