Weekend Update 3/9/25

[Slim Rail Mike]

Worked on my SP 0-6-0 this weekend. The bad thing about my model photography is it shows all the flaws. The good thing about photography is it shows all the flaws. I can decide what I can live with, and what must be fixed. Sharing the work is a push to do better. A little more filling an sanding is required on the cab extension.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

So much cool modeling this week. Love that Snow Dozer and the O scale caboose rehab.

I've been working on a number of fun projects, but here's the one I've actually gotten something to talk about with:
https://conrail1285.com/were-living-in-the-future-i-built-a-dispatcher-web-app-without-writing-any-code/

I used the GenAI development tool v0.dev to help me build an app to aid in dispatching a model railroad.



I started it last Monday and we were using it yesterday to run @DeltaBravo 's WM East Sub.



It was a lot of fun and I'm still working on adding more functionality and refining it. It might be even more fun that patching out beautiful Reading geeps.



Or adding working marker lights to a caboose.

[Tobynnn]

I finished up my first BN Snowdozer. These were built by the GN car shops in St.Cloud, MN and are still in service with the BNSF. I used a Baldylox Designs kit and detailed it up a bit. I added brass grab irons, the front window guards, airhorn, and chains. I’m happy with how it turned out
(Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link)

Fantastic Job, you really knocked it out of the park!

[samusi01]

I used the GenAI development tool v0.dev to help me build an app to aid in dispatching a model railroad.

...

It was a lot of fun and I'm still working on adding more functionality and refining it.

So very interesting. It appears that down the road one could make it readily modifiable so that, say, the FreemoN Ops Roadshow could easily set up something to correspond with the layout they've set up? I've thought about using AI to extend JMRI's Ops web portal but haven't yet ventured out of my comfort zone of 3d modeling to try.

[davefoxx]

More Power! ~ Tim “the toolman” Taylor

🤣🤣🤣

DFF

[chuck geiger]

Ed - wanna see a PC to CR to MKT patch on a geep?

/>
[/quote]

[Ed Kapuscinski]

So very interesting. It appears that down the road one could make it readily modifiable so that, say, the FreemoN Ops Roadshow could easily set up something to correspond with the layout they've set up? I've thought about using AI to extend JMRI's Ops web portal but haven't yet ventured out of my comfort zone of 3d modeling to try.

100%

One of the updates I want to make is to get it so that it can be "public" and people can just plug their own spreadsheets into it.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ed - wanna see a PC to CR to MKT patch on a geep?

/>

Al just recommended that to me. She's beautiful!

Here's another beauty just off of my workbench. It might be my favorite patch yet.

[Bendtracker1]

Here's an image of the MKT GP40 238 that I made a number of years ago.
When I saw the actual loco (1982-83), the green MKT patch had not been applied yet.
Instead, they had taken a large piece of cardboard, wired it to the handrails and hastily spray painted the MKT lettering in black.

At the time I had no idea what the story was behind this loco was.  It wasn't until about 10 years ago when a modeler on The Rustbucket weathering forum who models the Katy was posting some images about their second hand units that he had and was modeling.  He told me that he seen it with the green patch but not seen it, but was told about several locos that had the cardboard wired to them, this was done due to getting them in service asap.
He also shown me pics where the dynamic brake blister on one side was in CR blue.
It might be ugly, but its full of character.

[nkalanaga]

That's how the GN did the name and herald on Big Sky Blue hood units.  Not patches, of course, but they were plates attached to the handrails.

The BN removed most of them when they took over, and then did very professional "patch" jobs, with new numbers and initials neatly applied to each unit.  Regardless of the original road/scheme, the results looked quite nice.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Here's an image of the MKT GP40 238 that I made a number of years ago.
When I saw the actual loco (1982-83), the green MKT patch had not been applied yet.
Instead, they had taken a large piece of cardboard, wired it to the handrails and hastily spray painted the MKT lettering in black.

At the time I had no idea what the story was behind this loco was.  It wasn't until about 10 years ago when a modeler on The Rustbucket weathering forum who models the Katy was posting some images about their second hand units that he had and was modeling.  He told me that he seen it with the green patch but not seen it, but was told about several locos that had the cardboard wired to them, this was done due to getting them in service asap.
He also shown me pics where the dynamic brake blister on one side was in CR blue.
It maybe ugly, but its full of character.

That's a real beauty. I love it.

[C855B]

That's a real beauty. I love it.

You guys with your gritty Eastern roads zeitgeist.

Just makes me think of what UP (The Borg UP) did to WP and MKT - wiped the paint schemes off the map in just a few months. They would never let something like that run in revenue service, sullying their corporate image. Even their patches on ex-SP power were tasteful.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You guys with your gritty Eastern roads zeitgeist.

Just makes me think of what UP (The Borg UP) did to WP and MKT - wiped the paint schemes off the map in just a few months. They would never let something like that run in revenue service, sullying their corporate image. Even their patches on ex-SP power were tasteful.

Damn right! lol.

[Bendtracker1]

You guys with your gritty Eastern roads zeitgeist.

Just makes me think of what UP (The Borg UP) did to WP and MKT - wiped the paint schemes off the map in just a few months. They would never let something like that run in revenue service, sullying their corporate image. Even their patches on ex-SP power were tasteful.

And yet the UP today looks almost, if not worse than what the second hand MKT units and The Rock looked like before their demise.
Where's their sense of pride now...

[Jbub]

And yet the UP today looks almost, if not worse than what the second hand MKT units and The Rock looked like before their demise.
Where's their sense of pride now...

It's pretty crazy how long they let graffitied engines run around SLC. There was GP15 here that had one side of the long hood tagged up for several years.