Teen Model RR Place SPRING 2011

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

OK, FINALLY apring so I thought it was time for the new thread.

Taylor, nice man!

My spring break is coming up, and even though I have rugby (dang rained out game was rescheduled for the friday of spring break). I’m hoping to get my downtown roads figured out and maybe get some more trees made (I also get allowance so hopefully I can get some paint for the roads). I’ve got the left hill glued down, but it’s WAY too steep. I’m thinking I may use the newspaper method with joint compound and jsut build a cardboard protection around the tracks or something

2

Today I had the slightest amount of free time, and I spent it looking at my layout. I’m sad to say that for some reason, I am suddenly not pleased with it. I feel like it suddenly doesn’t look good, and the scenery is complete crap. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I keep seeing it and thinking about it, but don’t get to do anything with it. I almost feel like I should cover it up and stop looking at the forums because it will get my mind off MRRing until I have free time again.

Please don’t get mad at me… [:slight_smile:]

3

Joe, been there man, you’re just burnt out. Best advice I could give you is to just take a break from the layout and trackplan with whatever you can until you have a plan you really want to go with. Downsizing worked great for me.

4

Now you know EXACTLY why I tore down the WRS.

My suggestion: Take a break from trains of any kind until the bug starts to gnaw away at you, then wait. And wait. Wait until inspiration hits you and you have a really good idea for exactly what you want to do with your model railroading hobby. If it’s a half-baked idea that you’re a little iffy about, keep staying away from trains until true inspiration hits you.

That’s what I did, and now I’ve finished benchwork and have ordered track with a tracklaying party scheduled for the first week of April.

5

Thanks for the support guys. It’s not lack of an idea; it’s more of a lack of pride in my work.

I’ve decided that I’m going to go on a “30 Day Model Railroad Revitalization” Program. The effects of this are two fold: It will help me get going again once it’s over (hopefully), and will be an exercise in self-control. I spent a part of tonight boxing up rolling stock, materials, and anything else that could push me to break the program. Here are the rules:

-No working on the layout or the trains themselves, AT ALL. The only exception is that I will send in the genset’s board for replacement (because I STILL haven’t done that…), but I may not install the replacement board in the locomotive before the program ends.

-No visits to the LHS. However,

-I will place a large order for a lot of stuff, but the box will remain unopened until the program ends. This way, I will have some stuff to get me going again once the program is over.

-No model railroading forums. I will allow myself to read train forums that do not pertain to MRRing, however, because prototype forums for some reason never push me to work on the layout in the same way that MRRing related forums do. In the event that I suffer from severe withdrawal, I will be able to READ modeling related forums, but I CANNOT POST anything.

The program goes until April 21. Coincidentally, and conveniently, this is the first day of spring break. Therefore, as soon as the program ends, I will hopefully be happy with the layout again, and will be able to go straight back to working on it.

Since I will not be able to post on forums, this will be my last post. However, you can track my progress here: “30 Day Model Railroading Revitalization Program” on Evernote

Wish me luck! See you on April 21!

6

Hey guys! Over UVU spring break, I managed to: a) build to Camp 3

!(http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad204/IVRW/The Bradley-Woodard Timber Company/IMG_0128.jpg)

b) Finish the engine house

!(http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad204/IVRW/The Bradley-Woodard Timber Company/IMG_0769.jpg)

and c) somehow break my locomotive. I dont know how, but one day, it started to stutter, stop, and not pick up electricity. I took it apart, and tested the motor, to find that it was fine, so there must be a problem with the electrical pick up system. More on that soon!

7

Joe, completely understand. the 4x8 I had going was good, but I knew I could build a layout better than it for sure, and was getting tired of the limited ops of a 4x8. so I took a long while without my layout and planned planned planned my layout out. I had come up with my concept and just had to keep gnawing it down. My final plan didn’t work out, but my idea was so focused I now have the 2x8 I’m working on now. Looking forward to seeing you when you get back man. John, might try cleaning the contacts. Nice work though! As I’ve mentioned, my spring break is the week after next week (dern rained out rugby match got rescheduled, so I’ll still have practice). However, I’ll hopefully get my allowance and so I can get some paint for the roads, as I mentioned. I also may begin a side project I thought up. It’s a small 2x4 layout that I will be able to take to shows etc, and also model a desert area (no I’m not abandoning my 2x8 guys). More on that layout later on, if it’s ever built.

8

Party! I love parties!

In other news, there is no other news, so here is a photoshop…

9

I lose…

So was that “30 Day” program successful? It worked, because it made me interested in modeling again. It failed because it only lasted six days. I’d say overly successful.

Today, I had a lot of free time, nothing to do, and a massive itch to model. So I did. I ripped up a broken turnout (every time something rolled over it, it would derail), and laid a decent amount of grass and gravel. I also began the patch work for 4004 (was CR 3290) by painting over the numbers and adding frame striping. I decided that this will be a Conrail heritage unit, since (according to my fictional history), a large portion of TSR’s system is former Conrail trackage.
My basement is rather dark at night, so photos are to come within a few days.

Soon, I’ll place a very large order (probably my last before the summer) including a replacement turnout, bumpers, cork pad, ground cover, trees, styrene sheet, decals, and whatever else I can afford.

10

Nice Joe.

Well, worked on some supertrees. my turf and hairspray are both running low so dunno how many more I can make. Fortuantely, someone offered to pay me $40 to rake their backyard. Bad News: rainy all week except tomorrow

11

Isnt that good? You are forced to model, [:D]

Okay, as for electrical problems, long story short, loose pickup connection:

I did some scenery work

Officially brought in the buildings

And had a nap under a tree

Happy Modeling!

P.S., listen to MRCS episode 138, special “RR” episode 1. Link is in my signature.

12

John, see, that’d be good except I have rugby and a soccer reffing meeting the rest of this week. and on top of that I’m getin paid $40 to rake out a backyard…which I can’t do unless it doesn’t rain. so I’ll just haveta wait until the weekend. Saturday is gonna be BUSY

13

Pfft, rain. We’re getting SNOW on Friday! Great April Fools joke… HAHA LOL LMAO NOT FUNNY…

Tonight I placed an order with Walthers. I got a lot of stuff for a hundred bucks. I lucked out because a lot of stuff that I wanted happened to be on sale this month. Here’s the most notable things, mostly scenery stuff:

  • Replacement turnout for the one that I broke during installation
  • The last three bumpers I need, and then trackwork will be DONE!
  • More grass
  • More gravel. Actually it’s ballast, but I’m using it as gravel (ballast will be a darker shade of gray)
  • The first set of trees for the layout. It’s only a box of 20, but it’ll make the layout look that much closer to completion.
  • And some other not as important things

I still don’t have photos of the stuff I did over the weekend, because it’s too dark to take photos in the basement by the time I get home from practice. Hopefully I can get them this weekend. They’re coming. Eventually.

14

Joe, sounds like a good order.

Well, got a bit of scenery work done last night when I was unwinding. It’s not much, I’ll get pics when it’s a bit more further along.

15

Page 3 guys?

Well, took some pics of my layout and my work so far:

U23B #6330 rounding the curve:

Up Close and Personal:

The crossing in the small town

My big project car. Still need to add the CSRY and number

Fuzzy downtown overview (sorry guys)

Main street stores

The left hill

16

Nice work!

My package should be coming in early this week, but I probably won’t get to any modeling until the weekend (at the earliest) because I’m taking ACT’s on Saturday, and I feel 1000% (yes, that third zero is there on purpose) underprepared. The good news is that, if I don’t do well, I’ll still be able to retake them in June or in the fall.

17

Thanks Joe. Have fun waiting for that package; I’m on spring break so I have some time for model rring. going by a hobby shop in Augusta Tuesday probably; hopefully going to pick up some white paint and get workin on fixing my CSRY scheme.

18

Sorry guys, always busy when you come bakc from spring break! Joe good luck, im taking sats soon and not prepared at all! Joe have fun on break, wish I was on break again.

19

[Taylor, thanks, and good luck on those SAT’s. I think I’m gonna take them in May, is that when you are?
And Sawyer’s the one on break, not me. Break for us doesn’t start until the 20th, but then we dont go back until the 2nd.

My order came in today. Here’s the contents:
-Grand Central Gems trees
-Grass
-Ballast/Gravel
-Turnout
-3 Bumpers
-Scenic Cement
-Centerbeam lumber load

I already burned through the bag of trees. Never heard of that brand before, but they’re really nice. I’ll need a lot more of those.
The three bumpers are in place, and hopefully the replacement turnout can be installed in the next few days. After that, trackwork will be 100% complete.
The lumber load makes the centerbeams look way better, but they are a massive PITA to remove from the cars. Still, I’ll need a few more of those (and a few more centerbeams to put them on).

I know that Elmers and water works fine for scenery glue, but I figured that I’d give the Scenic Cement (not GLUE this time! [swg]) a shot just to see if it’s the same, or if it’s better.

I’m hoping to get to some more scenery (mostly gravel and grass) this weekend. If time allows, I would also like to finish up the PL42AC once and for all. I want to hold off on ballasting until I can get the feeders soldered.

Anyways, here’s a few photos. I’ll try and have a lot more over the weekend.

BTW, those trees are stratetgically placed to hide equipment on the staging tracks behind them. They’re so effective, that you probably wouldn’t know if I hadn’t told you!

20

Sorry to double post, but I have photos!

https://sites.google.com/site/tristaterail/layoutabout/blog/sceneryblitz

Also, I have a pair of signal sheds on the way from Walthers. They were backordered. If they knew that it would only be a few days before they came in, I wish they would have held my entire order so that I wouldn’t have to pay shipping twice. Ten bucks to ship a seven or so dollar item is ridiculous!