I made significant progress on my staging yard and lift bridge this week. I laid track in the staging yard and added a safety fence to shield the trains against the long drop as well as stray elbows.
The staging yard can hold 4 full-length trains.
In addition, I added the safety stop that cuts off power to the staging yard, bridge, and both approach tracks when the bridge is up. After two failed attempts using metal contacts (getting them to touch was a hit-or-miss scenario) and momentary switches (reversed functions; bridge is up train goes, bridge is down train stops!) I finally hit on the solution using a default-off button. Now I have good contact, the switch triggers easily, and the train stops when the bridge goes up!
Photo lights are really useful when taking photos under the benchwork! The tiny little pin is the button itself, with the wiring visible below. It's actually a complete mess down there, with a lot of remnants of old wiring from the two failed attempts before that. I ended up only isolating the inside rail, since with no ground, trains won't move. So I have a lot of redundant wires down there. The large dowels are my method of keeping the bridge in alignment.
Now all that's left is to add track on the bridge... It will have to be glued with wood glue or plain white glue, since the hardwood is impossible to drive track nails into, screws don't go into it, and pre-drilling holes is out since I don't have a bit small enough.
All contributors are making this an excellent WPF for Independence Day. Bruce, I commend you for your water and trestle...really creditable modelling. DJ, (Grampy) another excellent image showing enviable depth of focus and super modelling.
A track-level image from me showing a hard-working H-8 from the C&O slowing to replenish water and coal at Seneca Falls Sub.
-Crandell
Ok so this is my second post this weekend, I got a chance to be productive.... Sue me...LOL
So I came home to the afore mentioned brand new man cave Thursday afternoon.
Friday morning I got my tables up and the base layer of foam cut.
Being given to planning, I laid my foam out in a square foot grid and assigned each square its own grid coordinate and then laid out a 3/4" hardline around the edge to keep me honest when I started laying out the trackplan.
I looked at the clock and rushed the family out to the car sowe could go to the cook out at my mother's place... After a few hours of merry making we came home and I sorted track and started laying it out and pinning it down.
I tried a little something different for me, insteas of trying to cut pieces of sectional track to fit, I outlined around half an 11" radius and then pinned the curve in my flex track and went on. I am using a lot of sectional track to lay out the track plan, but when I go to lay track permanently, I will use as much flex trqack as possible to cut down on the number of joints... Anyhow I got over half of the outer mainline laid out and traced.
All for this week, come on Thursday....LOL
tcwright973MAbruce, That is some very nice modeling. Your pond is terrific. How did you create the ripple effect? Tom
MAbruce,
That is some very nice modeling. Your pond is terrific. How did you create the ripple effect?
Tom
Thanks!
I used Mod Podge Gloss Medium applied with a brush over a painted surface. I brushed it on in one direction and repeated this with several coats. The brush strokes build up and eventually become ripples.
Morning MOW train doing ballast work on the branch.
An Atlas Spirit of America 8-40B leads another set of Atlas 8-40Bs Gold units and a westbound freigntpast the turn near Cardington Yard.
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
Hello all.
I tried using the Sony camcorder to take some still photos, to see what the depth of field was like.
Also shot another couple of videos while I was there
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1u5KvbiIzY&feature=channel_page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teSLJgNJDYs&feature=channel
Jon
Sweethome Chicago is now on Facebook
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my videos
my Railimages
Here is what I have been working on:
This is my GP35 MRL #404 that I am almost finished with. Still needs just a little bit more weathering on the trucks and a few other places. Behind it is #406 that I finish just before. Both used to run the local that ran from Livingston to Bozeman the town that I lived in. Sorry but the lighting makes the engine look lighter than it really is.
--Zak Gardner
My Layout Blog: http://mrl369dude.blogspot.com
http://zgardner18.rrpicturearchives.net
VIEW SLIDE SHOW: CLICK ON PHOTO BELOW
It is a Fourth of July Parade!
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Pittsburgh, PA
nice photos everyone!
don't have anything patriotic (or new...) for this weekend, but here's an older shot of my Mantua NYC Hudson
... since my railroad of choice to model has (again) changed... she's going to be relegated to club layout duties.
can't wait to get started on the Bowser B-6 that showed up this week
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
Tom,
Great looking loco! I have to have one or two of those!
Remember its your railroad
Allan
Track to the BRVRR Website: http://www.brvrr.com/
Happy July 4th!
I don't have a patroitic theme, but here's a shot of the scenery progress on my trestle/pond:
In theme with the 4th of July, heres a pic from me:
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.
Crandell,
Yea, I was tweaking the startup voltage (CV2) to get it to run better (which it does) and played around some with the momentum (CV3/CV4). I'm afraid I've been spoiled by my Trix Mikes. I'd love to get my Mohawk's QSI decoder to start out as slowly as my Mike's Loksound decoder but not sure that I'll get there.
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
It's a thing of beauty, Tom. I feel badly that its debut was blunted a bit, but at least this one is a winner. The 'other' never happened.
Umm...you're up awfully late. Are you by any chance playin' wit dat t'ing?
New York Central L-4a Mohawk #3101* pulls into the freight station for the first time.
*[My first BLI Mohawk arrived with a serious running problem. BLI completely replaced it with the new one above. Although I was out my locomotive for nearly a month, BLI gets for customer service.]
PB&J RR Okay, so I'm still recovering, you would be too. So yesterdday I come home from work and my garage door is hanging open and there are several piles of stuff I've been meaning to talk my wife into getting rid of in the driveway and on the lawn... I get out of the car and she meets me with a tasty beverage and welcomes me into the garage, which she has styled into a man cave.... (The plot thickens....) She's set up the folding tanles I plan to use as a base for my railroad in one corner, and in the corner opposite she's set up an entertainment center where I can watch movies and use my computer... Several crates of my train stuff and a printout of my trackplan were close by... I picked up some foam at the home center and cut it to fit my tables this morning... Then I did some organizing, then I unpacked some of the HO stuff and put some of it out just to "decorate"... Since the PB&J will be an N scale railroad I figured there was no harm in putting out some bigger stuff...
Okay, so I'm still recovering, you would be too.
So yesterdday I come home from work and my garage door is hanging open and there are several piles of stuff I've been meaning to talk my wife into getting rid of in the driveway and on the lawn...
I get out of the car and she meets me with a tasty beverage and welcomes me into the garage, which she has styled into a man cave.... (The plot thickens....)
She's set up the folding tanles I plan to use as a base for my railroad in one corner, and in the corner opposite she's set up an entertainment center where I can watch movies and use my computer...
Several crates of my train stuff and a printout of my trackplan were close by...
I picked up some foam at the home center and cut it to fit my tables this morning... Then I did some organizing, then I unpacked some of the HO stuff and put some of it out just to "decorate"... Since the PB&J will be an N scale railroad I figured there was no harm in putting out some bigger stuff...
Cry, cry,cry, sniffle, sniffle, cry cry. I just cannot get myself composed after reading this.
You dog!
John
I hope everyone is having a good 4th of July weekend no matter where you are! I thought I would share a project of mine since it is patriotic.
Santa Fe SD45-2 Bicentennial in 1:29 scale.
http://www.haworthengineering.com/
~Excellency in the Details ~
Thought I would post some to keep with the american holiday theme.
Very good start for this 4th of July weekend!
Traffic on State Highway MO. 47 & on the outside siding at Prestage Tool & Gear Hawk Point Mo.
"Sonny" Richards foreman at the MFA Elevator stops to "Shoot the Breeze" with M&A (Missouri & Arkansas Railway) switch repair crew.
Great work everyone.
A Geep working Now Messenger.
John........I thought about doing a video for youtube, but I decided not to. I tell people you gotta stick with the weathering and you will see an improvement. Thanks for the comment.
"Rust, whats not to love?"
Good stuff so far.
Some newly acquired items:
A KCS covered hopper. I think the maker is AccuRail.
A 50 foot plug/sliding door BN boxcar, Athearn RTR.
The M.T. Arms Hotel from DPM. This will be cut in half along it's long axis to make two relief flats.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Heartland Division CB&QMr. B said: Do fish have ears? Locomotives do. They're called engine ears. Ha Ha...
Quit while you're ahead. That actually made me laugh.
I'd share my photo of the week but I don't want to gross anyone out...it's an x-ray. Yours truly broke his left heel bone wakeboarding Wednesday night.
Please keep the pics coming, it keeps my mind off the pain.
San Dimas Southern slideshow
Mr. B said: Do fish have ears? Locomotives do. They're called engine ears. Ha Ha...
Don't forget steam locomotives can not sit down. They have a tender behind.
BTW, Mr. B....... That truck scene is fantastic !!!!!!!
Wow, lots of smiles today, from a Caboose Named Soo to a fish grinning from ear to ear. (Do fish have ears? Locomotives do. They're called engine ears.)
Over the years I've accumulated a number of Jordan kits, but until now they've been mostly just kits, saved in their little white boxes until I had time to build them. I got this one out and started work a couple of weeks ago, finishing it a few days back:
Happy (and safe) Fourth of July to everyone!
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Great work everyone. Here's a couple shots I took outdoors a few weeks back:
Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
Robby P. have you made a how to thread or video? I would love to learn this process for my N-scale layout.