Weekend Update 2/24/19

[cbroughton67]

Ballast.  Goddamned ballast.

DFF

That's some of the best ballasting I've seen. Care to share your technique, @davefoxx ?

[tehachapifan]

That's some of the best ballasting I've seen. Care to share your technique, @davefoxx ?

^^this^^

[BCR 570]

I finally got back into the paint shop today. 8 chip cars, and also two locos and two cabooses in the primed box got BCR light green.

Craig

Batch painting - you and I are on the same wavelength.   Chip cars are looking good.  Looks like you will have your M-420s done before me (not started yet).


Tim

[BCR 570]

Ventured down to the Monroe Train Show today - well organized, well attended, lots to see.  Congratulations to the UNW Club for a job well done!

Was great to see many familiar faces in our hobby including some from TRW.


ALCO C-425 807 came home today after its decoder, speaker and lighting install by Dave Mackinnon.  Its first run was to haul a short work train of my recently completed PGE hoppers into Chetwynd:








Meanwhile, on the workbench, I finished carbody and cab details for M-630 722 and M-630W 723 and they are now essentially built except for handrails:






Tim

[jpf94]

BV 198252 is a Bone Valley models Shapeway kit.  Finished car last night, a few more to do.   

[eja]

That's some of the best ballasting I've seen. Care to share your technique, @davefoxx ?

I'll bet Ally did it !!

[sirenwerks]

I'm pretty close to finishing the Carpenter Paper Company for Missoula.  This was an experimental project using the Silhouette cutter.  Still a few details to add.

Looks fantastic! Need a how to.

[craigolio1]

Batch painting - you and I are on the same wavelength.   Chip cars are looking good.  Looks like you will have your M-420s done before me (not started yet).


Tim

Thanks Tim. To be honest I’m afraid of the handrails. I tried bending one set on front the A unit and all of those compound bends drove me nuts.

Craig.

[craigolio1]

Tim

Can’t wait to see that M630W painted.

What’s Budd Wiser doing all the way up North? Field trip?

[skytop35]

Recently finished this kitbashed and powered Milwaukee Road TR4B it is coupled to a repowered Life-Like SW1200 with sound. Originally the TR4 (transfer) sets were drawbarred together but on the Milwaukee they were later given couplers and received shops built battery boxes on the short narrow hood.

[Bryn]

Looks great Bill,

Out of interest, what solution did you use to repower the SW1200? I have one with a damaged chassis, but would rather replace than repair as the bodies never seem to sit well on the supplied chassis.

[skytop35]

Looks great Bill,

Out of interest, what solution did you use to repower the SW1200? I have one with a damaged chassis, but would rather replace than repair as the bodies never seem to sit well on the supplied chassis.

It's repowered with a Bachmann motor see this thread. https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=45574.0

[Bryn]

Thanks for the quick reply, an impressive upgrade.

[davefoxx]

That's some of the best ballasting I've seen. Care to share your technique, @davefoxx ?

^^this^^

Thanks, guys!  But, if you want to see a real expert in ballasting, look no further than @GaryHinshaw.  His is meticulous.  Anyhow, since you asked, here's my arsenal:

1) 70% alcohol as a wetting agent
2) Eye dropper as an alcohol applicator
3) White glue diluted to about 1:3 glue to water ratio
4) Ballast of choice
5) Small bowl which is easier to work out of than the ballast container
6) Spoon as ballast applicator, which can be used to really dump it on or even carefully apply just a few grains as a touch-up
7) Small soft brush.  This, to me, is the key, as I use the brush to sweep the ballast around to its final shape and clear the ties and rail.



Now, something I felt necessary in HO that I never had to do in N scale was to paint full strength white glue on the shoulders of the cork roadbed.  This kept me from wasting a lot of ballast that just went pouring into the ditches.  I didn't ballast the track until the shoulders were dry.

That’s what you get for ballasting HO track and posting the photo in the N and Z scale area. 

Yeah, well, you know.   

I'll bet Ally did it !!

Oh, if I can ever teach her how to ballast, the job is hers!

DFF

[DKS]

7) Small soft brush.  This, to me, is the key, as I use the brush to sweep the ballast around to its final shape and clear the ties and rail.

This.