Tired truckers are everyone’s problem. And no trucker wants to drive tired. Some truckers insist that if you plan your trip properly, you should always be able to find parking. Other truckers understand that no matter how much you plan, truck parking can be elusive. Truck stops fill up, usually later than earlier. But truckers can’t force themselves to be tired according to a plan. Laying in bed wide awake when your plan calls for sleep doesn’t make for a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, looking for a place to park is simply part of being a truck driver.

Most drivers avoid parking in weigh stations like the plague. It’s understandable. But, if you’re tired, maybe it’s not such a bad idea. The following is a guideline to some states’ policies toward truckers parking at weigh stations- what’s allowed, what isn’t and what the truckers can expect.

California

There is no official policy in California about parking at the weigh stations. And there is no official policy at any of the weigh stations, so you may run into a rogue officer who prefers hassling truckers to letting them sleep. But, in general, you are safer to park at California weigh stations than you may have thought.

Truckers who are looking for a safe place to park should consider parking at the Banning weigh station. There is no official policy, but the consensus among most of the officers at the Banning truck scale is that they would rather have drivers park to rest at the weigh station than have tired drivers on the roadway. If you do want to park, you’ll want to cross the scale, park, and go inside to inform the officers that you’d like to take your break. That way they will know that your truck is not “unattended.” Unattended trucks have a 4-hour time limit after which the truck will be towed. Officers at the Wheeler Ridge weigh station agree. Tired truckers are dangerous, and they’d rather that truckers take their break at the weigh station than drive tired. At Wheeler Ridge, it is not necessary to inform officers that you’ll be parking for a while.

California weigh stations with less room do not allow parking. For instance, trucks are not allowed to park at either San Onofre nb or San Onofre sb. Trucks are also not allowed to park at the Truckee weigh station. Same goes for Conejo nb and Conejo sb. But even that is not set in stone. Officers at the Conejo nb scale say that if they are not busy and if a trucker comes in and tells them he’s tired, they may use their own discretion and allow the driver to park and take his break. Both the Conejo nb and Conejo sb scales will, however, lock their gates during closed hours- unless there are out of service vehicles parked. Do Not plan on parking in the ramps when the weigh station is closed.

Florida

Truck parking is allowed- in fact, it is welcomed- at any of Florida’s “super coops,” such as the weigh stations in Pensacola, Wildwood and Flagler Beach. Parking is limited at other Florida weigh station locations, like Hopewell or Bunnell, and so drivers should not expect to be able to find parking at those scales. Florida DOT officers say that drivers can park at any of the Florida “super coops” without fear of chancing an unwanted inspection. If an officer sees something that is clearly a safety violation- like a flat tire- the driver will be notified of the violation before he or she leaves the weigh station and it will have to be fixed. But officers will not ask a driver who has been parked at the weigh station for his or her logbook, nor will they pick the vehicle for an inspection. Unless, of course, the driver parked there because he or she was put out of service- if a driver was put out of service for a log book violation, they may ask to see the drivers logbook before that driver is allowed to leave the weigh station.

Georgia

Truck parking is allowed at any Georgia weigh station so long as there is room. Drivers are asked to park in the back lot at any of the Georgia “super coops.” One Georgia weigh station where parking spaces are not abundant is the Lithia Springs weigh station on I 20 east bound, west of Atlanta. Drivers should not plan to park at the Lithia Springs weigh station. Georgia DOT officers say that, while drivers probably will not be subject to inspection if they have been parked at the weigh station, it’s not out of the question. Officers may choose to ask a driver pulling out of the parking area to show his or her log book. They may also choose to inspect the truck. This is not likely, but there is no policy prohibiting the practice.

Kentucky

The Walton weigh station and the Verona weigh station are designated “safe haven” locations for truckers. This means truckers are welcome to park there without fear of chancing and unwanted inspection. Kentucky enforcement officers say that truckers may be inspected when they come into the weigh station, but once they have cleared the truck scale and have gone to the “safe haven” lot, they no longer have to be concerned about it. “Safe Haven” weigh stations provide a safe place for truckers to park.

First off piano by ear is mostly based off your understanding of chords, and progressions. The ability to play piano chords, and know them by heart is a must have to pick out songs without sheet music. And anyone can get a chord chart, or better yet know the pattern to form chords and memorize them.

Piano by ear is pretty much, you hear a song and by just hearing it you can go to a piano and repeat what you hear. So what is the real secret to doing this. Most people say it’s a special talent or a gift that you either have or you don’t. But I say anyone can learn to play piano by ear if they just understand the concept of music theory.

First off you have a scale, and you should know how to make up a scale. But the first thing to do is instead of thinking in terms of letters you need to think of them as numbers. So in a C scale C would be 1 D would be 2 E would be 3 and so on until you get to 7 which is B. The reason for this is so when you change keys they numbers are the same and if you are using letters when you change keys the letters change.

So when I tell you that the 2 chord in a scale is a minor chord that applies to every key, I can’t say the D is a minor chord because when you change keys the D will change.

The formula for which chord is off of what number is this the 1 chord is going to be major, 2 minor, 3 minor, 4 major, 5 major, 6 minor, and 7 is diminished. So from there you learn the major and minor chords off of those numbers of the scale. But the real mistake everyone makes when trying to play by ear is this.

They try to pick out the melody, that will not make a song sound like the real song you are hearing. The true secret behind playing the piano by ear is, after you know the scales as numbers, and know what kind of chord you will form off each number, major or minor. You listen to a song and don’t even really pay attention to the melody at first, listen for the bass note. You can write the song lyrics down and listen real close for the bass note and as you hear it change you can write the note number over the lyrics.

After you have the number over the lyrics on paper, you can then go to your piano and play the number based on a minor or major then put the melody note on top. And you will find that what you are playing sounds and feels just like the song you were hearing.

94% of guitar players practice scale patterns in a lateral manner, usually pentatonic patterns that produce 100% correct notes; the down side is these patterns also create 100% boring, lifeless, predictable solos.

We’ve all heard solos where it’s difficult to tell one player from the next. An excellent way to overcome this problem and add your own individual personality to your music is to change the way we practice scales.

The best place to start is to practice scales in a linear fashion.

Here’s how to get started with the key of “C” major:

The key of “C” contains the following notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B; these are the exact same notes as the white notes on a piano.

When soloing in the key of C major it is not necessary to play the notes in any particular sequence, you can begin on any note and still be playing in the key of C.

Moving this idea across to the guitar, let’s play the C major scale using the first and second string exclusively.

I’ve going to create a six note linear sequence on the first and second string as follows:

Beginning on the note C, 1st fret, second string; play the following notes … C, D, E on the second string; then proceed to the first string and play the notes F, G, A.

Now, start your second six note sequence on the note “D” second string, third fret. Your second sequence would be … D, E, F on the second string, then to the first string to play G, A, B.

The idea is to create a six note sequence starting from a different note of the C major scale; in our example I’m playing the ascending C scale along the second string as follows.

C = 2nd string, 1st fret

D = 2nd string, 3rd fret

E = 2nd string, 5th fret

F = 2nd string, 6th fret

G = 2nd string, 8th fret

A = 2nd string, 10th fret

B = 2nd string, 12th fret

C = 2nd string, 13th fret

Here is the complete sequence …

[C], D, E, F, G, A

[D], E, F, G, A, B

[E], f, G, A, B, C

[F], G, A, B, C, D

[G], A, B, C, D, E

[A], B, C, D, E, F

[B], C, D, E, F, G

[C], D, E, F, G, A

Try working out the six note sequences in C major on the other strings it will add a new level of excitement to your solos.

Good luck playing your guitar!

Weighing scales play an imperative role surrounded by the economy of any nation. Weighing scales are main tools for airlines moving passengers or shipment to make sure they are apparent for takeoff. A heavy airplane could direct to disaster. Different kinds of weighing scales are used for weighing different possessions, including human beings, freight, cargo and merchandise. Yet to knowing the load of a submarine is a requirement before it is specially made to service.

Types

1. Weighing scales come up in a variety of range and dimensions to assemble specific requirements. Floor scales are the most accepted and frequently used one. Other well-liked weighing machines consist of digital scales, talking scales and shipping scales. Manufactures generate weighing machines to determine about whatever thing on the planet, together with objects as huge as a submarine.

Floor Scales

2. The floor scale is one of the main frequent weighing scales. Several are made for weight-conscious individuals to maintain path of their weight at home. Though, other utilizes for floor levels. Farmers make use of floor levels in farmhouses to determine the weight of their farm animals, pigs or other cattle. There are parallel in how weighing machines work. When an entity is positioned on top of or within the weighing level bottle, the body weight discourages a lever within the weighing machine, which is accumulated on top of a spring. The things weight places weight on the spring, which origins the measuring lever to revolve and organize in line with the weight of the objective. You can then perceive the reading throughout the glass window on peak of the scale.

Digital Scales

3. Digital scales are accurately what the name implies. They evaluate an object’s weight and trace it in digital format. Digital machines are measured to give very ideal measurements, which give details why some industries in carrying sectors, such as United States Postal Services and UPS employ them. Digital weighing can trace weights to a portion of a unit of measure, somewhat most non-digital balance are incapable of doing.

Talking Scales

4. Talking scales can be modified to work with some weighing level. They can spread weight into an audio arrangement, which is then conveyed and publicized over audio equipment. The unique thing with this tool is that it can declare the results in many languages. Talking machines are mainly useful for blind individuals who are weighing objects at home or at work. Also Talking scales can be useful inside industrial surroundings.

Shipping Scales

5. A shipping scale is a very exact weighing level that is standardized to record load according to government-certified measurement standards. Standard levels might not be regulated in such a manner. Airlines and transportation and shipping companies might employ shipping balance, which also use superior digital technology. Normally Shipping scales calculate objects in ounces, whereas many other scales evaluate in pounds.

Some people feel compelled to weigh themselves daily, maybe only once every morning or several times during the course of each day. They may do it in an attempt to make themselves feel good or whether they know it or not, they often do it as an act of sabotage making themselves feel bad. That behavior promotes stress and creates feelings of obsession around food and your weight, which keeps you resenting and hating your body. When you feel badly about yourself, a binge is usually just around the corner.

My Scale Hopping Experience

When I was a dieter, I used to play the scale game all the time. Each day I would make a habit of getting on and off my bathroom scale in various states of dress and undress, before/after meals, and dare I say it, after each time I went to the bathroom. It drove me nuts! My constant scale hopping was like playing the lottery. Every day I would climb on the scale wishing and hoping for a lower number and no matter how much I swore to myself it wouldn’t affect my mood, it always did.

If my weight was down, it gave me unconscious permission to eat in celebration. If my weight was up, the pangs of guilt from overeating would put the squeeze on me to slim down, which increased my stress level. Depending upon which way it went, I either begrudgingly recommitted back to losing weight by tightening the belt and depriving myself more of the foods I loved or seeing a weight gain would often be enough to send me screaming like a banshee to the kitchen to dive headfirst into the nearest container of Ben and Jerry’s mint oreo cookie ice cream. Yet I never understood how the scale sabotaged me until I started to research what is known as the mind body connection. That’s when I started to change many of my weight watching habits and began to learn how to live, eat and think like a naturally slender woman.

The Mind Body Connection

There is a connection between your mind and body that can either make you sick or keep you well. Your thoughts can either make you fat or thin. The choice is yours! Dr. Nancy Bonios is the creator of the Beyond Dieting Program, a non diet weight control regimen that teaches the importance of changing your thoughts and behaviors to reshape your body as you learn to eat whatever you want in response to your physical hunger. Dr Bonios says that as a dieter your mind is issuing all the wrong commands instructing your body to do what you don’t want; stay fat. Constantly monitoring your weight on the scale keeps you thinking like a fat person and you can’t be thin if you’re thinking fat. It is a constant reminder that you’re still fat.

It’s no secret that diets don’t work and with research showing that up to 98% of all diets fail, it’s confirmation that the route of deprivation doesn’t work. Most people who have spent years dieting have developed negative feelings and self images. Your self image is the picture that you have of yourself that determines what you are willing to do. It works much like a thermostat, in that it keeps you within a certain comfort zone. This ultimately determines your success in every area of your life.

In order to break the mold and effectively change your negative and dis-empowering beliefs about food and your body, you have to develop new habits that will lead to generating behaviors that make you feel safe around food and at ease with your body.

Climbing on a scale will only light up your fat circuit board and keep you stuck in the old rut of thinking like a fat person. To break out of that fat trap, Here are several reasons why you must stop weight watching and scale hopping:

Scales don’t’ always measure progress Perhaps the most upsetting part of weighing yourself is that the number on the scale does not accurately measure your progress. Scales only measure the pull of gravity on mass. It doesn’t accurately show the size or density of the mass it’s measuring. A pound of feathers and a pound of lead both weigh the same but the pound of feathers takes up a large amount of space and enough volume to fill an entire pillow case. A pound of lead can fit easily in the palm of your hand. The truth is you may only need to lose a relatively small amount of weight to get down to your ideal size. I don’t know why this is so but it is. In the Beyond Dieting Program Dr. Nancy Bonios recounts a story sharing her experience saying, “I personally went down from a size 13/14 down to a 5/6 and in the process, I only lost 10 pounds.

Weight fluctuates It’s natural for your weight to go up and down all the time. It can vary as much as ten pounds up or down, depending upon time of month, water retention, hormones, environmental factors and even atmospheric pressure.

Scale Stress Weighing yourself is a common form of self sabotage since it is a way of creating stress in your body, which hooks you right back into the diet mentality, giving you a constant reminder that you’re still overweight and making you feel helpless. This powerful emotional message “I’m fat” overrides any progress that you’ve been making in attempting to change your thoughts.

Tap into your body’s wisdom Naturally slim people never weigh themselves and therefore probably have no idea of their weight. This is because they don’t rely on an external authority to tell them how to control their eating. They have a peaceful, balanced and healthy relationship with food and they are guided to eat by listening to their bodies.

Take it easy. Change is never easy. To avoid the natural resistance that comes with wanting to make any change in your life, it’s best to be as gentle as possible with yourself. By getting on the scale, you create unnecessary stress and tension and sabotage your progress. Dr. Bonios says, “permanent change requires a climate of love and nurturing, not self loathing and disgust. Take my advice, and step away from the scale. 

If you are wishing to improve your guitar playing then the study and practising of scales should be a core component of your learning program. Scales are important because they are not only a fundamental part of music but they generate and improve finger dexterity and strength.

By making scales a regular part of guitar practice encourages the ‘ear’ to recognize how sound is being organised, but also, in turn enables the memory to recognise the various patterns of notes that constitute different scales.

The long-term view is that a good understanding of guitar scales provides a fundamental base to improvising solos and creating your own music, which for many a budding musician is often the long-term goal.

On a day-to-day basis it is good to play scales as a warm-up at the start of any practice session. The use of a metronome is absolutely essential; something that cannot be emphasized enough. Set it to a slowish tempo, not too slow, about the speed of walking up stairs. Then play the scale along with it, making sure to not only keep in time, but also use correct fingering and play legato – join the notes up to keep the sound a smooth continuous event, avoiding staccato.

As the skill develops introduce the idea of up and down strokes, a technique that improves the overall fluidity of the sound by maximising the dexterity and synchronicity of both hands. The long-term plan is that once a scale is mastered, the tempo can be increased in small increments by about 5bpm each time. This systematic approach ensures that a good speed can be achieved without picking up any bad habits.

The very first scales you should learn can be played in the open position; they are the chromatic and the E minor pentatonic scales. Start with the chromatic scale which establishes the fundamental discipline of ‘one finger per fret’, which encourages the total dexterity of each finger. Once that discipline is established it helps with the playing of all other scales.

Next comes the E minor pentatonic. This scale provides a great opportunity, as it is an entry point to riffs, licks and melodies that are not only fun to play but provide an alternative to just practising only the scale. For instance the pattern of some of the notes of the E minor pentatonic scale based on the open strings contains a good bluesy riff very reminiscent of ‘Rock Me Baby‘, an old blues classic. Also the famous rock and roll signature lick ‘Shaking All Over‘ plays nearly all the notes. The Irish ballad, ‘Star of the County Down’ also uses nearly all the scale and adds one note from outside the scale.

By practicing scales regularly and following the above advice you will hopefully begin to notice the benefits and improve your ability to play the guitar over a period of time.

Medical scales, as the name indicate are mostly used in hospitals and medical clinics to gauge the health quotient of various medical patients. Well, there are also some that are designed even for other healthy patients to gauge factors like weight, body fat content etc. However, in this article you would get to know about only those specialty medical scales that are used in special cases.

Baby Scales:

Yes, you got it right. These medical scales are used to gauge the weight of babies, right from birth to their various growing stages. While some are used to track your baby’s growth by accurately measuring its weight and length, there are others that are digital varieties and come with an easy to read LCD display. All the baby scales are safe for babies and are user friendly. They should be durable and ought to give accurate measurements.

Digital Medical Scales:

These ones offer readings in digitized formats. They are easier to read, compared to analogue or mechanical scales. They come in a wide variety of size options, as per individual client requirements. Some of them are even equipped with large LCD screens with backlights for proper viewing at all times.

Mechanical Scales:

Mechanical medical scales are expensive and hence are used only in large hospitals and health care centers. They use dials, are durable and offer reliable reading. However, you would rarely find them these days due to the advent of digital scales.

Chair Scales:

The chair scales are specially built for patients with special health care problems and you can call it the most functional chair scales available today. Some of them also come with handles for easy mobility and high rate of user friendliness. One of its many variations is the wheelchair scale, which also accommodates the wheelchair along with the patient. They are ideal for all kinds of health care settings.

Body Fat Scale:

This is used even by healthy people who are looking forward to lose or gain weight. However, they are different from conventional weights that are used to gauge overall body weight. This variety of medical scales offers readings of the total body fat measurement to gauge the fat content in your body. This helps you in following the right diet and exercise to increase or decrease your fat content. Some of these scales can also tell you the required body fat that should be there as per your age, and height.

Apart from these there are also many other medical scales available in the market today.

Model Trains aren’t just kids’ toys. There are some very serious train hobbyists out there. Their involvement ranges from possession of a single train set to spending hours upon hours and large sums on a substantial and exacting models of a railroads and the scenery through which it passes, called a “layout”. These hobbyists, called “railway modelers” or “model railroaders”, may maintain models large enough to ride on (Garden Railroading). Modelers may collect model trains, building a landscape for the trains to pass through, or operate their own railroad in miniature.

Layout complexity may vary from a simple circle or oval track to realistic reproductions of real places modeled to scale. To enhance their knowledge and experiences, these serious hobbyists gather at model railroad clubs where they talk the talk and walk the walk of model railroad engineers. These clubs often display models for the public. Young and old love these exhibits. The large scale (garden variety) models are usually hand-built and powered by live steam, or diesel-hydraulic, and the engines are often powerful enough to haul dozens of human passengers. Railways of this size are also called miniature railways.

Scales and gauges

The size of locomotive engines depends on the scale and can vary from 700 mm (27.6 in) tall for the largest ridable live steam scales such as 1:8, down to matchbox size for the smallest in Z-scale (1:220). Recently, another scale that was introduced that is also commercially available, called T Gauge, it is 3 mm (0.118 in) gauge track and is a scale of 1:450, basically half the size of Z scale. A typical HO (1:87) engine is 50 mm (1.97 in) tall, and 100 to 300 mm (3.94 to 11.81 in) long. The most popular scales are: G gauge, Gauge 1, O gauge, S scale, HO gauge (in Britain, the similar OO), TT scale, and N scale (1:160 in the United States, but 1:144 in the UK). There is growing interest in Z scale and T Gauge. HO and OO are the most popular. Popular narrow-gauge scales include Sn3, HOn3 Scale and Nn3, which are the same in scale as S, HO and N except with a narrower spacing between the tracks (in these examples, a scale 3 ft (914 mm) instead of the 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge).

The largest common scale is 1:8, with 1:4 sometimes used for park rides. G scale (Garden, 1:24scale) is most popular for backyard modeling. It is easier to fit a G scale model into a garden and keep scenery proportional to the trains. Gauge 1 and Gauge 3 are also popular for gardens. O, S, HO, and N gauge are more often used indoors. Lionel trains in O scale (1:48scale) are popular toys. S refers to 1:64 scale.

The words scale and gauge seem at first interchangeable but their meanings are different. Scale is the model’s measurement as a proportion to the original, while gauge is the measurement between the rails. Your choice of scale has a lot to do with budget and available space. N-Scale is a popular apartment size scale. The key is to stick to your choice once you have decided on a scale, and not mix scales in a single layout.

Couplers and connectors

In addition to different scales, there are also different types of couplers for connecting cars, which are not compatible with each other.

In H0, the Americans standardized on horn-hook or X2F couplers, though these have largely given way to working knuckle couplers which are a close approximation to the “automatic” couplers used on the prototype there and elsewhere. Also in H0, the European manufacturers have standardized, but on a coupler mount, not a coupler: many varieties of coupler can be plugged in (and out) of the NEM coupler box. None of the popular couplers has any resemblance to the prototype three-link chains generally used on the continent.

For British modelers, whose most popular scale is 00, the normal coupler is a tension-lock coupler, which again has no pretense of replicating the usual prototype three-link chain couplers. Bachmann and more recently Hornby have begun to offer models fitted with NEM coupler pockets. This theoretically enables modelers of British railways to substitute any other NEM362 coupler, though many Bachmann models place the coupler pocket at the wrong height. A fairly common alternative is to use representations of chain couplings as found on the prototype, though these require large radius curves to be used to avoid derailments.

Other scales have similar ranges of non-compatible couplers available.

Power Sources

Model railway engines are generally operated by low voltage direct current (DC) electricity supplied via the tracks, but there are exceptions, such as Mrklin and Lionel Corporation, which use alternating current (AC). Modern Digital Command Control (DCC) systems use alternating current. Other locomotives, particularly large models, used steam. Steam or clockwork driven engines are still sought by collectors.

Clockwork

Most early models for the toy market were powered by clockwork and controlled by levers on the locomotive. Although this made control crude the models were large and robust enough that grabbing the controls was practical. Various manufacturers introduced slowing and stopping tracks that could trigger levers on the locomotive and allow station stops.

Electricity

Three-rail

Early electrical models used a three-rail system with the wheels resting on a metal track with metal sleepers that conducted power and a middle rail which provided power to a skid under the locomotive. This made sense at the time as models were metal and conductive. Modern plastics were not available and insulation was a problem. In addition the notion of accurate models had yet to evolve and toy trains and track were crude tinplate. A variation on the three-rail system, Trix Twin, allowed two trains to be independently controlled on one track, before the advent of Digital Command Control.

Two-rail

As accuracy became important some systems adopted two-rail power in which the wheels were isolated and the rails carried the positive and negative supply or two sides of the AC supply.

Stud contact

Other systems such as Mrklin instead used fine metal studs to replace the central rail, allowing existing three-rail models to use more realistic track.

Overhead line

Where the model is of an electric locomotive, it may be supplied by overhead lines, like the full-size locomotive. Before Digital Command Control became available, this was one way of controlling two trains separately on the same track. The electric-outline model would be supplied by the overhead wire and the other model (usually steam-outline) would be supplied by one of the running rails. The other running rail would act as a common return.

Battery

Early electric trains ran on batteries because few homes in the late 19th century and early 20th century had electricity. Today, inexpensive train sets running on batteries are again common but regarded as toys and seldom used by hobbyists. Batterypower is used by many garden railway and larger scale systems because of the difficulty in obtaining reliable power supply through the rails outdoors and because the high power consumption and thus current draw of large scale garden models is more easily and safely met with rechargeable batteries. Most large scale battery powered models use radio control.

Live steam

Engines powered by Live steam are often built in large, outdoor gauges, and are available in Gauge 1, G scale, 16 mm scale and can be found in 0 and H0. Hornby Railways produce live steam locomotives in 00, based on designs first arrived at by an amateur modeler. Other modelers have built live steam models in H0/00, 009 and N.

Internal combustion

Occasionally gasoline-electric models, patterned after real diesel-electric locomotives, come up among hobbyists and companies like Pilgrim Locomotive Works have sold such locomotives. Large-scale petrol-mechanical and petrol-hydraulic models are available but unusual and pricier than the electrically powered versions.

Control

The first clockwork (spring-drive) and live steam locomotives ran until out of power, with no way for the operator to stop and restart the locomotive or vary its speed. The advent of electric trains, which appeared commercially in the 1890s, allowed control of the speed by varying the current or voltage. As trains began to be powered by transformers and rectifiers more sophisticated throttles appeared, and soon trains powered by AC contained mechanisms to change direction or go into neutral gear when the operator cycled the power. Trains powered by DC can change direction by reversing polarity.

Electricity permits control by dividing the layout into isolated blocks, where trains can be slowed or stopped by lowering or cutting power to a block. Dividing a layout into blocks permits operators to run more than one train with less risk of a fast train catching and hitting a slow train. Blocks can also trigger signals or other accessories, adding realism or whimsy. Three-rail systems often insulate one of the common rails on a section of track, and use a passing train to complete the circuit and activate an accessory.

Many layout builders are choosing digital operation of their layouts rather than the more traditional DC design. The industry standard command system is Digital Command Control (DCC). The advantages to DCC are that track voltage is constant (usually in the range of 20 volts AC) and the command throttle sends a signal to small circuit cards, or decoders, hidden inside the piece of equipment which control several functions of an individual locomotive, including speed, direction of travel, lights, smoke and various sound effects. This allows more realistic operation in that the modeler can operate independently several locomotives on the same stretch of track. Less common closed proprietary systems also exist. Several manufacturers offer software that can provide computer-control of DCC layouts.

In large scales, particularly for garden railways, radio control and DCC in the garden have become popular.

Landscaping

Many modelers pay special attention to landscaping their layout, creating a realistic looking imaginary world of their own design or modeling after an actual location, often historic. Landscaping is termed “scenery building” or “scenicking”.

Constructing scenery involves preparing a sub-terrain using a wide variety of building materials, including (but not limited to) screen wire, a lattice of cardboard strips, or carved stacks of expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) sheets. A scenery base is applied over the sub-terrain; typical base include casting plaster, plaster of Paris, hybrid paper-pulp (papier-mache) or a lightweight foam/fiberglass/bubble wrap composite as in Geodesic Foam Scenery. The scenery base is covered with ground cover, which may be ground foam, colored sawdust, natural lichen, or commercial scatter materials for grass and shrubbery. Buildings and structures can be purchased as prefab kits, or built from scratch from cardboard, balsa wood, basswood, paper, or polystyrene or other plastic. Trees can be fabricated from materials such as Western sagebrush, candytuft, and caspia, to which adhesive and model foliage are applied; or they too can be bought ready-made from specialist manufacturers. Water can be simulated using polyester casting resin, polyurethane, or rippled glass. Rocks can be cast in plaster or in plastic with a foam backing. Castings can be painted with stains to give coloring and shadows.

Weathering

Weathering refers to making a model look used and exposed to weather by simulating dirt and wear on real vehicles, structures and equipment. Most models come out of the box looking new, because unweathered finishes are easier to produce and many collectors want models to look pristine. However, pristine is not the most realistic looking. The wear a freight car or building undergoes depends not only on age but where it is used. Rail cars in cities accumulate grime from building and automobile exhaust, while cars in deserts may be subjected to sandstorms which etch or strip paint. A model that is weathered would not fit as many layouts as a pristine model which can be weathered by its purchaser.

Weathering purchased models is common. At the least, weathering aims to reduce the plastic-like finish of scale models. The simulation of grime, rust, dirt, and wear add realism. Some modelers simulate fuel stains on tanks, or corrosion on battery boxes. In some cases, evidence of accidents or repairs may be added, such as dents or freshly painted replacement parts, and weathered models can be nearly indistinguishable from their prototypes when photographed appropriately.

Conclusion

Clearly, there is a lot more to model railroading as a serious hobby than meets the eye. There is a great investment of time, and yes probably money too, but the good thing is that for many this is a life-long hobby. Well maintained trains and rolling stock will last a life-time and it isn’t unusual for trains to get handed down generations. Train collection is, therefore, also very popular among many hobbyists. The next time a model railroad club in your area has a public display, why not go take a look? Chances are you too will get the model railroading bug.

The high rate at which small and medium scale business in Nigeria are folding up, has brought to limelight, the issue of Government sincerity in ensuring that the revamping of the economy is given utmost priority.

The reasons behind the collapse of these businesses can be traced to the following reasons:

Lack of Capital

No business can thrive without sufficient fund to carry out its daily operations.

The situation is pathetic in Nigeria, as most small businesses are starved of needed funds. Commercial banks are not willing to release funds, and when these funds are made available, the interest rate is so high, thus discouraging potential lenders.

Epileptic Power Supply

The power sector in Nigeria has gone from bad to worse, as most businesses are now forced to resort to the use of petrol or diesel generator to sustain their business. This has adversely affected the running cost of these businesses which are barely managing to survive. The present move by the Nigerian Government to privatized the power sector is aimed at encouraging private investors to fully utilize the huge potential available in the Nigerian market.

Low patronage

Some small and medium scale businesses easily go under due to low patronage from customers. This low patronage can be linked to the harsh economic situation which has forced Nigerians to cut down on some luxuries.

Inexperience Management

This is a key factor in the survival of every small business. The influence of management on business success cannot be undermined. Most small and medium scale business is owned by individuals, and this can often affect the choice of who manages the business. The decision about who manage these businesses is often influence by family ties and relationship with recourse to experience and business ethics. This can ultimately prove disastrous in the long run.

Insecurity

The spate of violence in most part of Nigeria has resulted in most of the small businesses closing shop. Militant activities, kidnapping and ethnic/religious crisis have conspired to ensure that the average business life span in Nigeria is greatly reduced.

Government Policies

The frequent change in Government has also resulted in change in Government policies.

Some of these policies are not business friendly, as they tend to add strain to the limited resources of these small businesses. There are cases when multiple taxation is implemented and where goods in ports are unduly delayed due to change in Government policies.

Lack of Creativity

The creative ability of small business owners can become a survival weapon in time of depression. Most business owners are lacking in this regard, hence the high rate of failed businesses. Some creative entrepreneur having studied the economic tide, are forced to diversify their operation to counter any adverse effect that would otherwise have some negative implication on the operation of their business.

I love everything pertaining to the hobby of model trains. In my opinion, there isn’t a wrong scale/gauge to go with. They all have their pros and cons. However, my favorite trains by far are o gauge trains. While o gauge trains aren’t the cheapest or easiest to afford, they are worth every penny.

The main thing that could be considered a disadvantage for o gauge trains is their size. They are the largest of the indoor train models. If you are going to run an o gauge train you are going to need some space. I personally recommend at least thirty-six square feet minimum. If you available space is smaller than that, you should probably go with a smaller scale. If your space is very limited, you should go with an n scale train. N scale trains run on tracks where the rails are just 9 mm apart.

If you have plenty of space available, then size is the o gauge’s greatest advantage. The greater the size, the more room you are going to have for detail. Smaller scales aren’t as detailed as the o scale trains. Your model railway scenery is also going to suffer with smaller scale trains. The most impressive model railroad layouts that I have seen have run o scale trains. The mountains are more impressive. The buildings rise to greater heights. The tunnels are longer and have a greater effect. Your bridges are also going to be more eye-catching with an o gauge train. I just get goose bumps every time I see a model train pass over a bridge. Bridges are my favorite part of the model railway landscape.

O gauge trains also rule when it comes to authenticity. There is no comparison. If you just want a toy then by all means go with another scale. However, if you are the type of person who wants every detail right then you need to go o scale. O gauge trains tend to match their historic counterparts to the very smallest detail. I personally love to research the actual trains. What towns did they go through? What kind of architecture was around at that time? What did the landscape look like at the time? Search the Internet and your local library for photographs taken in your train’s era. It can be very addictive to say the least.