Weekend Update 11/15/15

[up1950s]

[Santa Fe Guy]

That would make a very nice scene on a model RR. Food for thought.
Rod.

[Dave V]

I've been working on an old-school Campbell stamp mill for my Colorado Midland.  It still needs the rafters and the corrugated metal roofing.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Working on my resin casting how-to. About 2/3 the way through the project. Full write up to follow.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/59397014@N02/albums/72157660396645798

[nscaleSPF2]

Added some details to my Bachmann K4.



Painted the cab roof and tender deck, changed couplers, Neolubed the running gear, added the short vertical handrails at the front of the boiler.  I also removed the "grille bars" that partially blocked the speaker in the bottom of the tender.



Now she sounds better as well as runs better, since I replaced the drivers and the L/S valve gear (which I damaged by trying to fiddle with it.)

[wcfn100]

3D work continues while I wait for previous stuff to show up.

Replacement 30" hatches for PS-2 hoppers.



Jason

[VonRyan]

 spent quite a few hours today helping my good friend Konrad get his home layout (the Ashland & Sycamore Hill) ready for the second (of two) open house tomorrow.

Ironed out a few electrical niggles and then we worked on getting the trains for tomorrow set up and staged, particularly the freight ops. We simplified the freight ops into three jobs... (1) yard switcher, to dismantle and rearrange the arriving train into two separate trains; (2) Local 1, who works the lumber mill, oil pier, and car float; (3) Local 2, who works three industries near the station, and a fuel dealer and freight depot on the other side of the mains from the lumber mill.

The two locals are just swapping cars from their train for the ones already at the industries (there arent any waybills in the car-cards, so I'm writing up a switch list for each train so that each operator can function on his own), but it helps get folks accustomed to the tower-panels and switching manuvers on the layout so that when we finally organize some actual ops sessions, everyone will have the basic idea of how things run.

Plus, since it's a common-rail layout, there are still traditional DC-style blocks, but with a "road power" (DCC) so folks need to get acclimated to this type of control scheme.

[Joetrain59]

nscaleSPF2, what couplers did you use? Can we see a shot of the front with the handrails you added?
 Thanks,
 Joe D

[mu26aeh]

I bid on an auction for sd35 parts, mainly for the atlas scale speed motor, but it also included all other parts/wheels/gears/light board etc.  Auction specifically said DC light board but I thought it was a DCC board.  It arrived this morning and it's a decoder !  Score !  $20 for a motor and decoder.

[glakedylan]

@nscaleSPF2

nscaleSPF2, what couplers did you use? Can we see a shot of the front with the handrails you added?

+1

[tehachapifan]

Working on my resin casting how-to. About 2/3 the way through the project. Full write up to follow.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/59397014@N02/albums/72157660396645798

Looking forward to seeing the finished write-up as I have not been able to find a good how-to on resin casting RR equip. Especially anything that includes detail or any irregularity to the bottom of the casting (not the underframe, but the lower edge of the shell). However, I'm still not exactly sure how one would go about casting the lower portion of a loco shell and include such things as step wells, air tanks and jacking pads.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Step wells and air tanks are very, VERY hard to pull off. I had a little mishap with some free standing ladders that I tried to cast on this car, and that will be included with the write up. If you can cast it as a separate part, do so. In the case of the stepwell, use tape along the inside to create a dam between the outside and inside silicone. Keep the detail, and the undercuts on the exterior. The interior rubber should be as smooth as possible to help de-mold.

Oh... plan on destroying your master when casting. It almost always happens.

[Scottl]

Back in operation today thanks to the good folks at NCE.  There was a moment of panic at first when nothing but headlights worked, but clearing and remaking the consists solved the problem (a solution from the manual).  Still camera challenged, but a picture for posterity.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Back in operation today thanks to the good folks at NCE.  There was a moment of panic at first when nothing but headlights worked, but clearing and remaking the consists solved the problem (a solution from the manual).  Still camera challenged, but a picture for posterity.

God damn.... Sometimes I wonder if I am modeling the wrong railroad.

[Puddington]

Congratulations on what can only be describes as a work of art...... you have "nailed it".....