Weekend Update 1-10-2010

[up1950s]

Working on the frankenstein...

Needs decals and weathering.

Super , just super . I hope somebody markets this so I can get me one .

[RDG_Rich]

Richie,

small scale logistics (now defunct I think) used to offer a conversion for the MDC/Athearn Connies. I've searched high and low, and I haven't ever found one for sale, so I just hacked up the Athearn model, and built a new pilot, firebox, and added some other details to make it a "close" Reading I4d. I'd like to do another, only this time I would change a lot of things to make it a closer match to the prototype.

Thanks for the compliments. 

Rich

[BCRail_FSJ]

Finished the bulk of the Central Valley Truss bridge kit-bashing marathon.  Placed some stock on the bridge and took some photos against the backdrop.  

[Freighttrain]

Well,didn't do much this weekend.Too freaking cold for and lets face it,I am lazy in the winter months......I did get a shipper lined up to move my GMC semi tractor.Managed to buy a 3rd U50 off here just a little while ago.I love those engines.Watched Alabama kick the Texas "Steers" rumps.Roll Tide!

[Puddington]

Nice work all - that's one heck of a bridge..

So; not that the holidays allowed me a lot of modeling time but there was enough to finish some more buildings for the Andrew Junction - being as they are all "reserected" models, I really should change the name to the "reserected and recycled" shortline but I guess we'll stick with Andrew Junction for now....

I made bases for all the buildings with parking areas and such from styrene - I finished the Cote project by adding some details and vehicles...and a scrap pile...hehehehehe



and what's a bike shop without a Harley and two bad a@@ bikers.... even managed to get a tat on "bubba"......LOL



(Painting a little 1:160 Harley is hard on middle aged eyes, FYI)

Next I took on the station project.... a roundy roundy that will run freight cars and one combine really doesn't need a station... a freight house however...........yep....



The freight house is a recycled GTW resin kit that I had in a box. It's perfect as a line side freight house for my little buddy - his trains will pull up, unload the LTL shipments and go on their way.....But I gave in on the passengers when I found one of my first ever scratch builds.... The little green station was originally the operator shack on my PGE rail barge section of PVR in the mid 1990's.... it will serve now as a nice little passenger shanty for the AJ !

The "roundy roundy" table top layout always suffers from "corner-itis"; that is to say that you tend to have four open triangles on the table..... one at each corner. I'm going to build some hills on two and the third will have another treatment (which you'll see in a minute) but the fourth would need a "scene block"...... enter "Louisecom International"......



Andrew's mom was in telecommunications... ergo... she gets a "hi tech" factory, complete with parabolic dishes on the roof...I personally think the entire place is a joint CSIS/NSA front but that's just me...............

The other corner will host the throttle on a small platform built just off the table.... to cover it's back side I will build a little "wall"... the wall's track side will be covered by a flat - this.....



Styrene bricks siding and part of an old DPM kit makes a really neat freight forwarding company - it will be located on a siding that will terminate with a Kato railer - so the little guys can get cars on the tracks easily.....the cars awaiting use will be "at Sam's" for loading and unloading.....

Buildings are all but done; one more line side industry to recycle, a few odds and ends to make and then we're on to the track laying and scenery.....

[diezmon]

I worked on some details.. mainly on the buidings.

[eric220]

At long last, my layout is reassembled and operating!  I ran the Acela around some of the broader curves on the layout, and have discovered that although this is a very nice looking set, there is going to be a lot of work involved in making it run well.





After that bit of disappointment, I pulled the Pennsylvania Limited out of storage and ran it for a few laps.  Here is the GG1 filling up on sand before hooking up to the waiting train.



And the Thomas Alexander Scott once again in revenue service.

[C855B]

At last had some time away from the kitchen remodel to fiddle with trains. Ran by the only LHS in our metro area that pays any attention to N and picked-up a 50-pack of McHenrys to start ridding the fleet of Accumates. First conversion, tho', was the 44-tonner on the bench. Boy, does that little thing run sweet, and with the McHenrys the soft-coupling is amazing. Mikey likes it!

Started working on the backlog of 86' auto parts cars needing coupler attention... which is all of them, dammit!... only to discover that fixing the coupler height issues without adding height at the bolsters is going to be a big job. C'mon, Trainworx and Bluford, what's with the low couplers? Not a single one of the umpteen 86-footers I've got from you guys can be run out of the box. None!

 >

[seusscaboose]

hung out with Lee... visited Klein's, met Sizemore, dropped in on our friendly host (Go Ravens!!!).

a little something for Puddington here...
http://picasaweb.google.com/SeussCaboose/010910LilPuddy#5425253202012299266

and a little something for Pliney Holt
http://picasaweb.google.com/SeussCaboose/010910LilPuddy#5425252879156607602

looking forward to Lee's montage...

[John]

Nice pics guys .. whats sad is that this is the most photogenic part of my layout  :'(

[BCR 570]

Andy:

Looking good, especially with the train in place.

Tim

[Ryan87]

Nothing physical this week but I did decide on a prototype for my next layout... and found plans for one of the key structures...

This ugly little gem   Canadian Pacific's St, Boniface, MB station pictured here in 1985...

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Made progress on my E-One ladder. The turntable swivels and the boom is fully positional.






The model is loosely based on the HP-75:
http://e-one.com/files/products/cad/Aerial_HP%2075_Quick%20Spec.pdf

Lineside Models makes a Mack DM800 cement mixer. As you can see the model is a joke



Their dump truck isn’t much better:


I decided to use the decent DM800 cab on a dump truck like this one from New Hampshire:






The dump bed is from Ultimate N Scale I believe.  I scratch built the frame and front grill. I plan on using Atlas or Tomytec wheels.
The cement bed is getting a full makeover as well. I reduced the width from nearly 12’ to a prototypical 8”

[BCR 570]

Richie:

What did you use for the aluminum paint on your trailers?  Mine are approaching the painting stage.


Tim

[wm3798]

The full Puddy update is up at it's home site, Scale Rails Online... http://www.scalerailsonline.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=840&whichpage=58.

Here's a couple of the highlights of the trip Saturday...


Howard Zane's layout will melt your face.  It is a masterful work that is complete, coherent, and unbelievably detailed.  The smooth running trains tie it all together.  The visit was truly inspiring for an architecture and scenery geek such as myself...

I also got to see the ongoing revival of John Armstrong's Canandaigua Southern layout.  While it is still very much a work in progress, it was amazing to see the craftsmanship of the original layout and equipment.





Thanks go to Eric for offering to drag me around, and especially to John, who let us in thinking we were the Pizza Man.

Had a blast!
Lee