I purchased another RS3. Lehigh Valley. When it arrives I’ll keep and repaint it if its a Classic, or sell it to a friend if its Yellow Box.
I’ve also been looking into 44 Tonners to paint into Claremont Concord. CCRR interchanges with WRS in Lebanon, and is responsible for pulling cuts of cars from Lebanon Yard across the river to interchange with QNE at Claremont Junction. While the S4 can handle it, a pair of 44 tonners would also be fun to have, and could possibily free up another WRS loco.
WHAT?!?!?!? Sorry, I have NO CLUE what you just said[%-)]. I know nothing about DCC, so maybe someone else can answer this for you.
I put the patched reporting marks on 2201 before, but I really don’t feel like going downstars right now (one of THOSE days), so maybe I’ll get pictures tomorrow or something.
It stopped raining before I left for class again (I’t in it now) so I checked on my units. I don’t think the dullcote sealed right, and I’m kind of lost on how to get as good of a seal as I have on other cars (mainly the PC and UP hoppers, and a caboose; they sealed really well). I’ve been searching around a bit and came up with some ideas, so I’ll be experimenting over the next few days. All else fails, I might bite the bullet and buy those adhesive weathering powders.
Alex, If it’s a yellow box you could try getting one of the shells from the Classic RS3s and putting it on the older chassis like I’m doing with my C424s. There may be a few smaller mounting tabs that may have to be cut off (on mine there were about 4 or so) and a coupler mounting pad may need to be made (I’m doing mine with styrene). for my 3 units, it’ll cost me about 45 bucks or so, or about 15 per unit. (at the 10 bucks I got mine for, it’s probably not that bad in the end for about 25-35 bucks a unit)
Hey guys, I’ve gotten my parents to agree to an 8x12 layout, I’ve got the plan down on paper (took me three or four tries), and will get it drawn out in RTS sometime in the near future. I’m debating whether to backdate the layout to the 1970s (would look a bit more palusible, and everything I want to run was built in the 1970s), when SCRail was first started (at least, in my world), but continue the SCRail story as if it’s in modern day (basically, model it in the 1970s, and talk like it’s in modern times).
At least I can get a 4-pack of NCE D13SRJs and a few harnesses.
Anyways, here are some newely weathered cars:
This gon I experimented a little bit. I drybrushed it grimy black then hit it with pastes and dullcote.
I did the same with the trucks and wheelsets on it. Personally I think they came out great.
Here’s the trio of boxcars I weathered. Just pastels. I spent a while trying to figure out how to make the dullcote seal really good but I nailed it on all 3 cars. When I moved the UP box inside from the other carport it started raining and some got on the roof and left some shiny spots. I figure I’d leave it since it looks like parts of the roof got patched over.
Here’s a tanker car I did, I have another one that I’m working on at the moment.
Here’s some flats I got recently. A few of them are missing bridge plates, container shoes, and hitches; so I’ll probably get some from Athearn. I’ll also need to get trailers to go on them.
Here’s the (mostly) finished 2201. Again, the picture sucks cause it’s from my phone:
Just for laughs, here’s what we did in Spanish today. Bob Esponja! Now we have to write two paragraphs on “F.U.N.” and “Club Spongebob” (Club de Bob Esponja).
I had an eventful day today. I decided to do some ebay browsing since I sold off a bunch of stuff. When searching Ebay I found another U30C and a BLI NW2 with DCC/sound; but I got sniped on both of them. Then thinking about my current projects, I found 5 85’ flats with the PPW/A-line weights for a whooping 50 bucks. However, I only bought them for the weights and some other parts (hitches and bridge plates). I’ll probably end up selling the cars back on ebay.
That trainshow is this weekend, hopefully that vendor I bought those coal cars from still has those SD40-2s. I’ll be keeping an eye out for other stuff I could use, like trailers for those flats.
Well tomorrow I have my last three exams. After that should be the kick-off to my very busy rail fanning summer. Here’s the line up.
LS&I in the UP of Michigan, this might happen anytime in the summer.
ICE Iowa/Illinois trip. A Rochelle stop will be included. This will happen the third week of June and will be my biggest trip. This will be a two trip along the Iowa Side of the Mississippi River and across Northern Illinois.
Twin Ports/Missabe trip. This trip will happen anytime, and is mostly to get the EJEs up in the Twin Ports and possibly at the Iron Range in northern MN (If the EJE units get sent up there).
WSOR trip in Southern Wisconsin. I would like to hit some WSOR action this summer, but this is one of those trips that might not be happening, but I’ll throw it on the list.
SP 4449 on the CP. This will be a must have trip that I will take in August of this year.
BNSF SDP40 at Minnesota Transportation Museum. I would like to head to MTM to see their new SDP40 that they got. This trip might be in the fall of the year.
What Code # track do you need for the module? I have a bunch of Code 100 switches and some regular track that you’re welcome to if you like. Flextrack and some sections are reserved for the staging yard and bridge, but you can have whatever you want from the rest…
I finished the full-size mockup of my staging yard lift bridge. Next will come actual construction! I mocked up some pieces of track to show you the general alignments. The actual bridge will use Atlas Code 100 flextrack and #6 switches.
Power to the staging yard will be provided by contacts on the bridge, so that nothing can move in there while the bridge is up. The bridge will also act like an electrical switch (a metal contact on it bridges a gap in the feeders to the isolated approach tracks when the bridge is closed) to control the two approach tracks on the layout side.
Also, the reversing segment will be on the continuous run connection, with a manual toggle switch. That connection is so lousy (tight curves, bad track, etc) that I won’t be using it much, so I won’t mind using a toggle. Eventually I may install an auto-reverser, but I suspect that I’ll sooner spend the money on something else, and never replace the toggle switch!
Overall view:
The staging yard will stretch at least 15 feet to the far wall, and be two tracks with a crossover mid-way down to form a runaround track and leave three tracks open to arriving/departing trains at any time, plus space for another train.
The bottom of the bridge is supported by two hinges. Nothing fancy! The track won’t be hanging out in the open like that, it will be supported by more wood…
Bridge in the up position. Again, ignore the track hanging out into space…
ok, I’m working on my 8x12 plan. I have it sort of layed out, but I’m now thinking I’m going to drastically change it so I can do some work on it this summer b/c I’m not gonna have the switches until Nov. 22 (my b-day, lol), but I could do some of the mainline stuff. I was going to model a SCRail branch from its yard and such, but now i’m going to cut out the yard and rework the towns a bit to maximize the switchign space etc. of the towns. Will let em get all the industries I want in and make the towns look more spread out like the Pee Dee River area towns they are. And then a longer mainline run will also be provided by cuttign out the yard. and the amount of switches will drop drastically.wish me luck.
Jordan: Sound’s like you’ll be busy this summer. I’m also planning out my summer. Not as busy as your’s but plenty of fun.
Tyler: Looks like you’ve got a plan going there.
And the first of the birthday rolls in (literally, just as I’m typing this.)! 9 days early, but that doesn’t matter. I’ll probably save up all the birthday money, since I’m getting a job (actually, I’m already hired, I think) this summer. So I can get the paint for the locos, some more cars [:-^], and maybe start the expansion of the layout.