Seaboard Central 2.0

[soo]

The line poles add a very nice touch. Don't know how to say it...just feels " right"
Keep up the most awesome work!!

Cya
Y-it

[C855B]

Around family obligations, I modified five (so far) Bachmann telephone poles, to turn these . . .
into something a little more appropriate for rural eastern North Carolina and a little less just-out-of-the-box look.  I cut off the base, but not just lopped off.  I actually trimmed the base flush with the circumference of the pole and sanded it to the cylindrical shape of the line pole.  This not only added 6-12" to the height of the line pole (I wish they were taller), but left a dimple on the bottom that allowed me to start a drill bit to insert a wire to plant the poles on the layout.  I also cut off two of the arms and sanded the poles to get rid of that cheap plasticky finish.  They look much better, so I may not even paint them. ...

I would at least hit the insulators. I haven't tried it myself yet, but I need to - my mind keeps dwelling on the idea that pearlescent craft paints (white or green) would simulate the glass very nicely.

[seusscaboose]

Dave....
between you, Ed, Dr. Dave and Delta Bravo posting some amazing stuff lately I am considering taking up tennis.
add in Chicken and Tom keeping it grimy as well as Mark Dance and Doug Nelson representing out west and goodness gracious I feel inadequate.

I'm going to go to work on my "tree game"... yours are EXACTLY what I am looking for...

I'm gonna go reread your thread for the exact technique.

Keep up the inspirational work.

EP

[davefoxx]

I would at least hit the insulators. I haven't tried it myself yet, but I need to - my mind keeps dwelling on the idea that pearlescent craft paints (white or green) would simulate the glass very nicely.

@C855B,

You read my mind, Mike.  You're probably right about the pearlescent white or green, but I just used a dab of plain white craft paint that I had lying around.  I'm okay with it.  We'll have to see how well it will hold up to attempts to run wires.



DFF

[jmarley76]

I use 1/4" rare earth disc magnets, many sources but I have had a lot of ebay packages from China never arrive (probably stuck on a sorting machine somewhere!).  I cut a length of thicker paper about 30' scale feet and give it a twist, and then place two magnets on either end sandwiching the paper.  When these are installed, they can rotate to the appropriate position to secure to the other container.  I just put two magnets together loose in a 20' can.  It works great.

I use this system, too, and think it's pretty great. Best part is you can change containers around whenever you like.

I had running problems with the twin stack, so I ended up installing the weight in the containers. I  then glued in a couple of magnets so the top container could be changed.

[SSW7771]

Dave, the line poles look good. I will have to try something similar on the Atlas line poles I have in storage.

[Lemosteam]

@C855B,

You read my mind, Mike.  You're probably right about the pearlescent white or green, but I just used a dab of plain white craft paint that I had lying around.  I'm okay with it.  We'll have to see how well it will hold up to attempts to run wires.



DFF

Cannot tell from this pic but a layer of black creosote dip a couple feet above the ground line is appropriate no?

[davefoxx]

Cannot tell from this pic but a layer of black creosote dip a couple feet above the ground line is appropriate no?

@Lemosteam,

I honestly don't know, John.  I looked at all sorts of pictures and at line poles in the real world.  Coincidentally, on the way to the in-laws' house this weekend, we came across a line pole replacement project, and the new poles were laid at the site where each old pole was to be replaced.  As best as I can tell, the line poles can be everything from almost black (new poles) to light silvery gray-brown (weathered).  Ed's law applies, I suppose.

DFF

[Lemosteam]

Darn, i was trying to get you to do more work...   Agreed.

[davefoxx]

Haha!  Fail!  Good try, but I'm a lazy modeler.

DFF

[jmarley76]

Haha!  Fail!  Good try, but I'm a lazy modeler.

DFF

If model railroading was work, I wouldn't be doing it. I have enough real work... 

[davefoxx]

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the Seaboard Central!

DFF

[davefoxx]

Off topic.  My wife and I agreed for Santa to bring our almost five-year-old daughter, Aly, a train for Christmas.  We decided on a Kato N scale Operation North Pole Christmas Train Set: http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Kato-N-1062015-Operation-North-Pole-Train-Set-p/kat-1062015.htm

Orders have been placed with MBK and Fifer Hobby Supply (both offering Black Friday sales), which got us everything we need to get this train up and running on DCC.  I'll try to get the decoders installed (one in the F40PH and one in the cab car for lighting), program, test, and repackage the train before Christmas, so we can just put the train on the layout and run it on Christmas morning.

We chose this train for some of the following reasons:
1) The Christmas theme (my daughter will love that);
2) Operation North Pole (ONP) is a charity with a great purpose: for children battling a life threatening illness by hosting a fantasy trip to the North Pole (proceeds from the sale of the Kato train go to ONP);
3) My wife's family is from Chicago, where the prototype train runs;
4) My daughter is showing small signs of becoming a model railroader and/or a railfan (she's enjoyed the train rides we've gone on, and, not long ago, she told me that if I ever wanted to get rid of my layout, she wanted it!); and
5) Now, she'll have her own train for us to run (she's going to love the lights on the F40PH and the cab car).

Getting in the Christmas spirit,
DFF

[davefoxx]

I masked and masked and masked and masked, so I could apply that little bit of white paint on the fascia boards.  That was very tedious getting the masking into place.  I'm considering foregoing the red drip edge (which I anticipate will be practically invisible on an N scale model), or I'll paint up some blank decal film and apply the red with decals.



I might be able to get to the roof decals this weekend!

DFF

[davefoxx]

Roofing!  I have to admit that this is significantly more difficult than I had imagined.  I knew working with large pieces of decal could be a challenge, but the real difficulty is getting the pieces to the final shape.  Three attempts failed when I tried to lay the decal in oversized and trim back with a knife.  Because of the curve in the roof, the overlap would tear.  Also, the decal didn't want to cut cleanly, because I was trying to cut it at the ridges.

So, I went back to the drawing board and tried to cut the pieces to fit before dropping them into the water.  I've got the three easier pieces done, and I'm not looking forward to the front roofs.  I'll end up having to do those in several pieces to fit around a drain pipe and the dormer.  As you can see, I missed the chimneys a little, but I think I can hide that with some weathering and some faux flashing or roof tar.  The prototype is really weathered below the chimneys.



The current glossy look will be dealt with with a final coat of Dullcoat after all of the roofing is complete.  You're seeing the sealer over the decal created on a laser printer.  I also will add some ridge caps cut out of slices of roofing decal once all of the roofing is installed.  I like the color.  It's lighter than the prototype, but this will look better under the lighting in my basement.  Thoughts?

DFF