Weekend Update 7/21/19

[C855B]

(Yes I know only the outside braced wood boxcars make sound.)

I see what you did there. 

[bman]

Spent the day at Marion Union Station in Marion initally for the CRHS Rail-B-Q and 3Q 2019 Membership Meeting and staying for the monthly 3rd Saturday of the month slide show the station has. Nothing like watching trains from the air conditioned confines of AC Tower on a hot humid day.



Later on the NS Conrail heritage unit made it's appearance as well. And afterwards there was much CR goodness in the slide show.

[jereising]

Woodland Scenics is doing a line of US flags in HO, a small, medium and large.  Not sure what those equal in real world measurements, but could be expanded to N

Already found some and got 'em ordered.  Better modeling through peer pressure indeed.  Thanks to all!

[Cajonpassfan]

RGS update time!

Started planting sagebrush around Ridgway and Placerville using a product for war dioramas called "Deadland Tufts" by The Army Painter.  They're spot-on colorwise and closer to the right texture as I've found or been able to do myself...


...

Dave, that’s looking really good, and you’ve nailed the high country coloring. Very nice work!
Which brings me to the sage color tufts. I’ve been unable to find anything like it and have been spray painting my own, pic below. The Army Painter tufts look great (and are reasonably priced) but at least in their online photos, the colors don’t look like the sage on your layout....what am I missing?
Thanks,
Otto K.
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[Dave V]

@Cajonpassfan , all you're missing is that their online photos have messed-up color.  You'd think since color is so key to why people would purchase these, they'd have better photos, but...yeah.

This is what they really look like:

[altohorn25]

I was going through some of my older boxes of stuff this morning and found this guy; an old Bachmann 4-8-4. I tried running it analog on my layout and it did quite well so I installed a DZ126. My biggest concern is that the flanges on the pilot look quite big and my bump on the Atlas code 55. After it still ran ok with the decoder, I stripped the paint, repainted, and re-decaled it.  I added a bell off one of the Bachmann 2-8-0 ' s and shortened the tender drawbar quite a bit. I think I may still add the railings on the tender deck, but for now it's good. We'll see how it runs on the layout at the St. Louis RPM meet this week.

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[C855B]

@Cajonpassfan , all you're missing is that their online photos are sh!t.

This is what they really look like:

Thanks! These will save beaucoup work for us. And much less expensive than Scenic Express equivalents, that's for sure.

EDIT: You are absolutely right about their site, and - frankly, from looking for retailers - wargaming product sites in general. If it wasn't for your details about the specific product, there would be no conceivable way I could have found it, so thank you again. Very odd mindset at work, apparently, with product descriptions couched in terms of fantasy play. Since when does "...death..." give you any notion of what it's supposed to represent? 

[C855B]

... We'll see how it runs on the layout at the St. Louis RPM meet this week. ...

Oh! That's a pleasant surprise. No mention of Modutrak on the RPM page. So I guess we'll see you Friday!

[altohorn25]

Oh! That's a pleasant surprise. No mention of Modutrak on the RPM page. So I guess we'll see you Friday!

Yup - we'll be there.  There are only 4 of us going and we'll be out in the main hallway (apparently the venue is under construction so they were limited on how much room they had this year).  We're going to do just a single line of modules about 50' in length with return loops at each end. 

Make sure you stop by and say "hi."

[nickelplate759]

I was going through some of my older boxes of stuff this morning and found this guy; an old Bachmann 4-8-4. I tried running it analog on my layout and it did quite well so I installed a DZ126. My biggest concern is that the flanges on the pilot look quite big and my bump on the Atlas code 55. After it still ran ok with the decoder, I stripped the paint, repainted, and re-decaled it.  I added a bell off one of the Bachmann 2-8-0 ' s and shortened the tender drawbar quite a bit. I think I may still add the railings on the tender deck, but for now it's good. We'll see how it runs on the layout at the St. Louis RPM meet this week.

If there were an award for Sow's Ear --> Silk Purse I think you'd win.  Really nice job!

[Cajonpassfan]

@Cajonpassfan , all you're missing is that their online photos have messed-up color.  You'd think since color is so key to why people would purchase these, they'd have better photos, but...yeah.

This is what they really look like:

Thank you Dave, this is terrific.
I think I’ll try some other colors as well to see what they really look like.
Otto K.

[peteski]

Already found some and got 'em ordered.  Better modeling through peer pressure indeed.  Thanks to all!

As an alternative (of those don't work out), Microscale has American Flag decals.  Maybe that would be an option too?

[CBQ Fan]

In the new house a little over a month now!  I have shelving made for family storage at the far end of my train room built.  The sewer and water main line exit/enter the basement foundation there so it is the perfect place to build storage shelves around it and still allow access. I got my workbench built, 8’ long by 2’ deep.  I just finished installing my lighting so the room is ready to go for benchwork. I will be able reuse some of my tables from the old house but I am going to need to build a lot more tables. Now to start sketching out table and track plans.

[John]

Well, another wasted attempt at doing a DODX caboose .. started out with an Atlas International Car -- cut out the roof, and replaced it with an Xactrail X panel -- which is correct .. it was ti\oo wide, so had to trim it up ..  moved the cupola back to the proper spot. filled in all the windows, added the new ones just before the cupola .. then the hard part .. putting on all the roof details .. GPS domes, lights, ladder on the roof, and those damned antenna brackets .. just can get them done correctly .. they need to be etched .. but i have about 30 hours into this thing .. time to move on to something more useful ..

[nscalbitz]

Worked on product photos and video this week.  This shot is outdoors on the @DKS "Somewhere in New Jersey" diorama.

Img REmoved

I knew I knew what you were doing here:::::