Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Monday, September 8, 2014
The R's back in the month
...and days are slowly drawing shorter. This means more time for indoor activities.
I had an area on my home layout that was never operating reliably enough. The first turnout after the curve was too close to that curve, and caused some derailments sometimes. Also my method of mounting my turnout motors in that location didn't work out too well.
Therefore I took the drastic step of tearing them out. I'm removing the Woodland scenic roadbed here too, which will be substituted with a strip of plywood of similar height. The turnouts are being mounted directly onto it, and the turnout motors to the bottom of that strip.
This means I'll be cutting slots in the foam board that makes up the surface of my layout, and the turnout motors will be recessed into this. Two advantages:
I can make the entire construction at a workbench and test it before install.
There won't be any motors sticking out from beneath the layout.
Below is the start of the work.
I had an area on my home layout that was never operating reliably enough. The first turnout after the curve was too close to that curve, and caused some derailments sometimes. Also my method of mounting my turnout motors in that location didn't work out too well.
Therefore I took the drastic step of tearing them out. I'm removing the Woodland scenic roadbed here too, which will be substituted with a strip of plywood of similar height. The turnouts are being mounted directly onto it, and the turnout motors to the bottom of that strip.
This means I'll be cutting slots in the foam board that makes up the surface of my layout, and the turnout motors will be recessed into this. Two advantages:
I can make the entire construction at a workbench and test it before install.
There won't be any motors sticking out from beneath the layout.
Below is the start of the work.
Another boxcar in distress
I'm on a roll, here's another boxcar I weathered in the past week.
Before and after pictures below.
AFTER
Before and after pictures below.
BEFOREThursday, August 21, 2014
A boxcar in distress
As mentioned in my last post, I received a Soundtraxx Tsunami Soundcar decoder, and have worked on a project to add sound to an older Atlas boxcar.
The other item I wanted to try is to get some practice with weathering, which , truth be told, I still find a little daunting.
Here are some of the results. I've decided against graffiti in this instance, but a later model will probably get that added.
The other item I wanted to try is to get some practice with weathering, which , truth be told, I still find a little daunting.
Here are some of the results. I've decided against graffiti in this instance, but a later model will probably get that added.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Sound in freight and passenger cars
For sometime, sound decoders have been available for locomotives. The quality and variety of these is increasing gradually, and it was only a matter of time that these became available for cars.
While sound in cars is nothing new (Lionel amongst others, has been offering them for their models for a while now), the first commercially available sound (that I know of) for an HO scale model was the mechanical reefer released by Athearn last year. This decoder is now released as a separate available decoder by Soundtraxx, it is called the Tsunami Soundcar. While I have not found a dealer in the UK that stocks this one yet, I have ordered one from the US to try out, and have received it. I'm in the process of doing an installation of it in a HO scale 53' Atlas boxcar.
The decoder also has lighting outputs, bell and horn sounds , so it is also suitable to be used for a passenger cab car, mechanical reefer sounds etc. While this means that there's a lot in there that the majority of freight cars don't need, I doubt it would make a huge impact on price if the extra's weren't included.
With a bit of creativity, it might fit in some N scale cars too.
Here are a few video's of what it can do.
In a freight car.
In use in a variety of cars:
While sound in cars is nothing new (Lionel amongst others, has been offering them for their models for a while now), the first commercially available sound (that I know of) for an HO scale model was the mechanical reefer released by Athearn last year. This decoder is now released as a separate available decoder by Soundtraxx, it is called the Tsunami Soundcar. While I have not found a dealer in the UK that stocks this one yet, I have ordered one from the US to try out, and have received it. I'm in the process of doing an installation of it in a HO scale 53' Atlas boxcar.
The decoder also has lighting outputs, bell and horn sounds , so it is also suitable to be used for a passenger cab car, mechanical reefer sounds etc. While this means that there's a lot in there that the majority of freight cars don't need, I doubt it would make a huge impact on price if the extra's weren't included.
With a bit of creativity, it might fit in some N scale cars too.
Here are a few video's of what it can do.
In a freight car.
In use in a variety of cars:
Thursday, July 24, 2014
SP GP9
One of my latest modeling projects I finished a few months ago, I had not yet posted here.
It is my SP GP9 commuter locomotive.
Added details are light packages, steamgenerator exhausts, airvents, new roof vents, and several other small items. Of course it was equipped with a Loksound decoder with the new EMD 567 sound file and sounds great.
Here's a few pictures to enjoy.
It is my SP GP9 commuter locomotive.
Added details are light packages, steamgenerator exhausts, airvents, new roof vents, and several other small items. Of course it was equipped with a Loksound decoder with the new EMD 567 sound file and sounds great.
Here's a few pictures to enjoy.
Updates
It's been a while that I've updated this blog.
I simply had nothing to report. I also had my family holiday and work commitments that took away valuable work commitments.
Anyway, this coming August bank holiday weekend, I am part organising a modular railroading meet in my home town.
Fellow NMRA-BR members from the area, aswell as others will join forces and set up a modest modular layout and 'play trains' together.
I've been working on my module ' Wolter Springs' the past weekend, making some repairs, and enhancements.
I've had an electrical issue and also needed to improve the leg height adjustment range. That's now all done.
Further I've been weathering a few of the structures. See included photo. I know on the picture the warehouse looks rather 'stripey', but in real life it is actually not that bad. I will still tone it done with some dust coloured powders to remove some of the starkness (is that a word? ) .
I simply had nothing to report. I also had my family holiday and work commitments that took away valuable work commitments.
Anyway, this coming August bank holiday weekend, I am part organising a modular railroading meet in my home town.
Fellow NMRA-BR members from the area, aswell as others will join forces and set up a modest modular layout and 'play trains' together.
I've been working on my module ' Wolter Springs' the past weekend, making some repairs, and enhancements.
I've had an electrical issue and also needed to improve the leg height adjustment range. That's now all done.
Further I've been weathering a few of the structures. See included photo. I know on the picture the warehouse looks rather 'stripey', but in real life it is actually not that bad. I will still tone it done with some dust coloured powders to remove some of the starkness (is that a word? ) .
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