The Railwire Interchange Fleet

[VonRyan]

The first mini-update:

The car is in the process of being stripped.
Apparently 91% alcohol doesn't remove Micro-Train's lettering.
My mom is going to bring acetone home from work to see if that will work.



The current plan is to get it set up to be carried over the ASH in quite a unique way, then send it out to be painted and decaled.


If there are no objections, I think a good reporting mark would be TRWX, and the car could be numbered 000. (seeing as how the first incarnation of N-Scale was as OOO)


In the spirit of The Railwire, I think it would be appropriate to get it rolling on prototypically correct trucks with low-profile metal wheels, and have the infamous Bowser Z-scale couplers and etched pockets added on.


Maybe even  will join in and weather it.



-Cody F.

[Specter3]

Pete

Anyone who would unfriend you over a search for a traveling car seems to be on the petty side. If you had it and then sent it on no big deal. Once you get to two people where one says they sent it and one says they never received it, then things get a little heated. But beyond those two, i dont understand bad feelings.

Take your pic with it, post it here, send it on. When the pic doesnt show up, you know where to start looking.

[Bendtracker1]

Since it sounds like it's going from the East coast to the West coast, any chance it could make a stop over in NE?
Now that the layout is up and running I'd be glad to host it for a turn and few a pics.

Is there any kind of a sign up post?

[pnolan48]

Pete

Anyone who would unfriend you  . . .

It was worse than that.  Anyway . . .

Here's the original Atlas forum car, commemorating the golden spike of The Portsmouth Branch in 2003.



Got to look on the old computer for the Trainboard cars.

[chicken45]

Can't we put pizza cutters on it to be ironic?

[Mark W]

Posted on Trainboard February 2, 2011:

" So what happen to the car? The last update about it was October 7. "

End of thread.

Don't mean to be a killjoy, but it took me months to track down the original Atlas forum and Trainboard forum cars (prior to the 2010 car). I paid for them to be returned out of my own pocket, and sent them on. I lost some friends on Atlas and Trainboard because of the search, and my tactics.

Pete provided this insight when planning the 2010 car tour.  Its an un-avoidable risk.  The only way to counter is to send off a car you don't expect to see returned and hope for the best.  Everyone who participated or followed along had a blast, so it's definitely worth it. 

We required everyone include tracking when shipping and luckily had no issues.  It may have also helped that we published the schedule so everyone knew who had the car and where it would go next.  A little peer pressure in making sure people follow through.   TBX 3401 successfully reached the end of it's schedule and was decommissioned, which is why no further updates.   

[Kisatchie]

The first mini-update:

The car is in the process of being stripped.
Apparently 91% alcohol doesn't remove Micro-Train's lettering.
My mom is going to bring acetone home from work to see if that will work.

Don't do it! The acetone will change the Micro-Trains car into a blob.


Hmm... like Kiz...

[VonRyan]

The sign-up thread is here:
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=30952.0

[Bendtracker1]

Cody should we add are mailing address on the Sign-up thread or just our names for now?

[VonRyan]

Can't we put pizza cutters on it to be ironic?

Don't spoil part of my surprise! 

Pete provided this insight when planning the 2010 car tour.  Its an un-avoidable risk.  The only way to counter is to send off a car you don't expect to see returned and hope for the best.  Everyone who participated or followed along had a blast, so it's definitely worth it. 

We required everyone include tracking when shipping and luckily had no issues.  It may have also helped that we published the schedule so everyone knew who had the car and where it would go next.  A little peer pressure in making sure people follow through.   TBX 3401 successfully reached the end of it's schedule and was decommissioned, which is why no further updates.   

Duly noted. Tracking info will required.
A public timetable is an excellent idea. I certainly will need help in sorting out the best route for the car to be interchanged. Anyone interested, please PM me.

Cody should we add are mailing address on the Sign-up thread or just our names for now?

Good point. Just names for now. I'll edit my post to include instructions on addresses.



-Cody F.

[pnolan48]

What happened to the Atlas and Trainboard cars was simply that the last person to receive them ran into serious personal or health problems and simply dropped off the forums. The cars had a schedule, and forwarding and receipt chits. I myself got into trouble with the Trainboard car as it arrived the day after I left for a month long vacation in Alaska, and it was scheduled in Albuquerque for only a few days.

I knew where the cars were, but contacting the person took months and arranging delivery (and saving face) also took time.

[Mark W]

A public timetable is an excellent idea. I certainly will need help in sorting out the best route for the car to be interchanged. Anyone interested, please PM me.

With USPS Flat Rate, just send it in the order folks sign up in, unless someone specifically wants to lead/trail someone else.

Good point. Just names for now. I'll edit my post to include instructions on addresses.

I recommend keeping addresses private.  Only you as the coordinator and the person shipping it need to know that.

[VonRyan]

What happened to the Atlas and Trainboard cars was simply that the last person to receive them ran into serious personal or health problems and simply dropped off the forums. The cars had a schedule, and forwarding and receipt chits. I myself got into trouble with the Trainboard car as it arrived the day after I left for a month long vacation in Alaska, and it was scheduled in Albuquerque for only a few days.

I knew where the cars were, but contacting the person took months and arranging delivery (and saving face) also took time.

So there was an established time limit?
I think that may be a little too strict.
My idea was that everyone tried to mail it to the next location within two weeks of its arrival.

The idea is that upon arrival, a quick update is made to notify everyone that it did indeed arrive.
The full update post should have the date of dispatch and the new tracking number at the very top.


-Cody F.

[peteski]

I think that during each visit, the host should add some graffiti to that car. Just like in real life. 

[VonRyan]

I think that during each visit, the host should add some graffiti to that car. Just like in real life. 

That is sorta the purpose of the car starting out so plain-jane.
Each host can add something identifying of what they model.

I think it goes without saying that if there is already a decal for the road you model on the car, don't add a second.

A host can certainly choose not to do anything with it, except enjoy it, photograph it for the update, and send back out on the rails.

There will be a scroll with the car for the printing and signing of the name of each host.


-Cody F.