Weekend Update 4/5/15

[auburnrails]

You might not like turnback loops but they are part of model railroading and if you look in Sparks NV you will see a rail line the goes north out of the city that has at least 3 turnback loops that go around housing developments. I know you don't model this part of the US but it does happen in real life.

Have a look.

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Sparks,+NV,+USA/@39.5510656,-119.8099813,2858m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x80993ed409896c93:0xf189599a50856df9?hl=en

Jeff

Didn't the inside of the loop use to contain a KOA campground.  I swear we stayed there back in August, 1984.  It was such a surprise because I had no idea that we were surrounded by a track but then I heard a low rumble and a UP (by then) local came rolling by. 

Or was that elsewhere in Reno?

-Dave

[Dave V]

No pics worth sharing, but a beautiful weekend here in Colorado means time to rehabilitate the outdoor Rio Grande Southern railroad.

When I had my deck replaced around Veterans' Day I had to dismantle the western half of the railroad.  The construction crew trampled the roadbed pretty badly.  I'm essentially rebuilding it completely.

This time for ballast I'm using chicken grit with crushed oyster shells and polymeric sand.  I'm also raising the western end of the loop by one foot to reduce the grade.

[VonRyan]

No modelling this week.
Just some headboard shaking   

Oh, and I opened a box. It had nice things inside.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

The email address is live. The Facebook page is still a work in progress. If you call the number, an operator is standing by to place your call. If you send something via the post, to that address, you better use pretty stamps.

[Missaberoad]

I've been meaning to ask and this gives as good an opportunity as any...

Do you have a product line? Anywhere I can browse/order things from?

[VonRyan]

I've been meaning to ask and this gives as good an opportunity as any...

Do you have a product line? Anywhere I can browse/order things from?

There was a product line, but that all ended when the doors were closed in 1992.

We have some NOS items that will be available for sale following the "official relaunch" at the end of the month.
New products are in the R&D phase, and the speed at which they are brought to market all depends on how well we do with selling NOS items and how fast I sell off all the stuff I picked up at an auction in Crumpton, MD.

We have all the equipment and such, just need to raise the capital for purchasing the mold making materials, casting resin, and having the casting master(s) rapid-prototyped.

All products will be available directly for sale probably through myself and/or an eBay page.
And we potentially may have one or two dealers carrying C&A products.

[peteski]

How about doing some crowd-sourcing to raise some capital Cody?

Headboard shaking, eh?  I suspect that wasn't from brainstorming (unless maybe we are talking about the little brain)?  You brat you! 

[Missaberoad]

Best of luck! Should be a fun adventure...
I trust you'll keep us all in the know...

[Ike the BN Freak]

Congratulations! Enjoy every minute of it. Next thing you know, she'll be 18.

Jim

Thanks, now to get her into trains...so far she isn't showing much of an interest in them, but hopefully in some time she'll come around

[Jeff AKA St0rm]

Jeff:  Was the railroad at Sparks built that way specifically to go around the development, or was it an attempt to gain elevation, and the developers filled in the empty spaces?

I have never seen it is RL just on google maps. I saw it in an article once and never forgot it. Don't know why they are there it is cool that they are.

Jeff

[Cajonpassfan]

No modeling this weekend, but I did get to go on a helo ride Friday for work. Snapped this shot of Union Pacific mainline through Ontario, CA. Interesting details from a modeler's perspective...looks like code 55 to me

[craigolio1]

Starting to make trees now that the weather outside is suitable for spraying.  This scene will take a lot of trees, the first batch of 30 was swallowed up pretty easily.

I thought that was real at first glance.  You have really nailed that scene.

Craig

[nkalanaga]

Jeff:  I've never been there either...  But the railroad was almost certainly there first, so I wouldn't be surprised if they used loops, like switchbacks, to gain elevation.  Maybe someone here who does know the area will comment.

Cajonpassfan:  Yes, that does look like model track.  From above, the rail height is much less obvious than the tie spacing. 

[Kevin C]

Those sidewalks are .040" evergreen #4517 sheets with 3/8" sidewalks molded in. The curbs are .040x.040" strips. The roads are .040" black styrene sheets (from ebay) You can see more of "how I did it" here:

Thank You Chris. I will give it a go.

Kevin

[seusscaboose]

Empty MERX #543 (courtesy of Chicken45) is spotted near the empty holding pen at Sinclair Meat Packing, ready to be loaded and sent to PRR's Sunnyside Yard commissary.

[jnevis]

Jeff:  I've never been there either...  But the railroad was almost certainly there first, so I wouldn't be surprised if they used loops, like switchbacks, to gain elevation.  Maybe someone here who does know the area will comment.

Cajonpassfan:  Yes, that does look like model track.  From above, the rail height is much less obvious than the tie spacing.

I don't remember offhand why the loops are the way they are but one thing to keep in mind is that the main coming into Sparks through Reno was original the SP trackage towards Donner, and it looks like the route headed north with the loops is the old WP line towards the Feather River Canyon.  There is quite a change in elevation between Reno and Portola, having been up and down that road many a time.  The WP requirement was a 1% ruling grade across the system so it's very plausible that it's for added elevation.  The SP route through Donner is a little flatter there, but gets much steeper later on in the Truckee/Tahoe/Donner area down towards Sacramento/Roseville.