So, -- I took a break from my norm... prototype modeling. This is a project I had in mind for quite a while. A total foob!! But, was/is a fun what if. An SP BL-2 Thanks, Wolf
Good morning from cloudy and cold Northeast Ohio, snow expected this evening. Finished a couple of cars this week. Gulf Mobile and Ohio 50' PS1 Kadee Hydroframe kit substituting a Moloco PS Door for the kit door, painted with Scalecoat II CNW Green Paint and lettered with Dan Kolhbergs ICG Decals. Car was in general service on the GM&O and later ICG. Exactrail 4427CF PS2 Covered Hopper Kit, painted with Scalecoat II Reefer White and lettered with Oddballs Decals which were made with the assistance of the SOO Line Historical Society for Accuracy, these were an early 80's repaint scheme from the original paint scheme. Used in general grain service on the SOO. Picture of my Rivarossi U25C's with a coal drag on the Strongsville Club Layout. Thanks for looking! Rick Jesionowski
Every time i see R_J_straw's photos here i say to myself the same thing... they look so "non-layout-like". Very realistic work! SMR very nice scenes!!! What is the layout's theme? (California i take it?) DTI i applaud you for the speed and quality of production of so many (and diverse) prototypical cars! I took some photos of a couple of scenes in the making
Hi Yannis, It is one of six modules from the layout "Across the Bay and into the desert"; If you like to see more, please follow the link: https://www.stummiforum.de/viewtopic.php?f=172&t=171001 Best, Sven PS: The car float....
From Niles Junction you need to go the "old" route in order to use the Contra Costa to cross the Bay..... (here with the full Sunset Limited) ..., only to pass sand and rocks for hours......
I grew up in an area where there was once a fair amount of car float activity, on salt water. So always enjoy seeing such scenes modeled.
I would totally agree with Boxcab. Very nice model of a fascinating vessel. I have always found the Bay ferries very interesting, (and very cool) particularly as a somewhat similar vessel operated much closer to home between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario for many years. It was eventually replaced by tug/barge combinations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Lansdowne This was in addition to the several car ferries used for many years on Lake Michigan, which were very robust, rugged propeller driven vessels operating across the lake year round in all but the worst weather. They only ceased operation after being obsoleted by excess height freight cars, which are routed through Chicago. http://www.carferries.com/history/history.html There was also the Chief Wawatam, which served to connect the upper and lower peninsulas at the Straits of Mackinac. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Chief_Wawatam Ok, enough digression into prototype info. Excellent shots, Sven
That ferry model is excellent! Wow! A couple of racehorses! The newly finished Hiawatha Baltic from back in Jan 2018.
Felt like I had to do some prototype research on Sven's ferry and turned up some interesting facts. First, Contra Costa was the largest double-ended car ferry ever built at 420 feet (that's almost 23" or slightly over 58 cm. in Z scale and would be over 5 feet in HO), was of wood construction and was in use from 1914 to 1930. She was simply discarded when the railroad was done with ferry service. The wreck still exists and is apparently visible at certain times. Certainly not to be ignored, however, is all the other great stuff posted this week by everyone. Love Wolf's BL2- it looks like it should have been. Really like rray's crisp modeling and excellent scene composition. Also good to see some nice layout shots from Yannis, Rick's freight cars and club layout photo, and Secretweapon's Amtrak shot. Finally, Russell's and Badland's different era Hiawathas are an excellent way to start and end. An absolutely great week.
The ferry looks like a great idea to place the DC locomotives that would be difficult to convert to DCC.
Your carferries citation barely mentions the Ann Arbor Ferries, these were rebuilt in the 1960's increasing the length and height so they could transport 86' Hi Cubes and Tri-Level Auto Racks across Lake Michigan. I have many pictures of Hi-Cubes and Auto Racks in my books on the Ann Arbor. They main reason the Ann Arbor quit the car ferry services was it's financial situation after Conrail and the reorganization of eastern railroading. Rick Jesionowski
Great pictures and discussions this weekend everyone, another display of talented modelers for sure. These old SD40's are getting long in the tooth, and could be headed for their disposition one day. They are Rail Power Shells with many details added, riding on Athearn RTR chassis's, now they find themselves getting re numbered in a lower series to make room for the newer used units being acquired by the QA&P, well in my world anyway. The QA&P 743 ended up with a #5 traction motor change, 744 had the #3 motor changed, thats my story, and I'm sticking to it . Thanks for taking a look!