Weekend update 13 December 2009

[Philip H]

It's 10:23 on a rainy Sunday in the NAtional Capitol Region - perfect timing to pull up a cup of coffee and whip out an update.

I got two structures mostly finished this week - a farm house and barn for the farm that's going on section 2 of my layout (whenever I manage to ge tthe benchwork out o fthe basement and up to the layout room/office).  No pics yet, but I may take some later today.

What have you do ne this week to put off Chirstmas shopping with the Managers?

[skytop35]

I've been working on a set of E5's for Charlie Vlk. He says he's been a good boy this year so I'm trying to finish them by Christmas. I managed to get all the decals on after this photo was taken. Just need to add the window glass and hand it over to Santa for delivery.  ;D

[Philip H]

Those look great.  What paint did you use to get that metal effect?

[diezmon]

I spent my 'train time' organizing storage.

I scored a whole stack of device containers from work.  I'm adding padding and labels so I can use them to store my motive power.





Handy Dandy Defibrillator cases

[wm3798]

How about some commuter service?





Old Arnold shorties revived for MARC service.  Another paint shop project from the Hagerstown Shops.  Next is the GP40WH to properly pull them!

Aside from the paint, the other main improvement was swapping the factory Arnold wheels (Beyond Pizza Wheel, more like the Pit and the Pendulum) with 36" wheels from Bachmann freight trucks.  Now they roll freely and operate flawlessly on c55 rail.

Lee

[Bob Bufkin]

I managed to install a MRC sound decoder into a Kato E-8.  Got lights and sound but won't move.  Looks like it's going to Lee's shop to see what the hell is going on.  Also picked up a brass Key M1a from Peach Creek Shops yesterday at less than half the price that I've seen them on the Bay.  they had another one with a different number but one was enough for my own Christmas present.  The M1a is also going to Lee's shop for a decoder install along with a used Kato U-boat in PC paint that I also got for a good price.

[wm3798]

I obviously need more elves...



S. Claus

[DKS]

I managed to build a replacement controller (the original went AWOL 8 or 9 years ago) for this fully-functional excavator that I built around 1997 or 98. The source model is the GHQ kit, and I articulated all of the joints. It has four degrees of motion--the only movement that was impractical was traveling along the ground, for obvious reasons. As I write this, I'm working on an article that will include a video of it in action, plus more photos and a schematic of the controller.
 

[up1950s]

I managed to build a replacement controller (the original went AWOL 8 or 9 years ago) for this fully-functional excavator that I built around 1997 or 98. The source model is the GHQ kit, and I articulated all of the joints. It has four degrees of motion--the only movement that was impractical was traveling along the ground, for obvious reasons. As I write this, I'm working on an article that will include a video of it in action, plus more photos and a schematic of the controller.
 

Love the dirt and wear effects on this David .

[Zox]

MARRS was at the South Columbia Baptist Church, Thursday and Friday evenings and all day Saturday, with both N and HO modules. (NVNTrak's TTrak group and a couple of individual exhibits were also in attendance.)

I managed to get some ground cover down on my bridge module, on both ends, on the audience-facing side of the module, so at least it wasn't a total embarassment scenically:





I rather like this second shot--the blur streaking over the top of the bridge is my camera car.

For now, model railroad work is on hold until January, as I prepare to visit my mother over the holidays. (Well, it'll be on hold after I get all the stuff I took to the show out of my car...)

[Caleb Austin]

Nice stuff guys.

I changed my user name from "envirodude" to my real name... besides that I haven't made much layout progress.

Here are a couple shots.

[BCR 570]

With four concerts this week there was no time for trains, so here is a photograph taken for but not used in the January 2009 MRP article on my layout:



RS-18 613 and RS-3 573 prepare to depart Chetwynd with the southbound P-V freight for Prince George.


The photograph was inspired by this Ken Perry image recorded in September 1976:

[Puddington]

So; is there anything better than a little boy who loves trains....? A little 6 year old who will walk over fire just to run a locomotive on your layout.... ?

Nope........

My son's best buddy Andrew loves the trains and for his upcoming 7th birthday I am building him an n scale layout... a sub division of my PVR - the "Andrew Junction"...we've made him a box car and a custom painted Kato SD 40-2....

In preparation for building the little Unitrack layout I have been reconditioning buildings for his layout - old buildings from my old layouts and stuff you pick up at shows for a few bucks... plus some new structures....

Here's a few................





The D&N Allen Metal Fabricating Company - named for his maternal grandparents.... an old Model Power loading dock and a Walthers kit that I got years ago as a $ 2.00 build up at a show.... repainted and detailed.....





Andrew's Orchards...... ok, the kid loves apples..... I did the trailer a few years back and he loved it so; the apple warehouse is a natural for his layout.....

I'm adding a few more structures; there will be six in all; four are line side....

Kids and trains........... nuff said !

[skytop35]

Those look great.  What paint did you use to get that metal effect?

It's Alclad Chrome sprayed over a gloss black finish in several light coats. Followed up by Model Masters Sealer for metalizer.

[wcfn100]

No train projects per se, but I finally got to removing all the tape residue from packing my display case so I'll pick up some wall anchors when I get my lumber.  After the case gets positioned, I can start picking spots for my various train pictures.  Then comes a couple lanterns and I'll have a real train room again.  The proposed layout will fit nicely along three different walls and I'll try to budget in a new flat screen TV and a comfy chair.

In the 3D world, I got the green light that my NE5 caboose drawing look to be A-OK, so a little touchup on those and maybe I'll have a caboose by the end of Jan.  


Jason