Handlaying vs. Prefrab

As my birthday and Christmas approached, I decided to place a few items on my list for the hoped for layout construction next summer (should our home finally sell). I decided to do some cost calculations to compare my options.

With the South Park, this was never an option. Precision Scale's flex track, if it is obtainable, is expensive. The only question for me was whether to use the aesthetically pleasing Code 70 rail or the more durable Code 83. I've read enough/heard enough frustration from other modelers about Code 70 in On3 (and Code 55 in HOn3) to be cautious about them. Regardless, I had no plans to run the heavy Rio Grande 2-8-2s which seemed to be the primary destroyers of small rail.

But, the Oahu Railway had very heavy rail. With 80-90lb rail, Code 100 is actually a little on the light side! I'll definitely use this on the double track main and probably beyond. I'll use Code 83 and maybe some Code 70 for the yards, docks, and sidings.

So, what is the best choice, San Juan Car Co's flex track or hand laying? By my calculations, SJCC track is $1.83 per foot while my preferred method of handlaying is $3.60-$3.80. Ouch. But, the Oahu Railway used 7' and longer ties...while the SJCC track has only 6' ties. Additionally, it has tie plates and only spikes on every third tie (if I'm reading their descriptions correctly). Therefore, in order to make an apples-to-apples comparison, I need to reduce the cost of spikes on my handlaying...and while that dropped the cost to around $2.50 per foot, it still wasn't too competitive with SJCC flex track when I consider the amount of track I intend to lay. But the clincher is that the 6' ties are shorter than anything that was used on the Oahu Railway. For the empire of my dreams, it will make a difference greater than $1000, but the hit will be spread out over more than a decade and I don't want to lower the prototypical accuracy of my track to purchase one or two additional brass locomotives.

My solution is to use Micro Engineering Code 100 rail on 7' Mt. Albert ties with either ME or Proto:87 oversize spikes for the mainline. I'll use SJCC flex track for staging and helixes(my top track plan has two). My secondary lines will use smaller rail both for appearance and cost. In some places, I'll substitute SG ties as the OR&L used them. I won't lay Code 70 on any sidings that will be likely to be visited by the 2-8-2s (sisters to the K-28s) or, someday, the big shays (sisters to WSL #8 & #9). Someday, I'll have at least a DSP&P diorama with Code 70 rail.

Previously, I loved the look of ME Micro spikes, but I didn't like their blunt ends. I'd rather pay 50% more and get the pointed end spikes from the Proto:87 store. I'll probably use the longer variety every few ties and fill in the short ones on every tie in between.

For detailing, I'll use Grandt Line fishplates with notches in the tops of the rail every 33' or 39' scale. I'm currently in the process of figuring out the rail length from photos. Logic says that they shouldn't be more than 29' or 33' (the OR&L's flatcars were 30' and 34').

For projects, I'm again working on the Montezuma in 1:20.3 scale for my son. With weight added, she run's like a champ and now has both a spiffy diamond stack and a sharp cab. I also re-wired an old, battery powered 1988 Bachmann Big Hauler for track power and we picked up a G scale "Percy & Troublesome Trucks" trainset for Christmas this year.

I hope to resume working on my OR&L #36 bash after Christmas as well as decal artwork for my passenger cars. After #36 is in service, I'll either build #35 or an 0-6-0...#9 or #12. Artwork for locomotive decals will be next on my list as well.

Why John Allen didn't have kids

I've always loved, as have so many other model railroaders, the work of John Allen. But, I can now understand why so few modelers can even dream of such a masterpiece as his layout...because most have kids!

In the past week, Liam has outgrown his crib and received a big boy bed. He celebrated by using a chair as a ladder to unlock the door to our loft and get out a number of my locomotives (4 On3 plus some HO) twice last week...I've removed the door knob. He then learned to make his way to the basement and find the cabinet with most of my HO stuff...of course he found my favorite brass NKP Hudson! This evening, he found the place I hide my On3 models...and damaged my scratch built waycar. Do I need to mention that he also ripped the circuit board out of his OO scale Thomas the Tank Engine? I spend quite a bit of time rewiring it today. At least Madeline is limited to only going after what is left within 2 feet of the floor...


I've got the stock car conversion ready for the paint shop, along with my father's SUF stockcar which I've finished (brake rigging excluded). I made a point to vary the hardware a little bit on each car to represent the variations which existed in the C&S fleet (for example, the fancier as-built style middle corner braces on one of the cars).


Additionally, my C&S caboose is ready for its paint, my SUF stockcar is ready for touch-ups after some repairs/modifications, and my first scratchbuilt boxcar has received her new undercoats of weathering paint.

Trainfestival 2011 - Rock Island

Trainfestival 2011 was an enjoyable experience. The 765 was there, the two Chinese built QJ 2-10-2s, Viscose #6, the Grambling family's TWO tank engines, the magnificent Leviathan, the 1936 Nebraska Zephyr, and a variety of diesels (including a pre-war E-5 on the Zephyr).

For our drive up, we stopped briefly at the NKP 2-8-2 in Bloomington, IL.

She's essentially a USRA copy built by Lima in the 1920s. Ray B. has built some gorgeous models of these engines in HO.

We attempted to catch 765 on the return leg of her day long excursion, but she was moving at track speed for much of it and we didn't catch here until she pulled into Moline alongside us as we sat at a stop light!

The way it worked out (having my toddler along but not my wife), I didn't get many good photos...this is the closest thing to a side view of the Leviathan:

Leviathan did make at least one fine demonstration run...1000'+

There were 2 hour and day long excursions

The steam engines took turns pulling the 2 hour trips, with an Iowa Interstate RR GP on the rear end. This one had an Iowa Interstate 2-10-2.


It backed up to the Rock Island yard in Rock Island, IL and then ran across the bridge to the Rock Island, past the arsenal, and then across the 1890s bridge into Davenport. The passenger cars for this were from the Iowa Interstate RR and Mid America Car Leasing...heavy enough for a nice show on the 1% grade.


The older of the two QJs...1985! The younger one is from 1986! While the design is older than the 765 (a Russian version of an American design, iirc), you can tell that it is newer in the details. Additionally, the engineer sits on the wrong side and the controls are a little different. Neat engines.

In addition to the trains, there was a river boat for cruises on the Mississippi.

That's the Burlington's bridge closing after our boat for the 2:30 crew change.

Among the most intriguing "toys" at the festival were these 100-107 year old amusement park locomotives, Cagneys.

They've been restored and Wasatch is offering new ones.


The actual trains were located in a Burlington yard. The festival portion was at a beautiful city park next door.

There were a few nice diesels as well (it is rare for me to refer to a diesel as "nice")

This beautiful SW-7 wore different slogans on each of her sides...gorgeous...and was used for some real switching on one of the mornings.


The C&NW F-unit couldn't compete with her fellow Illinois Railway Museum sisters for cosmetic appeal.


I particularly enjoyed the contrast of the Burlington E-5 parked alongside the modern 4400 HP BNSF diesel (thank you BNSF for helping make this happen and for providing a display diesel!). The technology gap between the Leviathan and the NKP Berks is about the same as the gap between these diesels.

On the ride home, we stopped in Galesburg for the Burlington 4-6-4.

I remember seeing that engine from an Amtrak train when I was 5 years old...on my way to Como, Breckenridge, and Alpine Tunnel.

As much as I love steam...the class of the show was the 1936 Nebraska Zephyr

Not the 1940ish diesel, but the passenger cars!


What an unusual vestibule!


And the unique ceiling in the car...sort of the opposite of a clerestory!


The kitchen, which was being used to prepare diner for the night, was still authentic with charcoal stoves and a working ice box! The resemblance to the galley of the 1939 Pullman/NYC 6 BR-Buffet-Lounge car my father used to own was uncanny (but this was about 3x the size); surprisingly, the Zephyr wasn't anywhere near as ornate).


One of my co-workers made rode the Zephyr on its all-day excursion and still managed to pull off the 7+ hour drive home last night. I'd like to get up to IRM to ride it as well.


What a neat train!

Not dead

I'm not dead...I've just been severely hampered by selling our house and finding a new one...as well as working long hours at work and teaching two halflings to love trains.

I've done a few odds and ends in recent months, but my time has been too limited to photograph it or blog about it. The major project has been converting a Grandt Line C&S SUF stockcar I received for Christmas into a truss rod car.

http://www.grandtline.com/model_railroad/rolling_stock_and_locos.htm

There are a few hardware modifications needed for this, as well as a new roof and a new frame. The 1907-8 C&S freight cars were built with Betterndorf hardware (not just the trucks). The 1909-1910 cars were similar, but had steel underframes (SUF) rather than heavier wood frames with truss rods. The earlier C&S cars were different animals, despite many of these cars being indistinguishable to the untrained eye (such as the surviving C&S stockcar at the Colorado Railroad Museum).


This shows the partially completed brake rigging with the new frame, truss rods, and trucks with modified brake beams (to be free rolling and allow the trucks to be removed without removing the brake beams from them).


The interior of the car and the underside of the new roof (probably wrong...as I suspect that they were actually internal Murphy Roofs rather than wood). Like the frame, it is all styrene.


The top view of the roof.


A view showing a few of the minor variations I've made from the instructions and modifications to the kit. The wood frame is made from noticeably heavier timbers than those used with a SUF car. A noticeable change is the modification to the stake hardware...for the bolster's truss rod.


Note: Trainfestival 2011 was this past weekend and it was located in the Quad Cities (Davenport, Moline, E. Moline, Rock Island, and BETTERNDORF). Betterndorf is where the hardware was made for the 1907-1910 C&S freight cars. Today, there is a casino on the site.

Moving

We are currently in the process of selling our current home and purchasing a new one.

Instead of being limited to an 8'x 15' space with a low ceiling for a layout, the plan is for me to have between 900 and 1600 sq ft, dependent upon the home. My trackplan calls for about 1100 sq ft, including a crew lounge.

Due to the need to have the home ready for showings, all of my models and tools have been boxed up. Many of them are stored in my in-laws basement. God willing, we'll sell this home quite quickly and land in a new place early summer...reducing the duration of this unwanted hiatus. I hope to do a little bit with some models/kits and tools I have readily accessible, but there's no hope for me to get any resin casting done until we've sold our house or moved.

Odds & ends

Odds and ends are the order of the day so long as our latest edition remains unable to sleep on her own...and thence allows me more modeling time each evening.

My C&S caboose has been waiting for a few details and paint for some time. I added the grab irons to the interior and assembled the sinks quite recently amongst other little things. I can't really do anything else until I get an appropriate color for the interior (the top half of which was buff). I'll paint the bottom half an oxide red just as the recently found 1008 has. (I lacked some confidence in the paint used on C&S 1006 and 1009...but the 1008 was recently found in Los Angelos and had a more classic scheme...buff and red).


I've also been working a little bit on applying a surface to the roof on my first OR&L coach.

My Colorado Central lime car has finally received her truss rods...what an improvement! I need to add them to my stock car soon...


The most interesting project to me has been reworking my Waycar. The sides were bowed in (and were from initial assembly). It became on acceptable to me and so I cut out the old windows and added internal bracing. I also removed the fascia strips (sign boards) from the roof and attached them to the body. The new fixed window panes look quite a bit better imo. The removed parts are visible in that photo.


This photo shows the other new photos...assembled over a period of 15min this evening. You can also see the bracing I added to the car. Perhaps she'll also receive a new interior...but with a buff and green scheme rather than buff and oxide red... My next waycar will be straw yellow and then a long one in oxide red.

A temporary scale back

Since child #2 was born in January, the hobby has been far more difficult to partake in. With one child, it was easier to work it into the day. But now, I'm lucky to have any energy left when I get to my hour of free time (if I'm lucky). Additionally, it isn't a good idea to use solvents (glue) in the presence of a 2 month old. So, I'm now focusing on finishing up my various projects (new windows for my DSP&P way car, finishing up the various cars which are greater 90% of the way complete). Earlier this week, I managed to finish my C&S coal car and she is now resting on the layout...getting to my LHS to purchase some flat finish was far more difficult than in the past. Today, I'm hoping to make nice strides on my way car's new windows, the C&S caboose's interior (which I can't finish until I get an appropriate depot buff paint), finish the CC gondola sides, and either touch up my OR&L coach's paint or work on trussrods/brake rigging of my DSP&P stock car. My family is at grandma's today...so I have some freedom.

I might work a little on the pattern work for the DSP&P coaches and the OR&L combines/baggage cars, but they won't make it into full scale production until after things calm down around the house (and the newest addition learns how to go to bed in the evening without being held constantly).