MODELING It's Monday 01/30/12, Weekend Modeling Accomplishments.

Jim Wiggin Jan 30, 2012

  1. Jim Wiggin

    Jim Wiggin Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Monday is here again. Hope you had a great modeling weekend.

    I got back from the Springfield show a few hours ago, still have to upload pictures but here is one for you.

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    I spent my weekend roaming the show picking up items I need for the N scale layout. During morning, noon and last night for take down, I helped the guys from work. I got to meet TrainBoard's Mr. Beasley on Saturday. Always nice to put a face to a name. We sold a lot of books, and attendance for Saturday broke records. Even Sunday was busy. People were also buying. Many product announcements such as Athearn's new GP38-2's in HO, Fox Valley showed their ES44's, Atlas had a much bigger booth this year and lots of ways to part with ones money. I'm beat but the weekend was a lot of fun.

    So how about you? Did you attend this weekends show or another one? Any one display modules or attend any prototype meets? Perhaps some modeling was performed? Let us know what you accomplished this weekend. As always, pictures are always appreciated. We'll do it again this Friday the 3rd.

    ​High Greens!
     
  2. MisterBeasley

    MisterBeasley TrainBoard Supporter

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    This was a great show indeed. I showed great discipline by not spending much at all, just detail parts, mostly. Every time I said, "Maybe I could use that," I thought back to my workroom full of unbuilt kits and realized that I could not buy another kit for a year or more and I'd still have plenty to do. So, I left with a small bag of goodies, and a head full of memories and inspiration.

    Jim and I did swap phone numbers, but he also provided a time and place to meet. That was important, because the show isn't exactly quiet, and it's hard to hear even your own cell phone ringing. (I had 2 missed calls when I checked later. My wife wanted me to pick up some fish for dinner on the way home.) Still, I touched base with another guy I've never met, and said hello to some old friends like Jim at City Classics, who, as a vendor, was thrilled with the attendance.

    Sunday, though, was time to get back to work in Mooseport. I'm installing girder rail from Proto 87 for street running down to the carfloat terminal. The girder rail itself is very thin, no more than 1/16 of an inch from top to bottom, so I had to build up the street level to match the roadbed plus Code 83 track above the pink foam.

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    To do this, I first put down 3/16 foamboard, the white craft store stuff, and then 1/8 inch masonite. I then used a piece with thin plastic laminated to the top, sold at big-box building supply places for shower linings. I cut the pieces to shape and then glued them down. Here, Martha Stewart helps out by holding down the layers as the glue sets. I like Martha's contribution. It's a heavy, hard-bound book which puts a lot of weight down in a small but evenly-distributed manner.

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    The girder rail gets glued to its base, so it's important that the surface be smooth. (That's why I chose the laminated masonite as a base.) The rail sections are about 4 inches long. These are pre-formed 18-inch radius curves. I've never hand-laid track before, so this was a new challenge. So far, so good. I've got less than 2 feet down so far, but I can roll a freight car along it smoothly. I was worried about that part earlier, but now that it's in place I feel a bit more confident.

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    All in all, a great weekend for trains!
     
  3. GP30

    GP30 TrainBoard Member

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    I assembled a highway overpass, glued down blocks of foam for the approach to the overpass and cut out and glued down road bed for the remaining portion of the bottom level of the layout. Short weekend, but I managed to get a good bit accomplished.
     
  4. YoHo

    YoHo TrainBoard Supporter

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    Well, I had planned to do more, but of course the little one had other plans.

    I got an MRC sound decoder installed in a Kato HO SD45. I fit it by removing the rear light pipe, so I'm now going to have to clip the LED for the rear light and wire it and glue it to the rear lights. Still better than milling something.


    I also continued work on the Vineyard scene on the club layout.
     
  5. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    I managed to make a foray back into the weird little room in our basement. I got my spray hood for airbrushing done and set up with a panel that I can mount in the sliding window when I am using it (it has the venting apparatus built into it). I also got materials staged for the sawmill module and through a bunch of sketching I think I figured out how I am going to frame it to give me the best combination of freedom of topography (at the "back" of the module, where it dips down to a pond) and stability.
     
  6. retsignalmtr

    retsignalmtr TrainBoard Member

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    Saturday I went to my towns museum to check out the train display. I was able to clean the track and get one loco, an Alco RS2 to run with my track cleaning slider car. The scenery is about 1/8th done and needs a lot more but the museum doesn't have a large fund to do it. The rolling stock needs a lot of work as well. Sunday I went up to the show with a couple of members of my club. I didn't buy much. Most of what I was looking for was out of stock at the show. But it was a good day.
     
  7. wisker45-70

    wisker45-70 TrainBoard Member

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    I got lots of packages this weekend. :) So got three SD70mac's decoderized and programed. Got a new soldering iron and solder, but did no work with it.Cleaned the work space a little and found not one but two autoreverser control boards. That's about it.

    Jody
     
  8. alexkmmll

    alexkmmll TrainBoard Member

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    I finally laid and ballasted the track for my On30 layout. I also did the gravel road through it. It's looking good so far, but still lots and lots.. and lots of scenic work to do.

    I wanted a scenic shot that gave you what was done so far, so this is from on top of the hill. Soon, it will be covered with trees, but the only thing blocking your vision is the weeds in the foreground. You can see the ballasted track and the bridge below, and still some of that nasty foam. The outer edge of the pond will be surrounded with long weeds, and a fence will be between the road and pond.

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  9. mtaylor

    mtaylor Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I got a fair amount done on my to do list:

    1. Installed hard-wired decoder in an Athearn RTR GP38-2 (non DCC ready)
    2. Installed handrails and plows on two B23-7 locos (MNNR)
    3. Installed Intermountain 36" wheels on several Athearn Bluebox covered hoppers
    4. Test fitted older Proto 2K GP20 shell after modifications to a newer Proto 2K chassis with DCC & Sound
    5. Installed handrails on second Atlas C30-7 loco
    6. Installed MRC DCC Sound Decoder into Proto1000 GP15-1 (UP)

    I did not manage to ship the SD9 locos to BLI this weekend, this will have to wait until Friday. I also chose not to tidy up the wiring until I connect the turnouts to DS64 deocders, which may be a little while yet.

    Nothing Earth shattering but progress nevertheless.
     
  10. jhn_plsn

    jhn_plsn TrainBoard Supporter

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    Saab012212 033.jpg Saab012212 031.jpg Saab012212 030.jpg During the week I was able to get a couple SP GP9 Torpedo's cleaned up and decoders installed along with an older SD45. On Saturday Four new SD45's showed so I ran them in a bit and installed decoders. I also installed new decoders in two MP15's. Then the fun began, speed matching. Took a while, but now most of my locos are interchangeable, speed wise, with the exception of the VO1000 and two MP15's.
    Good weekend.
     

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