Deerfield Laser Taconnet and Vassalboro in On2

Last year I picked up two Deerfiled Laser Kits from someone online. They were selling the laser kits with two Bachmann passenger car bodies, roofs and trucks for $50.00 each. That looked like an interesting deal so, I jumped in. I've posted previously on cutting the roofs for narrowing, etc. so I'll focus here on the finished cars and compare them to the GME resin kits.

First the Taconnet.  The baggage doors are a bit wider, the windows more square and the car is shorter in stature. I am definitely glad to have added the trim under the windows, as it would really be missing on this car.

The Vassalboro. Relatively similar. I'm glad I added the under window trip. The lack of rounded corners isn't too bad as painted. I think the square windows look better.

Conclusion? Well, the GME is the correct width and height. The Deerfield Laser kit is an 1/8 short but has square windows. The GME doors on the Taconnet are a bit  narrow.  Neither is perfect, both have some limitations. Both work just fine for me. Buid'em and let me know your thoughts.

Both sets are cars were painted with Floquil Pullman Green and Oxide Red roofs. The GME has Floquil Oxide Red and the Deerfeild has Polyscale Special Oxide Red. The GME's were finished with semi-gloss and the Deefield laser kits finished with Gloss.

Monson Railroad - Fun with Two Foot!

Finally finished my Monson On2 Fleet. All the cars started out as Portland Products kits. They took longer to paint than to assemble. Fun, now I just need a Monson locomotive and a module of Monson Junction yard...........

Time Warp!

IC on the Arroyo?! Well....it IS On30, right? 

Bill's comment in one of my previous posts is the motivation behind today's. While attending a very interesting (zzzzzz) Zoom meeting today, I pulled out my old Backwoods Miniatures On30 diesel conversion. It's never run very well, and I've been stumped by why not. Each wheel supposedly picks up current. The basis is an old Athearn SW-1500, something like that.  It has a WOW sound decoder (darn thing talks to you when programming - doesn't really help make things clearer....) So, I messed around a little and used some contact cleaner on the the trucks and voila! Well, as voila as this loco is going to get. Runs fairly smooth while switching at really slow speeds. So, a little more weathering and some windows and I'm gonna call her done (oh, yeah a number). I originally picked this up for my On3 layout to use in staging but I'm not going to convert it. So, in the end, thanks Bill.

Proof of What You Already Know but Don't Want to Know

I've been running trains again on the Arroyo Tram. A nice relaxing way to end the day. Operations run from 20-40 minutes. While I use computer generated switch lists on the DC&L and have used them on the Arroyo, I wanted something simpler for such a small layout. I didn't want to use the computer (I'm on that for work all day it seems) and I wanted something quick that I could just walk up to the layout and use on demand. So, I pulled out my old box of Micro Mark car cards and waybills. I re-read an old MR article by Malcom Farlow on using car cards for his San Juan Central, looked quickly at Tony Keoster's Operations book and sat down to come up with something.

What a quick way to come up with something! In less than an hour, I had the cards and waybills written and the boxes installed. Started operating. Quickly learned that I need more cards. I then used an Excel program written by a German narrow gauger that I found on line about 10-years ago to generate 4-sided waybills. Still works! I worked up some better waybills and off we go!

 The system is working great. I can just walk up without any planning an start operating a train. I can walk away and come back when I want to. Easy, simple and quick, which is what I wanted for this particular layout. Operations have identified three things that I knew but didn't really want to be reminded of:

1. I need to build something to put the cards on! I always put the cards on the layout, on the scenery. Bad! I need to build something on the fascia to hold cards. On the to-do list, maybe you'll see it posted...NEXT YEAR!

2. I need to install a Tam Valley frog juicer. One single frog juicer hooked up to all my turnouts will work great since I only run one locomotive on each module at a time. I just need to do it as I'm getting stalls on the frogs. No, none of these loco's have stay alive's.

3. I have too many cars. I've known this. I just can't help building cars. If you've followed my blog for any period of time, you'll realize that what I really like about the hobby is building things. There are so many opportunities to scratch build or kitbash cool cars for this On30 layout! However, I need less than half to run the layout effectively. With less than 1/2 the cars, I still have plenty of switching, it looks better and I have enough sidings to handle traffic. With all my cars, well, everything is full and operations are, well, not that realistic. Heck, it's a small layout, what did I expect! Basically, it is an L-shaped layout with one 2 x 8 section and a 2 x 6 section.

What to do with all those cars...... and I'm building more. Oops! I'll have to find somewhere to store them, maybe make a drawer under the layout - you'll see that posted in.......2-years!

So, I'll get that Tam Valley frog juicer installed this weekend, get over 1/2 the cars off the layout and someday build that little sloped table to hold car cards but in the meantime, I'll be building more stuff and running the occasional train on the Arroyo Tram.

Weekend Projects

My son was working on some tank models on my workbench this weekend, so I brought out some projects that I've had on the back-burner for a while. That way we could share some model building time.

Here is a new hopper for the Arroyo Tram. It started out as a old HO Roundhouse Sand and Gravel Car. I saw something similar but a little different on a website years ago, I thought I would give it a go.

Then I put a Wisemann Model Serivces (V&T Shops) donkey engine kit together. A quick but delicate build.

Grand Central Gold Mining, On30 Action

April is almost over and I haven't posted! Lots of projects ongoing but few finished. I did get my Grand Central Gold Mine interior completed enough to share. The interior is a kit by Wiseman Model Services and includes all the equipment. I've added a few details. I would like to add some figures and interior lighting. Outside needs two rail sections, one to load cars and the other to a small tailing pile.

I also finished ballasting the Arroyo Extension and added a little scenery. Hoping to get the rails cleaned up and running again soon. 

Arroyo Tram Engine House

The Arroyo Tram received a new engine house. I scratch built the engine house based on plans for the Gilpin Tram's engine house that appeared in the NG&SLG. I modified the length to two stalls and left of the shop facilities off the rear. No doors at this point, I think they might cause problems with the location of the tracks on this module. I think it came out nicely, now to get some scenery on this portion of the modules!

The prototype from Keith Pashia's Freerails blog on the Gilpin Tram: http://www.freerails.com/view_topic.php?id=4599&forum_id=17&jump_to=84368