HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: hrbob@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (robert.e.wiersbe)
Subject: Prang Film
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 20:51:20 GMT

In article <5928@transfer.stratus.com> cdt@sw.stratus.com (C. D. Tavares) writes:
>
>OK, here's what's happening (according to Judy Kaplow):
>
>Bob has a Beta machine and no VHS.  But Bob Weirsbe has a VHS and is
>willing to do the copying from Bob's deck, for some fee not yet determined
>(whatever it is, it will probably be less than Kyle would charge, since
>Kyle does this for a living).  My suggestion is that all of you who are
>interested in a copy of the "Boosted Arcas Plus" tape send a SHORT e-mail
>to Bob Weirsbe (hrbob@cbnewsb.cb.att.com) so that he will have an idea of 
>how many tapes he may be looking at.  Then when he figures out how much it
>will cost, he can get back to you with those details.
>
>Maybe we ought to make this tape a NARTS product...!
>-- 
>
>cdt@pdp.sw.stratus.com      --If you believe that I speak for my company,
>OR cdt@vos.stratus.com        write today for my special Investors' Packet...

Ah, this explains all the mail messages I got asking for the tape! Imagine
my surprise......

I talked with Bob Kaplow last night about this tape and making copies, but we
hadn't discussed mass production. Bob's tape is Beta, I have both a Beta and
a VHS machine so I can make copies. However, the tape is something like 2 1/2
hours long, so it's going to take a long time to copy. The other thing is that
the quality will probably be poor - a copy of a copy of a copy. Once I get the
tape and copy it I'll know if it's worth doing (this should happen in the next
few weeks).

In the meantime, send me an email message (I'll save them, but I won't respond
now) to let me know if you're interested in the tape. I'll do what I can to 
get you one. 

Bob Wiersbe	NAR# 44588	
hrbob@ihlpb.att.com 	or 	hrbob@cbnewsb.cb.att.com
From: lc2b+@andrew.cmu.edu (Lawrence Curcio)
Newsgroups: rec.models.rockets
Subject: Re: Ignition Systems
Date: 4 Sep 92 05:12:08 GMT
Organization: Doctoral student, Urban and Public Affairs, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

I was recently shocked to discover that several lines of guitar
amplifiers still use tubes exclusively. Hard to believe...
Newsgroups: rec.models.rockets
Subject: Do I Get My Wings Back?
From: kmwheeler@ualr.edu
Date: 3 Sep 92 21:08:50 GMT
Organization: University of Arkansas at Little Rock

On 27 Aug. I went out and launched rockets, for the first time in
about 6 or 7 years.  I had almost forgotten how much fun it is.

My younger cousins made some flights with an Estes rocket I 
helped them build (not sure if I got the name right) a 
Screaming Mini.

I flew an Estes 1/100th scale Little Joe II.  All flights with 
A3-4T, so just low altitude, soccer field flights.

I can't wait to get back to flying larger rockets.  I've got a
modified Mean Machine from my earlier flights, and I bought an
Estes 1/100th scale Saturn 1B (love the way the multi-tube 'first
stage' looks).

I found a copy of the Tripolitan, and after I regain some D-12
experience, then I think I'm going to try and get into the big stuff.


I'm glad to be back!

Keith

University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Computer Engineering Technology
From: cdt@sw.stratus.com (C. D. Tavares)
Newsgroups: rec.models.rockets
Subject: Re: DOT vs Aerotech & Reloads
Date: 1 Sep 92 23:50:27 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.

In article <1992Sep1.211504.18079@med.umich.edu>, Roger.Wilfong@umich.edu writes:
> Apparently DOT is concerned that the cardboard casing around the propellant
> grain acts like the case of a fire cracker to confine the combustion and make
> it explosive.  

What a bunch of shit.

> If this is the case, they are ignoring the large openings on
> either end of the grain which should effectively eliminate any pressure
> build-up.  However, from my stand point, this is conjecture and theory - I've
> never been inclined to light a grain outside of a motor housing so I don't know
> what would happen.

S&T has, and we have a video of it.  They burn like road flares.  There's
a neat effect as the combustion burns through the bottom of the slug, and
it does a ground-effect number and floats around like an air-hockey puck.
And that's IT.

In fact, we printed video frames of this test in our newsletter.
-- 

cdt@pdp.sw.stratus.com      --If you believe that I speak for my company,
OR cdt@vos.stratus.com        write today for my special Investors' Packet...
Newsgroups: rec.models.rockets
From: Roger.Wilfong@umich.edu (A. Roger Wilfong)
Subject: Re: Ignition Systems
Organization: U of Michigan - Information & Networking Services
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 20:05:10 GMT

In article <Bu0Gx3.Asv@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
(Iskandar Taib) writes:
>
>>>The OP amps you are refering to were probably hybrid or potted descrete
>>>component devices. ...they were often potted to provide a more uniforn 
>>>temperature environment.  I remember working with some that looked like 
>>>tubes (valves for you Brits) complete with 8-pin octal bases.
>
>Were these transparent glass or opaque plastic or ceramic? They were 
>solid state, right?
>
Tubes were not solid state and are (were - RCA quit manufacturing 'receiving
tubes' over 15 years ago) glass or metal.  To my knowledge, CRT's and some high
power (i.e. 1-20kW triodes for broadcast transmitters) tubes are the only
tubes still manufactured.

The hybrid circuits were typically solid state (transistor and/or IC, although
in the late '50s and early '60s the term hybrid was used to describe tube +
transistor circuits) and the cases were plastic or metal - some may have been
ceramic but I don't remember ever running into a ceramic cased one.
From: cdt@sw.stratus.com (C. D. Tavares)
Newsgroups: rec.models.rockets
Subject: Re: New AmSpam Editor?
Date: 25 Aug 92 18:51:05 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.

In article <IeaZLya00WB9IZ6WdG@andrew.cmu.edu>, lc2b+@andrew.cmu.edu (Lawrence Curcio) writes:
> Thanks for the followup, C.D.. One point I still don't understand (slow
> on the uptake, here) is how one can take advantage of rights retention
> if there is no notification of acceptance, and if publication can take
> more than a year.  Am I missing something?

Look, guys -- I don't know.

If you really want the answers to these detailed questions, call the 
editor.  1-800-352-8611
-- 

cdt@pdp.sw.stratus.com      --If you believe that I speak for my company,
OR cdt@vos.stratus.com        write today for my special Investors' Packet...
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
From: priddle@ace.acadiau.ca (PETER RIDDLE)
Subject: Toy Trains
Organization: Acadia University
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 15:06:17 GMT

Am looking for a copy of the book "Messrs. Ives of Bridgeport," by Louis 
Hertz, any condition.  If you have one to spare, or know where I might pick 
one up, please let me know.

Pete Riddle
From: hpoppe@ncar.ucar.edu (Herb Poppe)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Re: PWM comtrollers
Date: 2 Sep 92 17:03:10 GMT
Organization: National Center for Atmospheric Research

In article <1992Sep2.091526.89959@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au> 
che238n@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au writes:

> The best pulse width modulated (PWM) controller I have seen is desribed 
in
> "Compleat Model Railway Electronics" by Roger Amos.

>  It completely eliminated motor "chatter" caused by the sudden pulse.

From the title, I suspect that this book might be difficult to find in the 
States. Could you provide a few more details on the circuit involved, and 
what it is doing to eliminate chatter?

Herb Poppe                 National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
hpoppe@ncar.ucar.edu       1850 Table Mesa Dr.
(303) 497-1296             Boulder, CO  80303
From: SDupa@xview.csuohio.edu (Scott Hewis)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: San Diego Club Thanks
Date: 28 Aug 92 16:58:07 GMT
Organization: Cleveland State University - Telecomm

Many thanks to those of you who responded to my request for info on the
San Diego Model Railroad Club.  It is appreciated *VERY MUCH*. Thank you.

Scott
--------------------------------------
* Scott Hewis; Telecom Specialist    *
* Cleveland State University         *
* email c/o scott@asgard.csuohio.edu *
--------------------------------------
From: cal@ee.ryerson.ca (Calvin Henry-Cotnam)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Re: Thomas the Tank Engine Layout
Date: 4 Sep 92 11:53:46 GMT
Organization: Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, Toronto

In article <1992Sep3.200030.25448@newsgate.sps.mot.com> turner@ssdt-tempe.sps.mot.com (Robert Turner) writes:
>In the U.S.A. a children's show called "Shining Time Station" appears to
>use an HO layout for  "animated" features about Thomas the Tank Engine
>and his friends Gordon, James, Henry, and ...
>
>OR I think it is an HO layout.  Does anybody know about the train layout
>used in the filming of these segments?
>

Int the June 1989 issue of Model Railroader magazine, the Bull Session
had an item about the making of the series (page 134).

According to the article, "the engines are No. 1 gauge models with
Marklin chassis that have undergone substantial modifications..."

Also it states that the models are powered by electricity and carbon
dioxide and oil are used to produce the steam effects.  The faces on
the engines are changeable and the eyes are radio controlled.

Another thing it says is that with the exception of the roundhouse and
turntable, the layout is not a permanent one.  The sets are constructed
for individual stories and later taken apart.


Calvin Henry-Cotnam, CATE            |    MY CANADA INCLUDES CANADIANS!
Ryerson Polytechnical Institute      | I would really like this to include
Toronto, Ontario, Canada             | Quebec - but I won't hold my breath.
From: sheardc@rdsunx.crd.ge.com (David C. Shear)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: layout for post-war Lionel 027
Date: 31 Aug 92 15:09:33 GMT
Reply-To: sheardc@rdsunx.crd.ge.com (David C. Shear)
Organization: GE Corporate R&D Center

Just starting to setup my post-war Lionel 027 layout which has a 2055
steam engine and associated freight cars. The plan is to use a 4'x8'
train board that was purchased second-hand with train & Plasticville
buildings back in the mid fifties. What is a good source for track
layouts for a limited budget and a minimum of scenery (no plans at this
time for hills, mountain & lakes)? I'm trying to keep the layout simple
and flexible.

Dave Shear	GE/CRD		Schenectady, N.Y.
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
From: winans@xray.aps.anl.gov (John R. Winans)
Subject: Re: [benchwork]: What kind of wood?
Organization: Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago Illinois
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 21:20:27 GMT

In article <1992Aug30.202916.11210@PacBell.COM> bwmohle@pbsdts.sdcrc.pacbell.com (Bruce W. Mohler) writes:
>
>My focus is on the benchwork framing, rather than what goes on
>top (plywood, homasote, etc.).  Any references to books/magazines
>that you use/used to the style of framing you use would also be 
>appreciated.

Kalambach is/was/distributing a a book with a title like "Building Benchwork 
for Model Trains"  I picked up a copy a while ago.  While I ended up with a
hybrid (as I am sure most do) I thought the descriptions of all the different 
ways of doing it to be useful.  You should be able to find it an any decent
hobby-shop.

Good luck!
-- 
! John Winans                     Advanced Photon Source  (Controls)    !
! winans@mcs.anl.gov              Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois !
!                                                                       !
!"The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away." - Tom Waits !
From: romeo@niagara.Tymnet.COM (Michael Stimac)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Re: HO Scale Pantographs
Date: 1 Sep 92 17:41:53 GMT
Organization: BT North America (Tymnet)

>In article <1992Aug31.200758.21731@CS.ORST.EDU> larsons@xanth.CS.ORST.EDU (Larson Shawn Michael) writes:
>>Where can you order pantographs in HO scale?
>> [ a reference to Walthers etc deleted. ]

Try Trackside Specialties, P.O. Box 460, Manheim PA, 17545

While not a sure thing, their ads often offer pans.

They have lots of parts for scratchbuilding and modification
projects.

Michael Stimac


-- 
Michael Stimac
(415) 355-8889
romeo@tymnet.com
These opinions are not necessarily anyone's but my own.
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
From: fredm@progress.COM (Fred Mikkelsen)
Subject: Re: [benchwork]: What kind of wood?
Organization: Progress Software Corp.
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 18:31:18 GMT

All good responses for building bechwork for model railroads. L and T beams
made of pine are strong. Screw things together--NO glue. Things always need
to be changed.

Also, put the girders about 3 to 5 inches lower than you expect the track
and scenery to be in that area, and attach to the sub-roadbed/scenery layers
with risers. This may sound odd at first, but over time, track levels, climb
drop, scenery, under layout wiring, etc, change and the actual structural
members should be as pristine as possible.

I'm evolving my club (The Tech Model RR Club of MIT) to this technique
because I got tired of cutting up support members to move wires, track and
scenery.

Hope this helps!
--
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Frederick P Mikkelsen          Internet:  fpm@gaak.lcs.mit.edu 
Progress Software Corporation  Also Works: fpm@progress.com
14 Oak Park                    Voice: 617-280-4000
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
From: brentk@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Brent Knecht)
Subject: Re: High voltage pulsing?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 13:47:34 GMT

al@nmt.edu (Al Stavely) writes:


>In article <BtswCx.80I@news.cso.uiuc.edu> brentk@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Brent Knecht) writes:
>>
>>Do you actually use constant current?  Last year I decided to design and
>>build my own power supply with load and coast features, etc.  At first I

>OK, I did some measurements on my transistor throttle last night.  It seems
>that it's not quite a constant current source (or constant voltage source
>either) at a fixed throttle setting.  The current (and voltage) go up and down
>gradually as the loco goes up and down grades, and they wiggle around a lot
>because of (I would guess) varying resistance in the path between the throttle
>and the motor.  (And yes, I do clean my track!)

>I have no plans to fiddle with the circuit to try to get it closer to constant
>current.  As is, it provides very smooth and steady constant-speed running,
>which is my highest priority.  You're right, the loco's response to the
>current is quite nonlinear. I'm sure designing a really good momentum/braking
>circuit using transistors would be tricky (although it has been done -- does
>anyone have experiences to report?).  Certainly voltage regulators are much
>easier to design around for this purpose, although I haven't been very
>impressed with the realism of the few examples I've seen.  My solution so far
>has been to do without all these goodies.
>-- 

>	- Allan Stavely, New Mexico Tech, USA

The power supply I built uses only transistors, not voltage regulators.
I think the momentum/braking characteristics are quite good, but then
I might be biased a slight bit. ;-)  It really isn't difficult at all-
the loco's response to voltage change is pretty much linear.  The circuit
I designed uses an emitter-follower configuration, and will exhibit the
voltage variation you observed.  Someone else posted the same observations
that I made during the prototyping stage - that current is pretty much
fixed over the speed range of a particular loco/train combination.  This
would make sense because power = I * V, power required to move the train
= torque * speed, torque is for the most part constant (as friction is 
mostly constant throughout the speed range), so if voltage is proportional
to speed, the current must be fairly constant.

BTW - My design only uses 5 transistors, two of which only provide
overload protection.

- Brent Knecht    U of Il Urbana-Champaign
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Re: benchwork: a case study
From: hansend@physc1.byu.edu
Date: 3 Sep 92 10:45:01 -0600
Distribution: na,world
Organization: Brigham Young University

In article <24477@oasys.dt.navy.mil>, shorrow@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Paul Shorrow) writes:
>
>  When I initially built my L girder table I had made it 48" high...
>  after a couple of days I lowered it to 43" .....so I could reach
>  everything ....
>  Now that I'm in the proccess of wiring and hooking up, I picked up
>  my layout and set it on blocks so I could work under it without
>  banging my head every 2 minutes |-) 
>  
>  ...bifocals,hot soldering irons, and a low overhead are not compatible....
> 
>  My layout is 18x4 ft and is light enough to move (a short distance)
>  another plus for L girder construction. 

Another question about moving L-girder.  Is it really rigid enough to be 
moved out the door, placed in a moving van with appropriate care, and 
taken to a new home somewhere?  My impression from the construction 
descriptions given by Lynn Westcott were that it probably wouldn't take 
kindly to that kind of treatment.  Am I mistaken?

> 
>  Just my $0.02
>  Paul Shorrow


Doug Hansen  Hansend@physc1.byu.edu
From: ryanm@milton.u.washington.edu (Ryan Mcneilly)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Addresses (was: D&RG Durango Yard Drawings...)
Date: 26 Aug 92 03:03:02 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle


So far I have some great leeds as to where I can find drawings of the
yard plans of Durango.  However these are libraries and I was given
no addresses with them.  Could anybody that knows the address of the
Denver Public Library and the Colorado Historical Society please 
send them to me?  Thanks for all the replies from those of you on
the net!  I appreciate your help.

--Ryan


==========================================================================
  Ryan McNeilly 

  Internet: ryanm@u.washington.edu
==========================================================================
From: tomw@spider.co.uk (Tom Ward)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Pulse power
Date: 26 Aug 92 06:51:16 GMT
Organization: Spider Systems Limited, Edinburgh, UK.

In response to the idea of pulse power, it's already available in the UK
and also in the States, I believe. I'm also working on my own version.

My approach, rightly or wrongly, is to take the 16v a.c. and put this
through a step up transformer. By using the d.c control as a controlling
input to a transistor, the amount of high voltage is proportional to the
d.c. that would normally be applied to the track. I have then stuffed this
through a couple of descreet components and used that out put to feed the 
track. The effect is to ionise the gap between track and wheels and 'burn' 
off the dirt. First efforts are looking promising

I'd be more than happy to receive any comments/ideas, and when I'm happy
things are working properly, I'll be willing to pass on more detailed
info.


-- 
      Tom Ward		    |  
Email;- tomw@spider.co.uk   | Phone;- 0734 771055 Ext 412   	
                            
Spider Systems Ltd, Peach Street, Wokingham, Berkshire, UK, RG11 1XH
From: jones@pyrite.cs.uiowa.edu (Douglas W. Jones,201H MLH,3193350740,3193382879)
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
Subject: Re: HO Scale Pantographs
Date: 1 Sep 92 21:52:25 GMT
Organization: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

From article <1992Sep1.210243.24084@galileo.cc.rochester.edu>,
by kolassa@bio1.bst.rochester.edu (John Kolassa):
> 
>> It is prototypical to run pantographs on trolley wire (as opposed
>> to catenary).
> 
> Won't the frogs be different?

Yup, although I've seen frogs that could handle both trolley poles and
pantographs, the systems that run pans on trolley wire generally don't
bother with frogs at all.  If one of the running wires crosses over the
other, near the center of the turnout, that's good enough.  For
reliability, the wires are generally supported on hangers within a few
meters one side or the other of where they cross, and sometimes, they're
supported parallel to each other for a way before one wire rises off to
one side or the other for termination.

Trolley systems without frogs are also fairly common, particularly on
less-used turnouts.  I wouldn't do it on a model, but in prototype
practice, rarely used turnouts frequently have a pair of parallel trolley
wires that start a car-length before the points.  The trolley stops
under this pair and someone uses the pole retriever to transfer the
pole to the right wire before the trolley goes on.  The CTA had a small
yard just inside Evanston that was run this way; it was used only for
M of W service, things like ballast loading.

					Doug Jones
					jones@cs.uiowa.edu
Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad
From: brentk@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Brent Knecht)
Subject: Re: High voltage pulsing?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 14:31:44 GMT


>In the context of the original discussion, which was how to compensate for
>dirt on the rails, I still say that constant current is better than constant
>voltage.  If the resistance between the throttle and the motor is low and
>constant, then what you say may be right.  But when the loco hits a bad patch
>of dirt, most of the voltage drop is across the dirt, and the voltage that the
>motor sees goes way down if the voltage at the throttle is held constant.

>Perhaps our circumstances are different.  I run N scale diesels, sometimes
>single-headed, and then the difficulties I have with dirt far outweigh any
>of the effects you are talking about.

>-- 

>	- Allan Stavely, New Mexico Tech, USA

Do you actually use constant current?  Last year I decided to design and
build my own power supply with load and coast features, etc.  At first I
too thought that constant current would be the way to go, but after 
prototyping the circuit and trying it out, I found it nearly impossible
to incorporate the features I wanted, as the locomotive's speed had a 
very nonlinear response to the current.  I then prototyped a constant
voltage supply, and found it far superior to the constant current.  I did,
however, find it necessary to add an 'idle' setting, as most of my
locos don't respond until the voltages reach about 4 or 5 volts.

As far as dirty track -- the best solution I found is simply to clean it.

BTW - I too run N scale diesels.

- Brent Knecht, U of IL urbana.