Nice picture of loco 2509 crossing the trestle

While the gang was over the other night both Bob and Steve were taking pictures, so I don't know which one took this shot, but it's a beauty! Click on the picture for a larger view.

Bash-O-Mania!

In an earlier post I started the bash of the B Moore Showroom as I got a second kit for $6 and wanted taller buildings for the area behind the current downtown Hoovertown. Below is a picture of the structure as it comes from DPM. You can click on the pictures for a larger view.


Here's the front after modification. I've added two stories, removed the overhead door to replace it with walk thru door, and narrowed the entire face (notice the kit before modification is 5 windows wide and it is now 4 windows wide.)

I hated those funky little small side windows on each side, so I cut up the sides to add the two stories and remove those windows.

Here's the side with the windows removed and about 1/3 of the width also removed. There won't be any side windows now on the ground floor.

Here you can see all four sides after the modifications. Notice that the back was narrowed by removing the entire far right side of windows from top to bottom.

I've added the putty to fill any gaps and painted the sections inside (black and then gray on top of the black) and painted the outside brick red (red oxide primer). Next will be adding mortar and painting the window detail. Stay tuned for future posts with progress.

Expansion planning on the railroad

I've been working with expert railroad planner, Scott Perry about the future expansion of the railroad. I have NO experience in planning (as is obvious with the existing layout) and wanted Scott's input as I've seen his expertise first hand from being a member of the NCIOG (North County Interchange Operating Group).

I had been going about it all wrong in that I sort-of designed the future benchwork first, when it should be that I start with the purpose of the railroad and the industries it services. Here's some of Scott's comments on the planning process:

"Here is an industry diagram. I put in some of the industries, but not all. The ones I didn't put in didn't have another industry on the line to ship to. These can be added at will since all traffic to and fro is generated off line. Basically, the more of these types you use the more hidden staging you'll need. The industries I used keep all the traffic on the layout proper.

Here's a diagram.

This is a pretty busy railroad! Just the coal mine will generate two trains per ops session. Lots of back and forth. The asbestos plant sound like something you really want to build, so figure out a customer for it. An insulation company or a brake parts company would work. Worst case, ship it to the freight house. The coal distributor can sell gravel, too. A small cement plant is a great customer.

On the far right I always put the railroad as they consume a lot of goods; gravel, fuel, oil, sand, etc.

My rule of thumb is that every industry should have at least one supplier or destination on the railroad. This way more traffic stays on the board.

If you add the brewery or the bakery, you need to add a grain silo somewhere."

This is Scott's diagram that he furnished from the list of industries I provided to him. Click on the picture for a larger view.

This is an exciting process! This Friday the NCIOG group is meeting at the first time at my home for a planning session and we have a great start with Scott's input. Stay tuned for more!

New book for Richlawn RR Library

I picked up this out of print book on ebay which has lots of nice color photos and many of them dealing with coal. This is important because the Richlawn RR will be focusing on hauling coal.

The right tool for the job

After doing a bunch of hand cutting for a structure I'm kitbashing I thought "there must be a better way".....and there is - a mini table saw. My company was nice enough to give me a bonus and I didn't want some of that money to go to waste, so Midge got some jewelry and I got a Proxxon mini table saw!

Check out the description & specs here:

www.minicrafttools.com/38070.html


I've already made some cuts with it in plastic using a 24 tooth carbide blade and it rocks! The only disadvantage is the width of the cut, which has to be taken into consideration. What used to take what seems forever with a hand saw now takes less than 10 seconds!

Bits & Pieces

Not a lot happening lately on the railroad, but a few things. The picture below is the "after" shot of my ceiling repair from the water damage (see earlier blog postings for the "before" picture). The dummy return air vent covers an opening in the drywall that I purposely left open for future leaks (an optimist?) Although my drywall mud work isn't very good, it will pass the casual glance test. Besides, who should be looking at the ceiling anyway..... look at the railroad!




Bash-0-mania - I'm working on kit bashing a DPM building, #10400. This is my first serious attempt at kit bashing and so far, so good. I'm changing the building from a 3-story to a 5-story, along with replacing the overhead door with a regular door and cutting down the depth of the building. I've been hand sawing the pieces and have put the project on hold until my new Proxxon FKS mini power table saw arrives. The project is taking some time because besides hand cutting the pieces, I've been documenting the project with pictures as I progress.

I'll post pictures of the completed structure "some time in the future".

Work night at Steve's 1-22-10

We had a great time at Steve's on Friday night. He posted his account to the NCIOG blog so I'm adding the pix I took. I arrived a little early and picked up 9 pieces of rolling stock (including an L&N caboose!) that Steve had at a great price. Here the guys are getting ready to assemble & install a side wall. Mark & Keith are in the other room planning on what they are going to do for the electrical work.

Bob did much of the cutting of the lumber for the wall. Here it looks as if he is getting ready to cut off his fingers (which he didn't!)

Ken lends his hand to the cutting process and also finished the night with all of his digits.

Paul brought his "gun" and did the honors on securing the wall base plate to the floor.

I took my turn with the screw gun as Bob didn't want to hog all of the fun.

Bob puts in corner lumber for the small piece of drywall where this wall kicks out.

Keith was working so hard that his tongue started falling out. While he & Mark were doing the electrical work the lights kept going on & off.

Mark wanted a raise, so he got a ladder (ha!). One man working with two men watching - we should work for the government!

Mark and Keith are both experienced in doing electrical and they got a huge amount of work done including installing outlets, light fixtures, and switch boxes.

We had yummy snacks, great fellowship, and a good amount of progress!

Another view of Loco Run on Paul's layout

Couldn't resist posting another run by - I love trains!

Paul's Work Session 1-10-10

Paul did a great job with the write up on the NCIOG blog about the work session at his home. Here's some video & pix of the great evening.


Since I haven't seen trains running on the layout, Paul was nice enough to run a loco around to show how well it tracks on his beautiful graceful curves & trackwork. I wonder if we should always start (or end) our Friday night sessions with some trains running (when possible).



Keith is hard at work making the wall angle brackets for the shelf on the upper portion of the layout by using a completed unit as a guide.


Mark worked closely with Keith and the two worked very well together. Ken is taking care of the glue situation as Bob looks on.


What's Bob so happy about??? GLUE!!! He about wet himself when he saw a HUGE bottle of TiteBond!


Friday nights are about fun as much as work. Mark enjoys Glue Bob's reaction to that sticky stuff.

Paul explains things to the crew for attaching the angle brackets to the wall. What you can't see is that Keith had just finishing threatening to slap me for a "supposed" smart remark. Can you believe that I would ever make a smart remark?



Here the guys are attaching the bracket to the top of the benchwork. The 22 caliber nail set was used to attach the other end to the concrete - POW!



It's always nice to have an extra set of hands. Bob was nice to take this picture so that nobody thinks I was just standing around all night eating yummy ham sandwiches.

While everybody else disappeared SOMEBODY has to do the work, so that's me. (Actually a posed picture)

Here's is a closeup of one of the angle braces installed. Nice and sturdy.



Here I am again WORKING. (Another posed picture shot with the self-timer).


Ken & Steve got the boring job....get it? Lots of holes to be drilled and Steve actually drilled the edge off of the paddle bit.

That's Bob to the rescue sharping the blade bit with the handy-dandy moto-tool.


Now where does this wire go??? Ken quickly figured it out and strung a bunch-o-wire.


Paul in deep thought....or day dreaming about his future empire?



Bob's working with the yellow 12/3 that will be used to hook up the 3-way switches for the layout lighting.


Who left this wire here? (ANOTHER posed picture).

Wire everywhere. The loco cable and the 12/3 got installed on the layout.

Bob insisted on taking this picture because it took he and Steve 20 minutes to PUSH the loco cable through the tunnel.

"Now Paul, the thingies with the green on the end are clamps...can you say clamp?"

Great time, missed you Scott!

Writer's Cramp

I haven't updated the blog in awhile because I've been working on writing an article on how to carve foam to make retaining walls. I don't know if / when it will be published. Below is a picture of the wall made for the article. If it ever gets published I'll post a link.