Two new videos and a possible expansion?

I recently made a nifty little I-phone holder to video trains on the layout.  I finally put it to work the other night.
All my videos and photos are from my I-phone.  It does an excellent job:

I also had a heck of an idea at all places, work.  For some reason expansion has gone into my mind.  I have not done much with the On30 layout under my HO layout.  It runs well but doesn't have scenery.  I even have lights directly above it.  So if I put a small helix in the garage, I could access that level.  It's only 9 inches and could be done in 2-3 rotations.  It would be a small helix and frustrating to build.  I do like challenges and if it does get built, the line would represent the line to Orange or another branch line.  Stay tuned!

1st annual Mid-Atlantic RPM meet in Stafford, VA

This past weekend I helped put on the first annual Mid-Atlantic RPM meet in Stafford, VA.  The meet has been planned for about 9 months and this past week, all our hard work paid off.  You could not ask for a better weekend and the location was at a marina with a view of the RF&P mainline crossing Aquia Creek.  We had top notch clinics from Bernie Kempinski, Butch Eyler & Ramon Rhodes to name a few.  The models were outstanding and the food was top notch.  The surveys of the meet were very positive and we hope to move to a bigger venue next year.  This was my first RPM meet attending and planning and I am looking forward to next year all ready.  Thanks to Norm Wolf, Daylene Wolf, Bob Sprague, Butch Eyler, Ida Wolf, & Mike Duggan for for their attention to detail & hard work putting this show on.

Many pics are posted here: http://www.pbase.com/vamidlandrr/midatlantic_rpm_meet_sept_1314_2013

The view from the venue

Who is this guy?

One of my favorite models from the meet.  Brian Banna's Copper State Railway SD40-2

Mike Hart's Florida module.  He owns Hart of the South Models where he specializes in palm trees and native trees in the south. 

Butch Eyler's weathering clinic was a big hit.

Virginia Midland freight cars

It was brought to my attention that I don't have but two VM boxcars on my layout.  Kevin Klettke from his excellent Washington Northern model railroad and I have exchanged some emails and freight car decals in the past few years.  Of course both of use have not had the chance to use them yet on anything.  Kevin wanted to see some VM boxcars and so I started looking.  I ended up only finding 2 of them.  One reason I don't have many is because I finally settled on a reporting mark for the railroad: VMID  I have used VM and VMD in the past so this was one reason I sold them at various shows.  Hard to change the reporting marks when they are already weathered. Plus on my small layout, there is not room for all of them, even though I have several boxcar industries.   I like such a large array of boxcars, it hard to get them all on the layout!  I do have some VM ballast cars, sand hoppers and a side dumper.  Believe I have more Virginia Central boxcars than VM ones, but the VC ones are prototypes.

A patched Double door VM boxcar

Here's one that has escaped the new reporting marks.  It's an Ex-BN plug door.  Looks like another small project!