The swan song of Summer that was Labor Day has left the station, did you achieve all that you wanted to on this last long weekend of Summer? My plans were derailed by tropical storm weather. We were to receive up to eight inches of flood water, so on Friday and Saturday, prep work was done to ensure items in storage and garage were safe from flooding waters. This work all but ensured that the high amounts of water we were supposed to get, did not come. And that is exactly what happened. Sunday I went through the last of my model railroad items I had in storage and brought them back to the work shop. Other than that, I was busy with maintenance and family. Yesterday the family and I took the Jeep and went to a local state park and enjoyed some cooking out and hiking. Later we finished Summer by slow cooking some BBQ ribs and backed potatoes over a charcoal grill, then some ice cream at the local drive in, finished by a movie. Even with four complete days off, it went fast. So how about you? Were you successful in a balance of family and trains? Were there any shows to visit? Maybe you ended up going to a railroad museum this weekend? Whatever your accomplishments, let us know. We'll come back this Friday, September the 7th and do it all again. Until then... ​High Greens!
Had to rebuild the road along the front of the layout because the gradient didn't match up with the freight depot at the lower end. I used a strip of 3mm MDF, covered with water putty and flanked with small rocks, rock dust and sand. Painted with acrylics and dusted with powdered chalks. Mike
I finally added shims to the bridge girder feet to bring the deck level up even with the roadway on US 21. Obviously much weathering and scenic work is still needed in this area. I haven't figured out what to do with the backdrop/wall yet. I glued down the ballast I placed last weekend with a Water/70% Alcohol/White Glue mixture. Worked better than using the matte medium. I also laid Code 83 along the outside of the Main track and got it all spiked down good. Installed ground throws and spiked those down. I can't wait to have a full length yard lead, then I can power it up and have some trains moving!
I had a quiet weekend. Our daughter is away at college now, so things are a bit more quiet. With unfettered access to the Train Room / Family Room, I somehow spent the whole weekend in the basement. I started by finishing up the 2 Ann Arbor Railroad boxcar kits, one of which needed new numbers to distinguish it from the other. Then, I started on the Bachmann 0-6-0T tank engine. The plan was to take the shell off and measure it for a TCS Keep-Alive decoder. But, while I had the shell off and the weather was good, I decided to paint it grimy black. The color didn't match the decals I'd already made, so I made a new set, this time for the Westport Terminal, in honor of our friend Wolfgang Dudler. As it happens, that's the renumbered Ann Arbor car behind it. For those who are interested, "Hell on Wheels," the western about the building of the Transcontinental Railway, is back on again. My wife and I both love this show, which airs on AMC on Sunday nights. It's definitely not for kids, though.
The boys finally have a pretty regular nap schedule, so I got my first modeling done in four and a half months! I installed gutters on my Oakwood depot for MiNi (show season is coming up, better get a move on!). Attempted to add a Delta truck to my Soo Line Mountain, but the FVM one is a bit too big, so back to the drawing board.... Added some low pro wheels to a couple of cars before I forget again. And started working on my article project. I got a ton done in just a few hours!
In the mornings when it was cool, worked several hours/day pulling more wire installing electrical circuits for lighting up in the "train room". I really want that room finished so I can start building my 3rd Albemarle Division. Also managed to get a B&O express car "almost ready" to start air-brushing. Just have to put the roofwalk supports on and mimic the retainer valve line. And of course yesterday afternoon being Labor Day, I knocked off and spent 4 hours cooking a big batch of ribs in the smoker grill. Here's a "model" I built of the ribs cooking
I'm still doing wiring for my kitchen renovation. Since I can only work safely in my attic for about an hour due to the heat, I was able to build the module framework, add the 62mm pieces for the abutting edges and glue down the cork roadbed for the last section of my T-Trak yard. Tomorrow I will be able to secure the flex track, ballast it and scenic the module.
