Weekend Update 3/16/14

[Scottl]

I'll +1 that.  The rockwork is very well executed, and the stream banks look incredibly realistic. 

[randgust]

DKS:  Don't know the details but sounds serious.   Sure doesn't show in the modeling and glad you're back at it.  The drive to do modeling is great therapy, you're talking to a guy that's had three serious injuries that 'should have' finished me off or at least knocked me out of modeling, haven't done it yet...  Your worst day results are still better than the best day of about everybody else here!

Which leads into this weekends project.... upgrading another 'beater' Trix caboose for the Winslow lineup, trying to make something OTHER than another red and black Intermountain Ce-1.   Oddly enough, ATSF did have some surviving unrebuilt cabooses while everything else seemed like it was getting the standard program.  2087 was inspired by Priest's Santa Fe Waycars, page 34, showing 2087 with ACI labels, reflectors, and a 'LOCAL' stencil - the Victorville local caboose in 1976, way past the rebuild dates of many others.



Walkways replaced with GMM etched brass; all wire grabs & handrails, caboose trucks with leaf springs,  repainted micro-scale decals.

[Hyperion]

Totally not railroad related -- as with most everything I post, when I rarely do, on these Weekend Updates.  But, trying to get my modeling confidence back -- my 'mojo' as DKS referred to it earlier.  One of the downsides of being surrounded by so much awesomeness here and so much in magazines, on Facebook, etc, etc, etc for all the scale modeling I do (or, rather, am interested in -- as I "do" very little, which is the point).   But, after dabbling with a kit for a while, I decided to just take a week off from work, take the bull by the horns, and knock out a kit.  Completely.  Not just build it and be afraid to paint/weather for fear of it not looking as good as it "should".

Anyways, here are my results.  It's certainly not perfect, and my critical eye keeps picking apart things that could be better.  But I'm very happy with it.  I've never done anything like this before in regards to weathering, etc to actually complete a project, and I'm happy with the results.  And it gives me the confidence to start doing some more stuff.

[Catt]

Mark,
Looking at the two pictures you have posted the only thing I can see wrong with your modeling is that we don't see enough of it.

[conrail98]

Nothing picture worthy but I cut up about 100 risers from scrap wood I had laying around. I need about 100 more. Hopefully can get that done this week,

Phil

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Totally not railroad related -- as with most everything I post, when I rarely do, on these Weekend Updates.  But, trying to get my modeling confidence back -- my 'mojo' as DKS referred to it earlier.  One of the downsides of being surrounded by so much awesomeness here and so much in magazines, on Facebook, etc, etc, etc for all the scale modeling I do (or, rather, am interested in -- as I "do" very little, which is the point).   But, after dabbling with a kit for a while, I decided to just take a week off from work, take the bull by the horns, and knock out a kit.  Completely.  Not just build it and be afraid to paint/weather for fear of it not looking as good as it "should".

Anyways, here are my results.  It's certainly not perfect, and my critical eye keeps picking apart things that could be better.  But I'm very happy with it.  I've never done anything like this before in regards to weathering, etc to actually complete a project, and I'm happy with the results.  And it gives me the confidence to start doing some more stuff.

That looks awesome. I've recently started playing World of Tanks on my 360, and I find those pre- and early WWII vehicles really interesting.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Nothing picture worthy but I cut up about 100 risers from scrap wood I had laying around. I need about 100 more. Hopefully can get that done this week,

Phil

Nice!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Busy weekend for me. My wife was out of town, my dog was staying with my inlaws, and so I did stuff pretty much non-stop.

Friday was an ops session at Eric's.

It was the first one using TT&TO and went pretty well.










And of course, there were a few hiccups.


Then, Saturday it was off to my friend Chris's to check out his in-progress HO layout (based on late 90s Conrail in Havre de Grace MD). He's following the principles put forth in Lance Mindheim's latest operations book, and so just moving around a few cars took a long time (and was a lot of fun). Sound really does add another dimension when it works well too. Not just the engine noise, but horns, bells, etc...







And while we were up that way, got some railfanning in too.

CSX running a decoy MoW train to fool people into thinking they actually work on their track.


NS 64X waiting at Perryville for some NEC track time.


Then, yesterday, did some work in the basement.

Taped out the future benchwork outline:


And dismantled some of the layout that had come along with the yard. Don't worry, Rockwood is safe and on its way to a new home.


As is the helix (I think)

[mark dance]

Friday was an ops session at Eric's.

It was the first one using TT&TO and went pretty well.

Awesome...another N scale TT&TO layout!  How did the host and crew find the experience (especially the host )?

md

[Ed Kapuscinski]

It went pretty well. There were a bunch of teething issues, but I think Eric's on a good path for success.

Plus, it was really fun!

He's already talking about the next session, so I think he's happy too.

[peteski]

Totally not railroad related -- as with most everything I post, when I rarely do, on these Weekend Updates.  But, trying to get my modeling confidence back -- my 'mojo' as DKS referred to it earlier.  One of the downsides of being surrounded by so much awesomeness here and so much in magazines, on Facebook, etc, etc, etc for all the scale modeling I do (or, rather, am interested in -- as I "do" very little, which is the point).   But, after dabbling with a kit for a while, I decided to just take a week off from work, take the bull by the horns, and knock out a kit.  Completely.  Not just build it and be afraid to paint/weather for fear of it not looking as good as it "should".

Anyways, here are my results.  It's certainly not perfect, and my critical eye keeps picking apart things that could be better.  But I'm very happy with it.  I've never done anything like this before in regards to weathering, etc to actually complete a project, and I'm happy with the results.  And it gives me the confidence to start doing some more stuff.

Mark,
I'm no expert on armor, but from my perspective the model, the weathering, and even the base look first rate!

[wm3798]

It was Greenwood... and where is it headed?

I also got to play at Eric's on Friday...  I worked Tucker, the notorious switching district where all the trains do drops and picks...


It was good to blow the carbon out of the old 567 on BL-2 82 to handle the duties.


Also got to enjoy watching my old WM Consolidation (now a part of Eric's fleet) working the hill.


Here's the turn that Ed was working when all hell broke loose as shown in the previous post.  The water in the picture is murky and sticky... must be somewhere in northern Delaware.

Hope to have fun there again soon!
Lee

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Greenwood! I was having a hard time remember the right name. I guessed.

It looks like it's heading to John's.

[Cajonpassfan]

Randy, great job on that "beater"!
Seems like every manufacturer made this Santa Fe caboose in the early days, and not a one did it right, and now they get in the way of someone taking it on, because they are "available". I would love Intermountain to finally do one in N like they did in HO. They'll probably do it as soon as I am done upgrading my fleet....
Otto K.

[Philip H]

And, while I was classifying in the back all night, I did manage to sneak this short move around most of the layout:



Now to get strong sun-block for the crew of the caboose.