Good morning from partly cloudy and cool Northeast Ohio!
This is a thread where we can show in progress photo's, completed projects and old photographs of our modeling.
This is the first time I have been able to log in for over a week, thanks for all the nice photo's the last two weeks, I can't remember my notes on thanking everyone for their contributions.
Still unpacking boxes and trying to re-arrange the basement for modeling purposes. But with a death in the family and people coming to visit for Christmas we have a lot going on, so another picture from the archives.
Pennys L1s with a coal drag taking on water. Picture taken at the Strongsville Model Railroad Club Layout.
Thanks for looking!
Rick Jesionowski
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
Thanks for kicking things off, Rick. Looks like the fireman is going to have to "borrow" some coal from that first hopper, soon! I was AWOL last weekend, too. Hopefully this run will be better. Seems like the log-on problem is solved for now...
I've been juggling several projects as usual This seems to be my M.O.
PRR_N1_sam by Edmund, on Flickr
Starting with most recent, I'm finally digging into the Samhongsa PRR N1s, 2-10-2, and getting her road-worthy. The first thing I had to do was find the source of an awful vibration. I cleaned out the gearbox, checked the drivers and narrowed it down to the three brass universal pieces shown here:
PRR_N1_sam1 by Edmund, on Flickr
Once I pressed some NWSL plastic cups and horned balls on everything ran smooth and quiet Sometimes brass machined parts arent as true as one might expect.
PRR_N1_sam3 by Edmund, on Flickr
Before that I tore into one of my Broadway Limited NYC Niagaras with the intention of ripping out the silly smoke unit and replacing it with a mini-cube speaker along with swapping out the Paragon decoder and replacing it with a Loksound Select.
NYC_S2_BLI-smoke2 by Edmund, on Flickr
It's a good thing to routinely inspect your locomotives. Once I pulled the boiler off this engine I found that one of the wires was pinched and the insulation had actually scraped off!
NYC_S2_BLI-wire by Edmund, on Flickr
Here's what the whole boiler weight/smoke unit/headlight looks like. That smoke machine takes up too much room so I had an inkling a while back to put a speaker in its place.
NYC_S2_BLI-smoke by Edmund, on Flickr
Well, I don't have a photo of the actual speaker in place but the reason why is that once I shoved everything back into the boiler for a "test fit" I decided it ain't coming back out, no way — no how! There were some brass details that protruded into the space and these simply locked everything in and I wasn't going to mess things up by trying to force the thing back out just for a picture.
I played around a bit with a powerhouse, too.
Powerhouse1 by Edmund, on Flickr
This will be the generating station for producing DC electricity for the Huletts in the background.
Powerhouse2 by Edmund, on Flickr
Well, I've taken up more than my share of bandwidth here so I'll give the keyboard a rest — on to more great stuff!
Cheers, Everybody — Ed
Ed,
Your correct on the coal thing, I have to make a removable coal load as I don't want to mess up the interior detail of the coal bunker.
I just managed to pickup an N2s on E-bay last month and will be checking her out, I have another one but I need a new driver set as one is broken. I have the Challenger N1s and that one runs beautifully.
Looks like it's just us Ohioans this weekend, Rick
I've seen some pretty detailed coal bunkers on some brass steam. Maybe Overland or Division Point that actually had the stoker screw in the bottom of the coal bunker. For the time being, just stick a piece of that very low density, black foam in there. I've seen stuff used for wicks in humidifiers or maybe floral shops have it? If you're like me, making coal loads is WAY down on the priority list.
Kind of been a pet-peeve of mine that all the commercial models have the coal heaped up to overflowing. After fifty miles of hard steaming that coal pile would be pretty well depleted. No gimmicky "shrinking coal load" for me, either (was that BLI or MTH?) I mentioned to a few manufacturers that they should at least provide for a partial coal load but... crickets.
Speaking of the Late, Great PRR, I just picked up this nice set of an R50 and what was labeled as a P50 coach. I got it for a song so I wasn't too concerned about what exactly a P50 coach was.
PRR_P70Kr by Edmund, on Flickr
Turns out the mis-labeled P50 is actually a beautiful model of a P70Kr!
PRR_P70Kr3 by Edmund, on Flickr
It is made by Daeki. Took me a while to sort that one out. They make many of the better brass models, Oriental, Precision Scale, The P Company. Somehow these models just keep finding their way to my house. I gotta stop — someday.
I'd love to give this car a FOM paint job but... all those STRIPES! Yikes!
Plenty of room for more GOOD STUFF, Folks! Jump in Ed
Rick and Ed, Good stuff, but we need more than just Ohio contributing,,,
I spent lots of time last week and this one working on lots of micro-projects. Many were little bits of unfinished business or to adjust things to improve the view, mostly confined to a limited area. Here's some pics of the results.
I moved the platform (and the bull session taking place on it) to the team track at Hesperus from Silverton. They'll get the hay loaded when they settle whatever it is they're discussing.
I moved a lot of vehicles around along the way. This IH dozer got a driver, as I painted up some figures. It's waiting after service at the 9 Lives Cat House on the loading ramp at Tefft to return to the woods,.
I leveled the team track at Snowden so the cranes would be steady to unload the pipe headed to the Gramps oil field.
I made some stacks of produce crates from a Faller(?) detail kit and stacked them around at various docks, including at the wholesaler in Silverton.
At Eureka, the crew of a trail-dirty FJ40 is looking for a hot meal, some beer, and a soft sack at the boarding house, which caters to off-roaders in addition to those working at various mines.
Finally, in Red Mountain, the San Juan County grader crew is headed to their next assignment.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Great pic's,Rick,Ed,and Mike.
I haven't done much on the trains this week,but it's been 3 years this month since I started tearing down the HO layout to put up the On3,so here's a little trip down memory lane...
The 3rd picture has the only part of the old layout that didn't go to the dumpster - that hill on the upper left with the yellow aspen. Here it is today:
Have a good weekend....and post some photo's!
Mike
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
I'd say that our Bear is the fireman's equivalent to Jawn Henry, the steel-driving man! That tender looks clean enough to eat off of.
Yesterday I finished assembling a Rusty Stumps roof A/C unit for a building I am working on. Parts are resin or 3D printed and are small, particularly the 3 branch runs. I probably got more CA on my fingers than I got on the model. Overall, a good kit.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
Rick, An extra thanks for getting the WPF started during trying times.
Ed, I'm diggin' your powerhouse interior, especially that flywheel.
Thanks to all the contributors and may your season be merry, regards, Peter
HO-VeloEd, I'm diggin' your powerhouse interior, especially that flywheel.
Thanks, Peter!
I'd really love to find (Shapeways? Scratchbuilt?) a rotary converter to try to squeeze in there such as shown here:
https://www.nytransitmuseum.org/program/prospectsub-0929/
I too fell in love with the look of those engines and the flywheel! I remember seeing the big Corliss engines on display at Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn and still admire their engineering and monsterous size.
Here is poetry in motion—
Cheers, Ed
I picked up this work truck at a train show last month. Last week I got it weathered with rust pastels and acrylic/alcohol washes. It's the first completed model for my layout!
Next week I hope to show a structure...
-Donn
Peter,
Where did you find the Lincoln and Caddy please?
Glenn
Well, I'll try again, seams lately I can't see the pictures I post, but everyone else can Don't know that's all about. I don't see a picture on Ricks post either.
So, anywho, a scene from my Christmas/Green Bay Packer village. This the last time it was set up. Wish I would've gotten more pictures of it, as it's all packed up for now.
The passenger platform getting busy with Christmas travelers, more ready to get the train.
Mike.
My You Tube
Rick: Thanks for opening the thread this week. Moving and upacking sure sounds like it is a lot of effort. I hope I never need to do that.
Ed: My experience with working on a few of my brass locomotives it that NWSL universals are always a really good upgrade.
Mike: The photo tour was fun. Thank you for putting that together.
Other Mike: The second picture of the Union Pacific locmotives on the curved track is magnificent. I love it!
Bear: I enjoyed the Bear-Toon as always.
George: Small resin parts can be a pain. I too have had the fingers coated with super glue.
Peter: Any time you post a picture I am impressed.
Donn: The weathering on that truck looks great. Well done!
Another Mike: Nice Wisconsin Winter scene. I just got back from Wisconsin, and never want to go there again in the Winter!
.
I did not think I would be able to contribute this week, but I found a nearly finished model on my desk and completed it pretty quick. The freight car is a Kadee PS-1 40 foot boxcar.
It kind of looks like I finished it in a hurry.
See you all next week! Stay safe.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Glenn Campbellfind the Lincoln and Caddy
Glenn, The Lincoln Mark and Cadillac Coupe de Ville are Neo 1:87. Bought em' a few years ago from American Excellence. From what I gather most of the Neo 1:87 American brands are sold out, some of their Cadillac 84' Sevilles & Pontiac Firebirds are for sale on ebay, mostly overseas sellers. Hope Neo does another run in the near future.
Thanks & Regards, Peter
To Kevin, quote didn't work?
Yea, I have friends from Wisconsin, and some family, that live in the Port Saint Joe, and Mexico Beach area, and they, too, never plan on coming back to Wisconsin.