Haven't accomplished a whole lot the last couple weeks, work has gotten somewhat busier fir the time being. I picked up a pair of Proto 2000 GP18's for $50. I'm going to say they are late production GP9's, as that model is a priority in the roster. Both need some TLC but had all parts included, going to strip next week. They will be 2515 and 2527. Sent from my LG-P930 using Tapatalk 2
Atlas H15-44 #820, had just applied sill stripes to it and letting the solvaset kick in when I snapped that picture. Lots going on, U23B #2061 waiting on parts and the long hood and sill for GP9 2214 also in the background. Sent from my LG-P930 using Tapatalk 2
I've been on vacation all week, so I've made significant progress on the Chicopee Road Roster. I finished an Atlas Silver series H15-44, still needs a dull-cote application but otherwise ready to go: I also nearly completed a pair of Atlas S4 switchers, #435 and #491. Still need to get the last air pockets out of the shield with solvaset later. Overhead shot of the CC&CI roster, this is 12 of the 15 units in Chicopee Road Paint. There is a completed BL2 and a pair of GP9s not in this shot.
An update on scenery: Since the last post on page 4 showing the construction of the hill side, there was plenty of progress made in September and October. Work in this area has slowed down for a while. Since I have constructed part of the coal truck dump, this area will be progressing again soon. This is actually a little bit of an older shot, as rail has been installed and ballasted on the three tracks leading into the bottom of the picture.
I've been removing the "old" Ravenswood Yard. Since I re-purposed the only scenicked section when I reorganized the layout, it became Wirt Yard, based in the area of Elizabeth, WV. This will now become an industry in the near future. I have been working on rolling stock, as well. I lettered a pair of Accurail kits into the CC&CI's pre-1958 freight car scheme. These will be weathered in the future. I purchased a kit of 6 Tichy Panel Side Hoppers over a year ago. I finally started on them this weekend. I wasn't expecting them to already be supplied with trucks, I am still planning on using Proto 2000 National B1 trucks (CC&CI standard) I have on hand for these cars. I will be bending my own brake lines for each car and using Kadee #58 couplers. All 6 will be lettered for The Chicopee Road.
Reached a big milestone yesterday. All track work has been completed, including the installation of staging. Everything is now 100% operational DCC. I took updated pictures from around the layout: Time to start planting lots and lots of trees!
I've been so tied up with work and maximizing family time when I'm not working, I've accomplished very little this summer/fall. Work was unusually busy this year managing four statewide road maintenance contracts: lots of driving, lots of hotels, lots of headaches. Anyhow, in October, my folks unexpectedly offered one of their rental properties to us. Bigger home, more space, bigger town, too good to pass up. So we sold our house much faster than expected, so we are moving throughout the month of November to the new (older), bigger house. I made quick work of layout demolition last night; after salvaging a few turnouts and all structures, I separated the two sections and hauled them to the dump. Good news: the house we are moving to has an insulated, open and finished attic room upstairs with the typical attic sloped ceiling. The floor space about 44'-6" x 16'-0" with two access doors to two full size, front-facing gables. We want to use the space as a play area for our 2-1/2 year old boy and any future children (we have a new one on the way.) Very, very preliminary thoughts is to build a 2-level shelf layout about 24'-30' long between the access doors with a helix on one end and a track leading through the wall to a staging yard in one of the large gables. Since the sloped ceiling starts at 4' height from the floor, I may be limited to a single level at a longer length with a lift-out section at one of the access doors. Of course, the house needs a few things, so layout construction won't begin until early spring at the very least.
