Weekend Update 11/25/12

[kelticsylk]

Playing with ballast profiles and superelevation...

Frank Musick

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ed, I was excited to see some MARC rolled through Newark Penn tonight

Just send it back in one piece (or not, some new stuff might be nice)!

Here are some of the highlights:


A MARC HHP with a bunch of coaches and an Amfleet food service car tucked on the end.


What I think was a very late Vermonter. I'm really going to miss the AEM7.


Even NS got into the act. This guy really surprised us, but I'm sure not complaining!


These, I'm not really going to miss.


Amtrak was dispatching weirdly, using the far two tracks only, for the most part.


Eventually the sun came out, which was quite welcome (because it was the first real cold day we've had)


But there were some down sides to having the sun out. Like this.


The rather ubiquitous Acela. I think they look pretty dumb, but they're a nice ride.


And finally, what I came out to see: Jersey commuter cars. The first real visitors here.


It was nice seeing the local commuter stuff represented too though.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Playing with ballast profiles and superelevation...

I like the elevation, but I think the separation between mains is a bit too much.

[Zox]

Nothing practical, but I spent some time designing a 90-degree corner yard module for our HO group:



(The green outline is our "normal" four-foot corner.)

Fortunately, if it does get built, it won't be me doing it. 

[C855B]

Ugh. 90° curved yard module. Evil. 

[mmagliaro]

Got all the lines and piping on my 4-4-2.  I re-made the blow-down muffler (the little brown disk thingy with
the pipe coming up out of it, on top of the firebox, just in front of the cab).  The first one was too big.

I also noticed that the cab roof still had the traditional Pennsy angled rib, about 1/8" up from the cab window.
I filed/sanded that off and put a new rib on there with .005" styrene that I shaved off a sheet, so it's about .005 x .005.

I've also been putting a little dark gray paint on in a few spots with a brush, just so I can make sure I have things smooth,
and they'll look good when I go over the whole thing with an airbrush.  It's really hard to tell, with all that shiny
pewter and brass, whether things are really straight and smooth. 

The handrails are the last thing to put on the boiler.  Then, it's paint, and some curtains on the back of the cab
to hide the motor.

But today, I started shake-down runs, so all the detailing work will stop for a while until I get it back to running
right again.  I have an annoying short somewhere (on left turns), most likely from the Fox Valley wheelsets in the pilot
truck (or maybe those brass brake shoes, hmmmm).   I think I've got something stuck in a gear or axle, too, ... it intermittently exhibits a kooky "hop"... could be a piece
of valve gear catching on something... Anyway... I'll be working on those issues first.

As usual, you can click on these and they will blow up to high resolution.

[up1950s]

Max , crispy clean , looks great , are those the new pipe hangers ?

[BCR 570]

Great to see the M-420 builds underway - I shall be following them with interest.

Tim

[Philip H]

Great to see the M-420 builds underway - I shall be following them with interest.

Tim

+1 

[Philip H]

Wednesday afternoon and thursday were family time - eating, playing, eating more. Friday I had to work (!) but managed to watch my LSU Tigers win against Arkansas, going 10-2 for the year and retaining the coveted Boot trophy. Sadly, Auburn didn't help me out on Saturday, loosing embarrassingly to Alabama. So now I have to lean on Georgia (bleh) in hope of a Sugar Bowl bid with Bama down in flames.

So Saturday before football I got several major jobs done off the Honey Do List, which meant I could do some serious track laying on Sunday.







The loco and cars are sitting on the L&A/KCS/BRS yard ladder. From the left (in the vertical image) you have main/through track, A/D track (which will access the UTLX dome via a 3 way switch), 4 tracks for sorting and classification and a short caboose storage track - which my ever expanding crummy collection needs.  I laid the track on the DKS outdoor foam tape roadbed system, and I gotta say I like this for installation even more then caulk.   Of course, of you need to reposition it's a bear - the stuff really is that sticky.

I still need to lay the passing track to the left of the main (which is where the prototype has it), and continue on around the bend. To finish, all I need is a left hand code 55 #7, a code 55 wye, and (if I'm feeling randy) a code 55 double crossover for the approach to the Kidder Morgan Transfer dock.  I have a code 70 Shinohara crossover I got from "Rocket" Bob Bufkin a while ago, but it's missing several point rails and at least one stock rail.  Haven't decided whether I need to put out a call for repair work, or just hunt up a new one.

[superturbine]

Max , crispy clean , looks great , are those the new pipe hangers ?

Yes, those are the new hangers.

[lock4244]

Great to see the M-420 builds underway - I shall be following them with interest.

Tim

Heh, just don't expect it painted anytime soon... have to learn how to paint with the airbrush first, then how to decal 

Don't forget the weathering.

[craigolio1]

I have a nice set of A-B-B-A M420s sitting here, but no chassis for them, so I'm working on some other stuff.  These two have been in progress for a lang time.

This is a Kaslo/Central Hobbies VIA Rail FP9 ready for paint.









This is a Kato F40PH that will also be a VIA unit.  I raised the fans up flush with the roof and also moved the engine room door on the left side back one panel, to better match the prototype units.





Craig

[MRLX1020]

Wednesday afternoon and thursday were family time - eating, playing, eating more. Friday I had to work (!) but managed to watch my LSU Tigers win against Arkansas, going 10-2 for the year and retaining the coveted Boot trophy. Sadly, Auburn didn't help me out on Saturday, loosing embarrassingly to Alabama. So now I have to lean on Georgia (bleh) in hope of a Sugar Bowl bid with Bama down in flames.

So Saturday before football I got several major jobs done off the Honey Do List, which meant I could do some serious track laying on Sunday.







The loco and cars are sitting on the L&A/KCS/BRS yard ladder. From the left (in the vertical image) you have main/through track, A/D track (which will access the UTLX dome via a 3 way switch), 4 tracks for sorting and classification and a short caboose storage track - which my ever expanding crummy collection needs.  I laid the track on the DKS outdoor foam tape roadbed system, and I gotta say I like this for installation even more then caulk.   Of course, of you need to reposition it's a bear - the stuff really is that sticky.

I still need to lay the passing track to the left of the main (which is where the prototype has it), and continue on around the bend. To finish, all I need is a left hand code 55 #7, a code 55 wye, and (if I'm feeling randy) a code 55 double crossover for the approach to the Kidder Morgan Transfer dock.  I have a code 70 Shinohara crossover I got from "Rocket" Bob Bufkin a while ago, but it's missing several point rails and at least one stock rail.  Haven't decided whether I need to put out a call for repair work, or just hunt up a new one.

What are you using to throw your Atlas Code 55 switches.  I have about 40 that will need to be controlled somehow, and I am open to suggestions, as my layout is still very much in the mental planning stages.

[Ian MacMillan]

[/quote]

Phil,
It looks like the mainline turnout is skewed so that the ladder is "right", resulting in a small kink where that piece of flex meets the mainline turnout.