Weekend Update 1/25/15

[Cajonpassfan]

Otto, I considered architecture as a career so I guess that's why my favorite part of the hobby is  building structures and cities--I get to play architect when I come home from my "day job."

Lol Roger,
I get to deal with architects in my day job, and let me tell you, it's not half as much fun as this....
Otto K.

[Santa Fe Guy]

I agree with that church it is an outstanding piece of modelling.
I finished a bridge scene at the West end of Augusta that I started 16 years ago. All it needed was some ballast. So some Blue Tack to fill a few holes and then some very old Woodland Scenics Cinders and Highball light grey ballast and the job was done. Why did that take me sooo long.
[ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Rod.

[Scottl]

Looks great, Rod!

[Bendtracker1]

+1
Looks like the trooper needs to watch the trucker in the right lane?

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Much magnificent modeling!
So many great bridges, and that church is (w)holy awesome!

Since I've passed on most of my Free-moN modules to others, I finally have some free workbench space to "finish" the Alameda Belt In-a-Box shelf layout my daughter & I built so many years ago.
And by finish I mean replace the Caboose Industries ground throws with slide switches.
One down:



13 more to go!

The "How To" is over on the Summer Shelf Shunting Project Layout Engineering thread.
Happy weekend, all!

[C855B]

My project this week was a continuation of last, fitting pico-sized multi-color LEDs into the Showcase Miniatures signal head. Those of you who have done porch-mounted ditch lights with LEDs know roughly what I'm working with, 'cept in the case of the signals the head is white metal, with much potential for shorts. I have finally successfully hollowed-out the casting to where the chip (0.040" square) drops in with clearance, but the current head-scratching is how to solder four #38 wires to the microscopic solder pads without vaporizing the insulation resulting in wire-to-wire contact when I stuff it all in the hole.

This is all happening under a stereo microscope and I am thanking my stars I still have the dexterity to do it.

[rodsup9000]

My project this week was a continuation of last, fitting pico-sized multi-color LEDs into the Showcase Miniatures signal head. Those of you who have done porch-mounted ditch lights with LEDs know roughly what I'm working with, 'cept in the case of the signals the head is white metal, with much potential for shorts. I have finally successfully hollowed-out the casting to where the chip (0.040" square) drops in with clearance, but the current head-scratching is how to solder four #38 wires to the microscopic solder pads without vaporizing the insulation resulting in wire-to-wire contact when I stuff it all in the hole.

This is all happening under a stereo microscope and I am thanking my stars I still have the dexterity to do it.

 And how many are you going to need for the rr???  I don't see how you can get any work done on the building when you looking through a microscope.

[C855B]

Nyuk nyuk. I haven't counted... yet. Lots, for sure. My purpose at this point is to prove feasibility and the process. Hopefully I can pass the baton.

No, this is a downtime pursuit while I nurse the muscle tear from three weeks ago. I hope to find out about real progress tomorrow evening, when I meet with the drywall contractor. We decided to job-out the drywall in the layout room since this was something that took way too long to do ourselves last year when we were working on Robyn's studio area. I figure we can get to layout construction three to four months faster this way.

[coldriver]

Finished up this scene just in time for Saturday's Op session on the Oregon Joint Line.  Here GN runthrough train QRG (CB&Q-DRGW-GN Kansas City to Seattle) drifts downgrade with the helper (newly acquired U25C) still attached. 

QRG Power at Bear Coulee by coldrvr, on Flickr
QRG Power at Bear Coulee2 by coldrvr, on Flickr
QRG Helper at Bear Coulee by coldrvr, on Flickr


Oregon Joint Line Engineering Report at https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=31904.120

[Mark W]

Had an amazing debut at the Great Train Show in Council Bluffs!  Unfortunately I didn't get any other photos than these, and few videos after.  I'll make a full show report after some rest.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Looks like a great set up, Mark!
How the trains run?

Do you need a short clamp-on tail for that industrial module or do locos have enough space to runaround?
(And did you use a drone for those shots? Or just climb up into the rafters?)

[Bendtracker1]

MC, take a close look at the second picture, see the bleachers?  LOL

[dougnelson]

Claus Schlund and I attended a layout design SIG/operations SIG meet in Novato, CA on Saturday.  There were some interesting programs including Bill Kaufman presenting on an N scale design for the San Francisco Belt RR (apparently an N Scale magazine article coming soon), and a great presentation by former employee Fred Codoni on the Northwestern Pacific RR. 

There were a number of N scalers there, but the majority were HO guys.  What was interesting was hearing a number of comments from the HO men about N scale.  Given where we are today, I think a lot of the them would choose N scale if they weren't so heavily invested in HO.

There were also some layout tours.  The best of which was Joe Deveney's Milwaukee Road Pacific Extension (HO).  The entire layout is wired with incredible catenary.  The operations scheme includes the handoff between Milwaukee steam and electric locomotives.  Scenery is very simple and well done with photo backdrops.  here are a couple of photos:

[nkalanaga]

Coldriver:  I don't remember ever seeing a D&RGW locomotive in the Northwest, but the scenery certainly looks like much of eastern Oregon and Washington, and the train looks very familiar.  Substitute a WP unit, usually a GP35, or an SP SD45T-2, and it could pass for many that made it all the way to Pasco with the foreign power.   My first thought was that you were modeling the SP&S/UP Oregon Trunk, but reading your topic it's a new line.  Interesting concept. 

That's one of the reason I model 1974 BN.  It was one of the most colorful railroads to be found, and in the early years of N, it made it easier to find locos.  Sticking to one roadname would have been very difficult with the limited selection...

Dave Vollmer:  The "grainy photo" doesn't look much different than a lot of early color shots, quite appropriate for the subject.

Dougnelson:  That catenary looks a lot like the Crooked Mountain Lines wires Robert Hegge built years ago in O scale.  I've often wondered if there'd be any market for a mass-produced version in HO or N.  It doesn't look as accurate as "real" catenary with the curved messenger wire, but can be made in long rolls without worrying about pole spacing, and could by made with smaller wires, for better appearance.  Sold in 25 foot rolls, probably in 0.006 to 0.01 inch (34 to 30 gauge) phosphor bronze wire I'd think it would be popular.

 And, this week, I actually have a contribution:  NP Second Generation power

Two pictures of the new Arnold U25C after the trucks are painted and the unit is patched for the BN.  It's seen here with a Kato SD45 and a Kato/N Scale of Nevada U33C, both painted by me years ago, and lettered with MicroScale decals.





Interestingly, the lettering on the two Arnold locos I have is NOT the same.  The 2520 (BN 5620) has the herald, and to the lower rear of the herald, in very small print, the loco weight.  The 2525 (should be BN 5625, but I was short of "2"s and had plenty of "9"s, so it became the 5619) has the "Radio Equipped" logo in front of the herald, but no weight.  I didn't notice the difference until yesterday, when I was working on the locos.  Until then, most of my testing and experimenting was on the 2520, and I assumed they were identical. 

Looking online, most of these units pictured in BN-patched NP paint had the weight but not the radio logo, so the 2520 worked perfectly for the BN.  Most NP pictures showing the cab side shows both weight and logo.  But, on page 76 of the Four Ways West "NP Color Pictorial vol 3", is a picture of a nice clean 2525, at the Livingston shops, in 1965, showing the radio logo and no weight.  Being at a shop, it may have received the weight stencil later, but there's none in the picture.  So, they are both prototypical for at least some point in their service lives.

Somebody at Arnold must have gone to a lot of work, and at least some additional expense, to letter two units differently, when they could have put logo and weight on both units, and probably also been correct for most of the units' lives.

[Dave V]

Doug, at first glance I thought that first photo was of the Martic Forge bridge on the Atglen & Susquehanna...