Weekend Update 11/24/13

[BCRail_FSJ]

Benchwork advancing nicely on the bottom deck including the big turn back loop that will contain Beatton River staging.   Dusted off the old Beatton sign that a friend found in a dumpster in Fort St John this summer (BC Rail apparently tossed it after renaming the siding to Beatton River).   A small label on the fascia just isn't as much fun as a full sized sign







Getting very close to the point where I can stop buying and cutting up bi-fold closet doors for benchwork..

[Roger Holmes]

This week's project was to make Sears Tower taller--it will always be Sears Tower and Marshall Field's on my layout.  No Willis and no Macy's.

Here's the BEFORE picture of how I built it 15+ years ago.  I always thought the proportions were a little off.



Here it is with ten more stories.  At 39 inches tall it is still selectively compressed to about 40% of actual height.  I have only a few inches before it hits the ceiling so this is as far as I will go.





Sears Tower now dominates the rest of Chicago as it should.  It needs another coat of paint and then some semi-gloss to tone down the shine

I've also started to construct the newest feature to the 103rd floor Skydeck which is called "The Ledge."  It's a 4.3 foot clear glass extension which sticks out of the side allowing a straight down 103 story view.  That will be added after the paint work has been completed.

Big John, The Hancock Building, still presides at the far left side of the city.

[eja]

 Here it is with ten more stories.  At 39 inches tall it is still selectively compressed to about 40% of actual height.  I have only a few inches before it hits the ceiling so this is as far as I will go.

WOW !!

[nkalanaga]

Roger:  RSN48 might be interested in hearing from you.  He's looking for advice on building tall buildings.  Looks like you have quite a city.

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=31325.0

[wcfn100]

Did some work on the CMO Express box.

First, I picked up an undec kit.  The previous car molded in brown was very bowed at the doors.  I can deal with that in general, but for this project, wanted something better to start with.  I came up with a solution for the bolster pin for the Athearn truck but it's not quite finished yet (those trucks are mostly just sitting there unattached) and shaved down the IM bolster.

But as you can see, it's still a high rider (and that stock IM car keeps getting worse  ).



This car should sit even with the Atlas PS-1.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do as I'm already flush to the center sill.  My Kingdom for a mill. 

Too make it look less awkward in pictures, I taped on the ends and cut the couplers off the trucks.



That's the easy/lazy door in the picture.  I picked up a pack of the MT Superior doors at Caboose and will try to make two doors with the correct width.

Jason

[VirginaCSX]

WOW !!

GREAT city scene of Chicago.  You put ALOT of time into those buildings and it shows!!

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Fab stuff so far!

As for our Great Train Expo show, even though Newlywed Nils couldn't make it to this show (so no Bridge O' Wonder or 16'-long Davenport Cement), we're able to create a pretty groovy layout, with passing sidings spaced out pretty well so a few trains could run at a time.

There will be photos and a video is in the works (will wrap up filming today), but here's a teaser of member Rick Brodzinsky's fab new Silicon Valley CalTrains station:



Great, now ALL our modules are going to have to have lights on them 

Off to Day Two!
Video should be shot & edited by tonight or tomorrow.

[chicken45]

Not a great deal of modeling going on over here this week, but I have been adding lots and lots of crass Google advertising to my website 

Warning - please DO NOT click on any of said ads unless you find yourself rapturously enamored with the products pictured therein (even if said clicks might send a few pennies my way and help defray the expenses associated with the running of my website, the purchase of review models, etc).

No, seriously, I mean it! Don't make me come after you! 

Cheers,
-Mark

P.S. Oh yeah, and here's the URL where you shouldn't be clicking on stuff (that is, if you don't want to) - http://www.spookshow.net/

P.P.S. No, seriously! 

So, not a fan of Doom 3? I picked up a Doom 1,2,3 bundle on Steam. I ran through Doom 3. Loved the story, but yeah. They turned it form run & gun to a horror/survival game. That's ok, but it's not "Doom" to me. Hopefully Doom 4 will fix all that.
I was also pleased to see the Omega Virus there! I enjoyed that game a lot! Never had anyone that could play with me.

[Scottl]

Messing with 3D design and printing.  Here is something I loaded for a test print, we'll see how it looks. 

http://www.shapeways.com/model/1518580/cn-canadian-cab.html?li=search-results

Less than $6 and it gave me an excuse to order one of these 

http://www.shapeways.com/model/1250158/1-160-n-scale-mack-dump-truck-tandem.html


Mark Dance:  those scenes are incredible- such depth.  The bridges look tremendous- can't wait to see the next one.

[mark dance]

Mark Dance:  ...The bridges look tremendous- can't wait to see the next one.

thank you very much Scott...

The world *neeeeeeds* more N scale bridges of British Columbia prototypes! Unfortunately I only have one more significant bridge left of after these two so my contribution will top out at 6.  Luckily there are a bunch more TRW members working on even more significant BC spans including yourself! 

We just need to convert some of the American modelers now...I wonder if/when GH will tire of Tehachapi? I'm working on it but I think he is a lost cause...

Maybe photos of all these BC spans would make a good photo article? hmmmm...Mr. Horton?

md

[superturbine]

Very nice work guys!

I have the Pennsy T1 almost finished.

Not a valid youtube URL
Jason Smith
Tomball Locomotive Works

[Jeff AKA St0rm]

Here it is with ten more stories.  At 39 inches tall it is still selectively compressed to about 40% of actual height.  I have only a few inches before it hits the ceiling so this is as far as I will go.

That is a great looking city. If you have run out of Ceiling height it looks to me like you could lower the bench work giving you more room it make it right.

[BCR 570]

Maybe photos of all these BC spans would make a good photo article? hmmmm...Mr. Horton?

md

Not a bad idea - an article could cover numerous bridge types and numerous approaches to building them, whether kitbashing as in Andy's case, scratchbuilding in Scott's case, combo of scratchbuilding and kitbashing in yours, or 3D printing as in mine and Steve's.  We could perhaps also include NAR Mike's bridge from Alberta . . .

Tim

[Scottl]

I need to finish mine first    And then there are the CPR bridges at Cisco...

[eja]

Fab stuff so far!


here's a teaser of member Rick Brodzinsky's fab new Silicon Valley CalTrains station:



Great, now ALL our modules are going to have to have lights on them 

Beautiful station, but it doesn't looks ADA compliant.  I can here the law suits coming now !