Living the dream.
Hello everyone. It is a brand-new weekend!
This week my share is a blast from the past. This picture was taken on my friend Randy's N scale NORFOLK SOUTHERN layout. The train closest to the camera is one of Randy's, and the other train features a string of boxcars, five of which are STRATTON AND GILLETTE.
Given the overall completeness of the scenery, I am going to guess this picture is from about 1995. By this time I had switched over to HO scale, and most of my N scale equipment had moved to interchange service on Randy's layout.
-Photograph by Kevin Parson
I am looking forward to a lot of great shares this weekend.
-Kevin
HOW is it possible the weekend is here again already! This year is blowing right by Thanks for setting things up for us, Kevin and for sharing the vintage view!
I don't recall where I left off on the "City Planning last week. Thanks to everyone for the encouraging compliments, especially TF who got a chance to see an overall view of (half) the layout!
Here's another aeroplane view of a possible building layout. I have already put down the "Genesis" board on the far side of the tracks. This stuff makes a perfectly smooth and flat working surface.
City_Streets-OH by Edmund, on Flickr
So far I like the way things are shaping up —
City_Streets by Edmund, on Flickr
City_Streets-E by Edmund, on Flickr
I had stockpiled a bunch of the Walthers street lights years ago but now I'm second guessing which light poles to use. As much as I like the Cornerstone ones they are pretty dim incandescent lamps. I might go with the Woodland Scenics LED design? Choices and options... below are the Woodland Scenics ones.
IMG_3238_fix_web by Edmund, on Flickr
Looks like it is our turn to catch a bit of lake-effect snow. Only about 5-6 inches forecast but good train weather just the same
On to more great stuff, folks!
Cheers, Ed
A good start. Thanks for the kick off Kevin. Kinda neat seeing your old custom N scale cars on your friend Randy's layout
Looks like it's coming along well Ed. A lot of cool buildings going on in your city. Are they kits, kit-bashed, scratch built, a bit of each? Interested to know. The city planning department has a Skyline Ordinance you know
They look great the way you got-em grouped and make quite fascinating photos when you take the camera down to eye level
Just a couple pictures of last year's Viaduct bridge project.
No paint was used on the blank styrene brick sheets, just an India ink/alcohol mixture and a lot of elbow grease. Bridge #5 is the only one of the eight that's completely finished. The other six need to be painted
TF
Thanks for starting WPF, Kevin. Seeing old photographs bring back memories.
Ed Stunning City scenes.
TF You must have posted same time as me. Loving your bridgework. Such high class.
Myself I have had a few personal challenges and had very little time in the train room. Anyway, yesterday I did start rebuilding the damaged bridge. No photos yet.
So - Some old photographs from me this week.
Thompson's Timber Yard
Looking up Crown Point Road. A few years back Dawn had a Bridal Shop called Pink Champagne.
A simple scene at Crown Point Yard.
Keep the pictures coming.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Good morning from cloudy, cold and windy Northeast Ohio! We are south of Ed's Lake Effect Snow!!
Kevin, thanks for starting us out, good old picture, it is always nice to see your old cars at any time.
Ed, great looking city scene, like TF said looks down the canyons of the city are really cool and realistic.
TF, good looking bridge, based on some of your scenes you have a lot of them to build.
David, some more pictures of your great looking railroad with its many interesting scenes.
I managed to get some cars done this week even going back to work.
First up is a Kadee PS 2003CF Covered Hopper kit, painted with Scalecoat II MofW Gray paint and lettered with Herald King Decals. The Louie had many covered hoppers in cement service out of the Iowa area.
Second is an Athearn NACC Ribbed side RBL kit. North American built several thousand ribbed side and smooth side RBL's in the 1960's they were all different as North American used parts from Pullman Standard, Stanray and various other suppliers. I built this car with a PS roof and Wabcopac Truck Mounted brakes. Painted car with Scalecoat II Reefer Yellow, Hunter Green and Silver paints then lettered with Herald King Decals. It was leased by the National Fruit Co. to move its apple products around the country.
Another view of my Kato GP35 along with a couple of Atlas RS-32's on the Strongsville 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!
Another Friday! They're coming quickly!
Thanks Kevin for starting us again this week. That's a nice picture of your friend Randy's N Scale layout. It's neat that I have a boxcar on my layout from the Stratton and Gillette railroad!
Ed, that's a nice city scene. I'm a big fan of night time layout scenes. I use modern street lights I ordered from some company. I have had to put some yellow paint on one set of street lights I got that were shining blue! The yellow paint worked and they now glow a nice normal color light.
TF, the bridges are impressive. I remember your photo of the viaduct bridge -- that's a great work of building, especially in N Scale.
David, more nice scenes from your layout. I've said before that you have a real talent in setting up small scenes that give a slice of life on the layout.
Rick, each week you show us your wonderful work on painting and decals on your cars. Very impressive.
This will be my last view of the cemetery next to the church. I am planning on taking this out. I may put in another cemetery somewhere when I get around to building Layout Two. I was very happy with the n scale iron fence from Gold Medal.
I hope we get to see more photos of the layouts this weekend.
York1 John
Thanks Kevin for starting off WPF this weekend. The plast from the past photo looks good. N-scale is just too small for me to see and work with now.
Ed - Your city scape is looking good. I like the LED lights.
FT - You are quite the bridge builder. #5 is a good looking model.
David - Your scenes, as always, are detailed and interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Rick - Nice cars as usual. The history is interesting as well. Is that a photo background in the train photo at the club.
Not much new on the BRVRR. Mad a few repairs to Shocker's Electric lighting and relocated it slightly for better car clearance.
Grandpa did get to run a few trains this week. A short New York Central coal drag with a pair of F7s.
And another short coal drag, this one Pennsylivania RR FAs in the lead.
Keep the photos and ideas coming guys. 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/
Kevin, nice opening pix. I'm glad the N scale S&G cars have a happy home.
Ed, the transition scene is blending together perfectly. I like the lights, at least in that shot.
TF, it's nice to revisit the viaduct. Makes me wish I could incorporate one in.
David, always lots of action. I'm guessing the grandkids worked that "healthy" VW bus into the scene?
Rick, I've come to think of you as "Mr Freightcar". That's a well deserved compliment.
John, may your cemetary rest in peace.
Allan, the only givaway that its a short coal drag is the 3000 HP on the point. Good looking none the less.
I hit the layout in rare form last night! as mentioned in the cutting PVC thread I modified a pipe joint to slip all the way over the pipe to use as a scribing guide...
Im not so sure about the size of the plates, but I'll figure that out later. But the scribing guide works. Inspired by Peter, BTW.
Then I planted this floating mine building in a Sculptamold base.
Then, on to do something with this eyesore.
It's a start.
THEN, all the gravel in this lot was added from the tracks to the edge of the layout, from the road in the foreground to about where the blue Impala is down there. About an HO acre!
Also some new gravel was worked in around the readymix WIP on the right, and the also WIP pre-cast plant on the left.
But wait! There's more!
The red cinder gravel got added to what sat as a white sculptamold lot for ages. In the real world, cinder is not an ideal parking lot, but this model matches it's prototype closely. Yeah, I'll fix that elevation gap in the blacktop.
I hope I didn't hog in too many pictures this week, but it was all progress from ONE night. I had been in a bit of a lull, and it feels great to be back. Dan
Mighty fine modeling, everyone!
Just some fellows working on the railroad while the Durango-Silverton way freight rolls by.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Kevin, Thanks for opening the WPF with your 'blast from the past.'
Ed, Liking your big city scene, the lighting really sets it off.
Dan, A good 'thinking cap' sure is handy, so too that piece of machinery you've got there.
Thanks to all the contributors and viewers. Have a safe weekend. Regards, Peter
"Take the cannoli."
HO-Velo Kevin, Thanks for opening the WPF with your 'blast from the past.' Ed, Liking your big city scene, the lighting really sets it off. Dan, A good 'thinking cap' sure is handy, so too that piece of machinery you've got there. Thanks to all the contributors and viewers. Have a safe weekend. Regards, Peter "Take the cannoli."
Excellent job. Before I even read the post, I knew right away the scene you were recreating.
The actor who played Clemenza ad libbed that line.
First of all thanks to all who have commented on my post!
Alan, Nice coal dray pictures, the backdrop was painted by one of our club members who sadly passed away before I joined. Another club member touched it up a lot after the distress to the layout when it had to be moved for the wall repair.
Dan, Good looking areas on the layout I like how you plates came out on the tank, I think they look good.
Peter, Nice scene but I don't know why people quote the Godfather so much, although I could quote many a Star Trek episode or movie.
Mike, That is a scene I don't think I ever saw before really nice.
John, Unusual scene, not many people model graveyards, but it looks good.
dti406John, Unusual scene, not many people model graveyards, ....
That's true! I did it because of the church. Out in my part of the country, virtually every older church has a cemetery.
If you're a member of the church, you get buried for free! (You still have to pay to have the grave opened, but you don't have to pay for the plot!)
Darn!! You gents are doing superb work as usual. Unfortunately, my modeling has gone to zero the past 3 months. It seems that fall from 1.5 years back has had sever, delayed after effects. Shortly following our return from Colorado in late October, the back treatment I had been receiving for quite a while really tee'd something off. I am unable to stand for more than 90seconds due to severe back pain and walking anywhere is forbidden. The latest MRI showed lotsa nasty stuff due to that fall and surgery will be required. "Workin' on the RR" is not possible as a result.
Hopefully, we can get this puppy fixed so's MR'ing will be fun again!!!
Don; Prez, CEO or whatever of the Wishram, Oregon and Western RR
Late Sunday update!
Thanks to everyone for the wonderful comments and compliments on my recent project!
TF, your stone arch bridge looks excellent. I'm reminded of an area here in Cleveland where the WPA had employed hundreds of stone masons to build arch bridges like yours. I love it when practical meets artistic beauty!
Your scenes are always superbly detailed, David. You capture the feel of the somewhat "cramped" surroundings I see in many of the areas of urban England. Bravo!
Excellent rolling stock, Rick. I don't recall ever seeing one of thode White House apple juice cars. Pretty neat. We used to buy their juics when I was a kid. I wonder just how many apples have to be crushed to fill a car like that with bottled juice?
I've "re-tinted" several LEDs like you mention, John. I'd like to get some Tamiya taillight tint paint to try. I've used Sharpie pens in tan/orange colors with success. Your cemetery looks great. I have one on my layout, too, also with a recent "tenant". Nice job!
I always like your NYC/PRR scenes, Alan. You, me and Rod Stewart have good tastes in choosing roads to model
Good call on scribing the pipe, Dan. I have a similar project on the "to-do" list. I have a surface gauge I'm going to use for scribing panel lines. Are you going to use Archer rivet decals? I plan to for a riveted tank. Nice scenery work on the Readymix plant! Amazing what you can get done when the motivation kicks in...
I like the details on your turntable scene, Mike.
I picked up on the canoli scene, too, Peter (actually doesn't he say "canolis") with the slight Italian accent?
Hope you get on the mend soon, Don. I had back surgery a while ago in '97. So far-so good.
Track fiddlerLooks like it's coming along well Ed. A lot of cool buildings going on in your city. Are they kits, kit-bashed, scratch built, a bit of each?
Mostly kitbashing, TF. Here's a look at some "slice & dice" on the Walthers Hardwood Furniture kit I chopped up:
City_building-fitup by Edmund, on Flickr
I thought I needed an entrance and shipping dock so I rearranged a few walls, blanked out two windows.
City_building-mods by Edmund, on Flickr
With a left-over wall section I'll incorporate it into a fancy wall:
City_wall-tracks by Edmund, on Flickr
I'm happy to finally be able to incorporate Miss Bettie's Diner into a scene!
City_Streets-Diner-PVA by Edmund, on Flickr
I bought one of these when they first came out (2005?) and "roughed it in" as I do with many structure kits.
I've since used the parts on other projects so I just bought another on eBay. I wanted the older, made in Denmark kit since the later releases use a much poorer grade of styrene.
City_Betty-Diner-PVA by Edmund, on Flickr
The diner will be front-center on this scene so will demand a great deal of detail work.
Southgate 2I hope I didn't hog in too many pictures this week, but it was all progress from ONE night. I had been in a bit of a lull, and it feels great to be back.
NO limit on photos, I say! Great Stuff
Thanks again everyone! Cheers, Ed
Thanks for the nice comments, was a fun diorama project. The lichen my daughter collected for me while hiking was just the ticket. Good cannoli is hard to come by, so too a 41' Packard 180 in 1:87. Paulie wouldn't be caught dead driving a 36' Ford sedan.
Tankertoad135, Wishing you the best and hoping your return to full hobby fun is speedy.
Thanks again and regards, Peter
dti406Mike, That is a scene I don't think I ever saw before really nice.
Rick (and Ed),
Thanks for the kind comments. That's the turntable at Tefft, probably the most changed area of the layout over the years. Now it the snow fighting base and home of Nine Lives Cat House, where they keep your dozer fixed using economical rail transport out of the field directly to their shop.
That crew is actually attached to a small plastic frame that fits over the rails. That way I can always throw them out somewhere and so can have instant MOW track out of service fun. Idea I picked up from some relatively recent magazine article.
Here's a pic looking in almost the opposite direction. That's the entrance to the dozer shop and loading dock and coal bins at Mable's General store in the background. The track behind everything is the grade at the beginning of the Cascade Branch.
This pic gives some perspective. No coal bins behind Mable's yet. The turntable is out of sight to the right. The brown enginehouse I scratchbuilt when I was 16. The dozer shop is being fitted in the scene, still under construction. The Cascade branch had not yet been lengthened to the right in this pic, which helped lessen the grade on what had been an old logging branch.
Excellent contributions by everyone. No wonder they say this is the best thread of the week.
Thank you for the kind comments on my photographs.
Leeds Sovereign Street & Clarence Dock is a simple, fun layout to build and operate.
See you next weekend.
Good morning
Enjoyed all the fine craftsmanship displayed here as always. Thanks for every ones contributions and kind comments as well
gmpullman HOW is it possible the weekend is here again already! This year is blowing right by Thanks for setting things up for us, Kevin and for sharing the vintage view! I don't recall where I left off on the "City Planning last week. Thanks to everyone for the encouraging compliments, especially TF who got a chance to see an overall view of (half) the layout! Here's another aeroplane view of a possible building layout. I have already put down the "Genesis" board on the far side of the tracks. This stuff makes a perfectly smooth and flat working surface. City_Streets-OH by Edmund, on Flickr So far I like the way things are shaping up — City_Streets by Edmund, on Flickr City_Streets-E by Edmund, on Flickr I had stockpiled a bunch of the Walthers street lights years ago but now I'm second guessing which light poles to use. As much as I like the Cornerstone ones they are pretty dim incandescent lamps. I might go with the Woodland Scenics LED design? Choices and options... below are the Woodland Scenics ones. IMG_3238_fix_web by Edmund, on Flickr Looks like it is our turn to catch a bit of lake-effect snow. Only about 5-6 inches forecast but good train weather just the same On to more great stuff, folks! Cheers, Ed
What is genesis board? I'm not familiar with it.
Sean, the unknown train travler,
Wanted to say great modeling by everyone. Makes me jealous. I am getting things together to build a layout,. But I can't where I'm living due to size of the place. Also I'll be buying a house outside of California where I'm living and will be moving so I don't want to do any major building on a track layout.
traintravlerWhat is genesis board? I'm not familiar with it.
It is a type of PVC board typically used for lay-in ceiling tile.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Genesis-Common-24-in-x-24-in-Actual-23-75-in-x-23-75-in-Smooth-Pro-White-Smooth-15-16-in-Drop-Tile-Ceiling-Tiles/50022198
I first discovered it when contractors were installing it where I worked at the time. I was happy to have permission to take home all the scraps and left over pieces I wanted.
It is easy to cut, takes all types of glue, can easily be shaped by cutting or filing especially with a Stanley-type surform file. It is lightweight and reasonably stiff but can also contour to elevation changes.
Here you can see it where I used it as a base under the roundhouse:
RH_rail1 by Edmund, on Flickr
It is especially useful for making a base for paving or anywhere you would want a smooth surface. It is also a handy material for making floors and walls in structures. It is slightly under 1/8" in thickness and can be found in both 2' x 2' or 2' x 4' panels at most home building centers.
Regards, Ed
Ed, thanks for the info,. Would it be good as a road bed under the tracks? I probably would use it instead of the extruded foam insulation boards.
Sean, I don't know about it being good for roadbed.
I used this in a basement bathroom ceiling. It is PVC and will not absorb water, so it's a good application for that.
It is fairly hard and rigid, so I don't know if I would want to use it for roadbed.
Gotcha
incandescents.
alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)
York1Sean, I don't know about it being good for roadbed. I used this in a basement bathroom ceiling. It is PVC
John (and Sean),
I don't know either. But I have used Genesis board for a few things. It's great stuff, but a bit different to work with. Seems to have a skin, then the heart of it can seem a bit chalky. It's fire rated, so I suspect that has something to do with that texture.
But it's all plastic, more or less, with the skin being the most plasticky. Might be worth checking out to see if a spike will set in it and hold relatively easily. And lots of people glue or putty down track and it should be suitable for that. If so then it could work.
It's pretty stiff, but I suspect would need the same support as wood, just could be much lighter and more than strong enough if done all in Genesis board.