Please post your thoughts

[Harold_V]

There is a discussion in regards to providing a new sub-forum. Rather than try to describe what has transpired, please follow this link and read the first few posts, none of which are very long. https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vi ... 96#p441696
The fourth post will describe the suggested change--the comments addressed to the moderator. After reading, please voice your opinion.

H

[RONALD]

As a loooooong time member, I usually glanced once each morning at the dates of posting on each category.

I then looked at only those that were of interest.

Now, because I rarely looked at my PM's, I sign in first, but othertwise I make my visit short, as I try to do with my posts.

As far as switch construction, I have been building my own #8's and #10's for years, cast all of the castable components, do not need any special section on switch construction.

DSCN5150.jpg (58.85 KiB) Viewed 5614 times

[SteveR]

Nice work on those switches. I'm a newbie to switch construction and don't have room for a casting setup, so I used Fusion to draw a 1" #6 Frog and then split it up to build it on my little printer. Came out not too bad for a 1st try.

Then I sent the file to PennsyFan who CNC'd a nice one out of 6061 (cheap in case of a mistake). Also came out not too bad IMHO.

Just wondering where to post this? CAD and CAM? Live Steam? General Discussion? Should we have shortcuts?

On my computer, this information is in my : BuildingLiveSteamTrains->Track->Switches->No6Frog->1inchscale folder. Can we do something similar? Not to say that I don't lose files sometimes, but when I finally find them, I create a shortcut to the other places I was looking.

Thanks,
SteveR

[rkcarguy]

I often end up spending a significant amount of time searching for something I saw in the past, many times to no avail. Other times I am able to google search and end up finding the Chaski thread that I am looking for even though the Chaski search didn't work or turned up 109 pages of threads.
I notice that others will post that they saw a thread awhile back with info about something, are now at that point in their build, and can't find it and nothing comes up in search so they post a new thread looking for the same information.
I think a trackwork sub-forum that would catch all the turnout, ties, ballast/grading, and track leveling questions/methods, and machines would be extremely valuable.

[EnidPuceflange]

The biggest issue I think for me is that there isn't really an agreed upon set of phrases to search for in trackwork - switch, point and turnout are good but search for "stock rail" and you're flailing around. I'm not sure that it deserves its own forum, but it sure would be nice to have all those frog to radii tables and rail length stuff (he asked hopefully) in one place.

Just my $0.02

[Builder01]

Is there a place on this forum for files. Would be a logical place for shop charts and reference material to exist.

[Steggy]

Is there a place on this forum for files. Would be a logical place for shop charts and reference material to exist.

At 6502.org, we have an extensive library of documents concerning the 6502 family of microprocessors, everything from data sheets to applications manuals. Chaski should have similar library for technical write-ups, tables, etc.

[rmac]

Is there a place on this forum for files. Would be a logical place for shop charts and reference material to exist.

At 6502.org, we have an extensive library of documents concerning the 6502 family of microprocessors, everything from data sheets to applications manuals. Chaski should have similar library for technical write-ups, tables, etc.

This board already has a forum called "The Resource Library". Isn't that pretty much what you guys are talking about?

-- Russell Mac

[Harold_V]

This board already has a forum called "The Resource Library". Isn't that pretty much what you guys are talking about?

-- Russell Mac

That's a good point. While it's not found under the Live Steam Directory, there's no reason why it can't be used for the subject at hand.
I often wonder---do folks check the Resource Library when they're looking for guidance?

H

[rmac]

I often wonder---do folks check the Resource Library when they're looking for guidance?

The Resource Library contains something like 240 topics right now, so I doubt if anybody explicitly scans through all of those topic titles when they're looking for a particular bit of info. I know I wouldn't have the patience to do that, especially since threads often wander away from the original subject.

But if Google indexes the Resource Library (which it most likely does), then material there should be as easy to find as anywhere else.

-- Russell Mac

[Builder01]

I looked at the Resource Library forum category. It seemed no more of a resource than any of the other forum categories here. Some forums actually have a place that just files can be posted. No discussion is posted, just files. Would be a handy thing to have to place charts and references files. Perhaps it can't be done.

[Pontiacguy1]

If we don't have anything like that, How about using the IBLS website to put files and such on? They already do this, and it is another way of storing something for future reference and use.