Weekend Update 5/29/22

[rickb773]

Affinity Photo is temporarily on sale 50% off ($27).
If you want cheap photo stacking, blemish removal, picture straightening, color correction,....
this is for you.
I've had it for several years and love its versatility.
If you are fearful and need notes I can send you a cheat sheet ("entitled Affinity Photo for Dummies Like Rick").

[packers#1]

Well, it’s been a minute since I’ve ran trains. The fiancé got a new job that is a flex work from home deal, and after the last WFH job we knew she needed a desk area. Unfortunately, the best spot for her was where the old G&N layout was. So down that came, but rather than put it back up I took the opportunity to correct some issues I was having with the previous layout. For one, I totally screwed up the track work (it’s been a minute), and since it was my first real operating layout I realized a few things I wanted to change, which I’ll dive into later in an engineering report update.

However, spring chores had left little time and energy to build benchwork until this weekend, which didn’t go. So I said WWED (what would Ed do) and just put up a piece of foam for the main shelf on three brackets. I might trim a bit off the front, but so far it’s sturdy enough for what I’m trying to do and I’m really enjoying being able to JFRTM again!

[nkalanaga]

A while back there was a topic on MT's gondola load of steel plates and dunnage.  I don't remember ever seeing such a load in Pasco, WA, which isn't surprising.  There wasn't much demand for large steel plates in that area, and I suspect any going to the Puget Sound shipyards would go over Stevens Pass, on the old GN.

We did see quite a few beam and pipe loads, so here are few of mine.  The loads are all removable, and rarely used, because my bulkhead flats spend most of their time in lumber service.  I hold them on with "repositionable double-sided tape".

[fcnrwy23]

Well,
I had the chance to get the GGX Welded Rail Train unloaded.
It needed a few items of repair and than, I took it for a spin the on the  FCN.

Runs pretty Good! 
Should be good for it's depute at Nashville.  IF I can get it back into it's carrying case.

Jerry G.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

A while back there was a topic on MT's gondola load of steel plates and dunnage.  I don't remember ever seeing such a load in Pasco, WA, which isn't surprising.  There wasn't much demand for large steel plates in that area, and I suspect any going to the Puget Sound shipyards would go over Stevens Pass, on the old GN.

We did see quite a few beam and pipe loads, so here are few of mine.  The loads are all removable, and rarely used, because my bulkhead flats spend most of their time in lumber service.  I hold them on with "repositionable double-sided tape".

Those are all quite nice!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I got a few more tree planted in the Whitewater Creek scene today.
A few minutes later I heard the SB Winnfield local coming, so I grabbed the camera.

That is some hot *****!

[bbussey]

Hey Bryan,
Scene looks great.  Also, I spy a Borden's butterdish car in the consist.  Did you scratch build that one?

Brian,
That is a Key Imports brass model, pre-painted/decorated.

[nkalanaga]

Ed:  Thank you!

My camera was being a pain.  Oddly, taking a photo with the flash resulted in a darker photo than I liked.  Without the flash, using just the overhead fluorescent light, gave a bright picture, but out of focus.  It took two days, and multiple attempts, to get a decent picture of each car!  Interestingly, the PTTX and BCOL cars were in focus every time.

I think the light-colored cliff, combined with the flash, was confusing the camera's sensors.  That's one reason I usually take pictures on the longer Loudwater River bridge.  It has a basic sky background, and the camera has less trouble. 

The loads are mostly Evergreen shapes, stripwood dunnage, and old-school graphic striping tape.  The bundled pipe on the PTTX car is plain florists wire, cut to length and tied together.

[Pomperaugrr]

It was a busy weekend. Sunday was my wife's birthday, so we were out and about quite a bit. I did manage to do a little more scenery work in the Canaan shop and yard area and the embankment by Specialty Minerals on Saturday evening and yesterday afternoon.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[chuck geiger]

Starting to take shape. Video and more coming in LER.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That's hot.

One thing I keep thinking about your space: the light is very directional. It's dramatic, but given the overall brightness of the scenes you're modeling I think you could use some more omnidirectional "flood" lighting.

[rail_nut]

Just a comment about loading cars with steel loads. One cubic foot of steel weighs about 490#. Stacked steel 60' x 10' x 1' high would weigh 147 tons. Would this theoretically require at least two cars? 

[chuck geiger]

That's hot.

One thing I keep thinking about your space: the light is very directional. It's dramatic, but given the overall brightness of the scenes you're modeling I think you could use some more omnidirectional "flood" lighting.

Need searchlights like BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Need searchlights like BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES

Lol, yeah, or ya know, some Barrinas.

[nkalanaga]

Rail_nut:  For a solid piece, certainly.  But my loads are steel beams and shapes, or pipes, so there's a lot of open space in them.

Most of them are sized for a "70-ton", 154,000 lb maximum, load.  I have a book of numbers and formulas, including a section on steel plates and shape, and used that to decide how much to put in each stack.