Workshop Wednesday

Looks good Bob. I have one I have been working my nerve up to build.

 

It’s Wednesday and I am posting on the right day!
Here’s my latest project from the truck bench. I started on the Frisco yard spotter truck I asked about pictures of a few weeks ago. The only one I came up with was Mike Condrens.
I came up with a resin crane cab that was close to the right shape. I cut the door out to correct it and make it function. The rest is scratchbuilt. The hood will be two parts and function also. I started the frame as well.

 

Bob, I have two K Type kits, I will never use, if you need one PM me.Very Reasonable.

 

Haven't posted in a while, but started up again with fall.
Working on an MDC Old Time 2-8-0 kit:

Not sure which stack I should use.

Found this old caboose at a train show:

It's pretty rough, but it was only 50 cents. I'll try to revive it.

I found some scrap light panel pieces, and cut them out:

and used them for this building:

I might try some LEDs and arduinos and see how it looks...

 

Gary, what are arduinos?

Joe

 

Arduinos are small microcontroller computer boards that are cheap and simple to program. They can be combined with other boards to control lights, motors, servos, etc. There was an article about them in Model Railroad Hobbyist a few years ago: https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh2016-12-dec/arduino

I've built a few projects, mostly controlling lights--I made a welder, a streetlight control, and some RR crossing lights:



But my main project was building a cheap DCC system using a few Arduino boards:

https://gregstrainyard.com/2017/05/10/dcc-links/

EDIT: Here is my thread about my DCC++ system: http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/dcc.10931/

 

Thank you Gary for explaining the Arduinos!!! I have never heard of them before your post.

Joe

 

Not much to offer this week from the ol' Crawford and Cherokee. Spent some time working on the set of Tichy flatcars (not shown) and trying out this decal set for an Accurail boxcar. A continuing attempt to improve my decaling skills.



Not quite there yet, but with some clear coats and weathering will not be too bad. Some advice from Jim Six to cut the drying decal on the board seams before the solvaset is helping reduce glazing. This is an other set from K4 decals. I was wondering about the spelling of "despatch", but it turns out it is OK.

Hope all are doing well,

-Bob T.

 

Tried to bring the 50 cent caboose back. It was missing a bolster and a window, so I used styrene to craft the missing pieces:


Worked on a MDC Roundhouse Old Time 2-8-0:

It needs some break in running, and the pickup could be better.

Someone gave me a busted Bachmann 4-8-4 a few years ago. The axles and drive gear were split, and I was unsuccessful finding parts or a Bowser remotor kit. I was looking at Shapeways for something else, and found an offering for gear/spacers for $12, so I gave it a try and ordered them:

Installed:

And reassembled:

I have no idea how durable the plastic is, but I'm very impressed by the 3D printing and think it has great potential for the hobby.

 

Not Wednesday, Nothing new for me. HA A couple Alcos I finished for a friend in Toledo.

 

Its actually Wednesday. This one is headed to Wisconsin soon, a little more paint touch up and I will take some outdoor shots.

 

Thanks Tom. That matches the rest of my week. Ha. I did not know that even came out. It must have been backwards from Athearn. It has a bulb on the long hood that is shoved way back in the shell too. Maybe the owner had it apart before? Thanks for letting me know. Save a little pride. Ha.

 

Easy fix after all. Thanks Tom!

 

Well, a bit out of sync, but a post for the workshop thread. Had to take it easy over the past few days, and staring at the materials for my next planned Crawford and Cherokee section has me thinking. I was looking at the track plan for the "HO scale Minneapolis & St. Louis Story City Branch" by Clark Propst. (There are a few videos on YouTube). He managed to fit an "M" shaped layout with a similar theme in a space smaller than my own. Pushing my available space to the limit, I came up with the notional track plan below. Not quite filled in yet, but good enough for some feedback from the Frisco nation.



Basically, this would mean retiring the existing odd-shaped "Lightning Creek" section from the old layout and transferring the mine to one or two straight modules. I would need to construct about 7 new sections, including the new mine scene. This plan features more scenery between the towns, a backdrop board along the center, and provides a passing siding between Weir City and Cherokee. I think that these features make it more feasible to have two crews operating. One problem might be not enough car storage, so a small staging area off of the south end of Cherokee may still be needed, or expanding/lengthening the yard there. Another option might be lengthening the interchange with the Afton Sub.

Feedback is welcomed, as it would likely be over the Christmas-New Year's holiday before I could make much substantial progress.

Go Redbirds!

-Bob T.

 

Is this the current plan of your layout? I like the new plan, but I'm hesitant: do you have to negotiate space? Does the mine section have to move?

Here is track plan of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Story City Branch. He has some very narrow aisles in his plan; you've got a bit more room to move.

 

Hey Gary,

The current Crawford and Cherokee as built is shown below:

Modular-CnC-Cherokee-to-Weir-2019-03-15a by rjthomas909 posted Mar 15, 2019 at 7:18 AM

It is a portable, sectional layout that I can store away. The sections are at the longest about 7-1/2 ft, but most are 3-4 ft. They are built using the waffle methods of the North Carolina Sipping and Switching Society. Lightweight and pretty strong. The full size of the layout takes up the two bays of my garage. Structures are removable and stowed separate from the layout. Mostly, I show on this site pictures of portions of the layout set up for operating as a small switching layout. For example, you can set up the Cherokee Yard with a couple of surrounding modules and have an operating layout with 1/2 of the garage:

Cherokee-Op-Session-1a by rjthomas909 posted May 19, 2019 at 2:00 PM

Cherokee-Op-Session-2 by rjthomas909 posted May 19, 2019 at 1:58 PM

Cherokee-Op-Session-3 by rjthomas909 posted May 19, 2019 at 1:58 PM

Cherokee-Op-Session-5 by rjthomas909 posted May 19, 2019 at 1:58 PM

The approach is to have something that I could always move with me or take for an exhibition and quickly set up. The idea above in my post from earlier today was a thought after seeing the layout plan you posted by Clark Propst. I could still set up the layout as it stands now. The additional modules and proposed plan would move the mine to a 1 or two section piece (would need to stow the tipple as with other structures when taken down). That area would also serve as a passing siding. The same "MoPac Interchange" section is reused, but moved around the corner. I was hoping to build up to something that had a bit more operating potential. Also, I do love building the scenery.

Maybe a bit too much? Might be enough to add a passing siding in the existing plan?

Later,

-Bob T.