Weekend Update 3/21/2010

[up1950s]

Show and tell time again

[up1950s]

 

 

 

 

[Ian MacMillan]

Not much layout wise. I got a new triple target searchlight signal from Scale Model Division to test out with my SE8C's

Most of this week was spent finishing up the drywall in the dispatchers office.

[Bruce Bird]

I managed to survive the first op session of the WM72.  Twelve operators- the 'Dirty Dozen'- volunteered to shakedown the layout and the car card system.  A few kinks were found- I even had to give track and time to a MOW crew for some joint soldering work- but for the most part things went smoothly.


We managed to run 20 trains across the railroad and in the process classify and move about 500 cars around the layout.  I didn't use a full-blown DS this time but next time I will implement a digital magnet board to contol track warrants and movements.



As AJ-2 leaves Hagerstown yard the New Windsor local enters the yard.  In the distance an eastbound unit coal train awaits its turn through the yard and AJ-3 leaves westbound.


Bruce

[DKS]

Not much for me. I painted and ballasted the 36-inch gauge Z scale switch I built the week before, and I photographed and measured Ely Thomas Lumber Shay #6.
 

 

[jsoflo]

Got my Reading and Blue Mountain Northern SD40-2 project going, stripped, primed and painted the shell, and got sunshades installed. In the meantime, I took a couple shots from my snow module of some CP Rail Sd40-2's I dragged out:



my best,
Jan

[Freighttrain]

No choo choos again.I did work on my aircraft tug.Changed the plugs that have been in there for God knows how long and what they came out of(they had dark green paint on them so I don't think they were new when they were put in here).Also installed the Clutch master Cylinder from a 1940s ford car with a flat head V8 into the tug as the brake master cylinder(No,it ain't a riggin.It is a factory setup).Gotta bleed the system and install a temp gauge as the coolant got pretty dang hot real quick and I want to monitor it before I run it too much and take it for a test drive around the ghetto.....I mean neighborhood.Next weekend maybe I will be working on my Horn honking rig(1980 GMC General Semi tractor with airstarter system....so 40 gallon onboard air take already!).I am taking a couple of my train horns to work tonight to test fire them on shop air so I guess I WILL have some train related activity even if it is at 11PM.....Might take my MS-2 and RS2M as I ain't fired them off yet.Took my E-2 last weekend.......Man that thing is loud!

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[Caleb Austin]

Wow. Awesome scenery and models Jan.

[davefoxx]

Forum,

I finally found some time for model railroading over this last week and built this highway bridge.  I started with a Rix Products 150' modern highway bridge kit and then scratchbuilt abutments and modified the piers.  Taking a knife to the foam scenery base and then using lightweight joint compound to smooth the damage, I was able to fit the structure to make it look as if it was built in place, as in real life.  The paint and base ground cover are still wet, but, once dry (which should hold the bridge permanently), I will then fill in and "pave" the highway approaches to the bridge:


Here's an updated picture to show where my tiny layout stands.  I haven't put down the base scenery cover on the right side of the layout, because I'm holding off until I install the driveways/parking lots for the industries to be added.  At this point, I think I'll make the siding at back right in the following photograph a loading area for pulpwood and the passing siding up front will get a coal and/or gravel ramp for trucks to dump those materials into hoppers.  I'm also going to scratchbuild a small C&O-style station for the front right corner:


Have a great week,
Dave Foxx

[SirTainly]

With another week without work I've made some progress, and messed a few things up as usual!

Almost finished this side of the big boxcar, but I have managed to destroy the big white SP logo for the other side so I've had to order another sheet - don't ask how. This has some tiny decals for use on the door and I got those on ok but not the huge one!



The covered gondola I asked about a few weeks back turns out to be a good stand in for an SP G70-12 class, still too short of course. That's had a coat of brown and a siilver.



And my Concor C30 caboose now has a more proto truck spacing and MT couplers.

[Puddington]

I have been working on another Canadian National bondo bucket; the lightweight dining car... I call it a "bondo bucket" because I started with this.....(well, the n scale version anyway)



and needed to make it into this....



The Con Cor Diner is a mirror image of what it is supposed to be - the corridor and the kitchen are reversed; thus if one wants to model a car with the proper windows, one must fill and cut... a lot....

I used styrene to fill the windows I needed removed, added Tamyra putty and sanded....and sanded.......and sanded........you get the photo.....

The new windows were cut into the car and sanded ..and...nevermind, you know the rest.............

The Kitchen loading door was made from styrene and forced in to match the slight curve of the sides. Grabs were added and the bottom appliances were added, using parts form American Limited Core kits. I had to mill off some incorrect items from the Con Cor weight; thus having my Dremel "bite the big one" in the process; so this is a $ 100.00 car, Dremel replacment included...sigh.....

I used the original Con Cor trucks with metal wheel sets; the car rolls well; and it need to because this is one heavy sucker.....MT body mounted couplers; American Limited diaphrams and a few diners at the tables....

Here she is.....





The windows on the corridor side are not exact; the spacing is off; but it's passable. The kitchen side is almost perfect; a foot off on the seating windows... I can live with that.



I'm now ready to tackle the last two Dayniters (brass sides); the Lounge-Buffet (brass sides) and the Stillman Great Dome (resin shell) and that will complete the 18 car Super Continental....

[shawnleon]

In the meantime, I took a couple shots from my snow module of some CP Rail Sd40-2's I dragged out:



my best,
Jan

Wow, I really love this module. Don't see many winter scenes, especially in my neck of the woods.

Shawn

[Caleb Austin]

I haven't gotten as much work done on my layout over the last few weeks as I would like, but I did manage to work on some scenery around my Little Rock tunnel scene.



There is still much more to add. More trees, lineside details and such, but its coming along.

[shawnleon]

No modeling for me, I am still waiting on a few more supplies. Setting up a fully functioning work bench has been more time-consuming than expected. But I did get a behind the scenes tour of the Tradewinds & Atlantic Railroad, a 1-1/2″ per foot layout in Coconut Creek, Florida. The math works out to eleven times bigger than HO. The track gauge is 7-1/2″. Talk about scale modeling! The trucks, couplers, wheels, and track are amazing!  They have 2600' of main line and a nice yard. This weekend alone more than 2000 public passengers hit the rails. They operate for the public one weekend a month.

A few random pictures from their site. I didn't take my camera!




Shawn

[John]

This has kept me from trains for the last few weeks ..