Weekend Update 8/18/13

[up1950s]

[seusscaboose]

We NEED an icon for Ed's Rule

[C855B]

 

Mountain sides of what looks like a lawn...

Yup. California coast. Home.

[mark dance]

OK, guess I am first up with show and tell this weekend.  Progress continues on the Fife Limestone tipple.











But now my focus has to move over to getting prepared for some operating sessions... One nextweek then the semi-annual Vanrail Invitational a month from now!

Have a great weekend!

md

[MichaelWinicki]

Just received today.

I'm going to type something that may shock a lot of folks, but I'll tell ya, this is the smoothest running switcher in my stable... By far.  It runs so much better than my Kato NW2... And better than both of my V01000's (1 new style/1 old style) and my Lifelike SW8 and my Walthers SW1200's.

It starts creeping with barely a turn on my MRC wireless throttle and the upper-end speed is "switcherish".

If I had to pick one switcher to use during an operating session it's this one.

For the cost of the thing... it's one of the great bargains in N-scale IMO.

The hood is too wide but I can live with it. 

[eric220]

Interesting shot there, Richie.  Looks very similar to a shot I took this week.



I was really just looking for a shot of the trestle, but I happened to catch some pumpkins.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Interesting shot there, Richie.  Looks very similar to a shot I took this week.
I was really just looking for a shot of the trestle, but I happened to catch some pumpkins.

Think I saw that same Cinderella autorack coach while I was driving along Hwy 4.
But just "happened to catch" them?
Please: I know you grabbed a couple of spicy balltip sandwiches and a 1/2 rack o' ribs from Kinders next to the train store before plunking yr butt down in Martinez for hours to catch that fab shot.
It's just a question of how many 40oz-ers of Olde English 800 you had to toss over the back of the pickup before snapping the shot. 

[Lovely photo: been meaning to get my camera out there too.  Just sad I didn't get invited to "date night"  ]

[BCR 570]

After a three week vacation in the UK, this was the last week of my summer holidays prior to returning to work next week and I wanted to finish building my three MLW M-630s.

This included detailing the cabs with parts from BLMA Models, Miniatures By Eric, Sunrise Enterprises and kit parts:




assembling the fuel tanks using a combination of Atlas and kit parts:




and adding the air tanks from the Briggs Models kit to the Atlas side sills:




Now to assemble the component parts for final clean-up and inspection prior to painting. 


Tim

[Catt]

The hood is too wide but I can live with it. 

Yeah Michael,it is really ovious in your first pic.

[eric220]

Think I saw that same Cinderella autorack coach while I was driving along Hwy 4.
But just "happened to catch" them?
Please: I know you grabbed a couple of spicy balltip sandwiches and a 1/2 rack o' ribs from Kinders next to the train store before plunking yr butt down in Martinez for hours to catch that fab shot.
It's just a question of how many 40oz-ers of Olde English 800 you had to toss over the back of the pickup before snapping the shot. 

[Lovely photo: been meaning to get my camera out there too.  Just sad I didn't get invited to "date night"  ]

In fact I did have a Kinders balltip for lunch that day.  I was actually stopping by the trestle for a quick snap as a suggestion for in Ingress portal, and just as I was about to walk away, I heard a distinctive rumble.  Quick positioning, and I got that shot.

[Mike Madonna]

Richie, Richie, Richie..... talk about hitting close to home 
This is EXACTLY where I'm modeling! Swap out the "Bloody Noses" for an Cab Ahead and a Deck and this is it. Stenner Creek trestle with Chorro siding in the background.... in the Spring time no less. 

[Mike Madonna]

Just received today.

I'm going to type something that may shock a lot of folks, but I'll tell ya, this is the smoothest running switcher in my stable... By far.  It runs so much better than my Kato NW2... And better than both of my V01000's (1 new style/1 old style) and my Lifelike SW8 and my Walthers SW1200's.

It starts creeping with barely a turn on my MRC wireless throttle and the upper-end speed is "switcherish".

If I had to pick one switcher to use during an operating session it's this one.

For the cost of the thing... it's one of the great bargains in N-scale IMO.

The hood is too wide but I can live with it. 

Received my SP unit yesterday. Tried it tonight with my NCE system. Like you said, very slow crawler and quiet running. When in the lower speed steps, mine seems to have a little noise from the motor. This goes away about 1/3 to 1/2 throttle. Paint is sharp, good looking switcher. Will try to post a pic soon.

[VonRyan]

After a three week vacation in the UK, ...
(snipped)
Tim

Pics? 
UK is #1 on my list of vaction destinations and always on my mind. (I model the GWR when not preoccupied by the PRR)



-Cody F.

[ChristianJDavis1]

Michael, that ALCo S4 is one good-looking model. I got to run my new acquisition on a friend's under-construction layout with a few other RailWire members.

The Key H10 in the foreground has been the star of another RailWire member's recent DCC-installation thread for a while, and is not mine, while the Precision Scale K4s in the background is mine, and is my most-recent acquisition. I apologize for the low-quality photo, but what do you expect from an out-dated cell-phone camera?

[Puddington]

Was anxious to try Lou's window filling idea so grabbed a scrap coach shell from the bin (there are certain advantages of working in the industry) and looked for a prototype that could be bashed from it.... didn't have to look too far to find a Canadian National (ok; have at me.... Puddy loves CN, blah, blah, blah...... ) coach-cafe car.

Rebuilt from the ubiqutous 5400 - 5600 series coaches, the car had a cafe - lunch counter section and had tables and chairs in the "A: end of the car. The window arrangement was slightly different, thus allowing me to try a modification of Lou's method. Instead of JB Weldbond (which my workmate Dan and I couldn't find) we used a two part epoxy and instead of adhesive tape, we went with waxpaper clamped to a hard surface and clamped to the car side.... here's what I got........



I'm quite impressed with the result - no sanding after the epoxy dried whatsoever was needed - clean finish, ready for priming. The half window was created by cutting scrap window glass to fill the area I wanted open and inserting it before filling the window hole. I removed it 15 after pouring and the result was quite acceptable - just a bit of filing and sanding the edges.

The interior is a "jig saw puzzle" of interior car parts and while not perfectly accurate it's close enough for me. I still have some modifications to make before painting.



The seats will be painted that purely disgusting CN purple and the rest a mid brown....

The coach cafes were in the 3009 - 3010, 3011 - 3019, 3021, 3024, 3027-3028 and 3030, 3039 series. I will paint the car in the grey and black "wiggle worm" livery, lightly weather it and then add it to the collection of purely unloved CN equipment I have......