Weekend Update 2/27/11

[Ntrainz1]

I had an extra RS-3 shell so I painted and decaled it for switching PC/rainbow passenger cars.




Bob.

[BCRail_FSJ]

Not too much achieved this week.  I did get some time in on the filling and sanding of the 60 foot boxcar kitbash projects.  Calgary Model Railway Society had its mini-meet and swap meet earlier today.  I came away with some back issues of N Scale Railroading Mag and some loco detail parts.   Hopefully something photo-worthy next weekend.

[dwyaneward]

1. Installed decoders into the new T&P F7A/B units

2.Got the backdrop installed on the layout with help from a MRR buddy

[dclyde]

In an effort to build up our layout to a second level, a helix was necessary.  After much thought we decided to use a kit rather than build one from scratch.  We decided on the 15" high helix from Ashlin Trains (www.ashlintrains.com).

This is where we are so far:

We're now finishing up the wiring and laying track to/from the lower level.

Dave

[GaryHinshaw]

I had the privilege and pleasure of meeting Mark Dance yesterday and seeing his phenomenal Columbia & Western.  Thanks Mark!

I continue to refine my CAD "skills" with an eye towards producing photo-etched handrails and other items.  I'm getting excited.


Gary

[Dave V]

Laying out the track and tracing it on the table...

[Scottl]

Been pretty busy.  These photos are work during the past few weekends (hope that is not cheating!).

Pulled out my trees from a previous layout.  They are bumpy chenille roughed up, painted, flocked, and painted again with the airbrush.



I painted a crude treeline backdrop and test planted a section of the scene.



I also put up a section of the fascia.  I tried filling the space between the fascia board and the other foam scenery with spray foam, which worked very well.  The fascia profile was trimmed with a jigsaw and the dried foam contained the dust on the blade side nicely.







Now I am ready to finish the ground cover and forest in this scene.  I also need to paint the lake and install the bridge.



Cheers
Scott

[brokemoto]

[SAH]

It's been a few years but the AC&Y is running through Spencer, OH again.  In my basement anyway.



And over the Black River bridge.



I ran 15 car trains, pulled and pushed, over all the possible routes.  Had to fix a couple of spots but by the end of the second evening everything ran unattended for a couple of hours.  Nothing like watching trains run to re-energize the spirit.  Might even resurrect the Litchfield - Spencer thread now that we're in business again.

Steve

[mcjaco]

Received a Chuck Pack yesterday.  I can't believe it but when I decided to switch from HO to N, I did it for a future NWP/California Northern layout.  I waited ten years (almost to the month) for California Northern SD9's and GP15s, and now they're here!

[Zox]

I got my tax refund on Saturday, so I spent the weekend angsting about getting a CNK (Computer Numeric Knifing) machine. (And repairing my shed that blew over on Friday.)

Thus, as of about ten minutes ago, I've got a Silhouette SD on order from Amazon.

[justTRAINcRaZy]

Beautiful Steve !

[Dave Schneider]

I have been busy laying blocks again this week. I have started work on the Milbrew brewers yeast building, and have concentrated on the one story warehouse portion. Here are a couple of proto photos.

Milbrew is in the center, with the abandoned (sigh) Beer Line running from lower left to upper right. The junction of the "Snake Track" industrial spur was located here and the old tracks can still be seen in the street.


Here is a photo of the warehouse end of the building showing some of the details.


Here is my version. I had to shrink it a bit to fit my site. The side wall is just leaning against the core at this point. I have able to recreate some of the cast concrete detail using the Silhouette cutter. It took a couple of tries, but a new blade and .010 styrene and I was able to do a decent job on it.


Best wishes, Dave

[tom mann]

Awesome Dave.

If you ever build any of the snake track industries, please set the Silhouette on  x 2.

[wm3798]

Well, we didn't accomplish as much as I had hoped for, but we did a lot more that contributes to the finished layout than what I had proposed.



Rather than simply scab together a temporary connection to allow me to run trains, Dave Foxx and Bryan Bohn (sirenwerks) convinced me to proceed with framing out the engine terminal area of the newly revised Ridgeley Yard.  The wide spot toward the wall will house the 20 stall roundhouse I've been monkeying around with since last February.



Several years ago I constructed the lift out that will cross the infamous closet door, and even after we were done tinkering, it still fits... Actually, it's a bit long, but that's easy enough to fix.

The biggest challenge of the day was sorting out the grade coming into Ridgeley from the east.  We nudged North Junction up about a 1/4", then the east end of the yard frame a total of 1/2", leaving us about another 1/2 to overcome between the east and west ends of the yard (about 13' altogether.)

Earlier in the week we debated the west end of the yard, and polished up some issues in the track plan at both ends.  I still need to address some wiring below the staging level under the yard, but once that's done, I can install the plywood deck for the yard, and start flying with the remaining trackwork.



Thanks to David K. Smith for his timely update of the yard track plan.

I've got all day tomorrow to fool with it, so I'll probably have some update photos for you by nightfall...
Thanks to both Bryan and Dave for giving me a hand today.  We all got some exercise trotting up and down the steps between the attic and the garage.

Lee