Weekend Update 8/15/2010

[hnipper]

Speed matched my newly DCC'd LL E6 A's and B's. Now the max speed is 100 smph with mid range speed at 50. No pics - none needed but I am glad to have that job done. Thanks for a great decoder install, Lee!

PS my 2nd granddaughter, Kate, was born Friday the 13th so we spend most of the weekend celebrating a healthy 8 lb 12 oz girl!!!

Henry

[sizemore]

I did a little 1/1 scale railroading on Sunday, does that count?

Photo Removed

Ok , without looking this perticular loco up God knows where , who can figure what it is and why , E , F , or FP and type number ?

I'm going to say it's the restored PRR E-units, judging that the engineer has a Conrail hat.

The S.

[Rich Reinhart]

Nope, it`s not the E units..And the engineer is yours truly...

[Iain]

I use this:

Images removed

I thought about using them but then my bends could be inconsistent, when you have to do 28 carsides that can get tedious and my forearms will be huge! Additionally it will mar/scratch the polished plating on the carsides.

The S.

I would use what The Master uses.

As far as hurting muscles, you should take up blacksmithing; swing an eight pound double sledge for a few hours a day and see if that doesn't beef you up.  It isn't expensive, either, once you get a forge (I use a fire truck brake rim, solid cast iron, and can be had for under ten dollars), a set of ball peens, a cross peen and straight peen, four pound sledge, and an anvil.  The most expensive part was the anvil, and that's going to be a dollar a pound or so; mine is 150 lbs.  For under three hundred dollars, you have everything you need to get started; any other tools you may need you can make.

[wm3798]

I wanted to take up blacksmithing, but I wanted a career with a real future, so I took up mule skinning.

Nada mucho for me.  Ended up breaking up concrete in the garage floor to pour a patch under the band saw (I use that to cut frames for DCC installs, so I guess that's somewhat train related...) Then Sunday moved Gracie to her new apartment in Towson.  Stopped by St. Denis on the way home with Andy, but none of the usual suspects were around.

Lee

[BCR 570]

Bob:

Where can one get one of those bending tools you posted a photo of?

Tim

[Zox]

Where can one get one of those bending tools you posted a photo of?

I'm not Bob, but Harbor Freight has some similar devices:

http://www.harborfreight.com/9-3-4-quarter-inch-locking-sheet-metal-plier-with-quick-release-99556.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-jaw-straight-sheet-metal-seamer-98728.html

[SAH]

All the track is down on the Black River section.  Filled the gaps in the scenery base and then painted it 'cause I was tired of looking at the pink foam.  It's coming along.  Won't get much done for the next couple of weeks unfortunately.

Steve

Nice bridge.

Thanks Chris.  It has been a long time since I built the spans but I think they started as HO scale through plate girder.  In any event the plate height scaled out about right for a 60' bridge in N scale. 

Steve

[Chris333]

Steve,

So is the layout back up and running or just working on this section?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I did a little 1/1 scale railroading on Sunday, does that count?

Photo Removed

Ok , without looking this perticular loco up God knows where , who can figure what it is and why , E , F , or FP and type number ?

I'm going to say it's the restored PRR E-units, judging that the engineer has a Conrail hat.

The S.

I would guess Reading FP7s. Steamtown?

[sizemore]

I would guess Reading FP7s. Steamtown?

Thats a good one, forgot about those.

The S.

[TrainCat2]

Bob:

Where can one get one of those bending tools you posted a photo of?

Tim

It's a hand seamer available from Home Depot & Lowes for $25-$30 US and is used by metal roofsmiths and A/C duct workers to bend metal. This seamer was slightly modified by a machinist using an end mill to ensure the ends are totally flat. I was able to get the first one machined for $7. Now the the jaw ends meet precisely.

Note: Do not let the machinist disassemble the seamer. The idea is to machine the jaws together to get a perfect joint when closed. My machinist just clamped the seamer into a vise already mounted to the mill base and made a couple of passes on the high side until both jaw sides were equal. It took all of about 5 min for him to do it.

[sirenwerks]

Bob:

Where can one get one of those bending tools you posted a photo of?

Tim

It's a hand seamer available from Home Depot & Lowes for $25-$30 US and is used by metal roofsmiths and A/C duct workers to bend metal. This seamer was slightly modified by a machinist using an end mill to ensure the ends are totally flat. I was able to get the first one machined for $7. Now the the jaw ends meet precisely.

Note: Do not let the machinist disassemble the seamer. The idea is to machine the jaws together to get a perfect joint when closed. My machinist just clamped the seamer into a vise already mounted to the mill base and made a couple of passes on the high side until both jaw sides were equal. It took all of about 5 min for him to do it.

Could probably get a machinist to perfect the curve Tim needs then.

[Ian MacMillan]

I was able to complete the main line and started to get all the mainline switch machines installed. I also got some more Custom Model Railroad buildings in and started to get those built as well. Photos later.

[Ian MacMillan]

Ugh Bryan! That track really takes my eye away from that car! :

Heh!  Twenty-year-old module I pulled out instead of photographing the car on a white backdrop.  If the Amoskeag Northern was closer to me, I'd shoot there. 

You make it sound like I am on the other side of the country. Its a 5hr drive! : ;D