Weekend Update 12/4/22

[jjb62556]

I have two plastic E7's and split frame E8 And DL109. And a dummy E7B...

[DirtyD79]

Back in the early 1990, my parents bought me a few of the Con-Cor Christmas cars.  I never really did anything with them until I dug them out the other day and thought it would be nice to have a train to run during the holidays. 

I remember those although I'm into HO. Still though I think it's fun to run some of the old stuff every now and then even if it isn't 100 percent prototypical. You can't be super cereal all the time.

[Sokramiketes]

Beautiful, @Roger Holmes !  That will be an impressive structure when you finish.  I'm hoping to find a good photo of the south side of the Board of Trade for the (whenever I get started) Dearborn station layout backdrop. 

I did make one step in the right direction this week, gave myself a lesson in the Graphic Image Manipulation Program (with the unfortunate acronym "GIMP"- a sort of poor man's photoshop that runs on Linux).  The result will be turned into some decals, once I have a building side to put them on.  Thanks to @Sokramiketes for the magazine ads that I was able to take the figures from.  They are very close to the ones used on the real sign.

Unfortunately, my waist size is 10" larger than when the last Super Chief pulled in to Dearborn Station, so I don't look as good in my Lee jeans now as I did then.  Which reminds me....I need to add a couple pair to my Christmas list.

WOW

[Maletrain]

Yeah, but... Will it also get it there with a sub 5s 0-60 while massaging my butt? Lol

Is there a specified G limit for modules?

[PiperguyUMD]

Finally sceniced the strip of real estate between the house track and the mainline at Owings Mills

[Dayliner]

Craig--those BCR cars are looking good.

Tim--your track and cars look as good online as they do in person (the acid test, since the camera doesn't lie!).

altohorn25--that Christmas train looks sharp, and it makes an impressive sight when you can its entire length.

This week I've been going under the layout to tackle my least favorite job--wiring.  But thanks to Tim, I've found a better way to do this by putting together a pre-fab wiring board on the workbench and then installing it under the layout.

I cut a piece of 1x4 to length and primed and painted it before installing 1" corner brackets for mounting in the benchwork.  Terminal blocks at each end (thanks again, Tim) will provide reliable connections to the existing power bus.  The track bus runs along the top of the board and the auxiliary bus along the bottom, with space in between for the frog juicers and singlets to power and control the turnouts.  If I had to do it again, I would probably use a 1x6 as you can see it's a little cramped on the board, but I will connect all the components on the workbench, so that should not be too much of a problem (this is only a preliminary test fit).  The next step will be to test-wire one turnout to make sure I've got all connections the right way round, and then I can finish laying the turnouts and associated trackage on this section and connect the track feeders,

[Jesse6669]

I designed and test-printed a new piece of 1:300 rolling stock for the WP&Y.  These "multi-use" aka "longitudinal" hoppers came from the CN Newfoundland narrow gauge in the 90s.  The model needs some weight along the spine (or magnets) for stability but so far/so good.  I added grab irons which surprisingly printed quite well and seem robust enough to last.  The WP&Y rebuilt these and the hopper discharge has a slightly different design now (as modeled) than they did on the CN, but its easily back-dated if needed.  The CN Newfoundland lines are a possible next project...
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Jesse

[peteski]

I designed and test-printed a new piece of 1:300 rolling stock for the WP&Y.  These "multi-use" aka "longitudinal" hoppers came from the CN Newfoundland narrow gauge in the 90s.  The model needs some weight along the spine (or magnets) for stability but so far/so good.  I added grab irons which surprisingly printed quite well and seem robust enough to last.  The WP&Y rebuilt these and the hopper discharge has a slightly different design now (as modeled) than they did on the CN, but its easily back-dated if needed.  The CN Newfoundland lines are a possible next project...

Jesse

Very impressive as usual (even without any size reference in the photo to show just  how minuscule that hopper is).  What is the height of that track?  It does not look way too tall like most other 1:300 scale track does. Could be the weathering?  Same with the ballast.  What did you use? Some sort of sand?

[Pomperaugrr]

There has not been much layout time for me lately.  I did manage to get my modeling workbench cleand off and better organized though. 

More info and photo of the workspace can be seen here:  https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=54066.msg756624#msg756624

[peteski]

Here's what I've been doing over the weekend:  https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=54278.msg756647#msg756647

[brokemoto]

@Lemosteam 's balloon roofs really make these cars.

Does he sell the balloon roofs for the head end cars, as well?  (I never knew that he was selling the balloon roofs)

Was the Parkton Local never discontinued on your version of the Northern Central?  As I understand it, the Maryland PUC did allow the locals to be discontinued but one of the surviving intercity trains had to assume most of the local stops.  This continued until 1971 when AMtrap dropped all of the passenger service on that line.

[NtheBasement]

I took a stab at painting the first styrene backdrop section; not sure how wise it is to stab your layout though. 

I haven't painted a painting since Junior High.  Frustrating learning curve, lots of repaints, and while I'm not exactly happy with the results they are acceptable.  Hopefully my next section will be better.  If my artistic skills improve enough I can always pull it back out and re-do.

WIP
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[wm3798]

A for effort!
But the knobs seem to be all the same size and shape...  Try blending out the slopes a little to make them more asymmetrical.

Lee

[John]

A for effort!
But the knobs seem to be all the same size and shape...  Try blending out the slopes a little to make them more asymmetrical.

Lee

I used this method

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[Ed Kapuscinski]

Was the Parkton Local never discontinued on your version of the Northern Central?  As I understand it, the Maryland PUC did allow the locals to be discontinued but one of the surviving intercity trains had to assume most of the local stops.  This continued until 1971 when AMtrap dropped all of the passenger service on that line.

My theory is that the reinstatement of the Parkton Local was what convinced the state of Maryland to fund the post Agnes NCR rebuild.