Weekend Update 10/12/25

[mu26aeh]

Nice work on the painting! FWIW I’ve seen that much variation in the units on the Carolina Piedmont; that orange fades quick depending on what paint they actually used.

Ive seen the same but not the case with these.  These locomotives had just been painted recently when Atlas announced them, Atlas simply used the original G&W orange instead of the new darker color

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5650306

[chessie system fan]

Here's a picture of the baggage car prototype I'm making.

https://www.rr-fallenflags.org/mp/mp-be0159jpa.jpg

[Tad_T]

This is the only diagram that I have of that series. You may already have this one.

Unfortunately, it doesn't have any painting information.

[chuck geiger]

The Doctor Is In

[chuck geiger]

Weekend work on NSDS:

[squirrelhunter]

Here's a picture of the baggage car prototype I'm making.

https://www.rr-fallenflags.org/mp/mp-be0159jpa.jpg

I don't think MoPac used 5" scotchlite stripes for anything until 1976, but this is easily solved by:

https://mopac.org/product/mask-island-decal-set-87-372-mp-mail-storage/

Reaching out to Highball Graphics  (they print the old Mask Island decals) and asking them to print the above set in N scale instead of HO. Unlike a lot of other decal makers that I have asked to scale down HO sets to N and refused, Highball will print any HO set they do in N.

[chessie system fan]

Oh, excellent. I didn't know about these.  I see they already offer them in N, too!

https://highballgraphics.com/product/87-0372-missouri-pacific-70-mail-cars-135-184/

[randgust]

Ive seen the same but not the case with these.  These locomotives had just been painted recently when Atlas announced them, Atlas simply used the original G&W orange instead of the new darker color

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5650306

I'm in G&W country here and there's no consistency on that orange color that I can see.  It's either fresh paint or diesel grime, and the 'contrast' in new paint vs. weathered is rather pronounced as your models.   We get the 2000 and 3000 series of B&P power in here, and now have 2-3 of the ex-BNSF C44's in here, and those are just a 'patch job' orange over BNSF.   The 'heritage unit' G&W C44 has been here, and that's turning out to be nothing more that a B grade patch job as well.

So I wouldn't sweat the difference, it looks right to me.

[altohorn25]

I built a pool hall Sunday afternoon for my layout.  This will go next to the depot in New Lisbon, WI.

Rolly's Railroad Models laser cut wood kit.

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[Sumner]

Need lots of trees to put in place when the scenery is being finished and I’ve got help. My new co-worker is Ed, a local native, who lives a couple blocks from me and was a trucker for I believe 30 years, worked in a local machine shop and is now retired. Model railroading is new to him but he is excited about finding a new hobby. This is going to be a big help to me and we are forming a good friendship.

 

I made a couple Aspens following the instructions in Grant Eastman’s great video ( HERE ) . Then Ed came aboard and made over 60 more. Probably enough for the sawmill scene which is set higher in elevation at the base of the mountains.

 

The rest of the layout is a couple thousand feet lower with Junipers and Pinion Pine needed there for the mesa tops. I tried a couple different techniques using different peoples ideas on how to make trees and came up with some I can make in about 10 minutes each. I’m still perfecting it a little but the video on what I’m doing is above and ( HERE ) .
I also need some Ponderosa Pines for the sawmill scene as you will find the Aspen groves in those usually. I’ve found some videos on Ponderosa but not many and while I’ve seen some good ones the good ones take a lot of time to make. For now at least I’ll use the method I’ve come up with shown above and below. Later maybe I’ll revisit this and possibly remove and replace trees. I don’t need near as many of these as I do Junipers.



I tried a couple different techniques, for now at least, settled on what is shown in the images here. These are slower to make than the Junipers but not real bad time wise. Probably will end up at about a half hour per tree, start to finish.



.


 
Ponderosa are way more open between branches than most other pines. Also they don’t have that ‘cone’ shape. Straighter up and down on the sides of the tree with a rounded top. Also the branches appear to droop more, especially the lower ones. I’m still not real happy with what I’ve got here but will use it for at least a while and maybe come back in the future with another plan.



Going to continue building trees here and there but will move onto Spackling and painting the foam scenery to have a little variety work wise.

More info/images on Railwire ( HERE )

A link to this whole build ( HERE ).

Sumner

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I have so many brick buildings I need to paint in York and I hadn't found a spray bomb color that I had liked for a while. The oxide primers I used to use have changed and the new formulas have looked too dark or brown to match the area's common color.

Well, I was in Ace the other day and checked their selection. Turns out their house brand primer is exactly what I wanted.

That's allowed me to break a huge log jam in my quest to make York actually look like something.

So, on top of trying out my paint marker trick on the windows of this building I also painted up a white sided building and spray bombed a dozen or so other structures.

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They're far from good, but good from afar. And I'll take that if it gets me unjammed.

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[BuddyBorders]

I've been try to get a decent running Q1B since they came out. I ran into Rick Spano during N Scale Weekend and he showed me what he did with his. I lost the original pilot for this one, so I cobbled up a step pilot from styrene and brass. Couldn't go all brass because I need to be insulted from the frame halves.

But it runs great now, of course. Now I have to find a small sound decoder for it. Lots of room in the tender for it.

-Buddy

[nkalanaga]

I noticed on the MP baggage car diagram that it will operate safely on a 150 foot radius curve.  11.25 inches in N scale - it could be built to exact scale and still run on most layouts.

[chessie system fan]

You made me get out my Unitrack and do a test.  The car did just fine going through a 12 inch curve coupled to a MT baggage car.

[Mark5]

I've been try to get a decent running Q1B since they came out. I ran into Rick Spano during N Scale Weekend and he showed me what he did with his. I lost the original pilot for this one, so I cobbled up a step pilot from styrene and brass. Couldn't go all brass because I need to be insulted from the frame halves.
But it runs great now, of course. Now I have to find a small sound decoder for it. Lots of room in the tender for it.
-Buddy

Man, that is light years from the POS that it originally was - looks great!

https://www.spookshow.net/loco/lima264.html