"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Hey Bear:
The car float railings look great!
I love the "90% done - 90% to go..." phrase! Many times have I assessed an ongoing project that I thought was coming along great only to realize how much more work was required to finish the thing!
Updates on the McKeen motor car:
Roof details installed:
Interior painted and lights installed. I used 30.1K resistors to get the LEDs to just glow:
Here is the interior light tree:
I am using a basic Digitrax non-sound decoder until Loksound releases their Galloping Goose sound decoder. The decoder and the wiring fit nicely out of sight between the tanks and stairwells etc. I don't plan on turning the motor car upside down to show my handiwork:
I'm getting close to painting the exterior of the shell. I have figured out that masking the interior won't be nearly as difficult as I had imagined.
In the next week or two I should have a finished motor car to show off.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Bear- the car float does indeed look great
Critter- can't wait to see the finished car.
Practice makes perfect I guess- this is my 6th custom painted and decaled hopper car for the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway.
Keep up the good work everyone.
(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).
With the 2 IHC engines done, I did a line up of the 4 roads I have represented so far. Left to right: Lehigh and New England, Central Railroad of New jersey, Lehigh Valley and Reading.
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/60361449@N02/
Anthracite Modeler - YouTube
Good morning from Sunny and Warm Northeast Ohio!
Bear, I thought you would have the apron and approaches all done by now!!!
Dave, beautiful work on the McKeen car, a lot of patience has gone into building that car, it should look great.
Jimmy, practice does make perfect, with all the cars I have painted and decalled, you find out what works and what doesn't.
Casey, Steam Kit-Bashing is an art, one I don't think I could do - Great Work!!!
I managed to finish a couple of cars this week.
To further add to my NKP fleet of cars here is a Front Range 50' ACF Combination Door Boxcar, Extended Coupler Pockets and A-line Sill Steps added. Painted with Scalecoat II Boxcar Red, Floquil Platinum Mist and lettered with Microscale Decals.
Con-Cor 60' Greenville Box Car, removed the rivits as I was making the Thrall version with Welded Seams, Extended Coupler Pockets and A-Line Sill Steps added. Painted with Scalecoat II Boxcar Red and Floquil Platinum Mist Paints, then lettered with Mask Island Decals. Car is in Auto Parts Service for Ford.
In keeping with the NKP theme, a pair of Athearn GP9's entering the siding with a mixed freight.
Thanks for looking!
Rick J
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!
Bear .... 90% 90% ... I like that too. .. Your car ferry will be a masterpiece.
Dave.... Your McKeen motor car will also be a masterpiece. I enjoy your progress reports.
Jimmy .... Another Nice Hopper !
Rick ... The NKP and RI box cars look great. I like the NKP GP9's.
__________
Not much model railroading here lately, but I did weather my scratch built rural grain elevator. .... It will be in the back of the layout, and so I did not include many details. ... Now I am scratch building a trackside shed that will be placed next to it.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Good stuff from everyone, esp. nice job on the elevator, Garry. A couple of early Alcos drifting down the grade at Stoney Creek.
Wow, great stuff from everyone and good to see Bear back in the game with fresh pics
After 4 ops sessions in 13 days, it was good to get back to modeling. The biggest crew showed up for my turn to host the Illinois Terminal Division monthly meeting and we finally had a chance to run the full passenger schedule last Saturday. It went really well. We ran roughly an hour to hour and a half behind much of the time due to a slow start, but the running times all seemed to work well on the 6:1 ratio fast clock. It looks like the first Thursday and second Wednesday will be the monthly days for ops here, so if you're in the area and want to participate, send me a PM and I'll get you connected.
The first pic is a result of a suggestion by Rick Schroeder. You may remember him from the his letter and pics in the recent MR issue about the Velcro-enabled layout skirts on his Danville & Western. Rick noted that a little more guidance for new operators would help in locating what switch or knob controls what turnout. So I came up with the idea of turnout register numbers. Basically, it's a small layout appliance that resembles a hand throw's target, numbered sequentially from 0 to 9. I'll do a write up this weekend in more detail, but this is what this unobtrusive solution looks like.
I've had an extra left-hand turnout suitting around for a few weeks and fianlly deceided where it was needed most, adding a second lead into the complex where Webber Wholesale is located. They're a major source of food and other sundries for towns and camps along the line.
With things angled as they are, there will even be enough space to lengthen the rail dock side to hold 5 cars. Now Goble's can get more regular shipments of lumber and coal, plus that track can also be used with dock plates to load cars two deep from Webbers in busy times. Another bonus is I can actually see the modeling efforts I put into both dock areas. In the follwing pic, you can see how I've pushed the add-on cooler at the right end of Webber's out to show where I will extend the dock to accommodate a 5th car.
Finally, I added a small bump-out along the lead to the Outlaw Mine spur on the Cascade Branch at Crater lake Junction. Now there's room for the assay office plus space just beyond it for a warehouse or other structure to add another industry spot to switch.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Grampy ... Thanks for commenting... Your Alcos and your scene are great !
Mike L .... Your layout is very impressive.
Heartland Division CB&QMike L .... Your layout is very impressive.
Garry,
Thanks!
I'm enjoying you elevator build. The weathering looks great also. Your philisophy on adding just enough detail for where the viewing distance can appreciate it is one I also often follow. It can save a lot of time, too, no sense in building things that can't be seen unless it's taken off the layout - unless you plan on taking it a contest or RPM session.
Thanks everyone for the comments on the McKeen car.
Jimmy - excellent job on the hopper. I know what you mean by "getting it right the 6th time..." Once I have done something a few times I wonder why was that so hard to do the first time round?
RDG Casey - Nice lineup. Very few modelers can claim that they actually built their own fleet of locomotives.
Rick J - Your work is always excellent.
Garry - Beautiful scratchbuild, and the weathering is very well done.
Grampy - Every photo of your railroad is impressive.
Mike - More amazing progress!
Bear - Thanks again!
All the best everyone!
The Sn3 Elk Canyon and Western as seen at the 2015 Narrow Gauge show in Houston.
and in the contest room....(apologies as I lost the information on the builder of this magnificent diorama)
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
JaBear, there might be some DL&W projects in the near future. hint hint...
Bear, Thanks for the WPF roll-out. Good to see you're back into the handrail wrestling contest, but of course your perseverance will soon be rewarded with sweet victory.
First car to roll thru my completed harbor scene and onto the carfloat is a nicely weathered AD&N boxcar compliments of forum member Bryan B. Thanks again Bryan.
Thanks to all and have a good weekend, regards, Peter
Thanks Bear for starting off WPF. Your car float looks to be coming along nicely. Love the 90/90 comment.
Dave your motor car is looking good. A true work of art in progress.
Jimmy your hopper looks good to me. I'm contemplating doing a batch of tank cars as a 1950's 'pipeline' on wheels.
Casey an interesting loco grouping. A lot of work there.
Rick J, great looking cars as usual. I especially liked the GPs.
Gary, good job on the elevator.
Grampy, love the ALCOs, another great photo as usual.
Mike L, you are the most industrious modeler I know of. Looking good to me.
Geared Steam, Love the "Olde Time" railroad photos.
Peter, a good looking harbor scene. Wish I had room for a water scene.
I was doing a little research for a project on George Elwood's Fallen Flags site and came across this photo of a NYC PAX (passenger train).
Photo taken at Wellesley Farms by Dick Leonhardt ca. 1958.
My approximation of the above scene on the BRVRR.
Keep the photos and ideas coming guys. Thanks to you WPF is always the best thread of the week.
Remember its your railroad
Allan
Track to the BRVRR Website: http://www.brvrr.com/
First of all thanks for all the nice comments.
Garry, you grain elevator looks great, just enough weathering not the overly done stuff you usually see.
Grampy, another nice shot of your PRR roster and scenery.
Peter, good looking harbor scene with the car float.
Alan, most railroads had short little passenger trains like the one pictured and your model, very nice.
Allan,
That's a passenger train that can fit practically anywhere. Nice find and great pic of your version.
How I spent my Saturday.I was at the Iron Rails Model Railroad club show in Hastings,MI. with my in process Z scale show layout.
Geared Steam ... Thanks for sharing the impressive work at the NG show.
Peter ... Your harbor scene is outstanding.
Allan ... I definately like the short passenger train.... Thanks for the remark about my grain elevator.
Rick ... Thanks for commenting about the grain elevator.
Johnathan ... I like the Z guage lyaout.
......................
Below is more work in progress.... I built a simple shed from material in my scrap box. I placed it along with the grain elevator on the part of my layout which is under construction. As you can see, much work remains. .... I'll not be able to do anything to the layout in the next two weeks because of other stuff.