Hi All,
The Platte Valley & Western Model Railroad Club is headed to the Great Train Expo for the weekend with our modules so we thought we’d share a picture from our club layout with our new scenery backdrop…
This is just a small section of the backdrop. If you’re in the Denver area, stop by to see it in person. Check http://www.PVWRR.org for our operations schedules.
Chris
Ol’ Henry was just about to cross over the track when one of those new fangled diesels comes around the curve. As a 40 year steam engine driver he’s not quite sure what to make of these things yet, to love’em or hate’em.
Jarrell
Nice to see that my favorite weekly thread is getting an early start.
Chris, nice backdrop and bridge. Jarrell, another great picture - your work is an inspiration.
I haven’t posted in a few weeks (new girlfriend! [:)]). Anyway, I came up for air long enough to do a little train stuff:
I completed this Campbell Scale Models Water Treatment Plant on Tuesday. Once I decide where it goes on the layout I’ll make a foundation for it and put some light weathering on it:
Now I’m working on this little freighthouse:
I can’t recall who made the kit, but it’s going together really well.
Finally, I tried to get a little artsy and took a “serious” picture of the more completed section of my layout:
The distance from the station (foreground) to the concrete bridge is about 4 feet. The zoom compresses distance and makes to look a little more crowded than it really is. My layout is set in the mid 1930s, so the story on the 1909 Olds on the flatcar is that it just arrived from a restoration shop - one of the Stave brothers is a vintage car fan and he’s having the guys at the loading dock unload it for him.
As always, I’m looking forward to seeing what you all have been up to.
Phil, I like your work. You have the makings for a very nice layout. You’re model-making ain’t half shabby, neither. [8D]
Jarrell, I have said it time and time again…your photography is peerless. I love your vision. And tell buddy not to drive until he’s had his coffee.
Chris, that layout must be something to see. The backdrop is quite commanding. I’d like to see more.
-Crandell
Hi all: An East bound commuter meets a West bound through freight at Stoney Creek in this early morning shot. Jarrell, I don’t know about Ol’ Henry, but I love that scene, great work. Phil, your freight house is looking good, and a great “artsy” scene.
Dude! You really got the lighting dead on for early morning - very realistic.
My new little engine, not yet finished, but testing:
Wolfgang
Great work so far!
When not outside cleaning up the bumper crop of leaves this season, I’ve been doing some ballasting in my new yard. I know it’s not the most thrilling aspects of modeling, but here’s my results so far (with a bit of weathering added):
I’ll eventually add in more details like weeds, etc.
My project this last week was to retrofit an Athearn SDP40F chassis from the standard blue box drive to hex drive. It now sports a new motor and flywheels, screwdown motor mounts, hex shafts, delrin worms and nickel silver wheels. It now runs as quite and smooth as any of my Proto 2000 and Atlas locos.
This is before the retrofit:
And after the retrofit:
The contact strip will be removed later when I install a DCC decoder.
This is a coal drag coming into Greenup Illinois on my N scale Illinois and Southern…Jerry
I don’t consider myself a photographer, but I am trying. Here are three new photos of old scenes I took to enter in the TC division contest. I don’t expect to win anything, but it is a way to share ideas.
Nice start to the weekend folks! Many great shots already. You folks are my inspiration!
I have finished up most of the work on my “Milk Train”. The Reeder for handing the milk cans gave me some problems, but came out OK I guess.
Here is the entire train:
Art!!! Wonderful!!! Your handiwork is laid bare with those images, and I’d be mighty proud to be able to call it mine.
Ray, I like your imagery. Love the reefer! I like the terraced look on your layout…a lot of work went into that, and it came out really well.
-Crandell
My 1st attempt at weathering with chalk: 
Today I worked on my White River Junction, VT engine terminal. Structures are a Pikestuff enginehouse, and a shed from an unknown manufacturer. I added details from my junk bin, as well as some vehicles: a fueling truck (my shortline currently doesn’t have a tank, so they fuel the locomotive directly from the truck) and the shop carry-all. There’s currently one part of an Impack set propped up on shop trucks undergoing repairs.
Overview
Shop office
Coffee break!
Closer view
The fuel truck is kept at the far end, in case of fire. All the shop equipment was lettered as if the shop crew lettered it by hand with a spray can, which is very prototypical for a New England shortline.
The impack is on shop trucks to allow it to be moved short distances.
Art,
If you submit pictures like this, and you “don’t expect to win”, that must be one MONSTER of a competition.
GREAT WORK EVERYONE!!! I won’t have an oppurtunity to do anything on my RR until
Sunday night, so I’ll just be a spectator till then.
I see some great work so far. Keep it up folks.
I also weathered the white rimmed tires on my fan trip Nickel Plate berk to show some oiling: 
Luke, are you trying to make me laugh? C’mon…put the camera on a tripod, or support it on something tall and solid enough that you can let the shutter time itself and take a steadier image…I can see some of what you have done, but nowhere near enough. [:D]
-Crandell