Weekend Update 4/7/13

[John]

No modeling this past week.

Did go to Hawaii to see my army-daughter.

Of course had to go here...


But I did get some shots of the local road...

I love that little railroad museum .. they are doing some pretty cool things there restoring that stuff ..

[rogergperkins]

@ LJUDICE,  I am searching my files looking for plan sent to me for a "geezer gate," the name affectionately given by n-trak friends to an apparatus they built to eliminate the need for a duck under.  There may be a plan posted out there somewhere.
From memory, I believe their gate opens to allow modelers to walk into the center operating area of a n-trak exhibit layout.
Goodluck. 
Found this link complete with drawings and pictures.   Cannot attesting to how well it works, but it is A solution, if not THE solution.
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/2043

[HuskerN]

just received my latest Shapeway creation.  Just getting it prepped for paint now.

This is a Trail King bottom dump trailer:







HuskerN

www.nscaleaddiction.blogspot.com

[ljudice]

@ LJUDICE,  I am searching my files looking for plan sent to me for a "geezer gate," the name affectionately given by n-trak friends to an apparatus they built to eliminate the need for a duck under.  There may be a plan posted out there somewhere.
From memory, I believe their gate opens to allow modelers to walk into the center operating area of a n-trak exhibit layout.
Goodluck. 
Found this link complete with drawings and pictures.   Cannot attesting to how well it works, but it is A solution, if not THE solution.
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/2043

Roger - thanks for that link...  It's a nice solution and I can see a lot of situations where you just have no other options available.  I ended up deciding that there was just no downside to putting the bulbs in at either end - I had the space and it won't impact the railroad. In fact it actually leads to a single very long mainline run, which is what I had always wanted.  I think I can get about a total 150' mainline out of it - about 4 or so scale miles, which makes up for losing the branch line in the original plan.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Been a busy week at the NMRA / PCR Iron Horse Express Convention in Dublin, CA.
Lots of groovy presentations and layout tours by lots of master modelers.
We, the Silicon Valley Free-moN anarcho-collective, were lucky that the convention gave us a 17'x32' room to set up in for the week:





A bit tight, and of course we had to leave out a bunch of modules like the Bridge O' Wonder, Alviso and others.
But a decent 150' of mainline circuit.

We had to share the room with Tom Knapp (MMR #101)'s amazing little Nn3 module of 1920's San Luis Obispo:





Not only does he bash together his own Nn3 locos from Marklin & other mechs, but installs DCC decoders and SOUND in some of them 
The dude rocks.
And makes our layout look big and clumsy next to his.

Nils forgot to bring the Wood Mill building mock-up (a lovely large industry chunk) but has been busy scenicking some sections and wiring up a bunch of lights, including a flasher on top of the log grabber.
I thought lights wouldn't really stand out on modules but his LEDs look great and add a lot of "life" to the modules, so now it looks like I need to learn how to install and wire LEDs 

Here's the video:

Spuds, who doesn't have a module yet, makes up for it by finding his way into almost every shot.
So feel free to play "Where's Waldo" / "Spottin' Spuds" and/or a drinking game (which would make the video look really good by the end  )

Well, it's back down to Dublin for the last day of the Convention, then it's cramming all this back in the car
Stop by the Dublin Holiday Inn before 5ish if you get the chance.

Thanks for looking.

[C855B]

Been a busy week at the NMRA / PCR Iron Horse Express Convention in Dublin, CA.
...17'x32' room...

I dunno about that carpet, M.C. ... yikes!

Tom's Nn3 is stunning. "Take that, you HO'ers!"

[FEC Railway]

here's another one of the chip hopper...this is a bone valley scale models (of shapeways fame) project from richard thomason's article in N scale railroading.  since moving to columbus/fort benning, ga my interest in all things short line has been rekindled.  this one is destined for AN paint. 


anyone wanna take a stab at the font for the large lettering?  color match?

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1399228

[eric220]

I was working in Pittsburg on Wednesday, and I happened to catch a Pennsy commuter train leaning into the curve to the bridge over the Sacramento River.



In fact I was working in Pittsburg on Wednesday, not far from where that curve would be. When I got home, this little beauty was waiting on my doorstep.

[bc6]

Here's my attempt to add Microscale SP decals to a Kato Kodachrome locomotive.

[MRLX1020]

Cool car!  Any guess if they will be making these in smooth sided cars - similar to what the Gulf Mobile & Ohio had?

here's another one of the chip hopper...this is a bone valley scale models (of shapeways fame) project from richard thomason's article in N scale railroading.  since moving to columbus/fort benning, ga my interest in all things short line has been rekindled.  this one is destined for AN paint. 


anyone wanna take a stab at the font for the large lettering?  color match?

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1399228

[RWCJr]

Completed the roundhouse roof this weekend. The two rows on both sides of the ventilation level are just clipped in (sub-roof fits in between the trusses) to be removed when adding the celestory window casements and rear wall. Robert

[Ike the BN Freak]

HuskerN, who makes that grain trailer?

[kelticsylk]

Completed the roundhouse roof this weekend. The two rows on both sides of the ventilation level are just clipped in (sub-roof fits in between the trusses) to be removed when adding the celestory window casements and rear wall. Robert

Great lookin' roundhouse, something a bit different from the ubiquitous "Heljan" look.

[Smike]

HuskerN, who makes that grain trailer?

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/NScaleAddict

[Hornwrecker]

Just finished grinding up a whole lotta dead leaves in the blender.  Ended up with a plastic shoe box full of them, unsifted.  I  was curious as to what the weight was; it came in at 1.5 lbs. 

Now, as to reason for my temporary insanity:  there will be a small regional gathering of  s in my basement next Sunday, April 14th, the majority being SPFs currently with layouts under construction.  I figured that since spring has almost arrived here, that dead leaves will be in short supply in a month or two, so I better act fast, plus I'll have extra to give away.

Any other Detroit area  s out there?