Weekend Update 5/29/16

[up1950s]

[rickb773]

Looks like one of my summer “train projects” will be to clear the garage so that I can get a car into it. One of the impediments is 55+ years of stored train magazines (mostly Model Railroader) dating back to 1958. What a trip down memory lane this is, since naturally I will want to scan them for keepers (both magazines and articles).

An enjoyable trip it has been so far (1958 to 1961) as I revisit all my old “friends”: John Armstrong, Lynn Wescott, Paul Larson, Whit Towers, Ed Ravenscroft, Allen McClanahan, John  Allen, Gordie Odegard, Gil Reed, … all the great modelers who have gone before us and paved the way.

Mantua Metals, Varney, Revell,… $0.89 box car kits ($2.49 RTR), 50 cent MR magazines (25 cents for back issues plus 25 cents shipping). Gem brass imports starting at $14.95, Penn Line $29 engine kits, Aristo Craft PRR position light signals for $2.75, …

Fleichmann had some suggestive ads that probably belonged in a gentlemen’s magazine of that time period. Ravenscroft had his operating hump yard and a freight car forwarding system that used a small roulette wheel.

Black and white photos and barren scenery (almost all western) was the norm. That’s why I fell in love with Carl Appel’s Norfolk and Ohio (“centerfold” November 1958). The spotlight seemed to have been on scratching building steam engines.

My early magazines are tattered (what did you expect from a 12 year old dreamer/drooler). Anyway the biggest highlights have been from HA Smith’s train oriented cartoons. I’ll share them as I go. Enjoy.

For those who cannot read the blurred print, here are the captions:
1.1    “O gauger who models Pennsy equipment wishes to meet O gauger who models New York Central equipment. Object: merger.”
1.2    “In return for your ivory, we will trade precious gems that white man calls marker light jewels.”
2.1  “Put on your glasses, Frank, I’m over here!”
2.2  “Well, maybe if you had put up the screens when I asked you to …”
3.1  “You and your homemade diesel horn.”
3.2  “In Texas, even HO gauge is bigger.”


1.1  “Wow! What a realistic circus train – animal noises and everything!”
1.2  “I made the grass from an imported Persian rug, the water tower from a caviar tin, and the marker lights from an old diamond stick pin.”
2.1  “Psst, watch out for that witch doctor.”
2.2  “By doing research on prototype roads, I discovered over 99 per cent of them prefer point to point layouts.”
3.1  “This trackwork happens to be true to the prototype of the Bilgewater and Eastern, a little known line which went bankrupt in 1857 after 26 spectacular accidents.”
3.2  “I was lucky to find such a nice dry basement.”

[C855B]

Progress this week on my "bucket list" locomotive:





It runs nicely on DCC, but true to its Con-Cor U50 donor, sounds like a bloomin' sewing machine. Waiting for paints to arrive before getting into detailing, and still puzzling over exactly what to do with with the clunky U50 pilots to better resemble the minimalist versions on the prototype.

Frame shot highlights the super-nifty frame splice James Norris engineered in Shapeways metal. Incredible solution.

[Dave V]

I'm hard at work on the Colorado Midland, finishing track laying and switch throw installs.  I also started a stone boiler house for the Aspen smelter, using castings sent to me by @Chris333:



Also tested some track paint and ballast.  This is Arizona Rock & Mineral "Cumbres and Toltec."



But I've also been basking in Pennsy awesomeness with my BLI M1bs.  Please pardon the brief wheels slip at 0:21!

[BCR 570]

Very busy time of year as the school year rapidly approaches its end, but I have made some more progress in tracklaying since switching to Code 55.

I relaid the curve connecting the lower end of the helix to the Pine River bridge.  The original Code 40 curve here had an irritating gauge issue which I was never able to fix, causing locomotives to stall.  The new track has eliminated this problem:




I also relaid the short section connecting the other end of the bridge to the highway overpass module.  The bridge has been left with Code 40 for now.  The new track at each end of the bridge was reconnected to the track bus:




I laid the curve across the Highway 97 overpass (but did not glue it down) and wired it into terminal blocks, which are connected to the track bus.  The track is thus removable when it comes time to install the highway and surrounding scenery below:




I laid the S curve from the highway overpass to the east switch at Sundance.  This section was glued down, and together with the track on the other side of the highway overpass module helps keep the overpass track in place:




Time to run a work extra!  It is now possible to run from the lower end of the helix around the lower deck to the east switch at Sundance.  The honour of the first train movement over the new track went to MLW RS-10 581:




I have also prepped the two turnouts for Sundance siding.  I installed half length rail joiners so that if the turnout fails I can slide the joiners over and lift the turnout from the layout.  I wanted to throw the turnout from the centre of the throw bar so I drilled a #66 hole in the centre of the throw bar and then cut away the ends.  I also wanted a more prototypical appearance for the head block ties (they are too far apart) so I cut away one head block tie and moved it over.  Here are the results:




After this photograph was taken I soldered the feeder wires to the frogs and they are now ready to go onto the layout.


Tim

[milw12]

Tim, will you be completely converting the layout to code 55? It's always good to see your superb work, your layout has been a favorite of mine for a while now. And almost had me modeling the BCR at one point. Almost. Gotta love those Alcos 


As for me, this is hardly noteworthy for many of the great modelers here, but today was huge as it was the first successful attempt to solder feeders directly to the rail for my corn syrup module.
It's not pretty and there are some goobers here and there. Fortunately it's the outside of the rail, on the side toward the back drop no less. Survived the tug test.  And no melted ties!

I have to give credit to the late CSXDixieLine, as I modified his great technique for ME weathered rail. It was easy, quick and hidden, highly recommended.



More details to follow in the future (soon!) build thread.

Thanks for looking.

[BCR 570]

Tim, will you be completely converting the layout to code 55? It's always good to see your superb work, your layout has been a favorite of mine for a while now. And almost had me modeling the BCR at one point. Almost. Gotta love those Alcos 

Thank you and yes, the plan is to concert completely to Code 55.  There wasn't a lot to convert; the track on the lower deck is done, the helix was Code 55 (Peco) from the start, and there is a short section on the upper deck yet to convert.

Good luck with the soldering and tracklaying; I have been working on techniques to avoid melted ties.


Tim

[bnsfdash8]

I finished this covered hopper up this week.

[peteski]

I finished this covered hopper up this week.

Nice!  Some people just have the eye and talent for realistic weathering.  It's an art!

[Hamaker]

It's indeed an art !

[Dave V]

It's nineteen-aught-five in Basalt, Colorado.  After picking up passengers from the Aspen local, the eastbound Colorado Springs passenger train (with through sleepers to Denver) prepares to assault the Continental Divide through the Busk-Ivanhoe Tunnel under 11,925' Hagerman Pass.  While it's warm and dry down here along the Frying Pan River, a snowstorm is raging just a few miles east.

[chuck geiger]

Been working on redevelopment of Wentachee on the B side of the 2x4 layout. It's coming along
slow but sure.

[BCR 570]

Been working on redevelopment of Wentachee on the B side of the 2x4 layout. It's coming along
slow but sure.

Very nice, and very similar to what I will need to achieve for Dawson Creek - grain elevators, fertilizer sheds, tracks almost lost in the prairie grass . . .


Tim

[Dave V]

Ran a train to Aspen under its own power today...

[mu26aeh]

Sedum tree factory got fired up again today.  I am making a bunch for a friend who models in O Scale and needs tons of trees for his version of the Hanover Sub, on his layout known as the Western Maryland Dutch Line, in the area of Jacks Mountain tunnel.  I turned this

20160528_135429 by Adam Henry, on Flickr

into this in about 10 minutes

20160528_140645 by Adam Henry, on Flickr

I think I have about 200 trees made up.  I had to make more because I failed to ask him what his season timeframe was until after I had made about 100 of them already.  He is doing late summer, early fall.  The first 100 trees I did are all deep green, not going to work for an area where the top of the mountain turns red, orange, yellow and brown before the valley below.  Work session is next weekend, and I'd like to start at the top and work down.  Will be colors tomorrow and Monday.