Weekend Update - 2/28/2010

[DKS]

Golly, Sunday is nearly half over already, and no one has started up the weekend update. So I guess I'll start it off this time.

The snow on Friday gave me an opportunity to try handlaying Zn3 track with code 25 rail (flat wire, really). Took the better part of a day to lay 5 inches of track. Hopefully I'll be able to improve this rate when I tackle my Pine Creek Railroad layout.

Prior to painting and ballasting:
 


After painting, ballasting and a little detailing:
 


A comparison: top right is Micro-Trains Z scale standard-gauge flex track; bottom left is T Scale (1:450, 3mm gauge) flex track.
 


For a more finished effect, I placed the sample of track on my James River Branch layout:
 


More details on the track: http://pinecreekrailroad.net/part_2.htm

What's everyone else been up to?

[GaryHinshaw]

Half over?  I'm still on my second cup of coffee.    Hopefully I'll post some shots before the day is up.

Unbelievable work - as usual - David.  I have to say I'm especially impressed with the figures, which look so natural and well painted.  Excellent.

[seusscaboose]

For a more finished effect, I placed the sample of track on my James River Branch layout:
 

what i find amazing about this pic is that the track becomes secondary to the scenic effects around it.  As Gary mentioned, the people, fence (with holes and varying heights of posts), window detail and barn door detail draw me (or should i say overwhelm me) into the scene and the track appears to be so "in scale" that it flows so easily through the pic.

talk about setting the bar for this week's Update... i feel like i am at the top of the ski slopes and everything from here is gonna be downhill!

Amazing.


EP

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I finally got my lumber cut for my MG module set, now I just need to find some time to assemble it. Sadly, some work's been eating most of my time, but you gotta make the money when you can!

[DKS]

Unbelievable work - as usual - David.  I have to say I'm especially impressed with the figures, which look so natural and well painted.  Excellent.

Thanks for the kinds words. The irony is that the figures are just stock Preiser, unmodified. I just grabbed a few and stuck them in place to give the track some sense of scale. But some other people (at Z Central Station) have been commenting on how good they look as well--I guess I should use more Preiser figures! Wish I could take credit for how good they look, especially considering they're Z scale. Oh, and the fence is the work of Robert Ray.

[atsf_arizona]

SNFF 2010 02 28

Hi, all,

For this week, my contribution are these informal comparison photos
of the new N scale Broadway Limited PAs, compared with the June 1998
Kato PAs.  

Frankly, the photos are rather bad in lighting, but within the time
availability I had, I trust these will be of good public service to
our N scale community.

Draw your own conclusions .

For myself, I think both do really well.   Especially considering the
Kato is 12 years old.  Here's some of my observations / thoughts:

* Note the Kato PAs have been lightly weathered, and in particular, the
trucks have been painted, weathered, and then given a wash to increase the
appearance of depth.  

* The BLI is stock, no weathering, the only modification is that I painted
 with silver, the ugly black BLI PA diaphraghms and the
standard BLI Micro-trains 1015 couplers.  (Otherwise, the BLIs would not have
compared as well with the Kato PAs in the photos).

* The Kato weighs a hefty 5 ounces, the BLI weighs 3.75 ounces.

* The BLI DCC/Paragon2 Alco sound is great.  In my case, I turned down the master
volume CVs, to '96' from the stock '128' - otherwise the sound was out of
proportion too loud.  (The Kato is standard non-sound).

* The powered BLI PA had no problem towing one of the dummy BLI PBs and a 8 car Kato
passenger train around my level layout.

* As has been reported elsewhere, the electrical pickup on the BLI PAs can be
problematical.   These BLI's will occasionally stop due to break in the pickup,
then restart again - the sound of course, will cut out then restart when that happens.
Just expect that will be the case, it's prudent to expect many N scale sound locos
to be a bit finicky.  In comparison, my Kato PA's never have a problem with
electrical pickup running on exactly the same track (Kato Unitrack).


Here's the photos:





















Have a good week, all.

[SecretWeapon]

[BCR 570]

I have just returned from a two week vacation in the UK so I have not done any modelling for a while.  Thus I will share a pair of prototype photographs instead.

I did manage to connect with Simon White (aka Sir Tainly) for dinner in London.  On my way into Victoria station to meet him, I heard the unmistakable sound of a locomotive in steam, and found BR Britannia class 4-6-2 70013 Oliver Cromwell standing at Platform 2, having just arrived with a mainline charter:






These were shot from the other side of the ticket barriers.  The gleaming engine stood out amongst the adjacent electric stock and drew a lot of attention from all the commuters.

Hopefully I can get back to some model work during the coming week.

Can our Weekend Update thread be started by anyone or is someone appointed to take care of it?


Tim

[up1950s]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ian MacMillan]

Reworked a section of the trackplan that did not have track down yet, adding about 20' to the main line run. I'm also looking at adding some subway action a'la MBTA Orange and Red line.  I'm thinking that it would add some visual interest.

[up1950s]

You could do an fascia opening with the subway station underground all lit up . A lot easier than the ell as no beginning or end is needed to be hid , just a tunnel bore on both ends .

[ednadolski]

Stunning!   

[Ian MacMillan]

You could do an fascia opening with the subway station underground all lit up . A lot easier than the ell as no beginning or end is needed to be hid , just a tunnel bore on both ends .

I'll have an underground part all lit up, but I wanna have an above ground part as well kinda like how the Orange Line is on the North end of Boston where its in trench or on causeways. The beginnings and endings will be hidden so you can't see em, and the software will run the schedules. Well thats the plan so far anyways!

[lashedup]

Nice stuff everyone. David, your work in the small scale stuff is very impressive. John, those BLI units really need more micro capacitors similar to what Athearn did with the F45/FP45 units. The Athearn units are using Soundtraxx sound decoders which traditionally tend to be finicky with electrical continuity as the sound decoders draw a lot of power and even the smallest drop can make them cut out. So the fact that Athearn overcame this problem with capacitors mounted on the sound board means it can be done. I may have to look into it with my latest batch of BLI E8 units as they look too good with the plated sides.

Overall for me this has been a frustrating modeling season as I haven't been able to get much done - work, family and more have been taking front seat since December. This past couple weeks I've finally been able to get some momentum again and started working on structures. I'm finally getting to a point that I can start working some of these building into scenery and start regularly updating my old build thread that I haven't updated in almost a year (!).  Here are a couple of buildings I've been working on...

This is a prototype photo circa 1950 or so. The arrows show the two buildings I'm current working on:



I still have a bit of detail work and weathering to do and I've finished the standing-seam roof since this photo was taken - used David K. Smith's technique and it worked out great. Photos of that later:



This is the lumber building and I've got trim to install, more decals, lots of weathering and more...




So things are starting to move again. I'm in Europe this whole week on business, but hope to hit the ground running again next week and get my build thread dusted off and moving again.

- jamie

[Puddington]

It's a busy day at Northhill; and in the back shops here - three projects complete !



The CPR's Dominion and CNR's Super Connie had a rare run by meeting...The Super Contitntal grew by two new cars; one a replacement for a model not based on an actual prototype and the other a custom paint job that happened by accident...



9202 is a full express baggage car from a series of 30 plus that the CNR bought in the 1950's. Until now I'd just run a Con Cor baggage car unmodified. The windows in the doors (one 8 ft and one 6 foot, both full doors) were small and non prototypical. The 8 foot opening on the CNR car was two four foot doors. I modified this Con Cor baggage with the correct window arrangement and split the eight foot door. I painted and decaled the car; added the ladders diaphrams and smoke jack. She's a very passible (2.5 ft too long) version of the CNR baggage express.

Some time ago I bought an undecorated Walthers 10-6 sleeper sight unseen; hoping it would be close to the CPR's Grove cars. Alas, not close. I put it away and had no plans for it.... until a chance scanning of some CN car diagrams found a small four car series of ex Erie sleepers that were first leased to CN in 1965-66 and then bought by the railway in 1967. Three of the four were converted to "Dayniter" coaches but one was referbished in it's original 10-6 configuration.....



The "Clearwater River" model is very, very close to the prototype (two windows are about 2 ft shifted over.... like I care ?) The 10-6 sleeper was painted and decaled and had her interior painted; shades added and passengers boarded....



Our lovely young lady is enjoying the sights......

This now completes the head end of the Connie; a steam generator car; express baggage box car; full express baggage and baggage dormitory car make up the head end. The sleeper section is near complete with one "I" series tourist sleeper (which will run with the coach section); two "E" series 4-4-8 Duplex sleepers; two 4-4-2 "Cove" series sleepers; one 10-6 (Ex Erie); one 10-5 corrugated side (Ex FEC) and the Skytop Observation lounge-sleeper "Gaspe" (ex Mil Rd) I will add one modernized 12-1 moderized HW tourist sleeper sometime.

The coach section needs two brass side "Dayniters" to add to the two first class coaches. The service section needs the cafe-galley car (brass sides) built; the DA class dining car built from a modified Con Cor diner and a new Jim Stillman resin shell "Great Dome" built to replace the Con Cor model not based on an actual prototype. When these last five cars are done the Canadian National Super Continantal will feature power from a ABB set of FP9A's and F9B's and 19 cars.

The diner, I think, is next.

The PVR has needed so tie and rail replacement for years - but our lack of a tie crane and gons for new ties left the local road crew with few options..... until now !



The project was a fun one - I used a Railway Express metal crane kit (sans the wheels - more about that later), a Atlas Trainman flat deck and some pre stained tie.....

The flat deck was painted; each board being painted with different colours and weathered to better simulate the wood. Atlas code 55 rail was used for the bump bars and for the rail the crane would sit on as well.

The Crane kit was bought years ago and upon opening it I found it was missing the wheels..... never fear; I had a couple of metal speeders and lo and behold the base of the spreader kit could sub in for the crane's needs nicely. The kits was assembled and painted CP Action Yellow.

The crane was then mounted on the rails and then glued to the deck. The boom hoists were built of wire and styrene; painted weathered black and weathered. The old tie load at the front was made from pre weathered ties and scrap bits of wood. Finally, scale chain tied downs were added. The car trails two MT gons full of new ties.... ready for installation !



The project was inspired by a photo in the Morning Sun CPR Color Guide of a Burro crane on flat deck - I used it as a guide, which made things much easier...

A fun project and one that fills a hole in the PVR MOW fleet.....