Weekend Photo Fun
AUGUST 17 - 19, 2018
All Are Welcome!
Here is an opportunity to showcase any recent project or layout progress or to simply post a photo or two of your favorite railroad-related subject.
Please feel free to post any model railroad related photos here — past or present. This is a place to share photos of your layout, equipment or current project.
WOW! I get to start Weekend Photo Fun! What an honor! What a responsibility! I am going to begin with a picture of a Model Railroader 50th anniversary boxcat that I completed this week. I have been on a building spree of old Athearn Blue Box kits lately. I have plenty of them accumulated, and they are making for a nice change of pace for a while. I can get them done even while I am traveling for work. I have owned this car since I was in High School and it was brand new. I guess the time finally came to assemble it.
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Please share what you have been working on, pictures of completed projects, a layout you have visited, or just a photo that is a lot of fun.
HAPPY WEEKEND!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Thanks for opening up Kevin, I remember that car, since I started on being more prototypically correct on my modeling I have sort of stopped collection cars like that one, although I have a few NMRA convention cars from conventions I attended.
Nothing new for a while so its time for an old picture which will be the staple for a month or so.
DT&I GP38-2's working the Delta Turn with auto parts from various Ford parts plants to be attached to the N&W's Ford Fast Train to Kansas City, KS and Milpitas, CA. #1776 was the only builder painted Bi-Centennial unit, the rest were done by railroad forces.
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!
dti406Thanks for opening up Kevin.
Thanks Rick. This is the first time I opened WPF, and I want to do it right. I pretty much just copied and pasted a previous WPF to get it going.
dti406Since I started on being more prototypically correct on my modeling I have sort of stopped collection cars like that one.
I bought quite a few convention cars, commemorative cars, and NMRA heritage/living legends cars, but up until last month I never assembled any of them.
I do not know what came over me, but for some reason I have really enjoyed the refreshment of doing something simple and basic. Since they are commemorative cars I feel no obligation to make any improvements on the appearance.
These have been pure relaxation.
Kevin .... Thanks for starting Weekend Photo Fun . Like Rick, I racal the MR 50th Anniversary boxcar.
Rick ... I like that photo.
Below is a very nice gift I received this week. It is a GP40 lettered for Paducah and Louisville Railway ( Salute to Veterans ) . It is an Atlas Master Line model. It has some details for me to add myself which I have not yet done. It runs very nicely and sounds real right out of the box.
The boxcar (partly visible in photo ) is another wesetern Kentucky railroad (Cadiz Railroad )
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Hey Garry, that GP40 looks pretty sharp and whoever gave it to you gets a , I like it!
Terry
Inspired by Addiction
See more on my YouTube Channel
Kevin - Thanks for starting off WPF. I too remember the MRR 50th.
Rick - Good looking train. Love the Bi-Centennial unit.
Garry - Thats a great looking GP40. I like the color. Something different.
Its been a busy couple of weeks around here. Nothing new on or for the railroad so here is an oldie but goody:
Black River Valley Railroad F-7 #1116 rounds the Pasture Curve at the west end of the layout with a short local freight in tow. It is the only locomotive on the layout in house (BRVRR) colors.
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/
Some interesting models here so far.
Here's what I've got on my workbench at the moment. It's an On30 model built on the chassis of a HO Roundhouse 2-8-0. Currently, it's awaiting some 3D printed parts from Shapeways, including a smokebox front:
The Location: Forests of the Pacific Northwest, OregonThe Year: 1948The Scale: On30The Blog: http://bvlcorr.tumblr.com
Hello all. I've (finally) been focussing on my benchwork these last few weeks. I opted for a structure based on 1X4s - probably an overkill but it can be bought cheap here in Canada, and I really like its sturdiness.
20180801_124750 by on Flickr" alt="" />
But I'm not sure that shot qualifies as "really good stuff" (dixit Bear), so I'm adding this picture taken at our club.
DSC_0201 by on Flickr" alt="" />
Have a great weekend.
Simon
Thanks for opening WPF, Kevin. Fine job indeed!
That M-R box car brings back some memories.
The Delta Turn is looking sharp, Rick. Same with your GP40 Garry. I like that paint scheme.
Great photo, Allan. Amazing work with the styrene scratchbuild, TBDanny!
The Royal Hudson looks sweet as does your nice benchwork, SNJRoy.
I've had this B&O Q-4b in the box for at least two years (maybe three?) and it was finally time to get down to business and install a sound decoder and get a coat of paint on her.
Q3_decoder by Edmund, on Flickr
Q3_prep1 by Edmund, on Flickr
Here's all the pieces laid out after washing. One of the stumbling blocks was how to fit a decoder and speaker into a sealed-shut Vanderbilt tender.
Q3_decoder0 by Edmund, on Flickr
I chopped out the slope sheet of the tender so the decoder and keep-alive can be stuffed into the tank and I made a speaker enclosure to fit in the coal bin.
Q3_paint by Edmund, on Flickr
After paint but before baking. For some reason the paint looks orange-peeled here but it is actually pretty smooth (Scalecoat I).
And, finally, the roundhouse is in its place, hopefully for good!
RH_inplace2 by Edmund, on Flickr
Here, the feeder wires are ready to get stuffed into the pre-drilled holes.
RH_night by Edmund, on Flickr
Great stuff, everyone!
On to more... Ed
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
gmpullman I've had this B&O Q-4b in the box for at least two years (maybe three?) and it was finally time to get down to business and install a sound decoder and get a coat of paint on her.
Ed, is that the original Westside Q4b, or some later model. I have the orginal and the motor is so small I am worried about it overheating, yours looks a lot bigger than the one I have.
Gary, I like that engine, very nice indeed.
Great photo, Allan, your private road scheme is very eye catching
TBDanny, Super work with the styrene scratchbuild can't wait to see the finished product.
SNJRoy, did not need to see the Royal Hudson, you benchwork was inspiring enough.
Greetings -
With some subtle prodding from Ed, I'm going to post for the first time in WPF.
I picked up one of my dream locomotives last weekend off eBay: A NYC H-10a 2-8-2 Heavy Mike (OMI). It arrived on Wednesday and she's a beaut and essentially mint.
I'll eventually get around to painting & detailing her. In the meantime I'll give the gears a good cleaning & re-lubing.
And, even though the H-10 has never been out of the box in 30 years, she's already a smooth runner. So, breaking her in should only improve things. Needless to say, I'm pretty happy with the purchase.
Below is also a photo of a project I'm currently working on: Detailing and painting an undecorated Kato NW2 switcher for the NYC (ca. '46):
I replaced the front molded grille with an etched-metal grille and twin-fan unit from KV Models and painted it using a Tamiya TS-29 rattle can. I really like how it looks. I finished painting the entire shell on Tuesday. Up next will be adding the decals.
One glitch so far is that the Champ decals I just purchased don't have the correct class number for the NYC NW2s. I could probably piecemeal it from the other DES- decals and numbers on the decal sheet. Microscale also has similar decals for early NYC switchers and they come with the correct class number (DES-13) so I may opt to pick those up, as well. I also have an undecorated S2 switcher so the Champ decals won't go to waste.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Kevin, Good start, everyone seems to do it a little different. That boxcar is a blast from the past!
Rick, The DTI had one of the better looking 200th schemes IMO.
GARRY, That's a change of pace, as the Beartoon reminded me, but an eye-catching scheme.
Allan, Hey, paint costs money and your management says don't paint it if it's not rusting. Works for me.
tbdanny, I'm already liking that loco a lot.
Simon, This is one of my most favorite parts of building a layout. Getting some benchwork wrapped up in my garage, where Thomas, one of our new members, is learning about how to do that, along with the basic shop practices to safely cut and build. Here's a pic after things got painted last week.
Ed, You make that look easy, but I know what it's like to take the can opener to your brass. Not for the faint of heart, but the new tech combined with the brass is just much of a treat to pass up on.
Bear!,
Tom, Nice loco! Drop by more often!
Now for my big contribution, an experimental video shot with the Zhiyun gizmo. I fiogured if it worked for real trains, why not 1:87? I'm still climbing the steep slope of the leraning curve on this thing, but it works pretty well indoors with my iP6 mounted on it.
DualGaugeCountry from Mike Lehman on Vimeo.
I may have another I'll add later.
A-ha, here's the first in a multi-part tour of the layout.
FourCornersDivisionVideoTour1_Durango from Mike Lehman on Vimeo.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
dti406Ed, is that the original Westside Q4b, or some later model. I have the orginal and the motor is so small I am worried about it overheating, yours looks a lot bigger than the one I have.
It is the one that was boxed with the extra water can, Rick. Like this one:
https://brasstrains.com/classic/Product/Detail/062586/HO-Brass-Model-Train-WMC-Westside-Models-B-O-Baltimore-Ohio-2-8-2-Q-4b-Auxiliary-Tender
The can motor IS small and does run pretty hot. I initially ran it on a set of rollers and the current draw was about 480 mA at 5.5V and the motor was 120°!
I played around with the gear case and did a little lube work and now at 5.5V I have 280 mA and 102°. Still, I see a motor replacement in its future. The one in there is .630 dia. and there's .925 width in the firebox. The reality is that without some extensive drive line work this locomotive is destined to be pretty lame in the running-quality department. The #2 and #3 drivers are crooked on the axles and the driving boxes are pretty sloppy, too.
[edit] I just scrounged around my can-motor stock and found a (nearly) perfect replacement. 16mm wide, 21mm dia. and 30mm long and at 5 volts I can not stop the shaft with my fingers. Before I go any further I'm going ahead with the motor replacement 620 mA stalled at 12 V.
Glad you stopped in, Tom. Your H-10 Mikado is a real gem, indeed! The fan blades make a real difference in the appearance of the NW-2 also.
Mike, The Zhiyun Gizmo sounds like a name for some piece of hi-tech surgical equipment I can just hear the surgeon "Yep, almost lost him — had to go in with the Zhiyun Gizmo and make some quick repairs to the paravesical space and tendinous arch". Couldn't have done it with out the 'ol Zhiyun Gizmo by my side.
Nice video(s), too!
Cheers, Ed
Thunderstorm over Talheim
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Bear...... That's hillarious ! .... I suppose I can justify it because, the CB&Q owned the bridge into Paducah, KY from Metropolis, IL over the Ohio River. However, dates are not right. CB&Q became a fallen flag merging into BN long before Illinois Central RR sold the line to Louisville to a new short line called Paducah & Louisville Ry. (reporting mark is PAL ) . BNSF now owns the bridge.... Thank you for your humor.
Terry Penn Central ... Thanks for commenting.
Allan ... Thanks for remark about my GP40. Your F7 and grain elevator are very nice.
TB Danny ... Looks like a fun project.
Simon... The benchwork looks good and the CP 4-6-4 is beautiful.
Ed .... Thanks for cocmmenting about my PAL GP40. Your B&O Q-4b appears to be a fun project. ... Your lighted roundhouse is fantastic !
Tom ... Glad to see you posting in WPF ! ... Your H-10a is impressive. The NW2 looks like a great model.
Mike L .... Thank you for commenting about my new loco. The benchwork looks very solid. I enjoyed your videos.
Rick .. Thanks for your comment.
Ulrich .... I like the passenger train. ... The thunderstorm is amazing !
Kevin, Thanks for the WPF start-up, your pic reminds me of my first Athearn blue box kit purchased at the local hobby shop back in 82', the shop is long gone, but still have the boxcar.
Tom, Ohh, I like your Kato NW2 grill.
Ulrich, Nicely crafted scene and models. The Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society's layout openhouse had thunderstorms, complete with a spritzing of real H2O from above the viewing aisle, always caused quite a stir.
RIP track ready for business, but needs a few wheelsets.
Thanks to all the contributors, wishing everyone a good weekend, regards, Peter
gmpullman dti406 Ed, is that the original Westside Q4b, or some later model. I have the orginal and the motor is so small I am worried about it overheating, yours looks a lot bigger than the one I have. It is the one that was boxed with the extra water can, Rick. Like this one: https://brasstrains.com/classic/Product/Detail/062586/HO-Brass-Model-Train-WMC-Westside-Models-B-O-Baltimore-Ohio-2-8-2-Q-4b-Auxiliary-Tender The can motor IS small and does run pretty hot. I initially ran it on a set of rollers and the current draw was about 480 mA at 5.5V and the motor was 120°! I played around with the gear case and did a little lube work and now at 5.5V I have 280 mA and 102°. Still, I see a motor replacement in its future. The one in there is .630 dia. and there's .925 width in the firebox. The reality is that without some extensive drive line work this locomotive is destined to be pretty lame in the running-quality department. The #2 and #3 drivers are crooked on the axles and the driving boxes are pretty sloppy, too. [edit] I just scrounged around my can-motor stock and found a (nearly) perfect replacement. 16mm wide, 21mm dia. and 30mm long and at 5 volts I can not stop the shaft with my fingers. Before I go any further I'm going ahead with the motor replacement 620 mA stalled at 12 V. Cheers, Ed
dti406 Ed, is that the original Westside Q4b, or some later model. I have the orginal and the motor is so small I am worried about it overheating, yours looks a lot bigger than the one I have.
Yup Ed that is the same one I have, did you manage to get the replacement frames from Westside so that it will get around something less than a 36" radius curve?
Tom, I have tried bidding on those on E-Bay and they have always gone over the maximum I wanted to pay, I will just have to live with my 3 Mohawks and 1 Niagara for power, although I could use one of my USRA Mikes for the H-6 Class of the NYC.
My last project, a Sylvan Scale Models CNR Wood Caboose.
Guy
Modeling CNR in the 50's
gmpullmanMike, The Zhiyun Gizmo sounds like a name for some piece of hi-tech surgical equipment Surprise I can just hear the surgeon "Yep, almost lost him — had to go in with the Zhiyun Gizmo and make some quick repairs to the paravesical space and tendinous arch". Couldn't have done it with out the 'ol Zhiyun Gizmo by my side. Nice video(s), too! Cheers, Ed
I should probably explain more about the Zhiyun. Basically, it's a knock-off of something called an Osmo. Made by DJI, the drone company, the Osmo pioneered consumer grade gyro-stabilized imagery gimbals based on the design of those used to carry cameras on it's DJI Phantom and other drones. I've never used an Osmo. The Osmo is somewhat pricier than the Zhiyun, but I understand they are similar in how they work.
Both allow you to mount your cellphone and use it as a camera, using Bluetooth to link the controls on the Zhiyun handle to control the cellphone, which creates and stores the video on the cellphone for later download. I believe this model of Zhiyun, the Smooth-Q, was replaced by an upgraded model. My wife got the Zhiyun at Best Buy for $99. We plan to use it on vacation and for various video tasks.
The Zhiyun can be handheld. It's not heavy. That's how I used it mostly when I did the cab ride video for my friend, Thomas. The image stability it provides, along with some minimal effort to operate it correctly, gives surprisingly good results. The endle has a standard 1/4-20 threaded mount bfor use with tripods, etc, so here it is mounted that way.
There are controls on the handle that you can manipulate with your thumb. It also takes still images, a great help when taking pics from the train or other moving vehicle. Here's a closer view at the controls.
The bottom left red button is the power on/off switch (if held down) and also takes pics and starts video with momentary touch. Above it on the left is the Mode switch. At the top looks like a button, but is actually a joystick that control the camera movement when it is stabilized. The slide switch on the right controls Zoom on iPhone 6 or better.
There are three modes. Default is Pan Following Mode. This let's you tilt up and down, but the rest stays stabilzed. Locking Mode stabalizes everything and lets you focus on getting thye best image. Following Mode let's you stabilly control up/down and R/L via the joystick. These ranges of motion, etc are all controlled, calibrated, and set inside the app, except for the controls described here.
This next pic shows how the Zhiyun works so well. In the previous pic the tripod handle is traight back toward the user. The next pic shows it turned 90 degress, but the camera still face sthe same directon.
A side view.
The reverse view.
There's also a mode that's like the phone's selfie mode, reverses the camera's operation, but the Zhiyun moves to follow you so you can perform and record in front of it k. Batteries are LiPos that stay aboard for recharging and last a lot longer than I do. It all goes into what looks like a tiny well-made violin case to protect it - and make you look like the Video Gangster when you're carrying it.
Ulrich, Great thunderstorm effects!
GARRY, The benchwork is way solid, very flat, and stong so it can be moved. The two L-girders made with 2x4 help a lot with this and provides part of the leg mounts. Thomas got his cork roadbed and the last tunrout he needed today, so we're ready to start the tracklaying process
Peter, Love the AD&N boxcar and your usual fine modeling!
Guy, That's a sharp looking caboose! Great Stuff!
Good to see the project you’re mentoring Mike, is taking shape. Thanks for the layout tours.
Onward to the line from Durango to Silvertion!
FourCornersDivisionVol2SilvertonBranch from Mike Lehman on Vimeo.
mlehmanI should probably explain more about the Zhiyun.
I did look them up on Amazon, Mike. I borrowed a friends Steadicam some years ago but haven't looked at the proliferation of such devices recently. Back then the Steadicam needed about twenty pounds of battery pack with them!
I've installed some PTZ — Pan, Tilt, Zoom — security cameras. Those can run into some money but these days there are plenty of economical knock-offs.
I'm all for anything that helps stabilize a camera, both still or motion picture.
My wife hears me crabbing about jittery, shaky video anytime I see it in a TV production or "professional" movie shot. Unless you're on Omaha Beach in '44 I want to see smooth panning and camera work. These jerky, helter-skelter videos (especially the vertical format stuff) is for the birds!
Thanks for the demonstration
Regards, Ed