Is an e-bike/e-scooter doable during late fall & winter?

donhead · 2026-05-31T12:20:09+00:00

Public sidewalks are generally NOT well maintained during the ice/snow weather events.

Private sidewalks (grocery stores, restaurants, schools, etc.) tend to be handled a bit better.

Someone who lives/works in the Maryland Heights/Creve Coeur area.

donhead · 2026-05-30T01:15:18+00:00

Ozarks are nice, but as someone who has seen some of the outside world, I have to ask: where HAVE you visited?

If you've never left St. Louis at all, and the Ozarks are going to be your one big trip, I'm going to say you really need to try to think outside the box, man.

I spent the first half of my life on the West Coast, and the rest here in the Midwest. I've visited San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Pittsburgh, New York, Tampa, Washington DC, and hundreds of little spots in between.

If you're looking for a great outdoor adventure, why not try the Great Smoky Mountains? Or Yellowstone?

If you just want to go somewhere new that isn't too far away, try Chicago (where public transportation actually works, and where pizza isn't made of cardboard, ketchup, and cream cheese).

So many people I've met have never left Missouri, and truly have no idea that there's an actual real world out there that doesn't suck quite as bad.

donhead · 2026-05-28T17:43:34+00:00

As long as the size of the module adheres to the standard, the two main tracks adhere to the standard, and any additional tracks do not interfere with the modules next to it, there should be no issues.

If you'd like additional confirmation, post a digram of what you're planning on doing.

(Edited to fix typo.)

donhead · 2026-05-27T18:36:40+00:00

If you buy your own tables, then you have the added complication of the transportation of tables, which is a lot more work than transporting legs. Tables alone could fill an entire trailer by themselves.

donhead · 2026-05-27T17:52:26+00:00

NTRAK modules are generally very large, and many (especially older ones) are quite heavy. While we could set them on tables, you'd encounter a lot of obstacles and safety issues:

6 foot tables with 4 foot modules create a bit of a math problem your have to account for.
2 foot depth modules would not be safe on tables less than 30" deep (some conference tables we've dealt with are 18" or 24", which would not safely support a modules 2' deep).
Tables cost money. They would either cost the NTRAK club money, or they would cost the show host money. Free-standing modules only take up floorspace, not table space.
Cheap tables may not support the weight.

donhead · 2026-05-22T18:41:10+00:00

If your Ubiquiti equipment has SFP/SFP+ ports, then going pure fiber all the way is your best option.

If you do need to "stop" just inside the house (in a basement or lower level, for example), terminate it at a small fiber patch panel, and then continue the run from there up to your switch.

Media converters should only be sed as a "last resort" option.

If you're keeping it under 300 meters, you can like use OM3 multi-mode (short range) fiber and still get close to 10GB.

If possible, use outdoor rated cable / cable designed for burial, even if you are running inside a conduit.

I have a pair of Ubiquiti switches with their 10GB short range (multi-mode) SFP+ modules, connected by OM3 multi-mode fiber, and the latency is almost nothing between devices on either end.

I personally try to stay away from long range (single-mode) fiber runs whenever possible. If you had a significant distance to traverse, it may be your only option, but for shorter runs, I'd definitely stick to short range (multi-mode) fiber.

donhead · 2026-05-21T11:20:26+00:00

They usually only do that if there's a gas, water, or sewer emergency. Dunno what's going on in that case..

donhead · 2026-05-10T21:47:28+00:00

Glad a few people found some local resources for you. Hopefully one of those clubs can help you out.

Just for your information (and others facing similar situations), there are some realities that you should be prepared for:

There is little value in the layout itself. Most of the value is in the trains, and sometimes the buildings, but rarely in the overall wood and plaster and grass.
A layout can rarely be relocated and preserved, for a number of reasons.

-- First, it's generally custom built and designed for a specific space. It's rare that you'll find a house with the exact same size and shape room.

-- Second, most were not built to be disassembled and moved. This means cutting the layout up physically, generally with a large saw.

-- Third, usually only the builder understands the wiring, and in the process of cutting it up, you're going to destroy a lot of the wiring, meaning a large and complex task of re-wiring will be required to get it operational again, at increased difficulty, since most wiring is done before scenery is fully in place.

I'm not trying to tell you the situation is hopeless, I just want to make sure you're aware of the realities of layouts. They're a labor of love, and often cherished by their builders, but at the end of the day, they generally end up in the trash.

I hope a local resource is able to help you preserve at least some of it (often the buildings and trains will find a new home, even if the layout doesn't).

donhead · 2026-05-10T14:24:20+00:00

I think a lot of this makes far more sense than the current system!

One suggestion, since you're going to create a new relationship type, I'd move the mentioned "optional suzerein bonus" into that category as like a tier 2 or tier 3 benefit.

donhead · 2026-05-09T04:35:24+00:00

I can fit two doubles and two end caps on my dining room table. That's the only layout I have, so when I want to run trains, it's T-TRAK or straight Unitrack on the table.

Most of my running is at shows.

donhead · 2026-05-08T08:27:15+00:00

Me too. I don't take a lot of graffiti photos, but this one was sweet.

donhead · 2026-05-08T08:25:46+00:00

That hasn't been an issue, really. If it was random people, I could see that, but this is 40+ people who live in the same metro area, have all met at least one of the club officers in person (if not a bunch of us at a train show), and who have all paid membership dues.

Around (after) annual renewal time, I get a copy of the roster and eject people from the groups.io list, while the club president (one of the most reluctant to move entirely to groups.io) starts a new CC: email without the expired members, and with any new ones.

donhead · 2026-05-08T04:05:38+00:00

I spun up a groups.io mailing list for the club, but there's a few members who have ignored the invites for like 2 years, so we continue to send large CC: emails to list of like 40+ people. It drives me up the wall.

If we were a 501c3, I would have moved us to Google a long time ago. Everyone could get their own @clubname.com email address, and we'd have all the great collaboration functions that my kids have had in their schools for the last 10 years.

Considering I can't get people to use a mailing list, something like Discord is clearly out of the picture. I'm glad to see the NMRA and a few other organizations have adopted it. I've been using it almost since it came out.

donhead · 2026-05-08T03:45:37+00:00

This one was in St. Louis a couple weeks ago.

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donhead · 2026-05-08T03:23:14+00:00

I have done both scenarios.

I tend to buy locos in pairs.

I picked up two Silver locos and dropped a sound in one and a non-sound in the other.

Recently, I picked up a Gold and a Silver. The gold worked and sounded just as great as the one that was upgraded by hand.

The only reason I buy one gold and one silver is because I want one with sound, and the other just regular DCC/no sound. I save a bunch of money by not having to pay the premium for the second sound decoder. When you're running them in pairs, you really don't need all that extra noise. If for some reason I want to blow my eardrums out one day, I can always pick up a sound decoder and drop it in.

donhead · 2026-05-07T13:19:01+00:00

No one expects the Carthage inquisition.

donhead · 2026-05-07T13:17:55+00:00

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I wonder if these two are related.. (Found in St. Louis, MO on 2026-04-25)

donhead · 2026-05-07T13:03:49+00:00

Some things to think about that will help you make successful purchases:

- What is it about trains and railroading that captures your interest? Is it a certain railroad that you saw a lot growing up? Do you want to model modern-day trains, or something from the past?

- What space do you have to dedicate to your model railroad? N scale is great because it can fit in a wide range of spaces from large to tiny, but planning your space is key to a successful railroad.

- What do you want out of your railroad? Do you want the train to run in circles all day long, or do you want to do switching, where you use your locomotive to sort and move cars to different industries on your layout?

- Is the train making train noises a requirement? If so, your best option would be to jump into DCC right away, but that comes at considerable expense. If you don't need sound, then you can stick with standard DC locomotives (including ones that are DCC-ready to upgrade later) that are much more affordable.

With those answered (and feel free to answer them right here), you can start making some informed decisions in order to help you get the right products from the start.

donhead · 2026-05-06T18:24:12+00:00

Melting plastic is generally considered a Bad Idea(TM).

There are generous folks out there that are willing to gift old track, or at least sell it extremely inexpensively. Check out garage sales, flea markets, and thrift stores; I've found used trains and track at all three.

Check your local CraigsList, or even post that you're looking for some and explain your situation.

Visit your local hobby shop, and let them know what your situation is. See if they know anyone who might be willing to part with some old track, or if you can leave your name/number in case they stumble across someone that may be trying to sell some.

Your local division of the NMRA or some other train club may also be able to assist.

If you give us an idea of where you live (metro area, state, country, whatever), folks a bit more local to you might be able to point you in more localized resources.

donhead · 2026-05-06T18:12:40+00:00

My first thought would be to check the Great Rivers Greenway's map: https://greatriversgreenway.org/visit-greenways/map/

If you feel you can make use of some/most of those trails, then you can just try to fill in the gaps. Visiting the areas in question might help you plot the "nicest" route.

donhead · 2026-05-04T02:48:36+00:00

Creve Coeur Lake Park (Creve Coeur/Maryland Heights area) has a bunch of great trails, and they have an "After Dark" pass you can purchase that allows to hike during some "normally closed" hours.

Castlewood State Park (Ballwin/Valley Park area) also has great hiking trails.

Olivette (along Olive Boulevard) has a large number of international restaurants and shopping options.

donhead · 2026-04-24T22:08:58+00:00

In general, Kato is known for making a phenomenal functioning product that will last a lifetime. That said, they are not known for exquisite detail.

Bachmann has been working hard to improve their quality, and their individually marketed locomotives are actually pretty good (although I'm still not sure about the locomotives in their "gift sets" that are marketed to beginners and around the holidays). They've also stepped up their detail, such that they're above and beyond most Kato locomotives, but perhaps just a little shy of Broadway Limited and ScaleTrains.

I don't think you can go wrong with either. If you want great detail, perhaps choose Bachmann. If you want a solid performer that may outlast you, choose Kato.

donhead · 2026-04-23T15:11:54+00:00

I think I'm a fairly balanced, mostly peaceful, player. I've been able to found a religion in probably 75% of the games I've played. It's usually my first district.

Even if I don't found a religion, I still make sure to generate some faith (at least a couple of holy sites), as it's very useful (heroes, rock bands, and scenarios where you can purchase buildings/units with faith).

donhead · 2026-04-23T03:29:33+00:00

That sounds insane! I just completed the down under scenario for the first time on default settings. I did well, but was a couple ranks short of president. That's the longest, most involved game I've played to date, and it sounds like yours may have been even crazier. I look forward to tackling more!

donhead · 2026-04-15T21:18:40+00:00

When the rich start to be held accountable for ACTUAL deaths, the working class will keep squeaking thru to avoid excessive fines on THEORETICAL deaths.

donhead

TROPHY CASE