Weekend Update 2/7/21

[up1950s]

https://www.michiganradio.org/post/elijah-mccoy-african-american-inventor-michigan-changed-railroad-industry

[Dave V]

If you've been wondering if I gave up on the Colorado Midland, the answer is nope!  Taking a break from building the HO scale RGS/D&RGW Ridgway depot and focusing on the N scale CMRy version 2.0.  If you've been playing along at home, you might remember that the plan calls for independent loops separated vertically by 3".  I finished the lower loop well before the holidays but only this week took a hack at the upper level base.  I also installed the lower trestle which required extensive "excavation."

I've been refining the space between the lower and upper level loops prior to tracklaying.  I've never been one for sequential construction!



The pink foam overhang will be replaced with another tall wooden trestle supporting the upper track.



Another view of the lower trestle.  I'd been calling the lower trestle Hagerman but due to a miscalculation on my part, the upper trestle will end up being equally tall.  Given that it's higher up and Hagerman was the highest trestle on the Midland at nearly 11,500 feet above mean sea level, I may start referring to the upper one as Hagerman instead, although it will be shorter in length.

[SAH]

This week was probably a no more productive than most others but getting a couple of projects to the "done" stage makes it feel more productive.

I finished SkipGear's B&O I-1 shells as described here.  I'm very happy with the final product.
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=50261.msg697662#msg697662

I also finished off the space between the Brittain Yard tracks and the blue backdrop.

[SP-Wolf]

Finished a project that I have wanted to do for a long time.

St.LSW Class Z-27 FT's

War Bonnet fans - don't hurt me - LOL







Thanks,
Wolf

[davefoxx]

With a pair of decals, Georgia RR No. 751 has been caught up in the merger and is now Seaboard System No. 751.  I installed these decals after the weathering, so they would look fresh.  The prototype would eventually be painted into the SBD and/or CSXT scheme and be renumbered to No. 6653.  I’m too lazy for all of that. 



Interestingly, the camera doesn’t seem to pick up all of the weathering.  It looks better in person.  You’ll just have to trust me.

DFF

[Cajonpassfan]

Oh, Wolf, how couldyou?
Nice work though (begrudgingly). And what’s that steam loco in the background?
Otto

[Cajonpassfan]

Oh, Wolf, how couldyou?
Nice work though (begrudgingly). And what’s that steam loco in the background? GS-1?
Otto

[SP-Wolf]

Oh, Wolf, how couldyou?
Nice work though (begrudgingly). And what’s that steam loco in the background?
Otto

Hi Otto,

I know - right? Sorry man - had to do it -- LOL

The steamer is an SP F3 class 2-10-2 -- another long time project.

Best regards,
Wolf
 

[Mike Madonna]

Wolf,

Very nice set of FTs!! Very unique scheme
Oh yes, I too noticed that "Deck" in the background.
You'll have to share how you modified the Kato Mikado chassis for this project 

[Bob]

I've more or less completed the scenery between Duffields and Shenandoah Junction, giving me about 8 continuous feet of scenery.  The module immediately to the east of Duffields has a soybean field and a farmhouse - still need to blend the module into the layout (you can see the caulk seam).
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Next up is Duffields itself, where I have added the passenger area on the north side of the tracks with forest behind it.

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Between Duffields and Shenandoah Junction are two modules.  On the south side of the tracks I built an abandoned silo, surrounded by scrub forest that is taking over the former field.  On the north side of the tracks is a module with a cornfield, two trailers homes (Woodland Scenics) and the S. Junction post office (scratch built).  Still have some detail work to do and may add another structure or two, but I am now trying to map out the next scenes - probably the Burr farm house, which is to the west of S. Junction and is one of the oldest standing structures in West Virginia.

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[wm3798]

Incremental progress on Skid Row...

[SP-Wolf]

Wolf,

Very nice set of FTs!! Very unique scheme
Oh yes, I too noticed that "Deck" in the background.
You'll have to share how you modified the Kato Mikado chassis for this project 

Hi Mike,

Thank you, so very much.

The Decks story to follow - once, I put the story together, I can't and wont take credit - the casting and chassis modification is courtesy of Jason Smith (Superturbine). The detailing and assembly is on me.

Thanks,
Wolf

[nscaler711]

Last week I repaired a messed up ditchlight on a ST C44-9W that missed their QC department apparently?
Oh well. Its a whole new ditchlight housing from a piece of styrene, and a brass rod I drilled out, and some new fiber optic strands. I am tempted to do the engineers side as well.
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This weekend I have decided to add DCC to three P42s.
two digitrax (they were cheap...)
and technically I pulled the decoder out of a Kobo P42, and put it on a WVD adapter board, and swapped all the pilots and trucks.
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then I added some details to a Kato C44-9 to spruce it up when its near my ST D9. I added a new plow from a Atlas D8, Sun shades also from a Atlas D8, then MU hoses from BLMA, air line hose is just brass wire, added brake pipes to the cylinders on the trucks, and painted the window gaskets black. You know, the "essentials."
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[Wutter]

Last week I repaired a messed up ditchlight on a ST C44-9W that missed their QC department apparently?
Oh well. Its a whole new ditchlight housing from a piece of styrene, and a brass rod I drilled out, and some new fiber optic strands. I am tempted to do the engineers side as well.

@nscaler711
I had the same problem on my ST C44-9W except the housing was mangled and installed upside down. They ended up giving me a credit (I think it was like $15?) since they didn't have a replacement locomotive of the same road number and it would have cost them that much anyway to RMA ship it back to them and then back to me. Maybe they'll do the same for you?
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I ended up doing the same thing that you did except I reshaped the original housing with some putty and repainted it to match.

[altohorn25]

I finshed the second Rivarossi sleeper (car #80 - I completed car #70 last weekend) to add to my Royal American Shows carnival train.  It blends in pretty well with the Micro Trains cars.  I may still paint the window frames black.  I swapped out some of the factory lettering and painted the ends and vestibules to match the Micro Trains cars.  I also added Gold Metal Models vestibule steps.  I body mounted Micro Trains 1015 couplers and swapped out the trucks for Micro Trains heavyweight trucks and metal low profile wheels.

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