ThinkerT
Alaska
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Posts:203
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 | | 01/14/2008 12:17 AM |
| I don't think it broke zero here in Kenai all day...or if it did, it were not by much. Stiill warmer than Copper Center, I suspect.
Hmmm...maybe some of this cold and snow should head south for a while...
::tries to envision LA with twenty degree temps and six inches of snow:: | | | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 01/14/2008 11:07 AM |
| Posted By SteveC on 01/14/2008 12:12 AM
Just a thought, have you given any thought to using the MLS Builder's Logs (Blogs) feature available in the new forum software. It would provide better continuity to the project(s) while keeping the viewer comments separate from the blog. Another nice feature of the blogs are they also provide for RSS feeds.
Thank you for the kind comments. What has happened here is I made a deliberate decision two years ago to throw everything I have into this project,. making THIS the theme of my business with the hope that someday in the not-too-distant future the place will actually become a destination of sorts.
The decision to pick mythical Cicely, Alaska was not just because I am so fond of that old television series (Northern Exposure--NX) but because I determined that a huge number of our visitors seem to be able to identify with the show and subconsciously put NX and Alaska together. Thus, Cicely when properly marketed should be something of an Alaskan attraction.
Not being all the much of a business person, I haven't yet figured out exactly how I'm going to make a nickel on this thing, but for now it is important to get it up and running and worry about that minor detail later.
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 01/14/2008 11:18 AM |
| With that in mind, although I believe my layout plans are for the most part solid, this is still a highly experimental model because of the nature of the environment.
I do not know the long-term effects of the construction of the outdoor portion of the model, including the housing structures themselves, although it does appear that thanks to the riverbed nature of the ground, which means no permafrost and surprisingly good drainage qualities, the model should remain stable, I am hesitant to put my project forward as a way to construct anything. All of it is experimental. And, I am hardly an arctic-environment construction expert.
MLS has been far more influencial in the building of the model than most of you would probably think. I have, I assume like many other members, spent a great deal of time gleaning over the posts to see how others have done it, taking advantage of what appears to be many, many decades of collective experience.
I have also taken whatever comments I have received and paid even more attention to those, sometimes taking weeks to consider them and try to incorporate whatever the writer was trying to bring across into my overall project if at all possible.
Several major, somewhat costly decisions have occurred as a result of my participation in MLS. I know that this layout would not have gotten past Phase I were it not for this forum, for instance. But that is hardly a regret on my part. | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 01/14/2008 11:32 AM |
| I have long considered MLS as a kind of gateway that gives one an opportunity to see the present state of the hobby as distributed not only in the lower 48, but elsewhere in the world. The one thing that is clear about this hobby is that it is only getting better. Not only are the products becoming far more numerous and of better quality, but the layouts themselves have evolved into something that is really impressive.
Some of the layouts I have seen on line, mostly through this forum, have been almost staggering in their effect, employing unique combinations of artistry, engineering and often startling realism. The talent within this group alone is impressive beyond my ability to express it.
A lot of these layouts employ methods that may not work well here or simply will not work here, but I study them carefully anyway because if nothing else, they surely are inspirational.
In an odd sort of way this is like remote group therapy. We encourage each other to do our best and then some by constantly upping the ante with even better work. This applies not just to the fabulous layouts out there but to the details added to the rolling stock, the figures and the structures--and to some of the electrical engineering that I see happening in the background that constantly seem to make it all work just a little better.
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 01/14/2008 11:43 AM |
| Posted By ThinkerT on 01/14/2008 12:17 AM
I don't think it broke zero here in Kenai all day...or if it did, it were not by much. Stiill warmer than Copper Center, I suspect.
Hmmm...maybe some of this cold and snow should head south for a while...
::tries to envision LA with twenty degree temps and six inches of snow::
Minus 30 this morning. In a way I am relieved that it isn't nearly as cold as it could be, but nevertheless, all this cold air has become rather expensive in terms of heating oil and power consumption. I suspect that this latest spell has lasted long enough now that the effects of it WILL be seen in places stateside.
Some of you down there, probably in the mid-west, can now count on ONE chilly blast wave of winter heading your way really soon. Brace yourselves. There is a LOT of cold air up here right now and it WILL be heading south SOMEWHERE. | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 01/14/2008 12:08 PM |
| Posted By ThinkerT on 01/13/2008 7:45 PM
Hmmm...if I understand things correctly, then 'reverse loop' part of your 'Wye' will be right next to your walkway exiting the Kennecott building and at just about the same elevation...give or take a foot? Not only that, said walkway would run parallel to the reverse loop for...fifteen? twenty? feet before dropping. Seems like to good of an opporunity to put *something* to pass up.
I'm bringing this reply back up as an example of what I meant as far as paying close attention to the comments made directly to me: Thinker T has a really good point. I will have created a new useful space when this walkway is completed that almost begs for the addition of a new module for my Phase II setup.
Since he made that comment I have carefully considered it and realized that this opportunity is particuarly good because I will have a protected area (canopy) with supports already in place (for the walkway) that mean I will, at the very least, have one more place to park a consist. Possibly I will use this space to add a small railroad yard or at least a siding for one of the flag lines, such as the Canadian Pacific. In any case, something will come of it. | |
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ThinkerT
Alaska
Foreman
Posts:203
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| | 01/14/2008 2:48 PM |
| I'm bringing this reply back up as an example of what I meant as far as paying close attention to the comments made directly to me: Thinker T has a really good point. I will have created a new useful space when this walkway is completed that almost begs for the addition of a new module for my Phase II setup.
Glad to be of help. Maybe someday I'll get a chance to see your line.
Minus 30 this morning. In a way I am relieved that it isn't nearly as cold as it could be, but nevertheless, all this cold air has become rather expensive in terms of heating oil and power consumption.
Right at Zero here...at midday. Temps below -25 are rare in this part of Alaska. Makes me glad I have natural gas (though the bill for that keeps going up and up). Tried using those swirly light bulb things yet? I changed out a bunch of my lights with those things, and the electric bill dropped by 25%. They are spendy litter buggers though. | | | |
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mhutson
1st Class Member
Gunnison, CO
Brakeman
Posts:68
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| | 01/15/2008 5:11 AM |
| Posted By ThinkerT on 01/14/2008 2:48 PM
"Right at Zero here...at midday. Temps below -25 are rare in this part of Alaska. Makes me glad I have natural gas (though the bill for that keeps going up and up). Tried using those swirly light bulb things yet? I changed out a bunch of my lights with those things, and the electric bill dropped by 25%. They are spendy litter buggers though."
-27 here this morning so far, -33 yesterday. Gunnison County is colder than where my brother lives in Alaska!
Cheers,
Matt
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flatracker
1st Class Member
Dunlap, TN
Foreman
Posts:143
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| | 01/15/2008 6:06 AM |
| Ron, your work is outstanding, especially with all you have to deal with in your part of the world. I can't begin to realize how difficult it is to acquire all the materials for construction, build in the shorter time period, and run your business too. I know you have help with a lot of your projects, but it is still one heck of a challenge! The new area looks great, and it will be very interesting to see it all come together.
The "Brick" looks fabulous! Along with the "Oasis Café" you plan to build, they will add a lot of character to that portion of the layout.
I really enjoy all the history lessons and neat pictures of the different areas and the maps. It all adds so much to the understanding of what went on. You should have been a history professor for your part of the country!
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Bob Martin | |
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Torby
1st Class Member
North Chicago 'burbs.
Engineer
Posts:1664
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| | 01/15/2008 7:35 AM |
| | Google knows where Copper Center Alaska is. Of course, that leaves the question, "Why the *&^ is Copper Center Alaska?" | |
 "If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier. But it is not. We cannot compete, in simplicity with people who are inventing religions. How could we? We are dealing with Fact. Of course anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about."-- C. S. Lewis | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 01/15/2008 10:45 AM |
| Posted By mhutson on 01/15/2008 5:11 AM
-27 here this morning so far, -33 yesterday. Gunnison County is colder than where my brother lives in Alaska!
Cheers,
Matt
Sounds like some of our cold air has already slipped south. The coldest reported area in Alaska is somewhere in the minus 50s, but here the coldest I have seen was minus 37 up the valley from here. I understand some moderating influences may take over. I certainly hope so.
How long does YOUR winter last?
--Ron in CC | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 01/15/2008 11:00 AM |
| Posted By flatracker on 01/15/2008 6:06 AM Ron, your work is outstanding, especially with all you have to deal with in your part of the world. I can't begin to realize how difficult it is to acquire all the materials for construction, build in the shorter time period, and run your business too. I know you have help with a lot of your projects, but it is still one heck of a challenge! The new area looks great, and it will be very interesting to see it all come together.
The "Brick" looks fabulous! Along with the "Oasis Café" you plan to build, they will add a lot of character to that portion of the layout.
I really enjoy all the history lessons and neat pictures of the different areas and the maps. It all adds so much to the understanding of what went on. You should have been a history professor for your part of the country!
Thank you. As you can see, one important element of all this is to make it possible for larger numbers of people (they sometimes show up in buses) to be able to readily view the extended layout. That will largely be solved by early summer.
The Brick is especially signifcant so an unusual amount of effort went into the detail of this model, which is, incidentally, very heavy.
Roslyn's Cafe with the Oasis painting on its rock/brick wall will actually be one of the last of the prototype buildings to be constructed. Once we get back to the Roslyn NX structures (working on some kit-bashing right now) the false-fronted buildings are badly needed and will be next. There are three sets of those.
I am about ready to start a tour of Roslyn for those of you who wnat to see what I saw while visiting it early last summer. I am also considering going back there in late summer for the "Moosefest 2008," which is an NX-related event.
Although the structure which is to soon house the Cicely model was more costly than I had originally planned, it will prove to be well worth it. Similarly, I now have some rather expensive walkways to install in order to fill in the gap between that building and the adjacent Kennecott one.
Overall, it HAS become a very large project, but so was the constructing of the Kennecott layout. I am (optimistically as usual) anticipating a heavy visitor load within the next several years, so all of this has to be right.
FInally, I HAVE taught history courses at the local community college which included tours of Kennecott. The second one, which was an all-Native-oriented program to teach students something about the tourism busines was particularly satisfying. I no longer seem to have much time for that sort of thing. | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 01/15/2008 11:05 AM |
| "Where the h*** is Copper Center" came about as a result of an old sticker from the 70s that read "Where the h*** (spelled out) is Chitina?" Chitina has actually become a destination because of the king salmon dipnetting activities which occur there every summer. That is limited ot Alaska residents, most of whom come from Fairbanks.
Copper Center is actually not very well known and is off of the main highway, having been on an old loop that was bypassed over two decades ago. Thanks to Klutina River king salmon sports fishing, which is open to anyone who buys the license, it is slowly becoming better known, but it remains mostly a backwater even in the summer with very little traffic. I am not complaining too much about that, either. | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 01/15/2008 1:01 PM |
| The Cicely Model Structure as it nears completion on July 5th:
Except for the installation of the windows, which were not yet available, this entire structure was up and ready in three days.
My same carpenter will be returning to do the tie-ins between the two buildings seen here this coming spring. Each year for three years now I have brought him back from Anchorage to do some additonal carpentry work for me. Local carpenters are generally already tied up with other projects and often simply unavailable--and I am not a carpenter. I just draw up the plans and set the specs.
The Phase III towns will be constructed to handle direct precipitation and will thus not be placed inside any structures such as this one. I am considering modifying this one by adding a corrugated fiberglass canopy in front, not just to protect those on the south walkway, but to give some additional protection to the models from direct sunlight.
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mhutson
1st Class Member
Gunnison, CO
Brakeman
Posts:68
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| | 01/16/2008 5:33 AM |
| Ron,
Well, to date I've seen it snow every month of the year here except August. It's pretty wintry right up until mid May or so, and I've seen some serious storms as late as mid June.
We've now had two days where the high didn't even get up to zero. The forecast high for today and tomorrow is -5, but on Friday it's supposed to warm all the way up to +2!
Cheers,
Matt | | | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 01/16/2008 11:00 AM |
| Posted By mhutson on 01/16/2008 5:33 AM
Ron,
Well, to date I've seen it snow every month of the year here except August. It's pretty wintry right up until mid May or so, and I've seen some serious storms as late as mid June.
We've now had two days where the high didn't even get up to zero. The forecast high for today and tomorrow is -5, but on Friday it's supposed to warm all the way up to +2!
Cheers,
Matt
Doesn't sound much different than here. You must have quite a heating bill. What is your elevation? | |
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kormsen
in the middle of the westparaguayan semi desert
Conductor
Posts:544
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| | 01/16/2008 12:53 PM |
| How long does YOUR winter last?
in the last twelve month we had NO day below freezing.... but more than 20 days above 40°Centigrade. and seven and a half months without a drop of rain.
want to send me some snow? i trade it for dust and heat.
korm
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 construction site - keep off! | |
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blackburn49
1st Class Member
Copper Center, Alaska
Engineer
Posts:1855
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| | 01/16/2008 2:56 PM |
| Posted By kormsen on 01/16/2008 12:53 PM How long does YOUR winter last?
in the last twelve month we had NO day below freezing.... but more than 20 days above 40°Centigrade. and seven and a half months without a drop of rain.
want to send me some snow? i trade it for dust and heat. " />
korm
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I don't see any information on where you are located in order to respond to this. So where ARE you located?
--Ron in CC-AK | |
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kormsen
in the middle of the westparaguayan semi desert
Conductor
Posts:544
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| | 01/16/2008 5:41 PM |
| I don't see any information on where you are located in order to respond to this. So where ARE you located?
southamerica, paraguay, chaco, a semi arid thornbushplain, 150 miles to the next body of running water, over 300 miles to the next town with more than 6.000 souls. | |
construction site - keep off! | |
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eddie
San Antonio TEXAS
Brakeman
Posts:45
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| | 01/16/2008 6:03 PM |
| | 1 word: IMPRESSIVE!!!!!!!!! | |
member of the San Antonio Garden Railway Society | |
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