Going to change the colour of the flat bed so I'll soak it overnight in heavy duty oven cleaner inside a strong ziplock bag. it's going to be relatively mild tonight so I can leave it outside to avoid fumes in the house.
Purchased a Life-Like Proto 2000 53'6" AAR 50 ton flat car today. This CN #662720 will be leased by the quarry as a general maintenance car.
The quarry will also lease a Life-Like Proto 2000 SW9/1200 locomotive #7034 from CN. This switcher is ideal for the small layout. There is no specific calendar time period.
After a night soaking in oven cleaner, the paint just falls off with a touch.
Toothbrush and water and the piece is ready for a coat or two of primer, which I'm out of at the moment. Will pick some up at the hobby shop this morning.
Down to the paint shop to apply some primer.
I am going to need a few small mechanical components for the marine slip. The best source, and cheapest, that I have found is the remote control toy vehicle. I can buy them at one of our biggest community recycling stores for peanuts. This one was missing a wheel and was priced at $0.99CA, plus, when I bought it on Seniors Day (Tuesday's) I got 30% off that. So, let's see what's in this box of chocolates Mr. Gump.
Modeller's treasure trove. Everything else in the trash.
Already got some ideas for the marine slip so need to take a few more toys apart.
Slip and cradle starting to take shape.
Time to blend the kindling sawdust and shavings.
Making my own particle board out of the blended kindling sawdust and quick drying wood glue. Using small pieces of model train cardboard boxes to sandwich the particle board and the contour tool to draw the hull shapes fore, aft and midship.
Kindling particleboard cradle components will need a day or two to cure so I can carve the hull contours.
Block 3 (B3) In place. Headed to hilly terrain common to limestone and gypsum areas East of B3.
A canal will be built going south from the lake for the boats to pass. The lake will only have one island, the two smaller features will be submerged sandbars.
Zinc will be used for the cradle framework.
Bought a bunch of used small hoppers today. Will upgrade all trucks, couplers, repainted, and add BOKX reporting marks. Here are four of them.
Zinc framework installed on the kindling particleboard using stained glass materials, tools, and techniques including the zinc itself, flux, solder, and soon a black patina. Slots are left on the sides of the zinc framework for fitting to the metal uprights on the flatbed.
Patina gives the zinc an older look.
This is how the forward contoured cradle support fits on the uprights. The aft section will be done next.
Basic cradle components are complete, lots more detail, including the slip to the lake, to work on. Starting to fill the lake with Realistic Water.
The design of the quarry is in progress based on Jim Shiff's article entitled "Open Pit Mine Railroad," Railroad Modeler, January 1975, Vol. 5(1), pp. 38-41, and my personal tour of the world's largest open-pit gypsum quarry a few years ago. This quarry is still in operation and expanding, and is only a 30 minute drive from my house.
B1 and it's neighbouring block to the south will be animated. Pneumatic and electrical lines will now be installed under B1. Tools required are metal rule, miniature router plane, striking knife and my antique 1 1/4" chisel.
As you can see, these tools are ideal for the job.
Planning the quarry blocks requires detailed knowledge of the rail cars as well as the land moving fleet. Roads, bridges, canal barges, etc all need appropriate dimensions. Making drawings today, among many other things.
Priming the first BOKX gypsum hopper.
Because the hoppers are small, I can enjoy painting them by hand.
Ore car painting coming along. Among several other upgrades will be the installation of real optical sensing gear in the undercarriage plus brake lines with associated gear. Will be buying at least 12 of these Roundhouse ore cars.
Two pair of electrical leads and a pneumatic line installed on B1.
Temporary tape cover. Four-pin electrical connectors will be installed.