Hobby Trains

New Product: LEGO 6205 V-Wing Fighter Star Wars Clone Spaceship Set New
This retired LEGO Star Wars set builds the V-Wing Starfighter, a staple of the Galactic Republic, and, later, the Galactic …read more at


New Product: LEGO 8010 Darth Vader Technic Star Wars Figure Model Set New
Certainly one of the more imposing LEGO models, this detailed Technic Darth Vader figure will be the highlight of the …read more at


Sooooooooooo…is it true?

After regauging all the drivers on my NEW Bachmann 4-8-4 I have come to the conclusion that all the people at the factory for Bachmann have NO clue what a NMRA Gauge is for ?? Is it true ?

:tb-wacky::tb-nerd::tb-ooh:
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First major Afghan railway opens

AFGHANISTAN: Freight services began running on Afghanistan’s first major railway on August 20-21. This followed the signing on August 4 of a three-year agreement for Uzbek national railway UTY to operate the 75 km 1 520 mm gauge line, which it built at a cost of US$165m using Asian Development Bank funding.The line starts at the Hayratan freight terminal on the Afghan side of the Uzbek border, which handles around half of Afghanistan’s imports and is served by a Soviet-built rail spur dating from the early 1980s. It runs though an empty landscape to a freight terminal near Mazar-i-Sharif airport. UTY has been appointed to operate the line as its only international connection is through Uzbekistan, and the lack of an indigenous rail industry in Afghanistan means it will take time to train local operations and maintenance staff. Afghanistan’s only other main line railway is a short spur across the border from Turkmenistan. However an Iranian-funded 1 435 mm gauge line is under construction from Iran to Herat, and studies are underway for the creation of a northern rail corridor from Herat to Mazar-i-Sharif and Tajikistan. This would provide the Central Asian republics with a route to the sea; studies are underway for a link from Atamyrat in Turkmenistan to Andkhoi which could link with this corridor. A north-south line to serve the Aynak copper mining development is also being studied by Chinese mining firm MCC.

More…


New Product: LEGO 8000 Pit Droid Star Wars Technic Figure Model Set New
The LEGO Pit Droid set builds a model of the robot as seen in the film, Star Wars: Episode I …read more at


New Product: LEGO 7201 Final Duel II Classic Star Wars Minifigure Set New
This LEGO Star Wars set was released in 2002 and contains 28 building elements, including the focus of the set, …read more at


Sunset Railroad?

I was perusing my topo maps the other night and ran across a line from Bakersfield to Taft, CA. It was labeled Sunset. I then referred to my rr atlas and found the line was the Sunset Railroad, reporting marks SUN. Doin some basic research, I found most of the line is now abandoned with the SJVR operating what is left of it. Also it was a SP/ATSF subsidiary. I even found that part of it near Taft was built on an older narrow guage right of way.

Question was/is, did they have any locos of their own and if so, anyone got any roster info?

Thanks.


N Scale decal help

Ok group I am at my whit’s end, Microscale has discontinued 2 sets of decals that I need again due to licensing. If you guys can look through your decals sets or your hobby shop’s sets I need Chicago Metra 60-918 and the Union Pacific Desert Storm SD40-2 wih the camo and fuel tank decals. I need at least 1 set of each, Thanks, Mitch.

New Article: On a Wing and a Prayer – Wingsuit Flying and Skydiving
(Unofficial Motto of the Gliding Sports)

Wingsuit Flying

In this, Part III of the , we are going to study the most extreme of the group, Wingsuit Flying. We refer to wingsuit flying in this way for one simple reason. Wingsuit flying provides experiences as close to bird-like soaring as human beings are likely to experience, given the configuration of our bodies.

In addition, wingsuit flying allows men and women to actually surpass the great hunting birds in several experiential categories.

First, falcons, as they dive toward prey, reach speeds of approximately 120 mph.

By comparison, it is possible for a wingsuit flier to approach speeds of 150 mph.

Second, as was mentioned in a previous article, hunting birds appear to have adopted a rather casual attitude toward soaring. Not so intrepid wingsuit fliers. Even words like “exhilarating” do not fully capture the thrills involved with taking to the heavens in a wingsuit.

Third, without additional specialized equipment, the recommended height for launching a wingsuit experience is approximately 13,000 to 15,000 feet, although there have been launches from greater heights.

By comparison, eagles rarely fly higher than 3,000 feet in the course of a day, although, during migration, they have been known to reach heights of 9,000 feet and more.

The videos below are thrilling examples of wingsuit flying. They will give you a wonderful “feel” for the subject as we proceed onward in our attempt to understand what we can of both wingsuit flying, and its enabling sport, sky diving.

The videos also demonstrate wingsuit flying at its most dangerous. The fliers are attempting feats at the extreme edge of an extreme sport. Note the close encounters with the mountain sides, especially in film B. One bush not recalled or one stone outcrop in an unremembered position would mean disaster. …read more at


New Product: LEGO 6973 Deep Freeze Defender Classic 1993 Ice Planet Space
The largest set in the 1993 LEGO Ice Planet 2002 Space theme, the Deep Freeze Defender builds a complex ship …read more at


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