Weekend Update 4/12/26

[garethashenden]

I have done the base painting on the paper mill. This will allow me to glaze the windows, then I can do the roofs. Then the detail painting of many individual bricks...

[rickb773]

We had a club workday this weekend which doubled as a club memorial for a recently deceased member, Bill “Rep” Repholz. Our club (New Jersey Southern) has lost several key members over the last few months, including Erik Seidelmann who was the club anchor. But in many senses, Rep was the heart of the group and usually the main interface with the visitors attending our events.

Rep was also a prolific modeler of northeastern railroads and particularly loved both building and modifying cabooses. He lightly weathered almost everything. His extensive model collections were made available to the club in a private sale. I think everyone wanted a remembrance of Bill and his work.

(It was a very extensive collection, and the remaining pieces will be available for sale at the “N Scale Gathering” held this year in Magnolia NJ.)



I had 3 pieces I wanted to acquire to remember him by. The first time he visited my home layout he brought me a gift of a Life-Like Reading caboose he improved with paint, weathering. and an additional figure on the rear deck.



He also brought a pair of Reading FA units which had a Life-Like mechanism. Life-Like engines were like Baldwins, they could really, really pull. You can see them in a video Ken Richter made the night they visited.

When visiting Bill later, after admiring his extensive caboose collection, he sold me a Pennsy N6 he had made and painted from a Quality Craft kit.



I was able to purchase his 2 Reading FAs or at least the shells. They were now on new Atlas chassis. I also picked up a Fox Valley Models B&O bay window caboose from his collection and a Woodland Scenics building.



It was a great day with stories of Rep’s antics flowing freely.

We will miss you friend.

[John]

Yessss. Finally the period appropriate equipment that module deserves!

Mark said the viaduct module may be retired because it's a pain to set up

[Missaberoad]

Well... What color is this? https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures/2400308

One of the issues with the model is that Atlas's DGLE is, almost by neccessity, too light. I'm going to fix that issue in my next steps on the model. I think it'll turn out alright. If not, well, hopefully these are easy to strip. lol.

Faded washed out Black? The other side shows the patched Penn Central much better?

https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures/5093360

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Faded washed out Black? The other side shows the patched Penn Central much better?

https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures/5093360

There is something wild going on with that photo. Like they cranked the alpha on it or something.

I'm not trusting it except to give me the freedom to go a little wild.

[Missaberoad]

https://www.facebook.com/railphotoart/photos/in-conrails-early-era-sd45-6112-leads-a-westbound-freight-train-at-altoona-penns/1497919388389261/

https://conrailphotos.thecrhs.org/sites/default/files/archive_photo/images/33259.jpg

Some better balanced shots  would love to find a good Penn central era shot.

Agreed that going wild on the weathering is in order!

Edit. Forgot to check the gettin spot. 

https://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc6112g.jpg
https://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc6112ssa.jpg
https://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc6112abp.jpg

[POVC]

Mark said the viaduct module may be retired because it's a pain to set up

You missed the discussion on Sunday morning; he is going to cut off the back of the module at the skyboard, and convert it to a FreemoN module.   

[delamaize]

Mike - pure coincidence, but I noticed this 4 minute clip in my YouTube feed right after viewing your post.  It’s mostly static pics of stations along ONR’s Polar Bear Express route, but there are some interesting clips showing typical eclectic train consists streaking past. 

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Great Video! Thanks! Makes me feel better with my Foobs I made up. Seems like it is believable.

[peteski]

I have done the base painting on the paper mill. This will allow me to glaze the windows, then I can do the roofs. Then the detail painting of many individual bricks...

Nice! Adding the window sills and lintels made a huge visual difference!

[bbunge]

You missed the discussion on Sunday morning; he is going to cut off the back of the module at the skyboard, and convert it to a FreemoN module.   

Later, 1945 met 2026 on the viaduct.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You missed the discussion on Sunday morning; he is going to cut off the back of the module at the skyboard, and convert it to a FreemoN module.   

Interesting! He's gonna end up being known as "The Bridge Man".

[Jesse6669]

There is something wild going on with that photo. Like they cranked the alpha on it or something.

I'm not trusting it except to give me the freedom to go a little wild.

I gave it a quick once-over, so it's closer to reality.
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But my $.02 on those models--they are way too green.  Regardless of whether the actual paint is greenish, it doesn't look like that under normal light and with weathering.  I think I'd "fade" it with some thinned black trying to avoid any lettering like that keystone.  Maybe mask it?

[Mark5]

There is something wild going on with that photo. Like they cranked the alpha on it or something.

I'm not trusting it except to give me the freedom to go a little wild.

I'm not sure how well the color was rendered in this photo, but if correct DGLE when new was barely green. 
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5772548

I imagine diehard SPFs out there have the evidence.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I'm not sure how well the color was rendered in this photo, but if correct DGLE when new was barely green. 
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5772548

I imagine diehard SPFs out there have the evidence.

Haha, this is a topic of so much debate.

Here's one of the things I realized about models. You often can't paint them the "right" color and have them look "right" to modelers. Conrail Blue is a wonderful example. The "real" color, PMS 300, looks beautiful on full size locomotives outdoors.

But when applied to models viewed indoors under the majority of indoor lighting conditions? It looks terrible. So manufacturers like Atlas have shifted the colors they paint their models to achieve better looking results that modelers will actually like and buy.

I have a feeling the same thing applies to PRR DGLE. If they made it accurate to the real color it'd be completely panned by modelers so they have to make it wrong to make it look "right".

In this case, I'm actually GLAD it's too light because my weathering is definitely going to darken it quite a bit. I'm hoping it'll be enough to make the engine look "good" because, and I might have to surrender my plaid membership here, I'm as concerned about making the models look good even more than making them "right".

[DeltaBravo]

Saturday I broke out some old Kato E units for time on the Bantrak layout

.

Followed by some ballast work in the yard at home.