Weekend Update 8/6/17

[Cajonpassfan]

Wolf, nice Cadillacs! Very espee!
Otto

[Caleb Austin]

This is really not an update, as I have not made any model railroad progress in months, but I was flipping through my old photos and found this shot I took at the HO layout at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago a few years ago.

It struck me how well the builders captured that winding creek, and the wide curves of the track. All that wide open scenery too! If not for the square access hatch, it could pass for reality.

Anyways, thought it was worth sharing, great stuff this week guys.



Caleb.

[randgust]

About a year ago I started to make my own circus train (Warren Car is local) and was pretty disappointed in the wagon availability and assortment.

Started to make my own and discovered that wagons aren't that hard but painting them was an absolute nightmare.

So here's my first experiment - making laser photo decals on my own resin castings. This takes a nightmare and makes it easy enough for everybody.

These are lightweight resin, and I'll have these wagons and the decals with me at Altoona for sale as kits.





Depending on how these do, I'll make resin masters instead of just scratchbuilding them.

[wcfn100]

Was at Yellowstone last week and stopped at the Jackson Lake Dam.  They had on display a cart with a motor they used to use to open the gates.  The cart was positioned in front of whichever gate they wanted to open or close.  It's now all electric motors.









Also saw a moose.



Jason

[learmoia]

This is really not an update, as I have not made any model railroad progress in months, but I was flipping through my old photos and found this shot I took at the HO layout at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago a few years ago.

It struck me how well the builders captured that winding creek, and the wide curves of the track. All that wide open scenery too! If not for the square access hatch, it could pass for reality.

Anyways, thought it was worth sharing, great stuff this week guys.



Caleb.

That looks like a Google Earth satalite view!

[MichaelWinicki]

A comparison shot of a weathered Caboose Industry throw along with one in its natural state...

[Missaberoad]

SD-7's at my in progress service facility:
Thanks,
Wolf

@SP-Wolf Lifelike units?

[Philip H]

Elkins/Baton Rouge is out of storage!

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This is in part a way to jumpstart the layout and a prof for concept test for layout height. It seems to have survived the move and storage particularly well -'the shop foreman is already giving clean up orders:

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There's also a marriage brewing between a ConCor Sw1500 body I painted in ICG year ago and a Bachman NW-2 I got on super sale at trainworld a few weeks ago. This is all about getting DCC into a small space - even if the Bachman decoder isn't top of the line:

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[peteski]

There's also a marriage brewing between a ConCor Sw1500 body I painted in ICG year ago and a Bachman NW-2 I got on super sale at trainworld a few weeks ago. This is all about getting DCC into a small space - even if the Bachman decoder isn't top of the line:

Not sure if I follow your "small places" reasoning: compared to many decoders from several  manufacturers the Bachmann decoder is YOOGE!  Digitrax DZ126 is less than half the size and will run circles around Bachmann from the performance or functionality standpoint. So will decoders from ZIMO, TCS and others.

[peteski]

About a year ago I started to make my own circus train (Warren Car is local) and was pretty disappointed in the wagon availability and assortment.
Started to make my own and discovered that wagons aren't that hard but painting them was an absolute nightmare.
So here's my first experiment - making laser photo decals on my own resin castings. This takes a nightmare and makes it easy enough for everybody.
These are lightweight resin, and I'll have these wagons and the decals with me at Altoona for sale as kits.



Depending on how these do, I'll make resin masters instead of just scratchbuilding them.

Very clever!

[tehachapifan]

Great stuff this week! That aerial photo had me fooled! No selective compression being used there!

Here's something that I take out and tinker with occasionally, a Minitrix H-12-44 that I'm slooowwly modifying and detailing as an SP unit....



Pilots were filled with styrene and footboards were built from scratch. Headlight was raised a little higher and a taller BLMA access door was added along with drop grabs. New sand fill hatches were added from the Atlas MP15DC (with mods). They're still not quite correct but I think they're a little closer. Unit was re-motored quite a while back and NWSL wheels were added. Much to do still.

[Philip H]

Not sure if I follow your "small places" reasoning: compared to many decoders from several  manufacturers the Bachmann decoder is YOOGE!  Digitrax DZ126 is less than half the size and will run circles around Bachmann from the performance or functionality standpoint. So will decoders from ZIMO, TCS and others.

And all of those would require way more work with the ConCor frame and motor then I care to invest. The Bachman Loco costume $54 plus shipping. The ConCor frame needs a little trimming but the rest appears to fit.

[SecretWeapon]

Holly Toledo those KW's look real.
Rod.

love seeing everyone enjoying my truck!

[SP-Wolf]

@SP-Wolf Lifelike units?

They sure are.

Thanks,
Wolf

[atsf_arizona]

Let's see if this works:  I just added a public Facebook photo album of my visit to National Train show yesterday:

https://www.facebook.com/john.sing1/media_set?set=a.10214300483044858.1073741832.1199816890&type=3&pnref=story

Hope it works, if it does, enjoy!    Note there are videos near the end of the 200+ photos.