Weekend Update 6/20/21

[DKS]

Quick followup on weekend progress:

Details: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=49183.msg714014#msg714014

[w neal]

Spending some time in the homeland this weekend at the strawberry festival. To be in the land of SOO. Er, ah, sorry about the sideways shot.

[Philip H]

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=40665.msg714016#msg714016

Scenery work coming along

[Maletrain]

Quick followup on weekend progress:

Details: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=49183.msg714014#msg714014

Nice!

I already have a BLI water tower that is animated, but want a coaling tower animated too.  This shows me how I can do that for myself.  Thanks.

[sirenwerks]

I am testing out some parts for my N-scale Atlas C420 fleet.  I am pretty happy with the way the parts worked out and how they look on the model.  Some small modifications will be made to the handrails and a few other things but they are pretty much ready to go.  I have been focusing on HO scale for the past few years but N-scale has found its way back into my life.

Scott Lupia

I was hoping you'd come back to N eventually. I have been eyeing your HO scale Alco offerings with envy. I would gladly snatch up some N scale offerings, and have some requests to make to, like a SP&S RS3 winterization set-up.

[randgust]

Had a really rain-soaked Saturday so I resigned myself to doing a repair job I've put off for a couple years.

One of the four critical main line turnouts on the ATSF layout was just worn out, and although it's worked OK for years, there was also enough of a kink in it that it kept derailing my big steam on the diverging route RH running.   So the 'don't go there' rule has been in effect for way too long.   I had no interest in steam when I built this, now I've got more going than ever in brass.

Complicated the replacement is that it's in the center layer of hidden track, and while I designed access to all hidden turnouts,  it means a lot had to be disassembled to get in there - all scenery and upper level tracks.   Planned for it, but still a pain.   And the switch machine linkages are equally difficult to modify as they are all tied into the signal system (think PTC!), so hitting 'point of switch' precisely took a lot of measurement.  So the ancient and worn Atlas #4 came out and got replaced with a Peco. gauged, bench tested, soldered up point jumpers, everything I could do, and the entire track section about two feet long was built modularly to take out the diverging kink and the vertical curve approaches.   It all was cut and put back in by late last night.   Looks like a bomb hit the layout though.   Testing will be this week before everything gets put back.   One of those epic projects that you know you've done it right if nothing visible is changed when you're finished.    All that not to derail steam pilot trucks and hear that rattle followed by the breakers tripping on a dead short on hidden track....

[mmagliaro]

Quite a few do, yes. I think the prevailing opinion is that I'm some kind of nut 

-Mark

If the people of Hope know you are modeling their town, they should give you some kind of nice award!
(and I'm not joking)
Maybe one day, your layout or the town scene could go to a library in Hope where it can be on display for everyone to appreciate.

[learmoia]

If the people of Hope know you are modeling their town, they should give you some kind of nice award!
(and I'm not joking)
Maybe one day, your layout or the town scene could go to a library in Hope where it can be on display for everyone to appreciate.

Does the town even have a library?

Looking at your layout blog.. it looks like Hope is only part of the layout.. are the other sections modeled after other areas nearby?..

And is the line through Hope ICE(CP) or UP?  Hard to tell by Google Maps..

[spookshow]

Does the town even have a library?

Looking at your layout blog.. it looks like Hope is only part of the layout.. are the other sections modeled after other areas nearby?..

And is the line through Hope ICE(CP) or UP?  Hard to tell by Google Maps..

Nope, no libraries. The closest thing (I guess) is the old two-room schoolhouse which is now some sort of community center -





And you are correct, it's not all Hope -



The front section is Hope, which sits on the UP/CNW/CRI&P "spine line" (Twin Cities to KC). The upper left section is the Cargill facility located a few miles south of New Richland on the old DME/CNW/MStL line (about 20 miles from Hope). The upper right section is the CP/DME/CNW/MStL yard in Waseca (about 22 miles from Hope). And yes, the way the two mains loop around is total fantasyland, but that's model railroading for ya 

My primary mission was to model as much of Hope as would fit into a 12' X 4' space (as it turns out, 33% of the houses and 90% of everything else). But then I also needed to add these other places, otherwise it would've become a room full of cornfields (or at least a lot more cornfields than it already has, lol).

Hope -



Cargill (New Richland) -



Waseca -

[learmoia]

Ok, so Hope is along the spine line.. I figured the yard may have Austin or Mankato.. didnt realize Waseca had a yard but makes sense..

My wife lived in Manly, IA when I met her so somewhat firmiliar with the area.

~Ian

[sirenwerks]

I am an armchair fan of the SOO Line, my Father having been a Wisconsonite (Barton), but I know enough to double take the six-axle Century leading that train.  Funnily, it fits right in, and is a lot prettier than the U boats they ended up with.

[w neal]

And the star prize goes to Mr. Sirenworks!!!!

Well done sir!!!

Yah, funny. The Century unit does not look much out of place eh? Fantasy or not, it seems to fit right in.

[ednadolski]

The O Scale National was in Denver this past weekend, and I picked up a few lonely Atlas O cars that were looking for a new home.

I also got to visit Jeff MacDonald's incredible O-scale home layout which was having an open house as part of a round of layout tours:

https://oscalenational.com/jeff-macdonalds-high-plains-route/

Very highly recommended!

Ed

[chuck geiger]

JRMFT - Hooked up power pack to 36" section of flex and ran GP-9 - Boom ran like a top............First train run since Feb 19.

[Pomperaugrr]

JRMFT - Hooked up power pack to 36" section of flex and ran GP-9 - Boom ran like a top............First train run since Feb 19.

That counts!  Nice to see wheels turn after a break!