The weekend was somewhat productive. We started getting the garage ready for the winter stuff but did not get too far because we had to rush my father-in-law to the doctor’s office because he ripped the toe nail out of big toe. Toe is healing up nice now. I did, however, clean out a large portion of the basement. I have almost completed the museum diorama for my wife. I still have some final painting and touch-ups. I also airbrush weathered the 11 hoppers. Next is sealing them and sprucing-up the plastic coal loads that came with the seven open hoppers.
We actually made some progress this week, and I have photos to show of it too! We installed the homasote subroadbed on the lower level of the peninsula. We started out with the area that will become Tomah on the layout. The mainline will connect to the switch in the background where trains can either go up the helix to the second level or around it for continuous running. We worked our way around the peninsula to what will be a mix of New Lisbon and Lyndon Station. In the foreground is a CNW interchange where the track crosses at grade. There will be a couple of industries to switch, and you can just see the ramps for the wye around the helix in the background. The track along the wall leads to Wisconsin Dells on the right where I'll be building a model of the bridge over the dam.
Not much. I've finally reached that "finishing stage" of the layout process. There's not much you can do on a 4X8 after it's "done."
No modeling per se, but I managed to get a decoder installed in an NW2 during a slow time at the train show. It was a pretty easy install, although I haven't tested it so I won't jinx myself just yet. I was selling a good bit of my collection at the show and it went pretty well, but after about 2:30p on Sunday things tapered off due to the Cowboy-Patriots game.
Saturday, went to the Great Scale Model Train Show. Had a good time. The show didn’t have its usual quantity of vendors, but that should change in February when they usually have the biggest show of the year. I try to thank all the vendors, shops, and exhibitors for coming to the thing. With the decline of hobby shops in many areas, shows are becoming huge (to me anyway) in being able to view and purchase. The internet is fine, but I like to pick-up and checkout stuff I am buying. Hard to hold that loco, turnout, or building kit over the internet and gauge the quality. I got some good things there Saturday. Stuff I have been looking for. Picked up my IR detectors to put in on my reversing loop so I can cover that track over this winter with the new Coal Branch planned on my layout. Sunday I did some more track maintenance and turnout maintenance. Worked on some buildings I have in progress, etc. Also, I put in a Quantum upgrade chip in my P2000 Berkshire. I downloaded the sound I wanted, upgraded the CV’s on the software, reset the individual volumes, and away she went. I really like the software feature w/ the sound chips. I have to consider if I want to go the same route w/ the Digitrax software. I only have one SoundFX decoder, so its not worth it for that. I wanted to do some decaling but just did not get around to it.
After crawling under the house to take care of a plumbing issue, I did manage to get most of the remaining track secured to the roadbed. I'm going to wait on one little section until I get the common pile trestle ordered and installed before I finish the remainder to make sure everything is going to line up okay.
I was at a standstill since I was out of insulated rail joiners, but today I got a box from Atlas with some joiners, as well as spare parts for an HO scale Frisco GP38 (handrails). SO, hopefully come Wednesday, tracklaying will resume.
I changed my plans a little on my layout. Instead of having two tunnels with a small valley inbetween, I decided to merge into 1 longer tunnel with a lake on top. Looks much better. Also ran trains for a couple of hours. Good times! Dave.
IF SP or SSW ever had DD40's... maybe they'd look like this coming out of the paint shop? more realistic railings, grabirons, eye hooks, wipers, etc... etc... to be added and yes, they will be very dirty! none of that showroom business when there's work to be done!
MU hoses I got some MU hoses on my WPRR 2304. I had planned on doing more modeling stuff, but I ended up having a small project dumped in my lap late Friday that was supposed to be done this morning, and then my grandpa ended up in the hospital with chest pains while traveling through Tucson, AZ, so I spent a good chunk of the weekend stewing about that, but he seems to be doing better now. He's in unusually good health most of the time, but it still gets dicey, and he is nearly 93 so, well, you can see why I get concerned.
Helped a friend install a backdrop Helped a friend hang a series of photo backdrops for his modules. The photo backdrop will make my friend Ivan update some of the scenery so the 3D models and the 2D picture mesh better. Here are some scenes of the project. Thanks for looking!
