Re: Weekend Update 6/7/26

[up1950s]

https://www.tgscedarportrailroad.com/railroad-services/railcar-cleaning-facility/

https://www.facebook.com/CassScenicRailroad/posts/the-parade-of-steam-will-begin-tomrorow-saturday-june-14th-at-1030am-the-locomot/732138666035785/

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[Maletrain]

So, the video does not contain or explain the lead picture of a locomotive sitting on a somewhat crushed submarine deck.

Have we been foobied by AI?

[mu26aeh]

Set up a new work station.  I can use the yard track in front of me as a RIP track to store cars in working on

[bbussey]

A hyper-extended shoulder prevented me from doing any physical work on the layout this week, so I took the time to design Bridgeport block #964, most of which was Nathan Schwarz & Son.  The structure stood adjacent to the viaduct one block south of the station and is the third most prominent Bridgeport landmark, after the railroad station and the Jenkins Valve complex.  I have room for the building to be to scale without compression, which is pretty cool.  The angled wall on the right is the one that stood directly adjacent to the viaduct.  This screenshot was taken before I corrected the window arrangement on the center inset section.  I also created the decal artwork for the building.

[Sumner]

Finished highlights for the base colors in the final scenery section.  Did a lot of this standing on my milk crate platform so about 2 hours at a time was about all I could do.  I am so glad I've done this before adding track on the lower or upper.  It would of been a real pain working over it.  I do have all the roadbed down on the upper level and the roadbed down next to the rock wall on the lower level.
 

Took two days (4-5 hours) to add all of the highlights to the base colors.
 


I've enjoyed making and painting the scenery to this point. Down the road I'll be adding more detail to it.

 

This is a fictional U.P. division but U.P. does have a line to a potash plant by Moab Utah (70 miles north of us) through canyon country like I'm trying to depict. Check it out ( Is This The Most Striking RailRoad in the U.S.? ) . The real thing makes mine not look too good.


 
To be continued and a link to this whole build ( HERE ).

Sumner

[packers#1]

So, the video does not contain or explain the lead picture of a locomotive sitting on a somewhat crushed submarine deck.

Have we been foobied by AI?

I clicked on it and it’s a video about when the USS Barb sent a landing party ashore to plant explosives to blow up a Japanese train. I suspect the AI photo is an eye-catching (or head scratching) way to catch your attention in a video thumbnail so that you click on it. The fact it’s a video about a submarine crew destroying a railway line ties this together.

[bnsfdash8]

4014 came through Indiana yesterday. I never would've envisioned that ever happening.

An awesome experience to see it in the flesh. NS 1776 & Marco Polo were cool additions to the train.

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As expected with tens of thousands of people trackside, it was a bit hectic. I'm hoping to find a little more secluded spot on its return trip.

[ednadolski]

Score one for my collection of hen's teeth....




Ed

[Scottl]

I put away the trains to finish the last scenery around Jasper Yard.  I've cut 1 mm black foam sheet to size and printed curb-gutter-sidewalks for all of it.  The pink foam in the back will be a low rise to hide the end of the road and will be forested.  Now I need to airbrush the foam gray and to work up my courage to do the road lines.  I printed some templates for the lines but there is a curve outside of this photo I need to do and it needs to be perfect. Or it will look like 💩. 

After this is done. I need to grout and ballast the rest of the railroad space and start finishing the buildings.

Lots of fussy work this week.

[keeper]

For the very first time I connected all modules of the Mackinac Northern and ran some trains. 



https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=52941.msg842457#msg842457

[BCR 570]

After completing my track painting campaign, I am now starting on scenery.  I am beginning at Septimus which is a self-contained scene in an adjacent room.  I mapped out the scenic elements on the layout surface:






In preparation for the excavation work, a construction train was brought into Septimus:




I am also back to work on my official car build.  I installed the Pullman trucks, and then had a battle getting the wheels to fit:




Unfortunately several pieces broke off the trucks during this process:




I took the car for a test run around the layout:




I also worked on some display tracks for our 7th Division PNR-NMRA show display.  The top edges are framed with balsa wood to help contain the ballast.  These bases will be used to display cars in different scales:




Tim

[chessie system fan]

More layout progress.

[Jim Starbuck]

Another critter project is coming along.

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This is a Whitcomb 35DE46.  The HO file was downloaded from Cults 3d and scaled for N. It printed nicely.
I’ve been experimenting with geared turnback drives from Toma and Narrow Garage. The Tomas are far higher quality and much quieter however their chassis is 7mm wide. I remotored one with a 6mm and it ran nicely but the shell just didn’t fit down over the chassis well enough causing an odd ride height.
The Narrow Garage drives are 6mm wide and fit in the shell after a remotor but the gear squall is unacceptable. After studying spur gears I found that the noise was backlash from running too loose. It made sense since the Tomas were quiet so I knew it could be achieved. Also Toma offers their chassis in 12 or 14mm axle spacing and I needed 12.7 so I drew and printed my own chassis mimicking the Toma design and used parts from a Narrow Garage donor. This is a spinoff of the 90t chassis from a couple weeks ago.

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This rides on NG geared axle tubes fit with brass collars where it rides in the chassis and Tangent 36” wheelsets cut to half axles.
The narrow motor fits well in the the hood.
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The test run proved it’s quiet so now I’ll fit the decoder, keepalive, lights, added weight and N-Possibles.
The Whitcomb is comparable in size to the Shapeways GE 25 Tonner.

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[davefoxx]

My business car is prettier than your business car.  You don’t stand a chance. 



DFF

[Sumner]

Just posted a scenery update for the layout.  All major scenery is now in place.  Time to lay more track.

Sumner