Re: Weekend Update 7/12/26

[Iain]

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I spent the day working on a bunch of freight cars, detailing and converting to n-possible couplers.

I pulled out some O scale kits from storage and was underwhelmed with some of the castings.  They vaguely look like the intended item, but we can do much better now.

I designed a detailed Snow duplex steam pump and printed some a 25 micron layer thickness.  Pretty happy with them.  The commercial casting is basically garbage.

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As it happens, I've been working in a similar vein, though my version I'm doing in brass and designed as a sort of kit.

[btrain]

I was lucky enough to be invited to see the Big Boy on Horseshoe Curve yesterday. Norfolk Southern, UP steam team, The Railroader’s Museum, along with local law enforcement and first responders did an excellent job at hosting the event.

Seeing the big choo slip a couple times on the final pass around the mountain was pretty wild, to the extent that I thought my soul was about to leave my body.

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Hope to be back in Altoona in September for N Scale Weekend, which brings me to this weekend’s modeling project of drafting up a new Free-moN module for it and figuring out the wiring of MSS signaling.

[crrcoal]

The track looks amazing. Hard to believe that's unitrak.

It's been all about T-TRAK for me lately... Started a scenery-only single just to keep the momentum going:

[Dave V]

The track looks amazing. Hard to believe that's unitrak.

Thanks! Yeah, we've had lots of conversations about me using Unitrack versus some other track system for this layout.

In the end I chose Unitrack for a couple reasons:

1) It's the basic "standard" for T-TRAK. Yeah, I know T-TRAK only requires the end pieces to have Unijoiners, but the whole T-TRAK system is based on Unitrack lengths, curves, and other geometry.

2) It's easy and fun to play with. I've changed the track arrangement at Huntingdon several times before glueing it down.

3) I wanted to challenge myself to see how far I could push Unitrack to make it look less obvious.

It'll never look like handlaid code 55, and I'm OK with that. It's reliable AF. And when eventually this layout starts traveling, it'll be nice to show folks that they can significantly improve their Unitrack with some paint, ballast, and weathering.

[peteski]

Found an old Minitrix Switcher at work that ran shockingly well. Naturally I've always wanted a B6 and decided to make a quick model of one out if it. Starting with stripping the thick old paint off. And then I decided if I'm doing that I might as well mill off some of the weird non prototypical molded on pipework.

Very nice.  I'm wondering though why with all those modifications you ended up choosing to use what appears to be rather thick (for N scale) brass rod for the handrails? 

[Jesse6669]

The Norwood Road Department continued its improvements by installing a traffic light.  There's more in the Layout Engineering Report.

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I think it really ties the room scene together, dude.

[Jesse6669]

Thanks! Yeah, we've had lots of conversations about me using Unitrack versus some other track system for this layout.

In the end I chose Unitrack for a couple reasons:

1) It's the basic "standard" for T-TRAK. Yeah, I know T-TRAK only requires the end pieces to have Unijoiners, but the whole T-TRAK system is based on Unitrack lengths, curves, and other geometry.

2) It's easy and fun to play with. I've changed the track arrangement at Huntingdon several times before glueing it down.

3) I wanted to challenge myself to see how far I could push Unitrack to make it look less obvious.

It'll never look like handlaid code 55, and I'm OK with that. It's reliable AF. And when eventually this layout starts traveling, it'll be nice to show folks that they can significantly improve their Unitrack with some paint, ballast, and weathering.

I agree 100% and it looks really good.  I wish they would make the whole series with North American tie spacing, but that that's a dead cat that's been beaten thoroughly.

[dem34]

Very nice.  I'm wondering though why with all those modifications you ended up choosing to use what appears to be rather thick (for N scale) brass rod for the handrails?

It better covered some rough finishing and fit snugly into original mounting points. But the project went a bit further than I originally intended. The original goal was to just throw DCC in it and letter it for PRR.
Which to me is fine. I'm starting to personally settle into more relaxed modelling, for a long time I just felt like trying to push the envelope and get every detail down was just hindering getting projects worked on. If anyone looks a little too closely in photos they will notice quickly the things I made a deliberate choice to not model as I felt it wasn't worth doing on a kitbash of a 60 year old model.

[InterurbanModels]

Erie Thru Line Coaches had one diagram variant for Dinner-Parlor cars (#2997). That practically cried out to be put into practice.

[fcnrwy23]

I finally had a little time to finish, one project for the FCN.
Since, I have a 'Boat load" of Roundhouse Hi-Cubes. I found one more use for them..
The FCN"s own, Track Geometry Car.



I wanted to use, the NCE "Light" decoders to see how they work. But, didn't have any Pico-sized LEDs left.  I have to settle for the "Flashing" ones, that I had at hand.



The LEDs' circuit was pre-wired for 7-19 volts, and works with DCC.  I just had to add, a shroud and Metal wheels with brass tube, "Pickups".

Jerry

[bbunge]

A few years ago I rebuilt an old "Trolley Museum" N-trak module.  I used an Arduino try and automate a museum loop to stop at two stations and turn on a road crossing.  My home brew code was buggy and difficult to make work under different lighting conditions. 

This week, I used Google Gemini to "vibe code" it using a Google Doc that is mostly worded requirements to create the code.  After some experimenting, things went pretty good.   Here is a quick video.

This and other modules will be in a layout at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum for the next two weeks.  If you are in the area, come visit and ride some vintage Baltimore street cars, including the one in the video (a Bachmann Peter Witt as BTC 6119).



Bob

[davefoxx]

I installed five 0402 LEDs in F7A No. 405 this evening.  Two for the twin beam headlight in the lower fixture, one for the red emergency light in the lower bulb of the upper fixture, one for the Gyra Light in the upper bulb of the upper fixture, and one for the hostler’s rear light.  Now, this F-unit can finally lead a consist.



DFF

[mu26aeh]

WM #32 rests on the caboose track after working the Greenmount local

[dandopinski]

Finished the final three GP40-2Ls today, making a total of 10. Next up, the revolting Draper Taper SD50 and SD60s.








I might upgrade the radio antenna, I just recently got some from Trainworx. Also need to install air horns.

[MK]

Having recently returned from yet another Japan trip, you just can't come back empty handed! 

It was a 2-1/2 week of 1:1 rail fanning and hobby shops raiding with the boys. We left our wives at home. What could possibly go wrong?   

The trip was phenomenal, even with two typhoons and a 7.2 off shore earthquake (no Tsunami).