Weekend Update 11/12/17

[Santa Fe Guy]

Boy some really impressive work all round this weekend.  Good looking cabooses, yards, industries, trees, loads and loco kit bashing, the lot.
Dave I did 52 coal loads for my N Scale SFRSD to fit round house coal gons many years ago. I carved balsa wood to fit and like you painted them black and added coal over white glue. Made them removable for ops sessions and they came out looking a treat.
Well done to all.
Rod.

[Iain]

Today and tomorrow is a train show down in Puyallup.  I was running on the United North West N Trak layout.



Here, NS 110 is pulling the Raleigh hook.




NS GP18 7 hauling the Plymouth local.

(I really need to finish this model)

[Scottl]

Tim, that yard looks excellent.  You have really captured the feel already in the mock up.

I worked on the MOW landing near Skoonka and put in a cosmetic siding to park a hopper or MOW equipment on.  The container needs some serious attention but I found some details to compose the scene.  There will be a retaining wall behind the mainline.  I am also ready to pour the river now.

2017-11-11 21.55.52 by Scott L, on Flickr

[superchief]

Hi Marc,
    Hope you found some good stuff at Discount Model Trains, Sorry I did not get to see you this time while you are stateside. Look forward to the convention next year in Salt Lake City and catching up with both you and Hans. Please say hi for me and have a safe travel Back home.
                                                                         Gordon Bliss-Santa Fe-All the Way

[craigolio1]

Awesome Scott!!

[nstars]

Hi Marc,
    Hope you found some good stuff at Discount Model Trains, Sorry I did not get to see you this time while you are stateside. Look forward to the convention next year in Salt Lake City and catching up with both you and Hans. Please say hi for me and have a safe travel Back home.
                                                                         Gordon Bliss-Santa Fe-All the Way

I wasn’t able to get to Discount Model Trains, but I will have another chance in December. I will be back for  another 2 weeks.

Marc

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Tinkering with a proof-of-concept:




Conrail SD60I. Body is the standard Atlas SD60M with a Kato SD80MAC cab grafted in place.

It fits well enough to finish the project. Conrail was the only buyer of this engine. Like other "I" series, the cab is isolated from the rest of the body to absorb vibration. The main differences between the "I" and "M" is the cab door on the engineer's side and the gasket along the nose. Conrail split the SD60 order about evenly with 75 being the "M" version and 80 being the "I". This pales in comparison to the 240 odd C40-8Ws in the fleet.

[nkalanaga]

Rod:  I make my coal loads the same way - a balsa block, black craft paint, white glue, and coal.  A bag goes a LONG way, so I have a lifetime supply of AR&M coal in various sizes.  For "mine run" coal I have a gallon bucket of West Virginia's Best picked up from a pile along US 52, where a truck's tailgate leaked on the shoulder.  Run it through a screen to get the chunks out and the rest works fine.  Then, if I ever need more, smash the chunks...

[GonzoCRFan]

I haven't put up one of these shots in a long time......

This is the signature scene on my Santa Fe layout, inspired by the 1983 McMillan calendar shot "Arizona Divide & Conqueror" by Steve Patterson.   The same spot is on the cover of McMillan's book "Canyonlands and Super Chiefs" and is at a spot called Chalendar (various spellings) between Williams and Flagstaff.  It's just east of Maine.

The distant backdrop of the San Francisco peaks was cut directly out of an Arizona Highways calendar, after painting attempts were a total failure.

Ponderosa pines are dried goldenrod tufts on Woodland Scenics metal armatures.   The wood telephone poles were done by the late Verne Niner, friend and fellow N Arizona modeler.

Those are repainted and redetailed Kato SD45's with wire handrails and custom paint.

I took one look at that photo and thought to myself "Man, that looks like the Transcon around Flagstaff" before I could even get to the caption. Absolutely nailed it, fantastic modeling.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Also some progress on my P&W M420s:




Amazingly, I drilled 200 holes with only one #80 bit.

[Iain]

Amazingly, I drilled 200 holes with only one #80 bit.

Damn, that's either skill or luck right there.

[BCR 570]

Thank you all for the positive feedback.  I had the PGE/BCR Modellers over last night after dinner and received more constructive input. 

How about extending it with a mirror? The top edge of the mirror might be disguised by an overhead object, such as a conveyor.

Excellent suggestion.  I have seen mirrors used to great effect.


Daniel:  Nice to to see someone putting some M-420s together.  Those are definitely in my future.


Tim

[mark dance]

I find these weekly updates can be just great motivators to actually keep slogging away at projects!

The Nelson station roof is nearing completion...main roof segments done and flat dormer roofs and vent dormer roofs installed...





I also installed ornate rafter ends around the second floor windows.





I am looking forward to completing the few remaining roof segments and all the flashing so that I can weather the roof and tone down its sheen.  The model should be done this month...the longest modelling project I have attempted is nearly in the rear view mirror!  But there I go...probably jinxed myself now!

Have a good rest-of-your-weekend

md

[Bendtracker1]

I find these weekly updates can be just great motivators to actually keep slogging away at projects!
md

Mark I've been looking forward to each WU lately to see the progress on your station.
Simply stunning, it's going to look great when you finally get it set in place.
Nice job.

[Albert N. Vazquez]

Fantastic modeling, the Espee units are very impressive - NW-2, SW1200 & ATSF SD45’s, MOW landing, Nelson Station, M420s! Great job everyone.