Keep up the good work, mate, your a winner. Roo.
Weekend update time, I guess.
Mostly I've been working on scenery for the centre board, however I've also done a bit of structure and rolling stock work.
First up, I've turned this K-Line 3 Rail boom car...
...Into this 2 rail flat car:
It still needs a brake wheel, then the lettering painting out and replacing with something more fitting - probably CB&Q
Next, the loading dock at the back of the layout. I've been working on a building to go here, but decided instead to put a loading dock here and then potentially add the building in as a flat building by fixing it to a sheet of plywood which would bolt into the side of the benchwork once the layout is set up at shows. Mainly because space is a premium in my car, and I'm not sure I could fit the originally planned building in the car!
Finally, we needed a way to hide the servos used to power the turnout throw bars. I made a ballast bin out of scrap wood and styrene, and a stack of ties from strips of suitable sized balsa wood.
Close ups of the ballast bin. Stanley Knife (box cutter to Americans ) for scale.
The hinges, latch and padlock all need painting still.
Hopefully I can get the fencing for the lumber yard finished today.
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That looks great!
Great work!
Thanks, y'all!
Dan, You're scenery looks especially realistic...good job indeed.
Bob
A lot of fine details: it's a great layout and a good work, for sure!
jpv in France
I've been quiet on the layout front as of late, because I've been working on one of the more mind numbing parts of the build - laying cobbles between the rails, and carving the roadway. There's about 30" of this to do, and I'm about half way through it.
Afterwards it'll get sand between the cobbles, then the whole thing will be getting painted and weathered. I am hoping to have it done by the end of the week.
Once that's done, I can get get started on the Georgia Hardware Company building which will go over and around the cobbled street/tracks.
Between these, I'll be working on ground cover on this module, which will hopefully complete the basic scenery for the whole layout, and with loads of time to get it done ready for the Bingham show in 10 days time.
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Bingham show is now over, and it was a truly great little exhibition. Definitely worth the visit for the public, I think.
Piedmont Blues did us proud. With only small issues of dirty track and an overexited servo powering one of the turnouts, plus rusty wheels on the RS3 and GP35 needing a good clean, the show went really well.
All the minor issues were fixed respectively with a thorough cleaning with a block of wood and some isoproyl alcohol, disconnecting the servo and operating the turnout by hand for 20 minutes to allow it to cool down, and then running the layout using the Plymouth switcher for a while whilst the two 4 axle locos had their wheels serviced.
Not many changes were made to the layout whilst we were at the show - with the exception of a couple of crossed ties at the end of the Georgia Hardware spur to stop cars running off the end of the layout.
Instead, we were focused on taking turns running trains, and whilst one of us was doing that, Ford would work on lighting the buildings, and I was working on freight car projects.
Speaking of:
With the exception of adding the running numbers to the car ends, this one is now ready for weathering. Hopefully I'll have that done, and a full loose load of woodchips done by Seaboard Southern in September.
The car was set up on the end of our layout tables as a display piece for the public.
We're planning to have a full information display ready for September as well, showing prototype photographs of the area we are modelling.
On the subject of photographs, here are a bunch I took showing the layout set up in it's (current) entirety...
Lots to do between now and September, but before anything can happen with the layout, I need to finalise purchase of my new house and get moved in, as I'll have the space to have the layout set up permanently so I can work on it.
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I'm going to steal your ballast box idea for my switch motors. Well done!!
Thanks Ron. Feel free to duplicate anything you see here. That's what we share all this for, isn't it? To inspire our fellow modellers?
It's why I love this community.
Daniel...excellent display indeed. I've always had a fondness for the small switching layouts the British seem to do so very well.
Bob
Nothing stopping our American cousins from picking up the practice, Bob.
I'd love to see small layout building take off in the USA
Look what turned up in the mail from my O scale supplier, Mr. Dickie!
Which immediately went into the paint shop, and now looks like this:
Interestingly, #100 was the first RS3 built for the L&N by Alco, way back in... November 1951. No idea what became of her in the end, but on Piedmont Blues she still lives! Or she will do, when I've finished weathering her up.
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A great work, really!
jpv in France
Thank you, JPV69
Keep up the good work mate. Your a winner! Roo.
Thanks Roo!
Dan,
All great stuff!
PCRR/Dave
Thank you, Dave!
Not much of an update this week, as I've been relaxing and playing xbox, as well as hitting the gym to try and get in better shape for a Tough Mudder event at the end of July.
I've done a little more work on L&N #100, trying to get the model to look more like the prototype photographs I'm working from.
Still a loooooong way to go, so be kind!
Please ignore the blu-tac covering the headlamps, I'm trying to keep paint/powders off them.
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Ahh what a shame, a brand new layout and just an old dirty engine! Seriously, well done! Russ
Only a quick update for today. I had an hour this afternoon and managed to fit - and do the initial testing of - an ESU Loksound L V4 in my GP35. I need to build a speaker baffle to better fit the speaker into the fuel tank on the bottom of the loco, which will be a project for another day.
The decoder fitting was surprisingly simple. I do still need to wire in the headlights for the loco though, but again - project for another day!
I'm happy - it works.
L&N RS3 #100 is into the final stretch now. Once the weathering is finished I'll be adding the number boards to the hood ends, I also need to create a horn bracket to match the prototype photographs I've been working from, which are here:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.n...ture.aspx?id=2333560
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/ln/ln0100jpa.jpg
I've fitted the railings but still need to weather them.
With some rare sunny weather yesterday, I took her outside to get some daylight photographs:
Overall I'm really happy with how this is turning out. Next to be detailed and weathered once this one is finished will be my Atlas GP35.
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Even more beautiful under the sun!
Waiting for the GP35..............
jpv in France
Thanks, JPV.
Still a ways to go, but it's already less of a stark contrast as it was before. I noticed when assembling it that one of the handrails is broken, so I'm going to scratchbuild a replacement post and use wire to fashion the replacement handrail. Shouldn't take too much work.
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For now, L&N #100 is complete. I'm just in the process of ordering some glazing sets from Jason Dickie, and then I'll need to save up for a new loksound decoder to go into it.
As such, I've started on the appearance of the GP35. I'll get photos as soon as I can. In the mean time...
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With the RS3 pretty much complete, I've made a start on GP35 #2709 - it just HAD to be a S&A unit.
So far, I've added decals and then given it a light dusting of a light brown (almost green) Pan Pastel to tone down the black.
Got to build this up in layers, as the matt varnish sealer takes a lot of the pastel effect away. Still, it's a start.
I'm planning on taking photos after each stage of the weathering job so people can see how I do it.
When the Southern RS3 gets it's turn, I plan on doing a video of the whole process too.
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Nice job with this light weathering! I think it's sufficient like that.
jpv in France
I sure can't say why I haven't seen your topic before, Daniel. I must say you are doing some excellent modeling, painting, and weathering!! Looks to me like you have transitioned from HO to O scale very well!! I'll look forward to more posts!!
Thank you JPV and Mark.
Today's progress. It won't get much dirtier than this, I don't think. A couple more layers of dirt, and a more evened out coverage across the long hood. I also need to paint out the Southern badges on each hood end, and sort out the number boards.
Thankfully, the sound decoder is already fitted to the locomotive. I just need to wire up headlights and then think about fitting walkway lights in the future.
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Greetings everyone!
It's been a while, but I am officially moved into my new home, and I've settled into my new layout room with gusto!
I now have the space to have Piedmont Blues set up permanently, with space to expand it around walls. I'm over the moon.
Taking advantage of this, I used the new space to work on the layout a lot more to get it ready for the Seaboard Southern Exhibition that took place last Saturday.
I took a few photos from the day. Enjoy!
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Congratulations on getting in the new house and getting the layout room going! The photographs from the show look great! You have done a fine job!
Can you give more detail on the ‘shelving ‘ you have the layout sitting on at home in the first photograph?
This is exciting stuff, The new home is exciting enough but more room for trains takes everything over the top. I know the extension will be great! Keep the progress coming.
Dave
Waiting for the extension.........but take your time..........
jpv in France