Weekend Update - March 18, 2007

[3rdrail]

Sunday, time for the Weekend update to share what y'all have been up to this past week. Got some new photos made for the "How do YOU weather a..." series. Started with reefers and boxcars, then photographed some tank cars, covered hoppers, gondolas, and a flat car yesterday. But, RailImages is having troubles uploading photos. 

Test ran my LIRR H15-44, what a nice smooth drive. Ordered a cabin car to match.

Your turn.  ;D

[atsf_arizona]

Hi, all, here's my contribution for the week:



The models in the photo happen to be the older Atlas 1999 run of these Alco RSD4/5s, not the new Atlas run that just came out.   

Externally, the old and new runs appears to be exactly the same shell and paint.  (New
numbers on the new run, of course).

Did simple weathering with Bragdon Enterprises weathering chalks, and
Pollyscale Grimy Black dry-brushed on the trucks.

   Have a good week, all!

[John]

Spent part of Saturday afternoon re-wiring an NTrak module, with new power pole connectors, and new track feeders ..

Also started to put together a steel viaduct bridge for the layout .. it will have 5 piers ..

[biker_ray_pa]

I've finally gotten back to working on the layout after a somewhat lengthy hiatus, so I started adding a new hill in the back corner, which until now was still a bare styrofoam prairie...



Rough-cut foam glued in place...



Test-fit my stone retaining wall...



Then spackled it up and am waiting for it to dry...



You can sort of see where the highway will curve up and around to the left until it hits its vanishing point in the trees. The plateau at the right will be a row of company houses, and the backdrop will be another autumn scene.


Ray

[Chris333]

I started on Erie HH660 #304 by shortening a Arnold S2 chassis by 2 feet and adding a motor from a Life-Like SW900:

Running:

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Working on the hood now.

[up1950s]

For those not knowing what a HH660 is that Chris is doing a hat trick on . Fantastic Chris .

[tom mann]

Chris=genius.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I'm just glad he's doing N scale again 

[Zox]

Here's the latest progress shot on my Kankakee River bridge:



Without the deck, it looks rather like a row of attached Quonset huts...

[MEC_FAN]

Chris, I have to say your work amazes me I wish I had your patience, can't wait to see this one done!!
I made up some control panels out of .050 alum. and my buddy Pete helped me wire them in this week. The push buttons do not control individual switches. They control routes, push the button for the track you want to get to from the switch lead and all the switches will line correctly. The LED's let you know what track you are lined for. You can throw switches from your throttle by calling up the switch number and hitting the button or the dispatcher can throw them from the computer.
Searsport panel

NMJ south end yard panel

Stuff that makes it all happen

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Damn man, that looks nice!

I got a chance to get on over to Lee's WM layout and smash and bash cars around his paper mill. It actually kept me busy for a good part of the afternoon.

Lee's layout is really awesome, btw. If any of you are lucky enough to get invited over, TAKE HIM UP ON IT!

Being a dork, I brought my own locomotive, it was nice shooting it on a real layout for once!
























Full size images and captions can be seen at my Picassa gallery:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ed.kapuscinski/LeeWeldonSLayoutTrip

[keystonecrossings]

Ed, I haven't been to Lee's yet. Hope to do that one day. He's got to have one of the nicest layouts out there!

[MEC_FAN]

Ed, nice shots, your unit looks right at home switching out the papermill on Lee's layout and ya Lee's layout is cool!!!

MEC

[wm3798]

Yes, we had lots of fun this afternoon...  Good thing your pics turned out, Ed.  The only one I got off before the battery crapped out is out of focus.  Harumph!

This one is easily my favorite:


As for updates, I got a bit more ballast down, and a few engines cleaned up in preparation for today's suaree.  We discovered that the layout has enough work to keep three or more operators amused for a couple hours.  I've got MRC DCC, with two hand-helds.  I need to get at least one more before we do a full session.

As a shake-down, I'd say we did pretty well.  We got in a local, two Alpha Jets and a coal drag.  Plus, while Ed was busy cleaning up the sidings with his MP-15, I kept dropping off more cuts of cars for him switch into the mill.  He did a good job keeping the outbounds coming for me, too.  It was great to see all my operating theories playing out more or less as I envisioned them.

Thanks for the visit, Ed!  And thanks for all your kind comments.

Lee

[tom mann]

Lee,

You did a nice job on that paper building.  Those DPM kits are impossible to get looking that good!