B&SR RR Box Car

I did some horse trading a while back and picked up a Simpson B&SR RR box car #47 kit. I've always been a fan of the B&SR or B&H two foot in Maine. I like there track layouts, equipment, why just about the whole thing. Plus, I like shorter cars, as in 24-26 ft cars rather than the 30-32 foot cars of the "later years".

The kit was fairly well complete and ready to assemble. I had to do a few modifications. The scribed wood for the floor was all too wide, so I had to cut them down on the table saw. The steel corner posts are a but small but as per instructions, I could have made them out of styrene instead of the Gradtline castings. Finally, the scribed siding for the door seemed much to thick, so I substituted some thinner material. Its amazing how narrow in thickness narrow gauge car doors really are.

I used some 0.010 wire and some tin tape to simulate the tin roof. Think I need to use thinner wire next time. Here are some shots of the car before going into the paint shop. When it comes out, I'll add the roof walk, brake platforms, and brake wheel. A fairly quick kit to assemble and while its not WW&F, I'll be using it on the Ablion module.

Tin Passender Car Roofs

Last night I took the time to finish the WW&F Passenger car roof. I use aluminum tape designed for air conditioning and vent work repair - I think its what most use. I use the tape to represent the tin roofs commonly used on the Maine two foot equipment. It's easy to do but time consuming. Next up is the time intensive paint shop. I'll try to finish the SR&LR Combine/Mail car first.

Still no luck getting a replacement casting for the WW&F combine from GME. It's hard to build a combine when the sides don't match up. Been about 6 months since I contacted them. Getting frustrated, might just have to cut and glue one side back together.

WW&F Coach and Tank Progress

Managed to get a little done this weekend on the GME WW&F coach and some final touches on the Portland Loco Works WW&F tank car kit.

Here's the vacuum brake and underbody detail for the coach. Glad to have this out of the way. I think the way I have it mounted will keep the brake rigging from interfering with the trucks.

End View

Side view with a test of Floquil Pullman Green. I found in the poor lighting, that it looks dark enough. My efforts with Scalecoat Burlington Green, turned out too dark. Might look nice in natural sunlight but too dark in my layout conditions.

While no information was included in the Portland Locomotive Works WW&F tank car kit regarding how the tank was held onto the car, a few calls to my father resulted in getting the original, "real" Portland drawings, which clearly showed four straps on the car. I made them out of styrene and brass wire.

Here's the car, per-paint with the straps.

Here's the tank with the first coat of paint. Looking much better. Can't wait to get it onto the car and be finished with this kit.

Op's Time and a New Loco

Today, I held another operations session at the house. Managed to get the Albion On2 module, the Arroyo On30, and the DC&L RY running at the same time. Good thing, as there were more operators than the DC&L could handle!

The DC&L ran fairly well. Despite my efforts there are still a few spots that are causing problems. Turnouts all. I may have to redo a few with the FastTracks jig. Despite my pride of originally only having one turnout built on the FastTracks jig, it is one of the few turnouts that has never given me the slightest problem. Frustrating for me but I think everyone had a good time. Mark gave the new trackwork on the mountain a thumbs up, which was encouraging.

Steve, Chris and Alexander have a three way meet at Hawley Jct. All went smoothly. Fun to have a friend from 30 years ago come and see the layout and to have my son, seven, participate.

Somehow I managed to get the new Class A Climax up and running before the meet, then forgot the address! Opps. It's a car works Class A that I picked up on Ebay for a deal. Didn't run when I got it but with a decoder and keep alive installed and some drive train work (glue on those GrandtLine gears and modifying the pickups) it runs smooth, quite and like a champ.

Next time I decide to have an operations session, I'll have to run a few more trains to pick out the trouble spots. Till then, back to Albion, I think.......

DC&L Steaming Along

Been working a little in the evenings on the DC&L RY. Its been a while so the track needs a little cleaning and a few items need fix'n. Here's a test run of the coal train. Running loads to the mines in prep for the next operations session. Things are running well but I need to add a stay alive to Climax no 9 and a headlight bulb, neither will likely happen before the meet.

Been going back and forth on whether to move the logging camp down the mountain to Hawley Jct or leave it on top of the mountain. Current thoughts are to move it to the bottom, both the camp and logging scenes just look better this way. Not what I had panned though. If I leave the camp up top, it's just too crowded looking. Less is better? Plus, if you have a logging camp, might as well be able to see it! Till next time.......

Summer is Here!

Summer has arrived and with it, so have other priorities, obligations, and interests. So, the goal of finishing a module, a mere 2 x 10 in one year doesn't look like its going to happen. Oh well, I am still having fun. While at the beach, I managed to start a Portland Locomotive works water tank. Need to finish it off with some things but here it is in its current state:

No, it won't go on the Albion module but its two foot and something I've been working at. Two more unfinished projects include a GME WW&F "like" passenger car and a Portland Locomotive Works WW&F tank car kit. Plans for the built tank car were done by the original Portland Locomotive Works in Portland, Maine but it was never ordered. Still have a ways to go but some progress.

I'm having the local On30 guys over in August, so it looks like the Albion module is going to sit for a while as I get ready. The Deer Creek and Laurel Ry hasn't turned a wheel in a really long time gotta clean some rails and finish some scenery!

Shingles Anyone?

No, not that kind of shingles, the wood kind. I finished shingling the outside of the Albion engine house. Now for the roof, well, maybe some procrastination first.

While taking a brake from shingling, I worked on several other "Albion" projects: started the potato house, added the milk platform, added the ice house/tilton's potato house addition to the left front end on the module. Managed to get a base coat of scenery on it this week, including the three road crossings.

The last two evenings, while waiting for scenery to dry, I started on the passenger car, which as the previous GME kit, is moving along quite nicely.

So, the Albion module is progressing nicely. Lots more shingles to do, lots more, lots, lots more.........