This is the weekly thread where you show what you've been up to, what's on the bench, or just wander around the layout taking pics. Post them up.
Guess I'll kick this off with some railfanning pics around the layout.
This is an old PFM Shay at Crater Lake Junction. It's lettered for the Loon Lake Line of its previous owner, the late Bob Miller. You might just see it at the local train show this weekend at Urbana's Lincoln Square operating on his Loon Lake HOn3 Timesaver module with it's exquisite handlaid track. We'll be running that along with some other modules and layouts that the public can operate on.
Here's the big power, NW2Ms 104 and 102, on the Cascade Branch rolling into CL Jct with the local freight.
Here the pair of diesels is transiting the wye in Crater Lake itself.
The oil spout is used to fuel the Shay.
Later at Summit, the 104/102 crew is out of hours and in the siding and is passed by 82 and its loads of raw ties and crushed stone.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Thank you for your contribution, Kevin!
Thanks, Mike, for posting Kevin's graphic...
Great Stuff Mike! Thanks for getting things off to a good start!
I did some "brain work" this past week by trying different structure configurations in one of the final "no-man's land" areas between the city and the Post Office Annex which again, was long overdue. It's been said that he who hesitates is lost and I guess that sums my philosophy up HOWEVER he who hesitates while planning for a structure plan might just be on to a good thing.
I'll step through my thought process:
This photo shows pretty much how this area has been for about the past six or seven years:
Midplan_Feedlot-test by Edmund, on Flickr
I wasn't too impressed with the feedlot right in front and I didn't like that the meat packing house was across the tracks. After some thought I felt the Champion Packing house was too tall and blocked the view to the nice roadway/bridge behind it.
I cleared everything away and sat with a beverage-in-hand to mull things over:
Midplan_blank-slate-test by Edmund, on Flickr
I was looking for a long, narrow building to place by the stub siding.
Borrowed the R.E.A. building from Union Station, but what do I replace it with in the vacancy?
Midplan_REA-test by Edmund, on Flickr
THEN it dawned on me to pull the two-story building from the background and swap it with the taller meat packing house!
Midplan_final-crossing by Edmund, on Flickr
Bingo, this might just work. View lines are less obstructed, a plus. The white stuff is Genesis ceiling tile, a type of PVC that, IMHO, is ideal for a base over the bare plywood, easy to cut, form and paint plus makes a nice smooth surface for further scenery, pavement and structure bases.
Here's an overall view with the relationship with the GE building and the city in the distance. Then I thought of the feed mill which I've had sitting on a shelf since 1997! But there's no siding for it... so, why not set a length of "abandoned" trackage that the feed mill no longer uses and the leg of the wye can pass between them
Midplan_final by Edmund, on Flickr
This last plan allows me to have truck access to the mill, the white building (a machine-tool rebuilder) the P.O. Parcel Annex and the slaughter house. I like it!
I'll add one more photo as I'm presently cutting the EVA foam to simulate the asphalt as I type
Got my Rapido PC E-50/EP-5 yesterday and I'm breaking 'er in. So far an excellent "motor" and she'll pull 13 cars up a 1.75% grade with no hesitation.
NH_EP5_Jet by Edmund, on Flickr
Update:
Cutting and fitting the EVA foam "asphalt" for the truck turning area:
Midplan_asphalt-truckway by Edmund, on Flickr
— and getting the crossing ready. The darker foam represents newer asphalt that was put down when the rails were pulled up:
Midplan_asphalt-crossing by Edmund, on Flickr
Weights are holding down the cork filler while the Weldbond sets.
Sorry for taking up so much space but... we're here for the photos, right?
Thanks, Ed
I am building a new passenger station, and I needed a showcase building for passengers waiting for their train. So, I decided to build the Walthers Cornerstone Union Station. No scratchbuilding or kitbashing, but it still took me 8 days to complete. The following series of photos document my progress.
The first two photos show the walls, windows, doors and pillars painted but still on the sprue.
This next photo shows the walls with windows and doors installed in place. The dark gray doors are service doors for vendor use. The gold doors are for passenger use. Passenger access are through the front doors or side doors on the two wings attached to the main building.
The next two photos show the rear and front walls of the main building.
The next photo shows the completed front wall of the building with the six pillars installed.
The final photo shows the completed building with wings attached, ready for passenger use.
One last detail will be the installation a clock at the top of the building.
Walthers manufactures some very nice looking structures with a fair amount of detail. But, the structures are not always easy to build in terms of fit and finish.
All of the corners of the walls are mitered, but it would have helped to have a series of pins and holes for alignment purposes and for a tight fit. Try as I might, the finished walls had open seams along some of the corners. This required extensive use of Squadron Putty to seal the open seams. But, overall, I am pleased with my new passenger station.
Rich
Alton Junction
Thans for starting WPF, Mike. Impressive start by everyone.
Mike. Great scenes on te layout. Well done.
Ed. A great feeling when by moving something can make a scene look far better.
Rich. Amazing work on the Union Station building. Well done.
I think the main things on my layout are finished. Okay I know there are several small things to do, but these past weeks I just run trains and love it.
I have a book with timetables of trains in and out of Leeds Central Station. I am in the process of building a timetable for the layout.
Class 26 26009 on a two carriage Leeds Central to Castleford local service passing Crown Point Yard
IMG_2128 by David Harrison, on Flickr
The sun is shining as the same train passes the Junction.
IMG_2129 by David Harrison, on Flickr
A busy time at Crown Point Yard.
IMG_2131 by David Harrison, on Flickr
Keep the photographs coming.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Mike: I'm affraid I will miss your train show (1300 KM is a long drive ). I would have liked to see your portable Hon3 layout in person. I'm very jealous about your shay... Maybe I'll start that MDC kit that I have sitting on my shelf.
Ed: That's a nice little Rapido you have there. Will you order the new Turbo 2.0?? If memory serves, you already have a few. But is it not tempting to get the new one?
Rich: Nice job on the station. I like the Walthers kits, even though putty is pretty much unavoidable.
Here is a picture taken at the club:
DSC_0168 on Flickr
Simon
Here's my version of the Walthers Union Station kit.
The kit is a model of Omaha's Burlington Station and I ktbashed the overhead concourse which emerged from under the pillars using modular wall sections, stairways from a CMR kit, and Walthers platforms. Here is what the prototype looked like, I'm guessing from the 1950s.
Here is what the station originally looked like before a major rennovation in 1930. The roof was flattened and most of the pillars removed.
Here is the station as it stands today, repurposed as KETV's news studios.
Mike, thanks for starting us out, great looking pictures of your layout.
Ed, your city scene is coming out great, I especially like the feedlot. I tought long and hard on the EP5, but I have got a lot of stuff coming in the near future like PA's, RS11's more RS3's etc.
Rich, beautiful work on that station kit, must be the same on on our club, will have to see if I have a picture of it.
Simon, nice picture, I like the VIA paint schemes a whole lot better than Amtrak.
John, another great use of that station.
I got a little work done this week.
First up is an Athearn PS 5344 kit, I know they are a foot too wide, but Exactrail seems to not want to do any more PS 5344 kits any more. Car was painted with Scalecoat II Reefer Orange, Silver and Black Paints then lettered with Highball Graphics decals. Cars were in general service on the D&H.
Next, a Walther's 89' Intermodal Flat Car kit, car was painted with Scalecoat II Hunter Green and lettered with a couple of sets of Herald King Decals. The DT&I picked up several hundred flat cars for their Rail Blazer service from Detroit to Cincinnati, All these cars came from previous owners so all the car data was left in place and the old railroad's identification was painted out and DTIXXXXX number was painted on. These cars came from the Texas Mexican railroad of which the DT&I got 12 cars.
A pair of Athearn DT&I GP40-2's with an auto parts train heading for Delta, OH to interchange with the N&W for the Ford FAST to the west coast.
Thanks for looking,
Hope Kevin gets back soon!
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!
Thanks for starting everyone out Mike.
Great looking projects here this weekend as always gentleman
I seen Ed and others on the Forum have said there's no such thing as too many pictures.
Good!
I found out today why they call it (Photobucket) although I was cleaning my Imgur account of all the junk photos and it took a long long time.
I stumbled across some clay roller pictures with that Sculpey oven bake clay stuff.
I almost forgot about that thing and honestly don't know where it is.
It has different settings so you can roll out clay squished to different thicknesses.
I remember smashing some against the edge of a counter with a book one time.
And then cutting it to shape with this makeshift thing.
And then you just throw that stuff in the oven and bake it on wax paper.
The prairie grain elevator needed a ramp.
Put some of that brick styrene on the sides.
Added a railing.
And mixed some masonry colored paint and some grime.
That clay bake stuff works good for making portals, piers, retaining walls, brick buildings and even abutments.
This was a quick experiment with the pizza cutter and a jeweler's screwdriver.
Some earth tone paint colors
And then some tinted drywall plaster in the joints.
The great thing is when it's warm off the cookie sheet it's really flexible to bend on your layout.
Again Thanks for sharing and keep the pictures coming as they are appreciated here
TF
That clay machine looks like somebody just rebranded a pasta machine. I have one of those and almost never use it. Maybe I've found a new use for it.
Mike, thanks for starting the WPF. Those are nice scenes of Crater Lake. Enjoy your time at the train show.
Ed, I think you had a great idea with changing around your buildings. The entire area of the layout is impressive.
Rich, that's a nice-looking station. It looks like quite a kit to put together, with a great result.
David, nice photos of Crown Point Yard. That timetable sounds interesting. It's not something I've yet considered on my layout.
Simon, I like the grain bins.
John, that's a good scene of Omaha's Burlington Station. I've seen pictures of the restoration that Channel 8 made when they moved in, but I've never been inside of the building. Sometime when Omaha has Railroad Days, maybe Channel 8 would open the building.
Rick, I like the D&H boxcar.
TF, I've never seen (or heard of) a clay machine like that. It reminds me of my kids' PlayDoh Fun Factory. It did a great job making your concrete ramp for the grain elevator.
I don't have any photos of my layout this week, as I am just laying track. Here is a picture of my partially finished ethanol plant on the old layout. I was planning on weathering things, putting in more details, some trucks, and some people. I never got around to it. I tried to save some of the plant to use on my new layout. I'm not sure I will use it, or if it will just sit in a box on the shelf.
Thanks for the photos, everyone!
York1 John
York1 John, that's a good scene of Omaha's Burlington Station. I've seen pictures of the restoration that Channel 8 made when they moved in, but I've never been inside of the building. Sometime when Omaha has Railroad Days, maybe Channel 8 would open the building.
Thank you for the compliment but just to set the record straight, KETV is channel 7, not channel 8. I can remember back in the 1950s when Omaha only had two stations KMTV (CBS) and WOW (NBC). I think it was in the late 1950s that KETV gave us an ABC affiliate. At about the same time KMTV and WOW traded affilliations. I've read that some time ago, that traded back to their original affiliations. KMTV is where Tom Brokaw got his start and WOW is where Johnny Carson had his first job in television.
While I elected to build the station similar to the way Burlington Station is, it is not meant to represent that station. I am modeling a fictional east coast railroad but when Walthers came out with the kit about 15 years ago, I knew I wanted to make it similar to the prototype without being an exact replica. The station went through so many rennovations over the years, it would be hard to choose which iteration to model. At one time, it's concourse connected to Union Station to the north which now houses the Durham Western Heritage Museum.
I envy some of you guys kit bashing skills.
Slow but steady progress on merchants row 1. I painted up the back and only have minor details left on the front. I'm adding an interior.
So how does one simulate a gravel roof? With fine ballast and scenic cement of coarse!
I may hack a roomette kit for the interior.
roomettes interior video
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
John-NYBWThank you for the compliment but just to set the record straight, KETV is channel 7, not channel 8.
I have no idea why I said channel 8. I think I must have been thinking of the ABC channel we get, which is channel 8 from Lincoln.
I love going to Railroad Days in Omaha each year. The Durham (Union Station) is an amazing place.
Thanks for posting the information!
York1 John-NYBW Thank you for the compliment but just to set the record straight, KETV is channel 7, not channel 8. I have no idea why I said channel 8. I think I must have been thinking of the ABC channel we get, which is channel 8 from Lincoln. I love going to Railroad Days in Omaha each year. The Durham (Union Station) is an amazing place. Thanks for posting the information!
John-NYBW Thank you for the compliment but just to set the record straight, KETV is channel 7, not channel 8.
I have lots of fond memories of the twin Omaha stations, mostly of the Burlington. I don't know why but my mother always sneered at the Union Station as we drove by it on the way to the Burlington. Prior to visiting Durham a few years back, I can only remember one time going to Union Station to meet our grandparents.
My family moved from Omaha in 1966 but I've been back several times since, the last time being two years ago when I passed through to see the initial run of Big Boy 4014 out of Cheyenne. I am amazed at how much it has grown. The west side ended at about 90th and even that was sparsely developed. Boys Town used to be out in the country but now development has reached out that far.
snjroyEd: That's a nice little Rapido you have there. Will you order the new Turbo 2.0?? If memory serves, you already have a few. But is it not tempting to get the new one?
Well, there's a pretty good chance I'll step up to Turbo 2.0. Why? Who knows. I'll bet I don't have but an hour of actual operation between the two I have but... who said us modelers deal in logic?
Turbo_PC52-Amtrak50 by Edmund, on Flickr
I saw the Turbo in Cleveland during its "World tour" and rode it from Penn Station to New Haven back in '73 so it has some personal memories.
Penn-Central_Turbo by Edmund, on Flickr
Turbo_UA_52 by Edmund, on Flickr
I rode the CN Turbo from Toronto to Montreal back in '73 and had a great time.
Turbo_CN-Spadina-79 by Edmund, on Flickr
I like to model my "memories" —
I remember seeing EP-5s still in operation when I visited the Penn Station and Grand Central area in the early seventies. Great times!
EP-5 Ready to Depart by Steve Baldwin, on Flickr
4 More of Roger ***'s New Haven Photos by Marty Bernard, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
I'm just here to have fun!
Here is my just finished M. T. Arms hotel kit.
Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale
Love that. Incredible detail and weathering.
Jumijo Here is my just finished M. T. Arms hotel kit.
Mike, Thanks for rolling out the WPF with some Crater Lake Junction action.
Yet another rewarding WPF display of creative energy and modeling skills, not to mention the historic interest and fine examples of "memories modeled."
Thanks to all the contributors and viewers. Have a good weekend. Regards, Peter
Peter. Loving the lighting.
Some lighting I see is far too bright to almost 'blinding'.
IMO yours is just right. Well done.
Downtown Deco Models?
HO-Velo Mike, Thanks for rolling out the WPF with some Crater Lake Junction action. Yet another rewarding WPF display of creative energy and modeling skills, not to mention the historic interest and fine examples of "memories modeled." Thanks to all the contributors and viewers. Have a good weekend. Regards, Peter
I finally have something to contribute; my first solo layout attempt since working on one with a couple of freinds in my early teens. The trains aren't quite running yet, but I'm pretty excited for this project. It will be a 4x8 chainsaw layout, hopefully with a life span of only about 9 months. Also, first time posting a picture, we'll see how this goes:
Sparky RailAlso, first time posting a picture, we'll see how this goes:
I hope you can continue to post photos of your progress. We all love seeing layouts under construction.
Progress logs are fun to watch. Keep posting. Plus you get some good feedback from the community as to tricks you can use to solve problems
Sparky Rail I finally have something to contribute; my first solo layout attempt since working on one with a couple of freinds in my early teens. The trains aren't quite running yet, but I'm pretty excited for this project.
I finally have something to contribute; my first solo layout attempt since working on one with a couple of freinds in my early teens. The trains aren't quite running yet, but I'm pretty excited for this project.
Did I see some orange and black?
gmpullman
That's one handsome Shark Nose EP-5 Jet.
Been looking for a pair of Kato early Milwaukee Road SD40-2's for a quite a while as they've been out of production for a long time.
Got them in the mail yesterday I paid too much for them but they're new in the box and darn near impossible to find.
They ought to go along with the Green Machines well being that Milwaukee Road is the one that pushed tor the merger hard.
Very happy and I wonder how many cars these 4 Bad Boys will pull?
Keep the pictures coming and thanks for posting
Too many hours of yard work this weekend, I need a bumper sticker for my lawnmower that says; 'I'd Rather be Model Railroading.' After a good dinner its nice to relax and see what's cooking on the WPF. Next best thing to Model Railroading is seeing others Model Railroading.
Thanks David, had I known that structure lighting would need dimming for photography I'd have made my lighting buss more accessible.
Don, yes, Downtown Deco.
Another DTD kit.
Thanks to all and enjoy the remainder of your Sunday. Regards, Peter
HO-VeloMike, Thanks for rolling out the WPF with some Crater Lake Junction action.
Peter, Thanks to you and everyone else for the kind comments. I'm too exhausted right now from the train show to make specfic comments on all the fine modeling on display here in WPF this time around, but it was a great success based on everyone's accounts for a return from our mandatory hiatus over the last couple of years.
Our make and take table was mobbed all weekend with modelers of all ages giving the hobby a try. The Monticello Railway Museum's Kids RR had a line the entire weekend. The vendors were all happy with the crowd.
And we had a great group of layouts, from old fravorites like the Midwest Central N-scale modules to the Midwest Live Steamers. There was a great group of new layouts, too.
Here's Brian Huang's O scale switching layout which he is operating woth his ISE ProtoThrottle. Brian was among the many layout operators who was willing to share operating privileges on his layout by request.
The Crawford County modular group is also fresh out of the gate IIRC with a compact yet high capacity line dominated by a huge yard.
Jon Crawford's English-themed switching layout in a guitar case.
It was especially heartwarming to see the Illini RR Club at the show. They may just be the oldest RR club in existence as they celebrated their 100th annivesary a couple of years back.They've seen some rough track in recent years after losing their longtime permanent home layout space to a dorm remodel. Then the pandemic made such ordinary student activities difficult to impossible for a time. They've bounced back while still searching for a future layout location on campus by getting deeply into Freemo. Here's what they set-up at this weekend's show, with the Midwest Live Steamer's in the background..
One highlight of the weekend was DarthSantaFe looking me up in the crowd and introducing himself. What a great surprise and we had a nice little chat! He was one of many I invited to drop by to see the home layout sometime, an invitation always open to fellow forum members here.
I was suprised at the number of HOn3 modelers and aspiring modelers of HOn3 who stopped by to observe my layout along with Bob Miller's module. Many also took time to look over the memorial case I'd put together and commented on the various aspects of his life that contributed to his skillful modeling. One surprising thing for me was a gentleman who said he'd been a member of a modular group with Bob that the local park district apparently sponsored at one time. I was unaware of this, so may look into it more to find its history.
I've spent the last several days painting track. Here's the Powder River area (the lower deck):
Now I can install the backdrop and get started on some real scenery.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Historic Timeline - The Durham Museum : The Durham Museum
I found this website for the Durham Museum and the 1937 picture shows the connecting concourse between Union and Burlington Stations.
I've never been able to find out when the two concourses were disconnected. I have a very fuzzy memory that they were still connected back in the 1950s but I am not positive about that. The photo I posted earlier shows the Burlington concourse after being disconnected. Not only do I not know when this happened, I don't know why.
Thanks to everyone for a great WPF! I appreciate all the positive feedback and encouragement. Last night I spent quite a bit of time looking for the Blair Line wooden crossings I have around here somewhere. I know they can be scratched but the curved ones are excellent and a quick-fit. I have my order ready for MB Klein.
Let's hope Kalmbach gets Kevin back on the rails and admits his absence was simply an April Fools joke gone awry???
See you all in April!
Regards, Ed