Weekend photo fun 8/28 - 9/1

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Usually we wait until the weekend to start this.

[Anonymous]

Well, he said it was going to be early... Plus maybe if we start early it won't go as late into the week like it has lately.

[Packer]

Well, he said it was going to be early... Plus maybe if we start early it won't go as late into the week like it has lately.

Well, never though of it that way. But I guess it works out in theory. Besides, it's close enough for me. (I don't have work tommow, and today is the last day of school for the week, so tomorrow is like my saturday)

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I did some work on the layout this week. I had a 'S' curve right up front that's been giving me some trouble periodically with some Genesis cars. So I ripped it out and put in a new stretch of EZ-Track to replace it.

Here the new piece of plywood that will support the track is already in place.

In this photo, I laid the new section on top of the old one to give you a good idea of what I'm doing.

Here I've got the new section in place on top of pieces of white beadboard.

The old rail joiners didn't want to come out so I clamped the rails in place and soldered them to the existing rails. The job was spot-on. The rails are in perfect alignment.

 

[Packer]

Wow, didn't think you had EZ track on the layout from the first shot. Looks like normal track until one of the shots exposes those clips. Good job on ballasting, Jeff.

[Driline]

Usually we wait until the weekend to start this.

Ha Ha! You don't get to start it this week. He beat you to it LOL. Next week it will be Wednesday and you'll miss that one too

[rs2mike]

I have been working on several projects at once.  This is what I have accomplished so far.  The post office car is being built like the one in the sept mr issue. 

I also completed this MDC/Roundhouse 2 truck shay.  It was a complete basket case.  I disassembled it and rebuilt it.  To my dismay it was missing the rear drive shaft to the truck and the motor drive t was split and it was missin all of its driveshafts.  So this one will be a dummy display at the museum when I get to building a layout.

Not sure what this is but it looked cool and it was free.  So I built a chasis out of styrene and put freight trucks under it like it is in for restoration.  It will get a heavy rust job like it has just been brought in or something.

I have also stripped the paint off my bachman gp-40 and added grab irons, new brass horn, antenna.  I think I will also add a plow, rotating beacon, mu hoses, and I will bend new handrails out of wire instead of that cheap plastic.  I also stripped the paint on my athern gp-9 and added antenna, horns, rotating beacon, and gps antenna.  I think this one will also get a plow but I haven't decided yet.

[Packers#1]

Of course, this thread should run into monday, cause it's labor day here in the U.S.

Happy b-day Packer! and good lookin locos, gotta love alcos.

Jeff, good work on that straight spot.

I might get some pictures for ya'll l8r this weekend. The only loco I've got that still has it's shell is my GP35, the other Geeps and h-15-44 are down for painting. And it's not my best work. Sorry for my dark pictures last week, my desklap had burnt out and it was night, so my only illumination was my ceiling fan bulb. They should be filled w/ light this weekend.

[Robby P.]

I did keep thinking today was Friday.  I will try to get some of my weathered cars up this weekend, plus the mother in law is coming .

[Grampys Trains]

Hi all: Good start everyone. I'm finally getting caught up with weathering all my locos and freight cars. I also added some more foliage, and tried Paul Dolkos weed seed follicles for tall grass, from Oct. MR. Here's a Reading RR short coal train, for a change.         

[Packers#1]

Looking forward to those cars Robby.

to DJ.

[Dave Vollmer]

Grampy,

Once again, I have to say it.

You are a fantastic modeler.  Your scenery, track, and rolling stock are all perfectly executed.  I especially like the weathering; many folks overdo it with an airbrush; you have not.  Dead-on.

I happened upon your photo page.  All of it, shear inspiration.

Thanks!

[Kenfolk]

Uh...weekend huh?...don't I wish! Anyway, good to see all the pictures. Grampy, great work. 

Maybe I can get around to a picture on here before the weekend is over.

 

 

[Grampys Trains]

Hi Dave: Thank you very much. Your remarks mean a lot to me. How's your recuperation coming along?  I hope you're getting well, again.  It's good to see you back on the forum.

[lvanhen]

Usually we wait until the weekend to start this.

Ha Ha! You don't get to start it this week. He beat you to it LOL. Next week it will be Wednesday and you'll miss that one too

OK Driline - you can have next Wed, but I wan't the following Tues!!

[Dave Vollmer]

Although I'm still on "convalescent leave," I'm feeling fine.  I'm grateful to the stringent fitness requirements of the service for keeping me in shape such that something like an appendectomy is more a minor nuisance than anything else.  I'm chompin' at the bit to go back to work, but in the meantime, I've been modeling like crazy!

Up first is an Atlas N scale Penn Central SD35 I've converted to a Conrail paint-out:

Before:

The desired result (from Fallen Flags):

After some paint, a Sunrise Enterprises cab signal box (thanks, Ed K!), weathering with acrylics and chalk powders, lotsa Dullcote, decals, and more Dullcote, the result:

One thing I tried to replicate was, as evidenced by hundreds of photos of similar ex-Penn Central Conrail locos, that they often slapped what must have been cheap black paint over the Penn Central Scotchlite logos and lettering.  In short order, that lettering showed through on almost every engine as that cheap paint peeled away.  The "CR" stencils were another early Conrail cost-saver; they're the "C" and "R" from the "CENTRAL" portion of the Penn Central roadname stencils.

[ChrisKSDF]

In light of the completion of climate control installation in my 3 car Las Vegas garage, meaning that construction can finally begin on the 22x35ft ARR Anchorage Subdivision, here's my first of hopefully many contributions to WPF:

A celebratory photo of the 17 locomotives that'll soon finally have some real mainline track to get out and stretch their legs on!

  

[berlingo]

Hi everyone,

 

Great pictures in here, I've been watching many many times .  You guys give me a lot of inspirations.

 

Here is my diorama in HO Scale, were taken against the actual sky........still got no idea about weathering all new cars yet...

[AltoonaRailroader]

 

Love you're work Dave and I'm glad to hear the recoup is in full swing. I'm a big fan of the PRR > PC > CR myself so I really dig what you're doing now especially. I'll have to post a pic of a PC GP-9 I painted from a undec shell. I think it came out pretty good, (how hard is it to screw up black?) LOL and I want to keep it as PC, but I need to finish some details on it and take a crack at weathering. I'll post it later this weekend, or maybe later today if I can get the wifey to run down and take a few shots for me.

 

[AltoonaRailroader]

Grampy, what can I say, super completely inspiring, especially to us newbies. I'm gonna have to start buring these pics to a CD cause my thumb drive is filling fast.

Thanks for the great pics, please keep them coming, I have a long way to go.

[secondhandmodeler]

Well, this isn't much to look at, but I'm excited non the less!  Here is my new bench work waiting for the backdrop to be installed.  I'm also waiting for my turnouts to arrive before I can start setting out track.  This bench work was a little more involved than my old 'sacred sheet'.  I hope you guys don't mind progress shots.  Otherwise I'll have to wait until sometime next year to post!

[AltoonaRailroader]

I likey!!!

I like that you painted your benchwork too, looks much much better than just the plain wood. Good job, keep us updated eh?

 

[Dave Vollmer]

In Conrail's first months, there was little to no standardization with respect to paint jobs.  One oddity that many don't realize is that many 50 foot boxcars that were transfered to Conrail on Merger Day in April 1976 were painted by Conrail in Penn Central Green.

I had messed up a weathering job on an N scale 50 foot Micro Trains Penn Central boxcar and subsequently purchased a new one.  That one ended up coming out well enough:

The prototype (from Penn Central Online):

But I still had the messed-up 50-footer.  What to do with it?  Chuck it?  Naw...  Never throw a car away!  Checking out the Fallen Flags website, I found these among several photos of Conrail green boxcars from the very early CR years (1976-80):

So I stripped and re-painted the 50-footer with PolyScale Penn Central green.  I added Microscale decals and ACI labels.  The dimensional data isn't correct (these letters are about 0.5 mm high; I once tried to cut them out one-by-one to do a PRR X31A properly, and while it looked okay by the time I did one side of the car I was burned out) and the font's not quite there, but overall it both captures the feel of an early and lesser known Conrail prototype and keeps a $15 boxcar out of the trashcan!

Oh, yeah, and for you large scale people (HO and up!), here's an idea of why I use an Optivisor when I do this:

[jacon12]

Here's an area of my layout that I've been working on.  Southern's 6547, an H16-44 made by Atlas, leads the local of late afternoon.

Jarrell

[secondhandmodeler]

Thanks Altoona, it took four coats to cover it completely!  This layout has to share the room with our home office.  The computer desks are a deep Merlot color.  I figured that the bench work wouldn't stick out as bad if it was the same color.  Now, if I could only get my turnouts in, I'd be cooking with gas! 

[CSXDixieLine]

Wow! What a great start to the weekend! The Reading coal train, the CR repaint, all the others and soooooooooooo many Alaska RR locos that I thought I was going loco! I think next wekend may be the first time I get to post a picture on the WPF thread that does not feature plywood and sheetrock screws. In fact, I hope the pics have some nice sky blue in them, but just what else gets included is a little cloudy at this point in time. :)

Keep up the good work everyone and happy modeling over the weekend! Jamie

[galaxy]

PAcker!

Enjoy it all you can!

(Oh, to be 19 again! )

[Robby P.]

This is my latest weathered job.  A rusty Railbox.  I added Cal-Scale airhoses, hand made cut-levers. 

 

[Anonymous]

Dave, glad to hear you're recovering. Your last photo brought to mind something about N scale... And I thought the wires I have to solder in a DCC install in HO were small! Getting them in N scale must be a nightmare!

 

---

I haven't really done much on the layout recently, except start my latest project, a small pond. (this time totally landlocked to I don't have to build a dam to keep the "water" off the floor...)

 

So far I've cut it out, painted it, and sceneced the pond-bed. Now I'm just waiting for the paint to dry. (I'm using it as an adhesive for the dirt and stuff on the pond-bed, along with later my usual glue-water mix.)

[AltoonaRailroader]

I have one like that. It's actually one of my favorite piece of RS. I think it's a Proto 1K.

 

[AltoonaRailroader]

Thanks Altoona, it took four coats to cover it completely!  This layout has to share the room with our home office.  The computer desks are a deep Merlot color.  I figured that the bench work wouldn't stick out as bad if it was the same color.  Now, if I could only get my turnouts in, I'd be cooking with gas! 

I took that from the surrounding room that you weren't in an attic or basement like most of us and that it might have been in a family room or something like that.

Hmmmmmm, now how do convince the wife that if I paint the benchwork and make it look nice, that I need to build an around the walls layout in the living room?????

Yeah right!!!!!  LOL

[Dave Vollmer]

Dave, glad to hear you're recovering. Your last photo brought to mind something about N scale... And I thought the wires I have to solder in a DCC install in HO were small! Getting them in N scale must be a nightmare!

Soldering a 6-wire decoder into the smokebox of an N scale steamer is probably one of the most challenging things I've done, but I'm a better modeler for having mastered it.  So now, DCC installs in a nice roomy tender are no big deal at all.  But nightmare, no...  Challenge, yes.  I've been blessed with a very steady hand.

The outside diameter of the boiler here is about that of a healthy person's finger.

This is a kitbashed model of a PRR H10sb 2-8-0, with a shortened Minitrix K4 boiler on a Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 chassis.

[outdoorsfellar]

Operations or pretty much anything else on the Allegheny & Cumberland cease for the summer, but here's a pic of a west bound mix passing through Coal Fork Jct.

 

 

[steemtrayn]

[G Paine]

One thing I tried to replicate was, as evidenced by hundreds of photos of similar ex-Penn Central Conrail locos, that they often slapped what must have been cheap black paint over the Penn Central Scotchlite logos and lettering.  In short order, that lettering showed through on almost every engine as that cheap paint peeled away.  The "CR" stencils were another early Conrail cost-saver; they're the "C" and "R" from the "CENTRAL" portion of the Penn Central roadname stencils.

Dave, glad to hear you are feeling better. I like that almost can't see the Penn Central on those locos. At first I thought it was some light dirt weathering, the I got a closer look.

This is a CR conversion boxcar from an old Walthers HO decal set. Same idea of an old car with a quickie CR paintout.

[jacon12]

 Grampy, every week I look forward to your pictures.  Besides great modeling they're always candy for the eyes.

Jarrell 

 

 

 

 

Hi all: Good start everyone. I'm finally getting caught up with weathering all my locos and freight cars. I also added some more foliage, and tried Paul Dolkos weed seed follicles for tall grass, from Oct. MR. Here's a Reading RR short coal train, for a change.         

[modelalaska]

Good grief ChrisKSDF, now I know why it is so hard to find my road stock... you have them all.  So do you have a track plan together yet?  Please post if you do.

Peter (in Alaska).

In light of the completion of climate control installation in my 3 car Las Vegas garage, meaning that construction can finally begin on the 22x35ft ARR Anchorage Subdivision, here's my first of hopefully many contributions to WPF:

A celebratory photo of the 17 locomotives that'll soon finally have some real mainline track to get out and stretch their legs on!

  

[oleirish]

Jarrell

If I didn't know better,that picture looks like the real thing,you have come an long way!!!!

JIM

[Packer]

Usually we wait until the weekend to start this.

Ha Ha! You don't get to start it this week. He beat you to it LOL. Next week it will be Wednesday and you'll miss that one too

OK Driline - you can have next Wed, but I wan't the following Tues!!

What happens when it starts on sunday?

[jacon12]

Thanks Jim, it's been a fun and educational experience!

Jarrell 

 

Jarrell

If I didn't know better,that picture looks like the real thing,you have come an long way!!!!

JIM

[Grampys Trains]

Hi Jarrell: Thanks, you've got some great photos, yourself.  Good job!

[AltoonaRailroader]

PAcker!

Enjoy it all you can!

(Oh, to be 19 again! )

I don't think I'd go back that far. Whew!!! It was hard enough the first time.

Happy B-day Packer!!!! Enjoy it while it last, the older you get the fast time goes.

[AggroJones]

(Edited by selector- images deleted in consideration of other viewers)

Grampy, the whole thing ties together so well. Colors, tones, textures.  

 

 

[N.H. Matt]

this weeks projects were a house for my home layout and a lawsons store for the club

prototype kims antiques

prototype lawsons

[selector]

Matt, very nice work you have there.   Congratulations.  Must be a few odd hours invested there?

All previous posters, thanks for a great show.  Some outstanding work evident.

Jarrell badgered me (but very nicely) to get off the throne and read my camera manual.  I had dabbled a bit early in the summer, but got busy and forgot to persist.  Jarrell coached me through playing with the manual settings, and I think I finally am getting a feel for it.  So, here is an improved version of an image I posted a couple of weeks back, maybe three now, where I manipulated and locked shutter speed, saturation, contrast, and such, and had to play with lighting and camera position.  No more glaring, washed out, bright blotches that were overexposed so badly.  Yay!!  Thank-you, Jarrell.

 

 

[C&O Fan]

Very Nice Work Matt !!

 

Good Photo

Selector !!

 

I went in the train room to take a few shots and the little red dead battery

light came on

Oh Well maybe i can pick up some tomorrow and then join the fun

meantime no shortage of good photos here to entertain me

 

[steemtrayn]

Jarrell badgered me (but very nicely) to get off the throne and read my camera manual. 

 

Can't you read ON the throne?

[Packers#1]

Before finishing reading through these three pages, may I to dave vollmer for that CR SD35. great work on it.

[selector]

Jarrell badgered me (but very nicely) to get off the throne and read my camera manual. 

 

Can't you read ON the throne?

  I had considered typing, "...get off the pot...", but thought it might be worse.  Oh, well..

[Packers#1]

Berlingo-Great picture of that steam loco.

Corey-great looking benchwork.

jarrel-love that Southern unit, and the trees.

Robby-Great Railbox boxcar, your work is always great.

[G Paine]

Completed 2 tank cars this week; both are Athern HO scale undecorateds that I got cheap at a train show. UTLX 85302 uses a Champ decal set and MEC 715 uses the remnants from an old Walthers decal set with data from the Champ set.

[shayfan84325]

Looks like a great start to the weekend.  Thanks to you all for posting your work.

I've got something a little different from the 1:1 world.

Last weekend I met my brother in Portland, OR and we rode Amtrak up to Seattle to take in the Mariners/A's game.  After Ichiro went 1 for 3 with a sac. bunt and an RBI, and the Mariners won 8 to 4, we borded the train for our return trip.  What could be better than a train/baseball sandwich?!

Anyway, on our way south to Portland we had to stop in the woods.  It seems that a northbound freight had hit a fallen tree and there was debris on the track.  Here are a few pictures I took out the window while we waited to get back underway:

 

 

Have a safe Labor Day weekend, everyone.

[howmus]

Nice work to start off the weekend everyone!  Only Friday and 3 pages already.

I spent almost a full day installing a remote tortoise mount this week.  Would have been a simple job except for some poor planing a couple years ago on my part.  I have a habit of doing those sort of things....  Actually I planned carefully for what I had planed to do at that time.  I decided to get rid of the giant sized Caboose ground throws and use torti in there place.  This one was one to really test my patience.  Glad no one was around to hear me!  The machine could not be mounted directly under the turnout so I decided to use the remote.  Problem was I could either see where it needed to be mounted, or reach the area with my hands to do the job.  Here is the finished project.  I focused on the actuator that throws the points on the turnout as that is what was a monster to install.  The rest went together quite easily.



This is where the actuator had to be installed:



You can see the actuator mount up in back to the right of the toggle switch.  The toggle is temporarily mounted where it is until a fascia board is installed.

[Wikious]

I made some more progress on my WSOR weed sprayer cars.

Prototype can be found here:Weed Sprayer. Photo not mine.

[wsdimenna]

ChrisKSDF

Alaska railroad, you live in Vegas.. Your season will be winter on your layout :)

Backround is UP SD70Ace

[Blue Flamer]

PAcker!

Enjoy it all you can!

(Oh, to be 19 again! )

Yeah Packer, . Remember it while you can. I can't remember my 19th. Of course, I can be excused for not remembering. After all, it WAS a few months more than 50 years ago.

By the way, thanks to everyone for making this a great start to the Labour Day Weekend. Enjoy. 

Blue Flamer. 

[AggroJones]

Rob bro I wanna see you hit a crazy style rustbucket boxcar. 

 

[berlingo]

Happy Birthday to you Packer, hope you will get more and more of those model RRs.

Thank you to Packers#1 for your compliment and kind word, 1st i had a confusion your login between Packer and Packers #1 .LOL

And say thank you to Steemtrayn for putting that beautiful picture that looked quite similar,too.

 

And everyone's works , great jobs.........

[jeffrey-wimberly]

[Robby P.]

Well I have a 2-bay Chessie coming and a NB boxcar.  I was thinking about giving the Northern Burlington car a bad rust job.  I kinda cleaned out the hobby store of Railboxs. 

[corksean12]

OK so this is my phirst photo phun post, as its the first time i've had both some scenery done and a camera to capture it with. The pics arent of great quality, but you get the general idea. also, its a british layout, so hopefully no-one will get offended ;)

This is a Birds-eye shot of Ravynholm,(pron. Raven-home) my small Welsh terminus. still needs people and other details added though you can see the abandoned narrow gauge slate line.

Local mixed train arrives just after dawn(the Maithwaith signs came with the platform,must change those):

 

2271 waits for the line to clear:

 

this pic came out kinda nice:

 So thats Ravynholm as it is now. My layout is divided into 3 scenes, so I'll post some pics of the Mine scene next week.

Feedback (the good, the bad and the ugly) welcomed! 

[selector]

Offended, Sean.....are you pulling our legs?   I think you have done a bang-up job of depicting the British flavour of railroading.  Really nice scenery you have there.  Nicely done.

-Crandell

[Tjsingle]

I made some more progress on my WSOR weed sprayer cars.

Prototype can be found here:Weed Sprayer. Photo not mine.

Interesting project you got there

[corksean12]

Thanks Crandell! I didnt really think anyone would mind, But I have seen european forums not take kindly to American railroads before, so I was just making sure.

[Packers#1]

Well folks, I've actually started a decent-sized project. but first, a sneak peek at the ARR paint scheme:

and yes, I know it looks like crap, but I'm not done. this is just a sneak peek (hand rails will remain red)

and here's what I call my crew car. part of a b-mann ATSF caboose riding on a b-mann P&LE gondola:

looking around my room because my parents kicked me off the computer for about 3 hours, I relized I coukld add a little yard and another industry to the layout. And yes, those curves are sharp (oh well):

and yes, that one is a little fuzzy, but the others are good. and yes, I will work on the roof of the transfer building.

[selector]

Say, you are a busy feller, Packers#1.  I like the ivy on the walls of the building in the first image.  Nice touch!  I sense that you are in N scale?  If so, painting would be well out of my range.  So, I will look forward to seeing your engine when it is done.

-Crandell

[Packers#1]

Say, you are a busy feller, Packers#1.  I like the ivy on the walls of the building in the first image.  Nice touch!  I sense that you are in N scale?  If so, painting would be well out of my range.  So, I will look forward to seeing your engine when it is done.

-Crandell

Thanks selector. It's actually three engines that I'm painting. I got that ivy technique off of that cody's office where Dana Kawala hosted. here's the four sides:

And you're right, I am in N scale. I've been kicking myself for the past week about the repaints though, cause I forgot the rule that Testors paints (other than model master) do NOT belong on a loco. I think I'm gonna get new shells etc. for the GP9, GP30, and H-15-44, cause that paint work is too heavy. might give stripping the shells a try though.

[Anonymous]

Sawyer: That ivy reminds me of a building in Boston that has a wall covered in Ivy... Looks really cool when there's wind... Cool!

 

---

I've been working on a few things on my layout, including scartchbuilding (except for the underframe) a Southern RR-style TOFC car: A 50 foot boxcar with the box part taken off, basicly it's a 50-foot flatcar. Mine is a bit different though, as it will carry containers instead of trailers. The history for this is that it was home-built in the beginning of the container age, just like the SOU cars.

 

I plan on outfitting it with end braces like those early SP cars (they were orange) by either ACF or Thrall, I don't remember. That should give it some history, as the earlier cars had those.

 

 

[Guilford Guy]

Looking Good everyone. I rarely use testors, except their silver. I tip it on its side to get the unsticklish stuff out of the way, and get a gob of what settles on the bottom, to paint the bottoms of MU and Air Hoses.

[Packers#1]

Thanks Tyler. And for anyone wondering, my crew car shoul be painted in blue soon.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

I'm enjoying all the pictures so far this weekend. happy Labor Day, everybody. 

This weekend's passenger train on my layout is the Denver Zephyr. The dome observation is kit bashed.

[jacon12]

 That's too bad. I love seeing what other modelers have done and I don't care what part of the world they come from or model.  Wouldn't it be great to see an Indian or Pakistani model railroad!  When you get more shots, post'em... I know everyone here would like to see what you're up to.

Jarrell

 

Thanks Crandell! I didnt really think anyone would mind, But I have seen european forums not take kindly to American railroads before, so I was just making sure.

[Packers#1]

 That's too bad. I love seeing what other modelers have done and I don't care what part of the world they come from or model.  Wouldn't it be great to see an Indian or Pakistani model railroad!  When you get more shots, post'em... I know everyone here would like to see what you're up to.

Jarrell

 

Thanks Crandell! I didnt really think anyone would mind, But I have seen european forums not take kindly to American railroads before, so I was just making sure.

I'll second that. Whether it's Europe, Asia, America, Australia, etc., it's all the same hobby.

[Packer]

Have you tried stripping the paint off, Sawyer?

I don't think alcohol would work, but you could try brake fluid. Just a little bit in a hidden part of a loco (like inside the shell).

[fiatfan]

  When you get more shots, post'em... I know everyone here would like to see what you're up to.

Jarrell

I will second (or is that third) that motion.  Please feel free to post more pics.  Very nice work.

The late afternoon sun lights up the cab on the switching crew as they finish their work.

Back story:  I haven't been in the train room for over a month.  I was coming from the laundry room and happened to glance in the train room and saw this.  The sunlight very seldom gets into the train room.  I ran upstairs and grabbed the camera.  I took the shot but by the time I had another one set up, the sun was gone and the room was dark again.  So this was very much a lucky shot.

 

Tom

[Packers#1]

Have you tried stripping the paint off, Sawyer?

I don't think alcohol would work, but you could try brake fluid. Just a little bit in a hidden part of a loco (like inside the shell).

Gonna try that. On my GP9 first, because that shell has the most paint (factory paint, AL, SEC, ARR). I'm gonna make that yard into a small industrial park. Muck better.

[SD60M]

Heres a pic of my newest loco(got it today). A BLI sound equipped UP AC6000CW, i traded in some old locos and my bachmann ez command and got the engine for $70 instead of the $200 they were asking. I also got a MRC Prodigy Express and wow this sucker is complicated!

[mtrails]

Custom built from Athearn RTR GP38-2. I thought the SP fans out there might enjoy this shot.

[Guilford Guy]

Have you tried stripping the paint off, Sawyer?

I don't think alcohol would work, but you could try brake fluid. Just a little bit in a hidden part of a loco (like inside the shell).

Gonna try that. On my GP9 first, because that shell has the most paint (factory paint, AL, SEC, ARR). I'm gonna make that yard into a small industrial park. Muck better.

Brake fluid "works" but really softens the plastic. Leaving the loco in a tub of 90% alcohol is the best, and safest way to remove paint.

[Packer]

Have you tried stripping the paint off, Sawyer?

I don't think alcohol would work, but you could try brake fluid. Just a little bit in a hidden part of a loco (like inside the shell).

Gonna try that. On my GP9 first, because that shell has the most paint (factory paint, AL, SEC, ARR). I'm gonna make that yard into a small industrial park. Muck better.

Brake fluid "works" but really softens the plastic. Leaving the loco in a tub of 90% alcohol is the best, and safest way to remove paint.

But for enamel paint I don't think it works. I've, tried, but no results.

[Packers#1]

Have you tried stripping the paint off, Sawyer?

I don't think alcohol would work, but you could try brake fluid. Just a little bit in a hidden part of a loco (like inside the shell).

Gonna try that. On my GP9 first, because that shell has the most paint (factory paint, AL, SEC, ARR). I'm gonna make that yard into a small industrial park. Muck better.

Brake fluid "works" but really softens the plastic. Leaving the loco in a tub of 90% alcohol is the best, and safest way to remove paint.

Oh well, already started, so I'll just use the brake fluid. besides, I don't think there's any alchool around here.

[cheese3]

well only one new shot from me for tonight my camera batteries just died. I was hoping to show both of my bridges i carved from plaster, they are finally in operation!

[jacon12]

 Southern Pacific is fine, but I'm a really big fan of good shots and this is one.

Jarrell

Edited by selector - image removed in consideration of other viewers

[moelarrycurly4]

Edited by selector - image deleted in consideration of other viewers

Nice shot, mtrails!!! Is that an icecicle breaker mounted on the loco?

[Packers#1]

Custom built from Athearn RTR GP38-2. I thought the SP fans out there might enjoy this shot.

Excellent snow scene mtrails

 

[Flashwave]

 Edited by selector - image removed in consideration of other viewers

MTRails, love it. Now how come we don;t see THAT on the TAA segments? nd what are you using for fresh powder?

Sawyer: Might try Laquer Thinner on a q-tip. It should still have the kick to do the job, but be controlled enough to work for you. A q-tip would also sponge and not run. Follow it quickly with a second q-tip or a paper towl.

I third the enjoyment of the european models.

I may have to borrow the high sided porch design for my work cars too.

The regulars are good as always,

Shayfan has some neat shots of 1:1

Matt's off to a good start with his town.

The UP AC6000 is a great angle, even if it is UP.

Berlingo: I wouldn;t worry about weathering the commuters. All the ones I;ve seen are clean

[russstraw]

[mtrails]

jacon12 - Thank you. Glad you liked my photo!

moelarrycurly4- Yeah those are icicle breakers that I made from scratch from brass. I hinged them so that they can also fold down like the prototype. Please don't ask me to make a set for you, because it was not easy!

Packers#1 - Thank you!

flashwave - I was actualy planning a snow scene for a TAA episode this winter.

       The snow is Woodland scenics snow. I'ts just ground foam, and when it's loose, forget running a train through it!

Russel - WOW! Fantastic work.

[Renegade1c]

In light of the completion of climate control installation in my 3 car Las Vegas garage, meaning that construction can finally begin on the 22x35ft ARR Anchorage Subdivision, here's my first of hopefully many contributions to WPF:

A celebratory photo of the 17 locomotives that'll soon finally have some real mainline track to get out and stretch their legs on!

Nice!!!

[Renegade1c]

 (Edited by selector- image removed in consideration of other viewers.)

Icebreaker eh? thats a pretty sweet unit.

[jacon12]

 Whoa Russell, you can't just drop something in here this good and not say anything about it!  That's some neat work, tell us something about the scene.

Jarrell

Edited by selector- images deleted in consideration of other viewers.

[C&O Fan]

Wow Great Work Russel !!!!  

Is the background Video shopped or is that your sky board

[Packers#1]

Awesome work, russstraw.

Packer, that brake fluid is working great so far.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

[Tom Bryant_MR]

Does this picture and my sig below give you an idea of how long I have been away from the trains ?

Regards,

[russstraw]

Thanks everybody. The photos were taken of NTRAK modules that were hauled outside using the real sky and horizon for backdrops. The top photo is of a cotton gin and the bottom shows a cotton sead warehouses and a seed oil plant on the left.

[Packer]

Packer, that brake fluid is working great so far.

Did it make the shell soft like GG said it might?

I found out about that one on accident really. One of the banjo bolts in my car broke when I was torqueing it. Some of the fluid got out and some got on some plastic stuff in the area. I noticed it didn't affect the plastic, and that it took off some of the paint I used on the brake calipers and mounting brackets.

I haven't done anything yet, but after work today I'm going to paint those Alcos I got so they are right.

[gear-jammer]

I also completed this MDC/Roundhouse 2 truck shay.  It was a complete basket case.  I disassembled it and rebuilt it.  To my dismay it was missing the rear drive shaft to the truck and the motor drive t was split and it was missin all of its driveshafts.  So this one will be a dummy display at the museum when I get to building a layout.

Nice work. 

 NWSL has rebuild kits for your shay.  When we rebuilt ours it became tougher and pulled better than our Bachmann 3-truck shay.

Sue

[Packers#1]

Packer, that brake fluid is working great so far.

Did it make the shell soft like GG said it might?

I found out about that one on accident really. One of the banjo bolts in my car broke when I was torqueing it. Some of the fluid got out and some got on some plastic stuff in the area. I noticed it didn't affect the plastic, and that it took off some of the paint I used on the brake calipers and mounting brackets.

I haven't done anything yet, but after work today I'm going to paint those Alcos I got so they are right.

Just a little. Bends a little more now. nothing serious, like crushing it, lol.

[rs2mike]

I also completed this MDC/Roundhouse 2 truck shay.  It was a complete basket case.  I disassembled it and rebuilt it.  To my dismay it was missing the rear drive shaft to the truck and the motor drive t was split and it was missin all of its driveshafts.  So this one will be a dummy display at the museum when I get to building a layout.

Nice work. 

 NWSL has rebuild kits for your shay.  When we rebuilt ours it became tougher and pulled better than our Bachmann 3-truck shay.

Sue

Thanks Sue.  I will check on that.  The biggest problem is the rear square piece that connects from the cylinders to the rear truck fits to tight and does not slip, also the universal joint is missing half of it assembly so it is kind of rigged right now.  I have a 3 truck new in the box that I am thinking of building with the nwsl stuff or just selling it.  Have not decided yet.  What part numbers did you use to rebuild yours. 

[NS AS-416]

Here are some progress pics from the 4' x 8' layout I'm working on. This is my first layout with scenery and learning as I go has been a lot of fun thus far. Careful, it's a flood. The last two are my most recent work. I'll post updates on upcoming WPFs as I progress.

 

 

 

Matt 

[Packers#1]

Dang, that's some good scenery work matt. Here's some shots of the small industrial park.

The foreground spur is the future lumber yard. the one behind it is the transfer warehouse's:

here's an overhead shot. I'll probably use lichen to hide that crack inbetween the foam.

The spur for the propane dealer and the main:

Front of the transfer warehouse:

What's going on at the Aiken Locomotive Works:

and the back main:

[NS AS-416]

Thanks!

Nice shots of your industrial park. It has been an enlightening experience watching it take shape, along with everyone elses projects. Good job all!

Matt 

[Packers#1]

Thanks!

Nice shots of your industrial park. It has been an enlightening experience watching it take shape, along with everyone elses projects. Good job all!

Matt 

Thank you to matt. I should hopefully have small piping structure built to put along side the propane dealer siding for now. I can then scenic a little bit more.

[Packers#1]

Here's my planned layout that hopefully will be started next summer:

BTW, NOT OPEN FOR CRTIQUE, thank you! I like it how it is and the switching headaches that there are. besides, it'll be more focused on a roundy-rounder running than operations.

And here's the new paint scheme I'll be painting my locos in (I can't stand how the testor's paint looks):

[image posted w/ permision of author (7/18/08) and mr forum]

[Geared Steam]

Mike

The NWSL catalog lists:

The partial regear kit-

186-6 2 truck MDC

187-6 3 truck MDC

188-6 is the Bullgear upgrade kit.

Check your PM for a NWSL sheet.

Maybe Sue can add to this.

GS

 

 

[loathar]

 Whoa Russell, you can't just drop something in here this good and not say anything about it!  That's some neat work, tell us something about the scene.

Jarrell

I was thinking the same thing! NICE work!

Tom Bryant-Looks like you've got spiders as bad as I do! I HATE those things.

[engineerjoey]

here's a couple of vans I just did... Athearn









CHEERS!

[Dave Vollmer]

Before finishing reading through these three pages, may I to dave vollmer for that CR SD35. great work on it.

Thanks!  I was very lucky to find a photo of the prototype on the Fallen Flags website.

[moelarrycurly4]

 

Ok that second shot looks like a place near Richmond/Rosenburg Texas ???

[DONFLA]

HO  Shelf layout  50"s era  Had an empty spot I had to fill so I scratch built this little Freight Station over the last month.  No plans just out of my head.

 DON

[corksean12]

Thanks Jarrel.

Hey Packers, is that ivy wall just ground foam? it looks real nice, I might have to try it :)

[my05hammer]

Well this is what my wife and four kids and I saw this weekend here in Paducah on our trip.  We went to the Paducah Railroad Museum yesterday and toured their club layout.  Great bunch of guys there.  They showed me how to make rock face for cliffs, how to space the dual track mainlines, how to wire the mains in blocks to add future signaling, and they had a run-away-train.  It was a great time.  My son and I can't wait to get home and start the construction of our layout.

We also went over to a guys home where he wants to start a Hobby shop "Fast Freight Hobbies".  His name is John Shadrick.  Nice guy.  Bought a Cornerstone Northern Light & Power kit from him.  

We also had to run over to Metropolis and get pics of the fam in front of the Superman statue.  The museum kinda depressed me since I never knew that Superman died.  Kinda bummed me out this afternoon.  

"It may sound absurd but don't be naive.  Even heroes have the right to bleed.  I may be disturbed but won't you concede, even heroes have the right to dream?  It's not easy to be me."

 

[Packers#1]

Thanks Jarrel.

Hey Packers, is that ivy wall just ground foam? it looks real nice, I might have to try it :)

Yeah. what you need is a clean paint brush, some 50:50 white glue/water, and ground foam. dip brush in glue, paint on surface, sprinkle on ground foam, repeat until desired thickness. might make some patches smaller than others, to give the allusion that the ivy has been climbing the wall and is thicker at the bottom, or vice versa. I got it off an episode of cody's office, like I said.

[gear-jammer]

Mike

The NWSL catalog lists:

The partial regear kit-

186-6 2 truck MDC

187-6 3 truck MDC

188-6 is the Bullgear upgrade kit.

Check your PM for a NWSL sheet.

Maybe Sue can add to this.

GS

Mike,

GS covered the list well.  As for the side rods, you need to do some MacGyvering.  Since the side rods are ornamental, make sure that there is enough slip to prevent gear bind with the "real" driveshaft.  You want the side rods to engage the wheel sets enough to turn, but not to bind.

Sue

[C&O Fan]

Wow 6 pages of great photos !

I've been practicing shooting videos here my most recent attempt

http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q4/TerryinTexas/?action=view&current=MVI_1098.flv

Enjoy !

[Don Z]

I've been busy in a forestry project...along with trying to detail all of the rockslide areas and underbrush before planting the trees. I've gone (SLOWLY) from this 2 weeks ago:

To this as of today:

Don Z.

[russstraw]

Ok that second shot looks like a place near Richmond/Rosenburg Texas ???

Correct, the Santa Fe track over the Highway 90 underpass is the city limit between the two towns. That is the Richmond water tower on the right. The other shot is what the Imperial Cotton Gin in Sugar Land looked like in the early 1950's.

[Tjsingle]

No Models, but went railfaning in CSX's Jessup Yard.

 

I know Alot of Pictures, not alot action at the yard today, but some switching, of autoracks, the switcher, was a SD70ac(SD70mac) I couldn't get a good picture, it was to far the line.

I'll be going back there, It was very cool, and Alot of cool stuff. Now What I find weird Is that since i like conrail, I'm getting into CSX now...

A confused railfan

Tjsingle

[Packers#1]

Great photos TJ.

[moelarrycurly4]

Ok that second shot looks like a place near Richmond/Rosenburg Texas ???

Correct, the Santa Fe track over the Highway 90 underpass is the city limit between the two towns. That is the Richmond water tower on the right. The other shot is what the Imperial Cotton Gin in Sugar Land looked like in the early 1950's.

 Dang I am good. I recognized that metal building with the covered chutes. i rember that spot where the highway ducks under there.

[jacon12]

 Pretty good modelin' when someone on a forum can tell where the heck in Texas the scene is located from looking at the model.. 

and it's not some world famous tunnel or trestle!

Jarrell

 

 

Ok that second shot looks like a place near Richmond/Rosenburg Texas ???

Correct, the Santa Fe track over the Highway 90 underpass is the city limit between the two towns. That is the Richmond water tower on the right. The other shot is what the Imperial Cotton Gin in Sugar Land looked like in the early 1950's.

[rs2mike]

Mike

The NWSL catalog lists:

The partial regear kit-

186-6 2 truck MDC

187-6 3 truck MDC

188-6 is the Bullgear upgrade kit.

Check your PM for a NWSL sheet.

Maybe Sue can add to this.

GS

Mike,

GS covered the list well.  As for the side rods, you need to do some MacGyvering.  Since the side rods are ornamental, make sure that there is enough slip to prevent gear bind with the "real" driveshaft.  You want the side rods to engage the wheel sets enough to turn, but not to bind.

Sue

Thank you gs and gear-jammer.  You two are very helpful.  I am starting to think I just may start the 3 truck this winter.  I also want to put a can motor and a  decoder in it.  Any recomendations? 

[DingySP]

Don Z.

Beautiful work Don Z.

Gotta love vertical scenery.

Can you share what the trees near the portal are made of? They look great.

[Flashwave]

Mike

The NWSL catalog lists:

The partial regear kit-

186-6 2 truck MDC

187-6 3 truck MDC

188-6 is the Bullgear upgrade kit.

Check your PM for a NWSL sheet.

Maybe Sue can add to this.

GS

Mike,

GS covered the list well.  As for the side rods, you need to do some MacGyvering.  Since the side rods are ornamental, make sure that there is enough slip to prevent gear bind with the "real" driveshaft.  You want the side rods to engage the wheel sets enough to turn, but not to bind.

Sue

Thank you gs and gear-jammer.  You two are very helpful.  I am starting to think I just may start the 3 truck this winter.  I also want to put a can motor and a  decoder in it.  Any recomendations? 

Take a cue form Spectrum and stick the decoder in the trailing tender/truck

[Don Z]

Beautiful work Don Z.

Gotta love vertical scenery.

Can you share what the trees near the portal are made of? They look great.

DingySP,

Thank you very much! The trees on the lowest level next to the portal are made from the Goldenrod plant. I buy them from a regional supplier; he clips the plants, trims the trees, treats them with a preservative and then he dyes them by dipping them in a 'secret formula' green dye.

Don Z.

[NS2591]

No Models, but went railfaning in CSX's Jessup Yard.I know Alot of Pictures, not alot action at the yard today, but some switching, of autoracks, the switcher, was a SD70ac(SD70mac) I couldn't get a good picture, it was to far the line.

(Edited by selector- photos deleted in consideration of other viewers)

I'll be going back there, It was very cool, and Alot of cool stuff. Now What I find weird Is that since i like conrail, I'm getting into CSX now...

A confused railfan

Tjsingle

must have been a slow day to take pictures of Autoracks. Either that or you don't get racks very often. 

[Tjsingle]

must have been a slow day to take pictures of Autoracks. Either that or you don't get racks very often. 

No just a slow day, Its a sunday, the yard office, had alot of switchers  around it, so I guess not alot of switching on the line.

Edited by selector- images removed to help other viewers

[moelarrycurly4]

 Pretty good modelin' when someone on a forum can tell where the heck in Texas the scene is located from looking at the model.. 

and it's not some world famous tunnel or trestle!

Jarrell

 

 

Ok that second shot looks like a place near Richmond/Rosenburg Texas ???

Correct, the Santa Fe track over the Highway 90 underpass is the city limit between the two towns. That is the Richmond water tower on the right. The other shot is what the Imperial Cotton Gin in Sugar Land looked like in the early 1950's.

 

well its a pretty acurate model of the scene. things around it have chnaged but I am sure that is how it looked in the 50's 

[Digitraxman]

 

Very nice scenes.  they look so realisitc too.

[wm3798]

Hey guys, do us all a favor... when you reply to a post with pictures, PLEASE DON'T QUOTE THE PICTURES!  We'd only have about 3 pages of new shots if you eliminate all the duplicates... It's just a pain to have to scroll through the same shots over and over.

If there's a particular picture you want to discuss, include that, but please delete all the others from the quote.  It'll take a small investment of your time, but save the rest of us from getting a cramp from wheeling down through everything!

Thanks.

Lee

[NS2591]

Hey guys, do us all a favor... when you reply to a post with pictures, PLEASE DON'T QUOTE THE PICTURES!  We'd only have about 3 pages of new shots if you eliminate all the duplicates... It's just a pain to have to scroll through the same shots over and over.

If there's a particular picture you want to discuss, include that, but please delete all the others from the quote.  It'll take a small investment of your time, but save the rest of us from getting a cramp from wheeling down through everything!

Thanks.

Lee

Lee, I was going to. but for some reason those pictures are linked funny. I know that I could remove the HTML for them, but I didn't want to screw up the rest of post. Try quoting the pictures and you'll see what I mean. 

[wm3798]

No just a slow day, Its a sunday, the yard office, had alot of switchers  around it, so I guess not alot of switching on the line.

Highlight and hit delete... no problem.

Also, Jessup is the site of a fairly significant auto distribution yard, so you see a lot of racks there whether it's busy or not...

But as long as I'm here, here's what I've been goofing off with lately...I'm working on two projects, first, a ballast car for the Laurel Valley...

And another piece for the Steam Era collection... a 40' Intermountain car.

Both still need some weathering, and as you can see, I ran out of "W" and "M" decals...

Lee

 

[Don Z]

I know Alot of Pictures, not alot action at the yard today, but some switching, of autoracks, the switcher, was a SD70ac(SD70mac) I couldn't get a good picture, it was to far the line.

I'll be going back there, It was very cool, and Alot of cool stuff. Now What I find weird Is that since i like conrail, I'm getting into CSX now...

A confused railfan

Tjsingle

must have been a slow day to take pictures of Autoracks. Either that or you don't get racks very often. 

Nothing to it! Just held the Shift key and highlighted all the photos to delete them...

Don Z.

[modelmaker51]

Hey guys, do us all a favor... when you reply to a post with pictures, PLEASE DON'T QUOTE THE PICTURES!  We'd only have about 3 pages of new shots if you eliminate all the duplicates... It's just a pain to have to scroll through the same shots over and over.

If there's a particular picture you want to discuss, include that, but please delete all the others from the quote.  It'll take a small investment of your time, but save the rest of us from getting a cramp from wheeling down through everything!

Thanks.

Lee

It wasn't just you Jay, there were a couple of others earlier in the topic as well. It's a real PIA for dial-ups, have some consideration folks.

[zgardner18]

I need to chip in:

Here's a shot of a BNSF exiting a tunnel

I added this shot to show my custom painted MRL units.  I've got to show off my MRL

[selector]

I agree with Lee, and have gone back and edited several posts by deleting duplicated images, particularly if they were a series of more than two...it really does get long and tedious to have to scroll through three and four repeated strings of images.  Just name the poster of those images and add your compliments.  Perhaps one photo can be repeated for special mention and pointing out something, especially if it was back two pages, but dupicating the entire post is unreasonable, particularly for those on dial-up.

Thanks for your cooperation.

-Crandell

[jacon12]

Hey Don, thanks for the pictures.  Gives me ideas how to handle my tunnel area.... if I ever get over to that spot on my layout..

Jarrell

 

 

I've been busy in a forestry project...along with trying to detail all of the rockslide areas and underbrush before planting the trees. I've gone (SLOWLY) from this 2 weeks ago:

 

To this as of today:

 

Don Z.

[stebbycentral]

A couple of weeks back in the Show Your Layout thread, I noted that I was in the middle of a spruce-up, fix-up campaign.

I removed all the figures, vehicles, and structures from the layout.  I inspected, cleaned, and repaired each structure as necessary.  And I made some long-delayed planned scenery upgrades.  Anyway, here are some of the results now that everything is back together. 

The two houses on the hill got actual foundations added to them, so that they now no longer appear to just float over the scenery.  And they set level for the first time since the layout was constructed.  I also constructed a board fence to separate the owner's property from the utility easment next door.  I had to create a cardboard template of the scenery profile in order to get the fence to conform to the hill. 

I also added a concrete foundation under the hangar at the heliport.

Two of the three buildings on main street got upgrades to their interiors.  I added view blocks and window shades on the second-story windows.  I notice that the Public Works Dept., has some work to do on the sidewalks...

And finally I added a BLMA chain link fence to protect the storage lot at my Deere Parts Distribution Center. 

I had estimated one-week to complete the project, it actually took two. Most of my vacation in fact.  Which was OK because we didn't have plans to go anywhere this year due to the gas prices. 

[shlbygt500]

hey packer where did you get the outline of that train i have a disign that i want to put on a blank train but i cant find one

[Packers#1]

hey packer where did you get the outline of that train i have a disign that i want to put on a blank train but i cant find one

Me, or packer? Call me sawyer if you're asking me please, helps stop the confusion, lol. If you were talking to me, I'm guessing you're asking about the trackplan and where I got it. I designed the oval, and just kicked some switches around to decide the industrial park.

EDIT: Ah, you ment the paint scheme. I just used paint and stan lytle's loco drawings (http://www.locodata.info/locogifs.html )

[spidge]

 

 

Looks good Zack, although I attempted to look at your link but all I get are pictures of F150's.

 

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

This is one of two photos I snapped just before I left my trailer this morning.

[russstraw]

The plant was much larger than the "caricature" of it that I modeled, even in 1951. I was trying to capture the feel of the structures and compress them into the space I had on the NTRAK module. This is what it looks like today.

[Rotorranch]

I was able to do a little railfanning yesterday while running around doing errands.

There were some MOW cars sitting on a siding in Morrow, GA, where I've caught the MOW crews parking equipment before. These just got here a couple of weeks or so ago.

I also saw this on the tracks:

It appears this is what the sign was painted with:

Rotor

[Rotorranch]

Have you tried stripping the paint off, Sawyer?

I don't think alcohol would work, but you could try brake fluid. Just a little bit in a hidden part of a loco (like inside the shell).

Gonna try that. On my GP9 first, because that shell has the most paint (factory paint, AL, SEC, ARR). I'm gonna make that yard into a small industrial park. Muck better.

Brake fluid "works" but really softens the plastic. Leaving the loco in a tub of 90% alcohol is the best, and safest way to remove paint.

But for enamel paint I don't think it works. I've, tried, but no results.

Easy Off oven cleaner will remove the Testors model car paint just fine.

Rotor

[zgardner18]

Looks good Zack, although I attempted to look at your link but all I get are pictures of F150's.

150s?  Are you talking about my link to RRpituresarchieves.net?  If yes, and you went to the Model Railroad link on that site then yes I only have two pictures of an Atlas F150 that I customized to look like an off-road race truck.  They came down on everyone on that site about uploading model railroad photo when they only wanted real trains.

I haven't really put together a site with my photos of my model trains yet because I don't have a good camera to do so, plus my diorama still isn't finished.  BUT my other link is from a buddy that is building a MRL layout and has a webpage who was so kind to create a link off of his site to have some of my photos on.

[spidge]

Nice shots on the other link Zack, thanks.

Here is a shot of my unfinished canyon bridge scene.

[selector]

Very impressive, John.  That is coming along very nicely.

-Crandell

[Rotorranch]

I also caught these sitting on a siding in McDonough, GA.

Rotor

[Packers#1]

More progress (yay). I covered the crack between the two foam pieces. here's my GP35 rounding Lone Pine curve:

The transfer warehouse's lot now: 

The guard shack/office now: 

swapped the propane dealer and lumber yard spurs. The propane dealer has a shipment of propane from tank car (yes, I know it's the wrong type of tank car), and packaged propane in jugs by 40' boxcar:

Rounding lone pine curve again: 

Down the layout. The PS2 hopper has been left on the lead-in track to the spurs for storage:

another shot of the two spurs:

Article I wrote back when I was planning on a freelanced pensylvania foothills article, and my layout was still an oval:

overall shot of the layout from my bed:

[moelarrycurly4]

The plant was much larger than the "caricature" of it that I modeled, even in 1951. I was trying to capture the feel of the structures and compress them into the space I had on the NTRAK module. This is what it looks like today.

[

Well I will say it is a great modeling job. I was scratching my head thinking " I know those buildings"  Since I have not been there in 15 years or so I recognized it none the less.

 

 

[lvanhen]

Hey guys, do us all a favor... when you reply to a post with pictures, PLEASE DON'T QUOTE THE PICTURES!  We'd only have about 3 pages of new shots if you eliminate all the duplicates... It's just a pain to have to scroll through the same shots over and over.

If there's a particular picture you want to discuss, include that, but please delete all the others from the quote.  It'll take a small investment of your time, but save the rest of us from getting a cramp from wheeling down through everything!

Thanks.

Lee

DITTO!!!!

PLUS IT'S A REAL PAIN FOR THE GUYS WITH DIAL-UP!!!

[spidge]

Hey guys, do us all a favor... when you reply to a post with pictures, PLEASE DON'T QUOTE THE PICTURES!  We'd only have about 3 pages of new shots if you eliminate all the duplicates... It's just a pain to have to scroll through the same shots over and over.

If there's a particular picture you want to discuss, include that, but please delete all the others from the quote.  It'll take a small investment of your time, but save the rest of us from getting a cramp from wheeling down through everything!

Thanks.

Lee

DITTO!!!!

PLUS IT'S A REAL PAIN FOR THE GUYS WITH DIAL-UP!!!

Sorry about that guys, I am guilty of this also. Will keep in mind in the future.

[zgardner18]

Nice shots on the other link Zack, thanks.

Here is a shot of my unfinished canyon bridge scene.

Looks good John.  One of these days I'll have to come out to Riverside and see your empire in your garage.  Got to love SP!

[Flashwave]

Nice shots on the other link Zack, thanks.

Here is a shot of my unfinished canyon bridge scene.

Looks good John.  One of these days I'll have to come out to Riverside and see your empire in your garage.  Got to love SP!

me too. And that bridge deserves a PPPHHHTTT!! But I;m a sucker for a big bridge with SP or Big Steam on it.

[Ibflattop]

Who cares if the Weekend photofun runs so late!!!!!!!   KB

[cheese3]

Awesome pics from everyone this weekend! Well i finally got batteries for the camera. I have been working not only on the bridges but i have also been working on scratch building a water tower for my little town. I used a christmas tree ball, some copper pipe and left over flextrack, i suppose this could also go in the under 5$ challange because i only had to buy the green paint. i still have quite a bit of work to do on both projects such as weathering and putting a name on the tower but i guess it helps if i have a name for my town first lol. here are some pics tell me what you think...

before paint

after paint

final location

bridge #2

both bridges

[Packers#1]

Love the bridges and water tower cheese3.

[Margaritaman]

[Packers#1]

Dang margaritaman, those bridges are SWEET!

[Geared Steam]

 

DITTO!!!!

PLUS IT'S A REAL PAIN FOR THE GUYS WITH DIAL-UP!!!

.....and big red 36 font letters are?

[NittanyLion]

 

DITTO!!!!

PLUS IT'S A REAL PAIN FOR THE GUYS WITH DIAL-UP!!!

.....and big red 36 font letters are?

As I recall, multiple instances of the same image on the same page doesn't impact their transfer speed.  Three of the same picture are transferred at the same rate as one, except the browser has to render it three times.  It just has to call the same file more than once.  And THAT is takes time, because browsers tend to render things pretty slow.  But it doesnt change the fact that its generally annoying to scroll past them all for the fifth time.

And a 36 point letter takes the same amount of time to load as a 12 point one.  But it may take a few nanoseconds more to render

[Margaritaman]

"All we want are the pictures, ma'am"

[Geared Steam]

And a 36 point letter takes the same amount of time to load as a 12 point one.  But it may take a few nanoseconds more to render

Understood, I know that. It was sarcasm.

[lvanhen]

And a 36 point letter takes the same amount of time to load as a 12 point one.  But it may take a few nanoseconds more to render

I understand Internet 101, thanks, and I wasn't referring to the speed it takes to download.

Are caps & large font size against the law?  It's to emphasize a point, and if you think it's "shouting" . . .

[Geared Steam]

No, but neither is posting multiple pictures, but we all agree not to do it.

 

[Driline]

No, but neither is posting multiple pictures, but we all agree not to do it.

 

You mean some agree not to do it.

The moderators here seem to waffle between letting some individuals post 20 or more pictures because they don't want to hurt posters "feelings". They should either make it a forum law, no more than 3 pictures per post, or just let it go.

[MAbruce]

No, but neither is posting multiple pictures, but we all agree not to do it.

 

You mean some agree not to do it.

The moderators here seem to waffle between letting some individuals post 20 or more pictures because they don't want to hurt posters "feelings". They should either make it a forum law, no more than 3 pictures per post, or just let it go.

I have to agree with what Driline is saying here regarding the number of photos (although I'm not taking any issue with the moderators).  In the times I've started WPF, I've requested that participants post a couple shots at most.  As WPF occurs once a week (that's 52 time a year), and I think that's plenty of time to get all your favorite shots posted. 

Posting several (even dozens of) shots in the same week can be overwhelming and cause people to quickly grow bored with your work.  In my opinion, the rule of entertainment that states "Always leave them wanting more" applies here.

I think WPF works best when many members participate, not just a handful that post several sets of pictures of the same stuff which ends up dominating the thread.

I'd also go further to recommend that this topic should be for modeling photos only (unless you're posting a prototype picture for comparison purposes).  There's another Trains.com forum for rail fan photos.  

[Don Z]

In an effort to get the thread focused once again on photos, here's a shot of a hilltop that I have recently populated with different types of trees....

Don Z.

[shayfan84325]

Good looking trees, Don.  What did you use for a trunk for the one on the right?  It looks like a 1:1 Russian Olive (very common here in northern Utah along the UP).

[Don Z]

Good looking trees, Don.  What did you use for a trunk for the one on the right?  It looks like a 1:1 Russian Olive (very common here in northern Utah along the UP).

Phil,

That tree has a 'sagebrush' armature. I'm not sure if it's actually sagebrush, but that's what it was called by the person that sold it to me. I picked it up at a local train show.

Don Z.

[selector]

No, but neither is posting multiple pictures, but we all agree not to do it.

 

You mean some agree not to do it.

The moderators here seem to waffle between letting some individuals post 20 or more pictures because they don't want to hurt posters "feelings". They should either make it a forum law, no more than 3 pictures per post, or just let it go.

No, Frank, we don't waffle.  When there is no hard rule or policy about something, we tolerate or indulge until people begin to express their displeaure about how difficult it is to participate here.  We have had trolls in the past who have made it a displeasure to be here.  We have people who complain about the moderators at every opportunity (but can't seem to stay away).  We have those who hog the WPF by posting many images in the one post.  We also have not-very-aware responders who quote these lengthy threads and make an observation about them.  All of these posters clutter the broadband here and make our service useful.

When we begin to get complaints about a certain behaviour on the forum, the sensible thing to do is to note it, consider it, consider its best outcome, consider unintended consequences from the action and outcome, and then act if acting is deemed prudent.  We had such a complaint, and we acted on good faith.  If good faith were more apparent in all posts on the forum, we'd all do much better here.

Does that make sense, Frank?

-Crandell

[wsdimenna]

"I'd also go further to recommend that this topic should be for modeling photos only (unless you're posting a prototype picture for comparison purposes).  There's another Trains.com forum for rail fan photos. "

I agree. Even better would be to put the link to the prototype.

Bill D 

[Driline]

No, but neither is posting multiple pictures, but we all agree not to do it.

 

You mean some agree not to do it.

The moderators here seem to waffle between letting some individuals post 20 or more pictures because they don't want to hurt posters "feelings". They should either make it a forum law, no more than 3 pictures per post, or just let it go.

No, Frank, we don't waffle.  When there is no hard rule or policy about something, we tolerate or indulge until people begin to express their displeaure about how difficult it is to participate here.  We have had trolls in the past who have made it a displeasure to be here.  We have people who complain about the moderators at every opportunity (but can't seem to stay away).  We have those who hog the WPF by posting many images in the one post.  We also have not-very-aware responders who quote these lengthy threads and make an observation about them.  All of these posters clutter the broadband here and make our service useful.

When we begin to get complaints about a certain behaviour on the forum, the sensible thing to do is to note it, consider it, consider its best outcome, consider unintended consequences from the action and outcome, and then act if acting is deemed prudent.  We had such a complaint, and we acted on good faith.  If good faith were more apparent in all posts on the forum, we'd all do much better here.

Does that make sense, Frank?

-Crandell

No.

Maybe you could "dumb down" your explanations a little so us "common folk"  could understand what your'e trying to say

Why not be blunt? 3 or 4 pics only and keep it topic related. Those who refuse to agree to the forum rules accept your consequences.

There, now that wasn't so hard now was it?

Here's a pic so I stay within the rules

[lvanhen]

Driline, I think that clump of grass in the left foreground is out of focus.

[Driline]

Driline, I think that clump of grass in the left foreground is out of focus.

Here......Try my glasses on