Looking Good DFF Looking good
Chuck
2 Likes
Jeff, I like the cracks.
Regards, Chris
Well I currently don’t have photos of it but:
I started my helix today.
I FINALLY got a Track plan drawn up and started on the electrical diagram for the power.
Got the layout room cleaned up for an open house on May 4th
2 Likes
Working a Walthers Mainline HO 61ft wood chip gon., kinda chunky, but a solid free rolling model that negotiates tight curves without modification. A brake wheel chain would be nice. As per a prototype pic painted the interior gray, then lightly brushed on some pigment powders.
Went a little too opaque with the patch-outs. Followed Gary Hinshaw’s techniques & recipes in applying a ‘transition fade’ via airbrush & washes, photo doesn’t do justice to the results. While another a wash or two, along with some spot rust and grime would suffice, I’ll not be able to help busting out the oils for more fun.
Regards, Peter
8 Likes
Here’s a quick little project. In my operating day, the first job is the hosteller, who fuels up the freight loco. Hosteller also fuels the commuter train and moves it to the station, then takes a cab back to the service area. I had a suitable yellow car, so I tossed on a roof sign and labelling on paper in 5 pt. font.
Here it is, waiting at the station for his daily pickup. I think I’ll add a driver, leaning on his fender, having a smoke.
7 Likes
Been working on a 4x8 HO scale layout in my apartment for the last year. Yesterday, I finally finished relettering some Athearn hoppers I had bought in February. They’re a bit messy, but I’m overall very pleased with how these turned out considering this was my first time doing something as involved as this. I intend to weather them eventually. Pardon the camera quality; lens is cracked and I haven’t been able to replace it yet.
Next project is going to be finishing foam landscape on the layout so I can hopefully paint it in the next month or so.
10 Likes
One project is finished, another is begun!
I finished my N Scale ACI KarTrak Scanner, and got it mounted to my layout!
And now that thats done, and my order from Northeastern Scale Lumber came in, so I can begin my scratchbuild of the Hopewell Depot in Hopewell Junction, NY! I needed to wait till I got this NESL order for the board and batten siding, which I tried (and failed) to make myself, but this was exactly what I needed.
7 Likes
I’m going to be altering my Railroad Track-plan soon - just as soon as the weather outside lets me carve-up the 8’ by 4’ by 12mm Ply sheet I have had stored in the garage, since it was delivered last Friday!
So I thought I’d better try to find my Track-Gauges, since all the Track will be lifted for re-alignment and Roadbed Scenics
With the exception of the square-section Brass gauges, all of these were made many years ago, when I was an Apprentice and modeling OO Scale (1:76.2) British Railways, using Peco ‘Streamline’, Code 100 Track, 16.5mm Gauge.
The 3 Aluminium Blocks were for spacing Double Tracks, with extra clearance at Curves using the outer Grooves (Flex-Track coped with these)
I added the two inner Grooves to one, to facilitate equal length cutting - using quality Sparky’s Wire-snips, no Xuron’s back then.
The Brass circular ones were when I was making my own Turnouts from Scaleway kits, with Copper-clad Paxolin Sleepers (Ties)
The small plastic gauges had a Brass Screw & Nut, with plastic Nuts adjusting and spacing small Brass strips, blathered-over with ‘Araldite’ - but it was more an experiment and I did not use them much.
The Brass Block is my Wheel B-to-B, which I have mentioned before.
The Square Brass profiles are ones I mainly use nowadays. These are Grooved in my Mini-Lathe to give 2" & 2-1/4" Track-centres
Today, I cut an extra Groove in a couple to facilitate equal length Track-cutting.
I use a 4-Jaw Self-centering Chuck and a special HSS Parting-off Tool that I ground-up.
Also, I do not hesitate to cut my TrackSetta’s (R) to suit my purpose, as can be seen.
With the present-day advent of 3D-Printing and the abundance of commercially available Track-gauges, most of this stuff is now superfluous, but I just thought I’d share them.
Paul.
7 Likes
hello
Added a scale plane to the layout.
!
Had to get the DC3 in the air so I can go back to laying track
Pep
9 Likes
Steel wheels, don’t bump your head on one of the props! 
Regards, Chris
3 Likes
I 've been busy resurrecting my Trammels, or Beam-Compass - using a strip of Hardwood 5/16" x 1-3/4", which I had to cut down to 1-1/2".
The Trammels are another item we had to make in the Workshops, when I was about 17.
Semi Machined, Cut and Profiled by hand, they are big numb Brass things, with Steel Tips - gone a bit rusty now.
These are for marking-out the sheet of 8’ by 4’ Ply that I have ready for the Baseboard modifications that I hope to do to my Layout (weather permitting) It is a good forecast for Friday, so fingers crossed.
Paul.
5 Likes
Preparing for Layout Makeovers, I did a bit of experimenting in using Textured Spray-paint for a Ballast Base (ahead of Ballasting in full) as described and detailed (and inspired) by Tim Garland (Seaboard Central) in MR August 2024.
I had a couple of Ply Offcuts and White-glued some scraps of Woodland Scenics Foam Track Underlay.
Painted these with ‘Homebase’ DIY Store, Grey Emulsion and left to dry O/N.
The paints are the few I could find in the UK, Rust-Oleum Stone ‘Pebble’ and Reel Feel, ‘Slate Grey’
The latter is just a flat texture and was not really Textured at all.
The Rust-Oleum worked-out fine, albeit a blend of the same colours that Tim uses is required and I’m going to have to source those at reasonable prices.
My main reason for trialing this, is that I 've always been concerned about the soft spongyness of the W/S Foam and that the spray-paint would form an ‘outer-crust’ that would not withstand prodding fingers - and that proved to be the case.
Again, I have always wondered if the traditional methods of real Ballast soaked in PVA Solution, would have a similar effect on the Foam, but to a lesser extent since the PVA would soak-into the Foam and harden it, once dried?
Since Cork is more dense than Foam, I will relay the Track using 3/16" x 1-3/4" Cork.
Also, this type of ‘Ballast Effect’ will do fine for my Layout on a permanent basis, since I am forever tweaking and adjusting my Track and I just do not want to encapsulate it in Ballast.
As you can see in the first photo, the Back Yard, like the House - is also from Hell. Paul
4 Likes
I’ve been enjoying all the great stuff here gents.
I’d like to participate witcha, but haven’t had anything on the workbench since bridge #7.
Hi Jeff. I’m familiar with that “Rooster” up at Two Harbor’s, and know the whole area up there well.
Did you know your Rooster has a Brother?
At the Blacksmith Lounge in Ladysmith, MN.
Cockadoodledoo Man 
TF
5 Likes
Hi, It’s just gone 5pm here and Tea will be ready soon.
I just got in from marking-out my sheet of 8’ by 4’ by 12mm Plywood for the Layout mods I hope to do, working from the drawing I had done earlier.
It has taken all afternoon and I am worn-out, but I managed to grab a couple of photos that show my trusty Trammels which worked a treat.
The Sander came in handy too, for deburring and hiding a couple of mistakes.
Next job is to rough-them-out and get the Inserts 1, 2 & 3 back in the garage, for finishing on Sunday.
After which it will be temporary Installation on my Railroad - hopefully right first time, fingers crossed.
Paul
6 Likes
Thomas the Tank is going. He is undergoing a new look to extend his life.
Face removal
Temporary covering in place.
Removal of high coal bunker
Removal of large number 1 to do. A tidy up, then a repaint. All to do this week.
David
4 Likes
Continuing with Spray-paint Track Ballast, it occurred to me that if the Woodland Scenics Roadbed was not stable enough for this use, I had not actually trialed some Cork. This is 1/8" Cork with no Undercoat and it worked fine, so Cork it is.
Out in the Backyard, I recruited some help and together we cut the Plywood Infills with a Jigsaw, using fine-pitch Blades.
I realise that you can’t tell much from this photo of Inserts.1, 2 & 3
Collateral.
One of the larger offcuts is required for Insert.4 - that comes later.
I have trialed Inserts.1, 2 & 3 in place, but until the Fascia is removed I cannot proceed any further.
Insert.3 is definitely in need of fettling around that Curved edge.
It must have been a record high temp. for an April day here, even on this forsaken North Sea coast and I find that as I get older, there is a limit as to how much work I can do, or feel like doing - in a day. Paul.
5 Likes
I just finished the same Campbell model a few months ago. Mine is sitting on a small mesa along with some reindeer and a puma.
7 Likes
Working on adding DCC, Tsunami 2 Sound, to a Bachmann GP40-2 - don’t know how that’s going to turn out, but the unit is going to be a High Hood unit kitbash from a BNSF GP40
2 Likes
Great work. Since I’ve spent some time on the Navajo Reservation I decided to add a Friary to my layout. The design on the one in St. Michael’s, AZ. The outer walls were cut on my wife’s Cricut machine. The outer is DAS terra cotta clay. I got the idea at a train show where I purchase the 6 friars.
8 Likes
