Hello everyone. The weekend is here! It is HOT down here in Florida. We were at 94 degrees today, just one degree short of the record.
The new Dazor work lamp that Ed provided for my workbench got me to finish a freight car this week. It is amazing how a good tool gets you into the mood to work on something.
I had this model 95% complete on hold. I was not happy with how the paint went on around the door, and I also thought the decals looked too modern for 1954. The logo and lettering style just look wrong to me.
I went ahead and finished it. I gave it a little light weathering and installed Kadee trucks and couplers.
The lighting for the photograph emphasized the paint problems around the door. It does not look that bad in person.
Overall, I am still not happy with it, but I LOVE my Dazor work lamp!
Please share your modeling, and join in the best thread of the week.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Thank you for setting up another fine Weekend Photo Fun excursion, Kevin.
Had I known that Dazor lamp would bring you so much joy I would have sent it months ago Sure glad you are enjoying it. I have found that on occasion, a tiny drop of CRC 2-26 into the switch plunger will keep the works from getting sticky after time. Maybe this just happens when HOT incandescent lamps are used?
Again, so glad it was adopted into a loving family
My pictures are at the Rexall Drug store and are awaiting processing.
*Flickr decided to take a holiday just now
Well, Flickr STILL refuses to cooperate. I'll have to upload my photos later this afternoon. I'm hittin' the rack
Thank you to all the folks that commented on my scenery update in last week's WPF Your compliments feed my motivation to continue
Be back soon! Cheers, Ed
Kevin- Thanks again for starting this weeks WPF! That boxcar looks good to me! Maybe a little grim will help with the paint? Good lighting makes a huge difference! I love the new LEDs in my apartment! Keep up the good work!
Ed- I hope flicker comes back soon, I was looking forward to seeing more progress!
Last week I sold 2 Athearn units on mercari ( My NS sd60 and UP GP50 ) And was able to use the funds on a proto 2000 PS-2 hopper kit and a Proto 2000 GP9. The GP9 was listed as " factory sealed" and when I opened it, It had signs of run time and hairs in the trucks. I contacted the seller and informed him of the mistake. He informed me in a very cocky manner that he replaced the drive gears and axles to insure I wouldnt have problems. I felt bad about the 4 star review I gave him and forgot about it. I got home, put it on the track and it sounded like a rock tumbler. The rear drive axle wasn't connected! And one of the power wires from the motor was not placed back under the circuit board so the shell was getting wedged. I was a little upset that I had to do work on a "factory sealed" unit. Oh well it's a beautiful unit. I'm going to feel a little bad painting it for the Milwaukee Road.
Hope you all have a safe and fun weekend!
Thanks for another Weekend Photo Fun, Kevin! Your boxcar looks good. Unless you had mentioned it, I would not have known there was a paint problem. After you mentioned it, I still didn't see anything wrong. It looks good.
Ed, I hope you can post some pictures. We look forward each week to your photos.
Ringo, that's a nice looking UP hopper. That is something that I now want to get -- a series of hopper cars. That is about all we see here this time of year. I think I'd be more upset than you are about that used locomotive. It's funny that the seller lied, and yet he gets upset after admitting that the "factory sealed" part was not true. I've never understood people like that.
I haven't worked on the layout too much. My photo is the City of Los Angeles leaving a tunnel. The rock around the tunnel is actually tree bark I glued to the foam, filled in cracks with Sculptamold, and painted. It still looks a little unrealistic to me, but will have to wait until I get more time for the layout -- maybe after we get snow and we are in for the winter.
Sorry for the blurry picture. I need a good camera, but I'd rather spend the money on some new rolling stock.
York1 John
Kevin, I think the boxcar looks great!
Ringo, I hear you about those Ebay sellers "hiding the truth" about their products. I fixed a lot of locos that were advertized as "new". Ebay is really not for modellers that don't like to tinker and fix.
I worked a bit on my sawmill scene. As a temporary measure, I placed the items on a cork mat - in retrospect, it's a pretty convincing base to simulate shavings and sawdust. I think I will just cover it with fine samdust to give a more refined look and weather it.
Simon
20200806_121804c on Flickr
John- Thats a great scene! Thats a great idea using bark for the rock face! I would reccomend the proto 2000 ones. You can find them in kit and rtr on ebay for around $8-$15. I love it! I can't understand people like that either. It is a new loco I believe, but still was taken apart and not put back correctly. I was dissapointed but it was an easy fix and runs great now.
Simon- I really like that scene. Love the little loco! I've had good luck on eBay but not mercari. They make it too hard to get your money out after you make a sale. I think I will try my luck with ebay next time I need to sell something
Kevin.... Thanks for starting Photo Fun. That's another nice boxcar.
Ringo .... GP9 looks good in the photo. Too bad about the issues you described.
John York 1 ..... I like the COLA emerging from the tunnel .
Simon. ..... Nice sa mill and critter.
....
I added two more stock cars to my layout. I had some old Walthers kits in my stash of unbuilt kits. These were undecorated and easy to assemble. I painted them for CB&Q and GN.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
I'm heading out shopping so I'll look at everyone's work when I get back.
Here's what I've been doing.
I cookie-cut the grade up the mountain. Slapped some pink stuff on the flat parts, and laid the roadbed for the main.
I might have a roundy-rounder by the end of the weekend, ending a 15-year drought of no working layout.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
Finally!
Flickr finally flicked the switch to turn their server farm back on! Got photos uploading now —
Ringo, I tend to stay away from eBay sellers that don't provide plenty of decent photos. "Factory sealed" should not include furry axles! Nice work on the layout, though. Fortunately old Proto locomotives can easily be repaired or overhauled.
Your City Of LA scene looks great! Hope you get some model RR time in soon.
Your cork sheet idea is good, Simon. I find it pretty reasonably priced at craft stores around me, or Amazon. The sawmill is going to be a focal point in your scene.
Garry, you had better get the gandy dancers out to drive that spike sticking up there. Don't want it to snag a coupler, or a finger! Nice work on the stock cars.
You have some great "blank canvas" there, Chip. I'll bet you're anxious to get that track down, BUT, as you know — take your time and lay the track carefully
Here's an overall look at the tower scene. I added a few more shrubs and the concrete steps and walkways:
PRR_Tower2 by Edmund, on Flickr
— and I planted a light pole by the parking lot steps:
PRR_Tower1 by Edmund, on Flickr
Where would we be without all these cheap, tiny LEDs? I used a Tichy PRR handrail stanchion for the support arm on the light pole:
Light_pole by Edmund, on Flickr
I keep trying to make the foliage look like weeds and scrub but it still looks more like a tidy garden. I'll keep at it (and watch more scenery videos ) I need to find a smaller air tank for the outside of the tower. PRR used air-operated switch machines and many of their interlockings had lots of tanks and piping around them.
PRR_Tower by Edmund, on Flickr
One of the concrete walkways leads down to trackside so the operator can "look 'em over" or hand up orders if needed:
Broadway_by by Edmund, on Flickr
Great stuff thiss weekend, folks! Thanks again for the opening of WPF, Kevin
On to more great photos, Ed
Kevin--I've never heard of California Northwestern. Hoo Dey?
The scope seems to be pointing appropriatly at Fresno.
Ringo--Never feel guilty about changing paint--even if it is factory sealed.
John--I can't tell much about your bark rocks from your photo--it may just need paint--but if you don't like it, it will bug you until you do.
Simon--I like your backwoods mill--especially the donkey saw.
Garry--The problem with stock cars is they look good and smell clean, right up untill the time you fill them with cows. You didn't waste any time did ya?
Ed--I don't know if it's appropriate to make suggestions, especially when it looks so nice, but what you might do is take out about half of the short grass, and make it dirt like the parking lot. Especially the down-grade next to the steps. You could add a couple furrows where water runs off.
You do that and I'll take my time with the track. (I've got to. The main is 29 feet long and all but 8 feet are in a tunnel. It has to be bullet proof. But at least you can see it and reach it from the side.)
Hey guys, sorry I have been absent for a few weeks ( I have been putting in a L O T of overtime lately.)
Now, on to more pressing matters. If you recall, I had "just discovered" ( ok... pointed out by everybody) that I had painted/decaled my reffer upside down.
I promptly gave it a bath in Eazy Lift Off......
A BRIEF AD FOR E.L.O.
I have used this stuff for years, and NEVER had a problem Trackfiddler pointed out that the label says " safe for most plastics".... and it is ......
UNLESS: you forget your parts are coverd with it ....... for 30 days ..... then this happens.
I still "swear" by Eazy Lift Off, just dont let it sit for too long. But, now you guys get to watch me scratchbuild new carsides !
I have several feet of scribed car siding, and a set of Tichy reffer door details , sooooo..... hopefully I can get started on this tomorrow .....
stay tuned.
Rust...... It's a good thing !
SpaceMouseKevin--I've never heard of California Northwestern. Hoo Dey?
Chip: In my freight car collection for my layout, which I call the Fleet Of Nonsense, there are no prototype roadnames, none! I freelanced everything.
There are over 150 freight cars in the fleet of nonsense. Approximately 50 of them are STRATTON AND GILLETTE, 10 for the DAWDLE AND DELAY, and 90 for other roadnames.
Building this collection has been an absolute joy.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Chip .... It is good to see your layout construction. Thanks for commenting about my stock cars.
Ed .... Thanks to you, I pounded the track nail down. Funny how stuff like that is not noticable until it is in a photo. Your tower scene with light pole is great.
Timmy .... That is quite an experience with Easy Lift Off. I'll stay tuned.
Bear ...... LOL .... Words of wisdom: Don't Poke the Bear.
Ringo: I have bought more than a few things from sellers on eBay that were not in the condition as they were described.The only ones that really get my boiling are when a seller shows "stock" pictures of an item, describes it as new, and then the item is in bad condition. This does nothappen much with model trains, but with old classic rock CDs it is way too frequent. The locomotive is very pretty.
John: A slightly blurry tunnel scene of a UNION PACIFIC streamliner is always welcome. Your layout sure has some nbice places to take pictures.
Simon: The cork flooring for the sawmill scene looks great. Your little critter is also a neat model. It all looks very good together.
Garry: Congratulations on completing some additional stock cars. Moving kits into the "completed" column always feels good.
Chip: The layout progress is sure exciting to watch. You building thread is very nice to read and I have been enjoying it a lot. I should probably comment over there more. Bringing the layout drought to an end must be great. It has been over three years for me, and I am so deep with anticipation.
Ed: The lamp post looks perfect to me. I am going to need to get ahold of a whole bunch of those LEDs and make extensive use of them on my layout. Night time photography is lots of fun.
Timmy: Other than being warped, I don't see what is too terribly wrong with the reefer car sides. Looking forward to seeing your scratchbuilt versions. Have fun! I just recently started scratchbuilding freight cars, and have only completed three, but it was a lot more rewarding than I thought it would be.
Bear: Thank you for the toon with Garry's stock cars. The Bear Toons always hit the spot with a light-hearted laugh that is always welcome.
My younger brother once stated that he "doesn't like educational stuff on his day off". Since this is Weekend Photo Fun and since this post contains a small educational aspect and is only thinly related to model railroading, I'll try to be brief (yeah, right!).
I named the bridge just downstream of Boysen Dam on the Wind River Peninsula of my layout the Chief Washakie Bridge. As far as I know, the actual bridge doesn't have an actual name, but I figured I'd take some freelance license . . .
Chief Washakie was leader of the Eastern Shoshone tribe (sometimes called the Washakie Band) and is a prominent person in Wyoming's history. Washakie County is the name of one of the counties in the state (we only have 22 counties). By some accounts he lived to be about 100 years old (approx 1800 - 1900).
Here's a photo of the (model) bridge.
And here's a photo I took last year of Chief Washakie in the foyer of the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC.
Now, back to ballasting . . .
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
Happy Weekend,all...
Getting back to some model railroading after a bit of a break,but I've been enjoying WPF all along.
This came in the mail Thursday:
The backlighting here shows some of the underbody detail:
Now I can run a short(but plausible for narrow gauge)passenger train:
Keep the great pic's coming,and enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Mike
middleman
Hey Mike -
Nice!
Thanks,Robert!
Glad to see you in WPF - I've been following your "Layout Build" thread.
Little TimmyUNLESS: you forget your parts are coverd with it ....... for 30 days .....
Maybe you could flip it over and make it into a skate park or something.
Bear--If you are going steal rolling stock, get refers or box cars. You can scrub them with bleach, but you never get the smell out of a cattle car.
Robert--That is some impressive scenery. Now before you say, "but I haven't done the rocks yet." I can see where it's going.
Mike--Nice car, nice train, nice scene.
A couple days ago I was about to cut a hole for my Atlas tunetable when I noticed that my power supplies/ control drawer was stuck. I figured I better lift the plywood and fix it now, because I'm just going to add layer after layer on top of it from here on out.
Here's what it looks like.
And here's what it's supposed to do.
It rolls on drawer hardware. A couple of the wires were catching and blocking the movement.
What you see is a Bachmann EZ Track transformer, a Zephyr, and a program track. Transformer is supplying about 5-6v to the turntable and the 12vac to the LEDs.
What?
I guess two years ago I must have been young and stupid, because you'd think I'd know that I should be running 12vdc.
So I spent the day refining and redefining how I wanted my accessories set up. Basically, I want to seal it and be done with it. I have it set up so that any additional wiring can be done from the edge of the layout.
The first thing was wiring the turntable.
Of course, before I did that, I had to get it at the right height, get the center in the right spot and at the same time make sure its level every which way 'til Tuesday.
Then I wired it to a mom. And wired the first piece of track to the bus--the turntable "bridge."
I made a mini-control panel.
This is temporary until I get facia. The switch on the left turns on structure lights, the center turns the turntable, and the one on the right turns on the street lights and a couple buildings that use grain of something lights. See, I found a use for the AC power.
This thing.
This is a board I mounted on the frame. You'll notice two busses (12vdc) with resistors mounted between them. Now when I install a structure, I can run two wires through one of the holes and solder them to the busses. Everything is right in front of you. It's currently prewired for 30 LEDs but I can expand to 30 more.
SpaceMouse Robert--That is some impressive scenery. Now before you say, "but I haven't done the rocks yet." I can see where it's going. Mike--Nice car, nice train, nice scene.
Yes, and I noticed you noticed Mike's scene as well. Very well done and something to provide inspiration as well as something to copy. Sorry, Mike. But people only steal the good stuff.
ROBERT PETRICKSorry, Mike. But people only steal the good stuff.
Not true, people imitate the mediocre stuff all the time.
SpaceMouseBear--If you are going steal rolling stock, get refers or box cars
Impreassive modelling by all. Well done. Thanks
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Sunday morning update:
SpaceMouseEd--I don't know if it's appropriate to make suggestions, especially when it looks so nice, but what you might do is take out about half of the short grass, and make it dirt like the parking lot.
Yes, Chip, we like suggestions yours is good! I'll be sprinkling more dirt and cinders as I get around to more "fine-tuning". Thanks!
Garry, You hit the nail on the head Well, I hope so, anyway
Timmy, I like ELO (the band, too!) I was just using some to remove some overspray on clear styrene passenger car windows! Didn't fog them one bit. A week, though — yeah, that's asking for
Tonight I wired up the light pole and the tower lights
PRR_SG_tower by Edmund, on Flickr
I made a "model board" using fiber optic strands and when I throw the main line crossover the lights on the board change
PRR_SG_tower-bay-2 by Edmund, on Flickr
PRR_SG_tower-bay by Edmund, on Flickr
I had been waiting years to get that wired up
IMG_5300_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
IMG_5305_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
Great stuff this weekend, folks!
Cheers, Ed
Nice modeling stuff, everyone.
Simon, that's a good looking sawmill. The cork on the floor looks like sawdust to me.
Garry, I like the stock cars. Also the cabooses. I still don't have any cabooses on my layout.
Chip, nice work so far. I assume your weather is allowing you more time in the garage. Is it still just early morning work? I also have my wiring behind the fascia and use terminal strips so I don't have to go under the layout to do the wiring anymore.
Timmy, it's too bad about the boxcar sides. I'm sure you will scratchbuild some that look just as good or better.
Robert, that's a pretty impressive scene of the dam and the bridge. A professional looking job.
Mike, I'm a big fan of night scenes with lighting. You lit car looks great.
Ed, what a great scene. Your model board with lighting that works is impressive. It looks better than my full size board for my layout. That is a great job of model work!
We still have today left in the weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing more photos. I get a lot of inspiration from this thread each weed to keep working on my modeling skills and layout.
Everyone is showing off some awesome work this weekend!
I was able to get some more ballasting and scenery done around the bakery spur!
Till next weekend! Hope everyone has a good week!
Ringo, it looks good. I like the grain elevators.
JohnChip, nice work so far. I assume your weather is allowing you more time in the garage. Is it still just early morning work? I also have my wiring behind the fascia and use terminal strips so I don't have to go under the layout to do the wiring anymore.
The high was 87F. In the morning, I open up the garage. My garage, however, faces south, so around about noon it gets pretty hot, and I have to close the garage door and turn on a fan. Garage door closed, it's just hot enough to slow me down, but not enough to make me actually stop.
Ringo--It feels good to get some green down doesn't it.
SpaceMouseMy garage, however, faces south, so around about noon it gets pretty hot,
My garage faces West, and in the afternoon it is uninhabitable 10 months of the year.
The house remodel will have the master bedroom relocated to the North side of the house with only one window to the North. That will help a lot.
Currently the master bedroom has one window to the East and one to the South. No good.