Living the dream.
Hello again everyone. I hope we are all ready for a brand new weekend!
I am starting the WPF thread an hour early this week. Sorry, but I am exhausted, so I am going to bed after I post this. I can't make it another hour.
This week my share is another found picture of Stratton And Gillette layout number 3. This was the last SGRR layout built in N scale.
As usual, it seems like all the pictures of this layout have one of the girls in it!
I am actually not sure if I took this picture. I doubt I did. The girls would never let me take a picture of them actually touching the trains, too embarrassing. Someone must have had the camera out during a sleep-over and snapped this one.
You have to love that cassette Walkman!
There is actually something interesting in the background of the photograph. There is my scratch built single stall enginehouse, and a work-in-progress of another structure.
It is doubtful that other structure was ever completed. I am pretty sure this was at the very end of the N scale days, and I was just about to switch to HO.
Well, that is my share for this week. I am looking forward to seeing everyone's fun photographs.
-Kevin
Thanks for kicking off the February WPF, Kevin. Great photo-memory! Besides the cassette-Walkman do I see an old fashioned electric drill with a CORD in there? I remember those
At a train show some years ago I saw a set of three Chesapeake & Ohio former troop sleepers converted to express cars. I already had a bunch in NYC but these were a bargain and I thought I'd grab them even if for nothing but the trucks (they were that cheap!)
Well, I've accumulated a number of New Haven passenger cars and decided I needed more head-end cars. That led me to strip, paint and letter one of the troop-express cars for the New Haven:
New Haven_Express-troop by Edmund, on Flickr
As it turns out what was supposed to be a low-budget project balooned in cost because I realized the only N-H decal set I had used the hearald with an orange N on top and not white. So that meant I had to get another decal set at about $16 just for the two emblems
It's just a hobby...
New Haven_EP-5 by Edmund, on Flickr
Looking forward to some great photos
Cheers, Ed
Thanks for the open, Kevin. Cool blast from the past pix!
Ed. NH Sure had some snappy paint and graphics.
Ed sez "Its Just a hobby." Good reminder, cuz...
I ought to have been working on my oil loading facility, but got off on a tangent as always.
I only wanted to run a 4-4-0 into a stall in the roundhouse. Is that too much to ask? Apparently it is, it stalled, no juice in that stall. Cleaned the track. Nope.
Next thing the thing, I had the roundhouse down on the workbench, repairing some floor booboos, repaint the floor. Super clean the track, and hey, about time to maybe do some long overdue details.
I dreaded making the window areas between the roof levels.
Well, an easy way to do that occured to me. Just glue the chosen Grandt Line windows end to end between a couple pieces of 0.030x .125 Evergreen styrene strips, and install as a unit.
Like this:
The same technique was used for over the doors, but with 0.040x 0.25, and 0.040x0.188 strips
The strips don't glue in place, they are simply trapped into place by the removable roof sections up top, and the edges of the walls on the lower one.
The electrical problems are even worse now. It traces to a computer type plug that powers the roundhouse circuits (or more accurately, my lack of soldering skills therein). I'm just gonna mount the roundhouse permanently and hardwire it, bypassing that infernal plug connector, after I get the windows painted and glazed, doors put on, and whatever else it needs beforehand.
The roundhouse started with a Korber resin 3 stall kit. The stall angles didn't fit my turntable's, so all I ended up using were the sides and windows. The rest was scratchbuilt in 2014. I think I'll use Grandt Line doors, too.
So a little progress was made. And lost.
Next! Dan
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Kevin. Thanks for starting WPF. Great pictures from 'down memory lane'.
Ed. A small project growing 'like Topsy'
Dan. A minor challenge that escalates. The roundhouse is looking good. Well done.
Bear. A Beartoon is always welcome.
Myself. A couple of Ale Wagons. Just leaving Hey & Humphreys bottling plant at Sovereign Street
IMG_2540 by David Harrison, on Flickr
A little scene at the new at Crown Point Goods Yard. The little steam engines, wagons and carriages was originaly to introduce the grandchildren to railways along with Thomas the Tank. The idea grew. Now the grandchildren run the diesels and I am left with the steam engines.
IMG_2539 by David Harrison, on Flickr
Running trains by myself (when the grandchildren are not here). All at a gentle pace. As Ed says, 'It's just a hobby'. A Kirkstall & East Seacroft Railway passenger train waits at the signal whilst a goods train clears the Junction.
IMG_2538 by David Harrison, on Flickr
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Good morning from cold, windy and snowy Northeast Ohio, thanks for starting us out Kevin, I will be back later to comment on other's great work.
Got some stuff done this week!
First a 50' Atlas FMC 5503 Boxcar kit, painted with Scalecoat II Tuscan and Silver Paints, then lettered with Herald King Decals. Car was in General Service on the SP and SSW, The SP had several hundred cars in this class.
Next a Proto 2000 PS 4427CF Covered Hopper kit, added a Plano Roofwalk and car was painted with Scalecoat II ATSF Red Paint and lettered with Oddballs Decals. This was a replacement for the 40' boxcars previously used in the grain service.
Finally, a couple of Athearn FP7's pitching in as replacement power on an abbreviated "General" so far have received 8 of the 13 cars that Walther's is doing. Train is running on the Strongsville Club layout.
Have a great weekend!
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!
Good afternoon, everyone.
Kevin, thanks for starting another WPF! With three daughters, you probably run into the same problem I have -- finding a photo that does not include one of the girls. I forgot that you at one time had an N scale layout. Nice scratchbuilt building.
Ed, I really like the REA car.
Dan, great work on the scratchbuilt part of the roundhouse, and a nice solution to putting in all the windows.
Bear, did you get that locomotive all put together again? I have stuff like that sitting on my workbench for weeks while I build up the courage to start on it.
David, those ale wagons are nice. It's great you have your grandchildren running trains with you, even when they sometimes make mistakes. I'm sure they love coming to your house.
Rick, each week you show us what work on cars is supposed to look like.
I make most of my N buildings, but my wife bought me this elevator kit for Christmas a year ago. I didn't really want it, but I didn't say that. I put it together, added some lights and had it sitting in the layout room. I never finished sealing the light leaks, putting on some names, etc. When I scratched the last layout, the elevator went to a box in the closet. I don't really have room for it on the new layout, but I'll keep it just in case.
York1 John
Good fun on the posts everyone.
I made this entry for a street scene model contest which was limited to 30 x 60 scale feet. The scale is HO made from scrap sign material from our print shop. I experimented with making window scenes with photos off the internet.
20220423_183316 by Silver San Juan Division, on Flickr
20220423_183706 by Silver San Juan Division, on Flickr
20220423_183806 by Silver San Juan Division, on Flickr
York1Bear, did you get that locomotive all put together again?
-E-C-Mills 20220423_183806 by Silver San Juan Division, on Flickr
Good use of printed interiors. I did the same last year for some of my storefronts. I found they look a bit more convincing when set back 1/4" to 1/2" rather than pressing them against the glass. With a flat like yours, I'm not sure that would be an option.
Thank you to everyone that has contributed so far. We are off to a great start!
Ed: Your decal work on the NEW HAVEN head end car looks great. I am now modeling only ficticious roadnames, but I have also bought $9.00 decal sheets just for a piece of data, nifty striping, or even a good logan. I know all about that.
Dan: Amazing work on the roundhouse upgrades. I sm intending to make the front half of my roundhouse removeable. The model will go through the backdrop. I still think I will need to do this. I sure hope it works out for me. The Korber kit was my first choice, but I need a full semi-circle, and I was doubtful I could find enough kits. I went with the Walthers Modern Roundhouse instead.
-Photograph by Kevin Parson
Bear: We have all been there. With all of my projects it seems like I underestimate time and stripwood requirements.
David: I think I will always love to see the pictures of scenes on your layout. I would love to see more layout features in the pages of Model Railroader of layouts with atmosphere and charm instead of just more hyper-realism.
Rick: I usually do not like freight cars in bright colors with minimal lettering, but that MKT covered hopper car looks fantastic just as it is. Great work as always.
John: Hold onto that imposing grain elevator model! If nothing else, it will look good as a background prop in photographs.
EC Mills: Your diorama sure photographs amazing. Your images of the interiors are perfect for the street views. Thank you for posting these pictures.
Bear Again: Beautiful locomotive!
gmpullmanGreat photo-memory! Besides the cassette-Walkman do I see an old fashioned electric drill with a CORD in there? I remember those.
I love looking in the background of old family shots. It is astounding how many trains are back there.
Some of the best pictures of my girls are when they were in the background of pictures being taken of other people and they didn't even know they were on camera. This picture of my youngest is a tiny part of a picture of her oldest sister. Like a postage stamp on a 5X7 print. It captures her personality and character perfectly.
The backgrounds of many pictures are better than the subjects.
York1You probably run into the same problem I have -- finding a photo that does not include one of the girls.
That is 100% true. They seem to be everywhere. I really loved taking pictures of them.
However, they do help date the images. I can say... hmmm... Melly looks like she is about six, this picture must have been in 2001.
It is hard to believe there is only one picture in existance of just me with all three of them together.
A few weeks ago there was a thread about using corrugated metal roofing material. I responded that I loved the paper "corrugated metal" roofing made by Wild West Models of Colorado.
I realized I do not have much, if any, on hand, so I went to their website to order more. Also, they make a line of model stains/shades that I have read rave reviews about on several painting sites, so I wanted to get some of that product as well.
It must have been a while since I visited their website. They also make what looked like an astounding example of card-printed-laser-cut shingle material in many different colors.
The one thing that I hate about Campbell Scale Models and Fine Scale Miniatures kits is that horrible rolled paper roofing material they include. I have tried to make it look reallistic with no success. I have also tried a few different shingle materials, but none I really loved.
I was intrigued by the way these shingles looked on the Wild West Models website!
I went for it, and ordered a whole bunch of these shingles. 16 sheets in 10 different colors!
They look amazing!
-Photographs by Kevin Parson
I also bought up every colour of their stain/shade line. It will be a while before I can try these out for myself. They call them "Smoke And Mirrors" stains because they are supposed to work like magic.
And of course, I bought up a bunch of their paper corrugated roofing material that I like working with so much. This stuff paints up beautifully. It holds onto paint well, and you do not need to worry about the paint getting damaged and shiny foil showing through. It also cuts easily and will not dent. I have not found a downside to this material.
One more of my lifetime supplies has been taken care of!
Let's all keep the good stuff and helpful responses coming. I am looking forward to it all.
Kevin, Thanks for starting up the WPF by turning back the pages to a happy moment at your layout.
Rick, Like your SP boxcar. Caught these two SP cars with doors wide open at Fairfield, Ca. in 1988, they appear to be FMC built.
Thanks to all the contributors and viewers. Have a good weekend. Regards, Peter
We beastys. sort of. These two are a work in progress. at 20 years old. the shells started as blue box. I was working on sd40-2 projects and bought two chassis with dcc listed as 40-2 chassis. turns out they werent. I reconised them as SD45 chassis from The Genesis line. I decided to swap those frames with the two blue box ones. Then upgrade the shells. still needing work, there current status. Other projects contune. like the trolleys and last stock car, decalling. work goes on. Nothing finished this week
Shane
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
Peter: Your modelling and photograhpy are always so good I thought your picture was of your layout at first!
Shane: Thank you for sharing the story behind the SD40 chassis and projecy.
See you all next week.
Added a couple more to the roster...
Great postings, everyone! Thanks for giving me inspiration and ideas for my own layout.
Without being individual post specific, I looked at them all, enjoyed every one on it's own merit. Good show, guys! Dan