It's that time of the week....WPF. For any first time posters, Weekend Photo Fun is where we post what we have been working on, all scales and all eras. For example here's my project. I got more styrene yesterday, and finally got the interior bracing put into place. I still need to create a ton more of square plates to hide the joints on the bridge, but it's a setp in the right direction.
This is the first of three sections I need to build- from styrene strip, using hand drawn blueprints. Remember, all from scratch in HO scale.
So, let's see what everyone has been working on.
(My Model Railroad, My Rules)
These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway. As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).
Thank You for the start of another fine, but COLD Weekend Photo Fun, Jimmy! Yes, there is still a little snow left on the ground here in NE Ohio. Brrr.
That is turning out to be one huge bridge. Quite reminiscent of some of the big bridges that spanned the Three Rivers area. Very nice
I have been plugging away at the lighting for the roundhouse but not so much that I had anything to photograph. Mostly testing LEDs and resistors and making up lamp shade assemblies...
But — the spliced signal tower is 99% complete and I hauled it out to the layout to take a few photos.
MG_tower by Edmund, on Flickr
The operator was nice enough to let a rail photographer occupy the landing for some good shots.
I had two fun deliveries this week that included motive power! I finally got a mate for the lonely E-L SDP45 and I jumped back to the US Bicentennial era of 1976 and got a Genesis EMD in the fancy red-white & blue.
EL_3638b by Edmund, on Flickr
That's a neat old Dodge van there, too.
I like night shots. Those goose-neck lamps are from Wehonest, an ebay seller. They have improved them and made them smaller for HO. The window air-conditioner is from BLMA.
EL_3638a by Edmund, on Flickr
I have been watching the Ebay for some PRR motors and recently a neat, old, PRR DD1 came up at a decent price. It arrived today.
PRR_DD1a by Edmund, on Flickr
These were the first electrics to run from Manhattan Transfer and into the Hudson Tunnels to the new Penn Station beginning in 1910. They were outside third-rail pickup.
PRR_DD1 by Edmund, on Flickr
The HO DD1s were made by Alco Models. These were never run and even though they have open-frame motors in them they do run very smoothly. Now it is time for paint, headlights and DCC decoders
The real ones looked like this under the hood:
PRR_DD1_running_gear by Edmund, on Flickr
One pair are in the RR Museum of Pennsylvania. They actually got re-numbered into the Penn-Central roster!
On to bigger and better things, Folks!
Regards, Ed
Jimmy, Looks li ke it will be one heck of a bridge.
Ed, Heavy electric is cool, although most of my experience with it up close was in Europe.
Between taxes and leasing the rental I've been too busy to start on my RPO/Express car. I did get the coach I built last week a test run to Silverton....
Back on the Cascade, the coach helped out on the assignmment it's likely to draw in regular service on the Purgatory to Crater Lake quarry-to-mill train.
Here's another look at the train and Purgatorys's compact track arrangement.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Jimmy, thanks for starting us out and that is going to be some bridge, I admire anybody who does that kind of bridge work!
Ed, you were sure lucky with those old Alco DD-1's they were not noted for the running capabilites, as well as they were uugly locomotives.
Mike, I am with you finished up taxes over last weekend, along with taking the finished product up to Michigan over the weekend for my in-laws.
By the way, a lot of nice pictures last weekend, especially liked Garry's E-Units, but could we not get a PA into the lineup.
So, I did not get much done this week, a lot of stuff in half finished condition, therefore an old picture from the archives.
Bowser C-430's with a Flexivan Train on the mainline of the Strongsville Model Railroad Club layout.
Thanks for looking!
Rick Jesionowski
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
Jimmy ..... Your bridge will be an awesome model when completed.
Ed .... The switch tower and the DD1 are impressive !
Mike L .... Like you, I had some non-model-railroad-stuff distracting me from the layout this week .... I like seeing your coach on the rails. Looks nice.
Rick ..... I like the big Alco's in your photo. ..... You requested a PA.
Here are older photos with two PA's . Both are Hobbytown, and the E5 also has a Hobbytown drive. After converting the layout to DCC, I do not operate them. The Santa Fe PA was sold.
...
No PA's in last photo, but here is an E7 departing from Union Station passing a GN steam locomotive.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
I've been upgrading a couple of engines from DCC
To RailPro
Thanks Jimmy for starting off WPF. That is going to be some bridge!
Ed - Great looking tower. I've got to get started on my version of Grafton Tower soon.
Mike - Great photos as always.
Rick - I like the Flexivans and the NYC 430's.
Garry - Great looking motive power.
South Penn - Nice neat DCC installation.
For Rick, The only PAs on the BRVRR.
All of the models are Athearn BB kits. The two A-units have T-1 decoders. The B-unit houses two 1-inch speakers and a Soundtraxx DSX sound decoder.
Keep the photos and ideas coming everyone. Thanks to you WPF is always the best thread of the week.
Remember its your railroad
Allan
Track to the BRVRR Website: http://www.brvrr.com/
I am still working on my roundhouse project, but I will save that for a separate thread. I also progressed on my HOn30 projects, including this Porter that is based on a Kato n pocket line and Shapeways ensemble:
thumbnail by on Flickr" alt="" />
Have a great weekend. Spring is finally getting here in Eastern Canada!
Simon
Little update n mine. Yes, it supports weight. Thanks for the kind words everyone
So so many good projects going on this week.
Hey Jimmy:
I haven't visited WPF for quite some time, mostly because I am embarressed to admit that I haven't done much modelling recently. However, I was blown away by the first picture that I saw when I returned, and that was your scratch built bridge structure! That is my kind of modelling! Good work!
Great work from all the other contributors too!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Ed:
Lots of neat pictures! Your modelling is excellent! You are just the push that I need to get off my butt and start doing some modelling again.
snjroyI also progressed on my HOn30 projects, including this Porter that is based on a Kato n pocket line and Shapeways ensemble:
Hey Simon! You are a man after my own heart! HOn30! Great stuff.
Nice little locomotive. I would be interested in seeing some pictures of the drive system if you have any.
Jimmy_BraumYes, it supports weight.
Of course it will support weight! That's what the whole thing was designed to do. It works just as well in HO scale as the real thing did (well almost anyhow).
Very inspiring! In fact, I have recently been spending a lot of time designing deck girder bridges for my club's new layout. I have based the bridge designs on Micro Engineering's deck girder bridges, but I have a problem with all the sections looking the same. Boring, boring, boring! You have encouraged me to design a few scratch built sections to make the bridges more interesting visually.
Thanks,
Seems quite a few projects are getting sorted this weekend . I've been able to sort one out myself, after receiving a replacement decoder:
This model started as a Bachmann HO scale Prairie, some styrene and a few spare parts I had lying around. The caboose it's pulling was also built from styrene, and used the chassis from the Prairie's tender:
The Location: Forests of the Pacific Northwest, OregonThe Year: 1948The Scale: On30The Blog: http://bvlcorr.tumblr.com
hon30critter snjroy I also progressed on my HOn30 projects, including this Porter that is based on a Kato n pocket line and Shapeways ensemble: Hey Simon! You are a man after my own heart! HOn30! Great stuff. Nice little locomotive. I would be interested in seeing some pictures of the drive system if you have any. Dave
snjroy I also progressed on my HOn30 projects, including this Porter that is based on a Kato n pocket line and Shapeways ensemble:
Jimmy, Thanks for starting the WPF with some bridge building.
South Penn, That's a clean install. Wondering what brand of loco, appears to be a Kato?
tbdanny, Swell looking little caboose.
Feel like I'm on a roll after doing up some left over DTD wall castings for background flats, but alas, outdoor and home maint. chores are calling again and must be answered.
Thanks to all the contributors, regards, Peter
Nice work everyone! I managed to fit an ESU LokSound decoder, Power pack and speaker in my Bachmann 0-6-0 Porter. It runs nicely as you will see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulnScs79EP0
Alan Jones in Sunny Queensland (Oz)
dti406Ed, you were sure lucky with those old Alco DD-1's they were not noted for the running capabilites, as well as they were uugly locomotives.
Uugly? well OK, maybe — but they're family so I gotta accept them. PRR had a bunch of one-off juice jacks while they were trying to find what would work. Not every one was a home run!
Here's what her big brother looked like:
PRR_L1-proto by Edmund, on Flickr
I checked with Broadway Limited and they are making progress for a Fall release of their P5a model
hon30critter Ed: Lots of neat pictures! Your modelling is excellent! You are just the push that I need to get off my butt and start doing some modelling again. Dave
Thank you, Dave, and many thanks to all the other folks that comment and contribute here! Great Stuff!
I remember my "club" days very well, Dave, and it was nice to come home and "do my own thing". As you're finding out, the club can be fun — but it's a different kind of fun
Well, like a cat with a new toy, I had to put everything else aside and play with the new DD1 and study the decoder installation.
DD1-DCC4 by Edmund, on Flickr
This thing is going to be a breeze! It is like two back-to-back 4-4-0s and the frame of each picks up from alternating rails and the corresponding pony trucks pick up from the opposite.
I really wanted to fit a keep alive in here and it will fit, just barely!
DD1-DCC3 by Edmund, on Flickr
The roof of the cab lightly presses against the decoder and I decided to use a thinner one without the keep alive. I may look into an ESU capacitor package or go with a home-made cap.
This is all I had to do to isolate the motor, simply solder an additional brush wire on and insulate the brushes from the motor frame.
DD1-DCC2 by Edmund, on Flickr
So after a little tape here, shrink tubing there I have a "test bed" wired up, including ersatz headlight LEDs. On the Sprogg test track they both ran beautifully! There is an extra track pick-up wire pair on each which will pass through a connector so both units are sharing the track pick-up.
As it is the locomotive doesn't hesitate one bit, and that's with the weights removed, so I really might not have to be concerned with keep alive.
DD1-DCC by Edmund, on Flickr
Looks like a rats-nest right now but this will all get cleaned up when the final assembly takes place. I'm awaiting a pair of PRR modern headlights that are cored-out for lamps. The existing ones are a solid chunk of brass.
Time to hit the rack!
Let's keep 'em coming — Ed
Peter, That's a Stewart/Kato EMD F unit.
Next is a couple of Atlas FM Trainmasters.
gmpullman, what model camera and what setting did you use on those closeups of the steam loco with decoder? Incredibly sharp! -Rob
Thank you, Mr. M
I have at my disposal a whole arsenal of Canon digital SLRs and, by rough estimate, just over a dozen lenses.
However...
For 90% of the "quickie" photo shots I use here, I grab the Canon compact ELPH 340 HS that I bought for my wife several years ago. Sort of a "point and shoot" but it has some manual overrides that give it some versatility.
The SLRs are fine but for speedy convenience just grabbing this little, dependable camera works great for me. I especially like a camera that I can get "into the scene" which many bigger cameras don't allow.
"Post production" is important, too. I probably took 30 photos of that loco, picked the best out of those and used Photoshop to crop, balance the lighting and make any other adjustments. I reduce the size, too, so I'm not uploading a 7 meg file.
This article is a bit dated but a very good "how-to"
http://mrr.trains.com/-/media/Files/PDF/2013/MODELERSGUIDETODIGITALPHOTOGRAPHY1.pdf
Thank You!
Good Luck, Ed
I love Weekend Photo Fun.
.
Again, I have nothing new to contribute this week.
Jimmy: That bridge is going to be quite a model for sure.
Ed: I have been successful also for getting brass from eBay sellers at reasonable prices lately. Good score on the DD1. That is a neat model.
Mike: Great photos. I hope to see more of your pictures in the Show Me Something thread.
Rick: I love thr Flexi-Van flat cars. The STRATTON & GILLETTE never got into Flexi-Vans, but they probably should have!
Garry: Great photos!
South Penn: Your pictures make me happy I never decided to go with DCC! It looks like a lot of effort.
Allan: My Blue-Box PA1/PB1 set is one of my favorites. I love old Athearn models. They run good and are easy to service.
Danny: I really lilke your narrow gauge conversions. Good work!
Peter: Great models as always. Your rendition of a friendly local pizza joint gave me the munchies!
Steven: Where are you? I thought you would give us an update of a project this week. Please let us see your work.
I decided to spend my spare time this weekend pretending to keep the fires burning in an old 4-6-0 ten wheeler. WHAT FUN!
See you all next weekend!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Kevin I will be posting some updates next weekend if all goes well.
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!