The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[davefoxx]

Ha! I can't tell you how many times I've stood staring at my layout scratching my head for the same reasons.
I bet I'm still not done?

@Bendtracker1,

Yeah, I find that the best way to really figure things out is to build it full size and use it.  The bugs can be discovered and revisions then made.  Sometimes it will take me a while to find the resolution, but it seems that no amount of track planning on paper or through software will catch every glitch in a design.  I don't really mind making changes so much, because track can usually be reused and cork roadbed is cheap.

DFF

[davefoxx]

I re-decodorized an Athearn L&N (Family Lines) GP40-2 this evening.  There goes another warranty!  It, like its sister Seaboard System GP40-2s pictured here, now has an ESU LokSound decoder onboard.  I still need to install lighting in the L&N unit.  I have LEDs ready for the installation but didn't get to that tonight.  In the meantime, this Geep can admirably function as a trailing unit. 

The SBD GP40-2s are Atlas locomotives.  I love how the Athearn unit (No. 6614) is only one number down from SBD No. 6615.  This was lucky, as I did not realize the potential conflict when I bought the SBD locomotives a few months ago.  No. 6614 is the very first HO scale locomotive that I bought almost two years ago.  I'm excited that I was able to convert the Athearn locomotive to ESU and match the rest of the fleet.  The Family Lines paint scheme adds nice variety and helps capture the hodgepodge look of motive power on some SBD trains in the mid-1980s.



DFF

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That's a hot scene you got going there. Looks like big time 80s railroading to me!

[wm3798]

If memory serves, you're a bit light in the weathering department.



Turns out that's the only SBD/Family Lines engine I have in the stacks of stuff... shot on the B&O belt line above the streetcar museum in Baltimore.

[davefoxx]

Weathering?  Yeah, I know.  However, your photo is clearly from the CSX era and later than the years I model.  Also, I've got a lot of items on the list in front of that task, e.g., finish wiring the layout, painting track, ballast, structures, and scenery.  In my defense, I have actually weathered things before.  Watch the TRW header up top for the L&N locomotive that I weathered.

Additionally, yesterday, at the Timonium show, I bought the ESU CabControl DCC system.   I decided to replace my NCE system, because the controller was requiring me to really push on the buttons to get the functions to work properly (probably could be minimized by a cleaning of the controller) and because it was frustrating that the controller only showed F0 through F6 on the screen.  The ESU system shows up to twenty-eight and I'm easily using up to F14 at present!  Since I had already standardized on ESU decoders and use the LokProgrammer, this purchase didn't require much arm-twisting.  Thanks for the discussion, @CodyO, that led to the purchase.  It seems to be worth every penny.  Anybody want to buy a gently-used NCE DCC system?

I spent a good part of yesterday getting it installed and set up.  Thank goodness for the recommendation of the vendor to check the voltage before putting locomotives on the rails.  It would be expensive to blow all of my decoders.  Also, thank goodness for the YouTube videos by ESU online.  I had trouble getting the track power on, and the video had explained that low voltage will cause that problem.  Tweaking of the voltage button got the voltage at around 14.9 volts and the track powers up without any blown decoders.  A neat feature, since I use only ESU decoders, is that the system, will recognize my locomotives as they get added to the layout.  I've already learned how to consist and play with the functions of the locomotives.  I really like this system.  Something I will have to get used to, though, is to remember to charge the handheld controller, which is wireless.

DFF

[Dave V]

Dave,

Start simple...  Acrylic craft paint washes built up in thin layers.  In thin enough applications they can be removed with a little airbrush thinner without damaging the finish.  You'd be surprised at how a thin blackish-brown wash over those diesels will not only make them look better, but really pop the details.

There's a guy that's rumored to be a member of this very forum who--legend has it--wrote an entire book on weathering for beginners and experts alike.

[davefoxx]

Great recommendations, @Dave V.  By the way, I look forward to releasing the new version of his book.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Snow day- 4"-5" on the ground, and it's still coming down with a second wave heading our way tonight into tomorrow.  Since this is time I would not normally have to work on the layout, I decided to work on something that I don't like doing.  "What to do?"  Well, ballasting is usually at the top of that list, but my track isn't painted.  So, I grabbed a can of Scalecoat II Flat Railroad Tie Brown that I bought at the Timonium show one week ago and went at a corner of the layout, after I masked off the surrounding foam scenery.  I would have liked to have painted more track, but I don't have a good way to ventilate the room.  I also have other areas where I still need to power the frogs, so those turnouts are not yet ready for paint and ballast.

This is the first time that I used Scalecoat II in a spray bomb, and it dried quickly.  So quickly that it was a challenge to clean off the railheads.  My usual method is to take a scrap of styrene and "squeegee" the railheads while the paint is wet.  Then, I touch up with a Bright Boy after the paint starts to dry.  Here, I had to spend more time with the Bright Boy then I would have liked, but the railheads are now clean.

I painted this siding, the passing siding, and mainline from this turnout at bottom left . . .



. . . around to this wye.  I took my time and even masked off each end of the points, to try to keep paint out of the electrical contacts.  I went back with a microbrush and touched up these areas by hand:



I think this last shot shows that the spikes, which some commented on earlier in this thread about how "obvious" they are, don't stand out so much with less contrast between the spike head and the shiny nickel silver rail:



Heck, I might even try putting down a little ballast later.

DFF

[LIRR]

a snow day for 4" to 5"?! up here in western NY we call that "snow flurries"

[davefoxx]

It's more about the anticipation of what is yet to come today into tonight, plus I have a sick child at home.  That is what really sealed the deal for me.  I would have tried to get to this office this morning, but with him having a temperature of 101 degrees, I decided to stay close to home, in case he gets worse.

Plus, people around here just don't know how to drive in snow and ice, so that's what really makes it challenging.  I'm comfortable, if I'm allowed to take my time, but people here think they are Mario Andretti in inclement weather.  Heck, I was rear-ended two weeks ago in good weather! 

DFF

[davefoxx]

I mentioned ballasting, so why not?  The first step, to minimize waste, is to apply ballast to the shoulders. I used full-strength white glue to fight gravity and sprinkled on the ballast without having to fill up the ditch.  This will also make it easier to model the depression in the ballast profile between the mainline and passing siding.  Once this sets up good and solid, I can ballast the tracks.



Thankfully, painting the track didn’t gum up the points.  Everything still works smoothly.  I really like this earthy color over the Grimy Black color that I’ve always used before as my track color.

Stay tuned,
DFF

[wm3798]

If you have an airbrush, you can use cheap craft acrylic paints to weather your track, using the time tested and true Cheap Vodka Thinner method.  I made a blend of dark brown and black, with a little grimy gray, and was pretty happy with the result.



I used that method to paint the track in the Hagerstown/Windsor Street/Whatever-the-hell-Ed's-going-to-call-it-next Yard.  You get reasonably good coverage, a good-ish airbrush gives you a more precise line, and the fumes are much more fun to spend time with...

Lee

[DKS]

I really like this earthy color over the Grimy Black color that I’ve always used before as my track color.

Suggestion: Track is rarely perfectly consistent. Mix it up with some hand-applied variations in color, such as brushing on a little Rust-All (or equivalent) here and there.

[LIRR]

I agree with Dave, ties in the background sprayed, ties in the foreground painted randomly with various shades of gray, aged concrete, mud, etc. takes some time, but I think it’s worth it. It can be done a few minured at a time ....

[LIRR]

I can better illustrate my point if I post the correct photo...