Workshop Wednesday

Discussion in 'General' started by yardmaster, Nov 15, 2017.

  1. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    I have one on the way as well as a few Arduinos and assorted peripheral stuff. This is going to be the year for reviving my computer background and putting it to work on model railroading.
     
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  2. rjthomas909

    rjthomas909 Member Frisco.org Supporter

    I have used a raspberry PI (3) as a controller for my layout (Crawford and Cherokee v1.0), including throttles, routing turnouts, and creating switch lists through JMRI and a Digitrax control station with USB interface. It works great for this purpose.

    -Bob T.
     
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  3. gna

    gna Member Frisco.org Supporter

    I edited my previous post--I was advised that I was not accurate. The Pi used for this project, the Pi 3 B+, has WIFI and is more powerful. Not every Pi has WIFI. See https://www.raspberrypi.org/

    I use the WIFI to connect Engine driver on old smartphones as throttles.
     
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  4. Almost Wednesday....here is my latest. Back to working on the SLSF Cannonball. The trailer is getting closer.
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  5. frisco1522

    frisco1522 Staff Member Staff Member

    I have several brass builds going at the same time. Two 4000 2-8-2s, 1031 with a Delta trailing truck, 3692, a 3800, a 1350 and a 187. I work on one for a bit, then work on another. Couple of them are nearly finished, one of the 4000s and the 1031.
    Getting old and have a bit of a tremor issue which makes it fun to hold a part while soldering it.
     
  6. Sirfoldalot

    Sirfoldalot Frisco.org Supporter Frisco.org Supporter

    DON - Negative! You are not allowed to get old -- We cannot allow this to happen!

    (I have been having real issues of keeping my balance trying to stand up!)
     
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  7. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Don - Minor tremors here as well. Close work is difficult.
    K
     
  8. Not sure what qualifies as old in the model railroad world but at 49 I have not felt my left thumb in a few years. I passed the carpel tunnel test etc... but they can not get rid of my severe neck pain or get feeling back in my thumb.
    I can’t wait to see your projects Don.
     
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  9. rjthomas909

    rjthomas909 Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Happy Workshop Wednesday,

    Working on a couple of houses to place along Magnolia Street on the Crawford and Cherokee. I really prefer these laser cut wood structures to plastic.

    Also received some more GapMaster PC board ties to use when attaching the Lightning Creek section (and connector section) to the layout. (Pay no attention to the book...I am not going M-K-T).


    IMG_2455.JPG
     
  10. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    I have had reasonable success with about 2 glasses with 3 fingers of scotch each. The tremors go away, and I forget what I was working on in the first place.
     
  11. geep07

    geep07 Member

    Tom, As the song "Love & Marriage" says "You Can't Have One Without The Other"
     
  12. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Amen Tom. As we have discussed, that's my remedy also. It needs to be something good, though. Dewars 12 or a nice single malt works best for me, but it makes the hobby more expensive. That's why I keep selling stuff!
    K
     
  13. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    Modeling wise, I've kind of slowed up of late (distractions)... but still piddlin'. Current project(s) is converting three more neat little Varney covered hoppers from train set type cars to cars that can run among more recent offerings without undue attention. I've always like the little Varney cars, and the KC&G will have a fleet of them for lime service.

    Other layout decisions:

    Just can't seem to entirely divorce myself from my love of TOC19 models. I can keep it at bay for a spell, but the desire to model in it ALWAYS comes back. As you may have read on these forums elsewhere, I pulled the plug on my 19th century Colorado layout theme for good (to me) reasons (such as I don't have the skill sets to paint Colorado backdrops and create Colorado scenery)... but still... the urge to model in TOC19 remains.

    SO...

    I've decided I will plan carefully, and use my layout to host both the KC&G early-mid 60s AND TOC19 in the late 1880s or early 1890s. Key structures will need to be replaceable (such as depots: one new, one old), water tanks will need to be removable (leaving the weed grown concrete footing piers behind), and such as that. A bit more effort, but it CAN be done. And most importantly, gives me an outlet for my decades 0ld TOC19 interest, so when that fever is flung on me: I can indulge without guilt. :)

    Plus, all efforts on the LAYOUT aspect will be common to both era's, so there will be no lost time on construction of the layout. Only the supporting cast will require more work. All in good time.

    Thus, when I'm doing TOC19 sessions, the layout will reflect a predecessor regional road that the KC&G obtained on their southward march from KC to the Gulf. (Said acquisition taking place in the mid-1890s.) I mentally envision my TOC19 road to run from Springfield, MO, down to a connection with the Little Rock & Fort Smith RR (a prototype line) at a point on the Arkansas River. My love and appreciation for TOC19 was originally birthed via my association with, and working for, the ES&NA (which started about 1981), and spread to an appreciation for the Eureka Springs Rwy, St.Louis & North Arkansas, Missouri & North Arkansas, TOC19 era of the Frisco's Monett/Fort Smith line, Black Mountain & Eastern, St. Paul Branch, and more, so it is fitting that I've returned to the Ozarks. No, it's not Colorado, but the Ozarks is a setting that I have the skill sets to pull off, and besides, almost ALL of my best railroading memories are centered around the Ozarks.

    So there you have it, and there you are!

    The latest from the Mingster.

    Andre
     
  14. Jim James

    Jim James Staff Member Staff Member

    I feel your pain, Andre.
     
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  15. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    Hi Jim!

    It's that "pain" thing is what I'm hoping to stop. I can't tell you how many times TOC19 has sidelined my diesel layout efforts as I pursued some idea for it. Typically this mean track plans for the same space and thoughts of dismantling the diesel era layout I had, and in the case of TOC19 Sn3 MUCH money and TIME spent scratch-bashing TOC19 rolling stock, and assembling locomotives like this one I built:

    consol1.jpg

    Even went so far as start a small layout for my Sn3:

    corner2.jpg

    Those hardboard profile boards were supposed to be painted to represent rock formations/cliffs. The large one hid a window, the smaller one hid an electrical cabinet. It's that "little" detail of "painting Colorado" that played a part in the failing of this effort. (Now, why I thought I could do better some 20 years later is still a chin scratcher!)

    AT least, by going dual era, the layout itself will not be in jeopardy. Both era's can use the same "stage", with a modicum of "set" changes. Each era would be run for as long as it takes to satisfy that urge, and then when the mood hits for a change, spend an afternoon swapping era's and I'm ready to run the other era for several months. (Typically how long my fever for either diesels or TOC19 lasts.)

    One way or the other, I gotta' make it work, because I really do feel this is the only way I can enjoy both of the era's that I have (and had) long-term interest in.

    All fer now!

    Andre
     
  16. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Got nuthin done Wed-Thursday.
     
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  17. frisco1522

    frisco1522 Staff Member Staff Member

    I'm more fond of Makers Mark. I use Scotch as paint thinner.
     
  18. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Oh Dear.
     
  19. gna

    gna Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Makers....Mmmmmm
     
  20. gna

    gna Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Andre--

    What did you want your backdrops to look like?
     
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