Feeling a little blue?

[tom mann]

That is a lot of ballast on them there ties. ;D

[wm3798]

Just trying to keep to the prototype...








Hmmm.  Looks like I better pile up some more ballast if I'm going to run Conrail equipment...!

[sizemore]

Ooooh BURNED.

[wm3798]

That's why I have a zillion photos available...     I know I've got a shot of Sasquatch somewhere...

Lee

[bbussey]

Why did you give up CR again?

I haven't!  I give NH and CR equal weight.  I barely remember the end of NH, and I wasn't a big PC fan back then because it gobbled up my favorite roads (NH & PRR & NYC).  But when CR came along, it had the same diversity of equipment that NH had and it looked cool.  Once it became independent and started turning profits, I'd thought for certain it would be around through my lifetime at least.  Go figure.  Thankfully I'm in a Shared Assets zone, so I can zip down to Oak Island to snap pics whenever the urge hits.

I've got as much CR stuff as I do NH stuff.  Someday I'll make further progress on the OCS.  When MTL gets around to releasing a heavyweight obs with a decent roof and ends, that will help tremendously.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh nice!

I never realized that. I thought you were just doing NH these days.

An N OCS? Oh man, the CRHS's VP will go nuts... he loves that thing (we're thinking about trying to find him counseling for it).

[Ian MacMillan]

Why did you give up CR again?

I haven't!  I give NH and CR equal weight.  I barely remember the end of NH, and I wasn't a big PC fan back then because it gobbled up my favorite roads (NH & PRR & NYC).  But when CR came along, it had the same diversity of equipment that NH had and it looked cool.  Once it became independent and started turning profits, I'd thought for certain it would be around through my lifetime at least.  Go figure.  Thankfully I'm in a Shared Assets zone, so I can zip down to Oak Island to snap pics whenever the urge hits.

I've got as much CR stuff as I do NH stuff.  Someday I'll make further progress on the OCS.  When MTL gets around to releasing a heavyweight obs with a decent roof and ends, that will help tremendously.

Ya know Bryan, how would you like to write some articles for us who are doing the new Modeling Mag at CRHS?

[bbussey]

Oh nice!

I never realized that. I thought you were just doing NH these days.

An N OCS? Oh man, the CRHS's VP will go nuts... he loves that thing (we're thinking about trying to find him counseling for it).

Nope, technically NH is #1 for me, but I'm big into CR as well as NH.  Plus, whenever I get the layout underway, modeling CR allows me to run GG1s under wire into New Haven and you can't beat that.

I've have the Overland three-unit E8 set that I got for a steal on eBay, and the #55 ex-ATSF dome is done except for the modern diaphragms.  Got #12 conference car and #11 sleeper in progress.  Got the brass sides for heavyweight obs #10 etched, just waiting for a good donor body from MTL.  Don't know what I'm going to do for theater car #9, even though I have the Athabasca brass sides of the diner it was built from.  I'm tempted to look at the Overland UP car to see how close it is as the price on it keeps dropping.  Will still need to kitbash heavyweight sleeper #8 and heavyweight obs #s 1, 3 and 5, all from MTL models at this point.  But I'm trying to focus on one consist at a time, and right now I'm concentrating on the NH Federal.  If I can get the NH consists to the point where I'm waiting only for Rapido to get around to producing the Pullman-Bradleys in N to complete them, I'll be happy.

Ya know Brian, how would you like to write some articles for us who are doing the new Modeling Mag at CRHS?

I could do that, although I don't have any in-progress pics for any of the CR projects already completed.  The U25C phase III started as Ron Bearden's phase I Oro Dam unit featured in N scale 20 years ago.  I acquired it from him back then and with his blessing kitbashed his kitbash into a phase III.  CR 55 has been a looong project, with lots of starts and stops.  Getting the bends right in the M&R big dome wrap-over etching is an adventure, and trying to duplicate the gloss-wet look of the paint also was a challenge.  Most of the other CR stuff I've done is easier minor stuff.

[jmlaboda]

"Don't know what I'm going to do for theater car #9, even though I have the Athabasca brass sides of the diner it was built from."

Jerry Britton carries the Laser Horizons sides, though he does not have them listed on his site, for several of the Conrail business cars with the office cars also being correct for N&W and SOU (one each) and NS (both of them).  The problem is having the correct core for them (the ex-N&W car having only the roof on the observation end rounded while both ends of the ex-SOU cars were).

[bbussey]

I'm not a fan of laser-cut styrene, as the detail is not fine enough for my tastes.  I prefer etched metal for passenger car sides.  Worst case scenario is that I can have them etched, but the car sides are the easiest component to deal with on the theater car model.  Other cars can have the core RP'd and the sides etched if a standard core kit or donor existing passenger car model doesn't work.  Here's CR 12 for example - A Budd car with a plated-over roof and permanently lowered vestibule steps was easier to RP a core and apply etched brass inserts for the body, along with the standard ALM core kit floor/underbody.  I'll try to get this one finished later in the year.





CR 11 is an ex-Erie 10-5, which also matches a CN prototype, and I have the appropriate Athabasca sides.  Originally I was going to go the ALM route, but now I'm going to cheat and mill off a .010" cavity in the sides of a Walthers 10-6 and inset the Athacasca sides into that, just to see how it works out.

[u18b]

If I were closer and available, I'd bring my U25C, complete with signal control box.

It looked better in green and gold.

[bbussey]

Fortunately you still have pics of how it was to remember it by. 

[u18b]

Did you take any before photos?

Hundmann had mine, and I don't think I have any good shots of it.

[bbussey]

Course not!  Just took the knife to it and started carvin'!