Weekend Update 3/3/13

[up1950s]

[Puddington]

Great pic Richie !

This week was almost "hopper free"..... more about that in a minute...

I had begun work on Geoff Gooderham's Canadian Pacific "A" series 36 seat Dining Car kit just before the hoppers arrived and wanted to get back to it.







The car was another home run for Geoff.... virtually no clean up or bubbles to fill and although there is a slight "bow" in the car, end to end, it isn't noticeable at track level; only when seen in magnified photographs.

I used the car name "Apsley" because not only was it the last A series to be struck off strength, the car was named for Apsley, Ontario which is but 20 minutes up the road from where I live.... kinda neat.....

I added a full dining area interior with chair, tables, "drawn on plates and cutlery" and 17 passengers. The standard window shades were added and I again used FVM 36" wheels. Very light weathering was applied and the car, as you see, is in revenue service on the Eastbound Mountaineer...

I said the week was "almost" hopper free..... No work was done on the new slab sides but this Exactrail car got the treatment and I must say, I am pleased with the result....



Next week........ as Dr. Franknfurter would say "let's see what's on the SLAB...side" 

[BCRail_FSJ]

Good progress on 607 and 611 this week.   The major decals were applied.. just a few small numbers remain.   A few more details, some touch ups and a spot of weathering and they will be show-ready for the Calgary RPM next weekend.

[BCR 570]

Well done, Andy!

Continuing with the Canadian theme tonight, my fuel supply flatcar is finished:






The car was modelled essentially from a single reference photograph:




Thanks to Jeff Briggs who rendered the fuel tanks in 3D, printed the decals for me, and painted and weathered the car.  Also thanks to Central Hobbies who chased down the air bottle and fire extinguisher castings for me.


Tim

[up1950s]

Nice Tim , first I've seen of that type . Is the compressed air used to push the gas out ?

[mecgp7]

Nice Tim , first I've seen of that type . Is the compressed air used to push the gas out ?

Really neat car, Tim.  My question about the prototype is why vs. a stationary fueling area? Is it in a remote location?  Basically what is the story behind this car.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Cool fuel car, Tim!
I like the yellow streaks down the sides.
Wonder if you could get those shallow dents in some of the units? 

Today's the day of the World's Greatest Hobby show (first one in the San Francisco Bay Area)
http://www.wghshow.com/
so I've been spending the past month overhauling our other return loop, affectionately known as Eric's "Wye Knot" module, and taking it from this:



to this:







Now it's got a tipple, a quarry & a company town to service (we needed more industries) as well as a long passing siding and some basic scenery.
Nils terraformed the tunnel module and built the rocksild shed, then passed that section off to me to paint & throw dirt on.
Here's a quick video overview of the whole shebang so far:

Still a long way to go, but should look alright for the show today and tomorrow.
I'll try to grab some video of our layout at the show: should be epic with some new long modules by Nils and some other members.
Hope to see you there!

[Scottl]

I really like how the modules have evolved into a home layout.  Have you thought about a portable generic backdrop you could use for photography?  Just a short board with a sky and tree line of some kind?  If it was clamped on, it would be easy to use.  I raise it only because your modelling is so nice, it is a pity to be distracted by the background!

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Have you thought about a portable generic backdrop you could use for photography?  Just a short board with a sky and tree line of some kind?

You dissing my garage? 

Yeah, I have a piece of foamcore that I sprayed greys and whites to rep a hazy background, and I've used that for some photos.
This module is too darn big: would need a curtain for video shoots 

Plus, this isn't my module.  It's Eric E's.
I'm just throwing dirt on it. 

But yes it would be nice to have a curtain or screen to block out the fab crapola in the background.
I'll put it on The List!

[BCR 570]

Thank you for the positive feedback.  Answers to questions below:

Nice Tim , first I've seen of that type . Is the compressed air used to push the gas out ?

That is my guess.  The fuel was pumped into a neighbouring power car to run the diesel generator, into storage tanks on other cars, or into vehicles in work service.

Really neat car, Tim.  My question about the prototype is why vs. a stationary fueling area? Is it in a remote location?  Basically what is the story behind this car.

The car was used to supply fuel to outfit trains parked in sidings along the mainline.  Two photographs show the car coupled to a power car in Pavilion siding.  Fuel would be needed for power cars, vehicles in construction service, etc.  Yes, the BCR ran through some very remote territory especially as you got further north, and in the 1960s and 1970s they were still laying track on the Fort Nelson and Dease Lake extensions.


Tim

[Scottl]

I'll put it on The List!

Which by your standards, means it is probably already done!

[Zox]

But yes it would be nice to have a curtain or screen to block out the fab crapola in the background.

Cheap plastic "curtain" sky, just add support posts:

http://www.partycity.com/product/pastel+blue+plastic+table+cover+roll+100ft.do?sortby=ourPicks&size=all&from=Search&navSet=tablecloth

They have a few different blues; you'd probably want to check them in person before buying. Occasionally they have these on sale for $10, if the $.17/foot list price is a budget-buster.

[craigolio1]

Tim, I would think they would have had machinery on those work sites that ran several different types of fuel.  Perhaps portable power generators, heaters, water/mud pumps, hydraulic pumps, power saws etc.  Some would have required mixed gas, others straight gas and some diesel.  This would justify such a car vs. a giant diesel tank you might bring to a remote locomotive service location.   The tanks likely had their own hand pumps on them or were gravity fed, and the bottles stored in the middle could have been welding gasses and or propane.

Andy, your CSR-20s look great!  Mine is getting there but not nearly as quickly as yours.  This week I did JnJ handrails with .008" wire.  They turned out really nice.  At this point it's ready to strip and paint.   No photos though.  Maybe next week.  This week I'm working on the power car, Borealis, which will be painted the same colours.

Great work everyone!

Craig

[Puddington]

Tim: That's a 'signature car" for your pike.... really well done !

[mark dance]

This week I moved on to the next bridge: the 4th crossing of Kettle River at Cascade BC. 



The model will be a full size reproduction, and I have the drawings, but I had to figure out how to represent all the bridge elements as it isn't in me to stratchbuild all the laced members.  A fair bit of time was spent therefore on the actual "design" of the model.  I then began the two deck truss bridges... they just need decks and rivets before painting.  Next up are the towers. 

Here are the truss bridges set in front of the mock-up which has been in place for 6+ years!







Have a great weekend!

md