Weekend Update 3/29/26

[up1950s]

https://www.watco.com/conductor-takes-on-the-dirty-work/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/330093511304417/posts/1088384958808598/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/442645732513387/posts/7189963511114875/

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1478046506985899

https://blog.coldjet.com/how-do-you-clean-a-dirty-train

https://www.wuft.org/business-news/2025-10-24/railroad-tie-grinding-company-ousted-from-newberry-tries-again-in-dunnellon

[bbussey]

The New London / Boston mainline has been extended to the Shaw’s Cove swing bridge. Only seven feet of double track mainline left to plant and complete the mainline.

[BCR 570]

This is a two-week update as I was away last weekend at the Sea To Sky Train Show in Squamish.

During the previous week i completed the final stage of track detail painting at Dawson Creek, namely the tie clips:




And with that, the eight month campaign to paint all of the track work was finally done!




This week was spent working on layout reactivation, starting with freeing up any stuck point rails:




I then powered up the auxiliary bus and began testing the turnouts, making note of any issues:




I also finally succeeded in applying the decals for the panel outlines to my Provincial Museum tank cars.  This was a very challenging job as the decals had to go underneath tank straps, ladders, handrails, ladders, etc. and I had to develop a different technique for applying these:




After that, the road names went on:




A few minor tasks remaining including seal coat, weathering and air hoses, and they will be done.


During this past weekend my friend Mike and I displayed at the Sea To Sky Model Train Show in Squamish.  I displayed some items of rolling stock from my collection as well as the Provincial Museum train with the tank cars now lettered, and my recently completed Civil track projects:








For most of Sunday morning Mike ran a 70-car train powered by four Kato SD40-2s:




All for now,

Tim

[davefoxx]

The SCL dropped this old MR&T caboose off in Aberdeen to go to its new home at the A&R.



The reality is that I received this ScaleTrains caboose kit within the last year from free credit to the Trains.com shop from MR’s publisher, Firecrown.  I started building the kit months ago but let it sit idle due to steps I was not in a hurry to do.  Fast forward to this evening, and I found that making Sergent Engineering couplers fit into the metal coupler pockets was not as bad as I feared.  So, I finished assembly and had it delivered to the A&R.

This kit was a little more involved than an Athearn blue box kit back in the day, but a little patience and reading the instructions brought it together nicely.

DFF

[bnsfdash8]

For whatever reason it's been a bit tough to do anything model related for awhile, but I finally did open up one of the G32b gondola kits I got from ESM.

Everything went together well. I put some N-possible couplers on it so see how it was working with those. I ended up using the medium length couplers and I had to trim some material off around the bolster to allow the spring to fit. The height looks good, but I'll have to get a Microtrains height gauge and convert it to N-possible to make sure. Regardless, I'm thrilled to have scale N couplers.

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[Point353]

The New London / Boston mainline has been extended to the Shaw’s Cove swing bridge. Only seven feet of double track mainline left to plant and complete the mainline.

Is the RDC running as the Clamdigger?

[mu26aeh]

Major track realignment project completed on the CSX Hanover Subdivision

[bbussey]

Is the RDC running as the Clamdigger?

No, just as a generic Shoreliner.  It will be paired and running back and forth between New London and Bridgeport with a stop in New Haven eventually.  Yesterday I sent custom gerber artwork of the New London PCBs off for rendering, including the PCB for the sound and automation at the station.  I'm itching to get the crossbucks, clarion and station announcements over the loud speaker operational.

[Jesse6669]

I assembled, painted and weathered this 3D printed model of East Norwood "GK" tower.  The roofers have been called to fix that bent gutter, should be repaired by next week.  I printed up the adjacent utility building and some details as well such as the AC, train order signals, etc.



Here's the prototype.  Can someone explain how the train order signals were used?  There are two, two-indication electric signals and a wooden "picture frame" (which would display a red square sometimes) above them.  These are not block signals (at least I don't think so) as there are CPLs just a few feet away. 

[InterurbanModels]

Reviving a project that was hibernating too long, the HO scale Baldwin-Westinghouse Class B locomotives. "Pre-production samples" came out very well. Motor floor and truck frames should work for NWSL Stanton, Tenshodo Spud, or Halling Coreless. Several bumper forms, roof arrangements, grab handle versions, and colors: any you want ...

[PiperguyUMD]

Only virtual modeling for me this week. Although hoping to take advantage of some nice spring weather and a few days off next week to get started on a new FreemoN project 

I have an original run Bachmann 2-8-0 in my parts bin that has been salvaged for several different projects, but after it gave up it's pilot truck, I realized that I could combine it with other left overs to make a WM C1 0-8-0. And since its flanks where never graced with the Fireball, I have enough left over decals to finish the project

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/wm1051s.jpg

The prototypes where made from the H6 class consolidations that were built in the early 1910s, with some converted to 0-8-0s in the 1930s, with a few of those lasting to +/- 1950. I'll be using a Bachmann short haul tender as the trucks are within a few inches of the correct spacing. So to kick of this project, I whipped up a replacement tender shell.

[mu26aeh]

Added a new weapon to the weathering arsenal thanks to DansRailroad2011 on YouTube.  Thin water mixable oils with 91% alcohol to skim milk consistency and spray away.  Here's a heavily faded tank car that I did, added some spillage under the dome to cover up a smudge from handling car too soon 




https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5989077

[lock4244]

Reviving a project that was hibernating too long, the HO scale Baldwin-Westinghouse Class B locomotives. "Pre-production samples" came out very well. Motor floor and truck frames should work for NWSL Stanton, Tenshodo Spud, or Halling Coreless. Several bumper forms, roof arrangements, grab handle versions, and colors: any you want ...

Orange... Iowa Traction / Iowa Terminal.