Weak Lee Photographers Fun, June 12 - 18

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rhoward

rhoward

S.L.O.&W. Trainman
Ah, it appears to be the weekend already! So what's going on??? Nobody care anymore? Gee wiz it's noon on Saturday already!;):rolleyes:

I got two of the Fast Tracks turnouts finished and basically installed on the layout near the "Quarry" scene. I am amazed at how smooth a car can roll through the turnout!

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FTTurnout06w.png


Only 3 more to make for this area and some hand laid spurs to the loading docks and the engine house. As soon as I have the final locations for track, the section will be removed so I can work on the quarry itself (cutting the hole into the plywood and gluing foam below decks). Then it can be reinstalled and the scene finished. Long way to go!
 
You sure to amazing, meticulous work, Ray. :D I'll bet you are like so many of us who try the Fast Tracks method....that's the way she's gotta be from now on. I still like Peco's Code 83 Streamline turnouts, and will use them in the yard now that I have several of them, but out on the main, and when we need a customized turnout for whatever unpredicted reason, we know exactly how to fashion them. Or, so I learned in short order. Don't have it? Can't find it? Then make one! I did it twice.

Here is my weekly photo. I felt I needed to improve the appearance of my weathered ballast. I sort-of did what Joe Fugate suggests, and would give myself a C+ looking back and where I left off three years ago. So, I darkened it with a heavy wash, and then I painted a streak of 'greasy oil' down the middle of the ties. Simple, just mix equal parts gloss medium (Mod Podge at Wally's), and black acrylic paint. I am a huge fan of "burnt umber" in the craft acrylics...I use it in many mixes, so on principle a single drop is in this concoction, too. :p Stir well, and then liberally slather it down the center of the tracks. Looks like this:

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-Crandell
 


Thanks DJ! We got one of the sisters to that beautiful RS3 out at the R&GV RR Museum you know.

I spent some of the afternoon today getting the wiring done for the first FT Turnout. I choose the yard goat pulling a string of flat cars for the first train through. The flat cars are a bit on the light side, and I figured they would tell me right away if something is amiss! First time I ran it through the tunnel and across the turnout... Sure enough most af the cars ended up derailed. Checked the loco and while it didn't derail, there was a huge cobweb sticking to the front of the boiler. Better than a rat I guess! Rerailed everything and tried it again. No problems whatsoever, so I figure the problem may have either been in the tunnel, or a piece of ballast or other material somewhere along the line. I ran them slow. I ran them Fast. I ran them forward and backward..... Smooth as silk, and no more derailments! For my first scratch built turnout in close to 25 years..... Not bad. Some photos of the first train:

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going to post some impressive stuff tomorrow, well atleast to me i think its impressive. Batteries are dead on both camera's.
 
rhoward said:
Ah, it appears to be the weekend already! So what's going on??? Nobody care anymore? Gee wiz it's noon on Saturday already!;):rolleyes:

I got two of the Fast Tracks turnouts finished and basically installed on the layout near the "Quarry" scene. I am amazed at how smooth a car can roll through the turnout!

FTTurnout05w.png


FTTurnout06w.png


Only 3 more to make for this area and some hand laid spurs to the loading docks and the engine house. As soon as I have the final locations for track, the section will be removed so I can work on the quarry itself (cutting the hole into the plywood and gluing foam below decks). Then it can be reinstalled and the scene finished. Long way to go!
Click to expand...

Those turnouts are nice.
I have bought Railway Engineering turnouts for my layout and I love them; especially having no wheel drop. Once you go "no wheel drop" you never go back. I add wooden ties to them. which is a bit tedious, though you can get them with wooden ties, but they're a tad pricy.
Those Fast Tracks turnouts look tempting and I love those ready laser cut ties.
I don't detail my turnouts too much because most of my turnouts can't be seen on my layout; usually behind a structure or scenery, but I managed to get the lens between some bushes.
 
Thanks Zoegraf!

25 or so years ago I used to buy the frog and point assembly and then scratch the rest of the turnout. I am now working towards the NMRA Civil Engineer Certificate, and the entire turnout (at least 3 different typed of turnouts) have to be made entirely from scratch. I had done a couple stub end turnouts way back when.... They were on the logging area which has been taken out and is being replaced with what you see.

The Fast tracks jigs are expensive, but if you make a lot of turnouts the average cost can be as little as $12 each.... They are fun to do!
 
rhoward said:
Ah, it appears to be the weekend already! So what's going on??? Nobody care anymore? Gee wiz it's noon on Saturday already!;):rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Ray, I can't speak for everyone else, but summer is here and the outside work has started. I haven't done much with trains except playing around with this old C415.
 


Littlefoot14 said:
Tell 'em Ray, us NY boys have blackfly season to keep us busy inside right now :rolleyes:
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You got that right, by golly! Besides it's in the mid 70's around here, so it is way too hot to w*rk outside. It is much cooler down in the basement in the train room.....:D
 
Amtrak F40PHR 394

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Just been working on the F40PHR detail project. just waiting for waiting for the black paint to come in to the hobby shop where i can install the Nathan K5LA3 to the Long hood
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ok so here are pics of the models i've been working on for nearly a year or just under a year. All are RPP shells and frames, athearn trucks. I have athearn RTR motors that will be installed soon and then will have to have MGSY do the lighting installed if money allows. All were painted by myself with either Floquil, polly scale or even krylon rattle cans. Decals are Microscale. And a bunch of DW,DA,Tichy,Aline and other details.
Here's the pics.

Pennsylvannia C40-8W Brunswick Green
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Lehigh Valley SD90MAC Cornell Red
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Lehigh Valley SD90MAC Snow Bird
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Still not 100% completed.
 
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kz9 said:
^Are those spine cars actually still used today? I haven't seen one go thru my area in years!
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They must be, i see them go by on trucks all the time. I personally have never seen them but im sure they are still riding the rails somewheres.

Oh yeah KZ check your pms..
 
Ya... I don't know, they must be pretty old, they look like their all rusted out, but there was a whole lot of them.
 


I was in Ft. Laurderdale just last week and there were a few trains with spine cars that passed by the airport. Some were loaded with trailers, so they're still in use down there at least.
 
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