Weekend Update 1/5/14

[up1950s]

[BCR 570]

Earlier this week I ventured over to meet up with fellow Railwire member Gary Hinshaw for an engaging discussion on handlaid turnouts, Full Throttle couplers and etched coupler pockets, and DCC wiring.  I took over my turnout test bed for Gary to critique.  We ended up connecting a power pack and running one of his locos through the straight and diverging routes:

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The frog is not yet powered and the turnout is not yet actuated, but it seemed to work well.  The test bed is designed to work out all of the fun and games involved in handlaying, powering and actuating turnouts prior to resuming tracklaying on the layout, which will have to begin with the siding switches at Sundance and Tremblay.  This is a Code 40 #7 turnout built in the Fast Tracks jig.  Running a loco through successfully is a big relief; next step is the actuation.

Tim

[GaryHinshaw]

Great to have you over Tim!  I know you had to cringe a little bit that the first loco through your fine turnout was an ATSF one though.   

I am starting to lay track for the temporary staging yard on Tehachapi BC, but I am running into a puzzling DCC power issue again, so I need to do some debugging this weekend before more progress can be made...

[6axlepwr]

Finally I get to contribute something here.

Last year a good friend of mine gave me a Kato Santa Fe SD40-2 from the latest run. Today I thought it would be fun to change it from an 88" nose to a "Snoot".  So far I like the looks of the newest run of Kato SD40-2's. I like the deeper depth in the tank and the added details under the frame. Gives the model a better look. I have not run it yet or any of the newer Kato 40-2's so I cannot comment on that. I do not know how much I like the suspension though. That is yet to be seen



A bit of shell modification had to be done, but nothing to hard. The next challenge though is going to be transplanting the nose from the original model to the "Snoot". My plan is to just transplant the end of the nose with the light housing. Cut the end of the nose on the "Snoot" off using the mold parting lines as a guide. Then doing the same on the original shell and fitting it to the "Snoot". Now I will have a "Snoot" with operating ditch lights.

If I can successfully do the nose transplant, then I will start on adding the DCC/sound and lights. I know the light bar will not reach to the end of the "Snoot" nose, so I will install an LED for the nose light. I would like to try and add an LED to each ditch light so I can have them alternate when the horn is activated.

Once all the DCC/sound/lights are done, then I can start on the exterior detail work.

This model and the four you see in the background will be repainted to my protofreelance road the Copper State Railway. I need to now convert my HO scale decal artwork to N-Scale.

[eric220]

I hosted Doug Nelson and Claus Schulnd for some round-rounding.  No pictures, so you're just going to have to trust me that it happened.    Doug brought his K4, which I supplied with a short passenger consist.  That plus my T1 equipped Pennsylvania Limited (including a sound-equipped BM70M with custom soundest provided by Claus) and an L1 hauled freight did laps around my upper level.  It was definitely a trick keeping the three trains separated and flipping the switches at the Coors brewery on schedule.  There was more than one short caused by a distracted host.  Thanks to Doug and Claus for stopping by!  It was a lot of fun.

[dougnelson]

Thanks for having us Eric.  You forgot to mention the ball tip sandwiches at Kinders.

Doug.

[DKS]

Started another new micro-layout: the Hoboken Manufacturers Railroad. Here's the plan:



And here's the story: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=31693.0

[BCRail_FSJ]

Finally got my trackplan sketched up.. a mere 14 months after starting the layout.



Essentially, it is an industrial switching layout with two decks devoted entirely to signature scenic bridge scenes.

[Puddington]

Started work on the N scale Rapido Trains Inc. display diarama/layout for Springfield - gotta have somewhere to show the new N scale announcements we're making....oops.... was that my outside voice...nevermind.....

I ... um... ah... "hey, look... caboose" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



EDIT - Let's see if this is better shall we ?

[skytop35]

Mike, you're starting to sound like Charlie Vlk when he hints at announcements. BTW, Nice caboose!

Just about ready for prime time is this E5 B-unit.

[Puddington]

Started work on the N scale Rapido Trains Inc. display diarama/layout for Springfield - gotta have somewhere to show the new N scale announcements we're making....oops.... was that my outside voice...nevermind.....

I ... um... ah... "hey, look... caboose" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow: what did Photobucket do to the x/y dimensions of my photo ....??????? Like stretched hack or what ?

[keeper]

Mike, you're starting to sound like Charlie Vlk when he hints at announcements. BTW, Nice caboose!

Just about ready for prime time is this E5 B-unit.

Looking great!
Will that shell fit only on E5A mechs or E8/9 mechs as well?
Is it ready to order?

Thomas

[bbussey]

Wow: what did Photobucket do to the x/y dimensions of my photo ....??????? Like stretched hack or what ?

More like "scrunched hack".  That's what you get for being a c##k-tease. 

[craigolio1]

I had a very productive  Christmas break.  I managed to apply paint, in various stages from primer to stripes, to almost two dozen models that had been building up in a drawer for a couple of years.  Unfortunately I have no photos of them.

I did how ever also built eight sets of handrails for four BCR Rail resin caboose kits from Kaslo Shops.  I did so by first building a variety of jigs and tools, including a modified set of needle nose pliers.  After spending a combined total of about five hours on this process, I was able to create eight basically identical sets of handrails in about 15 minutes a piece.

The result is below.  For those who are interested, there are many more photos of the process on my Photobucket page under Kaslo BC Rail Cabeese.

http://s1203.photobucket.com/user/craigolio1/library/?sort=3&page=0





Thanks for looking.

Craig

[Puddington]

More like "scrunched hack".  That's what you get for being a c##k-tease. 

Oh Bryan; fine; the next time I will bring flowers and candy.....