Weekend Update 3/24/13

[chicken45]

Cody, that is correct ( and so is delamaize).

It is a N Scale version of the Beach Pneumatic TransitCoach that was built and tested in NYC in 1870.

http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beach/chapter6.html

I am doing up a diorama showing a cross section of the Raised Railway, Streetcars, and the underground at the turn of the Century (the 1900 one).  Should be fun.


I have already been asked to burn a few more kits of it in N and HO...

Are you also modeling the river of slime?

[up1950s]

If you look down the rail to the frog it . as Chris states , there is no gap , and drop . It makes the turnout smooth as a rail joint , which by the way would be a great name for a railwatchers bar .

[Chris333]

Just curious: which is your "real" layout??? 
And on which Engineering Report thread can we follow this masterpiece? 

Masterpiece?  Ha ha. Just a 11x4 racetrack with room for a yard.
https://picasaweb.google.com/ErieChris333/NewLayoutSpace#5766780666942135970
https://picasaweb.google.com/ErieChris333/NewLayoutSpace#5775730714262481346
https://picasaweb.google.com/ErieChris333/NewLayoutSpace#5775731139851980450
https://picasaweb.google.com/ErieChris333/NewLayoutSpace#5775731142700135634
I don't work on it much, but I did recently get the inner loop running.

[peteski]

I think movable frog points are for shallower angles so there is no wheel drop, you can run faster.

They actually completely close the gap.  Here's some more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railroad_switch#Frog_.28common_crossing.29

[davefoxx]

I finally got around to experimenting with the anchor bolt cement that Ian MacMillan recommended for abutments and the like.  What's better than using real concrete to get the look of concrete?  I needed two abutments for a double track plate girder bridge.  So, I built some styrene forms and made some pours.  I had some significant air bubbles in the first two abutments, despite using my sander to vibrate the forms, because I didn't think about the air pocket that existed by pouring into the mold from the top.  I determined that it would be better to pour concrete into the forms upside down, eliminating the air pockets.  So, I rebuilt the molds and tried again.  Success on the second pair!  I still need to build the bridge shoes, but I have to get the abutments into their final position first to figure out what size the shoes need to be:



I had some extra concrete, so I found a use for it by pouring a concrete parking lot.  I cut expansion joints as the concrete began to set, which distressed the concrete nicely.  As the concrete dries (which should take a few days), it will lighten in color.  I'll eventually blend the road to the parking lot and add weeds and foliage around the parking lot and even in its cracks:



DFF

[wazzou]

Chris -
That's some high quality work.  Which real layout is this?  I get confused.

[BCR 570]

Dave:

If they work for you, Micro Engineering offers cast metal bridge shoes.


Tim

[peteski]

I had some extra concrete, so I found a use for it by pouring a concrete parking lot.  I cut expansion joints as the concrete began to set, which distressed the concrete nicely.  As the concrete dries (which should take a few days), it will lighten in color.  I'll eventually blend the road to the parking lot and add weeds and foliage around the parking lot and even in its cracks:



DFF

Dave,
the abutments look great.

As far as the concrete parking lot goes, if you put some N scale vehicles in that parking lot, how do those expansion joints look like?  To me they look a bit out of scale. To me those expansion joints look more like some of those rim-bending potholes New England Massachusetts roads are infamous for.     I think that in N scale, expansion joins in concrete would be more to scale if lightly drawn with a sharp pencil.  Barely visible.

[flight2000]

Finished this C&O SD40 last night.  No additional details on this one, just a basic strip, paint, and weather type of unit... 

The real unit looks like it got into a fight with several flour bags and lost.  I went a little easier on it... 

Real one:  http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=88375





Brian

[davefoxx]

Dave,
the abutments look great.

As far as the concrete parking lot goes, if you put some N scale vehicles in that parking lot, how do those expansion joints look like?  To me they look a bit out of scale. To me those expansion joints look more like some of those rim-bending potholes New England Massachusetts roads are infamous for.     I think that in N scale, expansion joins in concrete would be more to scale if lightly drawn with a sharp pencil.  Barely visible.

Yeah, I know.  But, I was flying by the seat of my pants and was dealing with fast-drying anchor bolt cement.  In other words, I was making it up as I went along.   That's why I said I'll put some weeds and things in the cracks.  That'll hide the worst offenders . . . I hope.  Fortunately, this morning, the concrete is beginning to lighten, and the "seams" are becoming much less visible.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Dave:

If they work for you, Micro Engineering offers cast metal bridge shoes.


Tim

Thanks, Tim.  That's a great suggestion.

DFF

[John]

Just fill the cracks with a little spackle --- then paint those blackish .. make it look like the tar used to fill the joints ..

[Puddington]

"Real life" got in the way of modeling this week...in a rather large way....

I was fortunate to have been nominated for and chosen to receive the Canadian Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation for 2012. The presentation was in Ottawa, Ontario so my wife and son and I got to take VIA business class to our nations capital and were well taken care of at the Lord Elgin Hotel.

I received the commendation from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister, M.P. Eve Adams (they don't all look like her...trust me, we went to the House of Commons for Question period...) A wonderful ceremony and dinner... very humbled to be in such company of men and women who do so much for our veterans every day.



The real thrill was a private tour of Parliament Hill by our local Member of Parliament (a real great guy, Dean Del Mastro) and a chance to go to the Office of the Prime Minister and meet The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada and get photo's with my family. After a few minutes of chatting and some photo's we were about to leave when the PM asked if he could have a photo with just my 9 year old son.... "wow".... that will be something for him to tell his grand kids about some day. We get the photo's a in a week or so from the PMO and I'll post one then....

But, alas, no modeling time..... but Sam now loves VIA Business Class !

[Lemosteam]

Grats Pud!  That's way cool!

[crencs]

Finished this C&O SD40 last night.  No additional details on this one, just a basic strip, paint, and weather type of unit... 

Nice Brian! Whats your technique to get the fading look?

Craig