Weekend Update 11/6/22

[up1950s]

https://www.carloadexpress.com/railroads/delmarva-central-railroad/

https://usmrr.blogspot.com/2014/

https://www.gsmr.com/

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-07-04/sandag-funding-tracks-del-mar-bluffs

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/pennsylvania/scrumptious-roadside-stop-pa/

https://ny.curbed.com/2013/12/5/10167526/abandoned-rockaway-rail-line-waits-for-high-line-moment

[wm3798]

One of our locals!  I miss the days when Conrail ran this line, but I'm glad it's now a smaller short line operation.
Lee

[TrainCat2]

Woot! I get to post my progress on the Canyon Diablo. Well, while I was computerless, I got almost all of the structural building complete along the entire length of the bridge. Somewhere in the last 8-9 years, I misplaced the stainless for the bridge and I will have to get a new sheet made before I can continue adding the pieces from the center stairway out to the outer girders. Real difficult to see the detail of the bridge in these photos. The camera will focus on the outer columns or the stairway. Can't get both in focus on the build table.

[eja]

WOW  - on that bridge!

[EJN]

I built this n-scale GC Laser freight depot kit. It is a nice kit, using 1/32" & 1/64" plywood. The windows & frames are not peel-and-stick, everything is glued. I assembled the entire kit using Aleene's tacky glue applied with a very small paintbrush. Ready to paint and attach chimneys.

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[chessie system fan]

A while back I designed a Stanray roof. The raised stamped part was more complex than I first thought, and it makes me wonder now how often in N scale Stanray roofs get fudged with just a straight top instead of the accurate three-level stamping. Some N scale boxcar roofs seem to look better than others. And some look too thick too.  Those raised panels aren't as tall as you might think.



But now that I had a roof, I needed a car! For starters, I decided on this MP express car just because those double doors are neat.  There were often MP baggage cars on the B&O National Limited so that's my excuse to build one.





Any Mopac fans have any comments?  All I had to go on was a few pictures and the (somewhat crude) RMC drawings so I could be missing something.  And I can't decide if the doors are too thick or not.

The car also needs Stanray ends and this was challenging to draw because the complex curves are difficult to portray on a flat drawing, especially the part that wraps around the corner posts.  I had to do some educated guessing here and there.  I feel like I got close enough, but I'm sure there's room for improvement in there somewhere.



I would love to show everyone the 3D printed ends, but while the paint was drying they blew away and since they're camo tan I can't find them in the grass.  I'll have to print another set.   

Now I need to figure out what to do about decals.  And were these in Jenks blue or Eagle blue?

[wm3798]

Busy night on the Retro Hi Rail layout.






And mocking up the company town scene.
Lee

[bbussey]

Worked on building the piers for the pier trestle that leads to the swing bridge at Shaw’s Cove. It took three tries to get the 3D fixture correct before proceeding.

[ncbqguy]

A while back I designed a Stanray roof. The raised stamped part was more complex than I first thought, and it makes me wonder now how often in N scale Stanray roofs get fudged with just a straight top instead of the accurate three-level stamping. Some N scale boxcar roofs seem to look better than others. And some look too thick too.  Those raised panels aren't as tall as you might think.



But now that I had a roof, I needed a car! For starters, I decided on this MP express car just because those double doors are neat.  There were often MP baggage cars on the B&O National Limited so that's my excuse to build one.





Any Mopac fans have any comments?  All I had to go on was a few pictures and the (somewhat crude) RMC drawings so I could be missing something.  And I can't decide if the doors are too thick or not.

The car also needs Stanray ends and this was challenging to draw because the complex curves are difficult to portray on a flat drawing, especially the part that wraps around the corner posts.  I had to do some educated guessing here and there.  I feel like I got close enough, but I'm sure there's room for improvement in there somewhere.



I would love to show everyone the 3D printed ends, but while the paint was drying they blew away and since they're camo tan I can't find them in the grass.  I'll have to print another set.   

Now I need to figure out what to do about decals.  And were these in Jenks blue or Eagle blue?

I remember seeing these at Chicago Union Station.  I think they came in on the GM&O carrying storage mail.   Neet cars, great 3D work!
Charlie Vlk

[Chris333]

Some progress on a N scale Mack switcher. All 3D even the chassis.

[Jim Starbuck]

Some progress on a N scale Mack switcher. All 3D even the chassis.

Your work on this is truly inspiring. Fantastic!

Jim

[milw156]

A while back I designed a Stanray roof. The raised stamped part was more complex than I first thought, and it makes me wonder now how often in N scale Stanray roofs get fudged with just a straight top instead of the accurate three-level stamping. Some N scale boxcar roofs seem to look better than others. And some look too thick too.  Those raised panels aren't as tall as you might think.



But now that I had a roof, I needed a car! For starters, I decided on this MP express car just because those double doors are neat.  There were often MP baggage cars on the B&O National Limited so that's my excuse to build one.





Any Mopac fans have any comments?  All I had to go on was a few pictures and the (somewhat crude) RMC drawings so I could be missing something.  And I can't decide if the doors are too thick or not.

The car also needs Stanray ends and this was challenging to draw because the complex curves are difficult to portray on a flat drawing, especially the part that wraps around the corner posts.  I had to do some educated guessing here and there.  I feel like I got close enough, but I'm sure there's room for improvement in there somewhere.



I would love to show everyone the 3D printed ends, but while the paint was drying they blew away and since they're camo tan I can't find them in the grass.  I'll have to print another set.   

Now I need to figure out what to do about decals.  And were these in Jenks blue or Eagle blue?

Had the opportunity to visit Gateway Rail Car just before the St Louis RPM this past summer and saw this car, though might be a different prototype. notice the porthole in the middle of the car. Bad lighting, but seeing as I was there with my cousin, who was trying to find some parts there, I wasn't going to get too far off the beaten path. The yard had about 2 dozen ex ATSF Highlevel cars stored there also. the "bubble above the left end of the car is (I believe) a dome car on the next track, not a "forklifted" roof




Want to know what's under the skin?

[altohorn25]

I got a chance to run some of my Milwaukee Road equipment on the Minnesota Free-moN setup in Shakopee today.

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[daniel_leavitt2000]

Working on more vehicles. These need a lot more work before complete.

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GMC 7500 hi rail dump truck. Prototype here:
http://users.vermontel.net//~tomh/images//RAIL/CONRAIL/CRE_1024W/CRHIRail_24May96.jpg

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Topkick/Kodiak rail and tie supply truck. Boom has not been attached yet. Prototype here:
https://conrailphotos.thecrhs.org/photos/ns-794309

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Brigadier welding truck. Not a direct copy, but inspired by this. I may swap the cab to a Topkick/Kodiak.
http://users.vermontel.net//~tomh/images//RAIL/CONRAIL/CRE_1024W/CRJ1343_24May96.jpg

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A bit of an experiment. Brigadier cab and bumper mounted on the Showcase Mack B fire truck. Very little work was needed.

[Sokramiketes]

Mopac Coach, RailSmith coach with added corrugated skirts between trucks.

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And the final no-looking-back part of converting the Q car to Wabash. Truck cutouts in skirts… time for some paint.

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