Weekend Update 12/2/12

[Chris333]

It's been a long time to get here.


Your Pal, 

You've got some splaining to do.

[up1950s]

I think it is photo shopped .

[Chris333]

I think Tom has a floor to ceiling book shelf and when you pull on the correct book a secret door opens to this new room.

[BCR751]

Photoshop is your friend for these projects!.   If the PG Mill looks anything like the Fort Nelson one I can always send you the prints that ended up on the cutting room floor LOL.    May be swinging through PG next summer so I will bring the camera

Andy,

When you do the photoraphy of the PG Pulp mill for Chris, I would like to have copies of them and a "how-to" on using them.  I'm doing the same scene.

Doug

[tom mann]

I think Tom has a floor to ceiling book shelf and when you pull on the correct book a secret door opens to this new room.

LOL! 

Since the beginning of the year, I've been working on two basement rooms that will eventually be the official Weathering Factory^tm.  In this room, I've been working on a 13' long diorama in 1:29 scale that (will with added doors) hide storage and photography equipment.  The blue "sky" and LED lights give a nice atmosphere for photos in all scales (see upcoming Eastern Seaboard Models photo).   The other side of the room holds the HO scale Hinshaw valley.

I'll start a thread in the Layout Engineering section soon.

[bbussey]

Thanks to some major design help from Tony (SkipGear), I finally have a beta version of my mechanism to throw all four points of the Fast Tracks double crossover.  Here is a video of the mechanism during the testing phase.  The range of motion is exaggerated for testing purposes, to insure everything in the mechanism is functioning properly.  The servo speed also was increased from the default by a notch, and I might leave it as my standard.

This one is being powered by a transformer, but when installed it will be powered off the DCC bus.  Two of these units are required for each double crossover, but they are controlled by one momentary toggle switch.  The Tam Valley servlet controller operates the T-Pro servo.  The frame is my design and rendered via Shapeways.  A set of LEDs in series, on the mechanism and the control panel, will indicate the position of the points - green for straight and yellow for diverging.  The toggle will be wired in parallel with the programming/operation buttons on the servlet, so that programming changes can be done from the panel or from the servlet.  The mechanism also can be controlled via DCC, but most likely I will not activate that feature and keep the control via the control panel.

Next step is to get the crossovers wired and the control panel built.

[SkipGear]

Thanks to some major design help from Tony (SkipGear), I finally have a beta version of my mechanism to throw all four points of the Fast Tracks double crossover.  Here is a video of the mechanism during the testing phase.  The range of motion is exaggerated for testing purposes, to insure everything in the mechanism is functioning properly.  The servo speed also was increased from the default by a notch, and I might leave it as my standard.

This one is being powered by a transformer, but when installed it will be powered off the DCC bus.  Two of these units are required for each double crossover, but they are controlled by one momentary toggle switch.  The Tam Valley servlet controller operates the T-Pro servo.  The frame is my design and rendered via Shapeways.  A set of LEDs in series, on the mechanism and the control panel, will indicate the position of the points - green for straight and yellow for diverging.  The toggle will be wired in parallel with the programming/operation buttons on the servlet, so that programming changes can be done from the panel or from the servlet.  The mechanism also can be controlled via DCC, but most likely I will not activate that feature and keep the control via the control panel.

Next step is to get the crossovers wired and the control panel built.

That worked out well. Just move the linkages inward  on the servo arm to limit your throw when you are ready. It will give you better control of speed and smoother movement. Very cool to see it in action.

[BCRail_FSJ]

Andy,

When you do the photoraphy of the PG Pulp mill for Chris, I would like to have copies of them and a "how-to" on using them.  I'm doing the same scene.

Doug

That is the PG pulp mill at the Bridge yard right?   (the one in the main yard burned down didn't it?)    The trick with PG pulp will be to get a shot of the whole thing unobstucted by freight cars.     

[pfs]

Hi everyone,

Nothing for me in the last three months. Finally starting to feel less overwhelmed as my son recovers. My wife will have a longer term recovery, but the neurologists say that it will happen.

I must admit, it was difficult to set down at the computer, my heart is tugging to go and just be with Jamie. Although this has been a setback, don't count me out. I will be at Springfield in Jan if the world does not end in 20 days.

Family first, hoping for the best for yours.

[BCR751]

That is the PG pulp mill at the Bridge yard right?   (the one in the main yard burned down didn't it?)    The trick with PG pulp will be to get a shot of the whole thing unobstucted by freight cars.   

Yes, it's at the Bridge yard and yes, it could be a challenge getting a photo with no obstructing cars.  Maybe we can talk CN into moving them out of the way for us LOL.

Doug

[nkalanaga]

David P:  That turnout looks nice.  Making your own really isn't that hard, is it?

[BCRail_FSJ]

... and lined up the SD40-2s to see how they look against the new backdrop.

[up1950s]

That looks nateral to me , much better than most .

[mmagliaro]

Here's where I was tonight... Oaks Park in the Sellwood section of Portland, OR.
SP&S #700 heads out for its annual Holiday Express.   It was dark and there were people everywhere, but I managed
to get a few shots.   It was really nice to actually see it run.  Even though I built a model of it and visited it
in the roundhouse for reference pics at the time (2 years ago now?) I never got to see it under steam until tonight.

What a beautiful, low, throaty whistle it has!

[M.C. Fujiwara]

In that sequence it looks like the steam blew the people away! 

Very cool.
My Grandmother's uncle was an engineer on the SP&S in the 30's & 40's.
Grandma's now 92 and has dementia, but she still talks about Uncle Ed blowing the whistle as he passed her house on the mid-day run along the Columbia River.
Thanks for sharing!