Weekend Update 2/9/25

[up1950s]

https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/vintage-train-travel-photos-early-20th-century/

https://bwhlarchives.com/the-rare-bear-the-railway-school-cars/

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http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/industrial/ont/stelco.htm

[bbussey]

Finished the L&NE Northeastern caboose.



Also stripped/repainted the Rapido OCS sleeper into a more accurate shade and swapped in Kato excursion train diaphragms.

[chuck geiger]

Finally got my mojo back and started working again on projects. Backdrop shadow painting, cell phone tower, and more.

[Maletrain]

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/medium_53-070225190501.jpeg

How about using T scale motors directly on the axles?   

[peteski]

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/46/medium_53-070225190501.jpeg

How about using T scale motors directly on the axles?   

Sounds like a good idea but the operational range of rpms of those tiny motors are rather high requiring a multi-stage gear reduction, or the model would go into hyperspace! Ludicrous speed!
I suspect you were joking Steve. 

[spr1955]

Kato powered trucks?

[craigolio1]

I had a huge triumph this week. On Friday I ran a train. Why is this such a big deal? I’ve been building N scale trains for 25 years and have never had an operational railroad in my house. On Friday that changed as I ran the first train around my train room. Still loads of work to do but this is a momentous occasion.

Here’s a video of a loop around the room.

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Craig.

[davefoxx]

I began scratchbuilding a wood chip loader this week.



The inspiration:



More on The Carolina Sandhills Lines thread in the Layout Engineering forum.

DFF

[shark_jj]

Justin and I look forward to an operating session invite Craig.   

[btrain]

Anyone here get cabin fever so bad, that you start mowing the lawn on your layout? 

Actually this was 4mm light green static grass from Woodland Scenic on the Lake Shore Central modules. It didn’t apply as well as I’d like, and the straw color in their light green was too distracting for me, so out came the clippers. The fields are looking better now. After watching an episode of Boomer Diorama this week, I reminded myself again that scenery is just like painting, in which realism is built in layers.

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[BCR 570]

Congratulations Craig!

This week saw further progress on my museum train tank cars.  I assembled some 3" angle and 6" channel from strip styrene in preparation for fabricating the duplex pump mounts:




and my friend Geoff F. assisted me with rendering and printing new domes for the tank cars (see separate thread for details):




and I assembled a display board to accompany the museum train at shows this year (thanks to Philippe W. for help with the banners):




I have also wanted to get back to work on the layout.  After living with a mock-up for a mini-backdrop to hide the exit of the Fort St. John Subdivision, and seeing that it was working well, I fabricated a template for a permanent one which is a little higher and longer.  From a normal viewing angle the road meeting the backdrop will be partially concealed:




At the right end I made the backdrop higher to match the top edge of the access panels behind the Pine bridge:




This template will now be used to cut a permanent one from Masonite, which will then be painted to match the rear backdrop, at which point it should blend in to the overall scene a bit better.

Tim

[Lemosteam]

Anyone here get cabin fever so bad, that you start mowing the lawn on your layout? 

Actually this was 4mm light green static grass from Woodland Scenic on the Lake Shore Central modules. It didn’t apply as well as I’d like, and the straw color in their light green was too distracting for me, so out came the clippers. The fields are looking better now. After watching an episode of Boomer Diorama this week, I reminded myself again that scenery is just like painting, in which realism is built in layers.

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The beard trimmer I have has snap on trimming combs of various lengths that set the cutter height at various heights above the skin, from 7mm down to 1mm while keeping the blades at the correct cutting angle.

Wonder how that would work to achieve shorter weed/grass height.

[bnsfdash8]

Been busy with other things and haven't worked on much but I did head to the local train show today. I told myself not to buy random stuff but that didn't last long. I'm happy with the purchases though.

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I should probably straighten up my desk.

[altohorn25]

I installed "trash can" spark arrestors on two sets of Milwaukee Road power today.

Let's start with the FP7's and F7B

These are 3D printed parts that I purchased off the well-know auction site.

The filed down the molded on exhaust stacks a bit and glued on the spark arrestor.  I then drilled holes in the roof on either side of the spark arrestor and ran a single strand of wire I pulled out of an extension cord over the spark arrestor and down into the shell. 

Notice that the spark arrestors are in different configurations on the roofs.  Milwaukee was very inconsistant with how they installed these things, so be sure to look at prototype photos to see how they were mounted on the locomotives.

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[altohorn25]

Here is an A-B-A set of E9's.

Same method of installation as the FP7's and F7B.

These parts are a little different than the ones used on the F units; the exhaust stack is a little taller and the part glued to the locomotive exhaust stack is round rather than oval shaped like on the F's.

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