Milwaukee Road in KCMO Industrial Layout (ex Midway Ind.)

[milw12]

Thanks Marshall! One benefit of the small layout is how easily it is to hop back into working on it, after a point the daunting tasks really start to diminish.

In between a busy schedule, the GP20 project and other things, I've been able to set some time aside for working on the layout here and there. I'm glad I made the scenery push like I did a few months back, it makes it easier to do 10-20 minute detail projects rather than the burden of a multi-day task that prohibits running trains.

I posted this recently, but I added some Tichy crossbucks to the grade crossing, with a touch of paint to spruce it up a bit:



And yesterday threw a little paint at some ME switch machines, to function as stand-ins until I can get around to bashing the classic Milwaukee feather style stand.


pardon the over-exposed cell shot

The figure on the right is Mr. Conductor, an appropriately puzzled-looking Woodland Scenics dock worker with a dash of paint, the silver hard hat white and the white shirt blue for variety. Judging by period photographs, the hard hat is a bit much for early eighties safety, but I have a picture (a promotional shot so I'm not putting too much weight into it) of an engineer wearing a white hard hat inside the cab of the locomotive, so I'll take it. He's just being extra safe today 

So the idea behind having a miniature conductor is borrowed from the tabletop gaming scene more than anything to help with prototypical operation. Mr. Conductor will act as a small game piece during operations to help make sure that the appropriate amount of time is being allotted for given tasks, such as throwing switches, setting brakes, etc. In his books Lance Mindheim talks about having small time breaks to allow for these actions, and Mr. Conductor is small reminder to do so, but any small token would work as well. An example would be that the train rolls up to a turnout that needs to be thrown, stops, and the conductor is placed nearby. Time reasonably passes, the switch is thrown, the conductor hops back on and on to the next move. I tend to think of operations as a small game, so this helps me at least.

Speaking of operations, I've managed to shuffle cars around a couple time recently. Lots of fun, more so in a sceniced (even partially so) environment.

Not much to show but thanks for looking!

Lucas

[milw12]

A snowy afternoon made for some great modeling time- I believe I mentioned in the past my plan to standardize my rolling stock with metal wheels, body-mount couplers, and adding weight for 'a sense of mass' as Lance Mindheim has discussed. A few quick operation sessions lead to this recent push for more reliable ops, especially running low pros on code 40 rail. Only a few cars did not have already body mounts, but it was a pretty simple chop and drop even for me.

Here is a shot of everything:



Now if everything was subtly weathered I'd be in the business 

A few notes, flats, gondolas and centerbeams are not weighted, waiting for a bright idea there yet, but given this is a slow speed switching layout I'll be fine for now. The first and second rows from the front are the usual suspects, the rear track are the extra stock for variety as needed. I really need to find my baby-blue ex-ROCK box to really tie the Eighties grimy rainbow together. Sharp-eyed (not really, with that billboard lettering!) will spot an ancient Roundhouse kit MKT boxcar in the back. Foob or not, I couldn't say no. I know the new trucks and couplers on that bad boy are worth more than the kit 

For the most part wheels are FVM metals (which are hard to find now I guess, the Milw Centerbeam is the only car still on plastics ) unless already equipped with something comparable, couplers are MT 1015's or near clones, to be replaced one I replenish my stock. Also, found some A-Line weights at the LHS that fit perfect and add a nice heft to the models.

The SW1500 is the one that the Milwaukee crews shanghaied while their own are in  the shop. It's quickly becoming a favorite, runs nicely after regauging the wheels. It would pick my turnout points like a champ, and sure enough the wheels were just tight enough. A little fiddling and having it apart a couple times fixed the issue. It tracks like a champ now but running could be better, it 'surges' in speed while pushing a load in reverse. Something to look into I guess. It was also noticeably, but not terribly, over lubricated so a bath in the sonic cleaner and some fresh oil are in the works.

Thanks for looking!

Lucas

[milw12]

Haven't been doing too much on the layout, or even operating, for the past few weeks, but did a little work on the warehouse recently:



And how it will look on normal operations:



Needs details (especially bumpers under the doors), touch ups, weathering etc, but much nicer than the black styrene box that was sitting there. Plus now I know exactly where to spot cars at the doors 

I used Marshall's @SSW7771 method of textured spray paint to simulate concrete, came out nicely I think. A few iffy spots but that's on my end more. Came out a little darker than I had wanted but I'll manage, probably the black styrene I used for a base. I also consider all three buildings as long-term, detailed mock-ups, as I can improve a lot on each one, but at least for the near future there is something passable on the layout.

The material loading lot in the foreground is the last major project I have for the layout. I'm not looking forward to trying to match the 'organically flowing' (that's the nice way of putting it) track curvature with styrene to make the concrete pad. Also need to finish ballasting the turnouts and blend the scenery base into the buildings now that they are done, then that magic 80% completion mark will be hit.

Thanks for looking!
Lucas

[packers#1]

Looks good and the layout is coming along nicely! Industrial switching layouts are always so fun to see come together!

For the styrene lot, you could put black acrylic paint on the tops of the rails (hear me out), and then get a sheet of styrene as big as the lot you want. Line it up how it will sit on the layout, then press it down over the rails. Pull it up, and the outline of the rails will be where the paint was. Than score and cut as needed. Since the black paint is acrylic, it shouldn't be too difficult to clean off the tops of the rails when you're done.