NP Lester WA T-Trak Z Module Set Project

rray Feb 11, 2020

  1. CNE1899

    CNE1899 TrainBoard Member

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    Rob,
    The sand bin looks great! Laser cutting the rot and breaks worked nicely.
    What did you use for roofing?
    Thanks for all the info on mounting and electrical.

    Scott
     
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  2. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I used 400 grit sandpaper cut upside down. That way the smoke works to randomize the color with resin deposits.
     
  3. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    A little more progress... Today I worked out the sand drying shed, and spent some time messing with making tools to stand along side the area.
    Here you can see the shed side views similar to the prototype photo:
    shed tools 2.jpg

    Sand House 5 Lester 1957.jpg

    And here you can see the tools I made:
    shed tools.jpg

    [​IMG]
     
  4. JoeS

    JoeS TrainBoard Member

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    So I keep looking at the whole setup fantastic as always. How much compression is there with your model because even in the real photos everything does look nice and close.
     
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  5. JoeS

    JoeS TrainBoard Member

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    Oh and did they paint shed white later?
     
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  6. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    So as far as compression, i just put everything real close together, but in real life there was much more room between each structure.

    As far as the drying shed color, it gets painted the same color as the depot, sand color with a brown base. NP painted everything these colors in the 50's and 60's, but up till sometime in the 1940's everything was brown.

    I'm going to fine tune the fit, and add laser ageing to the wood, then build another drying shed tomorrow. I also have to tweek the tools drawings a bit smaller.
     
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  7. tiestvangool

    tiestvangool TrainBoard Member

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    True work of an artist, keep getting amazed! Very inspirational along the way. Keep sharing.

    -Tiest


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     
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  8. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I looked over the tools I made yesterday, and decided they are too big. So I reduced them to 70%, and they still looked too big, but resolved, so I did another reduce to 70%. Now they please me, but might be too small to see? tools.jpg
     
  9. Kez

    Kez TrainBoard Member

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    Yeah, they're no good. Send them to me for disposal.

    :LOL:
     
  10. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    Argh! I threw them in the bin, and there's tuna juice, wet coffee grounds, and banana peel slime all over them now. If I woulda known you wanted them... :D
     
  11. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    A little more progress on the sand house today. I got the magnet electrical contact base on, wired in a gooseneck lamp at the top of the stairs on the sand bin, and a fire LED installed in the sand drying shed. I also built and painted the new drying shed with .018" plywood.

    Model 6.jpg

    I used a small paint dropper nozzle for the smoke jack, and 3mm square plastic tubing. I will try to paint it tomorrow. It's teflon, but the used eyedroppers stay dirty, so I think paint will stick.
    Model 4.jpg

    And I still have to do all the roof shingles, funky pipes and hoses, and all my little tools. I painted the tiny tools with a silver sharpie to make them stand out.
    Model 5.jpg

    And I recorded a clip of the sand dryer flicker light inside the drying shed:
     
  12. SJ Z-man

    SJ Z-man TrainBoard Member

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    Hah !! I remember the Starbucks straws for the Saw Mill !
     
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  13. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    Haha! We know how the Starbucks straws turned out too!
    [​IMG]
     
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  14. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    Done with the sand house. Maybe I'll do the Diesel Fueling Tank next? Anyways, I got a bunch of little details attached to the structure to add interest:
    Model 8.jpg

    Model 7.jpg

    Model 10.jpg

    Model 9.jpg
     
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  15. JoeS

    JoeS TrainBoard Member

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    Details are great! You totally captured that look. Well are you going to make your scene more like 1930-40s?
    Or are you going to give the later 1950-60s look?
     
  16. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I'm going for between 1956 and 1957. The coal dock was visible summer on '56 but gone summer of '57. I want the coal dock so I can service Steam and Diesel.
     
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  17. JoeS

    JoeS TrainBoard Member

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    Great plan. Especially since you know the date too. You know with your magnet set up you could replace structures and remove/replace to change times and eras too….I know crazy but you really are limitless with your set up.
     
  18. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I did think about that, I can do the NP Steam, NP Diesel, BN, and BNSF era's. Today there is just a sign that says Lester, and a No Trespassing by order of Tacoma Watershed sign. In 1984 the depot was white and green, and so were the trains.
     
  19. JoeS

    JoeS TrainBoard Member

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    That would be too cool….literally changing eras with a few magnetic clicks…and vehicles in the scene. Now that’s next level!
     
  20. BNSF FAN

    BNSF FAN TrainBoard Supporter

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    That is a great picture!!!!

    The sand house looks great Robert! All those little details bring it to life. Also a fan of the magnet connections and lighting connections. I will definitely start to include that process when I build anything new.
     
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