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Walthers roundhouse project

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Posted by zstripe on Saturday, March 4, 2017 5:46 AM

Dave,

LOL....Yeah thaaaaaaaaat so called handsome dude...is white-haired, with a white beard now......be 75 this yr. God willin'....I'm game..Smile, Wink & Grin

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

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Posted by hon30critter on Saturday, March 4, 2017 2:28 AM

zstripe
Too bad I did not know You in the 90's. When I was leased to CSX Intermodal.....I passed by Bradford twice a wk. going to Toronto on 401 to deliver finshed wood products from Seattle to a cabinet maker there.

Small world eh! You wouldn't like Hwy 400 these days. It gets pretty slow during both morning and evening rushhours. If there is an accident, which happens every couple of days or more, you can expect to crawl for a while, a long while! My wife takes Hwy 400 home from work most nights and the trip is usually about 35 minutes. When there is an accident it takes 1 1/2 hours or more. I'm so glad I'm retired!!!

Cheers Frank!!!

All the best!

Dave

Handsome dude by the way!!

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by zstripe on Saturday, March 4, 2017 1:17 AM

hon30critter

I was on the Walthers site tonight looking for things like air hose stands, step ladders etc., and I was about to place an order until I got to the shipping cost. A $40.00 Cdn. order was going to cost me $35.00 Cdn in shipping! No thanks!Angry

Dave

 

Dave,

Yeah,,,That's really a bummer.....and just to Canada....it's not like You have to cross an ocean or something. I have a friend in the UK, that for the past 3yrs. has been e-mailing Me lists of parts He need's or wants and I have been adding them to My need's. A lot of suppliers I deal with offer free shipping to Me over a certain amount. I gather enough to fill a Priority box and send to Him, at a cost of 66.00 US but it is still a lot more for Him to do the same thing, in most cases more than double the amount for Him. Just about ready to send His CARE pkg. LOL LOL He's the same guy, that had problem's with Model Power some yrs. ago,,,,We became good friends.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

BTW: Too bad I did not know You in the 90's. When I was leased to CSX Intermodal.....I passed by Bradford twice a wk. going to Toronto on 401 to deliver finshed wood products from Seattle to a cabinet maker there. Used to enter at Detroit and come out at Sarnia...Port Huron to a empty drop yard in Grand Rapids MI. pick-up a load there and take back to Chgo. CSX Intermodal. The plus is, We did not have to stop at customs going in, just let them scan the bar code on the bill of lading. Always empty coming out.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

 

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Posted by hon30critter on Saturday, March 4, 2017 12:17 AM

I was on the Walthers site tonight looking for things like air hose stands, step ladders etc., and I was about to place an order until I got to the shipping cost. A $40.00 Cdn. order was going to cost me $35.00 Cdn in shipping! No thanks!Angry

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
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  • From: Bradford, Ontario
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Posted by hon30critter on Saturday, March 4, 2017 12:12 AM

grinnell
After my previous post I realized that I had accidentally come up with a "cleanlyness vs safety" vignette: Wilber the roundhouse idiot using a 55 gal drum as a burn barrel to get rid of wooden pallets, next to half a dozen spare acetlyne tanks stored ouside for safety.  (A flickering red LED in the burn barrel would help make the point.) It would be fun to see if any of the traveling superintendents notice.

That would be fun! I wonder if a smoke unit could be worked into the scene below the barrel?

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by grinnell on Friday, March 3, 2017 11:36 PM

After my previous post I realized that I had accidentally come up with a "cleanlyness vs safety" vignette: Wilber the roundhouse idiot using a 55 gal drum as a burn barrel to get rid of wooden pallets, next to half a dozen spare acetlyne tanks stored ouside for safety.  (A flickering red LED in the burn barrel would help make the point.) It would be fun to see if any of the traveling superintendents notice.

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Posted by hon30critter on Friday, March 3, 2017 9:37 PM

grinnell
I'm interested in what would be on the outside.

Hi Grinnell:

Great question! I haven't given the exterior detailing much thought yet, but your suggestions sound good. I am going to have a short track coming off the turntable that will run between the roundhouse and the machine shop. I will put a small gon on that for the scrap metal. I think a picnic table would be appropriate too.

Just so you know, when I referred to having some 'clutter' in the roundhouse I didn't mean piles of junk. What I want is for the roundhouse to look like it would be a busy place, hence several light and medium size floor tools along with the workbenches and storage units etc. I'm also going to have several garbage cans inside as well as raw materials in several forms. There will be a pipe and bar rack or two, sheet metal storage, bags of whatever (asbestos maybe?). There will also be a shop manager's desk, two and four wheeled carts, compressed air and steam stands, oxy-acetylene torch sets, fire hoses, buckets, axes, fire extinguishers and helmets. I think pigeons are a great idea along with an accumulation of droppings along the beams. I'm sure I will think of more. I know it sounds like I'm getting carried away, but when I see a roundhouse or a shop with not much in it I'm always a bit disappointed.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by grinnell on Friday, March 3, 2017 12:32 PM

I really enjoy all the machines, benches and tools you are making for the interior of your roundhouse. Great work. My roundhouse is too far back for interior details to be seen, so I'm interested in what would be on the outside. Specifically a early transition era class 1 railroad in cold weather country where you wouldn't want to have to go outside and fetch something at 20 below and a foot of snow.

Maybe a jib crane mounted on a wall next to an access door for handling heavy parts deliveries (how much does a 1:1 air pump weigh?). Some pallets waiting to be returned or burned? Trash barrels (how did they handle shop trash in the days before dumpsters?) Spare acetylene tanks (what else would be considered "dangerous" enough to be kept outside in the days before OSHA?)

My theory is that a well-staffed shop/roundhouse of a class 1 railroad would be fairly clean and tidy. The workers were paid by the hour and took pride in their craft and tools so they would have kept things neat and orderly. In the post world war 2 mentality: "if it moves salute it, if it doesn't paint it". In the days of passenger service, when railroads had a big impact on the local community, management cared about how things looked.

Not trying to hijack the thread, but would welcome any ideas, comments. suggestions about "stuff" around the outside of a roundhouse?

Grinnell

PS: pigeons may be too small to be seen, but I like the idea and will try to add some

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Posted by zstripe on Thursday, March 2, 2017 3:35 PM

richhotrain

 

 
zstripe

And speaking of pigeons.....In the early 70's in Chicago, they had a bumper sticker out for Your car..it read..''Keep Your City Clean''...''Eat a Pigeon''. Thousands of pigeons in the loop. 

 

 

Not anymore.  Chicago's peregrine falcon population does just that - - eats pigeons, often in flight.

 

Rich

 

Off Topic

Now we're populated with pigeon bones.......Bow

Take Care! Smile, Wink & Grin

Frank

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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, March 2, 2017 7:13 AM

zstripe

And speaking of pigeons.....In the early 70's in Chicago, they had a bumper sticker out for Your car..it read..''Keep Your City Clean''...''Eat a Pigeon''. Thousands of pigeons in the loop. 

Not anymore.  Chicago's peregrine falcon population does just that - - eats pigeons, often in flight.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by zstripe on Thursday, March 2, 2017 7:00 AM

Dave,

Hootin' & Tootin' Your doing a great job!.......

And speaking of pigeons.....In the early 70's in Chicago, they had a bumper sticker out for Your car..it read..''Keep Your City Clean''...''Eat a Pigeon''. Thousands of pigeons in the loop. I had a sticker in My rear window of My 71 Ranchero along with a pic' of a little boy doing something to a bowtie....can't say here..LOL.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

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Posted by hon30critter on Thursday, March 2, 2017 5:28 AM

Hey Bear!

Thanks for the kind words!

Sorry, I don't do homing pigeons. Too messy!

I have to admit that I'm having a lot of fun creating the machine tools. In fact, I might be going overboard a bit with the details. Here are a lathe and a radial drill press that I built tonight:

I ordered some N scale brake wheels so I can add a few more details where appropriate. Whether or not the details will show clearly when they are in place remains to be seen, but right now I'm having too much fun to give a hoot!Smile, Wink & GrinLaughLaugh

Cheers!!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by "JaBear" on Thursday, March 2, 2017 4:41 AM
I’m wondering Dave, if I sent a self-addressed homing pigeon, after giving it a handful of wheat to munch on, would you kindly strap some of those great workshop machine tools to its leg and let it return?
I’d be much obliged,
Cheers, the Bear.Smile, Wink & Grin

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

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Posted by hon30critter on Wednesday, March 1, 2017 5:40 AM

Some larger machine tools in progress for the roundhouse. Three arbor presses, a milling machine, some drill presses and some buffing machines:

This is the result of about eight hours work. Lots more to come. A couple of days ago I got carried away and ordered a bunch of machine shop tools from Greenway. When the total came up it was close to $100 including shipping so I got cold feet. I cancelled the order and decided to make them myself. There is probably way less than $5.00 in material so far.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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  • From: Bradford, Ontario
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Posted by hon30critter on Monday, February 27, 2017 7:04 PM

BigDaddy
You could carve some styrene shavings and make your own.

Good idea. I will try that for workbenches etc that are towards the back of the scenes. I just got a couple of sets of sheet 'A' of these to use where they can be seen clearly:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/152407210709?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&var=451697088192&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by BigDaddy on Monday, February 27, 2017 5:34 PM

I know there are really monster wrenchs in the world, but plier and screwdriver are not so big.  At 1:87 they are hardly more that small splinters.

You could carve some styrene shavings and make your own.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by Doughless on Monday, February 27, 2017 7:07 AM

To the OP or anybody else lurking, consider making interior brick walls by simply sticking the painted and finished exterior brick walls in a photocopier.  Given that its an interior detail, the lack of texture shouldn't be an issue.  Photo details seem to be good enough for Lance Mindheim's models even for exterior walls, so I'd think it would work just fine for interior walls.  

And it costs a few sheets of paper.  Use the Plastruct stock for the exterior walls of another project in the future. 

- Douglas

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Posted by richhotrain on Monday, February 27, 2017 5:47 AM

Frank, my only consolation is that it looks prototypical.  Laugh

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by zstripe on Monday, February 27, 2017 5:34 AM

richhotrain

 

 
hon30critter

We have anvils. They still need a little TLC. It is amazing how the camera shows just how lousey your work is!

 

Dave

 

 

 

Dave, without making any judgment on your anvils, your comment about how the camera doesn't lie is so true.  A couple of years back, I bought a mini camera and ran it at track level. I have never quite recovered and I never ran the camera again.

 

Rich

 

Rich,

I have to laugh...cause I remember that. You sure used a crooked ruler on some of that trackwork....LOL If You recall I did a similar thing. Took a couple shots of a scene with a caboose in it and the caboose sat in that scene for quite a long time. It took the cameras eye to show Me that one of the trucks was derailed.

Dave,,,Your vices (vises)Smile, Wink & Grin  look great! Also Your anvils, a little gun metal paint will make them pop!

Take Care, All! Big Smile

Frank

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Posted by richhotrain on Monday, February 27, 2017 5:10 AM

hon30critter

We have anvils. They still need a little TLC. It is amazing how the camera shows just how lousey your work is!

 

Dave

 

Dave, without making any judgment on your anvils, your comment about how the camera doesn't lie is so true.  A couple of years back, I bought a mini camera and ran it at track level. I have never quite recovered and I never ran the camera again.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by hon30critter on Monday, February 27, 2017 2:12 AM

We have anvils. They still need a little TLC. It is amazing how the camera shows just how lousey your work is!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, February 26, 2017 11:14 PM

Those hand tools are great !  I'm trying to come up with reasons why I shouldn't buy a few...Laugh  We'll see who wins!

Mike

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Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, February 26, 2017 11:06 PM

hon30critter
I have to say that this is a great way to undertake a major project because I am getting lots of great suggestions from people who have done this before which I can immediately put to use.

AND it helps to disseminate information to folks who might otherwise not be aware... such as the laser-cut hand tools from Hungary! I just ordered several sets! Neat stuff, indeed...

Thanks everyone,

Ed

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Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, February 26, 2017 10:47 PM

Mike,

Thanks for the kind words!

I have to say that this is a great way to undertake a major project because I am getting lots of great suggestions from people who have done this before which I can immediately put to use. Even simple ideas like Frank's suggestion to put a dot of gel CA on the ends of the vise handles are worth their weight in gold.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, February 26, 2017 10:29 PM

Dave, your round house project and turn table are nothing short of fantastic!  I love watching this thread.

Mike.

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Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, February 26, 2017 10:22 PM

Installed the handles. Used Frank's suggestion to put a dot of CA on the ends to make them look more realistic. The CA also eliminated the sharp ends which were sticking into my fingers:

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
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  • From: Bradford, Ontario
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Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, February 26, 2017 1:09 AM

gmpullman
I have several vices myself, Dave, but it is probably best not to mention them here in a family forum! 

LaughLaughLaughLaughLaugh

My vices are much bigger than HO scale too!!Smile, Wink & GrinLaughLaugh

Cheers!! (And I mean that literally!)

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, February 26, 2017 12:37 AM

I have several vices myself, Dave, but it is probably best not to mention them here in a family forum! Whistling

Yours look great and I do not believe they are too large. Yes I have seen some monsters in my time.

I'm glad you found some things of use from Rick & Mary's RustyRail site. Yes, the prices seem deceptively low but when it adds up... it can really ADD up. I hope the shipping was not too damaging to your wallet!

He changes his catalog of items so you have to check there every once in a while.

One of the first things I bought were these three scrap yard locos and the outhouse tipping scene!

I'm glad to see you having fun with your project! That's what the hobby is all about!

Ed

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Posted by hon30critter on Saturday, February 25, 2017 11:04 PM

Scratch built bench vises. They look ok to the naked eye but the camera doesn't lie. They are pretty knarly. They're also still a bit on the big side but I'm not going to try to make them any smaller. The dark vise is from Preiser.

Once they dry completely I'll see if I can attach handles to them. After doing 10 of them my neck and shoulders are killing me!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
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  • From: Bradford, Ontario
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Posted by hon30critter on Saturday, February 25, 2017 9:29 PM

SeeYou190
You should take a look a "Roco Minitanks" kit number 576 "Maintenance Facility Accessories."

Thanks Kevin

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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