Weekend Update 2/13/22

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I really dig that monstrosity.

[delamaize]

I really dig that monstrosity.

Thanks I've always had a soft spot for weird Milwaukee Electric

[narrowminded]

There are two surviving Little Joe's that I've seen in static display, Northeast PA and Deer Lodge MT.  I understand there's another in illinois and maybe one in Brazil.  Pretty impressive machines.

[altohorn25]

I'm going to assume it's freight car blue vs. passenger blue then?

That's the only thing I can figure; must be.

[nkalanaga]

Here is my take on an EF-58 based "Baby Joe", built from ancient Bachmaan F9 cabs.  In my case, I didn't try to make a "Little Joe stand-in", but assumed that, in the early 1950s, with the start of the Interstate Highway system, a few politicians managed to get federal money to improve the railroads as well. 


Historically, even that early, military planners were worried that America might someday become dependent on foreign oil, and wanted to keep the railroads viable as a backup.  In the real world, though, most wanted a reserve fleet of steam locos, which would have meant keeping people trained to run and repair them, which in turn would have been very expensive.  In my world, the money went into simply rebuilding the railroads after the wear and tear of the war.  The MILW management was a little better disposed to the electrics, with the prospects of outside financing, so the system was "finished", the Gap was closed, and, with the MILW already serving Great Falls, soon to be home base for some of our new missiles, the Harlowton-GF line was electrified.  That, in turn, required new motors, and the MILW started by buying traditional articulated designs, rather than the new diesel-style frames with independent trucks.  Thus, the Japanese-looking EF-58s and EH-10 designs.

As for the model, I had several Bachmann cabs laying around, having used the fans for narrow gauge diesels, so decided to see what I could do with them.  I don't remember who made the etched grills, the pantographs are from Overland Models, and cost more than the loco itself.  Decals are MicroScale.

The E18 is a stock EF-58, except for the boxes under the pans, and the pans themselves, painted with Scalecoat paints, and lettered with ancient Walthers MILW passenger diesel decals.  I also have one in orange and marron, but the yellow photographed better.  As a note, the prototype Little Joes had to have boxes added to the roof for its pans as well, because it was designed for a lower wire height.  I've heard that the MILW filled those boxes with concrete and scrap metal to add more weight!

[motofavorite]

Don spends a lot of time on the buildings, everything with windows has interior and lighting.

I think you will like these links.

1. Software for simulating split-flap information displays, like the Solari boards once used by Amtrak on the NEC: https://remotesign.mixmox.com/

2. Tiny OLED displays used in N scale to simulate illuminated roadwork signs, UNIQLO store advertising displays, and so on: https://shin-yukari.weebly.com/

[Cajonpassfan]

@nkalanaga your trackwork and catenary look fabulous! Is it Code 40?
Please tell us more...
Otto

[apudelek]

I think you will like these links.

1. Software for simulating split-flap information displays, like the Solari boards once used by Amtrak on the NEC: https://remotesign.mixmox.com/

2. Tiny OLED displays used in N scale to simulate illuminated roadwork signs, UNIQLO store advertising displays, and so on: https://shin-yukari.weebly.com/

Oh man I am definitely going to play around with this...  Already downloaded the software and added a handful of PRR trains.  I don't really care if it's past the correct era, it's too fun not to use.  And you can add sound and announcements and it's fast-clock compatible.  Thanks for this great find.

Andrew

[nkalanaga]

The foreground track is the local interchange track, and is code 40, either Railcraft or Micro-Engineering.  The two main tracks are code 55, again either Railcraft or ME. The rear track, going uphill, is an industrial spur, and is code 40.  No wires there, as it's a BN customer.  The ballast is AR&M, and the dirt is dirt, from my yard.  Nothing special there.

Ground cover is Woodland Scenics foam in open areas, and a sheet of "fake fur" from the craft shop for the grasslands.  I found a roll of "dry grass yellow", although it had some weird color name, and randomly sprayed it with a can of flower-arranging "Sage" spray paint, designed for tinting dried vegetation.  The sagebrush is bits of yarn, stuck in holes poked with a nail!  Basic, 1970s-style scenery techniques.

Under everything is two inch foam insulation board, stacked and carved for the hill, and a single sheet under the flat area.

Also under the hill is the other end of the MILW, as a hidden storage track, which enters from the other side.  On the other side is also more of the BN mainline, since the hill is primarily a scenic divider.  The location modeled doesn't have high hills, so this one is about right. 

The two trees are dead sagebrush, from central Montana, cut and spliced to get a more symmetrical tree.

The "catenary", actually single-wire overhead, is about as simple as one can get.  It's based on a magazine article design from MANY years ago, for simple, working, N scale overhead, although mine isn't electrically live.  The hangers are bent 0.01 inch brass wire, the lower end bent double, with the contact wire in the resulting groove, and the top bent over the span wires.  For crossarm poles, I wound a few turns of the top around rod the size of the crossarm, so it could be slid onto the arm.

If someone makes HO fine-scale trolley parts, they might be made to work for a neater appearance.

Poles are 1/16 inch brass rod, with holes drilled for brass rod crossarms, and the span wires, phosphor bronze, the same as the contact wire, are also stuck through drilled holes.  Phosphor bronze doesn't take well to being twisted to a small radius.  "Backbone" wires and guy wires are 0.01 inch stainless steel, which was a real pain.  I'd probably use the same 0.01 inch phosphor bronze I used for the contact and span wires if I did it over.  I've had several of the SS guy wires break.  Pulloffs are smaller brass wire, one end bent similar to the hangers, and the other folded over the pulloff.

It's over 25 years of age, and showing its age, but still works well.  The pans run smoothly, with no snagging, and the wires stay where they're supposed.  Sort of like the real MILW!

[nkalanaga]

I posted this picture back in December, but it does show my single-track wires.  This is on a 16 inch radius curve, so has a continuous backbone wire on the near side

<a href="https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&amp;id=26943" class="bbc_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">[/url]

The MILW track is code 40, the BN in the foreground is code 55, and 18 inch radius

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I posted this picture back in December, but it does show my single-track wires.  This is on a 16 inch radius curve, so has a continuous backbone wire on the near side

<a href="https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&amp;id=26943" class="bbc_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">[/url]

The MILW track is code 40, the BN in the foreground is code 55, and 18 inch radius

You know we really do NOT see enough photos of your layout. It's beautiful!

[delamaize]

You know we really do NOT see enough photos of your layout. It's beautiful!

Agreed, It looks Gorgeous.

[Cajonpassfan]

Thank you for the explanation, @nkalanaga
Beautiful work.
Otto

[nkalanaga]

Ed and Delamaize:  Thank you! 

I don't take many pictures, mostly because it's never been finished.  There are parts that look good enough to photograph, and everything runs, but somehow I never seem to finish it.

I grew up in a non-modeling family, and am the only one who's interested in trains.  My father worked for the railroads most of his life, but he was never really interested in models of any kind.  So, I've learned not to bore people by talking too much.  It makes it hard to show what I'm doing, even here, where it's quite appropriate.

Also, it isn't that large, and there are only so many places, and angles, to take a picture!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I don't take many pictures, mostly because it's never been finished.  There are parts that look good enough to photograph, and everything runs, but somehow I never seem to finish it.

Lol, not finished? Man, have you seen my layout build thread?