WPF...July 3-6, 2008

[Rotorranch]

A couple of recent additions to the railroad here.

I was at the local car show at the White Castle this weekend, and this was the first time I caught them on camera.

Rotor

[Packers#1]

Great photos this weekend. Lookin' forward to the next one.

[wmshay06]

Thanks for the comments - much appreciated.  The trick I've found with fall colors is to avoid strong colors remembering that except for a short period each fall green colors still dominate the scene.  BTW, each 'tree-let' in the scene starts as bits of super trees - there's gotta be 100-150 of these covering the hillside so far. 

The Mike kit-bash was great fun - the most diffcult parts were the tender conversion and building the air pump + shield on the pilot deck.

 

Charles

[loathar]

Really nice color in that photo Charles

Yeah! REAL nice! I normally hate fall colors on a layout, but those look really good.

[twhite]

Grampys--

I kinda sorta thought that was an ME bridge--but I like the way you combined the kits really well.  Those ME towers are something else, aren't they?  Funny thing, after you get the first tower built, the rest of them go together relatively quick.  That's a lovely job! 

Charles--

That's a beautiful shot.  Like Garry, I think the colors are remarkable in the photo.  And that's a really NICE kit-bash on the loco.  Isn't kit-bashing fun, though?  Especially when the result is as handsome as yours. 

Tom

[Blue Flamer]

Hi Blue Flamer: Thanks for the kind words.  We were in the Sharbot Lake area of Ontario. Our friends from St. Catherines have a trailer on a lake that begins with a K. They do have a telephone, but it's a land line. There is no cell phone reception there. I suppose they could get dial up there, but it's nice to get away from all the contraptions. Besides, we were too busy fishing to use the net, pun intended! BTW, a belated happy Canada Day, we celebrated with our Canadian friends.

Hey G. T.

Thanks for the wishes for Canada Day. I posted mine to all our friends south of the border on one of the other threads.

Glad that you had a good time and hope that you caught a couple of good meals. My problem is that when I go fishing, all I catch is overhead branches and submerged logs and in one instance as a kid, an old wooden railroad trestle that we were fishing from. (Really. I had to keep it RR related. Didn't I???) It was safe to be on it as it was on an old abandoned line.

Anyway, you are right. You didn't need any distractions when you have more enjoyable things to while away your time.

Blue Flamer. 

[C&O Fan]

Really nice color in that photo Charles

[wmshay06]

Its early Monday am..so I hope this counts...

Took time from installing trees on the 'long hill' at Hawks Nest to limber up the C&O K-8 #2360

It started life as a BLI light Mike, with some new details and a tender swap.

 

Charles

[Grampys Trains]

Hi Blue Flamer: Thanks for the kind words.  We were in the Sharbot Lake area of Ontario. Our friends from St. Catherines have a trailer on a lake that begins with a K. They do have a telephone, but it's a land line. There is no cell phone reception there. I suppose they could get dial up there, but it's nice to get away from all the contraptions. Besides, we were too busy fishing to use the net, pun intended! BTW, a belated happy Canada Day, we celebrated with our Canadian friends.

[Grampys Trains]

Hi Tom: Thanks, the viaduct was from Micro Engineering, and the deck bridge was from ME, as well. It seemed like the viaduct had a million small pieces, but with time and patience,and pretty good instructions, it eventually came together.

[Blue Flamer]

Hi all: Just got back from a week in Canada, no internet up North. 

Grampy.

I just love to see pictures of your Layout. Very well done.

As for your remark about there being no Internet up here in the Great White North, I must take exception. Unless you were way out in the Boonies, most people up here can get on the internet. Some places out in the country can't get Hi Speed because of the old phone lines, but if they have a phone line, they can get Dial Up. I live in Toronto and I have Hi Speed. The only problem is that Ma Bell rips us off to the tune of $50.00 a month + taxes for the priviledge.

Thanks to all who contributed all the great photo's this weekend. Well done everyone.

Blue Flamer. 

[twhite]

Grampys--

That's just BEAUTIFUL!!!   As a Bonafide Bridge Freak, how did you build that viaduct?  That's one handsome structure!

Tom

[Grampys Trains]

Hi all: Just got back from a week in Canada, no internet up North.  Here's a pair of Alcos crossing the chasm.     

[4-6-6-4 Challenger]

These were partially lit with the new and partially light with the old 2700k.

What great shots howmus.  I love that coaling tower

[P & LE RR]

 Got around to installing my scratch built plastic pellet silos this weekend.

 

[tomkat-13]

Here are some more signs + 2 background buildings. You can click on image to enlarge & then print the signs.

 

 

 

Here are some billboards I started.

[twhite]

Tom

 

Looking really good Tom

Although it looks like you have some tree repair work to do looks like a few got topped with all the rock work going on

Terry--

You're right, I DID lose some top branches, didn't I? 

Uh, how about I blame it on HO scale Pine Beetles?

BTW, nice work with the air-brush.  I envy you, I have NEVER gotten the hang of using one of those thingies. 

Tom

[C&O Fan]

First attempt at weathering with my new air brush

Car on the left {Southern} was done with a very heavy coat of dust

car in the middle was medium ,car on the right light and the car on top has none

I think they need an over coat of mud because it looks like too much white

 

 

Also attempted to paint a couple of heavy weight passenger cars

[C&O Fan]

I just found out that my Photoshop editing allows you to turn a color photo into a B&W one--DUH! 

Anyway, here's the same shot of Bassett's Station near the top of Yuba Pass, only in B&W.

 

I kind of like B&W.  I think I'll do some more.

Tom

 

Looking really good Tom

Although it looks like you have some tree repair work to do looks like a few got topped with all the rock work going on

[Phoebe Vet]

I just found out that my Photoshop editing allows you to turn a color photo into a B&W one--DUH! 

Anyway, here's the same shot of Bassett's Station near the top of Yuba Pass, only in B&W.

 

I kind of like B&W.  I think I'll do some more.

Tom

 

If you look on the "actions" pallet you will find an action that will convert it to sepia tone, too.

It is not a requirement that you make it B&W first.

[jep1267]

I'm busy with my structure project.

 Wolfgang

I don't think I'm alone when I say, I want to see more shots of your interior work....very nice! 

edit: Doh! what a dope I am I just noticed the link. Thanks! 

 

 

[mj3200]

Kadee close coupling Proto 2000 E8 conversion.

I'm delighted with the results!!

Before....

After...

 

[myowngod]

Yeh Tomkat, Thanks for the signs.  I put themin my sign file right away.

Jon, those chicago pix look great.  I love some of the details you added to the buildings.

Lee, the hoppers look great.

 

[jon grant]

Jon-I love that cross over track work next to the two white tank cars in your last pic! I assume that's custom hand laid??

Loathar, I wish I had the skill and patience to build it myself, but it is actually a Peco code 75 double slip, and there is an identical 'twin'

(photo taken a month ago, hence the lack of scenery)

Jon

[loathar]

Jon-I love that cross over track work next to the two white tank cars in your last pic! I assume that's custom hand laid??

tomkat-13-Thanks a bunch for the signs!

[wm3798]

During the 1960's, WM had a program that rebuilt 55ton fishbellies into 66 ton cars at their shops at Elkins.  Basically, they added two panels to lengthen the car, and modified the slope sheets. It was still a two bay car. I'm working out the details of how to more accurately represent that.

There were several classes based on the rebuild dates, H-21, H-24, H-27 and H-28. Info and pictures are available in the WM Color Guide by Jack Brown. The cars lasted well into the Chessie era, including many in Chessie paint.

I recently received a bunch of surplus N scale Atlas 55t hoppers, so I started working out how to modify the cars to get a car (or 12!) to represent the rebuilt series WM cars.  It takes 3 of the stock Atlas cars to build two of the 66 tonners.

Here's the more or less finished product...

I completed the second car today, and it's a lot better than the first. I also moved the hopper bays on both of them.

The decaling is a little neater this time, but I'm still getting something of a "fat film" effect in the close ups. The car looks fine under normal viewing conditions.

Here's the end markings.

I laid out the artwork on my computer, and farmed out the decal printing to a guy with an Alps printer. I've got enough lettering to do 16 cars, but my immediate goal is to do 12.

Once again, a touch of weathering will help even things out a bit. But overall, I'm really happy with the outcome of this project. Just need to build 10 more!

Lee

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Nice work everybody!

Tomkat-13 ... that was a good idea to post the signs

Here's an Eastbound train....

[tomkat-13]

You can click on image to enlarge & then you can print the signs.

[jon grant]

I've been dabbling with some before-and-after photos of Sweethome Chicago to show the differences made over the past couple of months. Here's a selection

Before

 

After

Before

 

After

 

Jon