Weekend Update 8/4/24

[up1950s]

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/weird-railways/index.html

https://www.corailroads.com/2016/03/runaway-coal-train-pushed-by-wind-for.html

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/853150723149454092/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=AeLSrDQKuYw

https://www.cartoq.com/tesla-autopilot-fail-train-tracks-risks-safety-measures-responsibilities/

https://bosshorn.com/products/milwaukee-premium-train-horn-gun-with-remote-control

https://www.superstock.com/asset/famous-train-which-thomas-edison-boy-worked-train-butcher-grand/486-5251

https://archive.curbed.com/2016/11/18/13678782/train-transportation-station-railroad

https://www.rtabern.com/loungecars/streamliner.html

https://adventuresofaplusk.com/hanoi-train-street/

[Lemosteam]

Continued work painting the rest of the scrapyard piles, barges, and crane flat car. I painted lettered and weathered the LIRR IS scrap barge and filled it with painted scraps, mostly automobiles. Then I air erased the crane and flat car for repaint. The car got PRR MOW gray, while the freshly mounted and cable strung crane received a nice shiny coat of black. The crane will get an IS badge, and both will be weathered later. The car hanging from the grange has a magnet embedded in the casting, and the crane has a magnet for loading scrap. This crane may see double use in the aggregate yard by using a magnetic claw bucket, but I am thinking of another idea as well. I added magnets to keep the barges (and tugboat) secure in the water, in case I vacuum the layout.

























And finally a couple of “night” shots:

[bbussey]

Started working on the next electric, a New Haven EP-2. This one requires a full design of the power trucks. This is the first print of the gear casing to test the idle gears arrangement and determine the minimum radius of the long wheelbase (18”). The trucks will have all 20 wheels conduct electricity. That and a TCS keep-alive should allow the model to run smoothly.

[spookshow]

I built a long shed for my no-name grain elevator -





-Mark

[wm3798]

Brilliant work on the scrap yard, @Lemosteam .
Not much happening here, but I did take a new picture of an old friend.


Among my earlier experiments with adaptive reuse of old Hi Rail era equipment.  It's an old Trix high side gondola, I trimmed the bolsters to lower the ride height and body mounted 1015s.  The scrap load is actual n scale scraps:  bits of sprue, broken couplers, Rivarossi wheel sets and all manner of other workbench flotsam.
Finished off with some custom lettering and several weathering washes.

Might have to interchange one of these up to the Long Island, eh?
Lee

[BCR 570]

John:  I am enjoying seeing your harbour scene coming along.
Bryan:  Your locomotive builds are amazing - model engineering!

I am returning to the hobby after a hiatus of several months, during which I was busy with numerous major music events at school, and the 2024 PNR Regional Convention which was hosted by our 7th Division.  I was also busy preparing for retirement on July 5 and the process of winding everything up and clearing out after 36 years. 

In addition to presenting three clinics at he convention, I also hosted a layout tour and an operating session.  The layout saw a total of 22 visitors from across the Pacific Northwest during the self-guided layout tour:




On May 24 I hosted Op Session 33 as part of the convention's slate of op sessions, and my guests included longtime friend Steve Stark (on the right).  I operated on his N Scale E&N Railway layout for many years when it was located in Vancouver; he has subsequently moved it to Vancouver Island.  He is pictured here with my friend Michael (aka Dayliner) who also has an N Scale E&N Railway layout:




And during this past week I was finally able to get back to work on some model projects.  First up is getting my three M-420 cab units finished and ready for painting.  I have been waiting for some replacement front plows as the ones which came with the kit did not have the openings for the MU hoses.  I asked Jeff to modify the part and print some new ones for me, which he kindly did.  Here are the front and rear plows after de-spruing:




I have attached the rear plows and installed the MU and trainline hoses:




I also started work on two BCR wide vision caboose kits from Kaslo Shops.  This kit was created by Jeff Briggs many years ago now when he was 19, and resin casting was a fairly new technique in the hobby.  It was initially a flat resin kit which required full assembly of the carbody and cupola, and there were no detail parts so the end railings and side grab irons had to be fabricated from wire.  He eventually sold the business to the current owner, who recently re-issued the kit with a 3D printed one piece body and cupola, roofs and detail parts, and an etched fret with end railings and grab irons:




The first step is to clean up and test fit the parts together.  There are also two knock-out walls below the cupola which had to be scored and broken out:




These new cabooses will eventually replace the Atlas RTR stand-ins I have been using.  I also need one of these for my diorama project, which I hope to get back to shortly.


Tim

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Turned a BLI New York Central NW2 into this little pup.

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I couldn't decide if I wanted a patched unit or a still PC one, so I did one on one side and one on the other.

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[Dave V]

@Ed Kapuscinski , love it!

But... I feel there's a strong pull backward in your work toward pre-1976. You know you want it.

I wonder if "PennCentral 1275" is taken... 

[altohorn25]

Build video for my 1956 B&O "National Limited"

[bnsfdash8]

I got some paint sprayed on NS 2725. The front unibrow is always fun to mask for.

The prototype had a major engine failure and fire resulting in an engine compartment left in primer after rebuilding. Around the same time NS was retiring or storing the SD70M-2s so it never got fully repainted.

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[OldEastRR]

Nice-looking scrap piles for the LIRRIS. Wonder what the ground around them will look like.

[btrain]

Did a decent amount of modeling this week. Earlier I completed the benchwork for the four Free-moN modules that will be the NYC/CR Toledo Division Sandusky Bay Causeway. When it’s all set up, it will be half the length of what the prototype would be at scale, which it makes it easier for transport and display.

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On Thursday I did a model railroad presentation for the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society’s Railcamp. I polluted young minds on the advantages and challenges of N scale and modular model railroading. I brought up the Lake Shore Central modules for a switching/ops demonstration that the kids could do, and they took to it really well. In the photo, volunteers give the layout a spin before class went into session.

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Perhaps the coolest bit of modeling this week was after I was done with Railcamp, I had an afternoon to burn some time. I decided to do a little research for my Toledo Division Free-moN in Stryker, Ohio. I took photos of the LS&MS station and moved over to the Stryker Farmer’s Exchange, which is a century plus old flour mill that still operates next to the busy NS mainline. I was taking reference photos for a future scratch build, when a worker spotted me and was gracious enough to give me a tour around the place.

It was such a treat to take a look around and see graffiti from the 1910s, ancient milling machines, and other equipment in daily use. The mill is used to make mixes for hog and cattle feed, and they still fill and bag the feed individually to order!

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And to make the trip a bit sweeter, after Stryker I visited Sunday’s Market in Pettisville, Ohio, which is 10 miles east on the Chicago main. The market has wooden floors and groceries all individually marked up. The coldest can of Faygo Cream Soda was enjoyed that humid afternoon, after I marveled at how these two places could exist in an area where mammoth steel and concrete elevators, along with Dollar Generals make every small town look like something from a cookie cutter.

[SAH]

I took photos of the LS&MS station and moved over to the Stryker Farmer’s Exchange, which is a century plus old flour mill that still operates next to the busy NS mainline. I was taking reference photos for a future scratch build, when a worker spotted me and was gracious enough to give me a tour around the place.

It was such a treat to take a look around and see graffiti from the 1910s, ancient milling machines, and other equipment in daily use. The mill is used to make mixes for hog and cattle feed, and they still fill and bag the feed individually to order!

It's always such an unexpected treat when something like that happens.  Kind of bonds you to the place and makes the forthcoming model so much more meaningful.

[John]

Wow -- some great work this week .. humbling for sure

I've been slowly working on Glyndon station - still a lot to do (it's the same model that Adam @mu26aeh ) is doing .. we are both modeling the same section of railroad.  Each of us is taking a different approach to fit the space .. Mine is very much still a work in progress .. and I  need to repaint the backdrop

[altohorn25]

I finally got around to weathering my Scale Trains Union Pacific GTEL 4500 Standard Turbine.

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