Weekend Update for Oct. 18-21, 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?

[davefoxx]

Nothing photogenic, but I knocked a couple of have-to’s off the list this morning, including dropping three feeders to a three-way turnout that I recently painted and ballasted. I suppose these Peco turnouts are sensitive and relied too much on the points feeding the diverging rails. But, the feeders fixed the problem and should be much more reliable. I also cleaned the NS branch’s track, so I could run a train out of staging. Back to ballasting the A&R’s yard!

DFF

[Paul S.]

I'm reworking the Hercules Powder spur: https://realisticmodelrailroading.ne...4506#post34506

[Steve H AC&Y]

It has been a good kind of busy recently, with the Naperville RPM last weekend and the NKPHS meet this weekend. Yesterday we rode an excursion behind NKP 765 in one direction and freshly painted SD9 NKP 358 in the other. The weather in NE Indiana was terrific. Even the night photo session was comfortably cool.

[JerryZ]

The 765 sitting next to the NKP SD9 sure does make a beautiful photo.

[Paul S.]

Indeed it does, JerryZ . That's a calendar-quality photo, Steve.

[Steve H AC&Y]

Right composition Paul but not sharp enough. Lots of other anomalies too. I signed up (and paid) for the night photo session, and then forgot to bring my DSLR. Duh! Lots of others folks brought much better equipment than I have though. I suspect there will be many calendar-quality photos out there soon. No matter, as It was great to just to watch and listen to the SD idle away and the 765 make steam railroading sounds in the cool night air.

[john_plsn]

My progress is all about the base. Benchwork, that is. Some was built and some is now ready for assembly after paint was applied. My portable AC was about to become a problem as I fill the space so it had to be moved. The location is not ideal, but I can simply roll it aside for easy access to the helix if needed. The new benchwork will create storage space as I build it so my freemoN modules will have a better spot. Everything will be on wheels to make storage and wiring easier to access.

I'm a bit fired up now. My new goal is to have the mainline running by Thanksgiving.

[Allen]

That's great John, looking forward to seeing the trains runnin!

[john_plsn]

I'm done for the day. 19 leg assemblies with adjustable feet are ready for use. They took up more time and energy than I thought. Most L-girders are also assembled, but I'm at the point where I may create more issues than solve.

Most of the heavy lifting to create the base is done. Now I need to measure and place things carefully.

It is good progress that I am relieved to mostly have done.

[Allen]

Sounds like you had a very productive day today, John.
It's always a great feeling to get past the hard parts.

[Paul S.]

Geez, can you ever get a lot accomplished! Probably got tedious after the first few, right?

[john_plsn]

Paul S. , yes. I avoided sitting in my low comfy office chair while having a beer in the middle of the day in fear I would stop.

[craigtownsend]

Spent all day Saturday at Oly Ops. Met quite a few new people and enjoyed the two layouts I visited. As always it's hard to get pictures when you're in the middle of operations. I really want to get my 10 yld involved more in ops and was attempting to bring him to Oly Ops but never got the 100% confirmation from the organizers that it would have been okay (I would have just paired up with him being the engineer). There's quick tight nit group of layout owners in Olympia that regularly operate and makes me wish I could break into more groups/layouts.


I will say the scenery to train ratio in N scale is amazing!

[Paul S.]

Thanks for the links, Craig. I know Jim Younkins from way back, when his part of Mud Bay Southern was superbly done NTrak modules. Jim was one of the modelers who inspired me to push myself to be a better modeler.

[craigtownsend]

Interesting tidbit about how his layout started. I had no idea but I can see how that method would be beneficial.

[Paul S.]

Here's a link to the history of the real Port Townsend Southern. It never went further south than Quilcene.

https://www.historylink.org/File/11096

[Paul S.]

I've developed a combination timetable/switchlist for the Slate Fork:
https://realisticmodelrailroading.ne...4549#post34549

[KansasBob]

I posted a short update for a couple of W&NW projects at: https://realisticmodelrailroading.ne...4554#post34554

Great stuff all!