Yogi Berra says...

"If we just move first base one foot, we'd get rid of all the close plays."

What Yogi is saying, in the pure wisdom of Yogi, is that baseball is perfectly balanced. The plays are almost always close at first base. The distance from the plate to first base, 90', is somehow perfect. Everything depends on infielders being really good at their jobs for nearly every play to be close. Otherwise the batter will take first base every time.
But because of the distance-relationship between a batted ball, the infielder's reaction and the batter's running speed, nearly every play at first base will be close if all these players are operating at maximum efficiency.
An infielder mishandles the ball, that is called an error, and the batter takes first base.

Trucks

Wonderful set of files. Greatly researched.
http://www.greenbayroute.com/1947diagram30.htm

Forum discussion on blueprints for trucks....!!! Finally....

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?64127-Blueprints

Trucks
The best example of resource I've seen on trucks....
And the best explanation I've seen....

http://jamesriverbranch.net/clinic_2a.htm

Bettendorf

In 1903 Bettendorf introduced a truck with a T section.

Introduced in 1903, the Bettendorf friction bearing truck was one of the first truck designs with one-piece cast sideframes and integral journal boxes. The original design used a sideframe with a "T" cross section. T-section trucks remained popular through the twenties, but were eventually phased out in favor of newer designs (and ultimately banned from interchange service in 1953). The Bettendorf T-section truck has never been modeled in N scale, so here's Kadee's HO version (hey, we can dream, can't we?) -
Significantly stronger trucks featuring a U-shaped cross section eventually superceded the T-section trucks starting in the 1920s. This style of truck, which is most identified with the modern steam and early diesel eras, has become generically (and incorrectly) known as the "Bettendorf" truck. The Bettendorf Co. widely licensed elements of its design, so many builders besides Bettendorf made trucks of this type (to the point that the U-section cast steel truck was eventually adopted as an ARA standard: the Type Y truck). Although each of these trucks (regardless of the manufacturer) follows the ARA/AAR standards, many have varying details (sideframe shape, spring size and styles, bolster design, journal-box lids, etc).
Starting in the 1930s, these trucks were upgraded with double-truss sideframes (with parts of the U-shaped section being filled in, creating a double-layer effect on the sideframes). Model-wise, these trucks are indistinguishable from the earlier U-Section / Type Y trucks.
Virtually every N scale manufacturer has offered up some sort of "Bettendorf" style truck at one time or another (and of varying quality). These are generally presumed to be 50-ton trucks, although Atlas does make a 40-ton version (for use on lighter cars such as reefers).
Athearn, Atlas/China, Atlas/Roco, Bachmann (new), Con-Cor, Fox Valley, Intermountain, and Micro-Trains 50-ton -

Some Reflections

On January 28 I took photos in San Marco.
This was near the beginning of doing "precision" drawings.

Early in February I started the Amphitheater project...
This took a while......

February 16 I started this blog.

On March 31 I took my train book to Office Depot and had some things scanned. That was the beginning of  "trains."
I started on the Mikado 2-8-2 and quickly realized I was way in over my head.

April 1, proto Mikado and coal car under the Brooklyn Bridge....
I obviously abandoned this and worked some more on the Brooklyn Bridge.

On April 5, my band fired me.

On April 16 I converted the file of the CS#24, the coach and baggage car, to a reverse black and white file.
This was the beginning of working on this car.
I posted my first images on my blog of these trains....

I spent some time working on that car.

Knuckle.
I started photos of the Pullman Car at the Prime Osborne on April 27
Sunday, ‎April ‎27, ‎2014, ‏‎2:47:11 PM

Same day I downloaded the Knuckle blueprint.
That day I started on the knuckle. That took about a week to get something decent.

Then the coupler assembly...
May 4 animation of knuckle and coupler.
 
then the bracket...
May 16 coupler bracket
Then the Oil Tanker....May 22-23

Then the Caboose...  May 23-24.

Then a simple animation.....May 25?

Then back the Mikado

Long and short, I've been doing trains for about two months....
It's amazing what you can learn in a couple of months...It seems like I've been doing trains much longer...Guess that it testament to my immersion in this....

WJCT

Tonight WJCT had a particularly wonderful hour of Country Crossroads.

BTW
Mule Skinner Blues The Fendermen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3-mh3vXDA0
Here's the playlist....
....all which led me to Ralph Stanley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mytH2k4jZE0
 Oh Death

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpq6N57XqTI

Stanley Brothers live...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piQrm2pPZBc

Workin' Man Blues  Merle Haggard & The Strangers

Jesus Was a Capricorn Kris Kristofferson

          which led me to "To Beat the Devil"

Country Girl The Ozark Mountain Daredevils

Tried so Hard The Flying Burrito Brothers 

Coal Miner's Daughter Loretta Lynn

One Hundred Years From Now (Gram Parsons Vocal Version) The Byrds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Dc4by2zw0
....from Sweetheart of the Rodeo the sixth album by the Byrds August 30, 1968. Recorded with the addition of Gram Parsons, it was first major country-rock album by an established act...

Understand Your Man Dwight Yoakam

(Kindred Spirits - A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash)

New County Beachwood Sparks

Take an Old Cold 'Tater (And Wait) 'Little' Jimmy Dickens
https://play.spotify.com/search/little%20jimmy%20dickens%20old%20cold%20tater 

Rocky Raccoon The Beatles

Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore John Prine
which led me to..."Jesus the Missing Years"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inr-jskxm1I

Consequently So Long Poco

Randy Lynn Rag Earl Scruggs
...which led me to some Japanese guys playing bluegrass... Not really great but heartwarming..
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Earl+Scruggs+Tuners&FORM=VIRE5#view=detail&mid=124528F6C76BF5674B35124528F6C76BF5674B35

.....which led me to "Flint Hill Special"
where he uses banjo tuners to maximum capability....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ5SzHd8-gY

Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line Waylon Jennings

Smoke That Cigarette Tex Williams
...which led me to Hot Rod Lincoln - Commander Cody.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R7l7nDuj1o 

Second Fiddle Buck Owens
....which led me to "Under Your Spell Again" Dwight Yoakum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZZUpp3aNhk

Real Gone Daddy Jim Flaherty's Caravan 

Old Home Place The Dillards 

Are You from Dixie (Cause I'm from Dixie Too)Jerry Reed

Dang Me Roger Miller

Sixteen Tons Tennessee Ernie Ford

More Links

http://prr.railfan.net/documents/ModernLocosandCars/

This link below contains some diagrams for the "Decapod", which has a firebox very similar to the 2-8-2 Mikado L1, with useful dimensions.
This is from the July 1917 issue of Railway Mechanical Engineer. An amazing, way ahead of its time, publication. It's hard to see the actual numbers. Guess I'm going to have to buy the actual issue.

http://prr.railfan.net/documents/pdf/PRRDecapodTypeLocomotive_1917_RME_370-373_DennisShort.pdf

National Model Railroad Association
http://www.nmra.org/library/periodicals.html

Where to find Railway Mechanical Engineer publications..
https://archive.org/details/railwaymechanica96newy

Blender Boolean Solution

So after much wrestling, I finally figured out a way to do a decent boolean on the roof of the Mikado 2-8-2.
I had to SOLIDIFY the Roof, then apply the BOOLEAN cutting object, as a DIFFERENCE.
Without SOLIDIFY, the boolean never worked correctly, and I just felt ignorant.
Suddenly it worked.

On the Bettendorf....
http://www.spookshow.net/trucks/bettendorf.html

http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/NYC-MODELS-CABOOSE.htm
Good Timin' Jimmy Jones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=modfq47onwU