Actually, off the workbench and onto the layout! This week saw the final test fit of the entire 6 2/3 turn helix from Pemberton up to Mons Wye/Alta Lake. The track plan and layout statistics may be found here: http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/511/Squamish_Sub_upper_deck.jpg http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/511/Squamish_Sub_lower_deck.jpg http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/511/Squamish_Sub_layout_stats.jpg There is a plumb bob behind and below the section house that is hanging from the end of the magenta cord at the end of the spiral easement into the circular curve leading to the North switch of Mons Wye/Alta Lake. I wound up having to insert a 1 degreee filler piece in the top turn of the helix in order to get the location of this point in the same place as originally planned. The helix segments are 1/8" 5-ply Baltic Birch aircraft plywood with 1/4" 5-ply Baltic Birch forming continuous stiffening edges/splice plates on the upper surface in order to maintain maximum clearance for fingers when needed for re-railing/track cleaning purposes. The final 2/3 turn will be visible trackage, so the stiffening edges/splice plates had to be relocated to the lower surface because of scenic requirements in this area. The locomotive and car on turn 4 show the amount of clearance available using this construction method. The grade in the helix is 2.24% which gives a 2 1/2" railhead to railhead separation for my 17.71" (450 mm) radius. I am still debating whether to use spacer blocks in the final assembly or replace them with 1/4-20 threaded rod. Cheers,
I'm working on my implement company (tractor store for you big city folk). I'm going to use a bunch of the detail parts from this kit However, I don't like the brick buildings so I'm doing my own thing. The small barn will be the parts and service area. The Quonset hut will be the offices. The barn is my first wood kit. The false front of the Quonset hut is my first scratch build. A bunch of paint touch up, some weathering and some signage and it might not look half bad.
Coal tipple Comming off my work bench yhis weekend is my coal tipple, watering & sanding area. This has been in the building phase for 16 days now. I will first enter it in a contest on June 23rd. I tried to pack in the detail.
Trackside details Hi guys, Have been a bit quiet lately working hard on the layout but I have some trackside details under construction on the workbench. Sunrise single target signals - Built as per instructions except for: I replace the cast SE disc with one from BLMA signal head kit which is much finer I replace the SE ladder with the ladder stock from Ratio (UK brand) etched brass that also looks better Have also been struggling to get a decent representation of a "generic" rock slide detector fence What I've come up with is a compromise between an acceptable level of detail / enough durability to withstand the occasional "1:160 scale rockslide" on my layout I used BLMA's chainlink fence in 60ft lengths & simply glued in some insulators / posts and stay wires Not 100% accurate but I'm happy enough with them for now + am hoping one of the guys that do the etched detail stuff may come up with a RTR product soon......cute: Last photo shows the 60ft long fence in place trackside just needing ground scenery to finish
Tony, that caboose looks good! I've been literally burried under the layout and miss working on a smaller projects where you can actually see progress... Please post more as you progress. Regards, Otto
This is an American Model Builders load on a DeLuxe Innovations - GHQ flat car. It is a laser cut kit made of plastic and wood and has no weight at all. It went together easily in one hour except for the painting. A friend gave me the kit and I think it is several years old. (Copyright 1996.) It is a very good kit and easy to assemble. I like the load, too. (It's held on the flat car with bees wax.)
Had to dig back 4 pages to find this topic... Here is what is on my workbench as I head to bed tonight.
Nice job! I'm a caboose nut, but, my only scratchbuilding caboose project was a UP CA-11 in brass. I do end up scratchbuilding many parts in my various caboose kitbashes and superdetailing projects. New windows for my kitbashed CA-1's are easier to make than to steal from an extra Micro Trains body, cut it precisely out, cut a precise hole and fiddle with fitting the stolen window into the new square hole! So, I notice that your window holes have rounded corners rather than square corners. This might be prototypical (since I am unfamiliar with the caboose you are modeling), but, it might be that your files are not square and sharp-cornered. I had this problem in my early kitbashing efforts, so, I took a trip to my nearest jeweler's supply store and asked if they had jeweler's files that were actually square. Yup, they did, so, I invested in a set of 15 precision Swiss jeweler's files for a mere $135!!! But, I can now file a true 90deg. corner in my caboose kitbashes! Interestingly, NONE (ZERO) of my cheapo "hobby" files made in China were square. Then again, if your rounded window corners are prototypical, then the above advice doesn't apply to you, but, it may apply to any others who are interested in kitbashing/scratchbuilding anything that requires a truly square hole to be filed!
Bob, The windows have been fixxed since those shots. Those shots were pretty much assembled straight from the cutter. I had squared up the outer layer but didn't touch the inner layer till all was assembled so I had more material left to even up the openings. Yes, my square file isn't square, that is generally why I use a triangle file to clean up corners although with this one, it was easier to do it with a fresh #11 in an Xacto knife. Flash, The caboose in front is an Horribly Oversized Overland Brass UP CA-9 that I am painting for a guy in our N-trak club who also dabbles in HO. The others are N scale.
I finally got back to this project that has been ongoing for years. Some Precision Craft (Broadway Limited) E7s being decorated for MKT.
