Another weekend is in the books as we start another new work week, unless your retired...... No rest for the wicked here however. The Galesburg City Job was loaded and ready for departure on Friday morning at 4:00am. Co-modeler Bill and I drove a mere 2 hours and 20 minutes to Collinsville Illinois before stopping for breakfast and setting up at the Gateway Center. Honestly, Bill had to add about 6 hours to his destination since he came from Michigan. The show started at 9:00 and we just barely had enough time to get the layout up and running. Module 059 by Jim Wiggin posted Aug 15, 2016 at 7:28 AM This was truly the first time we actually operated the layout like a railroad, complete with switch lists and use of the interchange track. We were so engrossed in our switching we didn't notice who was asking questions at one point. Turns out it was actor and avid Railroad hobbyist, Michael Gross. His comment was that it was a lot like "Chess with model trains." Indeed. Module 060 by Jim Wiggin posted Aug 15, 2016 at 7:28 AM Bill's staging yard was full and ready to supply. Module 062 by Jim Wiggin posted Aug 15, 2016 at 7:28 AM Here my CB&Q switcher waits for clearance while Bill's brace of GP7's pull a string of cars out of Galesburg Castings. It was at this point, we talked to a modeler who worked for BNSF who excitedly told us that he had worked the City Job back in the late 1990's. He helped confirm the track work around Butler and remembered switching the area although Galesburg Castings had long since abandoned their rail service. Doesn't mean I won't use modelers licence to switch it with a H1 BNSF GP38-2. Module 061 by Jim Wiggin posted Aug 15, 2016 at 7:28 AM Street shot of Bill's fine Geep. We had a lot of fun and meet some great modelers on Friday and Saturday. Before we knew it however, we had to pack up and come home. I left Saturday night, slept in and unpacked and re set up the layout Sunday. All in all, a busy and fun weekend. So how about you? What did you do this weekend? Let us know! We'll come back here on Friday the 19th to start the process all over again. Until then, have a great week, stay safe and... High Greens!
Managed to put down more track. Main staging yard will have 11 tracks for freight cars. I've now got 9 out of 11 down. A smaller yard will house a few engines, a caboose track, and 2 passenger tracks. This will be strictly hidden staging and not an "operational" yard as it were. Next will come cleaning up, putting in the Tortoise machines, and all that good stuff. But anyway, here's where I am as of Sunday night....
Well, the wedding was real nice. Had a lot of fun. I did manage to make a little progress on my steel bridges -- then crashed and burned for the rest of yesterday afternoon. Wolf
I was hoping to do some railfanning on my way to Modesto to see my kids Sunday. I did see two trains, the first being the NWP at Ca. 37 near Sonoma Raceway and a UP train near Ripon, Ca. Unfortunately, the traffic was horrific and I ran out of time to stop and take photos. But, lunch with my kiddos was well worth it.
Hello all , it has been quite a while since I have done any modeling but just started this guy. I got a wild hair to do a resemblance when I photographed it a year or so ago in Las Cruces. I may change the antenna array to BLMA parts. Mike
Managed to finish a few D&RGW MofW cars this last weekend, I ended up with way more of these than I wanted so gonna get rid of a few now. These started as Athearn HW passenger cars, plugged windows opened vestibules made bulkheads, put Cal-Scale U-30 Brake rigging under them, also made the steps out of brass under the baggage doors as well. I scratched built the smoke stacks too. Used some shades in the windows, Painted, decaled and weathered them.
The MOW caboose/flat is done: IMGP12825_MOW_Flat by Mike VE2TRV posted Aug 14, 2016 at 9:58 PM I dirtied up the load area and the loads themselves. Those long pieces that seem like rails were painted gold for who knows what reason, so I gave them a rusty patina more appropriate to their expected function - whether they're rails or just beams. I changed the wheelsets on the trucks for some better ones, and took some old ones from another project for the ones loaded on the car. They also got a bit of grime and rust. And Kadees, body-mounted, instead of the truck-mounted horn-hooks. My GTW RS-1 project is coming along fine, decals are on the cab and hoods, and I'm about to set my sights on the walkways and pilots.
@Jim Wiggin Michael Gross has attended the Naperville RPM as well. During a quiet break in the action on Modutrak he and I talked at length about the layout. Very nice, soft spoken guy. Got the feeling he didn't want to bring attention to himself, so he waited for the room to empty before coming over.
Matt, It was great seeing you and the guys, what has become the inspiration of the City Job. Yes Michael is nice quiet spoken yet knowledgeable individual. It was nice to see him interact with us fellow railroad enthusiasts as a modeler.
Wish you had seen me. I was at home for Colinsville. Nice seeing the City Job updates by Bill on Railwire, and on here!
My apologies Matt, I'm bad with names and I saw a few folks from the Modutrak layout. Hopefully we'll meet up at Trainfest.
