Weekend Update 4/21/13

[up1950s]

[The Beer Baron]

Not a whole lot got done around here this week. I managed to get 10 of 40 hoppers painted and reassembled..



Ground foam is starting to go down, but I'd still like to try my hand at the static grass thing at a later date..







     I still have to mount my caboose industries ground throws to the switches, but that will have to wait for a little while. The one thing I did manage to do this week was add a telegraph bracket under the eaves of Port Hood Station, and a Call Box on the end of the platform for crews to use. Now I just have to string some cable to the box.

[Hornwrecker]

Drew, go with the static grass, you won't regret it.

I've trying different textures and methods of making spring blooming plants and trees.  I think I found a way to make mountain laurels, bluebells and almost got the redbud down,



Boiled a couple of pots worth of super trees tonight.  This batch smelled somewhat like old socks and bad cheese.  Delightful.

[eric220]

The Gandy Dancers came over last night, and we checked off a couple of projects. We located a piece of scrap that turned out to be a 15" radius cookie-cutter section followed by a short straight and reverse curve.  I have no idea why we cut it in the first place, but it filled the bill nicely for the SP runaround behind the C&H refinery.  No sooner had we trimmed and installed it then the caulk and cork came out.  Before I knew it, the whole C&H complex was ready for track. This afternoon I went back down to the basement with the intention of laying track.  I always underestimate the prep work that is involved in this task.  First, I had to sit down and make some terminal rail joiners.  Next, I had to lay out the location of the turnouts one by one in the ladder and drill holes for the feeders, frog wires, and tortoise throw rods.  Finally, I could commit caulk to cork. I managed to lay the entire ladder and the two stub tracks before the CFO came home from work.

[mark dance]

Well, between work and a vacation for spring break not much has been accomplished on the C&W front for the last month.  While away I did finish a draft article which hopefully will run in the Dispatcher's Office this year.  I also found a bit of time to rip out the Kettle River bridge mock up and replace it with the nearly complete version.  #89 crossing the Kettle River with MTs on their way to Phoenix.



Finally we had this month’s operating session last night.  It was ably Dispatched by Railwire’s Gary Hinshaw.  Things were going swimmingly, thanks largely to Gary’s thorough preparation, so the Superintendent decided to liven things up a bit and called a plow extra to plow over the pass.  That caused some excitement when the plow train engineer left his train moving while he signed the register at Castlegar.  The plow proceeded to run right into the Kraft switcher which was over-hanging the main but within yard limits.  All but first class trains need to proceed with the ability to stop within visual distance while within yard limits, even plow trains!  Oh the humanity!



Here is a photo of Railwire member Andrew Hutchinson (left) with the East Boundary wayfreight switching the Limestone tipple at Fife while John Geddes (right) has the westbound wayfreight picking up chip hoppers in Castlegar yard.





Have a great weekend everyone

md

[HuskerN]

Still working on my new 3d printing addiction.

I just received a new order yesterday.  This time a new model, which is a tarped version of my 43' grain trailer.  I also have an MAC 48' all aluminum flatbed that is currently being printed now, and should have that in another week.









HuskerN

www.nscaleaddiction.blogspot.com
http://www.shapeways.com/shops/NScaleAddict

[Dave V]

[kelticsylk]

Wow! All I did was wreck a few splines. I really hope my layout turns out half as good as what you guys show every week. You keep setting the bar higher

[MichaelWinicki]

Started to install chain-link fence around the refinery...

[Scottl]

Mark, that Kettle River bridge looks fantastic.

More time with my Cisco bridge.  The structure is all there, now it is gusset plates and facing the beams.  Slow tedious work, marked by the progressive appearance of black on structure.

[rogergperkins]

/>Kato E-8s with train of B&O box cars from FVM and MTL.
It is not clear why an 8 minute video took about 12 HOURS to load from my computer to YouTube.
The video is of a 63 car train rolling slowly by.

[mark dance]

Mark, that Kettle River bridge looks fantastic.

More time with my Cisco bridge.  The structure is all there, now it is gusset plates and facing the beams.  Slow tedious work, marked by the progressive appearance of black on structure.

Thank you for the kind words Scott but I still have much to do on the bridge to complete it. I can wish for faster progress but looking at my schedule for the next few months that looks doubtful.

Your Cisco bridge is looking great...what are you thinking in terms of materials for the piers/abutments?

Md

[Scottl]

Thanks Mark, I was thinking of using shaped wood blocks.  Doug Hole did a spectacular HO version of the bridge and in the MRC article, he shows the basic shapes he used for the piers and abutments.

[soo]

Love all the work!!!.

  The other day I was looking at my yard,,thinking that the tracks are too close. I measured,,came out to be 7/8" on center. Too close!!!        I can't see the numbers on the cars to make up my patrols.





  So I decided to tear it all up,, and relay the throat and the yard. I was on a roll so I did the other end also. That end was never done, because I was on the fence about fixing the yard. Now I just need a idea or two about a engine servicing area.


  The main and the A/D track are on 1 1/4" centers, the yard is 1 5/16" and the runthrough track is 2"


  Here is the other end,,, just need to figure the track plan for the engine facility.

  I kind of feel naked,,, everyone else has scenery,, and I just have wood and homasote.

  Adios, and keep up the great work!!!, Wyatt

[Philip H]

@SOO, That's really nice track.  Frankly, that track is a thing of beauty that rivals a lot of the scenery here.