Weekend Update 2/4/24

[samusi01]

That tree in the MRH link... wow.

[ednadolski]

My new layout room doubles as a practice room too!

Can you play the K5LA? 

Ed

[Scott1984]

That is pretty sweet!!!!

[C855B]

... My new layout room doubles as a practice room too!

My latest acquisition. Yeah, this is a manufacturer's graphic; I won't be back over to the studio until tomorrow to take a picture of mine in its native habitat:



Then there are a few toys I mess with in the layout room:




Tim, I have a friend from many years back that also plays the alto clarinet. When we were performing together in the same symphonic winds group, several of us would go out for pizza after rehearsal. One dinner, he was telling us the story of his being last to leave the restaurant the previous week, and found broken glass next to his car. He had left his clarinet in its case on the back seat, and, yes, the back window was broken out. Obviously, he expected the worst, and confirmed this on getting close enough to see his most awful nightmare... two alto clarinets in his back seat.

(OK. Obligated to explain the joke here - his joke, BTW. Alto clarinet is the Rodney Dangerfield of the concert band - gets no respect, nor much music to perform. Sort of like the viola in a traditional orchestra.)

 

[BCR751]

I was asked to sub in the  Chattanooga Symphony this week. The principal trombone is a friend of mine and offered to host me for the week. I knew he was an N scaler, but had no idea the extent! Really nice roundly-round layout and a collection that resembles an anthology of the last 20 years of N scale! Guy had at least 2 of every locomotive produced, certainly in the last 10 years. It was a little distracting trying to get some work done with trains running, but I have a whole new appreciation for the nostalgic approach.

I'd love to see a complete photo of that horn.

Doug (Former trombone in the Terrace Community Band)

[basementcalling]

Field verification of my favorite modeled location.


I added the steel braces because sometimes I run my PRR stuff, and their engineering just wasn't as good as Mr. Willard's road.

Lee

Good fishing spot too. But damn those heritage units look weird.

[ednadolski]

Working on installing a DCC decoder into a Z-scale AZL SW1500:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=57361.msg789781#msg789781



Ed

[altohorn25]

Getting an A-B-B set of Rock Island E7 shells ready for new mechanisms for my SP/RI "Golden State"

These are Life-Like shells which will be mounted on Kato mechanisms.  I replaced the air horns on the A unit and had to replace a few of the cab steps on all three shells that their previous owner had broken off.

Test fitting the shells on some old Kato mechanisms that I had sitting on the workbench (New donor mechanisms are in the mail).

Window glass is in the final stages of drying.  Steps are all painted.  Windshield wipers and rear view mirrors are installed.  A unit coupler cover built and installed.  Pilot steps cut out. 

These will get some heavy weathering on the roofs and road grime on the trucks when the new mechanisms arrive.

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[altohorn25]

Good progress Andy; now I can answer the North End Roadmaster's query about where his advance sign for BEATTON disappeared to . . . . . . 


My new layout room doubles as a practice room too!




Tim

I'm just impressed by the fact that you are using both an alto and a bass clarinet.......makes me all warm and fuzzy being a H.S. band director and all.......alto clarinet gets such a bad rap.... 

[Lemosteam]

Added my homemade pole lights to the icing platform today. Need to add rails and some ink wash to the deck. Used my battery holder switch to light them up with the icehouse. Loving how it looks so far.

The woodland scenics pole lights will go between the two tracks but point toward the platform to light the tops of the reefers for nighttime operations. Trying to decide if I should make them taller or not using a printed pier footing. I’m thinking yes for now.

[BCR 570]

I'm just impressed by the fact that you are using both an alto and a bass clarinet.......makes me all warm and fuzzy being a H.S. band director and all.......alto clarinet gets such a bad rap.... 

Our symphony orchestra is preparing Ferd Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite and a few parts are extremely high, very quiet and exposed on bass clarinet, and as I happen to have a professional alto clarinet it makes those passages easier to play well.

Tim (another HS Band Director)

[BCRail_FSJ]

Good progress Andy; now I can answer the North End Roadmaster's query about where his advance sign for BEATTON disappeared to . . . . . . 

Tim

That sign was languishing in a dumpster in Fort St John and was gifted to me by a local railfan a decade ago.  I can report that a replacement advance sign for the renamed "Beatton River" exists (or it did in 2013 when I took this picture).

[C855B]

Our symphony orchestra is preparing Ferd Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite and a few parts are extremely high, very quiet and exposed on bass clarinet, and as I happen to have a professional alto clarinet it makes those passages easier to play well.

Oh, am I jealous. GCS has several fabulous English horn licks. Unfortunately, the groups in my area, as a whole, are nowhere near the caliber required to play it.

 

[thbguy]

Very excited to finally, finally get started on my “Bridges over the Niagara River” project, thanks to the wonderful TTrak module by CMR products and significant assembly help by Andrew Hegstad.


Will hopefully have some more progress on it in the next two weeks.

Michael Livingston

[bbunge]

Ran the crowd pleasing dinosaur train at Timonium.



Bob