I held the March ops session today. It went pretty well even though my layout is still a failure. Murphy visited two minutes before the session was due to start by breaking the lift bridge power switch beyond repair.https://sites.google.com/a/trahans.net/wrs/blog/march2010opssession
Good luck finding out what's wrong
I've been sick for the past two days as well.I can't wait for break. I have tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday (we get out at 11:30), and then I'm off till the 12th.
My Model Railroad: Tri State RailMy Photos on Flickr: FlickrMy Videos on Youtube: YoutubeMy Photos on RRPA: RR Picture Archives
~G4
19 Years old, modeling the Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railroad of Western Washington in 1927 in 6X6 feet.
Excellent John! I agree with Tyler, it was a little difficult to hear at times, but it was still great!
Jamie, that looks like a neat club. I wish there was a club near me...
Started work on another project for a friend.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-335
So far I've removed all the Amtrak lettering and numbering and began replacing the Phase 4 Stripe Decal. I need to finish adding the Ph IV striping then I'll start adding the Downeaster lettering, logo, and numbering. Once that's done I'll seal the decals, mask the model, and paint the roof, frame, pilot, trucks, and add all the details.
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?2005122218415211726.jpg
Alex
I'm looking forward to your upcoming episodes, John! Here's a video I made over a year ago that might help you with Issue 12 (how to make your own videos of your model railroad) or if you want, I could film a new tutorial and appear as a guest in your program.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLx7K7Hyu2o
Here are all the episodes I will have so far.
Episode 2, planning your Railroad part 2, trackplanning, prototypes, and era Episode 3, benchwork and tools. Episode 4, landforming. Episode 5, roadbed and subroadbed. Episode 6, structures. Episode 7, scenery part 1. Episode 8, scenery part 2. Episode 9, making a scene. Episode 10, final details. Episode 11, operation.
Bonus episode 12, the making of HTBYFMRR (How To Build Your First Model RailRoad), how to make your own videos of your MRR, and bloopers.
This is all based off of you, and other comments I have had. Tell me what you think. Today, I will go down, and start working on episode 2 (technically, I have also filmed episode 3, which was episode 2, but anyway).
Hi guys,
Ty: I would go with metal wheels and A line weights to improve tracking.
John: Great video, can't weight wait to see the next edition.
So here's what I did on Saturday. A friend and I went to the Watertown MRRC and got to run trains on thier layout. My big mainline loco's got to run on a mainline. When we arrived there where only 3 club members there. 2 of them decided to go to an early lunch and left the layout to my friend, me, and 1 another club member for about 2 hours. Between my friend and I we ran 7-8 different trains.
Anyway, I took some pic's and video's and are finally getting the time to upload them (I have today off from school). On my YouTube any video that starts with "WTRMMC 3/20/10" was taken on Saturday. I'll put a few pictures and a link to a few videos on this thread. I'll put more of the pictures on next weekend's WPF. Here's the first video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOOtR2Ph9AY
Jamie
Edit: Lots of typo's, I fixed
Cape Vincent Southern Railroad
HO scale Horseshoe Curve in 5’x10’
My YouTube
Yeah, it wasn't electronics solder, but it sure wasn't pure lead. I think it was 50-50. If I had doublestacks and they were too light, I would certainly weight the lower container heavily since it sits between the trucks and has a lot center of gravity. But with TOFC on top of very small trucks... Since I don't think pure lead will give it all that much more weight, I don't know if I can get the solder out without damaging the car, and the screws on the bottom are pretty stripped already, I'm just going to go for metal wheels and see if that helps. @John, I'd be very surprised if you could see the nails because they're 2 inches long and inside the trailer body!
-------------------------------------------------
John, the video is great! What program did you use to edit it? The transitions are really great. Since you asked for feedback, here's a few things I'd change for the final version - take them or leave them. I'm very critical of my own work and know how to look for errors I've made, so keep in mind that these are very minor things from my detail-oriented eye.
- First, I'd mention that your approach to deciding what railroad to model is only one way of doing it. Say something about how this ISN'T what to do for prototype or proto-lance railroads. That said, I do think that most teen modelers will be freelancing, and if not they'll already know what they want and won't need to plan their railroad this way. Your way is very logical and much more realistic than some railroads I've seen!
- Also I'd fix the capitalization and punctuation in the end credits - there were some words in the middle of sentences that were capitalized for no reason and several sentences were missing punctuation at the end.
- One last thing -- the video was fine, but the tinny mono-channel audio (which I assume was recorded with a point-and-shoot camera) was a bit lacking. Do you have any means to record the audio with a real microphone or actual video camera? Might help with the sound.
Apart from those minor bits, it looked really professional and I'm looking forward to the next editions! Great job!
John, that wouldn't work since they're not double stack well cars.
They're piggyback trailers, and that's the problem. If the trailers are weighted, it makes them topheavy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbmDMXzg3uA
(Excuse me for posting Tyler's video, only for purposes of explanation...)
I would try filling the car with pure lead, and not solder. The most common electronics solder only contains 40% lead, i.e. not very heavy. You can get malleable lead chucks from Walthers, or you can find leadshot from A-Line. Although not as easy to find (but much cheaper) you can get lead shot in various sizes at a dive shop or a bait and tackle shop. I suppose if you have an arms shop around, and you have a registered firearm, you could get yourself leadshot there too.
The trailers are weighted. I took out the nails the previous owner added because they shifted on curves and tipped the whole trailer off the car and added old freightcar weights. the only problem is that it makes the cars top-heavy and therefore more prone to string-lining on tight curves, especially the one at the summit of the Mascoma Lake Grade. While the trailers strewn across the hillside look pretty cool, it isn't not much fun for operators.
What about trying to add weight inside the containers/trailers (if possible)? Don't know if it would work, but I'd say it's worth a shot...
Truck tuners are only going to help thinks out if the axle doesn't spin freely in the truck. I don't remember the full story on the Impacks, but if I remember correctly they are underweight and you couldn't find space to add any. If that is the case, metal wheels will certainly add weight to the car and make them track better.
Not to mention metal wheels keep your track much cleaner than plastic!
Way to go for ripping up track with a week to go before an operating session! But that one curve that's been giving me trouble for months is FIXED! It had reached that point where it was just easier to rip it up and lay new track than to try in vain to repair it. My Impacks are still tracking poorly and there are a few track bugs left, I'm sure, but everything else is ready for the session on Saturday! I'm going to try liberal use of the truck tuner on the Impacks, and if that doesn't fix it then I'm buying metal wheels!
IVRWThe little Bachman Farmhouse. I've actually never seen one before. I actually have the same Model Power house for my layout, only a scale bigger. But anyway, nice job!
thanks. All I've done to the b-mann farmhouse is a gray wash, messin up the porch railings a bit and some sandpaper to the roof; everything else came with it. I'm pretty sure almost every n scale farmhouse has one to be found
Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
IVRWSawyer, looking real nice. The second house is so interesting. Who is it from? Kit or ready made?
which one? The white is the ever-present bachmann farmhouse that I've weathered a tad. the Blue house is a Model Power built-up that I've broken several times. the porch has been reglued, and I added a back porch out of poured concrete. I also added the bushes all around the base. There will be two more houses, a restaurant, another DPM kit, and a depot on the layout; as to the kits etc, I'll find out when I buy them, though I've got a pretty good idea of what kits will go where.
Steal one from 2752. I have some laying around here that you can replace it with later.
The new truck didn't come with wheelsets - it had the truck sideframes, the gear tower, and nothing else. I used the axles from the original trucks which are now sitting in a drawer with just the truck sideframes, the gear tower, and a boatload of grease. (I oiled the new trucks myself with a minimal amount like you're supposed to!) So I have two trucks sideframes and a gear tower left...no axles or wheels.
Sweet John.
Well, here's some cell phone snapshots of my work so far on the scrap yard and insulation contractor:
And here's the roughed-in pine/deciduous forest that will be behind the houses and frame the downtown
Why can't you just take the wheelset from the old truck?
Yep...that's it. It's not usually noticeable, but it is annoying when it is. Short of replacing the entire axle with one I don't have, is there any way to fix or replace the cracked gear using only parts I have? Do any of the gears inside the gear towers of the old trucks fit on the axle?