Weekend Photo Fun - 10/30 to 11/01/2020

[HO-Velo]

Ringo, Much appreciated, found the skeletons on the web, printed em' out on some heavy paper and cut em' out with an Xacto.

Thanks John, You bet, "What, Me Worry?"

[York1]

David, that's an excellent scene, even if it's unseen.   I've done the same thing.  My wife told me a mistake I had made would never be seen by anyone, and I said that I would know it's there, so it had to be fixed.

Ed, that is nice work on the passenger car.  I love passenger trains on the layout.  I'm envious of your workspace.  I work on the corner of a table.

Another funny cartoon from Bear.  I hope you can meet all of us in the diner this month when we get closer to your home.

Eric, nice scene at the chemical plant with your Granite Peak railroad.

Harrison, you've put in a lot of work getting the decoders installed.  Good luck as you continue.  I bet you'll do well as you change over to DCC.

Peter, I love the campaign sign on the bus.  Another MAD Magazine fan?

Ringo, your static grass looks good.  That's another thing I've never tried.  Don't let Bear near it!

I hope I haven't missed anyone this weekend.  If anyone else posts, I may not be able to check back until tomorrow.

Great photos, everyone!

 

[Harrison]

Since Kevin is unable to contribute, I thought I'd do it for him... 

The southbound RW-6, the "Paper Train" rolls through Whitehall, NY with two Stratton & Gillette boxcars full of paper.

 As it pulls to a stop, the northbound Laurentian flies past with two PA's. 

 Enjoy the rest of the weekend folks!

[NorthBrit]

Ringo.  A number of railguns were built at the start of WW1.  They were sent to near coastal towns to fire on enemy ships.   The UK were fearful of an invasion.  The North Eastern Railway built a railgun in eight days.   Kirkstall Forge in Leeds built  the KF 1 railgun in twelve days.

 

Fireman Joseph Shaw on locomotive East Keswick  relaxes for five minutes.

 

David

["JaBear"]

Lawn by Bear, on Flickr

[Ringo58]

Thats a nice railgun David! I didn't know they had them back then. I thought it was more of a WW2 thing.

Peter- I like those skeletons. Did you make them yourself?

Harrison- Nice work on the decoders! Runs nice and smooth

I decided to run up to Hiawatha Hobbies after work today since the girlfriend wouldn't be home till 6. Picked up a static king and some static grass and gave it a go. I am mad I didn't go this route from the start! It's super easy to use and looks a lot better than just plain ole fine turf.

 

[Harrison]

Here's a video of my two decoder installs:

[Harrison]

https://northcountrytrains.wordpress.com/2020/10/31/success-decoder-install-in-a-p2k-gp38-2/

Today, in between some yard work and other winter preparations, I finished installing a DCC decoder in my Life Like P2K GP38-2.

Here it is with half the lights wired. I used a total of four resistors in the loco.

Here it is all wired and taped down.

Of course, the shell wouldn’t fit on, so I had to re-wire and rearrange some things to make it all fit. It works nicely now though. Three down, four to go!

 

I’ll be starting to wire my layout for DCC soon. Super excited!

[HO-Velo]

Rick,  Thanks for the WPF start-up, like your Front Range kit & Athearn trailer, interesting to learn that those TOFCs began life as boxcars.

Mel, Some mighty fine and clever work.

York1 John,  Fun to see your city taking shape. 

Harrison, Good wire skinin' project, hope it runs well after the hoods down.

Thanks to all the contributors and viewers, Happy Halloween and Dia de los Muertos, and Merry Election Day.  Regards, Peter

[NorthBrit]

Thank you all for the kind words.  Just a case of loving railway modeling.

 

In 1914 the British Government asked for some railguns to be built and sent to the coast to fire on any enemy shipping.

Here are two pictures of the KF1 Railgun.   I built it up from the chassis up.

 

 

David

[Ringo58]

Mel- Great work on that signal! I wish I was good at scratch building like that. I couldn't do something that small. Amazing work!

Garry- I really like that pumpkin patch scene! Reminds me of a place 30 min north from me. It's called the elegant farmer, it's a pumpkin patch and apple orchard. Theres a small station there for the East Troy Electric RR. They run old electric cars and old south shore line cars. It's a neat thing to see when the train pulls in.

John- Nice work on the church! Amazing what some people can do with styrene! I see the bank found it's home in the background! I like how everything has lights. Thats one thing I want to include on my layout soon.

David- Thats a great attention to detail. I really like that scene

Ed- Thats some good organization! I wish my work area looked like that. I like the lights on your passenger cars. I hope you get the motor issues resolved

Bear- Great beartoon as always!

Eric- Thats a nice looking locomotive!

Harrison- Thats some nice electrical work! The P2K shells I struggle with as well. They seem like I really have to force them to come off and on!

Thank you all for the kind words!

Hopfully kevin shows up soon!

 

 

[RR_Mel]

gmpullman

 

Hey, Where's Kevin this weekend? I hope he didn't tile himself into a corner again 

Cheers, Ed

 

Kevin has computer problems.
 

Mel



 
My Model Railroad   
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

[gmpullman]

Harrison

Ed- That's a VERY oranized work area. I should take note here...

That's just some creative Photoshop work, Harrison 

Shop-Floor by Edmund, on Flickr

I'm really NOT as organized as I'd like to be, but, thanks  Thanks for the Beartoon, Bear! I really needed a laugh after messing with those springy things!

Hey, Where's Kevin this weekend? I hope he didn't tile himself into a corner again 

Cheers, Ed

[Harrison]

Rick- That's a nice TOFC.

Ringo- Nice decalling work.

Mel- Those are some really small signals, I'm not that good with electronics.

Garry- Nice pumkin patch.

John- That church is coming along nicely.

David- Those are some nice details.

Ed- That's a VERY oranized work area. I should take note here...

Bear- the Beartoons are always appriciated.

Eric- That's a pretty brass engine.

I got some work done installing decoders to use with my DCC system.

https://northcountrytrains.wordpress.com/2020/10/30/a-couple-of-dcc-decoder-installs-easy-and-a-bit-harder/

I had a Digitrax decoder with an 8-pin plug, so I installed it in my DCC ready Atlas RS-11. It took a bit of work to get the shell off without damaging the details, but once it was off it was a matter of plugging it in and putting the shell back on.

I needed some more decoders, so I ordered some from Tony’s Trains Exchange. When I got them I realized I had ordered the wrong ones. These didn’t have 8 pin plugs on them! Oh well, a little bit more work, so what?

My next loco conversion was my Life-Like Proto 2000 GP38-2. I attempted to take the shell off for about a half hour before I realized I had to take out some more screws. 

 

First, I cut off about half the length of the decoder harness, as it was way too long. 

Next, I wired up the motor control making sure to disconnect the lights, as the decoder would burn them out without proper resistors. I tested this before proceeding.

I then wired up the front headlight and number board using 330 ohm resistors to limit the current.

Tomorrow I’ll finish up the rear headlight and put it all back together. 

[-E-C-Mills]

New heavy duty motive power arrives on the GPM&C.  The Conductor talks with Mandy as the 2-6-6-0 works Apex Chemicals.

 

2-6-6-0 GPM&C 1 by Eric Miller, on Flickr

 

2-6-6-0 GPM&C by Eric Miller, on Flickr

["JaBear"]

Sparking and smoking by Bear, on Flickr

[gmpullman]

Hello, everyone!

Thanks for starting up this last-of-October WPF, Rick. Anybody know where October went?

That's a neat TOFC flat. I like the unique open decking. Nice detail 

Your Soo Line equipment looks great, Ringo. I agree about leaving the headlight and front number plates alone. I find it difficult to fit decals onto steam headlights.

Your brass dwarf signal is superb, Mel! I really enjoy seeing "working" signals on a layout.

You have some great fall scenes there, Garry. Would that be the "Pumpkin Vine" branch?

I like your lights in your scenes, John. Great Stuff!

Your loading dock looks perfect, David. I have lots of scenes where it is nearly impossible to see them once in place. I get comfort in knowing they're there, though. They show up in photos, too.

---

 

I decided to jump "all-in" with Vallejo paints for my structure and detail painting:

Vallejo_wall by Edmund, on Flickr

I'll still use Scalecoat for engines and rolling stock, of course, but I've been looking for a good replacement for PollyScale as my inventory dwindles.

This week I have also been working on "betterment" (As Pullman would call it) of some of my passenger cars.

Pullman_Cascade-Timber-w by Edmund, on Flickr

This includes giving the car a gloss coat so the name decal can be applied —

Pullman_Cascade-Timber by Edmund, on Flickr

And painting the interior, adding window shades, figures, hand holds in the aisle and lighting.

Pullman_Cascade-Timber-wire by Edmund, on Flickr

This poor guy can't get any rest! You can see where I'm planning to hide the capacitor. I finished up lights, details and car name on a heavyweight solarium observation car, too:

Pullman_10-1-2_Lake-Dunmore by Edmund, on Flickr

I also managed to replace the missing "spring-belts" on that old brass NYC T-3a:

NYC_T3_Alco_1 by Edmund, on Flickr

Then, while running her on the test stand rollers the motor began sparking and smoking after a few minutes 

I put everything in a box and it will sit on the "to-do" shelf for a while.

On to more great stuff, folks!

[NorthBrit]

Excellent photographs by everyone.  Lovely modeling.

 

Here is a scene at T & J Harrison Small Arms & Ammunition  loading dock.  The boxes are full of small arms & ammunition waiting to be loaded on the next available wagon.   The actual scene cannot be seen once entering the room.

David

[York1]

Rick, thanks for the opening.  Your boxcar looks great -- very realistic.

Ringo, I like the locomotive work.  I also love the detail you've got around the loading dock doors on the bakery building.

Mel, as always, your work with lights and wiring is impressive.  Your work inspires me to keep plugging away at learning new skills.

Garry, great fall scenes on the layout.  That is another thing I may have to work on in the future.

 

The new church on the layout is coming along -- verrrrrry slowly.  The N Scale windows have driven me crazy, and they did not turn out the way I envisioned when I started this.  I will be putting in lights today, finishing the roof, and hopefully I can get this one out of the way.  I usually love scratchbuilding things, but this one has not been enjoyable.

 

A few more details added to Forbidden Planet's Krell Pipe Company.  I think it is about complete as it is.

 

 

By the way, Kevin opened a Halloween thread.  If  any of you have any Halloween or Autumn parts to your layout, I hope you can post some photos there.

Hope to see a lot more this weekend.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Rick .... Thanks for starting Weekend Photo Fun. The TOFC flat car with trailer looks great. So does the Frisco boxcar. 

Ringo ... Your Soo Line stem locomotive and diesel look very nice. 

Mel .... The dwarf signal project look fun.

Below are some photos for October. 

The pumkin patch with a doodlebug. ...... 

A football special. .... 

[RR_Mel]

 

Thanks for getting WPF going Rick, fabulist yard scene.

Good looking decals Ringo

I finally got to work on my Dwarf Signals.  I hadn’t thought about using dwarf signals on my layout until another Forum member got me thinking.

I thought I could have my first signal ready to post last week but things kept getting in the way.

The rest of my Mel signals are made from brass so I decided to do it to it using brass, mainly besides I like working with brass.

I figured that 3/16” was about as small as I could go with because I wanted to stay with bi-color 3mm LEDs.  HO scale 3/16” diameter brass tubing works out to be 16” diameter for the sun shield.  

The dwarf signals I found using a Google Search look to be about that size.

I’m not sure if the top bracket stays after installation so I didn’t put that on my signal.

I went with K&S 3/16” square tubing for the mechanical portion and 3/16” round tubing for the lamp portion.

 

I bought a 3/16” chain saw file from Harbor Freight to cut the grove in the square tubing and soldered the round tube to the square tubing.



A bit of filing and then fit the Common Anode LED into the signal.  

I chopped off the leads and soldered some #36 Litz wire to the LED.

 

I think I can have a ready to paint signal done in about an hour so not too bad time wise.


Mel



 
My Model Railroad   
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

[Ringo58]

Good morning!

Thanks for starting this weekend with some amazing work, Rick! I like that flatcar with the MILW trailer on it! Thats definetly a colorful train. I want to visit a club soon but I can't find any near me.

This week I worked on building the new bakery man building. Got it all painted and doors in place. Now time for details. I also got the Microscale SOO LINE decals on the tender of SOO 619. I'm going to replace the 619 on the cab in soo font. But I will leave the 619 on the nose.

Looking forward to more great work this weekend!

[dti406]

Good morning from cloudy, cool and rainy Northeast Ohio!

This is the thread were modelers can post their completed projects, projects in process or pictures past of present of their or other layouts.

I finished two cars this week:

First up is a Front Range Kit for the converted boxcar into a single unit TOFC flatcar. Painted with Scalecoat II Boxcar Red and lettered with Mask Island Decals, the trailer is an Athearn 45' Trailer painted with Floquil Silver and White Paints and lettered with Microscale Decals.  In the early 80's when trailer lengths increased, it was uneconomical to only run with one trailer on an 89' Flat car. The Southern Railroad repurposed a number of old 50' Boxcars into TOFCE Flats, these went out of service when the 53' Trailers came into being.

[U

Robbins Rails 50' PS1 Boxcar kit, modified to have two 8' Doors along with new door guides made out of Evergreen Plastic strips. Painted with Scalecoat II Boxcar Red and lettered with Herald King Decals.  The Frisco originally purchased these cars in 1959 and had racks installed to haul automobiles, when the Auto Racks came about they removed the racks and repurposed these cars, 30 went into service hauling finished products from Mueller Brass, the rest had linings installed and were used for hauling bags of plaster and gypsum out of US Gypsums plant in Southard, OK.

Scaletrains SD40-2's in Chessie hauling a train on the Strongsville Club Layout, it was mostly made up of 50' IPD Boxcars resulting in a riot of color as the IPD cars furnished the real railroads in the late 70's.

Thanks for looking!

Rick Jesionowski