The first weekend out the door for March is done, I hope your weekend was productive. Saturday I met up with my club in Bloomington and we ran our new N-Trak yard modules for the first time. We ran the red, yellow and blue line and tested both DC and DCC locomotives. After a few hours we were able to determin what pieces of track needed further attention and where some of our shorts were located. All in all however, the modules worked well and we should be ready for the next few shows that are coming up in the next few months. After spending half of the day with the club, I spent Saturday afternoon and evening with the family, watching Jared and his team making the finals in his indoor soccer. After two hard fought halves the score was tied at 3-3 and went into a five minute "sudden death" match. Unfortunately his team lost, but not without a hard fight. It certainly was the best game of the whole season. Sunday was nice and quiet and was the start of my next project. I was fortunate to receive my shell on Friday and with everything in hand, I set out on Rock Island #4710. It is the perfect engine for me since I love both the red and yellow and blue and white schemes. I started by sitting down and writing up a list of all the parts I would need as well as decal sheets and paint. I also placed all the parts that I need for this locomotive into a small Plano brand fishing lure box. That just makes it easier to find all those little bits. I was able to get both the front and rear cut levers and MU hoses attached as well as shave, sand and drill all the #80 holes for the grab irons and lift rings. All I have next is my first attempt at the BLMA fans, then the rear curved fan grab and the long hood side mount bell and she'll be ready for the paint booth. I really hope BLMA starts making more bells and horns because my JNJ and Sunrise parts are getting more scarce. I also finished the B&M caboose I started two weeks ago and fine tuned the B&M GP7 by using both Micro Trains #1015 couplers and MT screws rather than the Atlas bracket. I found the Bracket would come loose and snag on any high point of trak on the modules Saturday. All in all, a great weekend and a lot done. So how about you? Is your club working on modules for any spring shows or open houses? Any DCC installs or scenery updates? From the looks of Friday's posts, we had some great progress shots. Lets see how you did! Post any pictures of what you did this weekend and tell us about it. We'll be back again on Friday the 8th to do it all over again. Until then... High Greens!
Didn't get as much done as I hoped. The kids are once again sick..... High Wheeler is this coming weekend, and I have a couple of small projects I'd like to get done before then. It's more ofa General Public show, so I'm not too worked up on prototype fidelity stuff, just get things up and running properly. So, I installed 36" wheels in my two MT Heavyweights. Just one weekend running on MiNi at Trainfest and the plastic wheels had been coated in gunk..... Also worked on the trailing Delta truck replacement on the Bachmann Lt. Mountain. It's a conglomeration of two MP trailing trucks. I had one USRA truck, and the side frames of a Delta truck someone gave me. It's technically done, but as it's all plastic, it's a bit light in the load, so it's not tracking real well. I think I've figured out how to fix it, but there's no way it'll be done by Saturday... Also installed one decoder, and I have one more to go. I'd like to at least super detail one of those locos, but we'll see how much time I get. At least I'll have two locos to run that haven't seen daylight in years!
I was able to cut and assemble a 6' section of wooden duct for my clubs DCC buss. I have to sand it and apply another coat of polyurethane so it will be ready to install Wednesday evening. I also started making a pushbutton panel to control the switches i'm installing there too.
My accomplishments were in the context of events. I assisted for a third year in a row with the Pacific Model Loggers' Congress in Elsie, Oregon. I was the only person who brought a steam locomotive for the draw-a-name-out-of-the-hat-and-you-get-to-be-part-of-the-weathering-workshop and so my still kind of factory fresh On30 0-4-0 Porter got a makeover. Please note that it looks better and less contrasty and blotchy in person than in these photos: The PMLC was a lot of fun, and I hope that those of you considering attending in the future will. Please note that this year we'll have a second event on September 28 in Willamina. I will be posting more about it in the logging and mining group when I have that information. On Sunday I met with the PNW-FreemoN crew in an informal meet in Vancouver, WA. I got some more work done on Keasey (it NEEDS to be ready to go by March 29) and I got to run trains with others for a bit. Adam
I tend to be a neat freak, but have been known to make a mess once in a while. Looks like a lot got accomplished this weekend, lots of nice projects out there this week!
Skiing last weekend and skiing next weekend, so there was not much of anything going on train-wise. Last night, though, I sat down with a pin vise, #80 bit and two unassembled Tichy flatcars and drilled out the holes for the wire grabs. I'm sure dreading putting on all those individually-applied stake pockets, though. These, along with the third car which is mostly done, will be the idler flats for tha carfloat termnal. We're now seriously thinking about retirement, and moving out of our large and expensive home. My wife's aware that a train room is a must, wherever we end up. One thing I will definitely do, though, is reconfigure things so that the carfloat terminal is more accessible. I'm actively trying to lose some weight, mostly as a fitness thing, but I must admit that being able to squeeze back in that corner will be a side benefit.
Down and out with a bout of the flu, but I did manage to get a little bit done during the times I felt up to it - mostly to avoid going stir crazy. I finished the 70 tonner I bought a couple of weeks ago, fitting the handrails, glazing, headlight lenses and such, and putting the whole thing back together. I added horns and a radio antenna on the cab roof, and a bell on the hood between the cab and the stack.
My weekend (mon-wed) very productive. Finished painting the back drop Monday night. Monday morning i hung the tracks for the track lighting. Tuesday I finished the bench work off that needed bracing and the back drop to be finished then laid the foam board down. Tuesday evening I started to build some more structure kits and finished three by wed evening. Sorry no pics for I am not home right now. Next on my list of to get done is the fascia. Should have it up by Wednesday and painted by next Friday.
