Weekend Update 4/28/19

[up1950s]

https://www.omaha.com/money/railroads/to-boost-safety-union-pacific-using-superlong-rail-lengths-to/article_35dbc5bc-9c13-50a2-b694-a0a100098a1b.html

https://www.up.com/aboutup/community/inside_track/long-rail-3-27-2015.htm

[peteski]

480 foot long pieces of rail? Very interesting.  And they are imported from Japan (not China). . . because only Japanese manufacturers can make the rail high enough quality UP wants?  Hmmm . . . Makes me think of Kato N scale models. 

[Philip H]

While the kids were on Spring Break this week at Camp Dad, I managed to get a little work doen finishing up my rail truck build:



Still needs door decals and I may add some Trainwerx mirrors and such but its great at 3 feet. The windows are painted a shade of Citidel grey (which looks a tinge blue); There are also working couplers front and back, though the rail wheels are fixed so it won't roll anywhere.  The bent Barrels are old Sunrise parts I got in a lot from someone here last year, and there's a Sunrise air compressor hiding in the shadow of the cab. And yes, the barrel pallet needs strapping down.

[johnb]

I completed the Washington Blvd road crossing, I will be working on the 14th St. crossings on Monday

[bbussey]

The EP-3 project is on pause until the 3D marker lights arrive on Monday, so I started working on my track-cleaning consist, which will be disguised as a wreck train. I finished the steam derrick years ago. Next up is the tender that feeds it. It is a Bachmann USRA tender with new coal bunker sides and steps salvaged from vintage Atlas/Rivarossi USRA tender bodies and other scratchbuilt details.  Got the bulk of it done this week and will finish it tomorrow.

[conrail1973]

Work on the next layout is somewhat progressing as I have ordered the track and ground throws that I will need to get things started.  However, I got sidetracked with online auctions, and I'm now the proud owner of a PC GP38-2 and LV GP18   

[mandealco]

Hi
Morristown & Erie 7215 sitting by the engine house at Morristown, she's a former Erie Mining RS-11, originally an NP high hood unit.

RRPX 563 is a former Sant Fe SSB-1200 purchased from Amtrak.  I don't put quite as much effort into non Alcos, must be some kind of bias!

M&E 4264 was originally SP&S 326 with a history too long to write here.  She's now on the Western new York & Pennsylvania.

Now that some of these are off my work bench I have found time to paint my CN M-420, just need time to decal add the handrails and take photos.
Cheers
Steve

[daniel_leavitt2000]

The first P&W M420 is almost compete. Some minor details and weathering need to be finished. This started as a Briggs kit but modifications were made to the fuel tank to shorten it to P&W practice. The AAR-B trucks were difficult to adapt. There is just no room at the pilots. I cut the back of the steps within an inch of their lives to allow for some swivel. This engine comes compete with Loksound and an 8x12 Sobertron speaker and enclosure.

I learned a few things from this build... Flipping the chassis front to back reduces the interference from the truck side frames and allows for a 9x16 speaker and enclosure without further chassis milling... A good thing since a lot of the frame need to be milled for this kit and leaves it very light.

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[daniel_leavitt2000]

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[daniel_leavitt2000]

Found an easy way to attach the shell the the body.

Use MTL passenger car couplers. These look like standard 1015 but with a tab extending out the back to screw into a passenger truck. In this case, I used the standard mounting hole and the tab sits under the chassis, thus securing it.

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[BCR 570]

Daniel:

Nice job on the M-420; great to see another one of these kits built.  Quite a unique one with that fuel tank and those trucks.  Looking forward to getting mine done one day.

Tim

[CRL]

Well done.

[SP-Wolf]

My BL-2 project is done -- the SP is borrowing her for an evaluation for possible branch line use:




Thanks,
Wolf

[pdx1955]

Finally finished SPMW water car 8096. I originally started it around the time of the MOW Challenge and its been worked on here and there. This car was converted to water service in the early 1930's but originally was a Bryan 1907 car built for the El Paso & Southwestern.  It was built from leftover cutdown IM tankcar parts and styrene bits to  backdate the frame. 

[chuck geiger]

New Ken Patterson for May. Yay N scale layout. seems to be going travel log theme. No how to stuff. Which was way cool.