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Teen Model Railroad Place March 2010 Locked

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 27, 2010 3:57 PM

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

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Posted by ns3010 on Thursday, March 25, 2010 4:51 PM

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.

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Posted by IVRW on Thursday, March 25, 2010 3:30 PM
Disaster. I took my locomotives to the hobby shop, and there is something wrong with 1 locomotive, and something else wrong with the DCC system. The guy says that he can not figure out what is wrong with the locomotive. Athearn Trains says I should fiddle with CVs and tell them what happens. The hobby shop guy also says that the DCC system will not pick up any new locomotive signals unless I do more with CVs. That means that my new DC shay will not run. Not to mention I am sick. What a way to spend spring break. Ill keep you guys posted.

~G4

19 Years old, modeling the Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railroad of Western Washington in 1927 in 6X6 feet.

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Posted by ns3010 on Wednesday, March 24, 2010 7:09 PM

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...

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Posted by Guilford Guy on Monday, March 22, 2010 8:21 PM

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

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 22, 2010 12:25 PM

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

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Posted by IVRW on Monday, March 22, 2010 9:40 AM
Thanks everybody, Tyler especially. I have decided that episode 2 will be planning your MRR part 2.

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).

~G4

19 Years old, modeling the Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railroad of Western Washington in 1927 in 6X6 feet.

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Posted by RailfanS on Monday, March 22, 2010 9:07 AM

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 mainlineShock. 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 fixedBig Smile

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 22, 2010 6:53 AM

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! Smile,Wink, & Grin

-------------------------------------------------

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!

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Posted by Guilford Guy on Sunday, March 21, 2010 10:50 PM
I have A-Line weights, I'll bring them Saturday.

Alex

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Posted by IVRW on Sunday, March 21, 2010 10:50 PM
I see what your saying. I even saw the nails used. In that case, try hidden weights under the cars in between the suspension.

~G4

19 Years old, modeling the Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railroad of Western Washington in 1927 in 6X6 feet.

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Posted by ns3010 on Sunday, March 21, 2010 10:39 PM

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...)

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Posted by IVRW on Sunday, March 21, 2010 10:38 PM
Seconds after I posted, youtube finished uploading. Tell me what you think. This is something I just did yesterday. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU9qNzhSl6s

~G4

19 Years old, modeling the Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railroad of Western Washington in 1927 in 6X6 feet.

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Posted by IVRW on Sunday, March 21, 2010 10:31 PM
I got something for you, why not make 2 types of containers for the spine cars. Type one would have a small "B" or "L" next to the reporting marks or whatever. This would stand for bottom or lower, and the trailers would be very heavy, maybe filled to the brim with lead. Type two would be labeled "U" or "T" and hence would ride on top, and be very light weight. Just an idea.

~G4

19 Years old, modeling the Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railroad of Western Washington in 1927 in 6X6 feet.

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Posted by Railfan Alex on Sunday, March 21, 2010 9:47 PM

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.

Alex

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 21, 2010 9:30 PM

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.

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Posted by ns3010 on Sunday, March 21, 2010 8:33 PM

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...

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 21, 2010 8:26 PM
I've already filled the inside of the spines with thick solder, but they are still drastically too light. Besides being too light (and top-heavy because of the weighted trailers), a few of the trucks make the whole truck wobble on curves. Whether this is due in part to the light weight, I don't know. Metal wheels are definitely going to happen someday - how soon I take the plunge depends on whether the truck tuning improves the wobbling.
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Posted by Railfan Alex on Sunday, March 21, 2010 6:04 PM

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!

Alex

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 21, 2010 5:49 PM

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!

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Posted by Packers#1 on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 5:08 PM

IVRW
The 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

 

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Posted by IVRW on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 3:52 PM
The 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!

~G4

19 Years old, modeling the Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railroad of Western Washington in 1927 in 6X6 feet.

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Posted by Packers#1 on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 3:34 PM

IVRW
Sawyer, 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.

Sawyer Berry

Clemson University c/o 2018

Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

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Posted by IVRW on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 8:24 PM
Sawyer, looking real nice. The second house is so interesting. Who is it from? Kit or ready made?

~G4

19 Years old, modeling the Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railroad of Western Washington in 1927 in 6X6 feet.

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Posted by Guilford Guy on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 3:24 PM

Steal one from 2752. I have some laying around here that you can replace it with later.

Alex

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 3:12 PM

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.

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Posted by Packers#1 on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 3:06 PM

 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

 

Sawyer Berry

Clemson University c/o 2018

Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

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Posted by IVRW on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 2:42 PM
I am back and happy to report that I now have contact with the district superintendent of the NPS. The Project for a fully operational display (guess what kind it will be) at Golden Spike National Historic Site is now proposed; hopefully, it will bring excitement to the little museum this Summer. The display will be the non-comprehensive history, creation, and evolution of the potato chip. (tehehe). Actually, it will be a prototypical Model Railroad of a selectively compressed Golden spike, and then a dramatic mountain section with tracklayers.

~G4

19 Years old, modeling the Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railroad of Western Washington in 1927 in 6X6 feet.

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Posted by Guilford Guy on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 2:31 PM

Why can't you just take the wheelset from the old truck?

Alex

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 6:22 AM

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?

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