This is probably going to sound rather crazy, but please read on.
I have most of my track down for my railroad. Trains will operate around the upper loop and around the upper pond. The problem is that they are not really that reliable. I would like to be able to let the trains run on their own with little or no interference from me while I am entertaining relatives or doing other projects. Right now, that does not happen. If I am lucky i can get them to go around the various loops about 10 times with no derailments or uncouplings before disaster strikes. Because of that, i cannot leave them totally alone.
In August we are having a bunch of friends from Arizona coming for a visit of about a week. I have talked to them about my railroad and they all want to see it run. We are also expecting a large number of relatives coming for a visit in September hoping to see the trains run also. So here is the problem.
I have worked on my Aristo switches and my track but being not very mechanically inclined, I have not been able to improve their operation to the point where they are really reliable. I would also like to automate several switches that are difficult to reach without walking all over things. I would like some help with standardizing couplers. Right now I have AMS, Kadee and Bachmann and 1:22 and 1:20 scale rolling stock.
So here is what i am proposing:
We live on the Olympic Penninsula near Olympic National Park and only an hour or so from the Pacific Ocean. The other direction Mt Rainier is relative close. Seattle is just up the road and a beautiful ferry trip away. There are many railroad related things to see in the area also. In other words, this is really a pretty nice place to come for a short vacation, especially if you have never been to the Pacific Northwest before.
I am willing to put you up in my house or in a local motel for a week and show you the sights around our part of the country in return for some good help in getting my railroad to run reliably before our guests start coming in late August. I would be looking for someone who can help with trackwork, switches, basic electrical work and general garden railroading experience.
The time frame I am thinking about would be late June through July. That is probably the best time to visit the PNW. The weather is usually beautiful, in the 70-80 degree range with only a small amount of rain. Unless we were to visit the Ho Rain Forest.
So if you might be interested, please let me know. What better way to enjoy a vacation in the PNW and also play with trains?
John
