Weekend Update 8/14/22

[Jesse6669]

Progress on the test 1:300 scale DL535E.  I tried 3D printing the handrails but that's a no-go;  although they printed ok on the front and rear, they are just too thin for the long run of the side; they were curling/sagging.  So, back to the etched handrails for the sides.   
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I did a test print of the 1:300 dummy narrow gauge turnout using a more flexible resin called TGM-7.  These take Code 40 T-gauge rail for the through route, and the diverging route is not live--rails are 3D printed.  I may do some tinkering to make a working turnout design eventually...  Before curing, I gave the roadbed a curve and held in place with some push-pins during curing--it turned out ok.  Could probably curve a bit more if needed.
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I got a request from another T modeler for an open hopper so I refreshed the old 1:450 3-bay for the new printer.  I added some rivets along the bottom sill just to see if they would print--they do, but will probably disappear under paint.   These hoppers accept etched brass end ladders and bracing. [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[wcfn100]

Ha, I was standing on that bridge yesterday!

Three trains came though at one time. 

Jason

[Cajonpassfan]

Those of you who follow my ATSF LA Division thread may remember my "Barstow" staging yard is located inside an uninsulated garage, and it can get prototypically hot in there, just like the real Barstow Over the years though, I've had very little trouble with track expansion/contraction even though the temperatures do vary wildly. I even purchased a cheapo digital thermometer that monitors temperatures continuously so I have a record of highs and lows in any given period. It worked well over several years, until today. In a bit of an irony, with three-digit temps outside, the poor thermometer had enough and blew itself up at a temperature which shall remain a mystery. The black plastic surface of the thing got all soft and sticky, and one of the batteries had a meltdown.
On a happy note, the trains seem okay...
Otto

[chuck geiger]

Long busy weekend conquering the spreadsheet for new build and ordering on Amazon. New airbrush, compressor, Weller station, Dremel 3000, wire spools and track order.
I parted with all those items in 2012 before moving to Alaska the first time. For the new build I've budgeted for track, lumber, plywood, foam, brackets and the
equipment I am replacing. Labor Day weekend the contractor is going to do the renovation to the 12x10 shed. Tape/Mud drywall and moving a few things around.
I will be working on the removing the present layout from the mother in law quarters (casita) and Janis will be moving stuff out of the shed into another storage
shed. Might be possible to have a new train room roughed out Labor Day Weekend.

[altohorn25]

I finished most of the staging yard this weekend including the locomotive storage tracks on my Milwaukee Road Layout. I put an extra turnout in on the west end of the yard so I could put a few extra storage tracks on the lift out section (still need to lay the track on that section). You can never have enough staging tracks, right?

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[SAH]

I hosted the second of three ops sessions on the current version of my AC&Y Spur 4 layout this past week.  One more next Saturday.  After the first session one of the operators asked if he could do a video.  I really didn't want to but after watching a long cut of cars being shoved around the bend, down the ladder and into a yard track I thought "Why not.  This is why we do this, no?"

[TiogaTracks]

I had a week of major progress outside!  The full day-by-day story is in the Layout Engineering thread, but here is the start point, and finished project.  In short, I did a ton of cinder block/dirt/gravel benchwork, wired the layout up just enough to test, and ran the very first test train with a dozen or so people watching.  And it all worked!  Without the full wiring in place, I can’t run continuously yet.  But I worked every spare minute of last week to make this layout run, and seeing a U25b, 17 cars, and a caboose run the length of my yard was totally worth it!

The start:



The mostly complete garden walls:



And Penn Central 2504 cooling her heels after leading the first train from Wellsboro Junction to “Newberry Yard”:




If this coming week is half as productive, I expect to have great things to share next time!

-Steven

[johnb]

Finally doing some modeling again, a pair of Pacific Electric 1000`s