Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I had some time today before we visited family for Thanksgiving dinner so I decided to clear off the workbench by completing a few projects that I have moved 4 or 5 (dozen) times. First, I renumbered a duplicate PRR boxcar. I had some old decals that would match so I carefully cut out three new numbers (743) and watched them dissolve in the water! Hmmm. Guess 25+ years in the drawer will do that to decals. I once read a trick is to spray them with Dullcote to extend their life ... add that to the next train show list! I ended up with a 7, partial 4, and after two attempts freehand painted the 3! Oh, and on one side of the car only .. fortunately I do not have a loop or wye on the layout.
Next, I scratch built a coal bunker from scale 4"x6" and 6"x6" lumber. Once it drys, I'll stain it, weather it and then place it on the layout behind Dailey's Coal and Fuel Oil with a mound of coal and a front loader (add THAT to the shopping list!) and this scene will be complete!
I had a couple more cars on the bench to finish. I started working on the H33 covered hopper car. I very quickly realized the instruction sheet I had in the box was not correct. Ploughing ahead, I was missing several key pieces and had glued two pieces in the wrong order. Other than that ... I put that box back in the rolling stock kit drawer. Hey, I've waited 5 or 8 years to finish that project, what's another few?
Building the Red Caboose P&LE boxcar was much smoother. I had instructions ... and the right ones! This is a pretty detailed kit and I was gluing individual grab irons, stirrups and brake lines. While I appreciate the level of detail in a kit like this, I also no that even I won't notice it once I have it on the layout, and I doubt others will either.I think I prefer the kits where you add a brake wheel, the trucks and couplers ... then run it on the layout!
Overall a good thanksgiving ... and I have some space back on the workbench. For the moment.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Tuesday Progress
I made some serious progress tonight, but first an observation.
Insulators on HO scale telephone poles are small. Really, really small. Ten per crosspiece, 36 crosspieces ... lots of little insulators to paint green. Yes, I painted 360 insulators green and 36 vertical supports white. I picked up these Rix Products telephones at T&K Hobby a few weeks ago for along the Route 30 overpass. I decided I wanted to get them ready tonight ... right after my left arm took out the one detailed telephone that was actually mounted on the layout. Grrrrrrr.
The telephone pole calamity happened because I was running trains back and forth and I solved one of the problems we had with the 3 operator scenario on Sunday. I need a timetable. I know this sounds obvious but I realized the best way for the mainline operators to work is to know ahead of time (1) through or local freight and (2) who goes next. Following the PRR rules of eastbound trains having superiority, I determined tonight that we can start the operating session with a westbound through or local from Greensburg that has to layover in the Irwin yard passing siding until the westbound through train from Pittsburgh passes. If its a local (still working this part out), he can drop some cars and continue on to Pittsburgh.
I need to work out each aspect of the operations in isolation and then when Eric and Jack are here, we can connect the sequence. I have a plan! I also did a little research tonight - really, just started this part - into some real freight trains from the PRR circa 1955-ish. For example, there was an eastbound Cincinnati, OH to Enola yard (Harrisburg, PA area) train with the symbol CIN-2 and known as "The Captivator". In the opposite direction, CIN-2 or "The Rocket" ran westbound from Enola to Cincinnati. I think with names and a specified sequence, the operating session will only get better.
And I was doing more tonight. Basically, I dabbled here and there. There is now a roof mounted tank on LAS Fabrics and two fuel oil tanks at Dailey's Coal and Fuel Oil. In fact, around Dailey's I completed a stone road to the building and fixed some of the grass area. I only need to build the partial coal bunker and this little scene will be complete.
And on the other side of the layout, I added some details to Vic's Bait & Tackle scene. I had added a short stair case a couple of weeks ago and finished the gravel road and parking area. I added a girl sitting on a bench on the porch with a six pack of soda at her feet and a kerosene pump and propane tank around the building. I completed the grass and dirt scenery and started added some bushes, trees and a couple of tree stumps. I have an outhouse kit that I need to build, plus more trees and bushes and this scene will be done. Well ... almost done. I decide to give the impression of a barn yard between this scene and LAS Fabrics so I want to added a split rail fence and finish weathering the B&O trestle bridge - which Vic's sits in the shadow of - and THEN it will be complete.
I think I can call tonight progress. Stay tuned, I think I will get some serious work done this week!
Insulators on HO scale telephone poles are small. Really, really small. Ten per crosspiece, 36 crosspieces ... lots of little insulators to paint green. Yes, I painted 360 insulators green and 36 vertical supports white. I picked up these Rix Products telephones at T&K Hobby a few weeks ago for along the Route 30 overpass. I decided I wanted to get them ready tonight ... right after my left arm took out the one detailed telephone that was actually mounted on the layout. Grrrrrrr.
The telephone pole calamity happened because I was running trains back and forth and I solved one of the problems we had with the 3 operator scenario on Sunday. I need a timetable. I know this sounds obvious but I realized the best way for the mainline operators to work is to know ahead of time (1) through or local freight and (2) who goes next. Following the PRR rules of eastbound trains having superiority, I determined tonight that we can start the operating session with a westbound through or local from Greensburg that has to layover in the Irwin yard passing siding until the westbound through train from Pittsburgh passes. If its a local (still working this part out), he can drop some cars and continue on to Pittsburgh.
I need to work out each aspect of the operations in isolation and then when Eric and Jack are here, we can connect the sequence. I have a plan! I also did a little research tonight - really, just started this part - into some real freight trains from the PRR circa 1955-ish. For example, there was an eastbound Cincinnati, OH to Enola yard (Harrisburg, PA area) train with the symbol CIN-2 and known as "The Captivator". In the opposite direction, CIN-2 or "The Rocket" ran westbound from Enola to Cincinnati. I think with names and a specified sequence, the operating session will only get better.
And I was doing more tonight. Basically, I dabbled here and there. There is now a roof mounted tank on LAS Fabrics and two fuel oil tanks at Dailey's Coal and Fuel Oil. In fact, around Dailey's I completed a stone road to the building and fixed some of the grass area. I only need to build the partial coal bunker and this little scene will be complete.
And on the other side of the layout, I added some details to Vic's Bait & Tackle scene. I had added a short stair case a couple of weeks ago and finished the gravel road and parking area. I added a girl sitting on a bench on the porch with a six pack of soda at her feet and a kerosene pump and propane tank around the building. I completed the grass and dirt scenery and started added some bushes, trees and a couple of tree stumps. I have an outhouse kit that I need to build, plus more trees and bushes and this scene will be done. Well ... almost done. I decide to give the impression of a barn yard between this scene and LAS Fabrics so I want to added a split rail fence and finish weathering the B&O trestle bridge - which Vic's sits in the shadow of - and THEN it will be complete.
I think I can call tonight progress. Stay tuned, I think I will get some serious work done this week!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Three Operators
Yesterday, I held an operating session for the first time with 3 operators. Both Eric and Jack had a couple of operating sessions under their belt and I had 3 throttles so it was time to up the ante. Jack had not seen the layout in a while so I walked him through the changes in West Staging and the Rt 30 overpass. I gave him a DT-402 and put him in charge of the eastbound traffic coming from Pittsburgh (West Staging).
Eric took the other DT-402 throttle and handled the westbound traffic (from East Staging / Greensburg). Again, we basically alternated traffic rather than run to a schedule. While this more or less worked, Jack commented at the end of the session that it was helpful to know ahead of time the sequence of trains. We did a little work with the P&LE interchange but never brought out the train that was on the P&LE staging track. Jack handled this train and had become pretty good at switching East McKeesport but I again failed to work in the West Penn Power or May Stern spurs.
I took the new UT-4 throttle and my usual job as Irwin yardmaster. I like the UT-4 for this situation where I am using a single engine and don't have to change addresses. I am not crazy about the hardware reverse switch as opposed to the soft switches in the DT-402s.
One of the challenges I've had before is trying to switch the industries in Irwin and on the Herminie mine spur from the Irwin yard. While Eric was waiting for Jack to move an eastbound local, I had him switch the Heinz and LAS Fabrics spurs. I pulled the cars from mine but left empty tracks for a while until I could take the next train over. Not ideal. An we missed the Irwin Industries track again.
Overall the session was a success. I only had about 90 minutes before the session to get things staged and I pulled a few cars (good move) and quickly arranged the staged trains (not-so-good, should have been more careful in the makeup of a couple of the trains). The Irwin yard became the choke point and a couple of times both mainline operators were waiting for the yardmaster - me! - to get caught up.
On the positive, the layout easily supports 3 people. I definitely need to fix the spotty track and make sure all the cars on the layout meet specs. Most of the bad orders are gondolas or hoppers that are underweight. I have too many freight cars to leave these on the tracks. Finally, I need a specific train sequence before the next operating session.
Getting closer.
Eric took the other DT-402 throttle and handled the westbound traffic (from East Staging / Greensburg). Again, we basically alternated traffic rather than run to a schedule. While this more or less worked, Jack commented at the end of the session that it was helpful to know ahead of time the sequence of trains. We did a little work with the P&LE interchange but never brought out the train that was on the P&LE staging track. Jack handled this train and had become pretty good at switching East McKeesport but I again failed to work in the West Penn Power or May Stern spurs.
I took the new UT-4 throttle and my usual job as Irwin yardmaster. I like the UT-4 for this situation where I am using a single engine and don't have to change addresses. I am not crazy about the hardware reverse switch as opposed to the soft switches in the DT-402s.
One of the challenges I've had before is trying to switch the industries in Irwin and on the Herminie mine spur from the Irwin yard. While Eric was waiting for Jack to move an eastbound local, I had him switch the Heinz and LAS Fabrics spurs. I pulled the cars from mine but left empty tracks for a while until I could take the next train over. Not ideal. An we missed the Irwin Industries track again.
Overall the session was a success. I only had about 90 minutes before the session to get things staged and I pulled a few cars (good move) and quickly arranged the staged trains (not-so-good, should have been more careful in the makeup of a couple of the trains). The Irwin yard became the choke point and a couple of times both mainline operators were waiting for the yardmaster - me! - to get caught up.
On the positive, the layout easily supports 3 people. I definitely need to fix the spotty track and make sure all the cars on the layout meet specs. Most of the bad orders are gondolas or hoppers that are underweight. I have too many freight cars to leave these on the tracks. Finally, I need a specific train sequence before the next operating session.
Getting closer.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Back at the layout
I was on the road this week for work and did not even get a chance to stop in a local hobby store. But I did think a lot about what I wanted to do when I got back and created the list in the previous post. Right after dinner tonight, I was in the basement working on a couple different projects. First, I fixed a couple of the fascia edges with some trim molding my dad gave me from his scrap pile - saved me a fortune! I would have bought 16' of wood for some 3'+. Anyway, I glued those to the fascia so I can paint them tomorrow.
Next I tried to plant some underbrush in the park on the Rt 30 overpass. I do not like how my trees and plants are turning out so I will have to keep experimenting. This effort was no improvement. I'll let it dry and then determine the damages. I did put some dirt and grass down on the far side of the overpass and I hope to have this scene pretty complete except for a small Mom & Pop roadside store.
I ballasted the sides of the remaining mainline. This is a two step process so I hope to finish it tomorrow as well as finish the remaining 4 or 5 feet of sidings. Then ... maybe ... I can put up the ballast containers except for a patch here or there. Of course, as I was working tonight I noticed ALOT of heres and theres already. *Sigh*.
To access the track, I piled most of the buildings on my workbench which means I can't work in the cabin cars or weather the B&O bridge but that is probably a good thing. As you can tell, I dabbled on 3 different projects already. FOCUS Eric!
Next I tried to plant some underbrush in the park on the Rt 30 overpass. I do not like how my trees and plants are turning out so I will have to keep experimenting. This effort was no improvement. I'll let it dry and then determine the damages. I did put some dirt and grass down on the far side of the overpass and I hope to have this scene pretty complete except for a small Mom & Pop roadside store.
I ballasted the sides of the remaining mainline. This is a two step process so I hope to finish it tomorrow as well as finish the remaining 4 or 5 feet of sidings. Then ... maybe ... I can put up the ballast containers except for a patch here or there. Of course, as I was working tonight I noticed ALOT of heres and theres already. *Sigh*.
To access the track, I piled most of the buildings on my workbench which means I can't work in the cabin cars or weather the B&O bridge but that is probably a good thing. As you can tell, I dabbled on 3 different projects already. FOCUS Eric!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Road Trip
Last week, the twins had Thursday and Friday off, so we planned a mini vacation/road trip to West Virginia and Pittsburgh with something for everyone. Besides riding the Monongahela Incline Railway and visiting the Heinz History Museum, I got a chance to stop into my favorite hobby shop, T & K Hobby in Bridgeport OH, and check out Patrick's Trains in Wheeling WV. Of course, I came back with a collection of projects - pine trees, scenery materials, two Pennsy cabin cars (caboose) and a B&O box car. I also got some Walther's fuel tanks to detail Dailey's Coal and Fuel. I won't be able to work on the layout until this weekend but I think I have a list of activities I will try to make some progress on:
- Finish ballasting the track. I have about 20 feet of mainline and a few sidings and this aspect of layout building will be done.
- Finish Rt 30 overpass scenery. I created the park and want to add some bushes and complete the other hillside that is still bare earth colored paint.
- Detail Dailey's. I plan to add the fuel tanks, a partial coal bunker, and some details here. Adding a lighted office in the building would clinch this little scene vignette.
- Scenery around Vic's Bait and Tackle. I have a couple of laser cut wood outhouses to build and I want to carve a canoe to lean against the building but I should have enough trees and bushes to complete the scenery. Since this is below the B&O trestle bridge, I need to finish that to complete the scene.
- Build one or two cabin cars.
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