Weekend Update - 1/17/2010

[John]

Well, another weekend. Not much for me.  I spent Saturday wiring the east end yard turnouts with slide switches and also took out the turntable / roundhouse I had plannned on using ..

And of course, one of my two teams lost in the playoffs ..

[DKS]

No modeling done. But I did join the staff of the New Jersey Museum of Transportation. I will be their webmaster, and also produce their newsletter. Met with many of the members on Saturday morning--it's a nice crew. Chief Mechanical Officer Jim LuBrant filled me in on a lot of the museum's "secret" history--fascinating is hardly adequate to describe it. Most interesting tidbit: the Pine Creek Railroad is New Jersey's fifth DOT-certified light rail commuter line. (Yes, the line doesn't go anywhere, but if you carry people, it doesn't matter if it's only a 3,500-foot loop--you're still carrying people.)

Took about 300 reference photos while I was on the property.

Museum site: http://www.njmt.org/
My site: http://pinecreekrailroad.net/
Pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/dks2855/PineCreekRailroad#

[Puddington]

Work on the litte 'roundy round" (The Andrew Junction)I'm building for my son's friend continued - the train table is build, complete with profile boards and is drying from the second coat of paint as I type.

I had the urge to test run some of the fine Rapido passenger equipment I've recently bought.... so a Canadian National consits hit the rails....



A True Line RS 18 was power for the day's eight car consist.



Head end equipment consisted of a modified Kato baggage express car and an old WOT resin shell RPO for express mail.



Rapido first class coaches were next - these run smooth and silky. The coupling problem I originally had didn't seem to recreate itself this time.



The "University Club" is a lounge-club car. Although a 'real" CN car, it missed wearing this livery by a few years - oh well. This is a kitbashed Con Cor coach.



Two "E" series duplex sleepers took care of the Pullman passengers on this trip. Once again, these Rapido cars ran very well.



The "brass hat's" wera along in "Pacific". Pacific is a scratchbuilt business/historical interpretation car that worn the original CNR green livery until her scraping in the 1980's....

[davefoxx]

This is the first post to Weekend Update of any progress on my layout in weeks.  In case you didn't check out the thread on "Custom Curved Turnouts," here's what I accomplished this week.  I decided that I needed a runaround track on my small 2' x 3' layout, but I was extremely limited on my options.  In other words, I needed a curved turnout.  Checking the FastTracks website, I quickly learned that no templates were available for the sharp radius curves (e.g., 10" minimum mainline radius) on my layout.  Thankfully, our own Chris333 came through with a custom turnout built to my specifications (10" and 8-1/2" radii).  I received the turnout and installed it this weekend.

Before:


After:


Despite nothing to hold the points in place until I install a ground throw (except a piece of Scotch Tape), the turnout has been operating beautifully. Once I install the ground throw, which will power the frog, I'll be able to paint and ballast, which should blend the turnout into the rest of my code 55 track.

Dave Foxx

[up1950s]

[Virginia Atlantic]

[Ian MacMillan]

Got all of the blocks cut and feeders dropped on all the 80% of the track on the layout. I'm just waiting for my BDL168's to arrive on Wednesday to get them all hooked up to the blocks. I also have to pick up 5 of the SE8C signal driver boards.

Waiting for the 168's to get here I got the new software setup so I can just plug an play in the next few weeks. I'm using Train Controller 7 Bronze (switching to Silver in a week or so) to control some aspects of the layout. The software was purchased for three reasons, to automate the commuter trains and Amtrak Regionals on a schedule so operators wouldn't get bored with back and forth, to drive the B&M/MEC 3 target searchlight signals with NORAC rules, and to have the layout run 100% automatically during open houses.

Heres a look at the CTC board from a week or so ago. It is now completed with all the blocks and addresses set up.



I also continued to work on he Stark Mill area building the access roads and parking lots. I also picked up a few UPS pup trailers from Randy at Arrowhead Models that I need to paint. Very nice looking kits.

[Bob Bufkin]

Relaid some trackwork which was giving me some problems.  Also tried my hand at doing some scenery using the Bachmann products that John mentioned recently.  Also weather an RC PRR yellow X29 work boxcar. 

[SecretWeapon]

[Dave V]

Per my other thread, I worked on Enola Yard:



Weathered/detailed a LifeLike GP38-2 ph2 (but note the handrail popped out of the cab wall; that pops right back in).



I also weathered my Athearn bay window cabin:

[flight2000]

Dave, the corner section on the Enola yard looks awesome.  It's coming along so well, I may need to make another trip up there to inspect it in person... ;D

Finished up yet another customer project this week.  This time a Massachusetts Coastal GP35.  

Don't think I've gotten any of my own modeling done in the last few weeks.   :

Brian

[asciibaron]

No modeling done. But I did join the staff of the New Jersey Museum of Transportation. I will be their webmaster, and also produce their newsletter.

awesome.  as a frequent visitor to the Pine Creek, i'm digging it.  you need to swap out the cars for the re-enactors in the fall

[skytop35]

I've had this project in progress for YEARS. Don't even remember when I started this but thinking it was 15 to 20 years ago. In any case, I've been finishing up several works in progress and this is the latest. It began as an old Atlas corrugated streamlined observation car. (that should hint at the age although you can still find them). I shaved off the corrugated siding and it resembles a Northern Pacific North Coast Limited observation car. The window arragement isn't perfect but it is close. I also added some underbody details, trucks (Fox Valley Wheels) and diaphragms from American Limited. Body mouted a Micro-Trains N scale coupler up front and a Z scale coupler in the rear. Roof top anntena was added along with stainless steel .008 grab irons. Window shades and ventian blinds dressed up the windows that were painted with silver to simulate the window gaskets. (I probably should have tinted the windows too). Interior vestibule door casting was also included. Scalecoat paint and decals finished the job.



The ventian blinds were done with a trick I learned from the GHQ website. They were scratched in the window with a straight-edge and X-acto knife followed by some paint which is immediately wiped away. Works like a charm!

[BCR 570]

This past week began with the arrival in my mailbox of the latest BCR offering from Atlas.  The ALCO C-630 is their third locomotive decorated for British Columbia Railway, after the C-420 and RS-3.  (BC Rail modellers have also had the B36-7 and Dash 8-40B.) 

In the year I am modelling (1977) the six axle units were just beginning to show up north of Prince George.  On my layout I will be able to operate them in and out of Chetwynd on the Vancouver-Peace/Peace-Vancouver freights.  Here No. 701 prepares to depart Chetwynd for Prince George with Atlas lumber boxcars on the head end:




With the helix construction now behind me and tracklaying now in progress, it is time to lift the self-imposed moratorium on equipment projects.  This week I finished building my fleet of British Columbia Railway van trailers.

Approximately 13% of the railway's trailer traffic went to Dawson Creek in 1977, and I knew I would need an accurate fleet of these trailers.  There was an interesting variety of dry van, reefers and heater vans, some with and some without side door.

Unlike Richie's, not painted yet, but here are two dry vans, one with and one without side door:




Next up are two refrigerator vans, one with a Carrier Electra unit and another with a Thermo King unit:




And finally a pair of heater vans with Heat King units and front end ladders:




The large etched placards are for the railway's dogwood logogram.  I used Detail Associates brass wire for the electrical cables and fuel lines.  The etchings for the door latch rods and rear light/step assembly are very delicate and will be added after painting and decalling.

Now to find a suitable paint with which to accurately capture the aluminum look.  I want to experiment on some spare shells with several paints including Polly S Dull Aluminum and one or two of the Alclad colours.

Tim

[John]

Tim .. who makes the refrigerator units?