Weekend Update 4/26/20

[johnb]

You need:


T. Bird Services, Incorpowated





T. Bird Services, Incorpowated--Keeping Bad Ol' Puddy 'Tats under contwol since 1942.  CALL TO-DAY FOR A FWEE ESTIMATE!

I was thinking that Thanos, the destroyer of left shoes would help remove PJ...
[ Guests cannot view attachments ] he is the Great Derp

[nkalanaga]

WM3798:  Way back in the 1970s, we had a large (18 pound) cat, who loved to sit on my railroad.  So, your "retro" layout is appropriately inhabited.  Our cat never damaged anything, in spite of his size, but made it very hard to run the trains, as he liked to curl up on the track.  It was a 3x4 foot "round and round" layout, and had to be put on my bed to run, so he had no trouble getting on it.

I finally took most of the buildings out of the center, and convinced him to sleep there.  Not the greatest scenery, but the trains could run!

[mu26aeh]

Ballasting works better when you get the colors right.  I created my own mix and still wasn't dark enough so had to cover with a darker grey.  Eastern yard tracks are darker yet, so I have Scenic Express  Fine Cinders to grind in and cover the ground.

[nickelplate759]

Oh , collective wisdom of the Railwire: in planing for the anticipated Covid shutdown I purchased what I thought I’d need for the upcoming weeks. I’ve got track, cork, ballast, plans and good intentions. However it looks like I shorted myself on track to track bus hook-up wire. Possible critical shortage in that it may limit progress. In looking through the supply closet it appears I have some 24 gauge wire (stranded). Is this too light?
Geoff

For feeders from the bus to the track, maybe not, at least in N scale.  I use AWG 22 solid ['cause I find solid is easier to work with].   The key is how long the wire is and how much current you are pulling.  Realize that inside your DCC engines all that current is flowing through wires that are almost certainly smaller than AWG 24.   Keep the feeders as short as you can.  To be safe, though, you drop twice as many feeders as you would do with larger wire.

[MK]

Oh , collective wisdom of the Railwire: in planing for the anticipated Covid shutdown I purchased what I thought I’d need for the upcoming weeks. I’ve got track, cork, ballast, plans and good intentions. However it looks like I shorted myself on track to track bus hook-up wire. Possible critical shortage in that it may limit progress. In looking through the supply closet it appears I have some 24 gauge wire (stranded). Is this too light?
Geoff

Keep it under 12" and you'll be fine.  Of course the shorter the better as suggested above.

[Rasputen]

Some N scale vehicles for a friend's layout:


Plus, some HO vehicles for a different layout:

[Cajonpassfan]

Wow @Rasputen, those turned out nice! I need to finish some of mine...between projects
I’ve been working on my Devore area, more in my LA Division layout thread.
Otto K.

[CRL]

Some N scale vehicles for a friend's layout:


Plus, some HO vehicles for a different layout:

Generally, my main complaint about many vehicle models I’ve seen posted is the paint is way too shiny and the reflectivity is too much to look realistic when placed on a layout.

Yours are damn near perfect to my eye.

[MVW]

Tryin' to get back in the groove with some weathering. The "before and afters":









Jim

[jpec]

Finally crawled out of my funk and finished some buildings...

[Cajonpassfan]

Generally, my main complaint about many vehicle models I’ve seen posted is the paint is way too shiny and the reflectivity is too much to look realistic when placed on a layout.

Yours are damn near perfect to my eye.

To mine,  too, those cars look great!
I wonder whether @Rasputen would mind sharing his finishing techniques and secrets with us...please?
Otto K.

[SP-Wolf]

This weekends progress. First round of decals




Thanks,
Wolf

[Bill H]

Some N scale vehicles for a friend's layout:


Plus, some HO vehicles for a different layout:

Wow, wish I had that kinda talent. Great job. They look just right for my layout's era but then again, I ain't you...

Kind regards,
Bill

[mu26aeh]

I dove head first into ballasting Center St tonight.  Finished moving some around, new colors in spots, building layers and mixed up the glue.  This is my first time using real rock, I'm hoping I didn't use too much glue.  I'm guessing the Woodland Scenic crushed walnut soaks some in.  Posed some GP units on the power track before doing so.  2625 arrived yesterday from Massachusetts, decoder already installed (sweet).  I marked off where the engine house will sit and bent a piece of square styrene rod to act as a partial turntable foundation. 

We'll see how this turns out in the morning.  Hope I didn't hit my head by diving in the shallow end of the pool...

[wm3798]

A little putty, little paint, make it something that it aint...


Mudded in some riverbank, installed some ballast, then this morning, after scrubbing the rail heads, immediately set about  the important work of running some trains.

Lee