In 10 words or less, what does SIT DOWN mean to you?

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Whazzup, did I spell it right? I don't know I kept looking at it and thinking it was wrong when I typed it LOL I can't even spell my own name right these days!!! ROFL. Let alone Angus Macgadgetdude's.

Wow what memories guys! I remember the thing about them leaving one ingredient out to prevent copycats. I still love that show in reruns. I hadn't heard the swiss army bench story though that is so funny.

I LOVE mythbusters!!! "Worst case scenario. . .Adam dies." LOL

I'll have to set the DVR for that ep about Macgyver cause we never used to miss it and I'd love to see the guys go at that stuff.

Speaking of shows like Deadliest catch. . . OMG- Ice Road Truckers.

Those guys are NUTS.

DW and I watched that, and were HOOKED. Holey moley!! and the ice cracking as they were driving on it!!! My hats off to them!!!

Did you catch the Macguyver credit card commercial? It shows him using tube socks and other stuff to escape a building blowing up, then cuts to him buying a new package of tube socks and putting them in his pocket...like he carries them around all day!!

[February]

DW and I watched that, and were HOOKED. Holey moley!! and the ice cracking as they were driving on it!!! My hats off to them!!!

Did you catch the Macguyver credit card commercial? It shows him using tube socks and other stuff to escape a building blowing up, then cuts to him buying a new package of tube socks and putting them in his pocket...like he carries them around all day!!

YES! Loved the commercial.

I was staring at the set wringing my hands watching that ice crack and crocheting faster and faster LOL

Some of those guys were so crazy they reminded me of Klingons!

[Randy B]

I think my favorite is still the automatic station stops you rigged for your monorails. Randy can run six monorails on a single loop and none would ever run into another.

At one time I had it up to 12 trains. but with 13 stations and 12 trains it was so crowded there was only one train moving at any one time.

I still have to see this. Might even be worth a trip to Chicago. Next time I fly to Potland, I'll have to go through Chicago and make a stop and see it.

Chicago: The only city where I've been the witness to an accident from a vantage point where the police would never have believed me.

Actually I am about 2 hours drive south of Chicago.

And here is a sad note. Due to just one too many stupid things my landlords have done I have decided to find new accomodations this summer. So I will be taking the entire layout apart and packing it for relocation. On the good side, When I move I will have a new space to fill and will get the fun of designing an entirely new layout. I'm even concidering buying a house (if I can get a morgage with monthly payments no more than my current sky high apartment rent). If I decide to go that way I could not only build in one room but could make modifications to the internal walls (holes) to allow the trackplan to extend through multiple rooms.

Randy

[February]

And here is a sad note. Due to just one too many stupid things my landlords have done I have decided to find new accomodations this summer. So I will be taking the entire layout apart and packing it for relocation. On the good side, When I move I will have a new space to fill and will get the fun of designing an entirely new layout. I'm even concidering buying a house (if I can get a morgage with monthly payments no more than my current sky high apartment rent). If I decide to go that way I could not only build in one room but could make modifications to the internal walls (holes) to allow the trackplan to extend through multiple rooms.

Randy

*THUD* All Hail Jedi Master Monorail!!!

To think, when I was three I was happy with my sisters cutting an A frame out of a box for me, then I'd go get my moms old egg cartons, draw a stripe down the side and put my Mickey Mouse Club weebles in it!!! Now I want a REAL monorail set up! (Sadly, I have most of the stuff too just no room to display it all. That's it. The kitchen cabinates and appliances have to go. We can eat take-out 365.)

[Randy B]

*THUD*

I have a Contemporary Resort model up above my kitchen cabinates with the monorail stationary inside of it! I feel so pathetic now LOL

But all my die cast models are lined up straight! Well. . . *tilts head to side* maybe. . .

It's not too hard to make the trains behave. All you have to do is totally rewire the trains so they will stop, under control, at stations and set hold locations. Then design and build a device to make the train stop at those spots under external control. Then design an electronic control system to stop all the trains at a station, and not let them leave the station until the track ahead is unoccupied.

Oh, BTW I also added lights to all the structures so my Contemp station has lights and windows (actually it's waxed paper glued to the inside of the structure). My favorite creation is the fireworks over the castle when the train goes by...well that and the blacklit Haunted Mansion with glow in the dark trim.

Simple. :D:

Randy

[February]

*cries*

I want to see this on YOUTUBE!!!

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

It's not too hard to make the trains behave. All you have to do is totally rewire the trains so they will stop, under control, at stations and set hold locations. Then design and build a device to make the train stop at those spots under external control. Then design an electronic control system to stop all the trains at a station, and not let them leave the station until the track ahead is unoccupied.

Oh, BTW I also added lights to all the structures so my Contemp station has lights and windows (actually it's waxed paper glued to the inside of the structure). My favorite creation is the fireworks over the castle when the train goes by...well that and the blacklit Haunted Mansion with glow in the dark trim.

Simple. :D:

Randy

:dropmouth

AND in your SPARE time you....what...work???

[Randy B]

*cries*

I want to see this on YOUTUBE!!!

No video but I do have photos. They are on Flickr.com under the name onetrackrandy (gee I wonder where I got that nick?). I currently don't have a way to record a video to my computer but I did take a video several years ago. I have one train with a tiny video camera and transmitter built into the cab. So I recorded a "train eye view" circuit of the track. Maybe one day I will get it into my computer and see about getting it on line.

As to what I do in my spare time, I did most of this track when I first moved into this apt. about 5 years ago. Before I decided to move I had actually begun concidering the idea of tearing it all apart and restarting as I have added so many new structures (and have ideas for many more special effects) that the current trackage is getting WAY too crowded. I have too much to fit in my livingroom (which is what I took over for this layout). So to make a layout like this all you need is no life, no spouse or SO, too much imagination, and the ability to become obsessed. BTW, the entire structure is built to exactly fit the room. There are no nails or screws attaching the structure to the walls. This is essentially a single huge piece of furniture.

Randy

[February]

DUDE!

Those pics are incredible! The light-up CR has to be my favorite part. But where did you get the train station at Main Street? I don't remember ever seeing that on any past trips to WDW did you buy it or make it?

Too cool. All of it, just too freaking cool.

PS Thanks for giving me fun pics to look at when I can't sleep in the middle of the night cause the chronic pain is kicking my fairy booty around the block :/ wand doesn't seem to cure it.

Fun stuff like this is a great distraction though! I want to go look again :D

[Randy B]

DUDE!

Those pics are incredible! The light-up CR has to be my favorite part. But where did you get the train station at Main Street? I don't remember ever seeing that on any past trips to WDW did you buy it or make it?
:D

Bought it at WDW. The Main St. Train Station and the MK Train are available. The train tho is short the correct number of cars so to be a stickler like me you have to buy several train sets. The train is standard HO train so I made the track with regular modular track (and switches) from my local hobby store. The train runs around the MK diorama, through the Main St station, in front of the GF, behind the Contemp, past Ft Wilderness and the Wilderness Lodge, and under the mountain that has the AK on it before returning along the wall back to the MK. I created a sensor system that makes the train stop in the station for a station stop every time around. All automatically. It's amazing what you can do with timer chips. :D:

BTW I mentioned the incorrect number of cars. I had the same problem with the monorails so all my trains have the correct number of cars. And since I was modifying the wiring anyway, I added white headlights (instead of the green that the train came with) a red flashing beacon on the top of front and back, and a flashing white "collision avoidance" beacon on the rear of each train.

Randy