I started on the RS3 chop... No going back now!
Alex
Tyler, sweet man!
GG, good luck, looking forward to the end result!
Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
I had an eventful day today. I decided to do some ebay browsing since I sold off a bunch of stuff. When searching Ebay I found another U30C and a BLI NW2 with DCC/sound; but I got sniped on both of them. Then thinking about my current projects, I found 5 85' flats with the PPW/A-line weights for a whooping 50 bucks. However, I only bought them for the weights and some other parts (hitches and bridge plates). I'll probably end up selling the cars back on ebay.
That trainshow is this weekend, hopefully that vendor I bought those coal cars from still has those SD40-2s. I'll be keeping an eye out for other stuff I could use, like trailers for those flats.
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.
Lookin' good Alex!
Well tomorrow I have my last three exams. After that should be the kick-off to my very busy rail fanning summer. Here's the line up.
LS&I in the UP of Michigan, this might happen anytime in the summer.
ICE Iowa/Illinois trip. A Rochelle stop will be included. This will happen the third week of June and will be my biggest trip. This will be a two trip along the Iowa Side of the Mississippi River and across Northern Illinois.
Twin Ports/Missabe trip. This trip will happen anytime, and is mostly to get the EJEs up in the Twin Ports and possibly at the Iron Range in northern MN (If the EJE units get sent up there).
WSOR trip in Southern Wisconsin. I would like to hit some WSOR action this summer, but this is one of those trips that might not be happening, but I'll throw it on the list.
SP 4449 on the CP. This will be a must have trip that I will take in August of this year.
BNSF SDP40 at Minnesota Transportation Museum. I would like to head to MTM to see their new SDP40 that they got. This trip might be in the fall of the year.
My Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/JR7582 My Flickr Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wcfan/
ARE YOU IMPLYING IT WOULD LOOK BAD?!
lol! Yeah, Putty will help A LOT. In a couple weekends when I have money again, I'll get some styrene... I also have to build a module by July... Hrm.
What Code # track do you need for the module? I have a bunch of Code 100 switches and some regular track that you're welcome to if you like. Flextrack and some sections are reserved for the staging yard and bridge, but you can have whatever you want from the rest...
I have track, and orderred cork. Need to do some scratcbhuilding!
Okay. Just let me know if you change your mind.
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I finished the full-size mockup of my staging yard lift bridge. Next will come actual construction! I mocked up some pieces of track to show you the general alignments. The actual bridge will use Atlas Code 100 flextrack and #6 switches.
Power to the staging yard will be provided by contacts on the bridge, so that nothing can move in there while the bridge is up. The bridge will also act like an electrical switch (a metal contact on it bridges a gap in the feeders to the isolated approach tracks when the bridge is closed) to control the two approach tracks on the layout side.
Also, the reversing segment will be on the continuous run connection, with a manual toggle switch. That connection is so lousy (tight curves, bad track, etc) that I won't be using it much, so I won't mind using a toggle. Eventually I may install an auto-reverser, but I suspect that I'll sooner spend the money on something else, and never replace the toggle switch!
Overall view:
The staging yard will stretch at least 15 feet to the far wall, and be two tracks with a crossover mid-way down to form a runaround track and leave three tracks open to arriving/departing trains at any time, plus space for another train.
The bottom of the bridge is supported by two hinges. Nothing fancy! The track won't be hanging out in the open like that, it will be supported by more wood...
Bridge in the up position. Again, ignore the track hanging out into space...
Lookin good Tyler!
Jordan, have fun doing all that railfanning!
ok, I'm working on my 8x12 plan. I have it sort of layed out, but I'm now thinking I'm going to drastically change it so I can do some work on it this summer b/c I'm not gonna have the switches until Nov. 22 (my b-day, lol), but I could do some of the mainline stuff. I was going to model a SCRail branch from its yard and such, but now i'm going to cut out the yard and rework the towns a bit to maximize the switchign space etc. of the towns. Will let em get all the industries I want in and make the towns look more spread out like the Pee Dee River area towns they are. And then a longer mainline run will also be provided by cuttign out the yard. and the amount of switches will drop drastically.wish me luck.
GG: Great job on the paint and the RS3!
Jordan: Sound's like you'll be busy this summer. I'm also planning out my summer. Not as busy as your's but plenty of fun.
Tyler: Looks like you've got a plan going there.
And the first of the birthday rolls in (literally, just as I'm typing this.)! 9 days early, but that doesn't matter. I'll probably save up all the birthday money, since I'm getting a job (actually, I'm already hired, I think) this summer. So I can get the paint for the locos, some more cars , and maybe start the expansion of the layout.
My Model Railroad: Tri State RailMy Photos on Flickr: FlickrMy Videos on Youtube: YoutubeMy Photos on RRPA: RR Picture Archives
Looks good Tyler! Oh, and I have somthing for you, per Alexs request.
GP40-2W
GP40-2
There is somthing missing on them though. It just looks too much like a dip red paint job to me...
WCfanThere is somthing missing on them though. It just looks too much like a dip red paint job to me...
The cab is black too... Looks good otherwise though!
WCfan There is somthing missing on them though. It just looks too much like a dip red paint job to me...
The black cabs? EDIT: Looks like Tyler already answered that. NVM then...
On the regular 40-2, it can be the same as all the other low nose cabs. On the widecab, I think that the cab sides and top of the low hood should be black, and the front (around the windshield) should stay red. Just my .
5 days of school left, and a week until my birthday (not including today)! I get out on my bday. Only 1-2 more of each class (2 Spanish, 1 Biology, 1 Health [double], 2 Theology [1 regular and one double], 1 Geometry [double], 1 History [double], 2 Band, and 2 English), and one more A Lunch (Period 5) and one more C Lunch (Period 6). Today was my last B Lunch (Period 56, and no, that's not a typo).
Seems slow in here... BUMP!
I think we should have a "BUMP" smiley. Or there's always Bump tags... [bump][/bump]
Stopped by the LHS today and picked up an Athearn RTR Bay Window Caboose. It's NS 557501 (something like that), but I think I'll patch it, and make it the Watchinson Hack, just like how the NS H02 out of Dover has it's own caboose. The 3010 is also perminently assigned to Dover, and also has "Dover, NJ" stenciled on the cab. And it's no coincidence that the 3010 is assigned to a job that is 15 minutes from my house and runs as close as about a mile from my house and my school (even though home and school are 20 minutes apart, lol).
So now the number of cars I own now totals 3/4s of my loco fleet (not including dummies). That makes 3 cars (scratchbuilt ballast hopper, 60' box car, and a bay window caboose) and 4 locos (GP9m [2201], GP50 [4100], F40PH-2CAT [no #, but will be NJT 4126], and an Alco PA-1 [I think, but it rarely gets used, so I'm not sure about its future]). Wooo!
One more day of classes! And then next week, there's 3 days of exams. Then I'm DONE. Wow Freshman year went fast! No more Biology or World History, EVER.
Joe, good on getting a job. Just don't expand as fast as I did (I burned close $2,000 in one year) when trying to build a layout. Not necessarily the greatest thing to do when trying to restore a car. (Unlike most kids who get a new car one for there 16th, I got a car that needed restoring)
Ty, do you have your own idea for the GP40-2W, or will it follow the pattern of the other units?
I haven't done much since the last group of cars that I weathered since it exhausted my dullcote. I tried masking windows on a few locomotives but it isn't coming out good. I'll go about and remove all the glazing before spraying them with dullcote and get some cement that won't fog clear glazing. Anyone got an idea for what cement won't fog glazing? While I'm at this, I could go an paint the crew figures in the engines that have them.
Vincent, I've been talking about the scheme with Jordan and Alex for literally hours last night, and a couple hours this afternoon as well. We tried a Guilford-style scheme, which was interesting but not suitable. Alex favors a Vermont Rail System scheme, which I like, but am afraid of people getting it confused with the actual VRS (it's the same color red, for one thing!) so now Jordan may be working on a SOO Line scheme in WRS colors.
I'll keep you posted.
Also, I filmed a cab ride video on my layout. Riding 403 behind SDP35 #1402.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdiV8zQewT0
Enjoy!
Tyler, regarding the Gp40-2Ws, I had an idea, but it's similar to a BN SD60M's. Kind of like this, except Red instead of Green and maybe a WRS logo on the front:
BTW, that an intresting perspective for videos and I think it came out good.
While I don't mind the SD60M scheme, Alex doesn't like it...so scratch that. I'll start working on the SOO hockey stick scheme as soon as you get back on Skype.
Well I have took up the task of adding ditch lights to my locomotives. So far this is a tremendous about of planning, and effort. You wouldn't believe how difficult an Atlas Master Shell is to take off. I conquered that task, but now it's on to planning how I'm going to route the wires! If I do a full prototypical WC style, then the wires will come out the back of the Pilot and right on the steps. I have some ideas to get around this. But first I would like to have my SOO GP30 painted by Alex some time soon, and that shell extra he is sending me too, so I can experiment on that junky shell.
Jordan, I have to agree that Atlas master shells are sometimes a pain to take off. The U30C comes to mind,since one of the tabs is half below the cab, and the other half is below the nose. Problem is there isn't much of a nose to squeeze on a Uboat. The SD24s aren't that bad though.
A mini-project I came up with is replacing the minibulbs in my Genesis F45 and RTR GP35 with LEDs and MV lenses. I'll just have to figure out what size. A thing that will come out of this is I can recycle those minibulbs for use in beacons. The Atlas U30C already came with a hole drilled in the roof, so I'd just have to put a hole in the beacon and the minibulb in there.
Thanks!
I took this shot a couple days ago, but the project file got corrupted to I had to re-edit it. I had a few minutes today so I did that. Railfanning the Mascoma Lake Grade 6/6/09, with Extra 431 and Manifests 402 and 403.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zASjEWa6Dc
Tyler: Great job on the cab ride and pass videos! Nice job with that sideswipe in the cab ride...
NO MORE CLASSES!!! WOOOOOOOOO! Day off tomorrow to do nothing (read: study for exams). Then 3 days of exams, and then the year is OVAH!
Joe, you're lucky. I have to take summer classes. Luckily one ends next Thursday, the other some time in July and they are both a piece of cake.
Packer Joe, you're lucky. I have to take summer classes. Luckily one ends next Thursday, the other some time in July and they are both a piece of cake.
Ooooh, that sucks man! Good luck with them, anyway.
PackerJoe, you're lucky. I have to take summer classes. Luckily one ends next Thursday, the other some time in July and they are both a piece of cake.
Joe, I've been out for a week today man, lol.
well, here's the latest 8x12 plan. I'll print it out and add the scenery, etc.:
Sawyer: That plan looks much better than the last one. If I'm reading this one right, there is a loop with the two towns, and an outside staging loop, correct?
I posted photos of the caboose in WPF, but I don't feel like getting them... I'm too tired
ns3010Sawyer: That plan looks much better than the last one. If I'm reading this one right, there is a loop with the two towns, and an outside staging loop, correct?
Yep. I can also have a train running the outside loop (would have to throw a couple switches in the interchange though) while I'm switching the towns, maybe when my friends are over or something.
Here's the plan w/ scenery. Had to swap up a couple of the sidings in Marion. Also, if I posted the other plan where Mullins was completely at the top, I moved it to the side some.
Did some weathering on the caboose before. Just added some rust, and I added the reporting marks, too. Still needs some dullcote, though. I hope to have pix sometime this weekend.
Packers#1 Packer Joe, you're lucky. I have to take summer classes. Luckily one ends next Thursday, the other some time in July and they are both a piece of cake. Joe, I've been out for a week today man, lol. well, here's the latest 8x12 plan. I'll print it out and add the scenery, etc.:
Sawyer, I really like the plan. Maybe it won't be like me right now, 4th times the charm. Could I ask you where you got the track planning software?
I got the stuff for my staging yard lift bridge...16' in 1" by 4" by 8' lumber, 5 "L" brackets, two door hinges, a dowel for lateral alignment, a deadbolt for vertical alignment, and I just realized I forgot an eye hook to secure the bridge in the "up" position...
The wood for the actual bridge and transition piece (the bridge is 2 inches from the wall, and the shelf will be right on the wall, so I need a small piece wider than the shelf) I already have, and isn't pictured.
The wood for the actual bridge and transition piece (the bridge is 2 inches from the wall, and the shelf will be right on the wall, so I need a small piece wider than the shelf) I already have, and isn't pictured.Electrical connections will be in the form of small metal plates with wires screwed to them. They will provide power to the staging yard as well as the electrically isolated approach tracks to the bridge. This will ensure that nothing can move near the bridge when it's up. I don't feel like running trains on(to) the floor!
I got an Autorack and 2 containers in the mail the other day:
The flat car I've had for a bit.
After a lot of tinkering, I managed to fit 2 40 foot containers on a car, and allow contaniers to be swapped out. I did this by drilling a hole in the container shoe so that the conatainer's lugs will slip in them. It's quite easy to locate where since there is a dimple in the perfect spot. Then file the rail on the bottom of the shoes so it fits in the grooves on the deck. After that, file off half of that rail off so that the 2 conainters will fit, and the inside containter shoes will be touching. Then to secure them all, i used tacky glue so I can remove them and put them on a different car if I wanted. The one you see is a mock-up. I don't have a picture of the finished product yet.
I also went to the Pensacola show and picked up an SD40-2 (finally!!) but it wasn't quite the ones I had in mind:
No one had any of the normal SD40-2s, so I got the Bicentennial SD40-2, 1876. I'll eventually get around to putting the sound decoder I have for it in.
I also got this tool for 10 bucks, should really come in handy.
I also bought a boxcar kit, 3 hoppers, and a reffer (also, finally!!). I was looking for trailers, but only found the 2-pack of athearn ones that were $15 each (60 bucks for the rest of my cars). None of the Concor or Athearn kit ones that would be cheaper. That, and most of the stuff at that show was N-scale.