Dave's Layout v. 4.0

[BigGRacing]

What make of cars Dave are giving you the most problems? Is it the KD couplers that aren’t working or are you swapping to KD?

 

[logandsawman]

These freight cars are all different makes and purchased from ebay. I have the boxes stored away so not really sure what make they are, but the Northern Pacific that I had the most problem with, the coupler was one of those two part knuckle couplers and not sure of the brand of that either.

In general, my freight cars are Walthers, Accu-Rail, Roundhouse, Athearn, Varney, Bachmann.

That specific car was an ebay buy, where the car had been somewhat reworked by the previous owner. The trucks and wheels were airbrush painted by the previous owner. The problem with the trucks was the plastic pin. There was a plastic pin with a compression feature which held it in place, on each truck. That was too wobbly. The standard size screws I had in my spare parts bin was perfect and allowed me to adjust the tightness and take the wobble out.

I usually do not switch out stuff unless there is a problem. I still have many plastic wheels on my layout. I don't usually run miles and miles so really havent noticed any problems. I am also anal about track cleaning and general cleanliness of my train room so I think that helps operations.

Thanks for the question, Gary!

Dave LASM

 

[Lynnb]

Nice work on the 4-6-2 , I have the highest respect for anyone that can do this sort of work as well as making cars purchased off eBay into good rolling stock. My hats off to you Sir.

 

[westtexjohn]

I'm a little late to the party but I'll have to say "very, very nice work".

 

[Bruette]

Nice work on the 4-6-2 , I have the highest respect for anyone that can do this sort of work as well as making cars purchased off eBay into good rolling stock. My hats off to you Sir.

I must agree with you!

I've been amazed by the Log and Saw Man's (AKA LASM or Dave) work since I joined this forum in 2013. Nobody is better at turning a small eBay investment into a real treasure.

Best of all, like his work on the 4-6-2 he is preserving model railroad history.

 

[PENNBOB]

Hi Gary,

I wish I would have had a plan. I scaled out the building using several photographs from different angles.

Here is the video I made showing how I made the model:

hope this helps! Dave

Beautiful job Dave.

 

[logandsawman]

Thanks for the comments! I added a couple details over the weekend, slowly making my way through the pile of fun kits that I already purchased:

Here is the old cast model of a Stutz Bearcat, 1914; not big on detail but will do fine in the background somewhere

And the barrel rack, I have 2 but only one is on the layout now

Thanks for looking! Dave LASM

 

[troyphoto]

Good looking bearcat.

On an off note, many years ago, I had a photography office in the Stutz building where the various autos were built. I actually had two such offices, one on third floor, and one on first. Loved the office, but need to cut expenses.

The building is home mostly to artistic professionals. They've had a lot of reimagining since I was a tenant there in the early 2000s. The owner, Turner, has his personal car collection there. If you're in the area, it is worth a stop just to see the architecture and (smallish) auto collection.

The Stutz

www.thestutz.com

 

[PENNBOB]

It really looks real Dave. All your buildings look really good. You Did a beautiful job on your scratch built station. Dave, your layout is HO isn't It?

 

[logandsawman]

It really looks real Dave. All your buildings look really good. You Did a beautiful job on your scratch built station. Dave, your layout is HO isn't It?

Yes, HO scale

I started out in HO and once I purchased many items find it difficult to switch. I had a much larger space at the beginning, but now with this 11 x 12 room am thinking that N scale would have given me more fun.

Thanks again for commenting and looking at my stuff!

 

[JeffH]

I'm in the opposite camp, lol. I started with N scale, just because i had a few locos, some rolling stock and a lot of track.

Hindsight is always 20/20. Turns out I ended up selling off all my old stuff anyway. I'm not disappointed with N scale, but there are a lot more products out there for HO than there are for N scale.

 

[PENNBOB]

Yes, HO scale

I started out in HO and once I purchased many items find it difficult to switch. I had a much larger space at the beginning, but now with this 11 x 12 room am thinking that N scale would have given me more fun.

Thanks again for commenting and looking at my stuff!

Yea, I'm just starting out with N -scale. On a 36 x 80 Hollow core door. Will see how it goes. It's a lot harder on my eyes.

 

[logandsawman]

Time to complete this sandstone cutting building, something I started on several weeks ago and then put aside, I was having a hard time deciding what to use for the walls and roofing.

First, I had to get the floor in good, required some JB weld blobs in one end to hold the cardboard together:

Above - the inside of the structure, used the toothpick to get some JB weld epoxy in place to stiffen up the square of the building. If need be, these blobs of hard plastic can be covered up with sandstone chips and dust. This building was used to saw sandstone blocks into sizes. They had ceiling suspended gang saws that were used to cut the stone.

I have two different size of sandstone block to choose from, also several roofing materials. The original appeared to be asphalt shingles and am leaning toward using them for roofing.

Even though this is a quarry, they used wood siding and this was a wood structure. There was hydro power here as a small dam and generator were in place. The Kettle River flowed next to here, and they also had a sawmill which cut lumber. I know it was a wooden structure but I am leaning to use the Chooch Random Stone Walls for the siding and the scribed siding just for the enclosed stairway.

The reason the steps were enclosed was because we get a lot of snow and ice here in the winter and it was much safer. Shows they were concerned about the well being of the workers.

I am compressing the whole operation down to just the stone extraction area, this quarry mill, derricks, engine shed (completed already), and maybe an office shack.

This building is modeled after the original structure used, I had to leave off some add ons but the clerestory and stairway and general design are intact.

The enclosed stairway will be sided with the scribed siding. The big opening faced the track originally and slabs of sandstone came in on flat cars and was transferred to smaller custom conveyances which ran on tracks and held the stone to be processed. The pictures of this side of the building are not great and it is difficult to make out exactly how this part worked.

If we have enough rainy weather I can make more progress over the weekend. Other wise I am working on my vehicles.

THANKS for looking!

Dave LASM

 

[logandsawman]

I am making some slow progress on the sandstone cutting mill building, I am using the Chooch materials for most of the walls and putting a beam around where the second floor would go, this building had gang saws suspended from the ceiling --

I have been making templates out of paper and using that to cut out my walls. Not sure if the door on the right will be used or if it is going to be an open space

I am getting it mocked up and moving around the building

There will be interior lighting, however not sure what, if anything, will be going in there. No pictures available of the gang saws that they used. This was in operation in the very early 1900's

Dave LASM

 

[Smudge617]

You looking for something like these.

 

[logandsawman]

You looking for something like these.

View attachment 174274

View attachment 174275
View attachment 174276

Chris --

This building did not saw logs. They sawed large chunks of actual stone into building size blocks or sidewalk material. They further cut the stone down with hammers and chisels.

I figured some would think that wood was sawn in here. There was a separate building where they sawed wood, too.

So, this is a SAWMILL where they sawed SANDSTONE quarried on this site.

Thanks for pics all the same, Dave LASM

 

[Bruette]

You looking for something like these.

View attachment 174274

View attachment 174275
View attachment 174276

These photos are great!

 

[santafewillie]

Dave - I'm just now catching up on this thread after a busy personal life. The sawmill project looks great.
You also posted this:

the Northern Pacific that I had the most problem with, the coupler was one of those two part knuckle couplers and not sure of the brand of that either.

The problem with the trucks was the plastic pin. There was a plastic pin with a compression feature which held it in place, on each truck. That was too wobbly. The standard size screws I had in my spare parts bin was perfect and allowed me to adjust the tightness and take the wobble out.

You're describing a 20+ year old Accurail car, made before they changed from the plastic pin to a 2-56 screw for the trucks. I have done the same for many of my older Accurail cars. Exact fit as you noted. The two part knuckle coupler was (and still is) used on Accurail cars. I haven't really had any issues with them over the years, although I am slowly changing them for Kadee #148's when I do any other maintenance on those cars.

 

[logandsawman]

Dave - I'm just now catching up on this thread after a busy personal life. The sawmill project looks great.
You also posted this:


You're describing a 20+ year old Accurail car, made before they changed from the plastic pin to a 2-56 screw for the trucks. I have done the same for many of my older Accurail cars. Exact fit as you noted. The two part knuckle coupler was (and still is) used on Accurail cars. I haven't really had any issues with them over the years, although I am slowly changing them for Kadee #148's when I do any other maintenance on those cars.

Makes sense that it is an Accurail as it is a very nice looking model. It did not come with a box and I did not look very close for markings.

Thanks for the comments! Dave LASM

 

[Smudge617]

Chris --

This building did not saw logs. They sawed large chunks of actual stone into building size blocks or sidewalk material. They further cut the stone down with hammers and chisels.

I figured some would think that wood was sawn in here. There was a separate building where they sawed wood, too.

So, this is a SAWMILL where they sawed SANDSTONE quarried on this site.

Thanks for pics all the same, Dave LASM

Yeah wasn't exactly sure the type you were looking for, I'll dig around, sure to be some somewhere.