Friday Night Christmas Lights...

...and some music...

Tyco/Athearn Hi-Railer kitbash...

...one of my first from about 18 years ago. Its base is a frame, front wheels and stake body from a very cheaply made toy truck of no known make. Can you believe the stake bed was chrome plated!? I added the cab of an old Tyco truck and the rear axles off of an Athearn 45' trailer. Assorted kibbles and bits were used for the remainder of the details including the wheels off of a discarded N scale car...





It now graces the MOW shed on the Gulf Coast and Western Railroad.

Wednesday's Word, Psalm 94...

O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself. Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud. LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?

They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.

Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know? The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge. And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.

Christmas 2008, Marx toy train setup...

Br'er Shaygetz's annual Christmas track cleaning post...

It's that time of year again so I thought I'd dig up one of my most requested "How tos"...

Because THE TREE makes for about an 8' tunnel that's a bear to keep the track clean in, I brought back an old favorite for track cleaning. Using Masonite, I cut myself pads 1 3/8" x 2 1/2" in size. I laid out a center line at 11/16" lengthwise and cross lines at 3/8", then epoxied two 1 1/4" drywall nails centered on the cross lines. While hardening, I drilled two 1/8" holes centered into the bottom of my car 1 3/4" apart. I then set the pad lengthwise on the rails, placed the car over the nails. That's it, there are no fasteners as the pad needs to freely travel up and down. Leave it in your regular consist and you'll never have a problem with dirty rails or wheels thru the holiday. It's also easily modified for Thomas' Clarabelle coach by shortening your measurements. The second pic shows just how much dirt "clean" track gives up after 20 laps.





For rare tinplate, I came up with the following to avoid drilling into a family heirloom or pricey collector's item. Using the same basic pad, I added a flexible plastic arm attached by sandwich gluing the pad to the arm with cardboard. I added a small lead weight to the end of the pad away from the arm. Then, at the other end, I sandwich glued two powerful magnets copped from those blinky pins sold at Wal-Mart (they come two to a pin) and placed another set on the car floor. Heirloom is now safe and track now gets cleaned as evidenced by the pad after ten laps.





The final pics show them in action. The train's wheels now stay clean and I no longer have to clean the rails themselves on a daily basis as I had to before.

Some may wish to color them on the sides and tops with black magic marker to hide them.

Ephesians 1:2-23

Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Original Ad Saturdays...

...Model Railroader magazine, October 1974.

Few things peaked my interest (or my avarice) in the ninth grade more than those classic PFM ads on the back of most MR magazines throughout the '60s, '70s and early '80s. And nothing turned my clock more than brass shays...

...except maybe a certain girl in Ms. Welker's Home Ec class...sigh...



BTW...I went to my 10th Reunion and saw that certain girl---there are NO regrets.

Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this. (Ecclesiastes 7:10)

Friday Night Christmas Lights...

"How About Railway Modeling" by John Craven

I covet older modeling publications for the less brand oriented level of modeling offered. This one is especially interesting in that it comes from the UK and is written on a more down-to-earth, conversational level. British modelers usually have much less available space to use and so the modeling tends to be more finely detailed and exacting---no room filling Plywood Pacific Railroads to consume large quantities of brain space, money and time.



Ahhh...the '70s were indeed a weird time for hair...

Veteran's Day 2009...

Thankfully, the closest I ever came to deploying was Grenada in 1983. Being the only military police unit trained in POW ops (and a reserve unit at that, go figure), we were 72 hours away from going to the party before another unit was fingered for the job.

My reasons for joining were purely mercenary, a $3,000 signing bonus being a nice incentive in the economic wasteland known as the Carter Administration. My scariest moment happened early on in my budding career. It was the height of the Iran hostage crisis and Reagan was just elected president while I was in basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama.

We had just lined up for breakfast after PT when one of the girls in my training unit came out of the CO's office sobbing her eyes out. The senior drill said something to the effect of, "Private So-and-so has something to tell you all."

"Aw ****," I thought, in my best pre-salvation vocabulary, "...we're off to ******* war." You could feel the same tension course through the rest of the unit as well.

As Private So-and-so took front and center, she sobbed out, "Somebody shot John Lennon last night."

With all due respect to Mr. John "Imagine all the people/more popular than Jesus Christ" Lennon, the collective "What the..." that went through my unit, followed by the myriad ways we were disemboweling our little Private Benjamin in our minds for putting us through the wringer for that bit of info, was quite palpable.

For the first 6 and a half years of my hitch, I was the perfect picture of the south end of a north bound horse. The transformation wrought in me after one night alone in my tent with God did not go unnoticed by my superiors though...it wasn't long after that that I was made lay chaplain in my unit under Chaplain Lee, where I finished out the remainder of my 9 years as company RTO. In the end, I finished that race as it should be done in Christ, with no regrets and a healthy respect for those who take it on full time.

To all our vets, big and small, thank you...

Tropical storms and a back injury...

...have made this an interesting week already. I pray this finds you and yours well in the Lord and cradled in His love and peace.

Blessings, Br'er Shaygetz

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Habakkuk 1:1-5

The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.

Original Ad Saturdays...

Model Railroader magazine, August 1965...

...forgot my Friday Night Christmas lights post...

...as always, best served loud...

Wednesday's Word, Psalm 40:1-6...

(To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

I often hear concerning people who have passed away in their sleep; "Man, that's the way to go." Really? And if your eternal destiny is not forever with Christ? I couldn't imagine a more wretched wake up call...

No, give me Jacob's...my hand on my children's heads blessing them and telling them that God's hand is upon them---even when they're screwballs like eleven of his son's were---then pulling my legs up into bed as I go home, my favorite son closing my eyes...check it out in Genesis 49. That's the way to go.

Estes Model Rocketry...

When I was in the sixth grade and then again when I was in my late 20s, I actively participated in the hobby of model rockets. I miss many of those classic kits, the Orbital Transport being one that comes to mind. Once built, it had a shuttle that would separate from the main ship, then both would return to earth, the shuttle gliding and the transport by parachute.

Recently, I had picked up a small Beta Series "Wizard" kit at a local flea market, intending to introduce my son to the hobby...model trains don't really click with him but Star Wars surely does.

The kit was one thing but when one tosses in the price of engines, wadding and a launch system, a clear threat to my already small hobby budget was in the making...'til one of the teenagers on the property got their learner's permit and wanted to know if Mr. Shaygetz would like to have 'this stuff'...



"Why thank you son, yes I would..."

Franklin Mint 1:24 scale Rolls Royce Silver Ghost...

...one of the harder parts about my job is losing a resident. This one was an unimposing gentleman who had been here for a little over a year. One learned quickly not to get him started on any discussion of current national politics. He also owned a small collection of diecast cars.



I post this in his memory, purchased at a yard sale for very little money, shown dusted off and the one broken lamp reattached.

Isaiah 40

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.

To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.

Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.

To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.