Weekend Update 1/11/26

[up1950s]

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https://mason.gmu.edu/~okelley/forest/image/sound.v3.pdf

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https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/fra_net/3403/QuietZoneBrochure.pdf

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https://www.ephemerasociety.org/strange-trains/

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[mu26aeh]

Another car off bench this week






https://m.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4622641

[SAH]

The NKP RS3s are finally complete. More photos here:  https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=40799.msg834135#msg834135

[arx nakanishi]

I'm still sticking around the Cisco mercantile. Let me share another cut from my N-scale Cisco, Utah, diorama with you.

I’ve never come across any photos or movies of Cisco, Utah, at night, so these night scenes above and below may be the only images showing Cisco after dark.

Thanks for watching!

Hiroshi Nakanishi/Boxcar Red Collection
https://riogrande.blog.jp/

[R L Smith]

The Lackawanna main at Bath NY has been re-opened; here are shots of the first trains over the new bridge. Just in time for an NMRA Division gathering coming up on the 18th...







Building the superstructure for this bridge will be a multi-month project, but it will stay near the top of the pile. Lots of other structures are needed too.

BTW, all are welcome to visit my local NMRA Division's meetings, I am hosting the upcoming one on the 18th. We are a very small group (about 2 dozen) so there is always room for guests.  I am in DuBois PA just off of I-80. If you may be passing through that day, PM me.

Ron

[craigolio1]

This week was all about trees.

I made a lot of conifers:



And Arbutus trees!





More in the Malahat Mountain modules thread here:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=60495.30

Craig

[Jesse6669]

I worked more on my backdrop art using AI, and test-printed parts of a 3D flat for the East Norwood layout (more info in the Layout Engineering thread).

This morning I drafted some decals for a CR-patch Reading GP30 -- an AZL Reading GP30 I just picked up.  It has some patches that are pretty well-worn and fading, which is reflected in the decals.  As this is a "new" GP30, I'm planning to fade the model quite a bit first then apply the decals to create the 2179.



This was literally the 2nd Conrail engine I ever saw and photographed so it's bit of a special loco for me. 
 
 

[BCR 570]

I completed Step 3 (white dry brushing) of track detail painting in Chetwynd Yard this week:




I also completed the wiring for my Civil crossing project.  This is the dual frog juicer installed underneath:




And this is the track bus installed and connected to the feeder wires:




The track bus wires were brought out to a terminal block at the right end of the board for connection to a DCC system.  All ready for testing!




The turnout and crossover projects are waiting on lamicoid panels for the toggle switches so i can complete their wiring.


Tim

[wm3798]

I repurposed the bagage car I kitbashed out of two Bachmann shorty combines.  Originally painted in the B&O blue/gray scheme, I was never happy with the workmanship or the colors not matching the stock Bachmann cars. 

So, into the dip, and freshly emerged as LRV 721.  I previously rostered a Rivarossi 85' full baggage, but that seemed silly for a shortline with less than 100 miles of track.  This abbreviated car seems much better suited to the task at hand.

Lee

[brokemoto]

In the "When life gives you lemons make lemonade" or, perhaps more appropriate, "When life gives you scraps, make quilts" Department, a continuation of my caboose bash contributions to last week's Weekend Update:






I could not find a Bowser Penn N-5 caboose painted and lettered for the era that I wanted for a reasonable price.  I finally found a used N-5 at a show for a reasonable price.  It was painted and lettered for a road other than the  Penn but I had the paint, the decal sheet and the clearcoaring, so, why not?  I took it apart to strip it.  Mind you , I did so with care but the roof and cupola shattered in my hands.  I sent an e-Mail to Bowser, to which it never responded.  I put it aside.   Eventually, i did find a used one at a show painted for the Penn in the era that I wanted but still I had this one.  Last week, I finished a drover caboose made from a roof and cupola of a B-mann caboose and the body and chassis of an MDC Overton combine.  This left the Overton's clerestory roof orphaned.  By coincidence, the width and the alignment bars on the roof fit the width of the MDC.  The roof was a bit long, so I cut a section out of the middle to shorten it to fit the Nowser caboose.  The result is a unique transfer caboose that you will not find on [cue up echo chamber, thunder, rain and basso profondo voice] SSSSSSOMMMMMEONNNNE E-E-E-E-LLLLLLLSE'S LLLLLLAAYYYYYYYOUTTTTTT.  Everyone is no doubt familiar with that model railroading shibboleth
 

I repurposed the bagage car I kitbashed out of two Bachmann shorty combines.  Originally painted in the B&O blue/gray scheme, I was never happy with the workmanship or the colors not matching the stock Bachmann cars. 

I chopped a pair of B-mann shorty combines to make a baggage car, as well.  To avoid cutting the roof, I cut the sections to fit a whole roof.  The result was two windows in the middle of the car but SP (and I am sure some other roads) had some baggage cars with accommodations for a messenger/courier.  Most of those cars had windows by the messenger's desk.  For this reason, my baggage car has messenger accommodations/   My motivation was both similar to yours and had another factor.  A full size any kind of car on a short line does not make that much sense.  The other thing was that full size passenger cars look silly going around eleven inch radius curves.  I found a RR Pullman at a show that someone had shortened by cutting a section out of somewhere in the car.  He did a great job cutting and putting back together the car but he then put the thing onto a pair of alien passenger trucks that made it look like it was on stilts.  A pair of MT four wheel passenger trucks and a little cutting addressed the problem.  I now have a rather unuque coach for my non-historic shiort line as well as that baggage similar to yours. 

My bashed B-mann baggage car actuallt is behind the transfer caboose that I just posted.  Nice job on yours.

[altohorn25]

I decided to see if I had enough room to put the early 50's Ringling show on my home layout.

I mocked up paper templates of the 4 main tents (5 pole big top, menagerie, side show, and marquee). They look pretty good in the area just to the south Wisconsin Dells.

Turns out I know a nice couple who manufacture model circus tents (my parents have been manufacturing model circus tents from G to N scale for about 50 years).

While I won't run the train on the layout during an ops session, I have plenty of trucks and wagons to populate the scene.

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[PiperguyUMD]

Hi All,

Nice work as always everyone! More progress than updates on the Decapod, its been a busy few days and I’ve had to prioritize progress over posts.

When I print steam locomotive boilers, I print the smoke box front as a separate piece and use the opening at the front of the boiler for print supports. Once details are added, usually to the point of handrails, I CA the smokebox front into place. I thought this had been business as usual on the Dec, but after priming I noticed a rather significant gap on the fireman’s side, but not on the engineer’s side. Odd, because everything seems to be square.





At any rate, this needed to be solved. I used a sewing needle to flow resin into the gap, curing a layer after ever 3rd or 4th drop. This worked exceedingly well! I hit it with primer, expecting some sanding to blend the surfaces, but it looked pretty good to me!



I hit the cab roof with NKP Freight Car Red, same as the tender deck. Smokebox got weathered black with a few drops of white. After masking, boiler got a coat of black. I’ve been experimenting with AK panel liners and have had some decent results when applying them over gloss coats, so once everything set I shot it with Testors gloss coat. Unfortunately I didn’t take any pics straight out of the spay booth. But trust me it looked good!

I’m pulling a Rod Stewart this week, so I packed this project. Only decals to be added were Numbers on the cab and “Safety First” stencils on the pilot. Hoping to build/install the headlight by the end of the trip. Weathering is also underway. Very much looking forward to wrapping up this project. The finish line is in sight!

[philippe.whyte]

Finally a bit of quiet time to myself this morning to continue masking some BC Rail trailer flat cars. These are the Briggs kits which will represent the BCOL 7000-7030 TOFC cars. Hoping to get these in the paint shop in the next week or so.

[InterurbanModels]

If the future isn't bright, at least it is colorful: New clor printed paint schemes for the Cincinnati built light weight Interurban car.

Made also a dummy floor to be swapped back and forth with a Tomytec TR04 drive

[btrain]

Went down to Columbus for the Great Train Show and participated with Ohio Free-moN’s layout. It was good fun as always. I know this isn’t the best shot, but I had one of those modeling moments when something you worked for finally turns out well. It came to me while watching two passenger trains and a transfer run make use of the NYC/CR Toledo Airline yard loop. With so much action, it replicated the prototype pretty well for a moment.

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