Good evening Eric, I’ve been away for many weeks… I lost my wife of 37 years to metastatic ovarian cancer earlier this month. She was in remission for two years and it came back viciously in May. Trying to figure things out. Starting to watch my favorite model railroad creators which is helping immensely. Bless you for your work. I pray for a cure for others and have even more admiration for you knowing you are fighting to find a cure. Thanks as always for your videos. Your friend Scott
Hi Scott - thanks for writing and I am so sorry to hear about your wife. That's truly devastating. I wish I had something better to offer in terms of consolation, but certainly glad that model railroading can provide a bit of a lift. My team works on a set of deadly blood cancers that have taken decades to find better treatments, and please know that every day we walk into the lab we are doing so mindful of the personal stakes involved for our friends and loved ones. Keeping you and your family in my thoughts as we go.
That’s just it, it’s a hobby, it’s fun . That’s how it should be, I’m a railroad engineer, and it was my hobby before I became one, and it still is, I just don’t need the sound, I get enough of that at work! Enjoy it
Yeah I suspect the tinny reproductions of an EMD or GE prime mover just don't scour when you run the real thing ;). Thanks for dropping by Thomas always good to hear from you.
Yes, keep the hobby enjoyable! I used to work on a cardiac surgery team. My hobby was my escape from surgeons and stress and let me indulge my "non-linear thinking" side. My major regret is that I didn't actually get a layout up and running when the kids were little.
Same deal about being an escape!! Running a lab (and part of a clinical division) is aspirational and fulfilling but can still drive burnout. Undoubtedly this is more so in the clinical realm where demands are often more acute. This hobby has been helpful as a recharge mechanism that lets the science work itself out in the back of my mind while I exercise exactly what you call the 'non-linear' side of things.
I can totally relate buddy, being in law enforcement can be very trying and stressful and being able to escape from time to time using a hobby such as model railroading is ideal!
I agree with what you said about the TH-cam modeler or Modeler on TH-cam thing. I fall in the latter description. When I started my channel my goal was to produce a video once a week. The more I started trying to do that there was an element that was taken from my enjoyment of the hobby, so I stopped. Now I post when I feel I have something meaningful and better yet when I want to. Congratulations on your subs.
The test of a great model railroad channel is whether on any given episode I learn 1+ things. While your style is not my style but I still learned 3 useful things. For that many thanks. BTW, nice Paul Simon reference.
Thanks Andrew, glad you've found the content to be useful. Ultimately that's what I aim for. While I haven't conceptualized it as such I think the 'learn 1+ things' is probably the criterion I use for when to actually make a video. Hope you had a great weekend and good catch re: Paul Simon ;). Graceland is a fabulous record.
Thank you for the update, Eric. Summertime activities always divert me from the railroad, but I’ve slowly been finding my way back to the basement and the layout. Projects such as the service station, which was left in an unfinished state, has been getting the attention it deserves. I so agree with your comment about TH-cam and the difference between a content creator, and a model railroader who enjoys sharing their craft. Too often, it seems a bit like going through the motions for some. You always keep it interesting for the very reason that it isn’t your job, and that you enjoy what you’re doing. It really comes across in your content. I do so love all the “bits and bobs” you’ve been collecting, like the fire hydrants and the various roof furniture. Love to get the name of that supplier. Although I do print myself, I would love to just buy things occasionally. The metal wheel replacement seems like a daunting task, but I understand and have undertaken this to some extent. Looking forward to seeing what you do with the tire company building. I’ve got a few old builds like that, funny how your eye goes straight to them. A project at some point, but I understand completely that things get done when they get done, no set schedule. Congrats on the 5,000 subscribers; it’s never a bad thing to know all you do is well appreciated. You are my favorite MR TH-camr, by a large margin. Looking forward to seeing more of Chicago Crossings and perhaps I can share a bit more of what I’ve been up to as well. Thanks again. Brooklyn
Always great to hear from you Brooklyn. Hope your summer's been great so far! I suspect the eBay sellers may also be the ones making the 3D prints (mine all showed up in a baggie which makes me think it's a home operation). Believe it or not I'm actually looking forward to the wheel paint-a-thon since my plan is just to make a jig for 25-50 wheels and just hit it all with the airbrush :). We'll see it my attitude changes once I'm going on that. I've been thinking back to our email conversation about 3D printing and whether I should get a printer to use in the garage during good weather. It would be a dream to print as many pallets, tires and other little bits as I'd like!
One of the things I like about your channel is that you come up ideas to add to a mostly completed layout. I’m getting a little tired of channels featuring acres of plywood asking me to envision what the layout will look like years down the road. (Dennis if you read this I don’t mean you 😊)
Thanks much! My philosophy is that there are already tons of channels that talk about laying and wiring track, etc. I figure this is where I can offer a more unique contribution to the community at least until I decide to start building the next.
@@ChicagoCrossingRR I really admire your easygoing style as you show off parts of Chicago that I grew up around , I have always love railroading and have had many 4x8 plywood ho scale layouts growing up, Chicago I think is somewhat unique in the way spur lines snaked around neighborhoods in order to get to some warehouse or factory especially around the pilsen area , back in the day around the cook county jail too, I enjoy your historical explanation and look forward to more of your tours of the layout😊
@@spaceman063 thank you!! My family had a long history on the South Side in Bridgeport and Back of The Yards. I lived in Ukrainian Village for a time and at least got to see a few of the active spur lines going in Goose Island before all of that shut down. I love all the old photos of SW's street running a few cars to the Peerless candy factory or Finkl Steel, and the next layout will represent that area in shelf format.
Started out a little slow. Almost turned it off, but I'm glad I didn't. I enjoy watching Dave at Thunder Mesa, as I also live in the desert southwest, and he does some amazing landscapes. I started building an N-scale layout when I lived in Palm Springs. After moving a few times and settling in Arizona, I have amassed a lot of N-scale, HO, and even a little bit of Lionel. I had to move a wall to make my train room a little wider. Can't wait to get started on a new N layout. My HO will run along a simple shelf around my pool room. Don't really have any room for the Lionel, and I don't know what I want to do with it yet. I'll figure something out. I'll keep checking back with your channel. Thanks.
Hi Robert, thanks for sticking with it. I've got some (my father's old set) Lionel, I've pretty much just kept for display given the tiny space I have to work with. I'd love to set up all the trains I've got but like you, just never quite enough room. I really enjoy Dave's channel as well. While I've never felt like modeling the desert regions (or mountains even though I live in CO) there's nothing better than seeing a layout that does so masterfully.
Thanks for another great video, your channel is quickly becoming one of my favorites as your videos help me relax and unwind. Like you, I am a modeler sharing my layout on TH-cam vs. a TH-cam modeler. I just don't have the time or energy in some cases to make a video every week (or month in my case), but I do enjoy sharing the hobby, it just takes some extra work to put together a video I feel worthy of sharing,. Anyway, I am from that area originally (Merrillville, IN) so it's cool to find a channel based on the Chicago area in the era I grew up in!
Thank you!! I’ve been enjoying your layout quite a bit recently - I lived in LA for a number of years and it’s really underappreciated as a great railroading city. I love that you’re capturing so many locations in model form.
Just noticed the "ignored" barge at 3:40, with all the fallen leaves in there... you've got so much "passive storytelling" going on. I'm amazed because it looks like stuff just happened, but all we see is intended and actively created. Loving it.
Hi Arjan, thanks for the good eye. Considering a model railroad as an interconnected series of dioramas helps to frame the scenery in a way where narrative becomes important. It's part of why model railroading is so immersive at least for me.
@@ChicagoCrossingRR I think we're used to most of the narrative coming from "human interaction", like trains passing, stopping, cars waiting for a crossing etc. This focusses the scenes on the train doing stuff. What I love about your approach is the fact that your "world" exists, also without a train passing, just we experience in real life. The scenery is not there just to show off the train, the trains just happen to be actors. Your scenery does not need trains to be running, it works just as well without.
That Cassidy tire looks very good I had to go there once when I was working on the Ulta store on Halsted during construction. that bottle car looks just like the one from when I was a kid in the south side.
Hi Rich, thanks much! It seems enough to give everyone the impression of the building. I sometimes think about scratchbuilding something closer to the 'real' thing! The bottle car is the exact model that is run on the South Side, there's a guy on eBay who will occasionally sell them.
Second visit to your channel. You made some very valid points regarding your approach to the hobby AND YT. Old school YT, where you just like to share your story. Subbed. Edit : "Bath tub Madonna".... I keep hearing The Beatles...
Glad to see another video, Eric. I don't know how you plan on painting those metal wheelsets, but I have a cautionary tale. Until a few years ago I painted the treads on the metal wheelsets I put on my rolling stock. Paint on the treads ended up being bad. In recent years as I reworked and reweathered my models I made sure all the treads were bare metal. This made a huge difference in rollability and track cleanliness. And even though this perhaps goes without saying, even a spec of paint on the needle ends of the wheelsets will play havoc with its rolling qualities. Sorry for the pedantry, but I learned all this the hard way. By the way, your weathered cars look great in your operations shots. Cheers from Wisconsin!
Hi Andrew, thanks for writing and always appreciate sharing of learned wisdom :). I'm very careful not to paint the treads for exactly the reasons you mention, plus the wheels just look more realistic without paint on the treads. I also cover the axles with liquid mask to ensure they stay free-rolling.
@@andrewpalm2103 no apologies needed. I’m still pretty young in the hobby and there’s a lot I still don’t know. I’m always grateful for the constructive advice and assistance of others.
Howdy Eric. I am quite certain the fact that your channel is based to document and help others rather than a source of income, is a factor in the tone and quality of your content. I'm sure many of us follow or have followed others that their channels have degraded when $$$ became involved. Do you print, I believe so and if so, resin or filament? I'm pondering a Bambu A1 filament printer. Thank you Eric and have a tremendous day!
Appreciate the feedback :) You know I don't currently own a printer, but I've been thinking a bit about whether it would be worth it to do so. My preference if I got one would to go with resin for at least as long as I can use the garage in good weather (fumes are a problem it seems). The stuff I see done with filament printers at train shows and the like had ridgelines in it from the filament layering that were noticeable - though please correct me if there are actually newer filament devices that resolve that problem, I never want to espouse an opinion without a good body of knowledge behind it.
@@ChicagoCrossingRR I am by far not very versed in printing: comparatively first semester in my college freshman year with a bit of high school level knowledge. What I have seen in regards to layer lines is the slicer settings, print speed, filament type/quality, and of course the abilities of the specific printer. Evidently Bambu came out with a filament that decreases layer lines... according to them. Resin unfortunately for me is a no go.
Dear Eric, very interesting and informative video. Love the way you put the hobby first and made the distinction between the TH-cam modeler and the modeler on TH-cam. Absolutely makes sense to this viewer. Especially when you mentioned the lab job you’re occupied with in daily life. Only got a tiny glimpse of the Chicago fire hydrants, wasn’t familiar with the fact the windy city had its own range. Must say they look great, after a screenshot enlargement. Will be fun to see those on the layout. As for the other 3D printed items you’ve shown. Definitely am looking forward to seeing the tyre building being revamped. Think such projects are very interesting, because they are able to show the difference between previous levels of modeling skills and newly acquired ones. Great idea to make a dedicated email for the channel, will store it and contact you when I have a question or more in depth comment. Looking forward to seeing your next episodes. Cheerio
Hi Vincent, for reasons that escape me pretty much every city has their own unique hydrant designs. I've lived in Chicago, LA, San Francisco, and Denver and visited plenty more. They each have their own unique hydrants. The hydrants currently on my layout are more like what you'd find in New York (though the wrong color). Will be nice to swap them out with the more prototypical models here. Take care and look forward to hearing from you down the road!
Hi Eric , so good to see your video . Congrats on the over 5K . And thanks so much for your cancer research . I've lost my Dad and other relation and friends to so many different kind of cancers . And thank the Good Lord we have hobbies and break time to refresh our minds and Souls with . With my hand tremors (which are getting more prevalent) I have a rough time painting the small parts and pieces. But I keep trying . And am still having a great time with my layout . Still contemplating the air brush , I ordered a couple of Atlas 20/0 brushes and they helped , thanks much for that video and ideas .
Hi Steve, thanks for sharing these stories and my condolences. It's an important reminder of the stakes involved in what we do in the lab and the shared experience of many. Glad you're enjoying the layout - do what you can and most of all have fun. Glad the brushes have been useful!!
What a wonderful video. I am so impressed with all the tiny roof accessories. I may have to try importing some. It is tiny detail like this that makes any layout come to life.
Hi Mel, always great to hear from you!! The good news is those accessories are inexpensive and nearly weightless, hopefully air mail or something similar won't be too expensive. Was just writing another viewer from Indonesia who brings a couple suitcases to the states every time he visits :)
@@ChicagoCrossingRR Interestingly enough, no matter what ebay site I go to I cannot find the 2 main sellers that you quoted. Either way shipping, or postage, from the good old US of A to Europe is prohibitively expensive. I suspect that postage would be greater than the cost of the items. Then of course comes Portuguese customs who have to have their cut. I will be better off buying from one of the famous Chinese sites who ship very fast and often for free and who seem to have some special arrangement when the goods arrive here. Sadly the quality of the stuff your end looks far superior.
Hi Eric , congratulations on 5 K subscribers. I’m a new subscriber for about 3 months. You have a small layout and so do I. You can get a lot in a small space doing n scale. Thanks for sharing. Have a good week. 😎😎 👍
@@ChicagoCrossingRR By the way, I watch you from Bali, Indonesia. So challenging to model here, as (due to a 35% import tax, plus exorbitant shipping costs) EVERYTHING must be gathered in my visits back to the US, and hand-carried as airline luggage. Wow, but so be it. Keep up the good work, my friend! And let me know if you ever visit The Island of the Gods.
@@keithludowitz9637 yeah I'd bring a couple of suitcases too if that was the case. I suppose it's a good exercise in focusing on what you really need for your models and limiting excess 'stuff' in a collection. I know we've got a trip to Indonesia at some point in the future so I'll let you know if we swing out that way :)
Great thoughts. Love the Hydrants, eBay sellers saved. Right on the mark with Model Railroader on TH-cam comment. Been there, had it all blow up, with the game Battletech. 17 years' worth of painters block, finally broke thru it this spring. Doing it my way and pace this time.
Hi Sam, thanks for stopping by and thanks for the cautionary tale. I've become much more aware of how burnout can become a thing in a hobby, particularly if there is an audience and perceptions of expectation that turn it into a 'should' or even a 'must' do activity. In any case a huge congratulations and welcome back to the hobby world. 17 years is a long time. Glad you're back to doing it for you and your own joy and relaxation.
@@ChicagoCrossingRR When I relaunch my website after 19 years, it will be without the pressure of a NDA, deadlines, and projects I have no interest in doing. A hobby is supposed to be fun and a break from the world around Us. I can do what I love and interests me and share that, like you do. BTW, one of these days I will be emailing you about Generic HO Chicago Modeling in the 1960s. I have been to Chicago twice, but it's what I model, amazing railroading to be had there. You capture it so well. Cheers.
I agree with your thoughts on You Tube and modeling. I have model railroading friends around the world but I have never posted a video no my own channel. I have the HO version of those detail packs you found on ebay. That same guy also makes a detail set that includes working loading dock doors. He my do that set in N scale. I consider myself a railroad modeler, not a model railroaded. Like you, I look at the entire scope of a city and want to build everything that exists in real life. I found some phone booth kits that look nice in HO, N would be cool to see. Keep up the good content, it is just a hobby.
Hey Paul, glad others are happy with that seller's products, it was sort of a 'try it and see' moment but everything came looking pretty good. I do need to check out what else that seller's got in inventory - I'd love to get one of those small wall-mounted public phone kiosks for the currency exchange, time to go hunting. Take care!!
I made my own wheel jigs for air brushing I used a scrap of 40 thousand styrene and drill bit 7/32 . I just put 2 pieces of 40 thou and taped them together and drilled both pieces so the holes line up put the wheels in place and secure both pieces of 40 thou with tape. I made mine long enough for 8 wheels. I bought the same roof details and the stuff is very nice and it takes paint very well. You were talking about details on a layout... to me details take the toy to real life. N scale is great for space but painting figures can be a real pain in the donkey most times I use a larger needle or a sharpened tooth pick. Nice you gave where you got the detail parts from.
Thanks Will - exactly the info I was looking for. I've been thinking I can put in enough holes to do a decent number of wheels at once via airbrushing.
@@marklynn3994 Hear, hear. Thus far I've done metal wheels by hand simply to avoid painting the treads but man I'm looking forward to the airbrush, both for quality and ease of use.
What a nice suprise. Thanks for another CCMRR video. Eric, what are your thoughts on Kato Unitrak? I have been struggling to decide between it or Peco Code 55 track and turnouts. I totally love the look of Peco C55, but the time to lay it, wire it, get it running perfect and install tortoises verses the simplicity of Kato. I think unitrack look toy like, but I might be willing to hold my nose. Also afraid I'll have buyers remorse because of th look. Please weigh in. PS: I don't ont know if you remember, I'm planning an outlet based on CCMRR.
Hey Chris, always great to hear from you!! I'll be honest that I'm not a huge fan of Unitrak for the reason you mention (toylike). However, some folks have gotten it to look really good just by paying attention to weathering and ballasting it. StevesTrains is a great example - Steve actually makes Unitrak look really good, he just makes sure to weather and integrate it very well. I'd be sure to check out his channel and have a look at his layouts. If the way his track looks seems good to you, it may not be the worst thing to go that route. Likewise the wiring and continuity on that stuff is solid and approachable. I'd been thinking a lot about Code 55 track for my next layout, and I like the better scaling. I guess it's a bit of a judgement call on your part. If you're building something about the size of my layout, I think laying flextrack and wiring it is actually pretty approachable. I also suspect if you sort of relax into the wiring you'll actually pick it up pretty well. What may be a good test case is just to do a 1-2 turnout small switching layout with code 55, almost like a working diorama, and see if you take to it ok. It's a great way to pick up the skills without going whole hog into a big project.
Thanks for your thoughts Eric. I'm still on the fence, but leaning toward Peco Code 55. I'll take a harder look at Steve's layouts. When I've visualized my new layout in my head it's always been with Peco C55. Plus, I'm concerned that down the road I won't be totally happy with the layout because I took the easy way out and used Unitrack.
@@chrisbarr1359 that is always a concern. I was just watching a video from a guy who made a Code 55 layout and was unhappy with the performance so is switching to Code 80. I gather the tracklaying is a bit more exacting with the smaller rails as pertains to derailments at points, etc. Not a down side, just maybe a thing to look out for (and for me to look out for, I've wanted my next to be 55).
Hi Carol, so far nobody :). Smaller vendors like Miniprints and the occasional eBay purchase seem to suffice for now. I suspect going forward no company is going to take on the infrastructural problem of 3D printing to order (vs. 3D printing their own stock models), versus selling the files. It may be time for me to just get my own printer!
@@ChicagoCrossingRR Thanks , Yeah I'm Fighting The Idea of Buying A Printer , But May Happen 😕 A Company Named Manuevo Bought Shapeways Bankruptcy But is Wading Through The Process!! Again Love Your Layout !! Oh and This is Bill , My wife and I Share Utube !! Thanks Again 😁
@@CarolHerbert-b5c Got it thanks Bill - I don't hold high hopes that Shapeways will ever return. In the meantime looking at resin printers and weighing all the mess and safety issues against having as many wooden pallets and barrels as I'd ever want.
I would love to. The toxic fumes associated with resin printing are the one big drawback that has kept me out of the game (that and I have no idea how to design stuff, though I notice a lot of folks share their files). Have you been doing your own? I'd love to hear from someone who picked it up recently about the pluses and minuses. It would be amazing to just get all of my stuff on demand and print as many garbage cans as I'd like ;)
Hi Éric, just send you an email of some track signal been reworked. Have more photos and some measurements. Say Hi to doggy that seems real busy, and feel free to work on your layout at your own pace. Videos will just be better. Cheers.
Good evening Eric,
I’ve been away for many weeks… I lost my wife of 37 years to metastatic ovarian cancer earlier this month. She was in remission for two years and it came back viciously in May. Trying to figure things out. Starting to watch my favorite model railroad creators which is helping immensely. Bless you for your work. I pray for a cure for others and have even more admiration for you knowing you are fighting to find a cure.
Thanks as always for your videos.
Your friend Scott
Hi Scott - thanks for writing and I am so sorry to hear about your wife. That's truly devastating. I wish I had something better to offer in terms of consolation, but certainly glad that model railroading can provide a bit of a lift. My team works on a set of deadly blood cancers that have taken decades to find better treatments, and please know that every day we walk into the lab we are doing so mindful of the personal stakes involved for our friends and loved ones. Keeping you and your family in my thoughts as we go.
That’s just it, it’s a hobby, it’s fun . That’s how it should be, I’m a railroad engineer, and it was my hobby before I became one, and it still is, I just don’t need the sound, I get enough of that at work! Enjoy it
Yeah I suspect the tinny reproductions of an EMD or GE prime mover just don't scour when you run the real thing ;). Thanks for dropping by Thomas always good to hear from you.
Yes, keep the hobby enjoyable! I used to work on a cardiac surgery team. My hobby was my escape from surgeons and stress and let me indulge my "non-linear thinking" side. My major regret is that I didn't actually get a layout up and running when the kids were little.
Same deal about being an escape!! Running a lab (and part of a clinical division) is aspirational and fulfilling but can still drive burnout. Undoubtedly this is more so in the clinical realm where demands are often more acute. This hobby has been helpful as a recharge mechanism that lets the science work itself out in the back of my mind while I exercise exactly what you call the 'non-linear' side of things.
I can totally relate buddy, being in law enforcement can be very trying and stressful and being able to escape from time to time using a hobby such as model railroading is ideal!
@@spaceman063 thanks for all you do - glad you can find some time to relax!
I agree with what you said about the TH-cam modeler or Modeler on TH-cam thing. I fall in the latter description. When I started my channel my goal was to produce a video once a week. The more I started trying to do that there was an element that was taken from my enjoyment of the hobby, so I stopped. Now I post when I feel I have something meaningful and better yet when I want to. Congratulations on your subs.
Always amazed at your work. I constantly have to remind myself that your layout is n-scale. Thanks for the update.
For sure, thanks Mark!
The test of a great model railroad channel is whether on any given episode I learn 1+ things. While your style is not my style but I still learned 3 useful things. For that many thanks. BTW, nice Paul Simon reference.
Thanks Andrew, glad you've found the content to be useful. Ultimately that's what I aim for. While I haven't conceptualized it as such I think the 'learn 1+ things' is probably the criterion I use for when to actually make a video. Hope you had a great weekend and good catch re: Paul Simon ;). Graceland is a fabulous record.
Thank you for the update, Eric. Summertime activities always divert me from the railroad, but I’ve slowly been finding my way back to the basement and the layout. Projects such as the service station, which was left in an unfinished state, has been getting the attention it deserves. I so agree with your comment about TH-cam and the difference between a content creator, and a model railroader who enjoys sharing their craft. Too often, it seems a bit like going through the motions for some. You always keep it interesting for the very reason that it isn’t your job, and that you enjoy what you’re doing. It really comes across in your content. I do so love all the “bits and bobs” you’ve been collecting, like the fire hydrants and the various roof furniture. Love to get the name of that supplier. Although I do print myself, I would love to just buy things occasionally. The metal wheel replacement seems like a daunting task, but I understand and have undertaken this to some extent. Looking forward to seeing what you do with the tire company building. I’ve got a few old builds like that, funny how your eye goes straight to them. A project at some point, but I understand completely that things get done when they get done, no set schedule. Congrats on the 5,000 subscribers; it’s never a bad thing to know all you do is well appreciated. You are my favorite MR TH-camr, by a large margin. Looking forward to seeing more of Chicago Crossings and perhaps I can share a bit more of what I’ve been up to as well. Thanks again.
Brooklyn
Always great to hear from you Brooklyn. Hope your summer's been great so far! I suspect the eBay sellers may also be the ones making the 3D prints (mine all showed up in a baggie which makes me think it's a home operation). Believe it or not I'm actually looking forward to the wheel paint-a-thon since my plan is just to make a jig for 25-50 wheels and just hit it all with the airbrush :). We'll see it my attitude changes once I'm going on that. I've been thinking back to our email conversation about 3D printing and whether I should get a printer to use in the garage during good weather. It would be a dream to print as many pallets, tires and other little bits as I'd like!
One of the things I like about your channel is that you come up ideas to add to a mostly completed layout. I’m getting a little tired of channels featuring acres of plywood asking me to envision what the layout will look like years down the road. (Dennis if you read this I don’t mean you 😊)
Thanks much! My philosophy is that there are already tons of channels that talk about laying and wiring track, etc. I figure this is where I can offer a more unique contribution to the community at least until I decide to start building the next.
@@ChicagoCrossingRR I really admire your easygoing style as you show off parts of Chicago that I grew up around , I have always love railroading and have had many 4x8 plywood ho scale layouts growing up, Chicago I think is somewhat unique in the way spur lines snaked around neighborhoods in order to get to some warehouse or factory especially around the pilsen area , back in the day around the cook county jail too, I enjoy your historical explanation and look forward to more of your tours of the layout😊
@@spaceman063 thank you!! My family had a long history on the South Side in Bridgeport and Back of The Yards. I lived in Ukrainian Village for a time and at least got to see a few of the active spur lines going in Goose Island before all of that shut down. I love all the old photos of SW's street running a few cars to the Peerless candy factory or Finkl Steel, and the next layout will represent that area in shelf format.
Started out a little slow. Almost turned it off, but I'm glad I didn't. I enjoy watching Dave at Thunder Mesa, as I also live in the desert southwest, and he does some amazing landscapes. I started building an N-scale layout when I lived in Palm Springs. After moving a few times and settling in Arizona, I have amassed a lot of N-scale, HO, and even a little bit of Lionel. I had to move a wall to make my train room a little wider. Can't wait to get started on a new N layout.
My HO will run along a simple shelf around my pool room. Don't really have any room for the Lionel, and I don't know what I want to do with it yet. I'll figure something out. I'll keep checking back with your channel. Thanks.
Hi Robert, thanks for sticking with it. I've got some (my father's old set) Lionel, I've pretty much just kept for display given the tiny space I have to work with. I'd love to set up all the trains I've got but like you, just never quite enough room. I really enjoy Dave's channel as well. While I've never felt like modeling the desert regions (or mountains even though I live in CO) there's nothing better than seeing a layout that does so masterfully.
Thanks for another great video, your channel is quickly becoming one of my favorites as your videos help me relax and unwind. Like you, I am a modeler sharing my layout on TH-cam vs. a TH-cam modeler. I just don't have the time or energy in some cases to make a video every week (or month in my case), but I do enjoy sharing the hobby, it just takes some extra work to put together a video I feel worthy of sharing,. Anyway, I am from that area originally (Merrillville, IN) so it's cool to find a channel based on the Chicago area in the era I grew up in!
Thank you!! I’ve been enjoying your layout quite a bit recently - I lived in LA for a number of years and it’s really underappreciated as a great railroading city. I love that you’re capturing so many locations in model form.
Just noticed the "ignored" barge at 3:40, with all the fallen leaves in there... you've got so much "passive storytelling" going on. I'm amazed because it looks like stuff just happened, but all we see is intended and actively created. Loving it.
Hi Arjan, thanks for the good eye. Considering a model railroad as an interconnected series of dioramas helps to frame the scenery in a way where narrative becomes important. It's part of why model railroading is so immersive at least for me.
@@ChicagoCrossingRR I think we're used to most of the narrative coming from "human interaction", like trains passing, stopping, cars waiting for a crossing etc. This focusses the scenes on the train doing stuff. What I love about your approach is the fact that your "world" exists, also without a train passing, just we experience in real life. The scenery is not there just to show off the train, the trains just happen to be actors. Your scenery does not need trains to be running, it works just as well without.
That Cassidy tire looks very good I had to go there once when I was working on the Ulta store on Halsted during construction. that bottle car looks just like the one from when I was a kid in the south side.
Hi Rich, thanks much! It seems enough to give everyone the impression of the building. I sometimes think about scratchbuilding something closer to the 'real' thing! The bottle car is the exact model that is run on the South Side, there's a guy on eBay who will occasionally sell them.
Second visit to your channel. You made some very valid points regarding your approach to the hobby AND YT. Old school YT, where you just like to share your story.
Subbed.
Edit : "Bath tub Madonna".... I keep hearing The Beatles...
Thanks Andrew and yeah, I was thinking of “Lady Madonna” as well 😄
Glad to see another video, Eric. I don't know how you plan on painting those metal wheelsets, but I have a cautionary tale. Until a few years ago I painted the treads on the metal wheelsets I put on my rolling stock. Paint on the treads ended up being bad. In recent years as I reworked and reweathered my models I made sure all the treads were bare metal. This made a huge difference in rollability and track cleanliness. And even though this perhaps goes without saying, even a spec of paint on the needle ends of the wheelsets will play havoc with its rolling qualities. Sorry for the pedantry, but I learned all this the hard way. By the way, your weathered cars look great in your operations shots. Cheers from Wisconsin!
Hi Andrew, thanks for writing and always appreciate sharing of learned wisdom :). I'm very careful not to paint the treads for exactly the reasons you mention, plus the wheels just look more realistic without paint on the treads. I also cover the axles with liquid mask to ensure they stay free-rolling.
@@ChicagoCrossingRR Sorry, I should have figured you'd know the score. It's a trigger point for me. 😀
@@andrewpalm2103 no apologies needed. I’m still pretty young in the hobby and there’s a lot I still don’t know. I’m always grateful for the constructive advice and assistance of others.
Hi Eric how you doing buddy? I never get tired of watching your layout,always look forward to new additions/changes!😊
Carl! Doing great my friend. Thanks for tuning in, and yeah camera's been rolling so more to come!
Howdy Eric. I am quite certain the fact that your channel is based to document and help others rather than a source of income, is a factor in the tone and quality of your content. I'm sure many of us follow or have followed others that their channels have degraded when $$$ became involved.
Do you print, I believe so and if so, resin or filament? I'm pondering a Bambu A1 filament printer.
Thank you Eric and have a tremendous day!
Appreciate the feedback :) You know I don't currently own a printer, but I've been thinking a bit about whether it would be worth it to do so. My preference if I got one would to go with resin for at least as long as I can use the garage in good weather (fumes are a problem it seems). The stuff I see done with filament printers at train shows and the like had ridgelines in it from the filament layering that were noticeable - though please correct me if there are actually newer filament devices that resolve that problem, I never want to espouse an opinion without a good body of knowledge behind it.
@@ChicagoCrossingRR I am by far not very versed in printing: comparatively first semester in my college freshman year with a bit of high school level knowledge.
What I have seen in regards to layer lines is the slicer settings, print speed, filament type/quality, and of course the abilities of the specific printer. Evidently Bambu came out with a filament that decreases layer lines... according to them.
Resin unfortunately for me is a no go.
@@Piouhgd-in3kc Thanks for that info. Is resin a no go due to cost or production issues? I'm interested to learn more.
@@ChicagoCrossingRR small home, no space for the larger amount of equipment and no basement or garage to deal with the fumes.
Congrats on 5k subs! 🎉🎉 Great video as always 🙂
Thank you! Hope all's well with your railroad!
@@ChicagoCrossingRR Thanks! I actually have a video about it coming up this Friday 🙂
@ApproachMedium looking forward to it!!
Dear Eric, very interesting and informative video. Love the way you put the hobby first and made the distinction between the TH-cam modeler and the modeler on TH-cam. Absolutely makes sense to this viewer. Especially when you mentioned the lab job you’re occupied with in daily life.
Only got a tiny glimpse of the Chicago fire hydrants, wasn’t familiar with the fact the windy city had its own range. Must say they look great, after a screenshot enlargement. Will be fun to see those on the layout. As for the other 3D printed items you’ve shown.
Definitely am looking forward to seeing the tyre building being revamped. Think such projects are very interesting, because they are able to show the difference between previous levels of modeling skills and newly acquired ones.
Great idea to make a dedicated email for the channel, will store it and contact you when I have a question or more in depth comment. Looking forward to seeing your next episodes. Cheerio
Hi Vincent, for reasons that escape me pretty much every city has their own unique hydrant designs. I've lived in Chicago, LA, San Francisco, and Denver and visited plenty more. They each have their own unique hydrants. The hydrants currently on my layout are more like what you'd find in New York (though the wrong color). Will be nice to swap them out with the more prototypical models here. Take care and look forward to hearing from you down the road!
Hi Eric , so good to see your video . Congrats on the over 5K . And thanks so much for your cancer research . I've lost my Dad and other relation and friends to so many different kind of cancers . And thank the Good Lord we have hobbies and break time to refresh our minds and Souls with . With my hand tremors (which are getting more prevalent) I have a rough time painting the small parts and pieces. But I keep trying . And am still having a great time with my layout . Still contemplating the air brush , I ordered a couple of Atlas 20/0 brushes and they helped , thanks much for that video and ideas .
Hi Steve, thanks for sharing these stories and my condolences. It's an important reminder of the stakes involved in what we do in the lab and the shared experience of many. Glad you're enjoying the layout - do what you can and most of all have fun. Glad the brushes have been useful!!
What a wonderful video. I am so impressed with all the tiny roof accessories. I may have to try importing some. It is tiny detail like this that makes any layout come to life.
Hi Mel, always great to hear from you!! The good news is those accessories are inexpensive and nearly weightless, hopefully air mail or something similar won't be too expensive. Was just writing another viewer from Indonesia who brings a couple suitcases to the states every time he visits :)
@@ChicagoCrossingRR Interestingly enough, no matter what ebay site I go to I cannot find the 2 main sellers that you quoted. Either way shipping, or postage, from the good old US of A to Europe is prohibitively expensive. I suspect that postage would be greater than the cost of the items. Then of course comes Portuguese customs who have to have their cut. I will be better off buying from one of the famous Chinese sites who ship very fast and often for free and who seem to have some special arrangement when the goods arrive here. Sadly the quality of the stuff your end looks far superior.
Hi Eric , congratulations on 5 K subscribers. I’m a new subscriber for about 3 months. You have a small layout and so do I. You can get a lot in a small space doing n scale. Thanks for sharing. Have a good week. 😎😎 👍
Hi Tommy, thanks for supporting the channel! Likewise, hope you had a great weekend!
Always enjoy hearing your thoughts about the hobby.
Thanks for visiting again Keith, it’s always great to hear from you! Hope all is well.
@@ChicagoCrossingRR By the way, I watch you from Bali, Indonesia. So challenging to model here, as (due to a 35% import tax, plus exorbitant shipping costs) EVERYTHING must be gathered in my visits back to the US, and hand-carried as airline luggage. Wow, but so be it. Keep up the good work, my friend! And let me know if you ever visit The Island of the Gods.
@@keithludowitz9637 yeah I'd bring a couple of suitcases too if that was the case. I suppose it's a good exercise in focusing on what you really need for your models and limiting excess 'stuff' in a collection. I know we've got a trip to Indonesia at some point in the future so I'll let you know if we swing out that way :)
Great thoughts. Love the Hydrants, eBay sellers saved. Right on the mark with Model Railroader on TH-cam comment. Been there, had it all blow up, with the game Battletech. 17 years' worth of painters block, finally broke thru it this spring. Doing it my way and pace this time.
Hi Sam, thanks for stopping by and thanks for the cautionary tale. I've become much more aware of how burnout can become a thing in a hobby, particularly if there is an audience and perceptions of expectation that turn it into a 'should' or even a 'must' do activity. In any case a huge congratulations and welcome back to the hobby world. 17 years is a long time. Glad you're back to doing it for you and your own joy and relaxation.
@@ChicagoCrossingRR When I relaunch my website after 19 years, it will be without the pressure of a NDA, deadlines, and projects I have no interest in doing. A hobby is supposed to be fun and a break from the world around Us. I can do what I love and interests me and share that, like you do.
BTW, one of these days I will be emailing you about Generic HO Chicago Modeling in the 1960s. I have been to Chicago twice, but it's what I model, amazing railroading to be had there. You capture it so well.
Cheers.
@@Blue_Dingo Hi Sam - looking forward to it. Shoot me an email anytime.
Beautiful layout
Thanks Louis!
I agree with your thoughts on You Tube and modeling. I have model railroading friends around the world but I have never posted a video no my own channel. I have the HO version of those detail packs you found on ebay. That same guy also makes a detail set that includes working loading dock doors. He my do that set in N scale. I consider myself a railroad modeler, not a model railroaded. Like you, I look at the entire scope of a city and want to build everything that exists in real life. I found some phone booth kits that look nice in HO, N would be cool to see. Keep up the good content, it is just a hobby.
Hey Paul, glad others are happy with that seller's products, it was sort of a 'try it and see' moment but everything came looking pretty good. I do need to check out what else that seller's got in inventory - I'd love to get one of those small wall-mounted public phone kiosks for the currency exchange, time to go hunting. Take care!!
I made my own wheel jigs for air brushing I used a scrap of 40 thousand styrene and drill bit 7/32 . I just put 2 pieces of 40 thou and taped them together and drilled both pieces so the holes line up put the wheels in place and secure both pieces of 40 thou with tape. I made mine long enough for 8 wheels. I bought the same roof details and the stuff is very nice and it takes paint very well. You were talking about details on a layout... to me details take the toy to real life. N scale is great for space but painting figures can be a real pain in the donkey most times I use a larger needle or a sharpened tooth pick. Nice you gave where you got the detail parts from.
Thanks Will - exactly the info I was looking for. I've been thinking I can put in enough holes to do a decent number of wheels at once via airbrushing.
@@ChicagoCrossingRR I've used the same technique successfully as well. Pretty simple and super cheap. Takes away the tedium of doing it by hand
@@marklynn3994 Hear, hear. Thus far I've done metal wheels by hand simply to avoid painting the treads but man I'm looking forward to the airbrush, both for quality and ease of use.
Great layout 👌
Thanks Anthony!
congrats on 5K! Grant over at southern alberta railway had a video on mass painting metal wheels which was helpful for me.
Ah!! Thank you for the pointer. Exactly what I'm looking for :)
Eeweegeewee is where I get ALL of my N Scale roof details!
Stumbled upon that just a few weeks ago so I'm probably late to the party but really glad I found that seller!!
@@ChicagoCrossingRR he is actually done quite a bit of personal work for me
What a nice suprise. Thanks for another CCMRR video.
Eric, what are your thoughts on Kato Unitrak? I have been struggling to decide between it or Peco Code 55 track and turnouts. I totally love the look of Peco C55, but the time to lay it, wire it, get it running perfect and install tortoises verses the simplicity of Kato. I think unitrack look toy like, but I might be willing to hold my nose. Also afraid I'll have buyers remorse because of th look. Please weigh in.
PS: I don't ont know if you remember, I'm planning an outlet based on CCMRR.
Hey Chris, always great to hear from you!! I'll be honest that I'm not a huge fan of Unitrak for the reason you mention (toylike). However, some folks have gotten it to look really good just by paying attention to weathering and ballasting it. StevesTrains is a great example - Steve actually makes Unitrak look really good, he just makes sure to weather and integrate it very well. I'd be sure to check out his channel and have a look at his layouts. If the way his track looks seems good to you, it may not be the worst thing to go that route. Likewise the wiring and continuity on that stuff is solid and approachable. I'd been thinking a lot about Code 55 track for my next layout, and I like the better scaling. I guess it's a bit of a judgement call on your part. If you're building something about the size of my layout, I think laying flextrack and wiring it is actually pretty approachable. I also suspect if you sort of relax into the wiring you'll actually pick it up pretty well. What may be a good test case is just to do a 1-2 turnout small switching layout with code 55, almost like a working diorama, and see if you take to it ok. It's a great way to pick up the skills without going whole hog into a big project.
Thanks for your thoughts Eric. I'm still on the fence, but leaning toward Peco Code 55. I'll take a harder look at Steve's layouts.
When I've visualized my new layout in my head it's always been with Peco C55. Plus, I'm concerned that down the road I won't be totally happy with the layout because I took the easy way out and used Unitrack.
@@chrisbarr1359 that is always a concern. I was just watching a video from a guy who made a Code 55 layout and was unhappy with the performance so is switching to Code 80. I gather the tracklaying is a bit more exacting with the smaller rails as pertains to derailments at points, etc. Not a down side, just maybe a thing to look out for (and for me to look out for, I've wanted my next to be 55).
Eric , Who Are You Using Since Shapeways Bit The Dust !! LOVE Your Layout and Videos!!!
Hi Carol, so far nobody :). Smaller vendors like Miniprints and the occasional eBay purchase seem to suffice for now. I suspect going forward no company is going to take on the infrastructural problem of 3D printing to order (vs. 3D printing their own stock models), versus selling the files. It may be time for me to just get my own printer!
@@ChicagoCrossingRR Thanks , Yeah I'm Fighting The Idea of Buying A Printer , But May Happen 😕 A Company Named Manuevo Bought Shapeways Bankruptcy But is Wading Through The Process!! Again Love Your Layout !! Oh and This is Bill , My wife and I Share Utube !! Thanks Again 😁
@@CarolHerbert-b5c Got it thanks Bill - I don't hold high hopes that Shapeways will ever return. In the meantime looking at resin printers and weighing all the mess and safety issues against having as many wooden pallets and barrels as I'd ever want.
Congrats on 5k! Have you ever considered getting into 3D printing yourself?
I would love to. The toxic fumes associated with resin printing are the one big drawback that has kept me out of the game (that and I have no idea how to design stuff, though I notice a lot of folks share their files). Have you been doing your own? I'd love to hear from someone who picked it up recently about the pluses and minuses. It would be amazing to just get all of my stuff on demand and print as many garbage cans as I'd like ;)
It looks way biggwr than it actually is
Hi Éric, just send you an email of some track signal been reworked. Have more photos and some measurements. Say Hi to doggy that seems real busy, and feel free to work on your layout at your own pace. Videos will just be better.
Cheers.
Thanks Daniel, will have a look!