Welcome to the home of the Spindletop Railroad!

Follow along as I try to create a freelanced railroad and build my first HO scale layout. I hope to write a blog that helps others in building layouts, detailing engines, and creating their own railroads while identifying the road bumps to avoid and the fun aspects of model railroading to look forward to!

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Changes and New Life

Well the past couple weeks have been busy.  The last time I was this busy I was graduating college...  The last week of April I got a new job!  It is a fun job with a lot of potential and near the big train yards but it is on the other side of town.  In most cities, that doesn't mean much.  However, I live in the Houston metroplex.  My commute is an hour each way.  With traffic it can be much worse.  My better half is also getting a new job in about the same area.

Sooooo we will be moving soon. 

I haven't even gotten a chance to work on the layout in over a month we have been so busy.  And now, it is dismantled for a while.  Fortunately it is in modules for this exact situation.  I have gotten most of it packed away but I am leaving the yard module out so I can experiment on the scenery.  Hopefully soon we will have a new place for the layout.  Now to move across the 4th largest city in the country.  Wish me luck!

Also, the CFO (again, better half) has finally caved.  That's right.  A backyard railroad has been begrudgingly approved!  So in a few months, I will have an HO layout and a small 1/8th scale railroad I can ride!  If you want to learn more about these types of models, check out Discover Live Steam and explore around.  They have a lot of good information and links.

Anyways, that is life for the time being.  I hope to be back on here soon with a new home for the SRR.  Maybe I can use this time to really flesh it out, get some things set, figure out what I am doing with it long-term. 

Random pic of the day!


These two are of the local run near my house.  Business must be picking up because I have never seen such a long train or three engines on it.  The locos are in the UP Y21XX series and are MPI MP20GP re-builds of old GP50s.  They have Cat 3516C motors that generate 2000 HP and meet Tier II EPA regulations.  They are used down here to service several industries, but I love seeing the big gondolas, bulkheads, and tankers.  Very modern and very cool!
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4 comments:

  1. Robert BeatyMay 22, 2015 at 1:58 PM

    I assume you've been to the Houston Area Live Steamers' track in Hockley?

    Congrats on the new job, by the way!

    ReplyDelete
  2. JamesMay 22, 2015 at 4:09 PM

    I have! I spoke to them about joining and they gave me an application. I hope to get it back to them and join up after the move.

    And thanks! It is a lot of fun, which is surprising for a job :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Robert BeatyMay 22, 2015 at 7:32 PM

      If you run into a guy with a New Zealand accent out there, his name is Andy Isles, and he's also a member of the club here. He's been trying to get me to re-join HALS but my wife has said (in no uncertain terms) no. Well, one of these days we'll own a house, hopefully with enough space to put in a backyard railroad. :)

      Delete
    2. Robert BeatyMay 22, 2015 at 7:32 PM

      If you run into a guy with a New Zealand accent out there, his name is Andy Isles, and he's also a member of the club here. He's been trying to get me to re-join HALS but my wife has said (in no uncertain terms) no. Well, one of these days we'll own a house, hopefully with enough space to put in a backyard railroad. :)

      Delete

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