Weekend Update 3/24/24

[SP-Wolf]

@ATSF_Ron

Good morning Ron,

As requested -- current photos of my layout:




Thanks,
Wolf

[btrain]

That's a beautiful layout and great work on those locomotives, Wolf! I like the visual spacing of everything, and my eye floats well between different scenes.

This week I’ve been lucky to get a break from work to have a few sessions on the bench and layout. The first shot is of a Kato Slumbercoach, in which I have cut off the skirting and added Amtrak phase III decals. I’ve also done the same with a CB&Q Kato coach I bought from their parts department a while back. While this kind of has no place on my short line Free-moN layout, I do have vivid memories of when the Lake Shore Limited departing westbound in daylight hours from Elyria, Ohio as a kid.



I did visit the World’s Greatest Hobby show on tour yesterday in Cleveland. Where I grabbed an F40 I was hunting for to complete this consist. In talking with the Kato rep, I told him finding Phase III Amtrak is like trying to successfully hunt down a unicorn sometimes. He told me not to worry, and that I could look forward to some releases in the near future in that paint scheme. 



As you can see in this photo, I have completely ballasted the layout with Arizona Rock and Mineral, and added roads. I’m putting together trees right now, and hope to have everything fully decorated in time for Ohio N Scale weekend this May.



I did want to give a shout out to Chicago Crossing Model Railroad. Someone here recently suggested his Youtube channel and it’s been a great resource for me. One of the most useful is using his brick-and-mortar technique. By using an acrylic wash following by detailing a few bricks, then using another wash and dry brushing, really helped me in trying to get that proper brick building look.

[samusi01]

@Philip H

Own design, based off some images at rrpicturearchives. I can probably do some rework on it and the earlier load (images here) to make them more scenery objects than loads. This one would be easier to do that to than the other one. One small (literally) issue is the legs on this one...



It'd need a booster seat of some sort. You have a 3d printer, or access to one?

[ATSF_Ron]

SP-Wolf, that's a sweet setup you have there!  Great size, too.  Not too big to be a pain to maintain, but big enough for some great SP mainline running.  At the moment, mine is an 8x8 "L" shape shelf style.  It's primarily switching for the time being, with an engine terminal soon to be added at one end.  Down the road, I hope to make it a full around-the-walls type.  I still need to "negotiate" that space, as the room also contains a computer/office station under one portion of the "L."  Thanks for posting those pics, and great job!

[Philip H]

@Philip H

Own design, based off some images at rrpicturearchives. I can probably do some rework on it and the earlier load (images here) to make them more scenery objects than loads. This one would be easier to do that to than the other one. One small (literally) issue is the legs on this one...



It'd need a booster seat of some sort. You have a 3d printer, or access to one?

I'd just as soon have it as a load.  Something to move in with all the appropriate bells and whistles etc.

And sadly no I don't (yet) have a 3D printer.  But I can store the files.

[SP-Wolf]

SP-Wolf, that's a sweet setup you have there!  Great size, too.  Not too big to be a pain to maintain, but big enough for some great SP mainline running.  At the moment, mine is an 8x8 "L" shape shelf style.  It's primarily switching for the time being, with an engine terminal soon to be added at one end.  Down the road, I hope to make it a full around-the-walls type.  I still need to "negotiate" that space, as the room also contains a computer/office station under one portion of the "L."  Thanks for posting those pics, and great job!

Thank you, Ron. Much appreciated. You're right - it's just about the right size. 8'X8' L is pretty darn good as well. Hopefully your negotiations work out in your favor. An around the room layout would be awesome.

Thanks again,
Wolf

[peteski]

I spent the weekend at the NTRAK layout Greenberg model trian show in Wilmington MA.  Set up my train camera and it (as usual) was a crowd-pleaser.  I had  to smile when some kids called it FPV camera on a train.  Funny how things change in time.

I also ran some trains and fixed some trains (I'm the club's mechanic and electronics guy).  It was a fun weekend!

[nkalanaga]

Try finding Amtrak Phase I cars.  I don't mind lettering my own, but I can't even find stripes for them.  MS makes a set for Amt Ph 1, but it includes everything except the stripes!

Missaberoad:  I'd never heard any explanation, and just assumed someone liked the color.  But yours makes a lot of sense.  And, yes, a number of elevators leased them.

[milw156]

I have some of these, need to get around to putting them on a couple of dome cars
https://fsdecals.com/collections/railroad-decals/products/fsg-amtk1002-160

[nickelplate759]

I have some of these, need to get around to putting them on a couple of dome cars
https://fsdecals.com/collections/railroad-decals/products/fsg-amtk1002-160

I used them on these cars and they work nicely.

[milw156]

I used them on these cars and they work nicely.

Looks good, it's the measuring between each window that has put me off.

[peteski]

Looks good, it's the measuring between each window that has put me off.

I'm not sure if I understand the measuring problem.
Microscale also makes long strips of decal like those from Fs Decals.  You apply the strip over the car side, covering the window openings. That results in good alignment of the strip over the length of the car.  Once the decal dries, it adheres to the areas between the windows while it's hanging over the window openings. Then you take a hobby knife with a fresh blade and carefully slice the decal film close to the window edges, leaving some sticking out into the window openings. Next, you apply decal setting solution to those decals protruding into the window. That will soften them and make them confirm to the window edges.

[nickelplate759]

I'm not sure if I understand the measuring problem.
Microscale also makes long strips of decal like those from Fs Decals.  You apply the strip over the car side, covering the window openings. That results in good alignment of the strip over the length of the car.  Once the decal dries, it adheres to the areas between the windows while his hanging over the window openings. Then you take a hobby knife with a fresh blade and carefully slice the decal film close to the window edges, leaving some sticking out into the window openings. Next, you apply decal setting solution to those decals protruding into the window. That will soften them and make them confirm to the window edges.

That's exactly what I did with the FS Decals too, although I put MicroSol on them before cutting, let it dry, then cut with the tip of a new Exacto blade, and then use MicroSol again.

[OldEastRR]

@ATSF_Ron

As requested -- current photos of my layout:

Thanks,
Wolf

Can you post a track plan?

[nkalanaga]

milw156:  Thank you!  I'll have to order some of those.  I did notice that they have "set 1" and "set 3" in N scale, but no "set 2".  There is a "set 2" for HO, so it's odd.