Weekend update - June 10, 2007

[3rdrail]

So, what were y'all up to the past week? I continued to put all my photos onto PicasaWeb, now have all my prototype photos and individual model shots on there. Still have some layout shots to post.

Yesterday I went to the Pensacola Model Railroad Club's show in Pensacola and really scored at the Trains by Johnson table. Picked up Micro-Trains billboard reefers for Old Dutch Cleanser, Wescott & Winks, and MK&E for $7.00 each, but the best was a Thirdrail Graphics Hamm Brewing special run kit for $3.00.

Got a taste of megalopolitan driving on the way home - a monstrous traffic jam from Destin to Sandestin. Turns out a Hummer and a very large Beemer (the big black sedan type) had a high speed collision in Sandestin. There was also a bumper to bumper backup over the Hathaway Bridge between PC Beach and Panama City. At times like this I wish the tourists would stay home!   >

Just what I needed though, four more billboard reefers!!  ;D ;D

[SquirrelHollow]

It's been a rough week, and a rough weekend for me. 
Absolutely no progress on anything.   

[SirTainly]

Been getting ready for going to Le Mans for the 24 hour race so nothing done here, once I'm back though should have a few free weekends to get back onto the trains!

[wcfn100]

In between current project, I've been trying to update the rolling stock that I've painted or weathered from years ago that doesn't seem to hold to newer modeling standards.

This week is an old Con-Cor 70 ton hopper.  I think I've lowered it as much I'm willing to.







Jason

[engineshop]

This weekend I finished my first target signal. I used BLMA a photo etched signal head sheet #1000. I only used the face disk and the "hood", which I shorten so it is flat at the back of the face.
After I soldered 33AWG colored magnet wires to a green/red(/blue) SMD LED, I glued the LED onto the back of the face. Unfortunately there are no green/red/yellow SMD LED since the SMDs are the once used for the flat screen TVs.
The pole is made of hypodermic needle tubing (Hypo Tube S/S 304 thin and extra thin walls) from smallparts.com. The magnet wires run inside the tubing. The base of the pole is made of two different size of tubing glued into each other and then filed in an angle plus a piece of styrene. I used CA which also nicely fills the gaps between the different sizes of tubing.
The ladder is actually a photo etched K+S square mesh for bigger scale models which has about the right size for N-scale. N-scale square mesh is used to attach the ladder to the pole.



While working on the signal I noticed something really strange. First I had a resistor soldered to the common lead. When I hooked up the signal to a battery it would not led me light up one in green and one in red. Red/red or green/green was fine but not a combination. After I soldered a resistor to each color, everything worked just fine.
Maybe an LED electrician knows why.

I also hope BLMA will make some other faces like the traffic signal style and the one Atlas just did.

I calculated the cost of a single target signal of about $5, mostly because of photo etched parts and the SMD LED. The first one took me about 3, 4 hours to build since changed the design as I went. Mass production should get the time down considerably.
After finding pictures online of signals used by the Southern Pacific, I think I will end up with at least 10 different styles (including some signal bridges), if BLMA hears my plea for different face styles.
So please, Craig, put everything on the back-burner and start designing.

[nscalesteve]

This weekend I finished my first target signal.

cool - well done Roland...   

[Craig Martyn]

So please, Craig, put everything on the back-burner and start designing.

Nice work Roland!!!  Great work everyone else!  Hmmm, not sure I can put everything on the back burner for that project, but I've noted it and will see what I can do in the future...     (Keep on me if you don't see anything though!)

I did a little modeling this past week; I tested my new Concrete K-Rails, Yard Office, and Portable Toilet on my module and came up with the following:



Here is a more focused photo on some of my new test samples...  (The Yard Offices and Porta Potties are "on the water" and should be on dealer shelves in about 4-5 weeks.)

[wm3798]

By request, LRV 1913 now has a firecracker antenna on the roof... ;D


I also had a chance to do some 'fanning on the layout...

I caught up with BT-1, the westbound fast freight, just as it crossed the river. WM3798 leads two Laurel Valley GP-20's. At Rockwood Jct., the LRV units will take their section up to Ligonier, and a set of WM power will be added, along with westbound cars from the LRV interchange at Somerset.


I made it to the overpass at Rockwood just in time to catch the Grey Train coming off the flyover.


BT-1 holed up at the junction waiting for the westbound cut to arrive from Somerset.  Meanwhile, we watched him break up the lashup and pull the LRV-bound cars.


The crew checked in at the TO office, but they didn't have to wait long as a headlight appeared up the line...

Have a great week!
Lee

[nscalesteve]

I did a little modeling this past week;

Craig, this "happy" guy leaving the picture on the left, is he wearing a "manbag" ?   

[up1950s]

Roland , those signals are great , well done .

[3rdrail]

By request, LRV 1913 now has a firecracker antenna on the roof... ;D


Have a great week!
Lee

And the Crystal Clear is dry, too!!  ;D ;D

[3rdrail]

I agree with Steve, Craig, and Richie, those are great looking signals, Roland! 

[tom mann]

I did a little modeling this past week;

Craig, this "happy" guy leaving the picture on the left, is he wearing a "manbag" ?   

 ;D

[engineshop]

This is not a manbag, it is European.

Craig, thanks for the quick answer on the signal faces.

[bdeuster]

Great looking stuff, everyone!!

Here is my contribution, though not all done this past week:

Another scene on the layout, in its early stages of scenicking -






And two structures that have been assembled and weathered -







B