WPF June 6, 08

[C&O Fan]

My newest loco a Bachman 2-8-0 DCC with Tsunami sound get's pressed into service

pulling the 2 car local from Thurmond to Mt Hope

[C&O Fan]

Still playing with Mirrors (see last week's WPF for details).. My contributions this week:

Wabash # 1104 with 1104A in the lead crossing the bascule bridge out of the yard.

 

Wabash class O-1 4-8-4 #2907, same bridge

 

 

I like the idea and the use of a mirror is very clever but why not just set the camera on the track and take the photo

[twhite]

Wow Tom I really love that Loco

you can almost feel it breathing

What's the loco at the top left in the background ?

 

Terry--Thanks.  She's proving to be quite the puller, too.  If she's like my other PFM's, the 'grinding' will go away once she's worked in a while.  I honestly think I'm the first owner she's had that ever has RUN her!  It's caused from their rather strange articulated reduction gearing. 

The loco in the background is an Oriental Limited "Powerhouse" USRA-style 2-8-8-2 modeled after the Rio Grande's 3500 series from the early 1920's.  It's a combination of cast metal and brass.  Not really highly detailed, but a very smooth loco and so quiet all you can hear is the rods clanking. 

Tom

[Driline]

 

This week's pictures are of my completed high current decoder adapter.  This is something I designed to allow me to DCC control my layout lighting, not draw power from the track (i.e. use an external power source), provides fixed DC voltage for Tortoises, and provide multiple lighting circuits for buildings.  This version has a much higher current rating than my original unit (up to 10A vs. 3A).  I am powering mine right now with a Magna Force MF615 for a 6A output limit.  An old power pack of transformer will also work.  It also has the variable output for interior building lighting that is controlled by the throttle setting and I added a second on/off section for exterior building lights and street lighting.  F0 and F1 each control independent on/off outputs.  Lastly, the fixed and switched voltage ranges are adjustable within a range, by selecting a value for R5.  No more stacking diodes to adjust the voltage on the fixed voltage regulator. 

Here's the schematic:

And a few pictures of my unit during construction.

 

Impressive. You might want to think about selling this concept to NCE, Digitrax or maybe Tony's Train Exchange, and make a little "coin" on the side.

[C&O Fan]

Another shot of the New Kid on the Block, a PFM Rio Grande L-131 2-8-8-2 fresh out of the paint shop.  She's a little 'grindy', but you'd be too, if you hadn't been run since about 1970, LOL!

Snip

Wow Tom I really love that Loco

you can almost feel it breathing

What's the loco at the top left in the background ?

[modelmaker51]

 

This week's pictures are of my completed high current decoder adapter.  This is something I designed to allow me to DCC control my layout lighting, not draw power from the track (i.e. use an external power source), provides fixed DC voltage for Tortoises, and provide multiple lighting circuits for buildings.  This version has a much higher current rating than my original unit (up to 10A vs. 3A).  I am powering mine right now with a Magna Force MF615 for a 6A output limit.  An old power pack of transformer will also work.  It also has the variable output for interior building lighting that is controlled by the throttle setting and I added a second on/off section for exterior building lights and street lighting.  F0 and F1 each control independent on/off outputs.  Lastly, the fixed and switched voltage ranges are adjustable within a range, by selecting a value for R5.  No more stacking diodes to adjust the voltage on the fixed voltage regulator. 

Here's the schematic:

OOOOH! I want one of these! Cool gadget.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 

[jbinkley60]

 

This week's pictures are of my completed high current decoder adapter.  This is something I designed to allow me to DCC control my layout lighting, not draw power from the track (i.e. use an external power source), provides fixed DC voltage for Tortoises, and provide multiple lighting circuits for buildings.  This version has a much higher current rating than my original unit (up to 10A vs. 3A).  I am powering mine right now with a Magna Force MF615 for a 6A output limit.  An old power pack of transformer will also work.  It also has the variable output for interior building lighting that is controlled by the throttle setting and I added a second on/off section for exterior building lights and street lighting.  F0 and F1 each control independent on/off outputs.  Lastly, the fixed and switched voltage ranges are adjustable within a range, by selecting a value for R5.  No more stacking diodes to adjust the voltage on the fixed voltage regulator. 

Here's the schematic:

And a few pictures of my unit during construction.

 

[O_Kamoto]

 Alright guys, hope you can see this,  to see more got to the Dixie Model Railroad website.

 

 

 

 BTW...   The ore train is 140 cars and that is the head end in the background.

-Dave

[rolleiman]

Still playing with Mirrors (see last week's WPF for details).. My contributions this week:

Wabash # 1104 with 1104A in the lead crossing the bascule bridge out of the yard.

 

Wabash class O-1 4-8-4 #2907, same bridge

 

[Robby P.]

Great stuff this weekend.  I don't have good lighting yet over the layout.  Rather spend my money on some cars or the wallet killer GAS!!!!   I will try to get some tomorrow, or even the layout plan.  I was going with a shelf layotu, but I have so much room I will probably do a 12ft by 4ft and a 12ft by 4ft.  Kinda like a bid rectangle.  Probably be more fun than a shelf layout.  It wouldn't be hard to do at all.  I will try to get some shots thou.

[fireman216]

To all this weekend....I'm jealous...

[mikelhh]

  Thankyou Tom!  I'd gladly make room for some of your steamers Love that first shot especially.

   The algae was? were? done with acrylic paint before I poured the varnish. I think I have an old overhead photo of it somewhere if you're interested. It doesn't look as good from overhead, but I'm happy with how it works from water level.

 

 Mike 

edit: it was a crummy photo - I'll take a better one soon when I have time 

[twhite]

 Love the mist, Grampy's pics and those SP locos.

   An HO P2K B&M S1 makes an appearance on the OO scale UK side of my layout.

 

 

 Mike 

Mike, that shot is just BEAUTIFUL!  How on earth did you get the algae in the stream?  Really superb modeling!!

Tom

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Wow, Tom .......I'm impressed.....green with envy........

[twhite]

Another shot of the New Kid on the Block, a PFM Rio Grande L-131 2-8-8-2 fresh out of the paint shop.  She's a little 'grindy', but you'd be too, if you hadn't been run since about 1970, LOL!

Another 'newcomer', an ex Salt Lake 2-6-6-0 bringing a short string of cattle cars through Wagon Wheel Gap.  She'll spot some of them here to pick up stock from high-country pasturage before the snows set in.  In fact, the loco was rushed out here to California so fast that she doesn't even have her number (3370) put in on the boiler front, yet.  Talk about power shortages on the Rio Grande in 1947! 

 

Here she is spotting the cars at Wagon Wheel Gap.  She'll take the rest of the train up to Sierra City and pick up some more stock, then bring the whole bunch back down to Deer Creek and the lower Sierra Ranches.  October can sometimes bring an early snow to the high mountain meadows around 6,000 feet.

Tom

[mikelhh]

 Love the mist, Grampy's pics and those SP locos.

   An HO P2K B&M S1 makes an appearance on the OO scale UK side of my layout.

 

 

 Mike 

[jacon12]

    Hi all: Thanks for the kind words.  JaRRell, I really like the train coming up out of the mist.  How'd you do that?  Garry, great shot, I like the humor of the crows being attracted to the scary crow!  And, that corn looks so real, I'd like to pull a half doz. ears for dinner tonite!

DJ, it a 'fog' effect that is applied in Photoshop.  Not real hard to do but does take some time to get it right so that it looks believable, otherwise it just looks kinda funny.

Jarrell 

[SD60M]

Here is my newest locomotive BN SD60M #9250 getting ready to emerge from Big Bed Tunnel with a train of empty coal cars!

Its only fitting you have a SD60m, sound or no sound?

tjsingle

Sound! Athearn has done a heck of a job on the 60M it looks better than my kato SD70MAC!

[Tjsingle]

Here is my newest locomotive BN SD60M #9250 getting ready to emerge from Big Bed Tunnel with a train of empty coal cars!

Its only fitting you have a SD60m, sound or no sound?

tjsingle

[SD60M]

Here is my newest locomotive BN SD60M #9250 getting ready to emerge from Big Bed Tunnel with a train of empty coal cars!

[Tjsingle]

An Alco meet on the bridge..  .  Mean while, is he daydreaming, fishing, both?  .  West bound engineer's view of Stoney Creek. 

Always liked your layout :D

Tjsingle

[Brian M]

Thanks - it is HO, and the figures are from Preiser, with some slight repainting - you'll see that the July 2008 MR front cover features a few Preiser figures too.

 Brian

[mononguy63]

I finally got my caboose "fleet" into service

Still need to get my hands on a sheet of number decals.

Aside from the fact that I found no evidence that the Monon ever owned any cabs of these types, these are very prototypical. The layout of their caboose markings tended to vary with the whims of whoever was doing the painting, so from that perspective my modeling is spot on!

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

    Hi all: Thanks for the kind words.  JaRRell, I really like the train coming up out of the mist.  How'd you do that?  Garry, great shot, I like the humor of the crows being attracted to the scary crow!  And, that corn looks so real, I'd like to pull a half doz. ears for dinner tonite!

Many thanks... The corn is a Busch product listed in Walthers catalog.

[loathar]

  JaRRell, I really like the train coming up out of the mist.  How's you do that? 

That's just an MRC decoder shorting out and starting to smoke.

Seriously, excellent start to WPF this week!!!

[Grampys Trains]

    Hi all: Thanks for the kind words.  JaRRell, I really like the train coming up out of the mist.  How'd you do that?  Garry, great shot, I like the humor of the crows being attracted to the scary crow!  And, that corn looks so real, I'd like to pull a half doz. ears for dinner tonite!

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Garry--

I really like that shot.  But I still say that you placed your ineffective scarecrow to scare the TRAINS, LOL! 

Tom

Yes, Tom. The little GE unit was a big U28B until being scared into a 44 ton switcher.

[Wikious]

Brian- If that's HO scale, where on earth did your club find those figures?

[Anonymous]

Brian; are those O scale? They look really heavy! Great photo!