What Are You Doing (On Your RR) This Week?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Just for fun, some might like to share what they are up to. In my case:

  • Received some Evan Designs white background paper and made first decal (I like it). First non-clear injet decal.

  • Cutting sky away from two Realistic Backgrounds industrial scenes and now ready to paste them to the sky painted backdrop. I had similarly done some city scenes and another industry scene.

  • Received a TCS M-1 motor decoder that tomorrow will go into a DC Walthers EMC gas electric (doodlebug). Succeeded in getting the shell off! I had done a RS-2 (TCS motor only) and two Tsunami sound installs into Bachmann 2-8-0s, so this is conversion #5.

What are folks up to? Especially if your first attempt.

2

I just finish securing all 4 industry buildings to the layout-I used Elmers white glue.I place masking tape boarders for the road,installed my BLMA Concrete Grade Crossing (4105) and called it a night.

3

Trying to find time to actually work on my layout with all the other schtuff going on in my life!

If I get there, I will continue installing Tam Valley servos to operate the switches. I finished the dispatcher’s board in May, and wired and tested before I went on vacation in mid-July. It is very slick, if I may say so myself, with a red LED indicating the non-selected route and a green one for the selected one. Next step is to actually install the servos. One is in, 12 to go. It’s very fiddly, because the turnouts are installed already, so I drill holes next to the throwbar and bend a piece of wire to connect the throwbar with the servo. Everything has to be very well aligned for it to work, and it’s taking some trial and error to get it right. Hopefully, my technique will improve as I get more of them in.

My goal is to be done with this step by Thanksgiving.

4

Replaced 2 #6 turnouts with a #6 DBL Slip and moved it down the track a car length (due to the shorter distance the 2 #6s took up) in Falls Creek yard.

Moved the Interchange track switch down towards the DBL Slip 4 car lenghts as well as the 2 holding tracks for the Falls Creek RR.

Reballasted all moved tracks and on up the Falls Creek line as well as parts of the Conrail Mainline in Falls Creek yard.

Over in Summerville - Ballasted in the Clay track at Hanley Brick - Finished putting the Handrails and Walkways on the Clay Storage Tanks for Hanley.

Built the Walthers 24-7 Quick Mart - which was an almost dead ringer for the Quick Mart that is right beside Hanley Brick Company in Summerville!

BOB H - Clarion, PA

5

Weathered a covered hopper with powders, and now I need to seal my work with DullCoat.

Dave Nelson

6

I put Kaydee couplers on some of my clubs freight cars today. And I will be working on a carry case for the four corner modules for our T-Trak layout

7

Progress has been slow over the summer. At the moment am working on a concrete culvert hole with wing walls. Next part of the project will be excavating the waterway, then add the streambed and water. (Wonder if it will grow?)

I should try to devote bigger blocks of time to the layout, but semi-retirement is still a very busy phase of life.

Have fun,

Richard

8

Trying to get enough benchwork done to take pictures and start a build thread. I almost have the upper facia done on the first of 6 walls. I should be working on it instead of on here☺

9

Goal this week is to complete the reroofing of a kit bashed version of "Old Man Dan’s " house out of the Walther’s catalog.

10

11

Hi

I’m putting the first of my two Walthers HO 130’ turntables. I’m laying 6 tracks through what will be my service area after having cut out the hole for the ash conveyor. But I’ve been having real problems with my BLI PRR 2-10-4 going through the switch to get to the service area. All my other locos are absolutely fine. So, this weekend will be ‘make my mind up time’ as to whether the 2-10-4 remains or goes. It’s been the biggest headache on my layout.

Anyway… there you go.

12

I’ve been assenbling and weathering a couple of Accurail 41 foot gondolas. My layout and the hobby in general hybernate over the summer as outdoor activities get far more attention. Living in Northern Minnesota, when the weather i s nice, you have to make use of it. I’m bone white in color enough of the year.

13

Hi there,

All this week I’ve been making turnouts. I bought rail and PCB ties from FastTracks and used their free templates to teach myself the craft. So far I’ve made two #5s, a #7 and curved #6 joined with common rails, a pair of curved #6s joined the same way… I really like working on them, and there’s definite progress in terms of how well they turn out (pun intended) and how many hours each one takes. I’m currently soldering the stock rails for a long #10 curved one.

P

14

The big project this week was building the Silverton RR’s “Red Mountain” combine. I bashed it from an old LaBelle Rio Grande combine kit. More info here: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/232196.aspx

I started setting up trains, doing paperwork, and checking track and turnouts for an operating session coming up a week from Saturday.

And doing some talking about art and model railroading in this thread: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/231838.aspx

15

Hopefully ballasting Shire Oaks yard tomorrow night on the club layout.

16

Giving my brewery the roof it’s been waiting for for almost four years. The first roof didn’t work out so well.

Last night I cut the sheets up. Tonight I scribe panel lines and cut holes for the vents . Maybe paint it. Tomorrow it’ll be assembled.

17

As I mentioned earlier on another thread, I’m doing a Tyco conversion to a Pennsy-style caboose for my freelanced RR. The caboose will be painted and lettered (DT&I or Hemi orange) for the “home road”. I know, I know, Bowser has a much easier starting point than the Tyco train set quality car, but the Tyco car was given to me, as in free. Besides, I like the challenge of doing a kitbash like this.

18

I have a few projects in progress at the moment. Biggest one is the Overpass Girder Bridge. Now making the “fill” taking the tracks up and ultimately over another track.

Also doing some yard work… detailing and weathering the rails in one of the yards:

73

19

Well, I will tell ya. Nothing! Why you ask? Well, I just blew my Tech II transformer which I have had since the 80’s. Good thing I cant cuss on this site though dont worry, I did let the sailor talk fly when it happened! So, I am not running anything at the moment.

Now some will say “hey why not do this or that instead”. And I would be inclined to lose the procrastination in favor of going along with my fellow modellers, but I think I found something just a pinch different. Something to take my mind off the layout problems at the moment.

Since I have an extensive background in puters, I figured it was time to put my railroad … on the puter so to say. I dont know if this counts but - since the “power outage” happened I have spent alot (i mean alot!) of time the last month coding html.

Pretty much putting anything and everything not nailed down or saluting in this website concerning the PM. Pictures, rosters, info, references, books, plans, timelines, time tables, indexes, links, blueprints, etc etc. Anything I have come across in the last 40+ years I am committing to digital format. And I will tell you… it is like building a whole other layout/railroad!

I must say it is very exilerating(sp) to relearn all this stuff! Not to mention, anywhere I go now, as long as I have my laptop, or access to my home network, I am always close to the PM. It is providing a nice break from the layout woes at the moment, costs nothing but time and effort, and it still involves trains.

Maybe this doesnt qualify for this post, atleast Im not in total procrastination (which is the evil of model railroading) mode. Sure, I will get another power system eventually, but until then, I am going to bring life again to a long lost friend… my favorite railroad… the PERE MARQUETTE Online!

Due to the size of this project I forsee atleast another 6 months of work on it. Or, until I find a new power system. whichever comes first. Like most of us… i am in n

20

Ballast ballast ballast

ballast