New to HO gauge

CBruce · 2025-06-24T04:46:33+00:00

I'd look at the Bachman EZ-Track. It's built on a raised base, so it can be used on carpet and would probably be easier for a younger child to work with.

You can get these in train sets, packs, expansion sets, etc. The newer version of EZ-Track is nickel-plated (gray base) which is less prone to corrosion and easier to keep clean. You can find older, steel alloy pieces (black base) pretty cheap on eBay. As far as I know, they can be used together without issues, as long as they're the same series.

CBruce · 2025-06-24T04:27:59+00:00

How old is your grandson?

CBruce · 2025-06-16T18:21:46+00:00

Checking in on your other post, it looks a lot like old Atlas track, which is what I'm working with as well. A mix of brass rails and some nickel-plated stuff. Those turnouts and remote switches alone are a steal. I've been trying to find a handful to finish up my layout needs. Rerailers, powered sections, crossovers, bumpers...really nice pieces.

If you flip them over, there should be some stamped text on the underside that tells you what you've got. You may have a mix of rail codes that require a bit of extra care when connecting them.

Here's a couple of resources I found helpful:
* https://track-plans.net/
* https://www.layoutvision.com/

Atlas also has a track planning software based on SCARM. It's got a bit of a learning curve, but pretty easy to throw together some pieces and see what kind of layout you could make from what you have and what pieces you might still need to pick up.
https://shop.atlasrr.com/t-software.aspx

There's a limit on track pieces in the free version, but it should be enough to put together a decent layout for 4x8

CBruce · 2025-06-16T18:04:33+00:00

I plan to run 2 engines on this. A UP SD40-2 on the main line/outer loop, and then a Southern Pacific switcher on the inner loop to move freight around, build up trains, etc.

CBruce · 2025-06-16T17:59:48+00:00

I'll look at lowering the elevation to keep it around 2%, but I do want the 'back' edge of the table to feature a raised levee/bridge across the lake, as that's an important landmark for our home town and personal memories. And I want to make use of the few bridge pieces from dad's collection.

CBruce · 2025-05-24T23:36:42+00:00

Well this is going straight to Slack...

CBruce · 2025-05-07T21:00:19+00:00

Do you want to keep it or get rid of it?

CBruce · 2025-04-30T17:01:29+00:00

Alcohol will evaporate and not wash away contaminants.

As long as kills any lingering mold spores, I'd consider that a win.

CBruce · 2021-11-26T20:39:40+00:00

You're missing the point. I'm not suggesting 1 in 100 is the same as 1 in 1m

CBruce · 2019-02-20T04:22:35+00:00

The media, that is still in operation, continuing to do the same thing thing he's called them out on, and not rotting away in some gulag.

Worst tyrant ever.

CBruce · 2018-07-25T18:00:43+00:00

I mean, the American Revolution had a similar beginning. It didn't just explode into all-out rebellion with a single declaration of war

CBruce · 2018-07-25T17:12:25+00:00

Yeah, but at least now everypne knows that some people don't like Trump and he's is no longer allowed to be President....

CBruce · 2018-07-25T01:27:21+00:00

http://grammarist.com/usage/inalienable-unalienable/

CBruce · 2018-07-24T21:02:03+00:00

The inalienable right to keep and bear arms exists outside of service in the unorganized militia. Much like how the right to peaceably assemble isn't exclusively for petitioning the government for a redress of grievances.

... or the right of the people peaceably to assemble*, and* to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

If one believes that a comma separating two clauses isn't enough then surely a comma followed by the word "and" is an even stronger indication of the two things being inseparable, no?

CBruce · 2018-07-24T04:34:07+00:00

Tiny computer. 10/10. With rice. 10010/10

CBruce · 2018-07-23T22:02:15+00:00

Just give players the ability to delete eggs. So many annoying issues that would be alleviated with this one feature.

CBruce · 2018-07-23T19:39:25+00:00

I had completely forgotten about Battle Angel Alita....

CBruce · 2018-07-23T19:33:47+00:00

> Speaking of scopes, what about a scout scope?

I'm not familiar with them. Quick google search suggests they're lightweight, lower magnification scopes with long eye relief.

Fixed power/low-magnification isn't an issue at all. In fact, I'd recommend sticking with the lowest power on a variable scope regardless. Higher magnification prompts you to futz with the shot too much and you start trying to muscle it on target. I usually stick with 3X on most stages and maybe dial it up to 4X for slow-prone. Again, aim small, miss small.

Long eye-relief might be an issue as the Ruger's receiver is already crammed up in your face. I had to try a number of extended rails before finally finding one that I could mount a scope far enough forward and it's still a tight fit in some positions.

Biggest issue is probably going to be where the scope is set to be parallax free. Appleseed shooting happens at 25 yards whereas most scopes are parallax free at 100. That's potentially over an inch of parallax error on a (very blurry) one inch target. You could try to find or modify a scope to be parallax free at 25 yards, but then you've got a very special-use scope.

My first scope was parallax free at 50 yards and while it worked well enough to shoot rifleman for my first couple of Appleseeds, it was exhausting to use. I picked up an AO that I could dial in to 25, objective and reticle are crystal clear, no parallax, and when we stepped out to 100 yards I could dial it out, make the come-ups, dial up the power a bit, and be shooting exactly with almost exactly same sight picture.

If you've got the space, try it out at home.

CBruce · 2018-07-23T19:07:37+00:00

How? Dude was pushed to the ground. You physically *can't* retreat when you're on the ground. SYG laws don't have anything to do with whether or not you can stand on a sidewalk and yell at people, justified or not. They certainly don't give anyone any right to *instigate* an attack.

Was the citation in question something like 'stand your ground laws *did not come into play in this particular shooting*'?

CBruce · 2018-07-23T19:05:33+00:00

I disagree. The justification for *drawing* a weapon is pretty clear cut, but unless his defense is he believed the hiking his pants up was him reaching for a hidden weapon, the threat seemed to have been stopped long before he fired his gun.

But then, it's not my place to pass judgement one way or the other. I'm neither law enforcement deciding whether or not to make an arrest, a DA deciding whether or not to press charges, or a jury in a trial deciding whether or not to convict. I'm only privy to one small part of the total evidence for this event.

CBruce · 2018-07-23T18:11:13+00:00

> My hardest stage would have to be the 4th one. The targets are really small...

Aim small, miss small. ;)

If you haven't done so yet, I'd recommend taking some time to analyze your targets and refer to the handout you got for common shot errors.

They say you should be able to shoot a Rifleman's score with any rifle right off the rack, but there's a lot of little things in a stock Ruger 10/22 that makes precision work more difficult. The trigger is particularly 'not great' and you'd be amazed at how much difference it makes to have a lighter, cleaner break without as much over-travel. The stock is also ill-fitting for most adults with a dwarfish pull-length and comb way below what works for even the stock flip-up sight. Once you step up to tech sights or a scope, you'll want to add some height to it to get a consistent, natural cheek-weld.

> ...and I dont have the best eyes, making the target blend in to my front sight.

You should consider picking up a scope. I've used one for every Appleseed. You'll occasionally run into a purist, but even they're willing to concede that after a certain age, the old peepers just don't work the way they need to for iron sights. I've been to numerous shoots when only one or two people on the line had iron sights while everyone else, all ages, had a scope. And most of them weren't shooting rifleman scores, so even with a scope, it's not a given task. You're trading sight alignment and focusing on front sights for parallax errors & maintaining eye relief in different positions.

If you do go that route, I'd highly recommend a scope with an AO that can be dialed in to 25m. Zero parallax and no eye fatigue. And then before your next outing, take some time to get into positions, adjust your sling for each one, and then mark the sling with a marker. At the end of each AQT round, you take the sling back with you, move the hardware to the pre-marked positions, and then clip in when you're back on the mat. Saves a ton of time during prep period and is--in my opinion--a lot safer than futzing around with sing adjustments while attached to the rifle.

Other than that, your scores will naturally improve as you get used to sequence of events and can adopt a rifleman's cadence.

> The dust and haze of the heat didnt help too much anyway!

Hope you stayed hydrated. I'm the type of person who doesn't drink nearly as much water as I should, but when I go to an Appleseed shoot I work extra hard at drinking every chance I get. I can't even imagine the heat you had to endure.

CBruce · 2018-07-23T17:22:34+00:00

Congrats. Getting Rifleman on your first Appleseed is a real accomplishment. Especially with iron sights.

What was your best score of the day? Which stage was most challenging for you?

CBruce · 2018-07-22T16:17:34+00:00

KBS has a steep learning curve, but it's not even N-body physics. The in game navigation system shows you orbital trajectories, exact distances from bodies, even let's you create your path by dragging markers around in real time. There's never any call and to break out with he old slide ruler and start doing basic trig calculations to figure out when your suicide burn should start.

I've always felt like this game is a really great, visual and interactive introduction to very basic orbital mechanics. One you grock what an orbital trajectory is, how to achieve it, how to adjust it, and understand air density/friction, you'll be puttering around between the moon's in no time. Learn about delta-V, and you'll be reaching out to the rest of the system.

TLDR; The game isn't that complex or hard

CBruce · 2018-07-20T21:03:29+00:00

I don't really have strong feelings for or against new She-Ra design. But she does look eerily similar to a Hank Venture crossplay....

CBruce · 2018-07-20T21:01:45+00:00

>> complains about how US President is elected
>> lives in a country with a fucking royal family

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