I always wanted one, but I didn’t originally plan to have one. I was looking through the requirements for the NMRA AP program for the Civil certificate and a scale was one of the types of track structures that I could get credit for. So, I found a place to put one and here we are. This one is designed long enough for a Bowser 100 ton hopper to fit on the scale. No prototype, but it should be passable when it is done. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I had the same problem, too. Shoot me an email: pmiller173@gmail.com Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
All switched up This weekend’s progress was mostly made at the entrance to the classification yard. The pair of #8 turnouts were installed, as well as two #6 turnouts that were salvaged from an old layout. Also built a #4 wye using the #8 jig and had to freehand the frog! Also roughed in tracks for the rolling mill and furnace with code 100 flex. These will vary when I have structures in place and more Code 83 or 70 available. Also, (not pictured) built three Walthers UTLX tank cars. Two will be for the oil transfer facility and one for one of the chemical plants. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Odds and Ends Accomplished several smaller items on this shortened weekend (for me). Started yesterday by assembling one of the buildings from a Model Power Walker’s Sand & Gravel series kit. I had the kit for several years and I had low expectations for its quality, but I was pleasantly surprised how nice this little building turned out. It still needs some paint on the foundation and weathering, but this will work well for the scale house. I also installed turnouts for the locomotive ready tracks (Where the locomotives set), MoW storage(foreground) Roundhouse lead and sand/fuel track (covered hopper). This morning, I laid down around 14 feet of track for A/D tracks 1 and 2. Still waiting for the glue to set up. Finally, I started applying decals to a pair of 40’ boxcars. Decals remain unset until the numbers are determined (my spreadsheet is at work). So the decals look funky until the get an application of solvaset later this week. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I received my order of three Atlas Roundhouse kits this week and started basic layout of the floor sections. I won’t end up using the bases as they are considerably higher than the base all of the surrounding tracks and turntable set on. I didn’t realize until after I ordered them that they were designed for Atlas’s 9” turntable. As you can see, they don’t work well as-built with a 15-3/4” turntable (115 scale feet). But if I kitbash using two of the kits as-is and the third one as a source of material for the project, then maybe it could be made to work without looking completely combobulated. Or perhaps do something more radical and incorporate rectangular structures somehow, such as this old roundhouse that once served the McKeesport Connecting Railway in the Pittsburgh, PA area. I’m leaning towards a rectangular structure with the roundhouse sections on each side, with the idea that with a higher roof line, that 1 or 2 bays had a lift for heavy repairs. Oh well, lots of time and I’m not in a hurry. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This is the largest version of that image. After a Google search, I found that this structure still stands and there is an ongoing effort to preserve it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
A little bit of everything. Started the weekend off by finishing decals on a pair of 40’ boxcars. My ACI label decals went MIA, so those will have to be added later. Then I started on roughing in scenery on the peninsula loop with foam board scraps, there will be a mountain here, eventually, but I won’t let the acraps go to waste. Saturday, I attended my first division meeting in almost 7 years. Our division does an annual building challenge that was started by and is now in honor of the late Gary Burdette. This year’s challenge is a wooden bridge. This morning was mostly spent on staining all of the pieces, hopefully I can start assembly next weekend. Finally, this morning, the drill track, coal yard lead switch, scale track and crossovers were all installed. I can probably start planning for the remaining upper level benchwork at this point. That will lead to getting the lighting being installed and having no more dark spots to work in! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
