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Teen Model Railroad Place June 2009

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  • Member since
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  • From: Shalimar. Florida
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Posted by Packer on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 8:18 PM

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.

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.

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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 7:58 PM

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!

  • Member since
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  • From: Shalimar. Florida
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Posted by Packer on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 6:24 PM

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

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.

  • Member since
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  • From: North Jersey
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Posted by ns3010 on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 6:12 PM

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).Whistling

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!Tongue

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.

My Model Railroad: Tri State Rail
My Photos on Flickr: Flickr
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My Photos on RRPA: RR Picture Archives

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Posted by ns3010 on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 7:56 PM

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 My 2 cents.

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).

My Model Railroad: Tri State Rail
My Photos on Flickr: Flickr
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My Photos on RRPA: RR Picture Archives

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 7:51 PM

WCfan
There 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!


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Posted by WCfan on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 7:32 PM

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...

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Posted by ns3010 on Monday, June 8, 2009 5:09 PM

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 Whistling, and maybe start the expansion of the layout.

My Model Railroad: Tri State Rail
My Photos on Flickr: Flickr
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My Photos on RRPA: RR Picture Archives

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  • From: Memphis, TN
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Posted by Packers#1 on Monday, June 8, 2009 3:56 PM

 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.

 

Sawyer Berry

Clemson University c/o 2018

Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 8, 2009 3:38 PM

Okay. Just let me know if you change your mind.

_______________

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...

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Posted by Guilford Guy on Monday, June 8, 2009 6:34 AM

 I have track, and orderred cork. Need to do some scratcbhuilding!

Alex

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 8, 2009 6:24 AM

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...

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Posted by Guilford Guy on Sunday, June 7, 2009 10:15 PM

 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.

Alex

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  • From: Wausau, Wisconsin
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Posted by WCfan on Sunday, June 7, 2009 9:59 PM

Lookin' good Alex! Cool

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.

  • Member since
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  • From: Shalimar. Florida
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Posted by Packer on Sunday, June 7, 2009 8:26 PM

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.

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • From: Memphis, TN
  • 3,876 posts
Posted by Packers#1 on Sunday, June 7, 2009 7:16 PM

 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

 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 1,414 posts
Posted by Guilford Guy on Sunday, June 7, 2009 5:47 PM

I started on the RS3 chop... No going back now!


Alex

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 7, 2009 4:37 PM

I'm going to start construction of a full-size lift bridge mockup tomorrow. Then I can start building the real thing! I'll keep you updated.

  • Member since
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  • From: Memphis, TN
  • 3,876 posts
Posted by Packers#1 on Friday, June 5, 2009 5:14 PM

 Looking good Joe and Vincent.

Sawyer Berry

Clemson University c/o 2018

Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: North Jersey
  • 1,781 posts
Posted by ns3010 on Friday, June 5, 2009 3:58 PM

Vincent: Nice job on those cars!Thumbs Up

Here's the (mostly) finished 2201. Again, the picture sucks cause it's from my phone:

Just for laughs, here's what we did in Spanish today. Bob Esponja! Now we have to write two paragraphs on "F.U.N." and "Club Spongebob" (Club de Bob Esponja).

My Model Railroad: Tri State Rail
My Photos on Flickr: Flickr
My Videos on Youtube: Youtube
My Photos on RRPA: RR Picture Archives

  • Member since
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  • From: Shalimar. Florida
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Posted by Packer on Friday, June 5, 2009 2:46 PM

Bapou
P.S. you got the p in my name backwards. Laugh

That's twice I screwed that up....Banged Head

At least I can get a 4-pack of NCE D13SRJs and a few harnesses.

Anyways, here are some newely weathered cars:

This gon I experimented a little bit. I drybrushed it grimy black then hit it with pastes and dullcote.

I did the same with the trucks and wheelsets on it. Personally I think they came out great.





Here's the trio of boxcars I weathered. Just pastels. I spent a while trying to figure out how to make the dullcote seal really good but I nailed it on all 3 cars. When I moved the UP box inside from the other carport it started raining and some got on the roof and left some shiny spots. I figure I'd leave it since it looks like parts of the roof got patched over.

Here's a tanker car I did, I have another one that I'm working on at the moment.


Here's some flats I got recently. A few of them are missing bridge plates, container shoes, and hitches; so I'll probably get some from Athearn. I'll also need to get trailers to go on them.



I set these engines up as a consit and have them sitting on a display shelf. I'll have to weather them someday, but I haven't done an engine with pastels before.

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.

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  • 565 posts
Posted by Bapou on Thursday, June 4, 2009 5:33 PM

Yes, the D13 decoders are silent running.

P.S. you got the p in my name backwards. Laugh

Go NJT, NJ Transit, New Jersey Transit. Whatever you call it its good. See my pictures and videos here: http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff20/Bapouthetrainman/
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  • From: Memphis, TN
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Posted by Packers#1 on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 8:29 PM

 Hey guys, I've gotten my parents to agree to an 8x12 layout, I've got the plan down on paper (took me three or four tries), and will get it drawn out in RTS sometime in the near future. I'm debating whether to backdate the layout to the 1970s (would look a bit more palusible, and everything I want to run was built in the 1970s), when SCRail was first started (at least, in my world), but continue the SCRail story as if it's in modern day (basically, model it in the 1970s, and talk like it's in modern times).

Sawyer Berry

Clemson University c/o 2018

Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Shalimar. Florida
  • 2,622 posts
Posted by Packer on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 6:44 PM

It stopped raining before I left for class again (I't in it now) so I checked on my units. I don't think the dullcote sealed right, and I'm kind of lost on how to get as good of a seal as I have on other cars (mainly the PC and UP hoppers, and a caboose; they sealed really well). I've been searching around a bit and came up with some ideas, so I'll be experimenting over the next few days. All else fails, I might bite the bullet and buy those adhesive weathering powders.

Alex, If it's a yellow box you could try getting one of the shells from the Classic RS3s and putting it on the older chassis like I'm doing with my C424s. There may be a few smaller mounting tabs that may have to be cut off (on mine there were about 4 or so) and a coupler mounting pad may need to be made (I'm doing mine with styrene). for my 3 units, it'll cost me about 45 bucks or so, or about 15 per unit. (at the 10 bucks I got mine for, it's probably not that bad in the end for about 25-35 bucks a unit)

Joe, Sorry 'bout that, I meant Baqou....

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.

  • Member since
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 5:36 PM

Translated: The NCE decoders you mentioned earlier have a feature that runs the motor quieter than other decoders.

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Posted by ns3010 on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 5:16 PM

Packer
Joe, do those NCE decoders you were mentioning earlier have something for quit motor drive. If so, that'd be great since I could use them for those C424s by replacing the Kato lightboard with the Atlas DC one with the 8-pin plug.

WHAT?!?!?!? Sorry, I have NO CLUE what you just saidConfused. I know nothing about DCC, so maybe someone else can answer this for you.

I put the patched reporting marks on 2201 before, but I really don't feel like going downstars right now (one of THOSE days), so maybe I'll get pictures tomorrow or something.

My Model Railroad: Tri State Rail
My Photos on Flickr: Flickr
My Videos on Youtube: Youtube
My Photos on RRPA: RR Picture Archives

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Posted by Guilford Guy on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 3:58 PM

I purchased another RS3. Lehigh Valley. When it arrives I'll keep and repaint it if its a Classic, or sell it to a friend if its Yellow Box.

I've also been looking into 44 Tonners to paint into Claremont Concord. CCRR interchanges with WRS in Lebanon, and is responsible for pulling cuts of cars from Lebanon Yard across the river to interchange with QNE at Claremont Junction. While the S4 can handle it, a pair of 44 tonners would also be fun to have, and could possibily free up another WRS loco.

Alex

  • Member since
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  • From: Shalimar. Florida
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Posted by Packer on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 3:43 PM

Alex, Okay, so you have a point there. However it still is only a leg.

Not much doing today. I weathered a few cars yesterday and sealed them before I left for class and hit them again afterwards. It's raining at the moment so I can't go over and look since I have towalk like 50 feet in it to get to the carport that I sprayed them in.

Joe, do those NCE decoders you were mentioning earlier have something for quit motor drive. If so, that'd be great since I could use them for those C424s by replacing the Kato lightboard with the Atlas DC one with the 8-pin plug.

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.

  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: North Jersey
  • 1,781 posts
Posted by ns3010 on Tuesday, June 2, 2009 4:03 PM

OK, so here's a few pix. First is the shell with the patch applied. I like printing my own patches because the numbering and lettering is crisp and sticks to the shell using only some double sided tape and a glue stick (and they're removable, so they're easy to replace.) BTW, the first two pix are from my phone, so they suck. 


Next is the inside of the loco, with it's simple wiring (two wires from the right side pickup and two from the left side go into the headlight leads and the motor.


And one more of my three TSRy locos in a consist. Please excuse the crap under the table Embarassed

I'll try and post those track plans later.

My Model Railroad: Tri State Rail
My Photos on Flickr: Flickr
My Videos on Youtube: Youtube
My Photos on RRPA: RR Picture Archives

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • From: Memphis, TN
  • 3,876 posts
Posted by Packers#1 on Tuesday, June 2, 2009 2:27 PM

 Well, I now have my enxt layout plan drawn out on graph paper. I'm HORRIBLE at graph paper drawings though, so on to RTS will the plan go, then into waiting to be built.

Sawyer Berry

Clemson University c/o 2018

Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

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