Weekend Update 1/16/22

[Kentuckian]

A wee bit more progress on the Ashland Coal & Iron micro layout. The Henry Clay hotel is in the back.

[davefoxx]

@Kentuckian,

Looks good so far, but I might suggest deleting the steep ramp.  Way too implausible incline, unless you can significantly lower the upper level or stretch out the distance of the rise.  If it were me, I wouldn’t bother with the connecting ramp, i.e., that street could be just off the modeled layout.

Hope this helps,
DFF

[altohorn25]

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[Kentuckian]

@Kentuckian,

Looks good so far, but I might suggest deleting the steep ramp.  Way too implausible incline, unless you can significantly lower the upper level or stretch out the distance of the rise.  If it were me, I wouldn’t bother with the connecting ramp, i.e., that street could be just off the modeled layout.

Hope this helps,
DFF

@davefoxx, thanks for the input. I will have to contemplate this. I knew it was too steep, but selective compression and all. But I may try to lengthen the connection.

[davefoxx]

@davefoxx, thanks for the input. I will have to contemplate this. I knew it was too steep, but selective compression and all. But I may try to lengthen the connection.

I know all about selective compression . . . you should see my layout!    But, unfortunately, slope is one of those things that just doesn’t compress well.

DFF

[PiperguyUMD]

Finally some hands on modeling for me this weekend! I've committed to bring a module to the N scale convention in Nashville this summer so I got the ball rolling yesterday. It will be a simple straight module with a siding serving a truck dump coal loader.



Also finally got around to making coal loads for my Elkins 66t rebuild hoppers. Need to weather them, but man they're pretty lined up in a row!



More in the layout thread!

[glakedylan]

A wee bit more progress on the Ashland Coal & Iron micro layout. The Henry Clay hotel is in the back.
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There is (was?) a Henry Clay Hotel in the town of Pottsville PA (anthracite coal region) along with a statue of him on high pedestal over-looking the town.
thanks for stirring the good memories!

sincerely
Gary

[Chris333]

I would leave the sloped road there, just try to lower the upper level with a thin board instead of thick foam. Maybe make the slope longer as well.

[wazzou]

I would leave the sloped road there, just try to lower the upper level with a thin board instead of thick foam. Maybe make the slope longer as well.

Yeah, this. 
Just use some 1/8” luan plywood which you can usually buy in 24” square sheets at a Home Center store.
You can keep the same clearances and reduce the grade, particularly if you lengthened it like Chris suggests.

[bbussey]

Got the Stone's Express pilot models done, two for me and one for Springfield in two weeks.  These still need to be cleaned up but the decal application is done.

[nkalanaga]

"I might suggest deleting the steep ramp"

For downtown Ashland, KY, I might agree, but some of the other streets in Ashland actually look like that!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Taking a day off to let my back recover from the under-layout contortionist act yesterday has given me the  chance to do a project I've been wanting to do for years: a Conrail ex-Reading GP40-2.

I'm starting with an Atlas Reading GP40-2, like this:


Because it was one of the original 1997 models there was quite a bit that needed to be done to bring it "up to speed" as a baseline.

The biggest thing was painting the handrails yellow and the walkways green.

I updated the anticlimber to be the early style by simply cutting it back.

I made a pair of Reading cab drip strips from some .015 wire, and then promptly covered my entire hand in CA while attaching them (thank goodness for that bottle of debonder I keep handy).

I then added a sinclair radio antenna, an unpainted cab signal box and a snow plow.

The paint looks quite rough right now. I'll be cleaning some of that up and smoothing the rest of it over with weathering prior to patching.

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[altohorn25]

Got the Stone's Express pilot models done, two for me and one for Springfield in two weeks.  These still need to be cleaned up but the decal application is done.

Your Ringling equipment looks good as well

[chuck geiger]

Had a real successful weekend of work on the layout. Base scenery down in Box Springs, CA. Turnout issue resolved from a few weeks ago. Moved it to another location and swapped it out and it's fine. WS static grass (not a fan) but it could be pilot error. Grounding arc too far away and not on the area.

[GaryHinshaw]

^ Nice.  I love the nearly buried track through the tree grove.  Very SoCal.