Weekend Update 4/1/18

[trainforfun]

So is the side mostly facing the US the English side ?

No only on north - south trains , canadien facing eastern Canada and canadian facing western Canada . 

[trainforfun]

Y'a pas de faute orthographique en "Canadien".  Au Canada, on parle français en Québec et Acadie (aujourd'hui ; "Nova Scotia").  "Canadien" veut dire en anglais "Canadian".

Bravo M. "La moto brisée"   your french is pretty good !

[SP-Wolf]

Wolf, I also like your layout very much. You've captured California rail-served industries of the 1950's very well. It's basically a flat table-top layout with no spectacular natural scenery but loads of well detailed urban and industrial scenes that really catch and hold the attention of viewers. Well done!

Hi Loren,

Long time no talk. Hope you are doing well. And - a huge thank you!! Your comments mean the world to me! I am very humbled.

Regards,
Wolf

[peteski]

Wolf

Your layout looks outstanding; where is your setting?

Mark in (former SP country) Oregon

Yes, I agree that this is a great looking layout.  Fairly simple, but it captures the feeling of what the 1:1 area of the country looks like. It just looks "right".  Like Mark said: outstanding!

[SP-Wolf]

Yes, I agree that this is a great looking layout.  Fairly simple, but it captures the feeling of what the 1:1 area of the country looks like. It just looks "right".  Like Mark said: outstanding!

Thank you, so very much, Pete!!

Do not forget the vents on top of the short hood for the steam generator and air.

There were some removable "stacks" for those vents.  I do not know if they came from Beloit with them or if SP added them in an effort to keep the sand in Texas out of the vents.  I have seen only one or two photographs of the Trainmasters with the "stacks" in place, all of which were taken in California.  I do not remember seeing them on any of the Trainmasters when I rode the train to Bellarmine.  If those "stacks" were used in Texas, some of them, at least. made it to Bayshore Yards.

Nice painting on them and nice job on the details so far.  I enjoy looking at your SP models.

Thanks brokemoto!! -- Very humbling!!

I have been looking at that detail. I haven't quite figured out how to represent it/them. As they are pretty much flush with the top of the short hood. Over head views of these beasts are pretty scarce. The photos I do have are far away - and, hard to interpret. So, I will take a closer look at the SG intake and exhaust details. There is another detail I am contemplating... the steam generator water fills. There is one on each side just above the side sill right behind the engine step grabs. Looks like a fairly easy detail to add.

Thanks for the encouragement and suggestions,
Wolf

[SAH]

I've enjoyed your SP layout images SP-Wolf and agree with the sentiment that it looks "just right".  Well done.

One of the new tools / skills acquired by the AC&Y shops this past month.  More in the AC&Y Layout Engineering thread.

[Joetrain59]

mandealco, I have some FXD twin beam light parts, that are really just discs with 2 holes in them. I'm trying to convert an RS1. Pulled out lens, and I have to insert disc into hole. Need to enlarge headlight hole a bit on RS1, but it does retain detail. A PITA though getting FXD part to fit snug so it can be glued into place. Atlas does have undec RS3 shells and headlight lenses in stock. But how would one remove just a thin headlight cast on detail?
 Thanks,
 Joe D

[craigolio1]

mandealco, I have some FXD twin beam light parts, that are really just discs with 2 holes in them. I'm trying to convert an RS1. Pulled out lens, and I have to insert disc into hole. Need to enlarge headlight hole a bit on RS1, but it does retain detail. A PITA though getting FXD part to fit snug so it can be glued into place. Atlas does have undec RS3 shells and headlight lenses in stock. But how would one remove just a thin headlight cast on detail?
 Thanks,
 Joe D

I would cut it out if the shell and then sand it down until I had the that I wanted.

Craig

[peteski]

I would cut it out if the shell and then sand it down until I had the that I wanted.

Craig

I would take some RTV rubber and make a mold of the headlight right on the shell. Then cast some headlight units in resin.

[mandealco]

Hi
I have used an RS-3 headlight in an RS-1.  As Craig said, cut out round the headlight and file the outside till it is just the headlight and no surrounding material.  The headlight in the RS-1 will need to be drilled out a little, or filed so the RS-3 part will simply fit in place.  A little CAA will fix it there.  Looks great on an RS-1.

The same can be done to change out an RS-3 headlight.  Atlas RS-3s have the lights side by side, but some roads have them up and down.  This method will fix that.
Cheers
Steve

Edit:  I have made a mold of a removed RS-3 headlight for this purpose.  Comes in handy for the big cab unit headlights as well.

[brokemoto]

Thanks brokemoto!! --

I have been looking at that detail. I haven't quite figured out how to represent it/them. As they are pretty much flush with the top of the short hood. Over head views of these beasts are pretty scarce. The photos I do have are far away - and, hard to interpret. So, I will take a closer look at the SG intake and exhaust details.

www.espee.railfan.net/picindex/trainmaster_detail/ck_spfm_cabroof.html

There are three short hoods in that photograph.  It must  have been taken in the mid-1970s in whatever scrap yard in which they were.  If you go to the main trainmaster page of that site, he was a photographic "walkaround" of the trainmaster that includes a view of the steam generator (door open) on the short hood.

I wish that I could remember where I saw the photographs of the things with the "stacks" on them.  They were not often on them in California, at least, but that is where I remember reading that the photographs were taken.  All of SP's had steam generators (I guess that SP intended to use them to protect the schedules in Texas, but I am not sure).  Some of the CNJ's had steam generators, but I do not know how many of the other roads that used them had them equipped for passenger work.

I do enjoy looking at your SP modelling.  Even when you were to leave power, cabooses or passenger equipment out of the photographs, there is no mistaking that pike for anything but SP 1950s. 

I am at heart, an SP steam nut, although I now model East Coast roads.  If N scale had some A-classes, Mk, C and P-8s and P-10s, I might change roads.  When I modelled in HO as a kid, the Varney Pacifics were based on the P-10 and MDC had an A-6(?), so the power was there for the passenger cars.  The Varney "Casey Jones"  was actually a Tw class.  The best that I could afford for rolling stock was Athearn Blue Box, so I wound up with more than a few ATSF prototypes with SP lettering hung on them there.  I had to mow plenty of lawns, deliver more than a few newspapers, schlepp a few tons of trash and shovel more than a little snow to afford those Varneys and Athearn Blue Boxes.


*****The link will not work, but that is how it shows in the address bar.  If you will google "SP Trainmaster Walkaround" the site will show up and the google link will take you there.  It is the first thing that shows up when I google it.  If you will look between the list of numbers and the photographs of the "Bloody Noses", you will see "Trainmaster walkaround".  Point and click.  If you will go to the fourth item on the subfolder list and point and click, you will see on the extreme left  of the third row "cabroof" point and click.    On the extreme right of the second row is the view of the steam generator.

[SP-Wolf]

www.espee.railfan.net/picindex/trainmaster_detail/ck_spfm_cabroof.html

There are three short hoods in that photograph.  It must  have been taken in the mid-1970s in whatever scrap yard in which they were.  If you go to the main trainmaster page of that site, he was a photographic "walkaround" of the trainmaster that includes a view of the steam generator (door open) on the short hood.

I wish that I could remember where I saw the photographs of the things with the "stacks" on them.  They were not often on them in California, at least, but that is where I remember reading that the photographs were taken.  All of SP's had steam generators (I guess that SP intended to use them to protect the schedules in Texas, but I am not sure).  Some of the CNJ's had steam generators, but I do not know how many of the other roads that used them had them equipped for passenger work.

I do enjoy looking at your SP modelling.  Even when you were to leave power, cabooses or passenger equipment out of the photographs, there is no mistaking that pike for anything but SP 1950s. 

I am at heart, an SP steam nut, although I now model East Coast roads.  If N scale had some A-classes, Mk, C and P-8s and P-10s, I might change roads.  When I modelled in HO as a kid, the Varney Pacifics were based on the P-10 and MDC had an A-6(?), so the power was there for the passenger cars.  The Varney "Casey Jones"  was actually a Tw class.  The best that I could afford for rolling stock was Athearn Blue Box, so I wound up with more than a few ATSF prototypes with SP lettering hung on them there.  I had to mow plenty of lawns, deliver more than a few newspapers, schlepp a few tons of trash and shovel more than a little snow to afford those Varneys and Athearn Blue Boxes.


*****The link will not work, but that is how it shows in the address bar.  If you will google "SP Trainmaster Walkaround" the site will show up and the google link will take you there.  It is the first thing that shows up when I google it.  If you will look between the list of numbers and the photographs of the "Bloody Noses", you will see "Trainmaster walkaround".  Point and click.  If you will go to the fourth item on the subfolder list and point and click, you will see on the extreme left  of the third row "cabroof" point and click.    On the extreme right of the second row is the view of the steam generator.

Thank you, so very much!! I cannot believe I did not check this site -- it is one of my go to places.

Looking at the overhead photo - looks like I can simulate the intake and exhaust fairly easily. I don't think I'll have to cut holes. Just add some screen and frames. But, I'll see how that looks. If it doesn't work for me --- I'll cut the holes.

In the '50's SP did not apply the SG exhaust extensions. So, I'm good on that detail.

"I do enjoy looking at your SP modelling.  Even when you were to leave power, cabooses or passenger equipment out of the photographs, there is no mistaking that pike for anything but SP 1950s."  --- Thank you, so very much. This statement really makes my day!!

Yeah -- we in N Scale have a serious lack of prototype steam models. Weather it be SP or - pick your road. The manufacturers sure love to produce the big "sexy" locomotives. But, what about the mid to small size locomotives-? We can sure use a bunch of 0-6-0's, 2-6-0's, 4-6-0's,4-6-2's, 2-8-0's, 4-8-2's and of course the ever popular 2-10-2's. Filled out with Atlantics. Which by my modeling year were pretty much gone. I do have a bunch of brass SP steam -- took me a long time accumulate. I've been very fortunate.

I know - I know.. Bachmann and a few others have produced some mid sized locomotives. But they are pretty much USRA types --- the SP did not purchase USRA locomotives. I am at a point where I only want SP specific locomotives. My only non SP steamer is a MP 2-6-0 -- man what a sweet runner she is.

Thanks again, for the ESPEE site reminder!!

Talk again - soon
Wolf

[Xmtrman]

www.espee.railfan.net/picindex/trainmaster_detail/ck_spfm_cabroof.html

*****The link will not work, but that is how it shows in the address bar. 

No, you mis-copied the link. There is NO "www" at the beginning.  Use this: http://espee.railfan.net/sph24-66.html

[wm3798]

I had seen one or two photos of Douglas Falls in various WM books, which inspired the modeled scene posted here. I finally got to visit the site 30 years after the last train had gone by...and 5 years since I dismantled the layout. 



Apart from the bridge necessitated by my N scale track plan, I'd say I nailed it!  The rail bed is about 60 feet up the hill above my right shoulder.  It's one of the more iconic locations on the WM's Thomas Sub.



Between the falls and Thomas, is Coketon.  So named because it was a major location for the conversion of the soft, high sulphur coal of the valley into coke for steel making.  There are beehive kilns lining both sides of the right of way for about a half a mile.



One can only imagine the choking atmosphere that must have made working and living in the valley much harder than it is now.

Then there was my favorite detail...  At Douglas Falls, right near the bottom of the main falls on the track side, was a concrete retaining wall, pretty long, with this 70 lb rail embedded in the top of it for reinforcement.



Lee

[trainforfun]

Lee , I never saw a so well done fall !!!!