Weekend Update 9/29/13

[C855B]

Holy Toledo. It just keeps getting better and better. Such artistry.

... This may incorporate automatic semaphore protection of trains when they pass a Train order station as per the prototype. ...

Ha! I completely forgot about that rule! Yes, normal position for the semaphores (at least on the SP) for an attended TO station was in the stop position. If cleared, it was only on order from the DS that he had no orders for the approaching train. Also, you couldn't get careless/lazy and put the signal back to horizontal after the locos passed, you had to wait for the entire train to go by (after your run-by inspection) so the conductor wouldn't wonder why there was a signal for orders but the hoop stand wasn't out. And it was worse if the stand was out and the hoop was empty, he'd then assume that something on the train snagged his orders... you'd definitely get an irate inquiry over the radio.

Obviously, if your station was a single-shift operation (as ours was), you would put the boards to clear aspects at the end of the workday.

[tehachapifan]

Beautiful layout!!

I have a few scratchbuilt and kitbashed 53' trailers underway....


The first of 3 more scratchbuilt 1992 Great Dane 53' platewall trailers (left) being built to match the one completed several years ago (center).


Scratchbuilt 53' Wabash trailer. This one will be a Schneider trailer.


53' 2003 Manac trailer built from kitbashing the S&R Models trailer kit.

[Ian MacMillan]

Looks good. I love the smell of drywall in the evening...

Damn right, and I still have about 10 sheets to go.

You must have taken a break to post Ian, you usually are posting late into the night!  PROGRESS is good!!

My schedule is all messed up this week. I've been covering some junior guys shifts, so I have been working some day shifts instead of getting out at my normal 0200hrs.

[jereising]

A pair of SD40Ns have the Oakville Local today and are leaving the yard.



A bit further along they split the signals at CP Cliff

[LIRR]

Mark,
Very impressive scenes. What do you use for the coniferous trees?

[bnsfdash8]

Just putting some finishing touches on a NS C40-9W. I just need to get a decoder for it and install the ditch lights and 0402 SMDs to light them.

[rogergperkins]

Saw Tony Koester's article in MR November 2013 on "Weather a Locomotive in 7 minutes -really!"
Has anyone tried this?
I ordered the materials he used because it looks very simple and tweaked my interests.
I have weathered buildings, but not locomotives or rolling stock.

[jmlaboda]

"I've never seen cars with mixed 2axle and 3 axle trucks, crazy UP..."

Ah, but this is prototypical...
http://skipg.homeip.net/gallery/Union_Pacific_Heritage_Business_Cars_Photos/UPP_A0778P
http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=34748
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1162661

Some oil - electric motor cars also featured this sort of thing, largely because of the weight of the motor - generator set.  Its all a matter of weight.

[DKS]

Saw Tony Koester's article in MR November 2013 on "Weather a Locomotive in 7 minutes -really!"
Has anyone tried this?
I ordered the materials he used because it looks very simple and tweaked my interests.
I have weathered buildings, but not locomotives or rolling stock.

Saw that article and must admit I was negatively surprised. While his technique might be OK, his final effect was pretty bad, IMO. The cover loco looks like a toy--too shiny and pale--and the one in the article with the tan drivers looks as though it had been rescued from a flood or something. Not at all realistic.

[spookshow]

"I've never seen cars with mixed 2axle and 3 axle trucks, crazy UP..."

Ah, but this is prototypical...
http://skipg.homeip.net/gallery/Union_Pacific_Heritage_Business_Cars_Photos/UPP_A0778P
http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=34748
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1162661

Some oil - electric motor cars also featured this sort of thing, largely because of the weight of the motor - generator set.  Its all a matter of weight.

It's a power/dorm/storage car, so I guess all of the heavy equipment must be on the end with the 3-axle truck. I have another car that's like that -



Cheers,
-Mark

[Puddington]

Saw that article and must admit I was negatively surprised. While his technique might be OK, his final effect was pretty bad, IMO. The cover loco looks like a toy--too shiny and pale--and the one in the article with the tan drivers looks as though it had been rescued from a flood or something. Not at all realistic.

I guess my question is "why is it important or, indeed, a good thing that a multiple hundred dollar locomotive should be weathered in 7 minutes...."? Is your time so dear as to only be able to spend seven minutes to weather your steam engine...?

[mmagliaro]

A couple of weeks ago, I picked up one of the these cheapie Harbor Freight jeweler's table saws at a train show.
(used, so it was cheaper than even at Harbor Freight).
I know from reading around the web that these are not well thought of, particularly because they
seem to have a grossly underpowered motor.

But I think people are trying to use it for heavier work than it was intended.  I wondered if one put a
very fine-toothed blade in it, could it be used for really thin, precise cuts in metal.

Ha!  It sure can.   I found a place online, Martindale Electric, that makes small fine blades for saws like this.
I bought a 4", .010" thick, 300 tooth blade.  It's like having a Zona blade in a circular saw form!   And it slices
cleanly through brass thick-wall tubing and heavy brass sheet (like 1/16" thick anyway), with no trouble.

As you can see from the photo, you can barely even see that there are teeth on that thing.  And it can make extremely
thin cuts because the blade is so thin.  About the only thing I think I'll improve is that I want to get some heavier
steel disks, perhaps about 3", and bolt them on on either side of the blade, so that it isn't
4" of .010" steel, which gets very floppy if you're not careful.

[mark dance]

Mark,
Very impressive scenes. What do you use for the coniferous trees?

Thank you!

I use a variety of conifers as starting points and modify most of them.  Most background confiers on the East side of the Monashee mountain range are from Heki.  Foreground conifers on the East side are predominantly Woodland Scenices bulk conifers.  On the west, more arid, side the conifers come from Architrees.  The Hekis and WS trees are trimmed, plucked and otherwise shaped and then flocked with ground foam.  The Architrees are trimmed or bulked up with additional material rom slavaged Architrees. 

At the snow-covered summit, all trees are Hekis that are repeatedly misted with water and sprinkled with Hydrocal. 

I aim to buy all the trees bulk and aim for a price in the 33-50 cent/tree range.

Hope that helps!

md

[cnw mike]

Short on time these days but here's a little fall project I started this week. Had an old undec kato rs-11 sitting around, so why not?

[bbeegle]

MMAGLIARO Do you know if it will cut plastic without melting it? Thanks,Brian