Weekend Update 11/15/20

[up1950s]

https://www.facebook.com/NewOrleansPublicBeltRR/

[Dave V]

I finished my abbreviated version of Hagerman trestle for the N scale Colorado Midland.



I may be getting ahead of myself a bit but I wanted to see what this Peco code 55 track looks like when ballasted and weathered per late 19th-century practice.  The practice piece I did earlier had been promising but this is where the rubber meets the road.  I'm pretty happy with it.



In that wedge-shaped area between the enginehouse track and the Glenwood Springs main I plan to build a coaling dock.  It's just an elevated platform with three low sides where coal is manually shoveled...similar to the one recently restored at Osier, CO on the Cumbres & Toltec.

Also, Hagerman Trestle is "unwarping" in the back.  I had built it flat on the stringers at first but as I added the girts I had to move it around by hand.  A slight twist to the deck developed.  While I could probably have taken the twist out simply using shims when I installed it, I didn't want any torque on the Micro Engineering bridge track that would go on top.  So I soaked the stringers with isopropyl alcohol and pinned the trestle flat.  The first 24 hours took probably 80% of the twist out, so another round should do it.

I'm also mocking up the structure positions...  The town (Aspen) and mines in the center—along with the track bits—will be raised by 3” and several more trestles will be added to the second level.  The lower level with the yard represents Basalt.





And, I finally ordered some 3-D printed Colorado Midland-style “Bombay” cupolas for the cabooses through Panamint Models on Shapeways.

[Kentuckian]

It has come to my attention that I have not been running trains lately. Therefore, tonight I knocked together a couple of turnback modules to create the Jackson, Flatwoods, Russell,Thurmond-Minton Railway (JFRTM RY).  So far, only Thurmond has been modeled. I plan to start a layout engineering report soon. This will keep me busy while I am planning The Big One.

[wm3798]

My 1972 Bachmann Northern has evolved into a foobie Western Maryland Potomac.  The 8 axle tender is wrong, the cab is wrong, and the smoke box is wrong.  And yet as I watch it haul a fast freight around the retro rig, it just feels right!

The Northeast Decals I used are almost as old as the locomotive!


In proper tourist trap tradition, I've numbered her one past the prototype roster.  Appropriately on Friday the 13th!  The original cab number still reads 2113, too!  But I'll be fixing that after a little surgery on the boiler shell.



She sure looks right at home crossing her namesake river!
Lee

[SkipGear]

Electronic modeling for me. I think I have taken the 3d printed B&O caboose model as far as I can.

[mark dance]

One  down, one to go...hope to finish the partner wheel turning shop this wknd!





Have a good one!

md

[Bryn]

Work slowly progresses on my Milwaukee Road Thrall caboose. This started life as a FVM rib side caboose and uses the Skytop Models resin body conversion. The 3M thermal generators are scratch built from various plastic strips.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5331526&fbclid=IwAR3jZ8SJshb2XKA-wvQUcsguOChvUzx05lQB_2AwkmU5SyHWAvBtlLAU_b0

[nkalanaga]

Dave V:  The track looks good.  The tie spacing, that doesn't work well for modern railroads, looks fine for your era.

The only thing that would make it look better is smaller rail, but unless you handlay your track, that isn't an option.  So, you probably have it about as good as practical.

[pjm20]

Not much modeling possibilities for about the next year, so what I have been limited to is making wire tree armatures:



Still getting down my technique but it is a nice way to pass time until I can get back to some real modeling.

[PiperguyUMD]

Big progress on Long Run! I'll have a big update in the layout thread later. I'm one turnout short of being able to connect my four corner models and JFRTM!

[davefoxx]

Big progress on Long Run! I'll have a big update in the layout thread later. I'm one turnout short of being able to connect my four corner models and JFRTM!

Patch in a temporary piece of flextrack and let 'em rip!

DFF

[Jesse6669]

Several works-in-progress to report on this weekend.. Mostly T-scale stuff but there's a custom HO paint job as well.  Anyone recognize the "movie star"? 

An AEM-7 (final beta design) in T-scale.  There will be Amtrak, SEPTA, and MARC decals. 
 
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Inspired by the donation of the X-67 boxcar to the CRHS, I designed and printed a T-scale version.  There are CR and PC decals for this, and I did a set of ATSF BX-91 which is close (enough). 

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Finally the movie star an ex-CP AC4400CW.  Needs decals, detail painting, etc. etc.

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-Jesse

[Roger Holmes]

Bryn--Excellent work on the Milwaukee Road caboose.  That's the first time I have seen the thermal generators modeled.

[Frank Amato]

I finished up "neutering" these Ennar Latex tank cars, using Micro-Set and a pencil eraser to remove the logos.  To cover up the shiny areas, I sprayed a matte coat but wound up with some orange peel    A little buffing with some 3000 grit and a t-shirt took care of the worst of it.

I replaced the factory trucks with BLMA, and for kicks body mounted 905 couplers.  I love the tight coupling distance compared to the factory Accumates.  I now have two "plain" ACFX chemical tanks!





  Frank

[fcnrwy23]

Bryn - that Caboose is quite impressive..  I agree, on the generators. 

November 14th, 2020

With my vehicle projects done for now.  It was time to tackle the "Detail" list of To-Do's..
This is at the WSOR / FCN Interchange track at Randolph.  I have seen these signs on youtube videos of some short lines.  These signs denote the beginning and end of each railway's trackage.  A nice little detail,  I figured this location needed.



This is at the Northwoods location in Wild Rose.
I have had a "Gate" for the "Rail" entrance to this industry, for some years now.  But always wanted to "Finish" the chain-link fence that surrounded the rest of the place. So, now it's done.



A Bigger Item on that list.  Is starting the process of "upgrading" the layout location "Area Maps", that I use to help the train crews navigate the layout. 
These maps, show location and track layout for each town and control point.
This is the first one for the NEW Staging Yard, which represents ALL Connecting traffic for the layout.  (North and South).



I have a few, rolling stock projects in the works.. This is the 4th Flatcar, the first three are "Drop-deck" cars, But the 1st Heavy-Duty Flatcar for the GGX Heavy-Move fleet.



GGX #23.
It runs on four (4) Micro-Trains, "Buckeye" trucks.  The car is made of styrene and is so light, I had to add weight somewhere for an empty car.  The center compartment hides 3/4 oz of metal weight.   The car still needs some tweaking to make it "all the way" around the layout...  But it's a nice addition, that I have been wanting to do for some years now...

Jerry G.