Hey! Check it out! It's the weekend again, what do we have planned this weekend? For me, I have a VERY busy weekend. Yes next weekend is the big show for me. I have been working hard on the Galesburg Modules and have most of the track down, and most of the Tam Valley servo turnouts down. I hope to get all the track down, servos hooked up and ready on Module 2 today followed by finishing up Module 3. I'll be working this weekend but only a four hour shift on Saturday and Sunday. My new job (more on that in a bit) is going to be more conducive to my painting and writing than the slot car shop, but I will be working most weekends. The finishing touches on the Chicago Central locomotives are coming along nicely. Windshield wipers and number boards are installed and some final assembly and detailing is all that is needed to get these units on the road. And the big news! After six months at working at a retail shop that sells slot cars and not getting anything done, I quit. Of course I found another job before 86ing the former. With that said, I'm finally committed myself to going back into the custom paint business with the blessings and encouragement of the future Mrs. Wiggin. I'll be working a "normal" non hobby job at a large wholesale club part time to start then full time in the fall. While the pay is a bit less, the benefits more than make up for the lack of benefits at the hobby shop. It will also allow me TIME to work on my passion which is writing and hopefully allow me to get more writing done. So as of today, Wiggin Locomotive Works will be going forward and my first show is next weekend at Galesburg. Lots to do, Lots to do! More exciting announcements to follow, but I'll keep those for latter. So how about you? What do you have planned this weekend? Let us know. We'll all come back on Monday the 22nd and see how we all did. Just a heads up and reminder. I'll be heading to Galesburg next Thursday and will be a bit late with the WMP thread. Don't despair! Your intrepid author will be posting, albeit track-side along the former Santa Fe Transcon, but I'll post! Until Monday, have a safe, prosperous weekend and... ​High Greens!
With major remodeling going on, I can't get going on nay major projects. Just got an Alco S-4 in the mail. I may have time to replace the couplers with Kadee 158's. At least Bschmann got the road number correct. It could use some weathering, but being that the S-4 was produced until 1957, which just happens to be the exact year I model, maybe it's on fresh off the assembly line. Most Milwaukee switchers I can remember seeing when I was growing up were pretty scruffy, like the prototype in the photo, taken in the mid 70's. I believe that these were mainly used in the mid west, but maybe somehow one ended up in Montana. I am freelancing after all.
One or two of the MILW ALCo S-2 units did briefly appear out on the Coast Division. I have seen a couple of photos. Perhaps the best known is a picture of one moving a train through the scene of the famous Riverside land slide in eastern Washington.
