Spent time this week here n there working up some boxcars and lettering up a couple of loco's... And this mornings sunrise is perfect for modeling...
Wow, looking out the window and seeing that while working on trains would be such a stress reliever! Add some low volume background jazz and who needs a therapist???!!!
I showed the Train shed and layout to a friend yesterday. Fascinated by it all he was like, you should make this accessible to the public! My response was "Nope. This is my little stress relief sanctuary!" He grinned, and agreed that the benefits of that would be great! Sitting and working on something, or just running a train or two, or reading a book all to the background of big diesels idling or powering a train out of town, is a wonderful bit of 'quiet time!' And not forgetting to mention the howl of dynamics as a westbound rolls down the main to a stop at the depot for a quick crew change!
Probably not the best slogan to attract that new glass manufacturing plant. (just kidding! Your cars look great!)
Glass manufacturing! Have we got a deal for you!! Thanks, though. It has been a while in the works, and I really like them!
And the 501 is freshly outshopped and pulling freight. However, I allowed the Trainshed to get to 90 + F last week one day, and now have some track soldering to do tonite. As is evident in the video. But it is a bit better in this one.
Finished details and attached the drawbar with a nut, This engine was modified way back in '15! It has been a solid runner since, with very little maintenance required. Life-Like hit a major home run here! So, it had to pull a train...
I always liked the Mallets as examples of engineering and efficiency, but they were S L O W! Top speed was often less than 30 mph. Sure hope that reefer train runs with Mallets only during winter; not sure it could make it to the next icing station in time otherwise! But they could run long, slow coal drags like nothing else. They were called upon again during WWII to transport coal (and burn it too) to help save precious oil for the war effort. They were especially good on eastern mountain routes that couldn't run faster trains anyway.
Man, I really like the Mallets and Number 7 is a doll! I just wonder if on the smaller engine if you left the number off the tender and put it on the cab, if it might look a bit more balanced? PS I love the Rough Rider decals.
Mallets are a great grunt machine! The reefers are empty and on their way back to get reloaded, so not in as big a rush. My story and I am sticking to it! The MDC (now Athearn) 2-6-0 is a great puller! And good looking, too. Thanks for the kudo's on the decals. The guys at RailGraphics came up with the design and such, and I really like them!!