Weekend Update 12/11/22

[rodsup9000]

  22 servos installed and the rotary switch matrix wired. Next will be the making of the 2 control panels

[TrainCat2]

Soldered up my first N-Scale SP Late signal bridge that I never got to release. Got to get the platforms lasered.



I have made a 1/2 dozen #5 turnouts. I am just less than 1hr 45min per turnout at this moment. Don't know how much less is usual but at this point, I think I'm doing ok.



I am right in the middle of my first kit bash for the new layout. This will be Baily's Warehouse when finished.

[Jbub]

My daughter, Aly, and I had a big talk about her trains.  She has the little N scale layout and a Lionel O scale Polar Express set.  We’ve decided that, during our Christmas break, we are going to build her a table to get her a more permanent place for her O scale trains.  She has a much easier time running the O scale trains, because, if she knocks the N scale trains off the track, she needs help rerailing and coupling the train.  Man, I detest Kato couplers.

Plus, she’s very artistic, but it’s easier for her to build things in O scale at her age than in N scale.  She has a boatload of trees we can use and other toys (like an O scale Herbie the Love Bug) that she can play with on this layout.  We just ordered a Lincoln Log set as a Christmas present for her to build Santa’s Workshop.  She also wants an O scale Foam Depot.  Challenge accepted.

Anyhoo, we starting playing around with her track pieces to figure out what we can build as compared to what size table we can fit in the basement.  We’re a little short on track today, so we couldn’t complete the inner loop.  But, that’s okay; we have a loop of track presently under our Christmas tree, so we don’t need to purchase any track.  We definitely want a passing siding, and this track plan would fit on a table that is about 56” x 96” with the track center about 5” from the layout edge.





Earlier in the year, we built a layout on the floor that used every piece from her Polar Express set, a passing siding expander set, and my Thomas set.  Those s-turns were no problem for these trains! 😆



I know some on TRW may turn their nose up at three-rail Lionel FasTrack, and I get it.  But, if this keeps Aly interested in this hobby even just enough that she continues to spend time with Dad, I’m okay with that.  While her N scale layout may continue to be dormant for a while, it will likely be stowed under the O scale layout and kept for future use.  We’re not trashing it.

Oh, and if you’ve read this far and are still here, here’s another sneak peek.  Simultaneously with the construction of Aly’s layout, I will be starting my own On30 layout on a second level under my HO layout in a shadow box style of construction.

DFF

I've been wanting to get the Polar Express set for the Christmas tree. We have a decent sized loft/walkway between the bedrooms upstairs and I told my wife I want to put a
Christmas tree at both ends of the loft and run a the Polar Express between the two trees. First step will be getting the trees on discount around new years day. I'd like to get all of the passenger cars even though they are the most realistic looking trains, but the whimsical nature of them just make them fun. FastTrack will be just fine for running on the short pile carpet upstairs too. Not going for prototypical look here because I don't have 1500 for the Legacy 1225 Berkshire and 200 each for the nice heavyweight Polar Express passenger cars.

[Jim Starbuck]

I got more done on the TR2 calf mech build this afternoon.
The truck tower gear mods worked nicely. The driveshaft extensions are stainless capillary tubing and with the motor tucked down nice and low there’s ample room for a LokSound Nano. I just mocked up the decoder to test run it and it runs very nicely. Near dead silent.

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Edit: Added a photo with the LokSound Nano installed and the ISE powerkeeper up front.

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[peteski]

. . .
I know some on TRW may turn their nose up at three-rail Lionel FasTrack, and I get it.  But, if this keeps Aly interested in this hobby even just enough that she continues to spend time with Dad, I’m okay with that.  While her N scale layout may continue to be dormant for a while, it will likely be stowed under the O scale layout and kept for future use.  We’re not trashing it.

Oh, and if you’ve read this far and are still here, here’s another sneak peek.  Simultaneously with the construction of Aly’s layout, I will be starting my own On30 layout on a second level under my HO layout in a shadow box style of construction.

DFF

That's awesome Dave!
Nobody should be "turning their nose up" at any model trains, regardless of fidelity or scale.  Hey, just because I called you H0er, that doesn't mean I disrespect your choice of scales.  We are all model railroaders after all.


I favor N scale, but even I've been dabbling with this pre-war Lionel Flying Yankee model sitting as a display model at the place where we vacation in Maine.  Hey, it's a model train after all!  last summer I got it back into running condition, and enjoyed learning the robust simplicity of its design.  To run it I refurbished an old Lionel transformer and got a loop of track.  It was was all very enjoyable.

[nkalanaga]

Is 3-rail track any less realistic than a "steam" loco with a big electric motor in the boiler, or a GG-1 running without wires?

[randgust]

Really busy with a new product and I hope to announce it here shortly, but meanwhile the custom builds of my CF7's continue.   This was a request from the west coast.....



link:  http://www.randgust.com/SCBG2467sm.jpg



link:  http://www.randgust.com/CF7246704sm.jpg

[altohorn25]

I finished weathering my Rock Island E8's this morning.

These are Life-Like shells mounted on Kato mechanisms.  I added a few details and decals to make them a bit more prototypical.

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[nickelplate759]

I had no idea that the Life-Like E8 could look sooooo good!

[Erik W]

The trucks for my D&RGW single sheathed boxcar build finally arrived. These boxcars rode on Vulcan friction bearing trucks.  There are no Vulcan trucks available in N scale.  The Microtrains roller bearing trucks are similarly shaped to Vulcan trucks.  Since the trucks will be tucked away under the car, I'm not too concerned about a prototypical accurate truck.  A loose approximation will suffice.  The main changes then were adding a small piece of .010" x .020" styrene to the center bolster crossbeam of the truck, and removing the roller bearings molded onto the MT truck and replacing them with .030" x .060" stryene friction bearing boxes, with a bit of .010" x .020" styrene surface detail added.

The 3d printed car itself was shipped early from Shapeways and is scheduled to arrive tomorrow.  I'm changing jobs (I landed a job at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research aka UCAR in Boulder), and have the last 10 days of the month off before I start the new gig, so am looking forward to a lot of modeling time.











Erik

[rickb773]

Got to go visit Konrad Richter's beautiful Ashland & Sycamore Hill (ASH) model railroad.
(Konrad was a woodworker by trade so all his towns have a wood type buried with in their names: Ashmore, Pine Creek, Cedar Grove, Oak Ridge, etc.).
A couple of my pictures are below and an older video of the layout from Ken Richter of the New Jersey Southern model railroad club.

[TrainCat2]

Basic exterior construction of Bailey's Warehouse is complete. I need to do the paint, weathering, glazing, blackout, details, etc.

[SP-Wolf]

My latest project:

Something a bit different, for me

UP FA's

Started as:


Paint removed:


A few mods: (Almost ready for new paint)


Thanks,

[altohorn25]

My latest project:

Something a bit different, for me

UP FA's

Started as:


Paint removed:


A few mods: (Almost ready for new paint)


Thanks,

I turned a set of them into Green Bay and Western units a while back......they pull a ton.....


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[Mike Madonna]

I may have posted this earlier, if so I apologize....
I picked up this N Scale AC-5 recently from a small hobby/train shop in Madison, WI. It was part of an "estate" that they had acquired. On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being "for parts only" and 10 being "mint, TRO, near perfect", this loco comes in at around a 5-6. I need to get into to check it out under the shell. It has been converted to DCC (Digitrax DZ 143), which was a surprise. It has a few bare spots on the shell and a few bent handrails on the tender. This should be an interesting project....
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