Weekend Update 6/14/15

[C855B]

... We stopped in Omaha NE because the UP and CNW historical societies were having their conventions ...

Lots of mention (and photos) of the CGW, Jason, so I was thinking about what you were missing. Also lots of time spent (...too much, really...) discussing the CMO, a railroad that for some reason was never on my personal radar. Needless to say, the CNW folks kinda dominated the show, but that's OK, I learned a lot.

[wcfn100]

Lots of mention (and photos) of the CGW, Jason, so I was thinking about what you were missing. Also lots of time spent (...too much, really...) discussing the CMO, a railroad that for some reason was never on my personal radar. Needless to say, the CNW folks kinda dominated the show, but that's OK, I learned a lot.

Yeah, that's two years in a row I really missed out.  Last years convention was in the town I model.

I wasn't even thinking about the CGW when I was standing on the platform.  Now I wonder what's still around.  Not that rail fanning is easy pulling a 27' trailer. 


Jason

[thbguy]

52 PRR R50b Reefer kits sold, parts packaged, and shipped in eighteen hours, less 4.5 hours sleep!

I need a nap!

Michael Livingston
Modelling southern Ontario in N-scale . . . from Minnesota!

[Rich_S]

More prototype pics for me. These are from last week when I went out to Ohio. Here is P&WV bridge over the Monongahela at Belle Vernon, Pa:

Since the Wabash Terminal Railroad / Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railway was one of the last railroads to arrive in the Pittsburgh region, they had to resort to jumping from ridge top to ridge top since all water level routes had been taken. The railroad ended up with many spectacular bridges including the one over the Monongahela river. This is why the railroad earned the nickname "The High & Dry" One thing the P&WV never had to worry about was flooding.

Here is another one of the P&WV's spectacular bridges, the Mingo Creek bridge. This picture was taken in 1958 when P&WV Fairbanks Morse locomotives still ruled the line.

[johnb]

[Ntrainz1]

repainted/decaled U25b




Bob.

[bbussey]

Moved the ball forward on some projects, both business and personal.

Added corner steps to my pilot New Haven I-5 tender core.  With the Shapeways FXD process being better than passable, I'm thinking of rendering the core in FXD instead of having to mill it out of plastic.  It would eliminate any imperfections from having to mill the outer dimensions of the body shell and then the inside cavity.  It also would allow me to model exact replicas of the steps on the prototype instead of using the old Atlas/RivaRossi USRA tender steps.  Haven't decided yet, but I'm leaning in that direction.



Got my first FXD version of the GM TDM4507 from Shapeways yesterday.  After a day in the Bestine soup, it looks very good.  The matte surface under the windows is due to the slightly extended window trim over the windows needing the wax support up to that point.  So I might change the orientation of both this bus and the Scenicruiser to be on their side instead of upright.  Based on the way I arranged the components, the odds are great that Shapeways will build the models in the orientation as constructed.



On the ESM front, the first test for the G32C body was done along with the LSG Gon (which is reported on in the LSG thread) and it looks good.  A couple of errors must be fixed, but it appears this will be a viable option for getting the remainder of the kits to market.



And finally, the long-awaited version of the modernized White Tower will be out before the end of the summer.  Got the first test shots back and it looks good.  I have to beef up some of the details unfortunately, because Shapeways isn't as gentle with delicate items as my other contractor.  But their machine is better calibrated and producing better results currently, so the White Tower line will be switching over to the Shapeways business method.



A good week overall.

[bnsfdash8]

I got some color on NS 3804 (SD38). This is my first time using TruColor and so far I'm impressed and believe I have found my new favorite paint brand. 

[BCOL 747]

Hi Reese

I am interested to know if you needed to thin the TrueColor paint or if it sprayed well right from the bottle? I have several bottles and would like to try it out on a few projects. From your photo the paint job looks nice and smooth!

Thanks,
Chris

[BCOL 747]

Nice weather and a busy time of year at work have made for slow going on the layout. I did have a chance to start on the scenery at Mile 598. This is the north end of the Azouzetta Tunnel which Highway 97 passes over. This is the only tunnel on the Chetwynd Subdivision and there is some sort of communication station located on the north end. Fellow Railwire member Tim Horton and I visited this location several years ago and we walked through the tunnel to get to this site.  Little did we realize there was a road leading down from the highway and there was no need to make the hellish walk through the tunnel. Thanks Tim, LOL!





The concrete tunnel portal and communication shack was made by Railwire member BCR751 and he was gracious enough to pass them on to me from a module he constructed to test scenery techniques.

Nice work everyone and Mark thank you for the update video on the Columbia and Western.

Happy Modeling
Chris Dittmar
BC Rail, Chetwynd Sub

[Jesse6669]

After a bit of a hiatus, got back to work on the Millvale diorama. When it's oppressively hot and muggy outside it's nice to stay in and do some modelling!


I put down ballast (grout) on the Conemaugh main, held in place with hairspray and wetted down with dilute scenic glue + dish soap.  Ballasting is one of the skills I struggle with but practice makes perfect.  The outer tracks are sidings so I tried to make the ballast "thinner" and more settled than on the mains that Conrail was taking better care of. 


The photo was taken when the glue was wet, and it struck my eye as looking like track after a rainfall.  So..if I used gloss medium, it might retain that look.  Might try do that in an upcoming diorama, with some puddles, etc.


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[Missaberoad]

I got closer to finishing up a BLMA gondola that I adopted from another Railwire member. 
It would still be a relatively new car in my era so not much for weathering, but I modified it to accept Z scale couplers and
added air hoses. I still want to add cut levers.

[basementcalling]

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Just getting my kiln going.

[bnsfdash8]

Hi Reese

I am interested to know if you needed to thin the TrueColor paint or if it sprayed well right from the bottle? I have several bottles and would like to try it out on a few projects. From your photo the paint job looks nice and smooth!

Thanks,
Chris

The bottle says ready to spray from the bottle but after a few tips from another trucolor user i thinned the paint with a little 100% acetone finger nail polish remover (the paint is acetone based). With the extra little bit of thinner in it it sprayed beautifully.

[BCR751]

BCOL 747 Chris - Nice work on the Mile 598 scene.  I hope mine looks as good !

Doug