Gibbon, Cozad & Western - "The 100th Meridian Line"

[James Costello]

Rub it in, James, rub it in. 

Inspiration mate 

[CRL]

I have always wondered if the guy that designed the U50 had previously designed buses 🚍.

[Angus Shops]

I doubt there was a ‘designer’ (someone trained in design, particularly aesthetics) involved at all. Probably a mid level engineer given the task to cover all the mechanical bits with steel so wind and rain doesn’t get in.

[jagged ben]

As ugly as it may be, I've always thought that cab probably gave better visibility for the engineer.  Then again I suppose it gave less of a buffer zone in any kind of collision.

[C855B]

It's my understanding the U50 snub-nose was primarily done to shorten the carbody. When UP started the doubles experiment, there were concerns that long fixed-frame designs might scrape curved tunnels and other areas with tight side clearances on curves. Alco's version (C855) tapered both ends of the frame and carbody, also shortening the nose and eliminating the front platform. EMDs contribution, the DD35, shortened the works by eliminating the cab entirely.

The U50C likely retained the short nose design in attempts to save weight. There were a lot of other weight-reduction compromises in the U50C which resulted in lots of problems, hastening their scrapping after only seven years on the road.

[C855B]

Loctite PL300 Foam Board Adhesive cures very slowly.

[Didn't quite know where to put this construction-related tidbit, so it goes into my layout engineering thread for the moment.]

I had to make a minor change to the piece of cookie-cutter embankment added a week ago. I've recently been using Loctite PL300 foam glue for foam-to-foam joinery instead of Glidden Gripper or Gorilla Glue because the PL300 is easier to work with and doesn't create new problems if I have to change something.

When I removed the cut section of the new work the adhesive was still tacky after a week. I don't have any issues with this since I do know from previous benchwork changes it cures fully after X amount of time, and becomes rubbery. But anybody expecting the "24 hours" advice on the label before applying a strain on the joint - don't, it's not done yet. For anything that has to be strong in a day or less, original Gorilla Glue (the polyurethane version) is the go-to.

[CRL]

Same thing with Liquid Nails for Projects, which is foam compatible. If air can reach it, it will dry reasonably fast, but if sandwiched between 2 layers of foam, it takes a long time to dry.

[C855B]

[via radio]

Dispatcher: Los Angeles Dispatcher to B&B crew sixteen.

(dead air)

Dispatcher: Los Angeles Dispatcher to B&B crew sixteen.

B&B16: B&B sixteen, Foreman Johnson.

DS: Santa Fe Barstow called. They said a switcher got loose and might be headed your way.

BB: Again? How long 'til it gets here?

DS: You have about thirty - three-zero - minutes. Track time for B&B crew sixteen at Afton A F T O N is revoked effective two fifteen, that's two one five PM. RCA.

BB: Track time for B&B crew sixteen at Afton A F T O N revoked effective two fifteen, two one five PM, RCA. I'll get the men out of the way. Thanks.

DS: Correctly repeated at two zero five PM. And you're welcome. Let me know when it goes by.

BB: Will do. B&B sixteen out.

DS: LA dispatcher KXD84.

Not a valid vimeo URL
[radio hail tone]

DS: LA dispatcher.

BB: Hi, Dick. BB sixteen calling to report that Santa Fe switcher drifted by Afton at three zero eight PM. What's the story?

DS: Thanks, Jim. They said something about it jumping the fence.

BB: Say what? ... Never mind. BB sixteen out.

DS: (laugh) Yeah, go figure. LA dispatcher KXD84.


No full trains on this stretch yet. Next set of bridges is being dry-fitted with temporary piering to make sure it all fits. Also had to check clearances on the slight curve within the bridges for the all-important powered track cleaner. All is good:



Happy New Year, everyone. May 2021 be a damnsight better than 2020. (Yes, that's a pretty low bar.)

[davefoxx]

Haha!  That’s awesome, Mike.  Happy New Year to you, too!

DFF

[C855B]

Making mountains out of foamhills:

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Making mountains out of foamhills:

This is one of my favorite stages of construction.

[CRL]

Do you have the Environmental Impact Study and the blasting permits you’ll need to punch that tunnel through the hill? 😉

[davefoxx]

This is one of my favorite stages of construction.

Me, too.  Except for track installation, terraforming is about as close to instant gratification as we can get in model railroading.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Do you have the Environmental Impact Study and the blasting permits you’ll need to punch that tunnel through the hill? 😉

Or a coyote and a paint bucket.

DFF

[C855B]

Thanks for the encouragement, guys. I think. 

I looked, but isn't one of the coyote/road runner scenes where he paints the tunnel and a train magically emerges to splat into him? There's one I can find with a fake highway scene over a cliff and it's a truck.

The stack isn't glued together yet. One thing I have to work out is access to the tunnel. The hill is already hollow because I conserved foam by cutting out upper layers from the middle of lower layers, but the backside is up against the fascia. Best option on the table is hinging the fascia and making the tunnel liner removable; goal there is a finished tunnel interior for when the day finally arrives where I can do in-cab videos. I don't figure on access for the three tunnels on the next phase as they'll be half as long and any derailments can be cleared with a shop-vac.   

Something I have to deal with that you guys usually don't have to consider is the complete lack of foliage. Like a pastry chef covering their screw-ups with icing, grass and trees (and kudzu  ) hide a whole bunch of sins with fit and finish of the base. I should probably take a really good look at how Bruce @arbomambo is doing his Southwest scenes. Arizona Rock & Mineral just had a one-day sale on their any-scale rock and soil packs, but I had to pass since I really have no idea how much I need at this point. Probably a lot. Good thing USPS is foolish enough to offer fixed pricing on Priority boxes - a large box o' rocks has got to be 30 pounds!