A Fun Quiz for Model Railroaders

Like any great hobby model railroading has it's share of fascinating facts.  With model trains you can happily learn all about the models themselves, as well as the real world trains they are based on.  As there are so many different model gauges, manufacturers, history and other facts the learning is positively endless.

Now try this quiz to see how much you know about Model Railroading.

Question 1:  A reefer train car is:A.  A black and white passenger car resembling a referee.B.  A refrigerated freight car.C.  One car that is facing to "refer" to another car.

Question 2:  Classic Lionel trains are this gauge:A.  L Gauge.B.  HO Gauge.C.  O Gauge.

Question 3:  A model train transformer:A.  Converts household AC current to DC current.B.  Prevents robot attacks.C.  Is a type of transition track from straight to curved.

Question 4:  A caboose is:A.  A train car for transporting taxi cabs.B.  Any train car that is longer than average.C.  A train car to accommodate workers on a freight train.

Question 5:  Which of these gauges is the largest:A.  B Gauge.B.  G Gauge.C.  N Gauge.

Question 6:  A coupler is:A.  Two parallel train tracks.B.  A device to see what trains are compatible.C.  The mechanism that attaches two train cars together.

Question 7:  A switcher engine is:A.  An engine used in the train yard to add or remove cars on a train.B.  An engine that will check all of the switches on a line.C.  An engine that can switch between two gauges.

Question 8:  A Model Train club is:A.  A large hammer for straightening track.B.  A group of model railroading enthusiasts.C.  A type of sandwich eaten while railroading.

Question 9:  Which of these gauges is the smallest:A.  HO Gauge.B.  O Gauge.C.  N Gauge.

Question 10:  A tanker car is:A.  A freight car used to carry liquids.B.  A special car to carry tanks and other armored vehicles.C.  A sleeper car on passenger trains.

Answer 1:  B, A reefer car is a refrigerated freight car used to carry perishable good that must stay cold.

Answer 2:  C, Classic Lionel Trains are O gauge, and had their peak years in the 1950s when they sold over $25 million in trains each year.

Answer 3:  A, A transformer will convert household AC current to DC current, usually of a much smaller voltage.

Answer 4:  C, A caboose is a special train car used on freight trains for the crew.  A caboose would typically be placed at he end of a train.

Answer 5:  B, G Gauge is the largest commonly used gauge for model railroaders a 1:22 scale.  N Gauge is quite small at 1:148 scale.  B Gauge is not a real gauge.

Answer 6:  C, Couplers allow cars to connect to form a train for transport, and also to easily detach when they have arrived at their destination.

Answer 7:  A, A switcher engine is used in the train yards to get of the cars onto a train in the correct order.

Answer 8:  B, A model train club is a group of model train enthusiasts who meet to enjoy their hobby with others, sometimes collaborating on a layout.

Answer 9:  C, N guage is one of the smallest commonly used gauges at at 1:148 scale.  HO at 1:87 scale and O at 1:43 scale are both larger.

Answer 10:  A, A tanker car is a special freight car to carry liquids in a large tank.

About the Author

Larry Truett is a freelance PHP and MySQL programmer living in the San Carlos neighborhood of San Diego with his wife and their 3 cats. He enjoys hiking, reading, gardening, watching too much television, and other nerdy activites.

Check out his resources for all things model railroading at http://www.modeltrainswithlarry.com with listings of hobby shops, model railroading clubs, and railroading museums near you.

Maxim Wooden Toys

Wooden Train Sets

Model and toy trains are an enduring favorite for children and parents. While model trains focus on scale and precision, toy train sets such as the Lionel 145 piece deluxe train set by Maxim are all about fun. This set features a roundhouse for parking the set's several wooden trains, and bridges to expand, connect, and loop your train tracks. The trains connect with magnets on the ends, and there are other vehicles that can travel the tracks or roadway. Farm animals, signs, trees, buildings, and figures round out this set. Children and adults will delight in assembling a vast variety of track configurations.

The Lionel 125 piece big city connection train set by Maxim is a terrific addition to the 145 piece train set and is a delightful toy on its own. The non splintering wooden pieces contain signs, figurines, and a wooded road track. Suspension bridges, a wooden gas station and cars, and trains that attach on magnetic endpoints are all part of this set, designed for ages three and older.

Wooden Building Sets

Children love to build, and the Wooden Tumble Tree Timber Logs 300 piece play set by Maxim is a terrific piece to encourage spatial relations, logic, and design skills. The set is compatible with Lincoln Logs and other similar log sets. Children can create buildings, houses, and towers with this versatile toy.

Wooden Play Sets

What child isn't fascinated by pirates? The Maxim Wooden Pirate Ship is a fabulous toy for imaginative play. Complete with a parrot and four pirate figures, the ship is made of child safe wood and contains detailed pieces. Your child can play on the high seas for hours with this realistically detailed set that includes cloth sails and a wooden plank.

What child could resist a toy tree house that's 3 and half feet tall? Maxim's Toy Deluxe Treehouse has a realistic tree top, under which is a three level tree house for the 4 wooden action figures to play in. Wooden step ladders, pulleys, and furniture round out this set that is sure to keep your child busy inventing and playing out adventures.

Finger Puppets

Don't forget how much children enjoy dramatic play. Children are natural story tellers, and what better way to encourage their story telling than through the fun of a finger puppet theatre? The Maxim Puppet Theater is made of non-splintering wood and comes with chalk, a chalkboard, and eraser, 4 fun finger puppets, theatre curtains, a story card, and storage area. Perfect for your budding dramatists!

The Mystical Wizard Medieval Finger Puppet Set comes with wonderfully imaginative figures from Puss 'n Boots: a princess, a dragon, a wizard, and a knight in armor. These plush finger puppets fit snugly on children's fingers with elastic bands.

Maxim's Goldilocks and the 3 Bears Finger Puppets also work nicely with the puppet theatre. From the story of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, this set includes 4 plush finger puppets that will encourage children to express their creativity through storytelling.

A World of Imagination

All of these fine Maxim products will encourage your child to express himself through play and will entertain children for hours. Even better, the sturdy construction means the toys will last for years, making them perfect for handing down to younger siblings.

About the Author

Katie Franklin is a researcher and writer on parenting, children and child development. She is a regular contributor at Quality Toys and Hobbies. Quality Toys and Hobbies specializes in high quality safe children's toys. All of the toys are selected by experts in the field of child development.

Sure, if you like the idea of having people equate your band with babies and sperm.

how bout::

thrashMunk

The Fox

The Modern English "fox" is derived from Old English with the same spelling, the Old English word itself comes from the Proto-Germanic word "*fukh", compare German "Fuchs", Gothic "fauho", Old Norse "foa" and Dutch "vos", which corresponds to the Proto-Indo-European word "*puk" meaning "tail" (compare Sanskrit "puccha" meaning "tail" as well). The bushy tail is also the source of words for "fox" in Welsh ("llwynog", from "llwyn" meaning "bush").

Most foxes live 2 to 3 years but can survive for up to 10 years, or even longer, in captivity. Foxes are generally smaller than other members of the family Canidae such as wolves, jackals, and domestic dogs. Fox-like features typically include an acute muzzle (a "fox face") and bushy tail. Other physical characteristics vary according to their habitat. For example, the Desert Fox has large ears and short fur, whereas the Arctic Fox has small ears and thick, insulating fur. Another example is the Red Fox which has a typical auburn pelt ending normally with white marking.

Unlike many canids, foxes are usually not pack animals. Typically, they are solitary, opportunistic feeders that hunt live prey (especially rodents). Using a pouncing technique practiced from an early age, they are usually able to kill their prey quickly. Foxes also gather a wide variety of other foods ranging from grasshoppers to fruit and berries.

Foxes are normally extremely wary of humans and are not kept as pets (with the exception of the Fennec); however, the Silver Fox was successfully domesticated in Russia after a 45 year selective breeding program. This selective breeding also resulted in physical traits appearing that are frequently seen in domestic cats, dogs, and other animals: pigmentation changes, floppy ears, and curly tails.

Foxes do not come together in chorus like wolves or coyotes. Fox families, however, keep in contact with a wide array of different sounds. These sounds grade into one another and span five octaves; each fox has its own characteristically individual voice. Fox noises can be divided, with a few exceptions, into two different groups: contact sounds and interaction sounds. The former is used by foxes communicating over long distances, the latter in close quarters.

The best-known vulpine noise is a sort of barking that spans three to five syllables. "Conversations" made up of these noises often occur between widely spaced foxes. As their distance decreases, the sound becomes quieter. A cub is greeted with the quietest version of this sound.

This monosyllabic sound is made by an adult to warn kits of danger. From far away it sounds like a sharp bark, but at closer range it resembles a muffled cough, like a football rattle or a stick along a picket fence.

This is a stuttering, throaty noise made at aggressive encounters. It is most frequently heard in the courting season, or when kits are at play.

This is a long, drawn-out, monosyllabic, and rather eerie wail most commonly made during the breeding season; it is widely thought that it is made by a vixen in heat summoning dog-foxes. Contrary to common belief, however, it is also made by the males, evidently serving some other purpose as well. This noise fits into neither the contact nor the interaction group.

Foxes are readily found in cities and cultivated areas and (depending upon species) seem to adapt reasonably well to human presence.

Red foxes have been introduced into Australia and some other countries for hunting. Australia lacks similar carnivores, and introduced foxes prey on native wildlife, some to the point of extinction. A similar introduction occurred in the 16-1700's in America, where European Reds (Vulpes vulpes) were brought to the colonies for fox hunting, where they decimated the American red fox (Vulpes veloxi) population through more aggressive hunting and breeding. Interbreeding with American Reds, European Red's traits eventually pervaded the genepool, leaving European and American foxes now virtually identical.

Other fox species do not adapt as well as the European red fox, and are endangered in their native environments. Key among these are the Crab-Eating fox and the African Bat-Eared fox. Other foxes such as fennecs, are not endangered, but will be if humans encroach further into their habitat.

Foxes can also be helpful for agricultural purposes. They have been successfully employed to control pests on fruit farms, where they leave the fruit intact.

Historians believe foxes have been imported into non-native environments long before the colonial era. The first example of the introduction of the fox into a new habitat by humans seems to be Neolithic Cyprus. Stone carvings representing foxes have been found in the early settlement of Göbekli Tepe in eastern Turkey.

About the Author

Books

Well, I think the most important things is to not start smoking pot again, that way you can prove to everyone that you are really trying to change your life around and get a good job.

Also, I think you should try to find out what you are really passionate about and try to get a job doing that, that way you are more likely to try even harder to get it.

As for your father, just apologize again. Say it was a one time thing and that everyone makes mistakes. Try applying for some more jobs and show that you are serious in getting your life back on track. He'll come around soon if he sees that you're actually trying to do the right things.

Good luck!!

Reefer Madness Replaced by Hydro Hysteria

In the 20’s there was Reefer Madness, now we have the 21st century version; Hydro Hysteria. Marijuana is something that Wade Agnew knows a great deal about. The author of the recently released autobiography “Cheating the Hangman: True Confessions of a Heroin Trafficker” Wade knows what he’s talking about when it comes to illegal drugs; he has been using them for almost forty years, and smoking marijuana on a daily basis since first discovering it a University in 1968. Wade has taken them all.

“It was bad enough in the early days. I was “verballed” by the Australian Police; planted with two roaches; enough to have you jailed for months! It’s laughable when I think about it now. We had to endure this situation for decades, and people around the globe are still being incarcerated for ludicrous amounts of marijuana. It’s a scandal, especially in some parts of the United States; the so-called land of the free.”

“Now health and law enforcement authorities have launched a new international assault against the growing use of hydroponic marijuana; known as “hydro”. Thanks to the global “War on Drugs” percolating from the US, with its associated stranglehold on the International Narcotics Control Board, we now have to endure a new round of anti-marijuana hysteria. This new assault demonizes, criminalizes and persecutes those who choose to consume cannabis.

“Jesus, in the 1960’s I would have given my right arm for marijuana as consistently good as the current hydro. The main complaint seems to be the increased strength; the high THC content; often around 20%”.

“Are these guys kidding me? Grass that’s too strong! Is there any such thing? Not in my book; the stronger the better. I use a marijuana vaporizer these days. It’s the absolute best way to take your medicine,” says Wade from his home in Australia, where much to his chagrin, marijuana remains illegal.

Health experts have jumped on board, adding their own medical hysteria. It causes schizophrenia they claim. People with this ailment are certainly drawn to cannabis, and it could well aggravate the condition, but nothing definitive regarding cause and effect has been established. On the other side of the health ledger, it has been known for centuries that marijuana is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man, with a wide variety of applications; relief from nausea and increase of appetite; reduction of intra-ocular (within the eye) pressure; reduction of muscle spasms, and relief from chronic pain. Marijuana is frequently beneficial in the treatment of AIDS, Glaucoma, Cancer (chemotherapy treatment), Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy, and Chronic Pain. Many patients also report that marijuana is useful for treating arthritis, migraine, menstrual cramps, alcohol and opiate addiction, depression and other debilitating mood disorders. Do we ever hear any of this from the health “experts”?

Since much of the controversy over the use of cannabis originates from possible long-term damage from harmful elements in the smoke, using a marijuana vaporizer makes good sense.

“I import the VapoHead Marijuana Vaporizer into Australia because I couldn’t get a decent one locally” says Wade.

“It releases the beneficial ingredients of marijuana into my lungs without burning; no tars or other harmful carcinogens. I wake in the morning without that heavy feeling in my lungs. Many glass-dome marijuana vaporizers have appeared since the first vaporizers arrived in 1994. None of them work as well as the VapoHead; remember bigger is not always better.”

Large glass domes are inefficient. You lose many of the active ingredients of marijuana because they condense on the inside of the dome. The VapoHead Marijuana Vaporizer has a small dome and an airtight seal designed for maximum efficiency. The ceramic bowl allows for even heating unlike brass versions, holding an ample amount of your chosen cannabis. The smaller size and scientific design combine just the right amount of heat and reduced oxygen supply for maximum benefit. Go to;

http://www.cheatingthehangman.com.au/home_vaporizer.html

According to the “Maps” study; (Vol.11 spring2001) "The Marijuana Vaporizer produced THC at a temperature of 200 C. (392 F.), while completely eliminating three measured toxins; benzene, a known carcinogen, plus toluene and naphthalene. Carbon monoxide and smoke tars were both qualitatively reduced by the Marijuana Vaporizer.

“So don’t believe everything you read about hydro, keep your own counsel, stay calm, and if you want to get stoned without feeling like you’ve just sucked smoke from a car exhaust, get yourself a marijuana vaporizer.” Says Wade from in front of his laptop in Australia.

http://www.cheatingthehangman.com.au

About the Author

Wade Agnew is an Australian author who recently released an autobiography entitled;
“Cheating the Hangman: True Confessions of a Heroin Trafficker.” Wade happily consumed heroin
for more than thirty years and successfully trafficked from the “Golden Triangle” for over a decade.

Website;

http://www.cheatingthehangman.com.au

About the Author;

http://www.cheatingthehangman.com.au/about.html