Weekend Update 11/30/14

[up1950s]

http://lionelllc.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/freight-car-friday-poultry-cars/

[mark dance]

Happy Thanksgiving to the American TRW members!

I replaced the toilet paper roll tanks at the Kraft mill this week.  And that's about it...







Have a great weekend!

md

[Bendtracker1]

Nice Job Mark, it just keeps getting better.

[Chris333]

Pulled a load out of the shop:

and sent it on it's way:

[superturbine]

[bbussey]

Fitted the I-5 tender floor with electrical pickups, brass weight and trucks.  The copper isn't as springy as I'd like, but it appears to be doing the job.



I have a second tender floor ready except for the brass weight, which I have to re-mill because I broke the drill bit in the last hole.     Also milled a second tender body interior.  Going to test the body exterior milling this coming week.
 

[Cajonpassfan]

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One of the LIK engines? Wow Jason... N Scale steam doesn't get much better than that....
Otto K.

[DeltaBravo]

That is amazing, nice work getting it to fireup!

[tehachapifan]

I love all the imbedded industrial street trackage shown so far!

[Catt]

GVR GP38-3 2370 making a delivery of grain from Gorman Grain in Northern Michigan to the King Milling company in Lowell,MI.By a happy coincidence the whole train is Grande Valley Railway.

[conrailthomas519]

Catt, Looks like the 2 of us are modeling the exact same area. My ho scale layout is based upon Lowell, Mi. as well. Mid-Michigan Railroad

[Catt]

The Grande Valley Railway is based in Grand Rapids,with a direct connection to the Grand Rapids Eastern (wish they still had their GP38).With modeler's license firmly in hand the GVR is using Hugart (SP) yard former home of the GR&I,Penncy,Conrail,NS,and I forget the name of the current proto resident .

Since the GVR is based on GR&I trackage I just found out that it should be a lot longer on both ends than I portray it.Maybe I need to add a few Mid Michigan locos to my fleet.

[Philip H]

@mark dance those tanks are superb. I don't suppose there's a more detailed build thread coming?

[mark dance]

@mark dance those tanks are superb. I don't suppose there's a more detailed build thread coming?

Hi Philip...thank you for the kind words.  Nope, no build thread but nothing special either.

The small tanks are crude HO metal build ups from Stewart models.  The larger ones are based on Plastruct kits designed for HO Propane tanks.  These kits donated the "semi-spherical" end caps and the basic ABS tubes.  Around the ABS tubes I wrapped thin styrene strip scored for the panel joints.  The landing on the top of the tanks is made from strip styrene cut to fit the spherical tops and cross braced with Plastruct laced girders.  It is detailed with Plano etched metal grating and Gold Metal Models railing and enclosed ladders.  Further details are cast bronze HO steam expansion valves, etc.  Painting is airbrushed Vallejo paints with airbrushed and chalk weathering. Absolutely no attempt was made to make this prototypical...I just wanted to fill space in front of the mainline that disappears behind the mill and give some reason for the TrainCatt unloading platforms to be there.

Hope that helps.

md

[chuck geiger]

Working on do it yourself phone poles with insulators. The line I'm modeling has no signals or phone
poles, but adding them anyhow. A couple of bucks and a trip to Michaels.

Package of small wood dowels (5/64th x  2 5/8) perfect size to replicate the Osborne Models Canadian
poles.


Tube of Toho brand small beads, Emerald green to represent insulators.


Small strips of balsa wood for the cross arms (they were on sale too).


Then dipped in water and Apple Barrel "Pavement" colored acrylic paint.


Finished product with beads super glued to top of cross arm.