Weekend Update 6/29/25

[up1950s]

https://www.oldest.org/geography/railroads/

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/switzerland-set-to-roll-out-solar-panels-between-railway-tracks-a-world-first/

https://uk.hornby.com/community/blog-and-news/news/200-years-railway-joy

https://abc7ny.com/post/long-island-rail-road-highlights-45-year-anniversary-women-operated-train/15160391/

https://www.railengineer.co.uk/the-worlds-first-railway-station-identified/

https://railroadforums.com/forum/index.php?media/rough-tumble-shay-replica-1.2184/

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https://www.felaattorney.com/blog/photos-9-unbelievably-common-railroad-safety-hazards

https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/nc-department-of-transportation-reveals-first-railroad-safety-simulation-in-north-carolina/83-560072872

https://saferack.com/products/terminal/signs-signals/

https://rivergrandrapids.com/optical-illusion-railroad-crossing-hicksville-ohio/

[craigolio1]

I finally got the courage to start moving scenery forward on the Malahat canyon modules.

This photo is my inspiration for my right after a rain look. The rocks are quite dark.



For my rocks I started by painting them all a uniform colour of light grey, followed by stippling on a dark green mixture. Then a green wash. Then a black wash. This made it look too green so I stippled on dark grey, almost black, followed by a black upward dry brushing to create shadow, then a black ink/alcohol wash and finally a light grey dry brushing.

Here’s where I’m at. I’m very pleased with the depth. It looks way better in person. Up close you can see four or five colours in there.










I also detailed the Arbutus canyon river bed…






and started experimenting with placement of some silicon 3D water effects.



The silicon water affects are an idea I got from a you tube video. The fellow puts silicon caulk on cellophane and teased it into various shapes. When dry they easily peel off, are crystal clear, and can be placed in locations where you want pillow rocks or little water falls etc, which can’t be made by pouring resin. It’s just that first layer of many that bring real depth and a sense of movement to the water.

This is the video here. Very inspiring

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I’m also using this one.

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Craig.

[mu26aeh]

I snazzed up a pair of newly released MicroTrains covered hoppers after finding proto photos online and added appropriate tags/graffiti etc.

Original Factory Cars



Side A



Side B (could only find both sides of 1 car )

[Lemosteam]

The LIRR IS picked up a new depressed center flat for moving equipment between facilities. Printing a loading ramp now to run the machines up onto the car. After patching the original owner and renumbering, the management wants to add a wood deck to the dropped deck. They have some sweet reclaimed 4x16 boards that will serve that idea well. Light weathering after that.





The tugboat is also making progress as the pilot house received navigation light housings, drilled for a red and green LED, a forward searchlight, and an LED inside. The lower cabin now has a railing and is nearly ready for install. I am hoping that the ambient light from the pilot house above will illuminate the cabin below somewhat. It’s a good thing the model is hollow underneath so I can wire everything up in there. Think I am going to add a faint light in the engine room too adding some clear orange for the boiler glow.

I am really enjoying the boat build. It will get a printed huge LIRR hearted near the top of the stack, just like the prototype.

[BCR 570]

For the last month or so a large forest fire has been raging in northeastern British Columbia, south of Dawson Creek.  The fire has been named after the Kiskatinaw River which flows under the Dawson Creek Subdivision to the north of the fire location.  I ran a fire train up to Dawson Creek to augment the local water supply.

Work Extra 613 with three water cars and caboose passing Tremblay en route to Dawson Creek:




Crossing the Kiskatinaw River north of the fire location:




At Dawson Creek the cars were set out in the team track where tanker trucks were waiting to transfer the water supply:




Eng 613 and caboose pass the NWP mill at Dawson Creek en route back to Chetwynd:




Now prepping for an op session next week.

Tim

[spookshow]

I finished this elevated grain bin and grain dryer -



That was the last bit of heavy lifting left on my Waseca grain elevator project, so I should be able to start getting everything placed on my layout next week.

-Mark

[Sumner]

Finished roughing in the coal mine scenery.

 

All of the upper level scenery above will be removable. This will help in accessing tracks for cleaning or maintenance. There will still be windows on the side, like the area where the text is above, for quick access if there is a derailment. Also I’ll be able to Spackle and paint them on the workbench instead of leaning into/over the layout.

 

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Next I’ll add some terrain detail to the upper level by the bridge abutment. Then will either Spackle and paint or might move onto the next area that will get foam terrain, the other side of the backdrop shown above. I still have that area to do and also a long area where the main yard, engine facilities and some industries are located. I’d like to get all of that in if possible while I still can as this is a lot of physical work and I’d like to put it behind me although I have enjoyed it.

More info and images on Railwire ( HERE )

 A link to this whole build ( HERE ).

Sumner

[davefoxx]

A Seaboard Coast Line freight out of Hamlet Yard is northbound through Aberdeen, N.C., in early 1976.  On the point is SCL GP40 No. 1539 and runthrough power in the form of SLSF GP35 No. 728 that will pull this train to Richmond, Va., by this evening.



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

DFF

[conrailthomas519]

Dave,
That run thru lash up looks really nice! Love the scene as well.

[Jesse6669]

Ran the first "train" on the E. Norwood layout!  Just hostlin' around the partially complete enginehouse.  There's going to be some time spent fine-tuning those Atlas turnouts.. but so far so good.
   
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[randgust]

Doing a 'practice run' on McCabe now that it is fully operational with the Showcase Nn3 shay, and my own Nn3 Climax A.

Still more detail work, but the basic 'feel' of the Ttrak module is pretty much done.



Link:  http://www.randgust.com/McCabe14.jpg



Link:  http://www.randgust.com/McCabe%2015.jpg

[jpwisc]

Just finished up SP&S Jordan Spreader X-19 for a friend in Oregon. The base is a 2-200 kit from @Baldylox
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[R L Smith]

Held an op session for the first time in almost 10 months (due to various assorted reasons - life is like that...) Kept three of my friends busy for 2.5 hours switching cars on the Southern Tier Lines. My reward is additional motivation to fix a couple of mechanical issues I missed after the last session, and start adding scenery.  While it is fun operating on the Styrofoam Central, more scenery would make it more funner.





Ron

[eja]

Fun operating on the Styrofoam Central, more scenery would make it more funner.

Ron

Fun is what is all about, no?   

Liked your descriptor: "Styrofome Central"  ...  reminds me of the "Plywood Plains"

  

[TiogaTracks]

I snazzed up a pair of newly released MicroTrains covered hoppers after finding proto photos online and added appropriate tags/graffiti etc.

Are those decals, or are they something else?  I like the look!  I usually don’t care for graffiti on my models, but I’ve been thinking of doing some simple humorous tags on some cars.