Weekend Update 12/26/21

[up1950s]

https://www.instructables.com/Train-in-a-Christmas-Tree/

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https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001690010129.html

https://www.uncovercolorado.com/best-train-rides-in-colorado/

https://www.uncovercolorado.com/railroads/cripple-creek-victor-narrow-gauge-railroad/

https://www.elcolombiano.com/antioquia/puerto-berrio-mesamotos-motociclas-y-carromotos-para-usar-las-vias-ferreas-HB10884553

https://www.google.com/search?q=puerto-berrio-antioquia+railway-colombia&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwj8koeDoPX0AhUkr3IEHYqLC44Q2-cCegQIABAA&oq=puerto-berrio-antioquia+railway-colombia&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQDFDeB1jaLmCnbmgAcAB4AIABOIgB2QKSAQE3mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=Y_jBYbzVNKTeytMPipeu8Ag&bih=893&biw=1848&hl=en#imgrc=Z1-5ls3rRLlWmM

[dnhouston]

Made a little more progress on the stockyard



And painted up some of the cattle I got from @metalworkertom

[Cajonpassfan]

I need some cattle like this! Nice.
Tonight I made some progress on scenery around Alray, Cal.
More on my ATSF LA Division thread.
Otto

[BCR 570]

It seems that most of the work I am engaged in at present is destructive, which is getting depressing.

Preparing to lift track at the left (south) end of Chetwynd Yard (note cardboard template for future extension at left):




I am using a thin boning knife to lift the track without too much damage to the cork sheet:




Removal of the existing Canfor mill trackage and placement of a cardboard template for the extension enabled me to mock up what a new arrangement might look like.  The goal is to distribute the additional space between the mill, the Imperial Oil spur, and the shop tracks.  I want additional car spots in the mill, I want to relocate the oil spur to its correct location between the mill and the shop tracks (indicated by the RBOX car), and I want longer shop tracks for stabling the motive power:




On a more constructive note, I have been able to successfully secure the frog juicers and Singlet servo decoders under the layout, which were coming loose due to the double-sided tape drying out.  Using the laser cutter at school, I made some plywood adapters with a hole to match the one in the boards:




These adapter plates were then glued to the brackets for the servo decoders under the layout:




The boards were then secured in place with #2 screws:




All 55 boards for Chetwynd Yard and Dawson Creek are now secured in place.  This was fairly easy to do while I had the layout sections on their backs on saw horses.


Back to the track lifting,

Tim

[Smike]

Merry Christmas from the Lehigh Gorge.

[altohorn25]

I did some weathering/detailing yesterday....

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[Cajonpassfan]

Merry Christmas from the Lehigh Gorge.

Your scenery is stunning, and the stone arch bridge looks amazingly real. The only thing that gives it away is the train
And yea, Merry Christmas back!
Otto

[Dave V]

Merry Christmas!

I've been working on the Toma Models 3-D printed Porter. It still needs DCC (an ESU LokPilot 5 Micro), a bell, a whistle, couplers, and lettering. It'll become San Juan Central #2, the "Tuco Ramirez." If you know, you know.





Here you can see how small it is compared to my next smallest locomotive in HOn3!



My wife participated in a challenge to pose like a 50s wife in front of the tree with a cocktail (apparently that was a thing back in the 50s and 60s) and I love this one:



Merry Christmas from the Vollmers!

[MK]

Beautiful!  Just beautiful Dave!  A beautiful family card!

[Maletrain]

Made a little more progress on the stockyard


And painted up some of the cattle I got from @metalworkertom

Really nice work!  But, I have a question:

Do "cow pies" come under "details" or "weathering"   

Having spent substantial time in barns, I don't think I could model a scene like that without the the "droppings," a shovel leaning against the fences somewhere, and a manure pile near by. 

FWIW, cow pies are flat, and I would model them with a tiny blob of thick flat brown paint, maybe built in 2 or 3 layers that don't completely overlap for depth.  In contrast, "road apples" left by horses are  more like piles of soft pellets, with a few single pellets scattered near by, and I plan to model those with dried coffee grounds, fixed in place with a bit of thin AC. 

(Yes I actually plan to do some shitty modeling.) 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I had something very bad happen to me at my in-laws last night.

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[Erik W]

I've been working on the details on the back deck of my HOn3 D&RGW Jordan Spreader OU build.  One of the cylinder supports for the rear air cylinders was missing, so rather than contact the manufacturer for the missing part, I just scratch built it out of styrene.  Took an hour or so.  Referencing prototype photos, I've been adding details that were not included in the kit.  The air tank supports at deck level are styrene.  Photos show what I believe to be 2x4s bolted to the back deck.  I used scale 3x4s so I would be able to get .015" wire drilled and mounted to simulate the bolts without accidentally splitting the wood.  The kit recommends and supplies .015" wire for the air tank ring and supporting wires.  I used .012".  I usually round down a size wire when building in HOn3 since the airbrushed paint will add .002" to .003" to the diameter of the wire.  That way when the model is painted the wire details will be the correct diameter.















Erik

[nscalbitz]

Merry Christmas!

My wife participated in a challenge to pose like a 50s wife in front of the tree with a cocktail (apparently that was a thing back in the 50s and 60s) and I love this one:

Merry Christmas from the Vollmers!

And the dawg just thinks, wheres mine????
 

[Dave V]

And the dawg just thinks, wheres mine????
 

Ranger not giving a f*ck in every picture just totally makes the scene.

[dnhouston]

Do "cow pies" come under "details" or "weathering"   

I would say they fall under "both". And I do plan to model both the "cow pies" and the manure pile (being loaded into a truck).