Weekend Update 4/26/15

[milw156]

The paint on your Superliners looks sick. Alclad II?

Craig

Out of the box Kato. must be the lighting!

[Iain]

This weekend was the annual Norfolk Southern Historical Society get-together, so I headed east to attend.  I arrived in Raleigh Wednesday evening, and rode up with fellow NSHS member Brian Deaton on Thursday, stopping along the way to photograph several buildings associated with the East Carolina Rwy (Atlantic Coast Line subsidiary, pulled up in the 1970s, as I recall).  Friday, several members of the group railfanned in Washington and wound up chasing a Carolina Coastal train up to Plymouth, NC.  Today (Saturday), was the business meeting and several other activities, including sharing historical documents and photographs.  This afternoon, we traced the route of the Albemarle and Pantego (later acquired by NS before being abandoned in the 1930s) up into Roper, NC.



Carolina Coastal on the former Norfolk Southern main, heading north along Pamlico Sound in Washington, NC.



The meeting itself was held in the former Atlantic Coast Line's Washington station (combination freight house and passenger station).

[johnb]

The more I looked at the SP depot that I was working on, the more I realized that my skills were not up to the level of what I wanted. I looked in my stash, and found an unpainted, half built Atlas Suburban Station. Out came the correct Southern Pacific paint, brushes and the glue. If it wasn’t started,  I would have used the airbrush. Not my best work by any means, but it is a good place holder until my skills improve.



It needs a little more touch up.

[Philip H]

Since I had nothing better to do tonight, I tore down an old Trix U30-CG I had lying around and rebuilt it.  Not exactly Swiss watch perfection, but considering I pulled enough hair out of it to make a coat for my cat . . .

[nkalanaga]

That was one reason I ran my railroad with Trix F units until we moved in the mid 90s.  They could be torn down, dehaired, and running again in a matter of minutes, with only a small screwdriver.  Part of their reliability is the LACK of precision tolerances.  The bearings are good, and the motor is good, but everything else is loose enough that it takes a lot to gum one up.  They're noisy, but they just keep running.

My Fs were jumpered together, and usually ran as 3 or 4 units, so pickup was quite reliable, and they worked well in way-freight switching.  Looked a little funny, but the trains ran.

[GN Fan]

Well, I received a couple of Pacific Great Eastern locos from the custom painter.  (Jim Vaughn)  Then I took them to a friends (Walt Huston) layout for photography.  The paint is from a "recipe" given to me by Greg Kennelly, and decals are by Daly Designs.  Anyway I like them, hope you do too.

It turns out my photos are too big. Railwire would not allow the posting.

Tom

[basementcalling]

The first try at scratchbuidling a girder frame for a Venturi scrubber for my paper mill.

[Jesse6669]

All the tracks are in place on the Millvale diorama, and now to ballasting with Ed K's Grout Stone ^tm blends!  Also picked up a MicroTrains Military HQ for the yard office.  Will post more details on the layout engineering thread.

[strummer]

That was one reason I ran my railroad with Trix F units until we moved in the mid 90s.  They could be torn down, dehaired, and running again in a matter of minutes, with only a small screwdriver.  Part of their reliability is the LACK of precision tolerances.  The bearings are good, and the motor is good, but everything else is loose enough that it takes a lot to gum one up.  They're noisy, but they just keep running.

You make a good point. One of the things I like about the early diesels is just that. A person with even a modest level of skill (like me) can work on these models. Sure, newer models are vastly superior in many ways, but I'm scared to death of having to dis-assemble one...

I suppose that's why I have such regard for those of you who CAN do what you do...

Mark in Oregon

[chicken45]

Some light weathering on this diner.

[bbussey]

Some light weathering on this diner.

Metal wheels needed.  The plastic ones gotta go. 

[Jesse6669]

Bill -
I'm shocked by the diameter of the handrails.   

If only someone made etched replacement sets... 

[eja]

If only someone made etched replacement sets... 

I have asked Craig (BLMA) to make preformed grabs for MT heavyweights, similar to diesel grabs.  Perhaps if the rest of you joined the chorus.......

[Ike the BN Freak]

Well, I received a couple of Pacific Great Eastern locos from the custom painter.  (Jim Vaughn

Jim still paints? I know a few dudes in Spokane that were wondering about him recently. He left Spokane and basically fell off the planet.

[chicken45]

I have asked Craig (BLMA) to make preformed grabs for MT heavyweights, similar to diesel grabs.  Perhaps if the rest of you joined the chorus.......

That'd fantastic. For Kato stuff, too! I'm already tired of making grab irons. It's not the worst thing in the world to do, it's just last on the list of things I want to do.