Well, right now I'm finishing cleaning off the layout so I can add a few additional layers of foam. Then, I'll get my final track plan down and start laying track. Then, I can start sceniking (sp?) and getting my structures and roads in order.
Luckily, a crew from Nashville is coming to waterproof the basement near the end of the month. With that, the guy who came to provide us with a quote said that I would have to move everything out away from the walls about 4 feet. As of now, there is about 2 feet of space between the wall and the layout, so it's a simple task of un-bolting the three sections (each of them a 6' x 8' table) it and moving them toward the middle of the basement away from the walls.
-Brandon
GUB wrote: travon wrote: Working on several projects:1. Just finished a kitbash of my design using the learning kits of Walthers modulars. Will post pic soon for wpf.Why do you call them "learning kits"? Just wondering.GUB
travon wrote: Working on several projects:1. Just finished a kitbash of my design using the learning kits of Walthers modulars. Will post pic soon for wpf.
Working on several projects:
1. Just finished a kitbash of my design using the learning kits of Walthers modulars. Will post pic soon for wpf.
Why do you call them "learning kits"? Just wondering.
GUB
Cause that was named of kits that I used.
I guess i am going to have to have a closer look at them. I am using the Walther's Modulars for a Mill that I am building. I didn't realized they were called "learning kits".
Right now I'm working on my (5th?) HO layout.....I just finished the benchwork, which is very easy with a 4x8 foot layout (steel studs) Next comes the subroadbed/scenery base.......just need my dad's truck to carry the foam sheets.....
Here's a few pics
It's sitting on a desk until I build some legs
Dave
I'm sorry GUB,
It was a DPM modular kit, that I used.
I used Walthers Modulars for a Cold Storage which turned out well, fortunatly there is a large box of left overs that has sufficient parts in number to build a large warehouse to go with the Cold Storage. I only need a few foundation peices from the store and some paint.
I find the Modulars somewhat expensive because they only package 4 or so of a badly needed item. Take Blank walls for example. I needed roughly 42 of these which meant I needed to buy 11 seperate blisters at 8.00 each to get the required number of blank walls to finish my design.
I already have several other nice complete kits based on modulars that I recieved on sale pricing.
I know I wont be considering any more of the walthers modular after the warehouse is built. Walthers needs to take each major peice like Blank Wall Sections and package them 16 to a card. It might support future projects using this system. Otherwise I carefully buy pre-designed kits that I think (Sterling Dairy for example) is good for the railroad.
I probably will consider DPM Kits such as the 15 building town kit in the future. They do provide learning kits that are pretty small but teaches you how to build thier system. The challenge for me is a large flat surface of some precision without warps or sags is necessary and there is not an item here in Arkansas with a straight angle.. except maybe a carpenter's square.
Still waiting on those switch machines.
Hopefully tonight I will airbrush that Kadee logging caboose and have it finished by tomorrow.
I'm 'populating' my version of the 1950 ROYAL GORGE, courtesy of some really neat Preiser Passengers. Finally got the train I wanted, courtesy of both Walthers and Con-Cor (the dome car) a mixture of Standard and Streamline.
WARNING: Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT follow the Walther's directions for prying the roofs off of their cars. Just grasp and gently twist, instead of using the X-ACTO chisel blade that they reccommend. Roof will pop right off, and after you've seated the passengers (courtesy of a coating of WS Accent Glue on their little butts), snap the roof back on. And if you're having trouble with those Walther's trucks derailing--on anything above the reccommended 24" radius, I mean--just unscrew the trucks and make sure that the four little screws that hold the trucks together are TIGHT. Half of mine liked to catch on the metal light connections on the underbody because they weren't seated properly.
Other than that, all those little Preiser people look pretty happy in there.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
Learned how to use very short sections of Kato track to start and end grades. I think a set of 6 2" sections over a foot or so will give acceptable transition at the bottom and the top. I will experiment further on this.
I also ran the MRC/Roundhouse 4-4-0 to the grade empty and it went up until it hit it's limits and spun. No problem there, I know I can put a coal trestle at that distance with a gentler grade and try it with a set of 4 cars to the trestle.
Up the hill she went, it took alot of power to raise it up that high (2 inches or so over 4 feet).
When I moved the engine forward she moved 1/4 revolution and stalled. The weight of the 4 cars combined with the grade made the engine "Cog" badly every 1/4 turn. In fact the resistance from the gears stalled the motor completely and started a fry according to the amp meter.
I learned how to start and end grades properly tonight.
I also learned the Roundhouse 4-4-0 is strictly a flat land engine and will not work on downgrades; especially if the slack runs in and the weight pushes the engine faster than the set speed. I confirmed this by allowing the engine to run light on level track and pushing the tender a little. She went back to cogging.
My BLI NW unit was called into action to get those 4 cars up the short grade. It did that easily. It also got off the grade without cogging.
It is my opinion that Im going to probably box the 4-4-0 and put it away because it does not do grades. I could allow the engine to gain speed on the downgrade by deliberately throttling up and the results are a little crazy. So, it goes into the box.
I know that I have been posting alot about this particular engine and I have determined to replace this unit with another light engine that does not cog on downgrades.
Tracklayer wrote: jeffers_mz wrote: Tracklayer wrote: Well. Let's see here. I'm getting ready to put my AR-15 back into its original M-4 configuration and sell all of the tactical accessories off of it to a friend of mine for about $500. I just bought a new truck and am looking for a tool box to put on it as well as a bug guard and a few other items. I've been wanting to build a life size butler for the front hall entrance for a couple of years now, and though I have the head, hands, old tails tuxedo and all, I still need to build the frame for it. There's a new chick that moved in down the street that I've been trying to figure out a way to meet and ask out. Etc, etc. Oh, you meant train related projects. No, I don't have any of those right now...Tracklayer Irons rule, and don't need batteries, but buttstroking with an M4 gets expensive. Stripping FN mags here, replacing springs, bathing them in unleaded and toothbrushing hundred year old cosmoline out back, taking advantage of some fine weather, 7 down, 15 to go. Then another 30 in 5.56, 20s and 30s. Maybe get out to the range tomorrow, and see if clean new springs make the BAR-10 run right. Hope so, can't get anymore Black Hills Blue Box for the DCM anymore so I'm getting the 10 up to match specs.Grass needs cut, but that's a full time job in the summer, and the garden is looking good. A five foot high wall of bushy tomato plants, at least 6 pea to marble size tomatoes visible, and just plucked my first green pepper yesterday. Trainwise, knocking out details in areas of the layout that are about to get hard to reach, due to a staging and mainline expansion. Ballast on those sections mostly done, about a foot of double track main to go, and even that's all done but gravel and glue. Seven trees to replant, adding one layer of clear styrofoam glue to the waterfalls about every three days, so it has time to cure and won't create bubbles, then I'm ready to pour water, detail that, finish the free span of the trestle, and then the expansion begins. All the members for the benchwork are cut, (and taking up valuable real estate), still need to stain the legs and braces, and get two matching casters from the hardware store. Need to design and cut pieces for a frame to hold a PC and another for a subwoofer too, they both hang from the benchwork, so it will roll, with only one power line running off layout.Curves on the two new mainlines will be 22 to 24 inch, finally allowing me to see how my BLI 2-10-4 pulls the new Rivarossi heavyweights, assuming I can drop the lights and people in them sometime soon. Long list, it's a process, not an objective. I sneak in some "track testing" now and then too. :-) Yes indeed jeffers_mz, irons do rule!... I thought the red dot sight system I had on it was the coolest thing in the world until it dawned on me one day that if the battery ever went down on me when I might need it the most I'd be in big trouble. Oh well. Live and learn... I am however going to at least put the scope back on it for long distance target shooting. I won first place with it in my catagory at a match back in 01. We were shooting at nickels from 150 yards. I just got lucky...I use to really be into firearms back in the early 90s after I lost my girlfriend Dana in a car accident, and took a gunsmithing course to give me something to do besides dwell on losing her, but after several years and many thousands of dollars later, I finally sold off most of my collection and am down to just a handful now that I get out once in a while and take out to the range to plink with.Tracklayer
jeffers_mz wrote: Tracklayer wrote: Well. Let's see here. I'm getting ready to put my AR-15 back into its original M-4 configuration and sell all of the tactical accessories off of it to a friend of mine for about $500. I just bought a new truck and am looking for a tool box to put on it as well as a bug guard and a few other items. I've been wanting to build a life size butler for the front hall entrance for a couple of years now, and though I have the head, hands, old tails tuxedo and all, I still need to build the frame for it. There's a new chick that moved in down the street that I've been trying to figure out a way to meet and ask out. Etc, etc. Oh, you meant train related projects. No, I don't have any of those right now...Tracklayer Irons rule, and don't need batteries, but buttstroking with an M4 gets expensive. Stripping FN mags here, replacing springs, bathing them in unleaded and toothbrushing hundred year old cosmoline out back, taking advantage of some fine weather, 7 down, 15 to go. Then another 30 in 5.56, 20s and 30s. Maybe get out to the range tomorrow, and see if clean new springs make the BAR-10 run right. Hope so, can't get anymore Black Hills Blue Box for the DCM anymore so I'm getting the 10 up to match specs.Grass needs cut, but that's a full time job in the summer, and the garden is looking good. A five foot high wall of bushy tomato plants, at least 6 pea to marble size tomatoes visible, and just plucked my first green pepper yesterday. Trainwise, knocking out details in areas of the layout that are about to get hard to reach, due to a staging and mainline expansion. Ballast on those sections mostly done, about a foot of double track main to go, and even that's all done but gravel and glue. Seven trees to replant, adding one layer of clear styrofoam glue to the waterfalls about every three days, so it has time to cure and won't create bubbles, then I'm ready to pour water, detail that, finish the free span of the trestle, and then the expansion begins. All the members for the benchwork are cut, (and taking up valuable real estate), still need to stain the legs and braces, and get two matching casters from the hardware store. Need to design and cut pieces for a frame to hold a PC and another for a subwoofer too, they both hang from the benchwork, so it will roll, with only one power line running off layout.Curves on the two new mainlines will be 22 to 24 inch, finally allowing me to see how my BLI 2-10-4 pulls the new Rivarossi heavyweights, assuming I can drop the lights and people in them sometime soon. Long list, it's a process, not an objective. I sneak in some "track testing" now and then too. :-)
Tracklayer wrote: Well. Let's see here. I'm getting ready to put my AR-15 back into its original M-4 configuration and sell all of the tactical accessories off of it to a friend of mine for about $500. I just bought a new truck and am looking for a tool box to put on it as well as a bug guard and a few other items. I've been wanting to build a life size butler for the front hall entrance for a couple of years now, and though I have the head, hands, old tails tuxedo and all, I still need to build the frame for it. There's a new chick that moved in down the street that I've been trying to figure out a way to meet and ask out. Etc, etc. Oh, you meant train related projects. No, I don't have any of those right now...Tracklayer
Well. Let's see here. I'm getting ready to put my AR-15 back into its original M-4 configuration and sell all of the tactical accessories off of it to a friend of mine for about $500. I just bought a new truck and am looking for a tool box to put on it as well as a bug guard and a few other items. I've been wanting to build a life size butler for the front hall entrance for a couple of years now, and though I have the head, hands, old tails tuxedo and all, I still need to build the frame for it. There's a new chick that moved in down the street that I've been trying to figure out a way to meet and ask out. Etc, etc. Oh, you meant train related projects. No, I don't have any of those right now...
Tracklayer
Irons rule, and don't need batteries, but buttstroking with an M4 gets expensive. Stripping FN mags here, replacing springs, bathing them in unleaded and toothbrushing hundred year old cosmoline out back, taking advantage of some fine weather, 7 down, 15 to go. Then another 30 in 5.56, 20s and 30s. Maybe get out to the range tomorrow, and see if clean new springs make the BAR-10 run right. Hope so, can't get anymore Black Hills Blue Box for the DCM anymore so I'm getting the 10 up to match specs.
Grass needs cut, but that's a full time job in the summer, and the garden is looking good. A five foot high wall of bushy tomato plants, at least 6 pea to marble size tomatoes visible, and just plucked my first green pepper yesterday.
Trainwise, knocking out details in areas of the layout that are about to get hard to reach, due to a staging and mainline expansion. Ballast on those sections mostly done, about a foot of double track main to go, and even that's all done but gravel and glue. Seven trees to replant, adding one layer of clear styrofoam glue to the waterfalls about every three days, so it has time to cure and won't create bubbles, then I'm ready to pour water, detail that, finish the free span of the trestle, and then the expansion begins. All the members for the benchwork are cut, (and taking up valuable real estate), still need to stain the legs and braces, and get two matching casters from the hardware store. Need to design and cut pieces for a frame to hold a PC and another for a subwoofer too, they both hang from the benchwork, so it will roll, with only one power line running off layout.
Curves on the two new mainlines will be 22 to 24 inch, finally allowing me to see how my BLI 2-10-4 pulls the new Rivarossi heavyweights, assuming I can drop the lights and people in them sometime soon.
Long list, it's a process, not an objective. I sneak in some "track testing" now and then too.
:-)
Yes indeed jeffers_mz, irons do rule!... I thought the red dot sight system I had on it was the coolest thing in the world until it dawned on me one day that if the battery ever went down on me when I might need it the most I'd be in big trouble. Oh well. Live and learn... I am however going to at least put the scope back on it for long distance target shooting. I won first place with it in my catagory at a match back in 01. We were shooting at nickels from 150 yards. I just got lucky...
I use to really be into firearms back in the early 90s after I lost my girlfriend Dana in a car accident, and took a gunsmithing course to give me something to do besides dwell on losing her, but after several years and many thousands of dollars later, I finally sold off most of my collection and am down to just a handful now that I get out once in a while and take out to the range to plink with.
Nickles at 150, wow!
I can usually run a string or two at Master level, or even High Master occasionally, but something always goes wrong, bad correction, fliers, jam or other malfunction, run out of time, and have yet to finish a match at Expert.
Hitting a nickle at that range may be luck, but you still have to group them dense to even have a chance, and that's something to be proud of.
Sorry to hear of your loss. I split with what seemed to be a good one a few months back, said she liked Highpower, backpacking, music, model trains, skiing, all my favorites, but then in the space of a week, she did a 180 and those became liabilities.
Oh well, now I have more time to work the things I like, no more long drives several times a week, just to hang out and not accomplish much.
Just keep doing what you're doing, and that way, even if the perfect lady doesn't materialize out of magic mist, you still get to enjoy yourself. Hopefully get your layout well established too. Once it's in, it becomes a pre-existing fait accompli, etched in stone and no longer subject to argument, or even discussion.
Well...we can hope, right?
GKC1839SLC wrote: I just finished upgrading an old Mantua 4-6-2 Pacific, that I had acquired in the mid '60s.Changed the old pitman motor for a new can motorFine tuned the meshing of the gearingReplaced the burned out headlamp with a white LEDAdjusted the side bars so they no longer shorted out the drive wheelsCleaned and lubricated all the valve gear related moving partsAdded a Digitrax DCC DecoderInstalled mini connectors to the headlight and the tender wiringReplaced the tender trucks to get elecrical pickup on all wheelsThe trucks aren't prototypical for the vanderbuilt tender. I'm not a rivit counter, so I don't care. They look presentable, AND I have a locomotive that can creep along at a snail's pace smoothly without the herky-jerky movement it had before. By the way, I used a technique to improve electrical pickup by using KaDee #5 coupler centering springs as wipers I read about in another thread on this forum. I gotta thank you folks for the guidance and inspiration to get this done. Now if I can only figure out why my headlight only flashes on momentarily when I turn track power on, yet is otherwise off under all other conditions...
I just finished upgrading an old Mantua 4-6-2 Pacific, that I had acquired in the mid '60s.
The trucks aren't prototypical for the vanderbuilt tender. I'm not a rivit counter, so I don't care. They look presentable, AND I have a locomotive that can creep along at a snail's pace smoothly without the herky-jerky movement it had before. By the way, I used a technique to improve electrical pickup by using KaDee #5 coupler centering springs as wipers I read about in another thread on this forum. I gotta thank you folks for the guidance and inspiration to get this done.
Now if I can only figure out why my headlight only flashes on momentarily when I turn track power on, yet is otherwise off under all other conditions...
I'm working on one of those too. I put a Helix Humper in it, but now can't temember how to bring power from the tender to the motor. It was my favorite loco back when I was 14, in the mid 1970's, but the tender got lost and the replacement doesn't seem to have tender wipers, a wire from the tender to the motor, a port for the wire to run through in the tender or even a screw to hook it to. I know the frame carries one side from the drivers, and the tender has brass wheels on one side, but it's been so long I can't remember how that power gets to the motor.
How did your's feed before you modified it? Also, do you have the link for the Kadee spring wiper How-To?
Appreciate any help you can give.
_________________________________________________________________
Stripped down the MRC 4-4-0, identified the wiring to the tender, scrapped the engine and tossed the unnecessary parts away. I did save the nice drive wheels for the engine house and a few other nice tidbits. Next up is a 4-6-0 that will recieve this tender.
Spent money today at the store buying the last few of the USA Athearn Bluebox kits left in stock. I may return over time and scoop up the last few remaining. There is still alot more left where I got them.
Now I gotta log off and go do some honey do work in the slave ship and pay off my spending LOL. That is part of the hobby too ya know; especially for married folks.
At the present time I am working on my small N scale layout (32"X72") getting the bugs in the trackwork taken care of.
I am also finalizing plans for the big layout (about half done) and trying to catch up with this forum that I haven't had any time for for the last year.
On the HO side I'm reworking some LifeLike Thrall door cars and reworking some 18 wheelers for the HO layout that is about 3 years down the line.
Detailing a kitbashed N scale Pennsy H10s 2-8-0:
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
Spend the free time today after chores and errands building the freight cars. Turning 9 kits of boxcars out in a few hours assembly line style. Trucks reamed, couplers installed etc.
Now I wait for the paints to dry before final weathering and assembly.
Logs. Realistic logs to be used as loads.
"Being misunderstood is the fate of all true geniuses"
EXPERIMENTATION TO BRING INNOVATION
http://community.webshots.com/album/288541251nntnEK?start=588
Trying to save up for a BLI big boy.
The cutoff is next month...
Lettering a Bowser GLa hopper for the railroad that I model using Woodland Scenics Dry Transfers. What a nightmare! The lettering scheme is simple, so I thought I could handle it with individual letters and the Woodland scenics data dry transfers. This is my first attempt at custom lettering. Keeping everything straight hasn't been easy. They don't include 2 of everything with the letter sets, so it will take me two sets per car. Here is how it looks so far, have one side and one end done, have to go to the LHS for some more sets tommorrow. Hopefully they have them. The second photo is the prototype.
Prototype:
I finally figured how how to post the photos.
Brunton wrote:Installing backdrop support framing for the lower deck near Glenrock. This involves setting the exact height and width of the upper deck benchwork, so the coved corner near the helix will arrive flush with the front edge of the upper deck (to simplify splicing the backdrop into the helix cover later). then will come backdrop installation itself.
then will come backdrop installation itself.
But now I've begun rebuilding my control panel. I ripped out the old one last night. I'll be re-using the frame, but I needed a different style of turnout control switches so that I could indicate track selection, and the newer switches are larger enough that I couldn't just install them in place of the older ones. So, new panel face and guts are the order of the week.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
I'm "super detailing" a Walthers Wisconsin Central GP9M to resemble the prototype GP7M #1503. It would be done by now, but Walthers is out of the required spark arrestors until July 19th.
Parts added include all required drop grab irons, front and rear ditch lights, front and rear coupler lift bars, front plow, front and rear dropsteps, front and rear MU plugs and hoses, lift rings, antenna mounting stand with a firecracker, cone, and can antenna per prototype, front sand filler hatch, all-weather cab window, windshield wipers, bell, proper horn, and spark arrestors. I'll post photos when I'm done.
All you wonderfully productive people. I am going through culling the fleet, putting prices on the rejects, getting ready for a swap meet this weekend.
After the recent move and my wife's suggesting that I build a railroad with all the stuff I have been moving from place to place so that she can finally see what the fuss is all about... I have been planning the railroad and writing the basic parts of the project book that will accompany it.
Here are photos of the plans I have come up with... So far Plan 3 is the winner but I will probably put together a dozen plans before I choose, I don't want to get into something beyond my skill, but I don't want a circle of track and one switch either.
the one above is plan one and it is obvious what the problems are, so back to the drawing board.
This one also, tails too short on run arounds and roundhouse poorly located...
The plan below is the winner thus far, but I will no doubt do several more before I decide.
I got out a box of track and laid some of it out and saw where the holes in plans one and two were, I also got some good feedback from some friends on the n scale yahoo group.
After waiting for God , Walthers , somebody ! to make a southwestern stucco style building , I gave up on the wait. I made a mold out of modeling clay and cast the first wall of a Stucco building for my layout. After it gets totally cleaned up and detailed I'll re-mold it to make multiple copies in order to construct my City hall building for my town. Resin cast.
First pix of rough casting:
Jerry SP FOREVER http://photobucket.com/albums/f317/GAPPLEG/
I have been working on finishing my Kitbashed GP30C. These were built for the SOO line and were later sold to the Twin Cities & Western railroad. These locomotives were equiped with Catepillar engines and were rated at 2000 horsepower. This locomotive closely resmbles the TC&Ws GP30C #4302. There are still a few details that need to be added but for the most part it is almost done. There are some decals that I am unable to get and have to have them specially made for the unti.
Enjoy!!
James
What a busy group of talented folks here. Impressive work.
Started drawing up the new addition with wife and priced some of the building materials today. She keeps bringing up model trains and asked if there is some aspect of it her dad might be able to work on. I think perhaps Garden RR structures would be more realistic than anything HO scale (wife collects HO), but more on that another time.
As for my (N) train projects: Have almost finished converting the chassis of a 0-6-0 Trix switcher into a 2-6-4 Camelback. Am using the shell along with both front and rear trucks of an old Lima model. Right now it is a relatively smooth running 0-6-4, so still have to figure out the best way to mount the front wheels & cow catcher onto the trix frame. Found a decent photo of the prototype online so once complete I will attempt my first weathering job on a loco. (GULP!)
On the near-future list is re-motoring several older steam locos, including a Rivarossi BigBoy. Plan is to pack in as much motor as possible without grinding too much frame away, then add as much weight as possible.
Have a nice evening all! Rob
I have limited time so I am only trying to complete my unfinished projects.
I am getting close to completing an N Scale structure. (about 90% there, but then the last 10% will take the most time ;) )
More photos here if one is so inclined:
http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/2/1172927/ShowPost.aspx#1172927