Weekend Update 10/14/2012

[up1950s]

 
UP 819 Progress , I used 1.5mm copper ball pins , filed flats on 3 sides and on the front for what I think are decent marker lights . A touch of silver or very light grey on the 3 horizontal facing flats should be what I am looking for .
 

 
 

 
 

[packers#1]

Richie, just 
Last weekend and this week I've been building this plastic pellet facility. I still haven't built the tanks, but know how I will be assembling them (PVC pipe and sprues). As for this building, I started out by building a main shell, and was going to cover that with my textured siding, but realized it was too thick, so I cut the siding and built another building, improving where I had screwed up a bit on the main one. I also added the small block near the docks, where the original didn't have that feature. I'm still not sure how I'll be building the roof, but have a few ideas. I also need to get some angle styrene for the corners, both because thin real life these types of buildings have that feature and it will also hide the ends where there is no texture.
Here's an overall shot:

Main Building

Docks. The doors aren't fitted too snugly, but with the tanks, roof, and trailers, that shouldn't be too easy to notice.


Here's the first build:

[Hyperion]

I've got a rather unconventional update; but there's at least a few geeks here who I think can appreciate it...

My 'other' hobby, aside from model railroading (or modeling in general, really, as I also do other scale modeling) is video gaming.  I buy about every major title (and many not) that comes out and have quite the collection.  So, big-time hardcore gamer.  Many homes have a "Game Room", I actually have a "Video Game Room" that's got shelves of games, and covered (or will be as time allows) in video game related decor, including an entire wall dedicated to the "Mass Effect" series.

Anyways, a project I worked on the last several weekends and just finished up was building a new arcade cabinet / sim-racing rig.  I had one previously that I'd made, but the build quality and aesthetics were not befitting of my beautiful new home and the room it was going to be placed in.  Plus, while I originally designed it to be portable in dimensions as the railroad moves me frequently, weight was somehow missed in my calculations -- and the thing was heavy, and anything but portable.    So I built another, inspired by an old-school OutRun Paradise sit-down cabinet, and laminated every piece in Formica laminate.  This is it complete, minus the rear speakers I'd yet to mount.

[wazzou]

I'm going to move from recent freight cars to some of my recent structures. 
Here is an AMB UP depot kit that I have heavily modified to resemble a Milwaukee Road Depot for my layout.

[u18b]

Still feeling stealthy this week.



Ron Bearden

[up1950s]

Bryan that station came out fantastic .

[davefoxx]

Finally figured out how to get the shell off of a Kato F40PH without breaking anything and gave it a brain transplant: a TCS K0D8-C decoder that works beautifully and has a bright (and nice color) headlight.  I've been disappointed lately with Digitrax decoders that have those newer small (and ridiculously dim!) headlights.  (Ian, thanks for the suggestion to go with TCS on this one.)

Anyhoo, with the purchase of a pair of the newly-released Kato Amfleet coaches in Phase III paint last week, I finally have me a passenger train for the 1983-86 era that is not a foobie, well except for that C&O private varnish bringing up the rear!  Woo hoo!

DFF

[unittrain]

Started 2 new through plate girder spans using the walthers kits as a starting point then splicing in sections to lengthen the spans, one will be a 5 track Erie bridge that crosses my mainline and the other will be an old abandoned single lane highway bridge with wood planking that crosses the mainline I have to extend the walthers kit to over 75' for this one. The walthers kit is just over 40' span out of the box but the girder depth at 6' is exact for these 2 bridges I'm modeling. I decided to do these to see some actual progress as getting a project completed quickly I have a couple more bridges that are being scratch built and hence are taking more time because I had to measure them then generate CAD drawings and finally commence building them.

[skytop35]

Bryan,

Great job on the Milwaukee station. I recognized it as such before even reading your post. Again nice job!

[avel]

Hyperion, is the temperature read out for the Xbox internals? Have you tried the Forza Horizon demo yet?

[arbomambo]

Hello all,
I'm back home for the weekend (been in Destin for two weeks, working...one more to go!)...and had one of those 'mailbox joy' moments upon opening the door.
My brother, in town for a month between contract jobs in DC, and watching my dog while I'm out of town, had stacked a 'plethora' of goodies received in the post while I was gone this week!

another batch of Roberto Martari's (M&R sides) etched sides...BEAUTIFUL!
A number of sets of Fox Valley Models wheel sets to fir the rest of my Rivorossi/Atlas/Con Cor heavyweight trucks (essential for the code 55 track)...the .553 axles are a perfect fit, although I had to compromise on 33" wheels to eliminate brake rubbing.
a number of sets of WOT 2 axle heavyweight trucks (AT&SF RPO's and Express Reefer)
Micro-engineering 80' deck girder bridges (going to be timberdeck ballasted for the Kingman Canyon Santa Fe layout
from AMB-2 more sets of 64' smoothside baggage car sides (to model two more gray Santa Fe cars) and 1 set of "Valley" series sleeper sides
2 sets of Kato 3 axle "El Capitan Diner" trucks for the M&R Santa Fe Full Dome cars (will run in my 'Chief' consist.

and on their way...

4 American Limited core kits
Santa Fe heavyweight decals!

I won't be able to get to any of these projects with such a short weekend...but...I WILL finish applying wood putty to the last unfinished edge of the fascia and the new divider/backdrop...by the time I return home next weekend, I can sand smooth the recessed wood screw holes and put the first 'sky blue' coat on the divider/backdrop.

I went to Home Depot last weekend and had them mix a flat interior latex color matching the darkest blue in this photo:



I'll paint the entire backdrop in this blue, then mix successively lighter shades and apply them in descending layers toward the 'horizon'-I'll use a wet brush and/or roller to blend them evenly.

Whew!
Respectively,
Bruce

[mark dance]

Weathering the C&W rolling stock is speeding up as I gain more confidence and figure out what I like and don’t like.  This week I completed 9 locomotives and about a dozen cars.  This included modifying and decaling my lone C424 as well as a brace of H16-24s including my favorite loco 8727.  8727 is an absolutely beautiful runner and is normally seen on the Slocan/Kaslo branch line because of this. 

Studying prototype photos it is amazing to see the colour variations in the Action Red painted units and cars after only a year or so of use.  This certainly adds even more visual variety to the consists in addition to the different builders, models and paint schemes that were run in the Boundary area of BC in the late 60's/early 70's.



















thx for looking and have a great weekend!

md

[mark dance]

Beautiful station Bryan!  nice work!
md

[sizemore]

I'm going to move from recent freight cars to some of my recent structures. 
Here is an AMB UP depot kit that I have heavily modified to resemble a Milwaukee Road Depot for my layout.

Sexy.

The S.

[w neal]

Brian, is that the Ringling station?

GREAT WORK!!!!!