Almost like clockwork....The last day of August here in central Illinois was hot, humid, sticky, nasty. Then over night, the month changed to September and the temps went down, humidity went away. A beautiful start to the Labor Day long weekend. I'm going to capitalize the nice weather as much as possible. Saturday, I plan to spend the day with my two favorite ladies, Angela and Jess my Jeep, complete with her top down. We are heading to eastern Illinois for a high school soccer game then north to the town of Hoopston where they will have their Sweet Corn Festival. Hey, it's Illinois what were you expecting? I'm mainly going for the car show which my boss will hopefully be in attendance with his beautiful, ground up restored, 1973 Ford Gran Torino. True, I'm a Jeep and Mopar fan but there are some sweet lookin' Fords out there! After that, I'll do a bit of cross country railfanning around former CE&I, Nickel Plate, ICG and newer Bloomer and TP&W lines. Somewhere during the weekend, I need to work on a few scenarios and a new switch list in anticipation of my first open house and operating session to be held in a few weeks. Crews will be operating the City Job in the early BNSF era so I need to install a decoder into one of my older custom BNSF Geeps, unless I paint a new one...hmmm. So how about you. What do you have planned for the coming final hurrah of Summer weekend? Let us know! We'll come back here on Tuesday, September 6th to see how we all did. Until then, have a great weekend, have fun, stay safe and... High Greens!
I will continue building my Jordan Highway Miniatures kits and my two Vector Cut farm wagons. I'll also play around with my new Bachmann old timer 4-4-0 with the factory DCC and sound (love it). I'm beginning to climb out of my modeling slump.
Headin out camping. Be back on Sunday sometime. So, on Monday I hope to work on the layout. Ya'll have a wonderful and very safe weekend!! Happy labor day!! Wolf
We're staying home this weekend. Central North Carolina is going to get pummeled w/ rain from Hermine going up the coast, so I'll be working in the train room all weekend. Long weekend too. Modeling plans: Get masonite on the back screening wall of where "Albemarle City" will be. Tape and spackle the joints/screw heads for painting. Finish getting Tortoise machines installed on the staging yard. I've gathered my #12 stranded wire for bus, and #20 feeder wire, so I may (possibly) start wiring the staging/fiddle yard. Unpack my Digitrax throttles and boosters. Check 'em out and start planning where components will go. Time permitting, work on a few things at the work bench. Ahhh yes. The promise of "long weekends".
the household good arrived yesterday and were unloaded, so I have a lot of unpacking in my future. And I have to do something with the wood I scrounged to make the ramp to bring the piano into the house . . . that said if I get a chance to get to the train boxes it will be a miracle.
According to info that I have, my second try at ordering paint should be in my hands Saturday. hopefully I can find my WP decals and start on my ALCO.
Just decaling the side of a SP&S woodchip car. The last of three (GN, NP SP&S). Need to add BB's for extra weight, load with sifted sawdust and the weather. Built the GN as a steel side instead of braced wooden sides. Different than most I've made. Should have them done by Sunday. Started a SP 'branch line caboose. Golf in the morning and Monday.
Revision, revision, revision. Trying to dial in my track plan and buildings. Eventually my small brewery layout will be built with full detail, but for now I want something to play with and enjoy.
I'll be working on my kitbashed warehouse between indoor chores (Hermine is supposed to mostly miss us, but we'll still get wet and blown around some). I got the structure and roof painted, now it's time to paint the doors and windows, and add details to the roof. Final step will be weathering.
After bidding a barn repair job, moving a half a double wide and whatever emergencies arise.....I plan to try and repair the track I tore up WAY back in June while hunting down a short. Haven't run a train or done any modeling since then, which is way too long! This is the mess I left back then, and it still sits the same today...
Sunday. Earlier today I finished three woodchip car...NP, SPS and GN. The SP&S and NP were wood sided but the GN built some with steel sides. GN74207 was a steel sided 'chipper.
