Weekend Update 8/31/25

[up1950s]

https://www.giant.fm/marshall-county/news/local-news/all-aboard-the-ice-cream-trains-labor-day-weekend/

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/business-july-dec01-labor_day_9-2

https://northlandz.com/blog?page=12&srsltid=AfmBOoqy0QEPwRt-lMld8geeqoqpU9klb4CzRIBtFd3rfhR72jbAocN7

https://www.nbc4i.com/news/model-train-enthusiast-has-ashes-placed-in-miniature-railway-car-after-death/

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/933994/collector-has-ashes-put-in-truck

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/girlfriend-kept-in-dark-over-biggest-train-set-90xbj2tml

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5518173/Leeds-model-railway-fan-ashes-inside-toy-coal-truck.html

[chessie system fan]

I've been busy building the sectional frames for my friend's HO CofG layout.  Here is part of the yard and its return loop.



And today I mounted the opposite corner to the wall.  It's nice to see that done. The legs have a first coat of paint as well.

[BCR 570]

For the last few weeks I have been painting the rails on my mainline track in the layout room.  The section through Bond and Sundance was particularly hard on my back due to the low clearance below the Kiskatinaw River bridge scene above, so I had to do the work in brief installments:




This close-up shows the rail colour (Rail Brown) after application:




Thankfully I got the lower deck mainline trackage finished tonight; and will work on the upper deck trackage next week:




I also worked on the 30 degree crossing for my NMRA AP Civil Certificate, specifically assembling the inner guardrails.  This assembly is made up of four very short sections of rail which have to be cut at angles either end and then soldered together.  I am using a Fast Tracks jig for this work:




The two halves assembled and ready to be mated together:




The completed guard rail assembly in the assembly fixture:




This week I also received my custom etching for the museum train fuel oil tank car's dome platform.  This was drawn up for me by Bryan and etched by PPD Ltd.:




First attempt at folding the handrails; I have finished a better second one since.  I will solder the corners:




And a test fit on the tank body for the fuel oil car:




I have found a donor car for a new safety rail which has to go on first, then I will install the platform and side ladders.


Tim

[James Costello]

@Jim Costello got busy this week and punched out a couple of ESM Strick 35' Drop Frame Trailers. We're eagerly awaiting more in the series, such as the future M&M & NH 32' Straight Frame versions.

[dandopinski]

Fast Track jigs are made in Canada??

[garethashenden]

Fast Track jigs are made in Canada??

Always have been. Its a Canadian company.

[Sumner]

Approaching the end of roughing in the foam board scenery. Work stopped on the railroad at the end of the previous page for 6 days as we were out of town. One day back got the work in the first two images below done. Probably one more day needed after this to finish the sculpting the cap rock shown below and to fill in the gap on the upper level.

 

In this section above where the main yard will be I’m trying to make it look like the track is on a roadbed that was blasted into the side of the rock face resulting in the tracks very close to the edge of the rock face down to the yard.  In real life this would only be about 130 scale feet above the yard (10+ inches on the layout). Rock faces here in SE Utah can easily be 500 to 1000 ft high.



More to come in a day or so as this area is finished up …… then probably on to the backdrop painting or one of the turnout control options I’m working on to use on this upper level where I want to get to them and mount them from the side, not below.

Sumner

[BCR 570]

Fast Track jigs are made in Canada??

Fortunately yes; they are situated in Ontario.


Tim

[davefoxx]

Thank goodness that’s done with.  I did my annual vacuum the thick layer of dust from the layout, although it’s actually been 18 months since I last did this horrible chore.  There were no details lost to the wet-dry vac and only a few minor dings to the Super Trees.  It’s surprising how they’ll take a quick dab of the vacuum without losing a ton of leaves or part of the tree.

Removing that layer of dust always brings back some vibrancy to the layout.



DFF

[Tad_T]

Figuring out how many spots are actually on the Mill Loop.

[btrain]

This week I did a little project honoring a little family history. My grandfather used to work in the paint department of the Lorain, Ohio Ford plant. For as long as I can remember, he carted out my sister & I to mid week masses, family trips to Cedar Point, and visited the Slovenian Club for fish fries in his big purple Econoline van.

Watching this YouTube channel inspired me to do this build. It’s a great resource for eastern modelers looking for late 70s/early 80s trains.

Putting together @Rasputen Econoline kit was a breeze, and adding some Tamiya panel line accent really helped make the grills pop.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[craigolio1]

I got back into a build of BCR 3716.  It’s a ex CPR MLW 2-8-0. I’m excited about this one as it’s one of my Unicorn locos.





I did a build thread on it as well with loads more photos. It’s been quite a process.

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=59965.0

Anyone have any ideas on how I can paint white rims on the drivers…. Ideally without removing them?

Craig

[John]

Thank goodness that’s done with.  I did my annual vacuum the thick layer of dust from the layout, although it’s actually been 18 months since I last did this horrible chore.  There were no details lost to the wet-dry vac and only a few minor dings to the Super Trees.  It’s surprising how they’ll take a quick dab of the vacuum without losing a ton of leaves or part of the tree.

Removing that layer of dust always brings back some vibrancy to the layout.



DFF

I picked up some of those plastic tablecloths at the dollar store. Nice and light and ,Ames a decent cover

[Slim Rail Mike]

  For the last few weeks, since there is now a loop of “tea-trak” modules, I’ve focused on rolling stock and motive power. For the cars it has been adjusting weight, coupler height, and getting them as free rolling as I can. Installing metal wheel sets, and whatever else to get them road ready.

    Most of the engine haven’t been run in ages. First they get cleaned and lightly lubed. Then they are run for a bit. For the locomotives with dcc, it’s programing Vstart at step one, and V high and Vmid to get speeds close to  Percent about equal to scale MPH.  There is a line up for decoder installs. The steamers are getting DZ123 s.

   Today’s milestone a Concor/Rivarossi mike. A while back Max did last call for his motor enhancement. When the motor came back and put into the loco, I was reminded of how poorly the 2-8-2 operated. Binding and clicking jumping out of quarter. (Nothing to do with the motor) So it sat in it’s box. 

   Don’t tell anyone, but the poor running was partly my fault. Years ago I attacked the axle slots in the frame with a file. This at the urging of a magazine article. Maybe in MR.  I don’t recall what ever I was trying to fix. Anyway there was so much slop in the axles, that needed to be reined in. I tried to make shims but wasn’t getting them right. Over the pass week this thing has been assembled and disassembled dozens of times. In frustration I wrapped the retainer plate with Teflon tape. Holy Smokes it worked. I don’t expect the tape to last, but in is good for right now. While everything was apart, the tender trucks got switched out. The trucks on the old B’man vandy tender that came with their Northern looked closer to what SP used under the 120-C tenders. I added axles wipers. One truck picks up on each rail. Also to the engineers side of the loco wheel wipers on #1 & #3 drivers. The mike crawls at step one and is smooth and quite.
 

[BCR 570]

Anyone have any ideas on how I can paint white rims on the drivers…. Ideally without removing them?

Craig

Yes I was wondering how that could be done . . .


Tim