I know I'm late, but it is still the weekend!!! As always, great modeling being shown here.... I always like this thread.
What few minutes I have had to do any modeling this week have been sp-ent working on "Milo Mills" on the SLOW. I am in progress (these are not at all finished) vreating a couple of at grade crossings. One for the road that goes from the main part of town (not modeled) over to the train station and some other buildings (to be done at a future time). The other is for the cattle in the pasture on the hilside to allow the cattle to get back home for milking....
These are so new, the glue on the gravel is still drying......
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
tbdanny: Thanks for your comments on the Kitwood Hill turntable - sounds like just what I need. Your creek area looks like it will make a great scene.
Mike
Looking forward to the up coming NMRA Lone Star Region convention the first of the month The star is the Hotel since I am close by at # 16
I should get a fare number of visitors
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TerryinTexas
See my Web Site Here
http://conewriversubdivision.yolasite.com/
gmpullman TBDanny, That's always been a challenge to keep enough free aisle space but still have functionality for stuff like throttles and switch-lists. Painting the fascia sounds like it will be a pretty involved project!
TBDanny, That's always been a challenge to keep enough free aisle space but still have functionality for stuff like throttles and switch-lists. Painting the fascia sounds like it will be a pretty involved project!
I tried to take up as little of the aisle space as possible, while providing sufficient space to allow the extra turntable tracks. It helps that my layout is a 'U' shape, so even with the extension in place, there's still at least 1m to the other side of the aisle.
middleman tbdanny: I like your turntable area,and that's a good looking collection of small steamers. Is that a Kitwood Hill turntable? I'm thinking of getting their 65 ft. version for my layout.Any thoughts you have on yours would be appreciated
tbdanny: I like your turntable area,and that's a good looking collection of small steamers. Is that a Kitwood Hill turntable? I'm thinking of getting their 65 ft. version for my layout.Any thoughts you have on yours would be appreciated
Thanks . Kitbashing and scratchbuilding locos and rolling stock is one of my favourite parts of the hobby.
That is a Kitwood Hill turntable. It was the third kit I tried, and the first one that was foolproof enough for me to make it work reliably and smoothly. I've not had any problems with it. It's designed for use with DCC+Sound equipped models and has constant track power. You'll need an auto-reverser for it. On top of this, the turntable bridge does lift off the mechanism for easy access to the pit for cleaning and scenicing.
I've also finished off the turntable extension.
I painted and ballasted the track, then installed perspex around the outside to protect the engines from errant elbows.
With that done, I was able to put the engines where they belonged. Now all I've got to do is build the final engine, which will be a road-switcher type diesel based on an Athearn Blue Box chassis. Then I'll have a full fleet.
While I was working on the layout, I took the chance to add a couple of other things.
This area, which will become a creek, is the lowest point on my fascia. In fact, it's a little too low. As such, having the perspex in place allows me to bring the plaster and resin for the creek up a little bit.
I also added trim around the top of the layout, painted blue to match the sky colour of the backdrop. This serves to hide some of the framework which supports the layout lighting.
The Location: Forests of the Pacific Northwest, OregonThe Year: 1948The Scale: On30The Blog: http://bvlcorr.tumblr.com
I have made a wee bit of progress on my tow motor. I finally got it painted tonight.
For those of you who have been following my tow motor project I apologise for things going very slowly. As you are aware, it took a while to find a suitably small decoder. The decoder is now on order and should be here in a week or so if my past experience with the UK mail service is any indication. Once I have the decoder in hand the rest should go quickly, although I'm still waiting for a rotary beacon that was ordered six weeks ago. I suspect it has been lost so I ordered another one just in case. Doing the final wiring will be really fussy! There are 3 LEDs to hook up and very little space for the wires.
More excellent work from those who have contributed since my last post by the way!
Cheers all,
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Well I got one of the last pieces of benchwork in place all with the subroadbed. This are (~6x8') will be for the Coors Brewery. It is the largest industry on the layout and has a dedicated switching crew.
I'm going to have to redo some of the upper level fascia to match the new stuff since i put it before i got the framework in.
Colorado Front Range Railroad: http://www.coloradofrontrangerr.com/
I created something of a "Back-to-the-Future" moment tonight
Bear, Thanks for the WPF start and time machine shot.
Plenty of WPF goodness and motivation this week and lots of great tips!
Guy, Nice show of modeling courage and perseverance, nice result too. Sometimes the old quip "if you're scared go home," applies to modeling.
NittanyLion, Those HI-Cubes are nice. Your MDC hi-side gon and rrpicturearchives link are motivating, I have one such gon and now have some direction on how to treat it.
Dr. Wayne, Your brick mortar is terrific! After several failed experiments applying mortar I threw in the towel, or should I say trowel.
Springtime chores are biting into the modeling time, but completed the Shapeways 3D printed gas pumps. Steve Hunter's suggestion of removing printing wax from the FUD parts with Simple Green worked well, so too the use of acrylic paint.
Thanks to all and regards, Peter
Ed and Dave: Thanks for the kind words.I'm very impressed with the Tsunami2 steam version.Easy to program,remap functions, etc.,and just plain fun to run. Dave,been following along with your latest project,looks like you've settled on a decoder.I enjoy seeing what you do with the very small critters,but it makes me glad I'm in O scale now!
Ed: Those big old industrial buildings are a lot of work,but certainly worth it. Looking forward to seeing it on your layout. That headlight is a great touch.
Dr.Wayne: Beautiful work,as expected.
tbdanny: I like your turntable area,and that's a good looking collection of small steamers. Is that a Kitwood Hill turntable? I'm thinking of getting their 65 ft. version for my layout.Any thoughts you have on yours would be appreciated.
fender777: Your layout seems nicely,er,laid out.If you have plans for some type of overhead lighting,it'd probably be easier now than later.
Hello, Wayne
For some reason I can hear Yogi Berra saying "It's deja vu all over again"
https://yogiberramuseum.org/just-for-fun/yogisms/
Your work is an inspiration for all modelers, seasoned or novice! I was "on-the-fence" about working mortar into those joints but after seeing your results, and the beautiful job Walthers did in rendering the brick work, it would be a shame not to.
My brick color is half Milwaukee Road Orange and NYC Pacemaker Red (Polyscale) but the color doesn't seem to show correctly in the photo.
Thanks for sharing your excellent work...
Regards, Ed
Great contributions by all, and a real flying start to this weekend's edition.
gmpullman...Early in the week I planned to start masking the big P.O. building. After several attempts with various sizes and types of masking tape the job was getting bogged down, FAST! So, I stepped back and decided I had everything backwards, I had painted the concrete color intending to mask that and then spray the brick. Now I did a 180° and painted the brick color which will be much easier to mask!...
Yeah, I thought for some time before beginning to paint my version of that kit, and it seemed to make more sense to do the brick portion first, Floquil Reefer Orange for mine...
Because there are only a few different shapes and sizes of brick areas, it was easy to lay multiple layers of wide masking tape, sticky-side-down, on a sheet of glass, then cut out multiple pieces of the same size and shape at the same time. After the concrete was painted and the tape removed, it was time to add mortar, in this case pre-mixed drywall mud applied with the rag-over-fingertips-method...
I was somewhat disappointed in the cleaned-up version, as the orange seemed more toned-down than usual...
...and weathering didn't help too much either...
This one, just around the corner, got the same paint, but concrete only on the foundation, and got the same treatment for the mortar, too...
...and this time the brick retain the orange tone that I wanted on the larger structure...
This colour of brick was very common in my home town, as seen in this photo of the former Imperial Cotton Mill...
...or this view of one of the three Westinghouse of Canada plants in the city...
Wayne
Thanks for starting off another fine installment of WPF, Bear! Great action shot, there!
How do you like working with the Tichy decals, Rick? I've had my eye on a few sets and was just wondering. Yours look excellent, by the way!
Thanks for the video, Terry. Hogs and cattle? Maybe I'll have to have some bacon-wrapped filet mignon tomorrow!
Nice shot of the 536 leanin' into the curve, Casey!
Your effort is really paying off to make that depot look delapidated, Jimmy! It takes a lot more skill to do something like that, especially scratch-built like yours!
Nice rescue on the caboose, Guy! We've all been there Actually the flat-top has more character than a caboose with the cupola. Lots of NYC cabooses lost their "crows-nests" over the years. I've also been waiting for the NYC caboose announced what, five years ago, from True-Line Trains. That's what prompted me to build the Laserkit one.
Mike, that tree in the top photo sure has a lot of character! Looks "haunted"! I'll bet it is really relaxing to sit on your patio and watch the trains roll by.
Your panel looks very well laid out and concise, George. Something every railroad needs, a "no-guesswork" control system. Mine needs some help!
That's a great video of the mud-hen, Mike! The Tsunami2 sounds great in there.
Those cars are so realistic, Nittany, it's hard to believe they're actually models and not the real thing! Super!
So, another week's gone by... whew!
Early in the week I planned to start masking the big P.O. building. After several attempts with various sizes and types of masking tape the job was getting bogged down, FAST!
So, I stepped back and decided I had everything backwards, I had painted the concrete color intending to mask that and then spray the brick. Now I did a 180° and painted the brick color which will be much easier to mask!
I'm using an old trick of mine when I have repetitive masking to do. I use removable Avery labels finding a size that is very close to the needed mask.
That is the un-trimmed label which fits the length of the opening perfectly. I can gang-trim the width from the .500 width to the .405 that I need and apply them.
For the small brick areas of the corner "towers" I have a 3/8" x 1/2" label that fits there with very little trimming. I also masked and painted the scores of window sash that will be needed. The actual label is a tiny bit wider than the 1-3/4" shown on the package.
From the DCC bench...
While installing Loksound decoders in three B&O E9 and E8Bs I decided to modernize the headlight with a Pyle-National adapter plate. Details West makes one but I'd like to find one in brass.
B&O was an early adopter of twin sealed-beam headlights.
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/387650/
I take a short length of 3mm fiber optic and heat flare the end to make a lens. Then pass it through the hole in the adapter and carefully flare the inside while holding the piece in tweesers to act as a heat-sink.
It is tedious work but sure makes a nice looking twin sealed beam headlight. There's one 3mm LED behind the plate and the fiber optic collects the light just fine.
E9s had the external headlight retainer ring which Walthers did a pretty good job of replicating. This A-B-A set of B&O Es have two 32mm speakers each, six total, and I upgraded the Loksound decoders to Full Throttle... What a sound and the Full Throttle is sure a FUN feature!
Well, that's it for this week, folks!
On to MORE good stuff...
Ed
Here's what I'll be working on this weekend. Not so much on my workbench as working on my bench.
Last weekend was a long weekend here in Australia, so I took the opportunity to extend the area around my turntable. This allowed me to extend one of the existing turntable tracks, and add another three. I also took the opportunity to make a few refinements to the fascia of the layout.
During my first few operating sessions, I realised that I needed a shelf to put the car cards and waybills on while organising freight cars and so on. So I added one, including a small holder for the uncoupling picks. I also relocated the water tower controls from the other end of the layout, as I had decided to put it down this end.
Most of the rest of it was relocating the car card & waybill holders, as well as the controls for the turntable. The original rotary switch only had 8 positions, so I replaced it with a 12 position one. Given that I'm adding three turntable tracks to the existing seven, this allows for two positions at the top to be 'off'.
The white plastic is 0.5mm styrene glued over a steel plate that's been glued to the fascia. This holds the train schedules, with two magnets at the top to hold the schedule sheet in place, and another one as a marker to indicate which train is currently being run.
This weekend, I'll be painting the fascia, as well as painting and ballasting the new turntable tracks.
I lost my contract a few weeks ago, so I've had plenty of free time during the day, when I'm not job hunting. Oddly, haven't done much model work until this week. I mean, I have plenty of stuff laying around that I haven't had to spend any money!
I took a Walthers Hi-Cube boxcar and stripped the BNSF marks off. Redecaled with Smokebox Graphics and Blair Line decals. Lightly weathered it, as most of the ones I found have been relatively clean. The NOKL 570XXX series doesn't seem to have reflective stripes in the 2008-2012 window I'm targeting.
Still have to put the grabirons on and their paint is taking its good old time drying! Also, never been a fan of painting couplers for some reason. Don't want to gum up the works, I guess.
Most of the way finished with the first of three high side scrap gons I'm working on. They have hulls from 20+ year old MDC gons, scratchbuilt underframes (the ribs on the underframes never lined up with the ribs on the sides); Atlas trucks; Tichy ladders and steps; and custom decals.
It isn't a perfect clone of the prototype (http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1020520), but close enough for my tastes.
I thought I would share photos of my favorite IPD boxcars starting with this one.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Guy:
Superb job on the transfer caboose, especially for your first resin kit! Wayne has helped me out a couple of times too. He is a great guy and a fantastic modeller.
Mike (middleman):
The decoder sounds good and operates quite nicely too. Your camera does a better job of picking up the sound than a lot of others that I have seen.
Good work from everyone else too!
Nothing new from me. I hope to have the decoder for the tow motor project within the next couple of weeks so I can finish it.
Happy Weekend,and nice work everyone.
Bear: Thanks for the kick-off,and the nostalgic shot.
Rick and Guy: Top notch modeling!
RDG Casey: Great looking loco.
Jimmy: Nice "improvements" to the station. It has a realistic,run-down look to it.
Terry: 'Enjoyed the video,thanks.
Mike: Nice work - and a lot of it - on the outdoor layout.That is a clever and effective use of the shingles!
George: Professional looking job on the panel.
The cheap little mic in my camera doesn't do it justice,but I made a short video of K-37 with the new Tsunami 2 decoder. I'm sure I'll be getting more of these.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9IsDguzxUw
Looking forward to more WPF,
This week, I installed the second local control panel on the Bootbay Railway Village layout. This one is for the Southport fishing village. Next week, Bob Holland, our electronics guru will wire it up.
It a joint project. I design the panels in Powerpoint and print them on photo paper. Bob mounts it on an aluminum sheet, and installs the DPDT switches, LEDs, etc., Then I build the frame and install it on the layout, and Bob does the final wiring
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
Bear,
Thanks for the kick-off - that really does have the look of a late 60s cover! - and the citation. Now if I could only get someone to cite my dissertation In really, really short form, all you need to know about WPF is that the water is fine, come on in and JOIN THE FUN!
Outstanding work again from everyone. I'm particularly struck by Guy's description of finding inspiration, help, and encouragement to expand his modeling skils through interaction here on the forum. The transfer caboose turned out great, as did Rick's boxcars, Terry's video, Jimmy's station, and RDG Casey - whoa - outstanding action perspective!
A short tour of the Telluride & Tin Cup now that most of the initial phase is complete. First up, Graveyard Hill, which is mostly 10% to 12%, with a brief stretch of 13%. The Shay walks right up it with three gons and a Gramps tank car. The difference in this shot is unseen. Each car has now been weighted with ~1 pound of added weight for better performance (these Bachmann cars are notoriously light, as they come with no added weight from the factory.)
On the approach to Chasm trestle, at Chasm Falls, naturally enough.
A view of the Middleton siding (every location now has a name, we're working on signage) and most of the mid-part of the line.
View of the reverse curves at The Palisades, my very impressionistic rendering of a good reason to put in some curves here (other than the jog in the fencline.) Gotta do something with the leftover shingles...
The destination, the terminal at Tin Cup, with its turntable protected by a rudimentary snowshed, and a BBQ pit and bar to serve the hungry miners and roughnecks.
Detail of Tin Cup. After probably 25 years, I finally got around to finishing the roof that was missing in my scratch-and-dent Pola water tower kit. I'm guessing it's probably the longest kit build in this week's WPF, a reminder to be persistent and keep at those old prpojects, I suppose. The turntable was scratched up, based roughly on the TT at Laws on the SP narrowgauge.
Now that the deluge of rains has stopped for the moment, looking forward to more outside RRing time.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Here is a picture of my last project, a Canadian National Railway Transfer Caboose.
Here is the story behind this project.
It all began when I saw photos of a caboose kit built by another Forum member, Ed (gmpullman) in
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/258578.aspx
After looking at the excellent work Ed did with an American Model Builders kit, I decided I could use an extra caboose for my CNR based layout. But, after an extended search on the Internet, I couldn’t find any suitable models for a CNR caboose anywhere. Finally, while visiting my son and his wife in Vancouver I was fortunate enough to find a Sylvan Scale CNR Caboose kit lost among other Sylvan Scale automobile and truck kits on the shelves of a LHS. I had built some kits before, mainly Athearn BB and Accurail, some Proto 2000 and Branchline Blueprint and more recently some Tichy kits but that kit was the first resin kit I would build and I thought that I could use any help I could get. Weeks before, I had exchanged emails with doctorwayne, a well known modeler on this Forum, about kit building. Facing this new challenge, I decided to send him an email asking for help. Wayne eagerly accepted and we exchanged many emails. I sent him photos of the project while it was slowly progressing and he gave me advice and encouragement. We talked about techniques and paints among other things. I learned a lot through those emails. That has been one of the most satisfying experiences I have had as a modeler.
During the construction of the kit, there was a major mishap. The instructions for this kit are good but not outstanding and certainly not as elaborate as the ones we can get now from major kit manufacturers. With many kits, parts are indexed or have lug so you can’t goof. This is not the case with this kit. Even though I tried to be extremely careful and checked every move twice, I ended up gluing the roof the wrong way in regard to the windows.
After initially feeling discouraged, I decided I could try to patch the roof and make a transfer caboose instead of a regular one, the sole difference between the two being that the former had no cupola. Patching the roof and moving the stack base was easier than I had thought and the repair is barely visible.
I could have cut a new hole in the roof at the right place and glued the cupola that was already built but, at this stage, I preferred to stick to the idea of a transfer caboose as the one I reserved from True Line Trains years ago is still to be announced. But that is another story.
Another contribution from Wayne was that he talked about my mishap with one of his friends. This friend told Wayne he had bought a similar kit a few years ago at a train show and he had no use for it. He offered it to me free so I could build a regular caboose. I tried to negotiate a fair price for the kit but he insisted on that it should be free. Thank you to both Wayne and his friend.
I had thought about building this caboose kit many times over the years but was too intimidated by the resin kit and CA adhesives. After building more and more challenging kits I decided to give it a try and I don’t regret it. With this kit, my knowledge and skills increased, as did my confidence and enjoyment.
Guy
Modeling CNR in the 50's
Cool stuff everyone. Bear, that indeed looks like a cover from the 60s
The freight cars look cool as well.
Here's what I have- two projects
first, is an update on the Bruceton PWV station. I put the eves in and sealed up all crackks on it. I also put some of the additional needed details- the gutters and the electrical meter on the outside
Remember, this building was in a condemned state, so I modeled it as so.
The second project was adding a lighting kit to my business car Wheeling and Lake Erie 1990
Can't wait to see what everyone else 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).
Delaware and Hudson local speeding to the next station.
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/60361449@N02/
Anthracite Modeler - YouTube
Mornin Bear
Thanks for kicking off another Weekend Photo Fun
I switched from animated Bears to Cows and Hogs
Heres a video of spotting 2 BLI sound cars at the feed lot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwoBZTZ72fQ
Good morning from cloudy, cool and rainy Northeast Ohio!
Thanks for opening up Bear, like the steam engine and the WP Feather Boxcars!
Managed to get some models done this week.
[
First up is a CNJ 40' 1944 AAR Boxcar built surprisingly in 1944, originally in express service, they were designated BX, with the fall off of passenger service they were re-designated XM class boxcars and integrated in the freight pool. Front Range kit with A-Line sill steps, painted with Scalecoat II Oxide Red, they lettered with Tichy (Former Jerry Glow) Decals.
Front Range Combination Door 40' Boxcar kit, the GN used these primarily in lumber service thanks to the 13' door opening. They used the plug door so they would have a smooth inner surface when the cars were pressed into grain service during the fall grain rush. These cars were built in the late 40's and this is a mid 50's repaint. Car was painted with Scalecoat II ATSF Red and then also lettered with the Tichy (Former Jerry Glow) decals.
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!
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."