Weekend Update 9/30/2012

[BCR 570]

P.S. Dan of NARC dropped by this week with the final pre-production samples for their N Scale rotary gondolas.  I have to commend NARC and their manufacturing partner in China for their perserverance in getting everything correct prior to release.  With 16 different paint schemes and numerous design differences across the run, this was no easy task.  Here are two of the variants - SULX Sultran Ltd. and UNPX Procor Ltd.:



Production is scheduled for November so we should see them in December.


Tim

[Puddington]

Mark; Really fine job on that C Liner.....you're really getting the hang of weathering.....

This week I "cut foam" and began the rebuilding of the Pudington Valley. I will keep the "blog" updated in the layout Enginerring section of the wire... here's what stuff looked like on Thursday....I'm starting with the corner loop module...



After reviewing some Morning Sun photo's of some CPR bridges in BC I decided to abandon the rehabilitation of a Kato Unitrack truss bridge and build the Atlas Code 55 truss kit I had. It is very similar to the CPR mainline bridge at Kamloops...the only problem I have is I can't determine form the pictures if they had a walkway on the thing or not.....

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Still on vacation in Thailand. Ever wonder what three weeks of Thai food would do to you? I've barely left the hotel in three days.

[sirenwerks]

Here is one of 6 Micro-trains flatcars that I have modified to represent the NP's 52' straight sill flatcars. 
I lowered the cars, removed the brake-wheel and associated piping and chain and put a brake-wheel on a staff at the B end. 
I also have also added a steel center sill to the frame with gussets. 

Nice job, Bryan.  These are on my to-do list and I'm collecting MTL cars from vendors at shows on the cheap to do so. 

Did you do anything to 'replace' the missing stake pocket that results from removing the side brake wheel?  I was thinking, if I can get enough cars on the cheap, of just taking the good sill from two to make one flat but I've been trying to come up with another solution that mimes the detail of the pre-existing tsake pocket casting.  If I could come up with a workable solution (other than a block of styrene) it could be used to replace pockets on the Atlas Trainman cars and Bachmann cars that are a dime a dozen out there.  One thought was etching them, with the creases etched to make folding such a small piece easy.

[Scottl]

Nice work as always.

I managed to finish my SD50F and C44-9CW (two head-end units on left side) this week and they are now awaiting the next run out of the Hornepayne yard.  That CSX unit in there will be vandalized into a CN SD70M-2 once the Trainworx detail kit arrives.  That's it for locomotives- I'm finished with that phase and it will be time to shift my efforts back to completing the layout.

[WP_Railfan]

Just a little paint and decaling before heading out to Sacramento to go see the 844.

[w neal]

[up1950s]

Still on vacation in Thailand. Ever wonder what three weeks of Thai food would do to you? I've barely left the hotel in three days.

Perhaps it's the water , or choice of dog  in your dish , try Dingo Ala Main , tastes like Micky Dee's .

[mmagliaro]

Richie,
Fine work on that FEF-1.  I've gone looking at some prototype photos of the FEF-1 (since I know nothing about the UP),
and I think you are capturing the look really well.
I too would like to know what those big barrels are for on thet railing truck axles.  Just weight?
What's up with the missing wheelset in the front tender truck.  Is that just for convenience while you take the
truck in and out to work on it for now?

It's really coming along nicely!

-----
I was doing more repair work on engines, but I did manage to do some more work on the trestle area:

[mecgp7]

Nice work as always.

I managed to finish my SD50F and C44-9CW (two head-end units on left side) this week and they are now awaiting the next run out of the Hornepayne yard.  That CSX unit in there will be vandalized into a CN SD70M-2 once the Trainworx detail kit arrives.  That's it for locomotives- I'm finished with that phase and it will be time to shift my efforts back to completing the layout.

Awesome display of motive power. Thanks for sharing.

[SkipGear]

Max,
 I love the look of the meadow turning into a forest there. It gives a natural open feel and looks like you could take walk in the woods for a relaxing afternoon.

[Puddington]

Max,
 I love the look of the meadow turning into a forest there. It gives a natural open feel and looks like you could take walk in the woods for a relaxing afternoon.

+1 - well done............

[wazzou]

Did you do anything to 'replace' the missing stake pocket that results from removing the side brake wheel? 

Thanks Brian.  I added the missing one from castings I made.

[BCR 570]

This week I "cut foam" and began the rebuilding of the Pudington Valley. I will keep the "blog" updated in the layout Enginerring section of the wire

Good to hear that the PVR is finally under reconstruction.  You will be able to look forward to some new photographic opportunities in due course.

I did not know about the Layout Engineering Section of the Railwire - I guess I bookmarked the N Scale page years ago when I first joined and the Layout Engineering section is one page back.  So, lots of new Railwire pages to explore!

Tim

[up1950s]

Thanks guys , the rear truck is light so the easiest way to apply pressure to all 4 wheels without reducing driver pressure was IMO add a thick wrap of Loon to each axle and after it set up I coated it with Krazy glue . The Loon is non-conductive on my tests . I still wanted more anti-bounce weight so I filled a tube with the Loon , drilled a hole in both sideframes , and skewered the 3 with a brass rod . The rear truck is now heavy enough . and non-restrictive do the Hippy Hippy Shake in all axises . Yeah that missing wheelset was an omission by error on my part , but actually it is better left off to reduce the wear and tear on the copper PUC's until final pre-paint shots , followed by the done shots .

Max is that layout all sceniced a beautiful as those shots . Love the steam on a wooden trestle . I have a shot of a Challenger crossing one about that high .