Weekend Update for June 28-July 1, 2024

[Paul S.]

Please update us what you've done on your model railroad this week/weekend. This weekly thread is intended for us to post snippets about our layout/project progress, rather than be a substitute for our layout-build or project threads. Think of this topic as a mini update on what you've accomplished during the week/weekend. The administrators/moderators will start a new update thread each Friday.

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So fellow RMRers, what have you been up to this week?

[JerryZ]

Staged the railroad. By the end of July, I will have held five sessions in two months.

I'm 2 into this cycle. The last session left me with staging yards almost totally filled with inbound trains. After three days of staging activity, I have:

• 2 passenger trains, and 3 freight trains in St. Regis staging (east end), heading westward.
• 2 passenger trains, and 8 freight trains in Spokane / Cle-Elum staging (west end), heading east.

There was only one train left on line of route from the last session, and there is one train made up for in DeBraal Yard.

All of the car cards that needed to have their bills flipped are done, order of freight cars and all bills flipped on the staged trains complete (stock, followed by loaded refrigerator cars MUST be placed on the head end of all trains).

West end Staging



The last session left me with three items to repair, and those are complete (broken cab awning on a NP GP7, broken switch point, dead switch).

In my spare time, I got the transfer power sound level dialed down on the new locos on the railroad.



And last, but certainly not least, the mill house now has a roof and chip bin. Have to finish the bin roof, add rafters and fascia, and complete other details.





Never bored in retirement. 😁

Regards,
Jerry

[craigtownsend]

I need to finish another 12' or so of ladder roadbed to connect the two semi finished sections of track. But progress on any hobby stuff has been slowed this week. Mornings are busy with summer school and afternoons are busy with the boys since my wife is off on a short visit to her grandma.


I have to finish a few things on other yard projects before I can start rebuilding the Redmond section. I've got 3 weeks to get what I want get done before I go on a 4 week camping trip until the end of summer. Fingers crossed I get everything done by then.

[Steve H AC&Y]

Many years ago I scratched a simple highway crossing signal. I've always thought I could do better but a little project like that is way back on the backest (is that a word) of burners.

Highway crossing signals moved to the front burner recently, since I want to finish off the OH Rt 301 details of the Spencer FreeMoN module. I suppose I could hunt the interweb for 3D prints but since I have the tools, material and skill set in house I hauled out my usual go to materials, paper and styrene, and gave it a rip. Photos of the result and components follow. Parts of it look a little rough but if you are close enough to see the model at this magnification, you are too darn close. 😀 Now to do two more.

[Steve H AC&Y]

I forgot to ask: Any ideas re: how to model a red lens that is not lit?

[craigtownsend]

Red paint? Or small red bead? I think most lights are off and black when not active. Paul would know better what they look like.

[Steve H AC&Y]

I added a photo of the crossbuck/flasher just up the street from our house. The lighting would indicate the lens is black but in person it's blackish red with a semi-gloss luster. The brain says it's red so that skews the perception I guess. I think I'll try a light red wash and apply a dab of semi-gloss finish and see how it looks.

[KansasBob]

Hey All,

I spent some time on my "Midwest Interchange" diorama addition to the "Brush Creek" one. I managed to fight through a clogged airbrush and a burned out soldering iron (replaced the one my Dad gave me in 1986). We have some base layer of scenery (roads, lots, etc.) going in, installed joint bars, put in the areas where the track is in the road, and have the (new/replaced) track painted. It will be posing some models and operating in no time!





I hope you had a restful weekend, All!

-Bob T.

[Chuck Geiger]

New project:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KmnXbG8C1gI

[Allen]

Yay! More dead season modeling!
Gonna follow this Chuck.