Weekend Update 10/20/13

[Philip H]

It lives! Well, the Baton Rouge KCS yard (ne Elkins,WV) is now wired up and running. I tested it with my sole Conrail locomotive. I also started the decks for the adjoining track bridges that will span Bufkin Bayou. They will be installed later this week on pilings likely crafted from an MC Fujiwara design. Or something like that.

[chuck geiger]

Found this on MRH real cool

http://industry-ave.de/Bilder/Rodgau.2013/

[BCR 570]

Andy:

Bridge is looking very good.  If the Fort Nelson River bridge is going beneath the Fort Nelson yard, where is this bridge going?

Looking forward to running some trains in April 2014!

Tim

[MVW]

Did some extensive train-running today for the first time in about 10 months. My brother came over and we spent most of the afternoon cleaning track, putting a half dozen locos through their paces, and figuring out an operating scheme. One jumper wire had come loose during the long period of inactivity, otherwise the layout held up well.

This was my brother's first extensive taste of N scale railroading (albeit on a far-from-finished layout). But hopefully he's hooked. Model railroading always used to give us an excuse to get together regularly, and we're the kind of family that doesn't get together unless there's a reason.

Jim

[mightypurdue22]

Spent Friday night and Saturday morning removing tons of price labels and junk from my train car jewel cases.  Something I've wanted to do forever, but finally got around to.  Also put some new Plano tackle cases to work and organized a bit of my miscellaneous items.  Read through my November MR issue and have plans for tackling weathering in the very near future.

Dave

[kelticsylk]

LOL...Posted this in the wrong Weekend Update. Let me try again.

Please excuse the techno music and the crappy camera work...
Not a valid youtube URL

[BCRail_FSJ]

Andy:

Bridge is looking very good.  If the Fort Nelson River bridge is going beneath the Fort Nelson yard, where is this bridge going?

... it is going beneath the Fort Nelson River bridge.     It will be Fort Nelson yard on the top,   Fort Nelson River bridge on the middle deck   and Beatton River bridge on the bottom deck ...   Beatton River siding will then act as staging and will be just south of the bridge on the bottom deck.

I am working on a trackplan..   

[Scottl]

The scale of your Pennsy layout had somehow eluded me until I saw that video.  Fantastic work and progress!

[trainforfun]

Louis,
there was a learning curve for me as well...
I, first, use masking tape to keep my blade from 'wandering'...I apply masking tape along the demarcation line; exposing the area that will be removed (I use Tamiya modellers masking tape, but I'm sure any will do...) I carefully apply it, making sure it is absolutely straight; build up another layer of tape if you feel you need to be more steady.
Then, with a very sharp Xacto blade chucked, I make a very light series of passes along the tape edge; as each pass goes a little deeper, I can apply just a little more pressure, only when I'm certain the first few passes are straight along the edge of the masking tape...
I use many light passes; I don't rush....when I feel I have made it halfway through the plastic, I just bend and snap the piece off. I then clean up the edge by running the Xacto blade along the edge and using succecive grits of sandpaper to complete a smooth edge. The trick is to take your time and use a number of light passes of the blade, instead of trying to 'dig in' right off the bat. I don't have a milling machine so this works for me.
I should also mention that I keep the floor in during this procedure to keep the car side from flexing and allowing the blade to 'wander'...others I know have backed up the car side with pieces of wood cut to fit snugly into the carbody to achieve the rigidity needed during the process.
In fact, the Pine series sleeper I've shown is actually a 'throw away'...I cut too much from the sill, so the car doesn't look 'quite right'...I'll use it to bash another car using brass sides (of course, it will have to be a Budd-built car with the corrugated roof)...the other two Pine series cars came out much better...the initial removal of the skirt is the easier part...cutting and forming the curve is a little more tedious...I do it freehand; starting with too much material and slowly 'whittling' away plastic until I have enough area for the trucks to swivel and the curve looks right...just remove a little at a time and start with 'too much' material.

Hope this helps,
~Bruce

Thanks a lot , will keep this for when I will feel to attack again !!!!!!!

[kalbert]

LOL...Posted this in the wrong Weekend Update. Let me try again.

Please excuse the techno music and the crappy camera work...

No excuse needed for camera work, we're model railroaders not videographers. Techno music on the other hand... there is no excuse for!

[VonRyan]

I forgot to mention that I picked up Pennsy Power 1 & 2 for $30.
That is $30 for the pair. I paid $15 each.
Needless to say that neither of them answered one of my biggest questions...
What horn did the PRR ALCo S2's have?


-Cody F.

[C855B]

... What horn did the PRR ALCo S2's have?

Odds are a single-chime under the front roof extension, just like nearly everyone else of the era. If you're looking for specific make/model, that I can't help with.

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/5/0/7/5507.1281541068.jpg
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures%5C5233%5C2875.jpg

[VonRyan]

Odds are a single-chime under the front roof extension, just like nearly everyone else of the era. If you're looking for specific make/model, that I can't help with.

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/5/0/7/5507.1281541068.jpg
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures%5C5233%5C2875.jpg

I'll have to see what single chime horns come on the decoder when it arrives and I get the chance to Sprog it.
If a near-exact match isn't possible then as long as I program in a single-chime I'll be content.


-Cody F.

[timwatson]

I didn't have a ton of modeling time this weekend but I got float barges shaped and primered. They're made out of sanded 1/2" plywood.


Jay St. Float barge

For comparison:

[arbomambo]

Hello all...
I haven't updated this thread, simply because I've haven't done anything of progress on the actual layout until now..any precious little modelling time has been spent at the workbench on rolling stock and locomotives...
I've been down with the flu for a couple of days, and finally decided to bit the bullet and actually do something on the layout!...to this point, I hadn't actually laid any of the track on the lower/westbound line through the canyon.
I really don't like laying track...ugghhh...seems odd considering it's the main component in a model railroad...I just find it monotonous...especially soldering terminal joiners! I had purchased a large amount of Atlas Code 55 flex a few years ago, so I have all the track I'll need for the foreseeable future. I drop feeds between each section of flextrack, and I solder my own terminal joiners; for me, it's easier to drop feeds this way and replace ties after gluing the track. I like having feeds every 30 inches; when I eventually convert to DCC, I'll have plenty of electrical continuity. I'll also be able to cut gaps between feeds and create separate blocks for a future surroundtrax system (This little layout is perfect for such a system).
For such a small layout, these is a ton of work to do to get the scenery to the detailed state I want, but nothing can proceed until track is down, tested, wired,and painted.
 Here are pics of the first 4 sections of flextrack down...








and the other side....I have a LOT of work to do here!



Thanks for looking,
~Bruce