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.

I really don't find anything disrespectful about it (unless the original artist somehow took offence to it). Another question is are covers any good? It depends. For example Kean's cover of U2 'With or without you' was pretty bad. I don't know what Tom Chaplin was thinking about. On the other hand there're so many good covers:
Deftones - No ordinary love (Sade cover)
Muse - Feeling good (Nina simone cover)
Cardigans - Iron man (Ozzy cover)
and many many more.

Norman Lindsay - Australia's Most Controversial Artist

Norman Alfred William Lindsay was born in Creswick, Victoria on February 22, 1879. He was a prolific artist, sculptor, writer, editorial cartoonist and scale modeller. His father was surgeon Robert Charles William Alexander Lindsay and mother, Jane Elizabeth Lindsay. He was one of ten children

Norman Lindsay is widely regarded as one of Australia's greatest artists, producing a vast number of works in different media, including pen drawing, etching, watercolour, oil and sculptures in concrete and bronze. His sumptuous nudes were highly controversial. In 1939, several were burned by irate wowsers in the United States who discovered them when the train in which they travelled caught fire. His original artworks are keenly sort after amongst auction houses and range from the rare but affordable etchings through to the elusive and expensive oils and watercolours.   Lindsay was associated with a number of poets, such as Kenneth Slessor, Francis Webb and Hugh McCrae, influencing them in part through a philosophical system outlined in his book Creative Effort. He also illustrated the cover for the seminal Henry Lawson book, While the Billy Boils. Lindsay's son, Jack Lindsay, emigrated to England, where he set up Fanfrolico Press, which issued works illustrated by Lindsay.   Lindsay also worked as an editorial cartoonist, notably for The Bulletin. Despite his enthusiasm for erotica, he shared the racist and right-wing political leanings that dominated The Bulletin at that time; the "Red Menace" and "Yellow Peril" were popular themes in his cartoons. These views occasionally spilled over into his other work, and modern editions of The Magic Pudding often omit one couplet in which "you unmitigated Jew" is used as an insult.   Lindsay's creative output was enormous. Several accounts tell of his working practices in the 1920's. He would wake early and produce a watercolour before breakfast, then by mid-morning he would be in his etching studio where he would work until late afternoon. He would work on a concrete sculpture in the garden during the afternoon and in the evening write a new chapter for whatever novel he was working on at the time. As a break, he would work on a model ship some days.   He married twice with his second wife, Rose Soady being his most recognised model. His first wife was Catherine Parkinson with whom he had three sons, Jack Raymond and Phillip. With Rose he had two children, Jane and Helen.   Norman Lindsay died on November 21, 1969 aged ninety, His works are today held in private and public collections with a large number in the care of Australia's National Galleries. His popular facsimile etchings and the occassional original work can be found on the Norman Lindsay website

About the Author

Jamie Horne is a passionate Norman Lindsay fan and is the webmaster for www.bendigo.ws and other regional Victorian websites

The 2344 is always going to be loud. In fact, you'll often hear them referred to as "coffee grinders." This is due to the way they're geared-they have a big motor which is spur geared to a secondary drive shaft that's then worm geared to each of the axles. This is a superb design that gives you lots of torque at the low end(allowing good low speed operation), but as a side effect is loud.

I have a 2056 and several related engines(2055, 2046), and can tell you that they also make a rather unpleasant grinding at high speed. I've torn them all down, replaced parts, and tried every trick I know. I can't get rid of it.

The gearing in the 2026 is very similar to that in the 2056, so that's also where the sound is coming from.

You should lubricate them after every few hours of running, or if even if they've set more than a week or two without running. Put a tiny drop of 3-in-1 oil(tiny as in the amount that the tip of a straight pin will hold) behind each wheel, on each motor bearing, and on any other moving part you see. Put a squirt of a good quality lithium grease on each gear face.

Enjoy your trains. Postwar Lionel trains are a real joy to operate, and will likely outlast you.

The Harlem Globetrotters Tickets

The Harlem Globetrotters is an exposition basketball team that fuses athleticism and comedy. In 1926, it was instigated by Abe Saperstein in Chicago, Illinois, and the team adopted the name Harlem because of its association as a major African-American community. Over the passage of time, they have played more than 20,000 exhibition games in 118 countries. The team's signature song is Brother Bones' whistled version of "Sweet Georgia Brown" and Globie has remained to be their mascot since 1993.

There is no apparent accord indicating the very beginnings of the Globetrotters. The official history comprises of several details which are evidently fictitious, such as the team being organized in 1926 in the Savoy Ballroom, which opened in 1927. What is clear is that the origin of the Globetrotters takes place in the South Side of Chicago in the 1920s, where all the original players grew up. Most of the original players, not necesairly all, have attended Wendell Phillips High School. When the Savoy Ballroom opened in November of 1927, one of the leading attractions was the Savoy Big Five, a basketball team that played expositions before dances. In 1928, several players left the team in an argument over bringing back other players who had left the team.

That fall, numerous players led by Tommy Brookins formed a team called the "Globe Trotters" which would tour southern Illinois that winter. Abe Saperstein became involved with the team, although to indistinguishable extent. In any event, by 1929 Saperstein was touring Illinois and Iowa with his basketball team, namely the "New York Harlem Globe Trotters". Saperstein decided to choose Harlem as their home city given that Harlem was well thought to be the center of African-American culture at the moment in time, and an out of town team name would give the team more of an air of mystery and secrecy. After four decades of subsistence, the Globetrotters played their first "home" game in Harlem in 1968.

Progressively The Globetrotters presented comic routines into their act in anticipation of them becoming more famous for the purpose of entertainment rather than sports. The Globetrotters' acts often present implausible coordination and adept handling of one or more basketballs, which encompasses passing or juggling balls between players, balancing or spinning balls on their fingertips, and making unusual, difficult shots.

Amid the players who have been Globetrotters are NBA greats Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain, Connie "The Hawk" Hawkins and Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, in addition to Marques Haynes, George "Meadowlark" Lemon, Jerome James, former Temple coach John Chaney, and Reece "Goose" Tatum. Another popular team member in the 1970s and 1980s was Fred "Curly" Neal who was the finest dribbler of that epoch of the team's history and was instantaneously identified owing to his shaven head. Baseball Hall of Famers Bob Gibson, Ferguson Jenkins and Lou Brock also played for the team at one time or another. In 1985, the Globetrotters signed their first female player, Olympic gold medalist Lynette Woodard, and just three weeks later, they signed their second, Joyce Walker.

After being defeated by the Washington Generals in 1962, the Harlem Globetrotters only lost two more games in the next 38 years (12,596 games). More often than not, they played a "stooge" team owned by Red Klotz, which also appeared as the Boston Shamrocks, New Jersey Reds, Baltimore Rockets, or the Atlantic City Seagulls. On January 5, 1971 they lost in Martin, Tennessee in overtime to the New Jersey Reds; the 100-99 score ended an alleged 2,495-game winning streak (which meant that the Globetrotters were playing 277 games per year up until that date).

Over and above to their hundreds of exhibition games, the Globetrotters have faced some competitive action since the mid-1990s. On September 12, 1995, they lost 9185 to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's All Star Team in Vienna, Austria ending a suspected run of 8,829 straight victories in going back to 1971 (despite the fact that 8,829 games in twenty-four years would mean the Globetrotters were playing nearly 368 games per yearor more than one game a day, every day, for twenty four years). The 48-year-old Abdul-Jabbar scored 34 points. The Globetrotters won the other 10 games throughout that European tour.

A shot documentary was also shot on former Globetrotter Mel Davis, which was directed by his son, Hubert Davis. This film was nominated for an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject in 2006.

A competitor on the April 6, 2007, episode of the NBC game show Identity correctly identified "Stranger" #12 as being Eugene Edgerson.

The Harlem Globetrotters have made manifold appearances on the animated show Futurama. These episodes feature fictional Globetrotters like Ethan "Bubblegum" Tate (played by Phil LaMarr). In the 31st century, it gives the impression that the Globetrotters have a planet all their own, and in the episode "Time Keeps on Slippin'", the Globetrotter Homeworld challenges Earth to a basketball game (for absolutely no stakes beyond the shame of defeat). At a certain point in the episode, "Bubblegum" declares everyone in Farnsworth's Smell-o-scope room (the Professor, Amy, Zoidberg, and Hermes) an honorary Globetrotter. The Globetrotters appear again in Bender's Big Score, who help out Professor Farnsworth in figuring out the technicalities of Paradox-free Time Travel.

An episode of All in the Family had Lionel Jefferson agreeing with Archie Bunker that racial quotas and affirmative action are not a good idea and making a comment "because 88% of Americans are White, what if there was a law saying the Harlem Globetrotters were forced to have 88% of their team have White players?" Archie makes an expression maybe that idea could mean something.

A 1991 episode of Saturday Night Live presented a satire reconciliation of sports with "The First Black Harlem Globetrotter". Michael Jordan plays a fictional player called "Sweet River Banes", who apparently is the first black member of the Globetrotters in the 1920s.

The Harlem Globetrotters appeared briefly in the Simpsons episode namely "Homie the Clown" in which Krusty the Clown idiotically bets all his profits from opening a clown college in opposition to the Globetrotters stating that he "thought the Generals were due."

The Harlem Globetrotters have also made an outstanding appearance in a special Scooby Doo episode called "Scooby Doo meets the Harlem Globetrotters". In addition, The Globetrotters also appeared in a commercial persuading benevolent support for the Disabled American Veterans where they are shooting baskets with disabled veterans who are playing wheelchair basketball.
For more information about The Harlem Globetrotters Tickets Visit:
http://www.ticketluck.com/sports-tickets/The-Harlem-Globetrotters/index.php

About the Author

Macie is a staff writer for Ticket Nest ( www.ticketnest.com ) and enjoys writing about her travel, theater and concert experiences. She can be reached at macie@ticketnest.com

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

I second Jeff. The only thing I have changed on my RIA are the grips, and that is all I will ever change.
But aftermarket accessories will fit, although some mechanical parts would have to be fitted.

The RIA would make a good 1911 to customize.

Feasting in Restaurants Moline and Dining in Rock Island Restaurants

Situated 165 miles west of the bustling metropolis of Chicago, Moline, Illinois is a shining example of small town living with big city neighbors. As the home of the John Deere tractor company, Moline has is hearts immersed in hardworking America, and its stomachs hungering for hearty, delicious American food.

Fast Food Finery: Rock Island Restaurants

Whether you're on the go, headed home after a busy day, or just too tired to stand in the kitchen and make dinner, taking a spin through your closest fast food drive thru can save you time and money, especially with dining coupons. If you're in the mood for a big, juicy burger, stop by one of the fast food restaurants Moline or Rock Island restaurants to satiate that grumbling belly of yours. Don’t listen to all the hype, more and more fast food restaurants are adding healthy, yummy foods to their value menus so you can have a burger and a salad too.

Sweet Delights: Restaurants Moline Desserts

After a long day on the production line you know just what you need- a heaping helping of apple pie and a strong cup of coffee. But where do you find such amazing fare? Well, you can find delicious pies, custards, muffins, pastries, and other desserts at one of Moline’s many restaurants that feature a scrumptious smelling bakery. There are many Rock Island restaurants that also feature bakeries. Don’t have the time to sit down and eat? Take the pie and coffee to go, and enjoy them both in the comfort of your own home. For all you hard working pie loving Americans living on a dime, you’ll be pleased to know that many of these restaurants Moline accept coupons and discounts for their amazing desserts.

Tipsy Turvy: Rock Island Restaurants and Bars

Once the work week is done, you need to unwind and treat yourself to the smooth taste of hops and barley. Rock Island restaurants and bars are great places to stop and chill for a bit to get the stress of the week off your back. Also, restaurants Moline can serve up a mean Sour Apple Martini for those with a more sophisticated palate. Having a soothing drink after a hard week isn’t a crime, but driving after drinking too much is, so please keep this in mind while unwinding. The drivers of Moline and Rock Island will thank you.

Dining on a Dime: Restaurants Moline and Rock Island Restaurants

Restaurants Moline and Rock Island restaurants are great places to experience American cuisine and fine dining without breaking the bank and hollowing out your wallet. You work hard for your money and you deserve to eat well at an affordable price. Sure, there are places that require you to dish out a bit more for your dinner, but you can save those for a special occasion where price is no object.

About the Author

Dining on a limited budget is much easier now. Quad Cities Dining Tour features coupons and discounts on many places in your area where you love to eat whether it is Restaurants Moline or Rock Island Restaurants.

Metal resonators (or plastic resonators) can make the sound louder and clearer. More sound comes out instead of being absorbed by the pad. They aren't necessary but they are a good thing.

A Look at the Variety of Metal Artwork Worldwide

There are some distinguished categories of artwork include woodcraft, artwork of earthenware, paintings, work on sculpture, textile artwork & stonework. Among them metal artwork is one of the highly recognized & famous category of craftsmen. The metal artwork includes artistic work on metal like iron, copper, silver and alloys like bronze, bell metal, white metal etc.

Various kinds of metals which are used by the craftsmen like iron, copper, silver & alloy metal like bronze, bell metal & white metal. These metals are used to make a several kinds of items like vessels, pans, utensils, various types of photo frames, sculptures of holy personalities, various figures & animals which are related to the mythology. Several metals which are used in metal artwork to make doorknobs, valves, key chains, decorative metal designs & jewellery items.

Various types of monument are prepared by taking use of lost wax process. The main starting point of this process is creation of wax model of the monument. The next stage is to cover this model with clay; there are holes which are prepared into clay. At the final stage, at the upper stage the metal which is melted is dispensed through the metal. So the effect of this is that the melting of wax takes place. There is the hollow is substituted the hot metal without any human intervention. Finally cooling process of metal takes place & so the final product of metal work is freed from clay & polished.

We can also prepare of the metal artwork of the desired shape & size by pouring metals in moulds. By taking use of soldering, we can attach various parts of metals which are molded. Various processes like enameling, engraving & damascening are used in metal artwork for beautifying metal objects.

We can see the variety of metal artwork worldwide. In some regions of the India, we can see the conventional vessels which are made up of metal like iron & brass. This can see the traditional household metal artwork like crockery, samovars, dishes & trays. There is one kind of metal artwork called as naquashi. In this metal artwork, the complex design patterns like flower-patterned and calligraphic patterns are printed on copper and silver items. The oxidization process is taken place on these complex patterns which put together the designs to stand out from the background.

Another famous metal artwork includes the artwork on metal like brass. Several types of household crockery items like utensils, trays, and bowls are decorated by taking use of complex etching. The electroplating items of brass & copper & items which are made up of white metals are also included in the metal artwork.

The process like engraving & lacquering of brass metal is important step in metal art work. Items such as various design items like bowls, photo frames, boxes and plates etc. Native patterns and natural scenes etc are printed on the surface.

the artwork like Koftagari is one of the type of the metal artwork. In this artwork, there is the encrustation of one metal; to another which is in the form of wire. The best examples of this work is swords, daggers & shields.

About the Author

Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Artworks for Years. For More Information on Metal Artwork, Visit His Site at METAL ARTWORKI Will Also Highly Appreciate Your Views On Metal Artwork At My Blog here

EBay is your best bet to sell them and you can watch the vintage collectors fight tooth and nail over the items you wish to sell. Who knows, you might walk away with over 5K in your pockets rather than just going to an auction house where the crowds there may not be the right type to fight over your old gaming systems. Just put them up for sale, and watch the bids just roll on in and how high they'll go! If they're willing to pay it, they'll shell out thousands for your systems! Good luck in selling them! (One thing: DON'T PUT A BUY NOW OPTION! YOU'LL LOSE THE MONEY MAKING BY DOING THAT!!

Model Trains for Serious Collectors

The first thing to point out is that serious collectors can spend a lot of money on model trains, so you might not be able to buy that special loco they've had their eye on, unless you are a very generous present-giver indeed!

One other consideration to bear in mind is the gauge of the model railway - buying an avid collector of N gauge an O gauge train will not be so warmly received as if you can buy someone the model they love, in the gauge they collect. So check out which gauge you should be looking for if you are buying a present for someone else.

If you want to collect the best, then a couple of manufacturers offer an amazing range. There are some great special editions being manufactured, for example, and it is also possible to buy vintage/second-hand models either on-line or by going to a collectors' fair. E bay is a wonderful source of model trains and accessories, for example. The collecting of vintage models can put a serious dent in your pocket but bring you much joy, especially if you are old enough to remember the vintage models from your own childhood!

For most American model railway enthusiasts, Lionel Trains will be a well-known name. A popular manufacturer in the 1940s and 1950s, the company started in the 20s and antique Lionel trains dating from those early years are certainly sought after. Any collector lucky enough to get his hands on the Liberty Lines 600E 2-6-4 will consider himself fortunate indeed and the Lionel Super 381E is most likely to be seen in a museum than a private collection, since only a hundred were ever made. So whilst these particular trains may be impossible to afford as a gift even if you could source them, Lionel Trains do make new models still and it is also possible to pick up a great vintage item that many a collector will love. To find something in your price range, try using TM's Lionel Price & Rarity Guide (which comes in two volumes) or Greenberg's Pocket Price Guide to Lionel Trains to assist you in your search - both books detail the prices you can expect to pay for Lionel trains. As the cost varies enormously according to the condition of the train, they are clear about how much you can expect to pay for a mint condition train, say, rather than something in fair or poor condition. If the person you are buying for is a real model railway enthusiast, they may well be delighted with a rare model in poor condition that they can restore, rather than a run-of-the-mill model in excellent condition that doesn't have any excitement value. It sounds odd to recommend buying someone a beat up old train for a present, but if you buy the right one, you could make someone very happy!

Bassett-Lowke was an English toy company founded around the turn of the twentieth century, which is well known for its O gauge locomotives made with great attention to detail. Superb production quality and careful construction meant that every model was excellent but the company could not survive financially in competition with the more mass-produced and cheaper models which flooded the market in the late 1950s and early 60s, and ceased trading some forty years ago. In the high-end vintage train market today though, Bassett-Lowke is a name to conjure with, and pristine condition vintage models might set you back two or three thousand pounds sterling ($4000-$6000). Fortunately for most collectors, in the last ten years Corgi have started producing brand new high end collectibles with the Bassett-Lowke name. These are proving popular once again, and Corgi have stuck to the original O gauge scale, producing beautifully crafted limited edition pieces, some of which even have a miniature smoke generator so they can produce real steam. This is top quality, but it comes at a premium price, with many models costing GBP500-800 ($1000-$1600). For the serious collector they are a must though. If you can put any of these on your present buying list, you will be likely to find yourself with a very pleased collector on the receiving end of the gift.

Bachmann is another manufacturer that produces a good range of collectibles, and theirs are often in HO gauge, which is perhaps advantageous to many collectors as it is such a popular scale. They also do the Graham Farish range in N gauge, and both of these are much more affordable, being in the hundreds, rather than the thousands of pounds sterling. Many have digital control and a range of features which make it worth putting the loco on the tracks and using it, whereas some collectors of other top end models prefer to keep them pristine in the original packaging. To be honest, if they paid three thousand pounds/ $6000 for one rare vintage locomotive, who can blame them! Like Lionel, Bachmann trains can be sourced on the internet as well as at fairs. Do be careful with Bachmann though as some of the older models are not top quality, but anything from the "Plus" or especially the "Spectrum" range is likely to be much better than from the standard range.

On thing to consider in a top quality model train is whether it supports DCC or Digital Command Control. This is a means of powering each individual loco by means of a decoder fitted to the train which responds to commands from a DCC controller. Many top quality locos can now be bought with a decoder already installed and the ability to operate the train independently of the power in the track in a great step forward in railway modelling. If the train is not DCC ready it is worth asking if it can be converted - i.e. can you fit a DCC chip yourself? In a top end loco it is a real advantage - it allows the modeller to include on-board sound and lighting effects, for example.

Though it is impossible to recommend particular models as the top ones to have, as that will depend on the special interests of the collector, my personal favourites include Hornby's OO gauge R2610 Caledonian or the Flying Scotsman LNER Class A1 4-6-2 loco (R1072).

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About the Author

It should take between 3-5 minutes to get from the A train to the Amtrak waiting area at Penn Station. Just walk quickly, which you should be doing even if you aren't in a hurry in NYC.

As far as which track or platform your regional train will arrive or depart on, unfortunately you might not find out until a few minutes before boarding.