Living the dream.
Hello everyone, and welcome to a pre-Halloween weekend!
This week my share is something really nifty.
My Uncle in New York City was going through some stuff from my Grandmother's house in Orlando from when she passed away in 1989. He found a roll of 24 slides on 35mm film that had "Kevin's Trains" written on the roll.
He sent me the roll of film that had never been developed. I took it to Colonial Photo And Hobby in Orlando, and they processed, restored, and digitized the 40 year old roll of film.
Wow, there are pictures of me from 10th grade in 1982 with the very first STRATTON AND GILLETTE layout. I was amazed that these could be saved.
I am so thrilled to have these pictures.
Actually, this is Pre-SGRR. The 2-6-0 locomotive still wears NEW YORK CENTRAL lettering.
It looks like I was already trying my hand at weathering. Look at that unlettered caboose. Maybe SGRR decals had been ordered already.
This is a pretty good view of some of my very first scratch-built structures. Not too bad for a teenager in N scale if I do say so myself.
To have these pictures was 100% worth the expense of having the old roll of film professionally processed. This is a thrill.
Now, if only my Uncle can turn up some pictures of the Dream House layout... I can hope.
I am looking forward to seeing everyone's photographs this weekend.
-Kevin
Thanks for starting WPF Kevin.
I find it fascinating looking at old film or pictures that mean something. A great looking S&GRR layout.
Some people already know I rewired the layout so three operators could run trains. Here is the Clarence Dock controller and some scenery added. A simple conntroller the grandchildren can use.
IMG_2461 by David Harrison, on Flickr
Youngest grandson in charge.
IMG_2464 by David Harrison, on Flickr
Dawn bought a box of 'flickering' tealights for Christmas. I borrowed two.
Wyndham Farm. A little too bright, so some work to dim the light.
IMG_2465 (2) by David Harrison, on Flickr
Another light at Leeds Sovereign Street Station Building.
IMG_2466 (2) by David Harrison, on Flickr
The lights are on a timer to come on in the evening. They are not expensive, so I have asked Dawn to buy me a box.
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 sunny and cool Northeast Ohio!
Kevin, thanks for starting us out, really like your old pictures, I have some like that when I was travelling for Harley-Davidson that were never developed, I need to do that also.
David, nice you could make the electrical changes so your grandchildren could run some of the trains, also nice looking lighting effects.
Here is what I got done this week:
First up, another modified Athearn 2 bay ribbed hopper with Pikestuff Panels added, then painted with Scalecoat II Black Paint and lettered with Mark Vaughn's Wabash decals. The Wabash converted a lot of their USRA hoppers with new panel sides and then build new higher capacity cars as time went on, this is one of the new cars and was used in coal mines in southern Illinois. Cars were done with different sizes of the word Wabash, this is one of the earlier smaller lettering.
Next a Branchline 50' ARR Boxcar kit with A-Line sill steps to replicate the PRR class X44 boxcars. Car was painted with Scalecoat II PRR freight car red paint and lettered with Greg Komars decals. This car was in auto parts service to various Ford assembly plants from the parts supplier plant.
The start of another Tangent 86' Hi-Cube boxcar kit!
Some Wabash Power, a GP35, C424 (B Unit) and U25B on a general freight running 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!
Hello all!
Kevin: great pictures from the past. I have zero pictures from my first layout, and I wish I had some.
David: It must be very satisfying to have a layout that is appreciated by the grand kids.
Rick: Your work on your rolling stock continues to impress me.
Two projects, captured on the picture below, have been keeping me busy these last few weeks. Scenery work is continuing. Once the terrain is completed, I will start adding grasses, shrubs and trees. My second project is an HOn3 Shay kit. I decided to stop buying kits until one is completed, and this was one sitting on the top end of the shelf. I ran into a lot of challenges, including a broken gear, a motor replacement, and a few missing parts (thank god I had another incomplete kit purchased for parts). These kits are getting hard to find NIB... The mechanical issues are now all ironed out and she runs smoothly. Noisy, but smoothly . I will start detailing today.
Simon
IMG_20221027_121135 on Flickr
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Great Stuff this weekend (LAST of October!) Thanks for getting things set up, Kevin.
What a great surprise to find those vintage photos!
Somehow I got schmoozed into buying a few more tank cars I knew I'd get in trouble by signing up for Tangent Models notifications
Union Starch_8000-tank-fix by Edmund, on Flickr
I'll have a Cities Service station on my layout so I must have a tank car, too (my justification):
Cities_Service-8000gal by Edmund, on Flickr
And the Anchor insulated car just looked too neat to pass up:
Anchor-insulated by Edmund, on Flickr
One who is wiser than I once said... You can never have too many tank cars —
Tanks-chemical by Edmund, on Flickr
And I had to agree!
In the shop this week I was somehow in the mood for a few speaker/decoder upgrades on the locomotive roster.
PRR_L1-BLI-guts by Edmund, on Flickr
The above Pennsy L1 had a Paragon 3 decoder in it that just wasn't quite measuring up plus I wanted to install a Scale Sound Systems speaker. All that junk in the foreground got ripped out, most of it related to the smoke unit.
PRR_L1-DCC by Edmund, on Flickr
The larger SSS speaker sure sounds great! Big improvement over the tinny BLI speakers.
While I was at it I tackled an old QSI GG1 and an Erie Lackawanna F7 B unit.
PRR_GG1-4903 old guts by Edmund, on Flickr
EL_B DCC Speaker by Edmund, on Flickr
I sure enjoy the improvement a better decoder and speaker combination provides for these engines.
Cheers, Ed
Kevin, thanks for starting us out. Fun to see photos from the distant past.
David: Looks like your grandson is enjoying the new throttle
Rick: Away amazed at your output. Really like that hopper.
Simon: Looks like a ghost Shay moving through a hazy scene. Sounds like it was a fun project.
Ed: Your tank cars reminded me that I need more for my layout. Have to look into those Tangent cars. Looks like you were busy also.
Photos for this week:
Steam engines for CNW filling up on coal and water at the FonduLac yard.
On the Miwaukee in Plymouth, the local Alco Rs-1 switch engine pulls cars from the freighthouse tracks.
You can see the new low background in the previous photo and in this arial photo. It covers the 2 staging tracks behind it but still allow access if there is a problem. Need to do more painting to blend it into the backdrop.
Have a great Halloween weekend everyone.
Scott Sonntag
I had an operating session on the 25th...
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Kevin, Thanks for the WPF start, nice when old photos turn-up, like finding buried treasure.
Thanks to all the contributors and viewers. Have a good weekend, a Happy Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. Regards, Peter
Good stuff everyone! Kevin, your early attempts look really good for a kid. I'm glad I don't have pix of my first abomination, and its horrific scractcbuilt structures!
Well perhaps a stretch, but I've been SO busy lately! Got the house painted, and went straigt to work getting ready to prep a couple cars I sold to the same buyer, 2 Plymouth Valients. The ex Southern Pacific crane truck (thus a kinda RR equipment related photo?) is poised ready to load the ol' parts car on the buyer's trailer tomorrow. There's also a good runner in far better shape.
I hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow (Sunday) Maybe some action pix too. Dan
Thanks Kevin for the start to WPF. Finding old photos is like finding memories. Great find!
David - As always great photos. I have a few similar photos of my grandsons operating the BRVRR. And on of my grand daughter doing the same. They are posted on my website.
Rick -Great looking cars as usual. Love the blue and white WABASH locos.
Simon - A good looking Shay. I have a three-truck Shay that we rarely run as it is so delicate and fussy. Noisy too!
Bear - Good one! Though I don't see any smoke.
Ed - I know how you feel about tank cars. I've been bitten by the bug too. I also have a thing for VIRGINIAN hoppers.
Scott - the 'low background' is a great idea.
Mark P - The layout is obviously a work in progress. It really gonna be something.
Peter - A fitting tribute to the day of lost souls.
Dan - Good luck with the trailer loading. Looks to be close to the maximum for the crane truck.
Not much new on the BRVRR lately. Accomplished a little maintenence on some long neglected locos. PRR 5501 is newly lubricated and test run:
Keep the photos and ideas cominng 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/
I started ith t his. thinking, it needed more work. but it didnt paint and a few pieces.Turned into this, n ew paintg and brake wheels. not much
Now working on this old mantua brass bobber. right now it is in pieces and needs stripping and some straightening of pieces and resoldering in spots. new couplers. others wise in good shape
Shane
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
Thanks to everyone that contributed.
I have a lot of comments I would like to make, but I do not have time. I am working on the ceilingin what will be the master bedroom.
There was a lot of really great stuff, and I appreciate the effort in making this thread wonderful.
Also... I appreciate all the kind comments on the SGRR layout #1 pictures that I posted.
Had fun catching up with WPF over coffee this morning.
As always, Great looking stuff here guys!
TF