tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46659600901640354782024-03-18T22:03:12.049-07:00Modeling in Two Scales 3.5 and 4 MMKen Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-75720721432853976492023-12-14T12:30:00.000-08:002023-12-16T08:43:55.792-08:00The Tender Behind...An SP 90-R-7 tender for a Bachmann HO 2-8-0<div><span style="font-size: medium;">I have been forced to do very little these past few months due to medical issues. I resurrected a project started in 2022 to build an SP 90-R-7 tender on the chassis of a Bachmann 2-8-0 tender. I am pretty satisfied with the current construction. I used drawings from Arnold Menke published in the SPH&TS Southern Pacific 4-8-0 Locomotives. Arnold kindly sent me a scan of his original drawing for the 90-R-7 tender based on the preserved tender in Bakersfield. From photos I gathered there was some variation in the front platform and I used other photos for a different approach that was frankly easier to model. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This is the model as it stands on December 14, 2023. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFpS9YbzziTeHceuWKdvytP6TnanMHQoBC88TLzSwmkxgYzyd00gD8AK4VMoVWR-oVm3ivsM3zdFRxgs53yPuH-ZNzMrgmEKe_63vGf_pRsHDyRU0T0L88wQZtKmf1t1hf5vPQ1F6_jhB2yARhziSJezY15SFUE1QCUlek8f2SPKF6ac8JyJEM5h28-E/s4080/PXL_20231214_193751277.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFpS9YbzziTeHceuWKdvytP6TnanMHQoBC88TLzSwmkxgYzyd00gD8AK4VMoVWR-oVm3ivsM3zdFRxgs53yPuH-ZNzMrgmEKe_63vGf_pRsHDyRU0T0L88wQZtKmf1t1hf5vPQ1F6_jhB2yARhziSJezY15SFUE1QCUlek8f2SPKF6ac8JyJEM5h28-E/s320/PXL_20231214_193751277.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqodwpi-nS8lW3EdLsnZgelD_VChjn3pSbHdUtfsf4gEdJ6XixAkrJY-6zqCYnwmO0XbD19IO9IcKH0qNl0KajNr8IUT-H0Fv4OI-M6YIahwuItLxNyKibzlYlWLHWqWBhJ62IXWF_cJw8KX8mYwNNvltQz9H6kkkuRA8zGZzOM0bAdVGWADHVcYPlpCs/s4080/PXL_20231214_193515235.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqodwpi-nS8lW3EdLsnZgelD_VChjn3pSbHdUtfsf4gEdJ6XixAkrJY-6zqCYnwmO0XbD19IO9IcKH0qNl0KajNr8IUT-H0Fv4OI-M6YIahwuItLxNyKibzlYlWLHWqWBhJ62IXWF_cJw8KX8mYwNNvltQz9H6kkkuRA8zGZzOM0bAdVGWADHVcYPlpCs/s320/PXL_20231214_193515235.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The next step is to add Archer rivets to the bunker. I also need to bend the tender handrails and add a rear ladder. I am looking for help to set up a working backup light on the tender. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The bunker is built from plastic shapes and sheet material from Evergreen and Plastruct. The tough part was getting the rounded front end to the main body and then the water filler hatch behind the bunker. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> These are some of the late construction photos before the Tamiya grey primer was sprayed on the tender body and bunker. I scanned the Menke drawings so I could print working copies during the build process. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7oIZqtq22bh66BWLs8vXQXtPe4TRhQsEzYwl3VXCyJw0wUwHkomTNDHxhUFmfuQJzFtsxljh5taoC02ify5QsI8li2sWOTXuIJjeFfJrkkU_kwb5y8Jwp35KQqDMi-Ngfa1gR9o7wGAxxv910yzw2yKUKjW9pJXhcD3KqVkBDpCJapqSbmD9DJNbY8k/s4080/PXL_20231213_005837025.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7oIZqtq22bh66BWLs8vXQXtPe4TRhQsEzYwl3VXCyJw0wUwHkomTNDHxhUFmfuQJzFtsxljh5taoC02ify5QsI8li2sWOTXuIJjeFfJrkkU_kwb5y8Jwp35KQqDMi-Ngfa1gR9o7wGAxxv910yzw2yKUKjW9pJXhcD3KqVkBDpCJapqSbmD9DJNbY8k/s320/PXL_20231213_005837025.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsw_CKIGp9v57Ljfg0i8u7hq_qURhmIHs17GZ1vMMGbBofNnEN_PERzlaIYJ9_ncKLfGy5-KPFE_LIGm2djIDm_fOhe7OARn4jBhqzk85hfeCX2qbUyLEvaz6SZaRswQaK3crQH0-Hn6efRexTAMunSKbvMPumoKBKM3dNvYrIh0G2nGs7A_qdjCxxeE/s4080/PXL_20231213_005740186.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsw_CKIGp9v57Ljfg0i8u7hq_qURhmIHs17GZ1vMMGbBofNnEN_PERzlaIYJ9_ncKLfGy5-KPFE_LIGm2djIDm_fOhe7OARn4jBhqzk85hfeCX2qbUyLEvaz6SZaRswQaK3crQH0-Hn6efRexTAMunSKbvMPumoKBKM3dNvYrIh0G2nGs7A_qdjCxxeE/s320/PXL_20231213_005740186.jpg" width="241" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeyeUgaSMoeeQUDJGgWPo0fDrDEr_MVu-VNMR1jjg9sOvWWuHeG4_el3Bw3x84aue5km6re0LcZIvLidbntv_rjh9YbGzcCMCADdTd97Jx0pqlQFexxxuTUlgw4feMHJH4EL3UkYrwAGm5LebliY-6lcUtRDVrJOZ6-2KoKnCH_QSW-dKTtDMdXrXxZA/s4080/PXL_20231213_005713870.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeyeUgaSMoeeQUDJGgWPo0fDrDEr_MVu-VNMR1jjg9sOvWWuHeG4_el3Bw3x84aue5km6re0LcZIvLidbntv_rjh9YbGzcCMCADdTd97Jx0pqlQFexxxuTUlgw4feMHJH4EL3UkYrwAGm5LebliY-6lcUtRDVrJOZ6-2KoKnCH_QSW-dKTtDMdXrXxZA/s320/PXL_20231213_005713870.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86choOaaeAABTq0UmTP9rLWvQQZfyUjOHcidpWLQ5_Wlz5LMsaef6p2VblEIMl17HdIebarNInQbCdzkrTtHktWfbSur-oIJqs1xpcC8cjVnSqhpvBvZSwfHLp_x97UJ-vTpHGzAQPxhp6w0tA1oxSgvH0xVq8egHyECXVyLQHXLicaFv8J_YQt0OAeU/s4080/PXL_20231213_005705684.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86choOaaeAABTq0UmTP9rLWvQQZfyUjOHcidpWLQ5_Wlz5LMsaef6p2VblEIMl17HdIebarNInQbCdzkrTtHktWfbSur-oIJqs1xpcC8cjVnSqhpvBvZSwfHLp_x97UJ-vTpHGzAQPxhp6w0tA1oxSgvH0xVq8egHyECXVyLQHXLicaFv8J_YQt0OAeU/s320/PXL_20231213_005705684.jpg" width="241" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2fPvWkGOLWSIL2uuJ67ZJZ6jSKBndgwncRWGLeuU4mP6c9deeE9MzVX0fr2OhMgdpgVpS80uN_4jpCClnC3nOihzRD0DCrnWbPTDA1uSrR5iRI2RDXo4geA7ivNG1m9KbRJlPtVZEb15mhTLqqlBBwoVSxR6fSPi3DgRCz30MtGN5khIk1KmMLeyG3I/s4080/PXL_20231213_005651882.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2fPvWkGOLWSIL2uuJ67ZJZ6jSKBndgwncRWGLeuU4mP6c9deeE9MzVX0fr2OhMgdpgVpS80uN_4jpCClnC3nOihzRD0DCrnWbPTDA1uSrR5iRI2RDXo4geA7ivNG1m9KbRJlPtVZEb15mhTLqqlBBwoVSxR6fSPi3DgRCz30MtGN5khIk1KmMLeyG3I/s320/PXL_20231213_005651882.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZxGPe2THbcreR9cfhM5R-zEnSobyQdx7IdVbzO_WM_mS4EZeCm83zSAw7eOff8wTOlCX5LrGSBOQsYa_WPYIs31ao73oWbg6ltMK3FOJGt00A9tHOCiMaqfjiQ8sAD6tXh3mItKUIXmF71lY9x9ZLWEsrYb81YPpfJn3PTFKlgBdAyUbuPJnA3-A7TA/s4080/PXL_20231213_005630350.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZxGPe2THbcreR9cfhM5R-zEnSobyQdx7IdVbzO_WM_mS4EZeCm83zSAw7eOff8wTOlCX5LrGSBOQsYa_WPYIs31ao73oWbg6ltMK3FOJGt00A9tHOCiMaqfjiQ8sAD6tXh3mItKUIXmF71lY9x9ZLWEsrYb81YPpfJn3PTFKlgBdAyUbuPJnA3-A7TA/s320/PXL_20231213_005630350.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The engine in the first two photos is a my yet mostly unmodified Bachmann 2-8-0. The number is fictitious. I have another 2-8-0 that is being used to test bed the parts from Owl Mountain Models for conversion into a "stand in" for a Harriman Baldwin 2-8-0 of the C9 or C10 class. It is in disassembled state while I work on a more accurate version of the SP boiler running boards. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am looking for a third used but working Bachmann 2-8-0 DCC ready (not the latest sound version) with most parts including the tender intact to complete the SP 2-8-0 fleet for the little Port Costa layout. I have a brass 90-C-1 or 2 Vanderbilt tender to adapt and restore with either DCC or LocoFi control and re-paint and decal. I have a working factory painted Sunset C-9 with a 73-SC-1 tender. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Owl Mountain Models has announced a 3D bunker print that will drop in to the Bachmann tender. I had already started this project and was interested in a much more accurate version requiring a slightly different approach. And I just like to fiddle with plastic on my workbench. </span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">There is also a project by a couple of 3D printers to build HO 73-SC-1 tenders commonly known as Whaleback Tenders for the same 2-8-0 tender chassis. I have had early samples but the final versions do not yet seem to be available.</span></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-26471223610818100892023-11-04T16:28:00.002-07:002023-12-14T11:39:21.816-08:00Status Report as of November, 2023 - Not much ado about adobe<span style="font-family: arial;">All about nothing. I am somewhat disabled at the moment and don't know how long it will last. Prolonged sitting or standing is painful which limits both time at the layout and workbench/desk. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have the following projects sort of in hiatus.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Rebuilding the east end of the Port Costa layout. </span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I have revised the track plan for the east end yard turnouts to include the exit from the eastbound main, a short stretch of track that includes enough trackage for a 2-8-0 to clear the exit from the main.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"> a non-switchable turnout to a short siding for unloading bunker fuel oil for locomotives into the below ground storage bunker.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The east end turnouts are being relaid on .020 inch thick plastic sheet elevated for the last 18 inches to the height of the mainline trackage to facilitate an easy transition to the main line. The turnouts are being imbedded in 1/8 thick craft foam sheet to represent track in dirt up to the top of the tie level. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The foam is being painted with acrylic raw titanium oxide paint to represent the dried very light colored adobe clay soil of Port Costa in daytime sunlight. It extends about 1 1/2 to 2 inches either side of the track end tie line.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Turnouts are being modified to SP standard configuration with only one long head tie on which the high stand throw is bolted. Additional turnout detail from P87 stores has been ordered to better resemble the SP throw hardware</span></li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">While the work on the trackage has been going on all buildings and details east of the turntable have been removed to allow free access. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Additional LocoFi installs are being planned. I have 3 of the DLLHB Version 3 receivers to install. At the moment I am trying to get the receiver test facility to work but it requires new leads be soldered to the tender side connection for the dismounted 2-8-0 engine block. I am having some difficulty with this as the original leads were factory soldered very close together in the tender side terminal block. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I started building the yard crane that goes between the locomotive ready track (YT3) and the east turntable lead track TTA2. I have created a spreadsheet that has a code that identifies every turnout and section of track for concise reference. I still haven't been able to draw a new track diagram for the layout. I may resort to an annotated aerial photo instead of a drawn plan.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The only new piece of rolling stock since the bashed Accurail PFE R-40-26 is a new Tangent SP B-50-28 that was truly RTR. This was acquired 8-10-23 just before I started the rebuilding of the east end. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; display: inline !important; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJU-_bW7LADHyiYijEK_KtFpLMnEhDISebfMNHNw8CqaXBdtgPyrLxSqN1UTKlcbYDoJRQvVZO3ym05vGa1wJBk5D8hMMOnBuY13FoEuMJhO-yG_T5kEeroyydc_XJ8CFpqhB8CqnOGtVg1ooAcmT7Ub8URmQidCAH9VceKA2j_v9S-Tg9fumAIxFfCuA/s1188/Tangent%20B-50-8%20at%20PC%208-10-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1188" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJU-_bW7LADHyiYijEK_KtFpLMnEhDISebfMNHNw8CqaXBdtgPyrLxSqN1UTKlcbYDoJRQvVZO3ym05vGa1wJBk5D8hMMOnBuY13FoEuMJhO-yG_T5kEeroyydc_XJ8CFpqhB8CqnOGtVg1ooAcmT7Ub8URmQidCAH9VceKA2j_v9S-Tg9fumAIxFfCuA/s320/Tangent%20B-50-8%20at%20PC%208-10-23.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I have additional SP and other RR equipment on order as Rapido continues to spoil SP addicts. Included are:</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The SP 3/4 height Dome car in daylight for a 1955 Shasta Daylight. This stretches my timeframe a bit. Expected sometime in 2024. Not sure how to display it or get more cars for the 1950's Shasta Daylight. Not to mention a set of Daylight PA's probably without plows (unsure of the date they were added.)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">A Rapido SP C-40-1 steel cupola caboose. Expected sometime in 2024.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I think I have a UP B-50-39 on order at Just Trains. They are apparently arriving now so I will have to check.</span></li></ul></ul></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-49778404184177218792023-09-03T09:06:00.002-07:002023-09-03T09:06:35.082-07:00Something will soon appear here...<span style="font-family: arial;">Working on a new blog...a coming attraction...</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I've almost completed several projects related to the US Port Costa in HO side of things and done nothing on the English 4mm side. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Summer heat has distracted me along with ailments that go with aging. </span></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-72027609068204166822023-04-22T15:42:00.003-07:002023-04-22T15:43:55.210-07:00An Interesting Odyssey <div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Last week, my friend Dick Spotswood sent me an email asking if I wanted to join him and other members of the Sacramento Seminar political salon of which is now the past president on the private car Redwood Empire of which he is one of the owners for a move of the car from Oakland to Los Angeles where it is based. It had been hired for a trip to Denver from LA and the party who hired it was covering the costs or returning it to LA. In spite of my hand, I jumped at the chance. I had done this twice before and those trips are recorded in the 2017 messages on this blog. This however was not Amtrak and UP's finest hour or many hours. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Redwood Empire is now 100 years old, having been built for the Santa Fe railroad as the private business car for their Los Angeles area division superintendent (are vice president.) Unlike other Santa Fe business cars it was not gutted and modernized in the 1950's so is still wood paneled throughout. The operating part of the car has been modernized with retention toilets and all the electrical gear needed to be attached to Amtrak trains. It is rated for speeds up to 110 miles per hour however Amtrak has a 79 mph speed limit outside of the NE Washington to Boston corridor.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">My trip Thursday (4/20/2023) to LA riding on Dick Spotswood's Redwood Empire private car started with a classic Amtrak timekeeping failure. We arrived at LA Union Station shortly after 1 AM instead of the scheduled 9:10 PM. It was 2 AM by the time my head hit the pillow at the hotel</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This was an hour and a half late Train #11 arriving at Oakland, Jack London Amtrak Station after the Redwood Empire car was attached at the Oakland Amtrak yard.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlB2OFNKFpYbyvKSEophO3JFh-aWqjYaXQI78JbzOHsGhmrA_-1XX14HYfHClpcqfjqrCeINJjoGzDA_4LvwJ1pXzItRkRgfjtadVhUC2R660QKaLNM49Cxp-1G3JwlFGuC7JGK1TIGXF2qQz8RKgIAzN-t5UzcXh6bjtl6teqHVxNnQQ_gZcoDxa/s4080/PXL_20230420_175929299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlB2OFNKFpYbyvKSEophO3JFh-aWqjYaXQI78JbzOHsGhmrA_-1XX14HYfHClpcqfjqrCeINJjoGzDA_4LvwJ1pXzItRkRgfjtadVhUC2R660QKaLNM49Cxp-1G3JwlFGuC7JGK1TIGXF2qQz8RKgIAzN-t5UzcXh6bjtl6teqHVxNnQQ_gZcoDxa/s320/PXL_20230420_175929299.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEKN0OkAPcb_yhM5rxxYCB4qpMz1tfO9bbqDB9KmPWL-r4HMnUA6bqcwgqxBMv-Yu2RUJ9qZmcvfCZZehGnwtBwiB-4ndO7UEGxgqqRGbFT68O1rmAW-AxbeD_fRGqqqO_UUbG6oiNa0UV7VX4gdvGVgc7y_2JGv7HP6ylyvhixTiveMIa0LncZLU/s4080/PXL_20230420_180056862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEKN0OkAPcb_yhM5rxxYCB4qpMz1tfO9bbqDB9KmPWL-r4HMnUA6bqcwgqxBMv-Yu2RUJ9qZmcvfCZZehGnwtBwiB-4ndO7UEGxgqqRGbFT68O1rmAW-AxbeD_fRGqqqO_UUbG6oiNa0UV7VX4gdvGVgc7y_2JGv7HP6ylyvhixTiveMIa0LncZLU/s320/PXL_20230420_180056862.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We were rushing to get our stuff to the car as it usually would be stopping by the garage in the previous picture.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We were 90 minutes late out of Oakland as the Amtrak switching crew seemed to have forgotten how to attach a private car. It should take 15 minutes at most but they took over an hour. We were scheduled to make up most of the delay but on the trackage going through Gilroy a truck driver hauling a load of 5 new truck cabs didn't realize his load was so heavy his flat bed was now too low and it grounded the flat bed trailer hung up on an ungated grade crossing. Fortunately the railroad was notified and we were stopped before our train could hit it. Unfortunately it took over 3 hours to get cranes in place to remove the truck cabs so the flat bed trailer could rise far enough to be removed from the grade crossing. Then UP had to certify the track had not been damaged. This made the southbound Coast Starlight so far out of sync with all the northbound trains it was scheduled to meet for the rest of the trip causing further delay. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This was leaving Oakland. We can no longer ride on the observation platform while the train is moving as Amtrak has determined it would be liable for any injuries that could (unlikely) happen to private car passengers. There is a substantial penalty against the private car owners for violations. We had to shut the door right after this picture was taken. In 2017 it was great fun to ride outside. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KCxTNllvJ78wNppREWhKytv8oez9JX_w8sxd0HD_TL_E0wNfjcXeQdRk4onzWaWPiJ1BSxervcR6JteTS2ChURzvmmgqif70FDUtFCDIQru8Ho-vdoRUGZ1ul2miisEpgta1XFRFt6fUA219W3uzEod_7CM0uBqsBQTqulC9GfFpzN1hOgUuwU0Y/s4080/PXL_20230420_180442602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KCxTNllvJ78wNppREWhKytv8oez9JX_w8sxd0HD_TL_E0wNfjcXeQdRk4onzWaWPiJ1BSxervcR6JteTS2ChURzvmmgqif70FDUtFCDIQru8Ho-vdoRUGZ1ul2miisEpgta1XFRFt6fUA219W3uzEod_7CM0uBqsBQTqulC9GfFpzN1hOgUuwU0Y/s320/PXL_20230420_180442602.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The only other picture I took was about 7 PM as we were sitting down to dinner. We were only about Paso Robles when the dinner chime was sounded for the first seating. We split into two seatings as the table could not seat all 12 of the passengers. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrXjPmWkpsUQ9QRA2L_lBP_Su8T1XkIUeDJh6zCybauoKUsi4JyeCtY1YsGEevDZX5dNZQp3c_OZOIgFFTZPZdBESVoD7VLy7kjoPsWgShSAs6IXirJsIZd33erPgBshxe9qIqzJGqrylpRCrIcYWxjuFx1lj6xLTc3dSG-BvCw7c-o63CE4dfDGE9/s4080/PXL_20230421_015936027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrXjPmWkpsUQ9QRA2L_lBP_Su8T1XkIUeDJh6zCybauoKUsi4JyeCtY1YsGEevDZX5dNZQp3c_OZOIgFFTZPZdBESVoD7VLy7kjoPsWgShSAs6IXirJsIZd33erPgBshxe9qIqzJGqrylpRCrIcYWxjuFx1lj6xLTc3dSG-BvCw7c-o63CE4dfDGE9/s320/PXL_20230421_015936027.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">After this it was nightfall and I took no more photos. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Dick had arranged for a catering staff on the train. The main course was a very good lamb chop. We also had a breakfast snack and lunch buffet along with an open bar that was needed as the delays lengthened the trip and darkness shrouded the best parts of the route such as the hidden coast by Vandenberg and south to Goleta State Park where we were joined again by highway 101. . </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Coming home, yesterday (Friday 4/21), I had a 1:55 PM flight scheduled from Burbank to Oakland. LA Metro was free in honor of Earth Day. I took the LA underground B line from Pershing Square (formerly the Red Line) to North Hollywood (now known as "NoHo"), caught a Burbank City Bus to the Burbank Airport (nobody calls it the Bob Hope airport anymore) area for $1.00 where the driver kindly dropped me at an airport parking lot as his bus could not actually enter the airport road to the terminals so I could take a free parking lot shuttle into Burbank Terminal A. It was 85 degrees F outside in NoHo. I wasn't taking any chances with this method of getting to Burbank Airport and wound up 2 hours ahead of my scheduled boarding time.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Anyway Southwest was over 30 minutes late. At Oakland I took the Bart Connector to Coliseum station and then BART to Walnut Creek where I just missed the hourly Contra Costa County Connection bus to near my house. At this point I was so exhausted, I took a cab the 2 miles home. Surprise, the Antioch/Walnut Creek line had standing room only as it was about 4:30 PM but someone kindly vacated a senior seat for me. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Anyway, it was a unique experience and one I will probably never enjoy again as my friend and his fellow owners are in a length process of selling the car. </div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-17116631544396974732023-04-09T15:36:00.006-07:002023-04-15T12:14:15.372-07:00An Accident at the blacksmith shop behind the Port Costa Roundhouse in 1954<span style="font-family: arial;">An accident has been reported at the blacksmith shop behind the Port Costa Roundhouse. No further details are available about the nature of the accident. A local ambulance and the California Highway Patrol Car have responded. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1lsGJ_DFWSjbCURoV2nCcD2Nabaf3ma3HaVgkyCtCIRn_Z0WYSYKrKlFa_3raxRDVt9vTGB9uD4qvnXYTsHMSXgy_n80PR_RMTJ01VP_BstMt1vf4lJ0UZMU6Q91crRW5NkJdRfpOXYLjNvTPcJdhcqFXtcIuobEMH2ld7uXJKQ_KRNkTSNKkOJm/s4080/PXL_20230409_220048243.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1lsGJ_DFWSjbCURoV2nCcD2Nabaf3ma3HaVgkyCtCIRn_Z0WYSYKrKlFa_3raxRDVt9vTGB9uD4qvnXYTsHMSXgy_n80PR_RMTJ01VP_BstMt1vf4lJ0UZMU6Q91crRW5NkJdRfpOXYLjNvTPcJdhcqFXtcIuobEMH2ld7uXJKQ_KRNkTSNKkOJm/s320/PXL_20230409_220048243.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I was having some fun and put the new Oxford 1948 Dodge pickup truck I had just received yesterday on the. All the vehicles are Oxford products. The weird pattern of shadow from the outside daylight and desk lamp make it sort of look like the San Francisco bay fog has come up Carquinez to Port Costa and obscures Benicia and the Solano hills looking north across the waters. Just an excuse for not having created a background. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Judging from the age of the 1954 CHP Patrol car this would have been at least sometime in 1954 and the new (to me) Dodge truck is about 5-6 years old. I clipped off the metal cast truck bed side rails and have put on one coat of matt varnish to tone town the factory paint gloss. As most of my Port Costa scene is focused on 1950-52 for the railroad equipment the Pontiac CHP cruiser is a small bit of a time warp but Oxford didn't make an earlier version. I do allow for a time period extension so I can include the model of the SP Budd RDC car which was purchased in 1954 and used initially on Oakland-Sacramento passenger services. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This shipment of Oxford HO scale vehicles from the UK included 2 red and 2 green 1948 Dodge pickup trucks. Unfortunately at this point in time the SP was only purchasing Chevy pickup trucks. The only appropriate model would be an Busch 1950 Chevy pickup but those are now collectors items and go in the minimum $25-30 dollar range. I understand the majority sold were in a hot rod version appropriate for the 1960's on. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The other new to me vehicle is a 1942 Chrysler Town and Country woodie station wagon in South Sea Blue. I'm not sure I like the car top luggage rack but at least it is empty. Oxford likes to put these luggage racks on its models of 1940-50's US 4 door sedans. I wonder how many of these were made and sold for model year 1942 in 1941 before Pearl Harbor and the start of World War 2 for the US. Still it's a neat highly detailed model appropriate for the 1950's if weathered and showing a bit of wear. It would have to have been bought second hand by someone working for the SP at Port Costa. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCLKGhzwOWHk7fjllv7HllhEFJIf3LDLb0S-G9KUHBMu43EUEMfj8awJFsjASwYByYkQ2gG56QOzbVVfwYOAM_NWlZdoq7KqQpNuSD_JwT_u_AFmq40cPLDImg1Oq_myQx2z4ST2DcV-JRbzSREM9OnThgUEkIWiOWOiI3PD9WUheoGkgsN2fZ4HR/s766/Oxford%201942%20Chrysler%20TC%20Woodie%20station%20wagon%20crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="766" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCLKGhzwOWHk7fjllv7HllhEFJIf3LDLb0S-G9KUHBMu43EUEMfj8awJFsjASwYByYkQ2gG56QOzbVVfwYOAM_NWlZdoq7KqQpNuSD_JwT_u_AFmq40cPLDImg1Oq_myQx2z4ST2DcV-JRbzSREM9OnThgUEkIWiOWOiI3PD9WUheoGkgsN2fZ4HR/s320/Oxford%201942%20Chrysler%20TC%20Woodie%20station%20wagon%20crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>I have subsequently found that about 900 of the woodie(woody) station wagons were built before production was halted in January 1942. 20 are known to currently survive. Google or look up https://www.conceptcarz.com/profile/6403,10072/1942-chrysler-windsor-town-and-country. </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The white pipes above the roundhouse in the upper left of the picture are part of an effort to duplicate the steam supply lines to the roundhouse garden tracks using ordinary Evergreen and Plastruct styrene plastic shapes. Not doing anything further on that until I recover from the injury described in the previous blog post. The blacksmith shop with it's high cupola for ventilation over the smithy's hearth is an early 2023 addition to the scene and is a final structure model not a stand-in. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-37450636205524479462023-04-05T11:30:00.000-07:002023-04-05T11:30:12.598-07:00An unfortunate delay in any modeling<span style="font-family: arial;">I have suffered an unfortunate injury which is going to set my modeling back a few weeks if not permanently. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">During the aftermath of clearing the drain on the flat roof garage for my townhouse, I was moving the HOA long ladder in front of the garage when I stepped on a fire maple tree nut that had fallen from an adjacent tree and lost my balance falling on my right side and instinctively using my right hand to break my fall. I apparently sprained my thumb. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Two weeks later it was not healing and I went to the minor injury clinic at my local Kaiser Permanente medical center. After an x-ray and evaluation I was diagnosed with de Quervains Tenosynovitis and now have a splint for the right hand thumb that I am supposed to wear most of the time to immobilize the thumb and related hand bones and muscles. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Needless to say this makes the highly detailed projects such as the PFE R-40-26 rebuild from an Accurail kit rather difficult. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKn4Tb0y8-bReOGxe6ZILPXNzFm9PnVCX_0DBB2FuGEHWL8eur7NUl0de3HEjijDlz0tyH5MuXp30lBECNhDppZAvZgSjFeKbfj3p4LKaIMfLVhLl6HGwJU7R2XOF-lIRz0hoiBcKDk3_JOqJ1wZl1u13ihyDFYbulntylu45jFehiBRSHuBBzzoI/s4080/PXL_20230329_181715517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKn4Tb0y8-bReOGxe6ZILPXNzFm9PnVCX_0DBB2FuGEHWL8eur7NUl0de3HEjijDlz0tyH5MuXp30lBECNhDppZAvZgSjFeKbfj3p4LKaIMfLVhLl6HGwJU7R2XOF-lIRz0hoiBcKDk3_JOqJ1wZl1u13ihyDFYbulntylu45jFehiBRSHuBBzzoI/s320/PXL_20230329_181715517.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> I am trying to continue some work on the PFE car project during the hopefully 4-6 week predicted recovery time. I can remove the splint at times for washing my hand and hand strengthening exercises. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Needless to say typing is not the easiest task. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I am not happy with the color I had to paint the sides using a mix of Vallejo 70.911 Light Orange with a drop of 70.910 Orange Red and two drops of Orange Ochre. This was an eyeball match to Star Brand Daylight Orange #27. I originally planned to airbrush standard colors but my airbrush wouldn't spray paint (but would spray water and solvent) so the TruColor 107 could not be used. Usually I get a good level color with Vallejo, but this time not. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I am at the decaling stage but also need to make better sill steps as the Yarmouth #213 double bend steps (Pierre still calls them stirrups) are etched in too thin a brass material for any robustness and don't look right. I have also tried rebending Plano Type C steps. But doing this is awkward without a right thumb. Ted Culotta may be offering an accurate sill step for the R-40-26 in the near future. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I may just finish the decaling and let the rest of the details wait for another date. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have a second Accurail kit in storage in case this doesn't work out. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Enough typing for now...</span></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-50033938204485551482023-03-18T12:39:00.001-07:002023-03-18T12:39:14.575-07:00Time Marches On in March <span style="font-family: arial;">I leave a lot of threads unfinished....and I am now 79 years old so many will probably never get done. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Just the same I have started two new rolling stock projects without finishing any of the previous projects. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>One project starts to stall and another arrives in the mail...</div><div> </div><div>I have been working this past week on converting an HO Accurail plug door refrigerator car into an fairly accurate PFE R-40-26. A lot of the time has been building a photo library of prototype R-40-26 cars and digging deep into my copy of Tony Thompson PFE book along with articles by Ted Culotta and others that have specific information about this class. A recent Hindsight 2020 clinic by Ted that included his etching for correct side ladders for this specific PFE class also spurred my interest. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now I am faced with the dilemma of waiting for those etchings to become available or plowing ahead with a "good enough" model . Thus the stall on one project. Note that I found the Moloco TRK3 50t Ride Control FB trucks are an excellent match to the prototype trucks shown in prototype photos of the car. I have added Tangent Code 88 wheelsets as shown in the photo. Kadee #158 couplers (or are they now #178) are also used. I would have to scratch build a new underframe to correctly match the prototype but have not yet committed to that level of unseen detail. </div><div> </div><div>In the mail Friday (3/17/2023) was a throwback kit from LaBelle Woodworks (I can remember LaBelle wood kits from the 1960's) for a 1901 Day Coach that will be added to my little SP Port Costa 1950's layout as the grounded Barney and Smith 1886 SP (Central Pacific) coach that was used behind the round house as an employees locker and wash up facility. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is a fine milled wood kit that is going to require me to reach back into my very long ago wood kit building skills (If I ever had them.) I had originally planned to just splice some old MDC Overton Coaches but would still have had to add vestibules as by the mid- 1880's the SP had moved on to closed platform passenger cars. I can only imagine that the 19th century long skirts women wore would make it difficult to go between cars on open platforms of moving trains. Closed vestibules were certainly a marketing advantage in getting ladies to take the train. Anyway this Labelle kit is now on my workbench along with the 1951 built PFE R-40-26 plug door refrigerator car. At least no trucks or couplers will be required for this car. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQx7zXrV9SH4uf2o1zGYgmkaTD8XtAm4hkqram4p5v55gWe5Qz6BBMCyTst5DyQoiK9r0BDLUIBd_D6mWH5atZ550H7ge1NBcA31VStHQbnAXyOxmFxUd09oMEfMa4iYoNGPGLEOFD7VI9_xV5bELXBcWF8CxPsSK1ODx8nP6Nu5u-meccq1xv363/s4080/PXL_20230318_163347637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQx7zXrV9SH4uf2o1zGYgmkaTD8XtAm4hkqram4p5v55gWe5Qz6BBMCyTst5DyQoiK9r0BDLUIBd_D6mWH5atZ550H7ge1NBcA31VStHQbnAXyOxmFxUd09oMEfMa4iYoNGPGLEOFD7VI9_xV5bELXBcWF8CxPsSK1ODx8nP6Nu5u-meccq1xv363/s320/PXL_20230318_163347637.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Most of the above is in a post earlier today on MRH as a a What's New on Your Workbench topic under my old English railway modeling forum name "Autocoach". </div><div><br /></div><div>I have found a storage spot for the LaBelle kit in the new 10 drawer/tray rolling stock projects storage cart. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgzEp1GdP90VU3hcoYLzxcaakyIKLG_AVEzMB6fyriLYBYrsHMfc-tB3QpTH53nrVrWzQTAOQetAKuQu1Kd3SnsC8HwntpeUSd0sEuL7uUB0GKBHcBUCZKNreLsKLgzithwTiHwrZhlAZE4i1V_4iF6_VsWIz--f9qyBdsF1avISWDmkFrHwHIDuW/s4080/PXL_20230318_185039417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgzEp1GdP90VU3hcoYLzxcaakyIKLG_AVEzMB6fyriLYBYrsHMfc-tB3QpTH53nrVrWzQTAOQetAKuQu1Kd3SnsC8HwntpeUSd0sEuL7uUB0GKBHcBUCZKNreLsKLgzithwTiHwrZhlAZE4i1V_4iF6_VsWIz--f9qyBdsF1avISWDmkFrHwHIDuW/s320/PXL_20230318_185039417.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><br /><div>This is now full of kits except for the top drawer which has the SP 2-8-0 from Bachmann Baldwin 2-8-0 engines and their tenders project. </div><div><br /></div></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>My work environment has been upgraded as well. The other new additions to my modeling environment are a new work bench illumination source in the form of a tri light source LED bench lamp which replaces a rather broken down floor lamp on the right of the workbench and a Pine64 Pinecil Smart soldering iron.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGll95MJcpgSpDUK88O2OfHkh8SZW8IPj3cfnh7NqeUr-zdIJALLDVbkFYIVkkXnTxofOvtyEdgKvLnyZX7CrPyX9MPCNnbyG7CKBOhM_Xtm-0drvFaAuHu3ppiZoclvyXKmIBfNYP1wAoRWUAsOC36SIcB16FS7KwYZGq90Ou0qYHieLLYGjQ7ziW/s4080/PXL_20230318_185959690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGll95MJcpgSpDUK88O2OfHkh8SZW8IPj3cfnh7NqeUr-zdIJALLDVbkFYIVkkXnTxofOvtyEdgKvLnyZX7CrPyX9MPCNnbyG7CKBOhM_Xtm-0drvFaAuHu3ppiZoclvyXKmIBfNYP1wAoRWUAsOC36SIcB16FS7KwYZGq90Ou0qYHieLLYGjQ7ziW/s320/PXL_20230318_185959690.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I still have to add a rechargeable battery pack for the Pinecil soldering iron which when fully operationable replaces an unmendable 15 year old ISO-TIP iron. </div><div><br /></div><div>The moveable parts and supplies storage racks on the far right are a series of 5 wheeled storage carts that I added to my environment after the early 2019 water damage disaster that forced me to build the new Port Costa layout. There is a lot of scenic construction "stuff" under the layout right now but it was built high enough that each all of the 5 carts can eventually be rolled under the layout. The project storage cart in the photo above will fit under the 3 foot layout fiddle yard extension. Again, scenery construction stuff must be moved to roll it into its intended location. </div><div><br /></div><div>Ultimately I plan to extend the un-prototypic lead behind the roundhouse structures above the workbench through a narrow shelf to mount the house wifi routers and making an 90 degree turn onto a pair of 18 inch wide modules topped with a truncated Walnut Creek station diorama. The modules will be on cart wheels and removable for access to the built in bookshelves drawers and cabinets of my train room. Right now it is all still in the dream stage. </div><div><br /></div><div>So much has been inspired by Kevin Phair's English GWR layout "Little Muddle" built in an 8 foot by 8 foot English home 3rd bedroom. Google "Little Muddle Layout" to see what can be done in a tiny layout space.<br /> </div><div>Something's got to keep me going through my 80's. </div><div><br /></div><div>That's all for now folks...</div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-clip: border-box !important; background-color: #f0f0f1; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.4px;"><br /></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-5323629876854418972023-02-14T15:51:00.001-08:002023-02-14T15:51:43.587-08:00UN-Blogging of the lazy mind<span style="font-family: arial;">Oh boy...how do I restart...</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There are unfulfilled promises of further comments on the HO nickel silver caboose ladders. Unfortunately these remain unfulfilled. They are now available from Leadville Designs. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">More on the SP tenders for the Bachmann 2-8-0 project will be on the SP280HO.groups.io site. I now have 4 tender options. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">A 100-C-1 Sunset Brass Vanderbilt tender which I finally managed to open and check that it can be modified to have a small decoder or the LocoFi receiver. I have some more body repairs to do and repaint and decal the tender</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">A 100-C-? Bachmann Vanderbilt tender which needs re-assembly and decision whether it will house a DCC decoder or another LocoFi receiver I will need to buy. The tender is actually a UP not SP prototype but is close enough with the oil bunker top for the "stand-in" C-? SP Consolidation.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">A 90-R-7 Heavily modified rectangular tender with high narrow oil bunker. I am still working on the modifications using styrene shapes. When I finally get the shape right, I will use Archer rivet decals to model the surface correctly. I have been working with Arnold Menke and obtained his drawings for the 90-R-7 preserved in Bakersfield </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">A 73-SC-1 3D printed shell that I have working with Ken Harstine to develop to fit over the Bachmann rectangular tender underframe. I am also working on a version that is lower to match the height of the Sunset whaleback tender that came with my Sunset C-9 Consolidation. </span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">On the Port Costa layout there have been a few baby steps. I have been working on the ground cover for the area south and east of the roundhouse and am starting on details for this area. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEA_oqIMeh-5LTKb8-gquaxdtfwDqaCjei9DIyEP-v4N_v-_QbUV8WJ6gO2CLNh8T8mXHmJFXXEvRLC8srjzCQgNb0oza17LI5ORQDkGg-HGosjaQykEq6yqWh3DX4S6O_piqzhx-_HpgM2XZ1_HcA3zv7z31rPT8mFHStOF0pM5cOlczdu4_SQySh/s4080/PXL_20230211_005517948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEA_oqIMeh-5LTKb8-gquaxdtfwDqaCjei9DIyEP-v4N_v-_QbUV8WJ6gO2CLNh8T8mXHmJFXXEvRLC8srjzCQgNb0oza17LI5ORQDkGg-HGosjaQykEq6yqWh3DX4S6O_piqzhx-_HpgM2XZ1_HcA3zv7z31rPT8mFHStOF0pM5cOlczdu4_SQySh/s320/PXL_20230211_005517948.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The area was almost completely bare of vegetation being hardened adobe clay and still is as a parking lot. The steam pipes and servicing supplies about the garden tracks are a modeling challenge. </span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The SP tender development has re-awakened my interest in the LocoFi Wifi Control system and I have been playing with using the new LocoFi version 3 receivers I plan to use in Bachmann 2-8-0's and Mehano 2-6-0 M-4's. I already have one of the earlier receivers installed in a Stewart/Kato SP F-7 and plan to experiment with batteries to be mounted in B units.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have recently built a Wifi locomotive receiver/controller test facility for the LocoFi units. I have an ESU tester for DCC decoders. the design wasn't original but I have plans to expand it to cover testing planned configurations with commercial Keep Alive/Stay Alive devices without having to mount them in a locomotive. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7rwbOJPRbdKe7j08SRaeoTvEnWE2BTbUeDefUj_5v3Fy1heKhORK8wf9q9W8s-k87b3MnHfTqsrSQOR0b9JAoXIPg0FYlN2_Azz3fDd2PZ7KCJk6Gb_fNYCK0qLo6pSfPPfy_FNQeoxutM9-9N1xbz6GJuYCeuNIkrl9ejPMUN7aZyoJwIBLrPMx/s4080/PXL_20230214_004336022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7rwbOJPRbdKe7j08SRaeoTvEnWE2BTbUeDefUj_5v3Fy1heKhORK8wf9q9W8s-k87b3MnHfTqsrSQOR0b9JAoXIPg0FYlN2_Azz3fDd2PZ7KCJk6Gb_fNYCK0qLo6pSfPPfy_FNQeoxutM9-9N1xbz6GJuYCeuNIkrl9ejPMUN7aZyoJwIBLrPMx/w320-h199/PXL_20230214_004336022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The lever connectors are used to easily change LocoFi receivers on the test stand. The fan has since been removed as it burned out not being rated for high enough amperage. I need to work on setting up one of the 12 volt motors seen in the background as the normal test load and adding a LED light stand for testing forward and reverse lighting. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have already successfully tested the receiver with the motor block from a dismantled Bachman 2-8-0 that is awaiting the parts to model the Harriman style angled cylinder block and Stephenson style simple running gear. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUY6OOAR6V15JgouhP9lk_ii6KCk6CUKCG_g-1MQV-tacR-EdDEO_3v1HbOBt6T4eJFaPy68NUlqQ5MRo53ic0FbAuJZaMueNdG9UYHkOoc0xoTGR2RUW1-AFNY9EsrfMSdt4Bd5wcoxb_dglzhl6NkkuSEg86Fv6bs6cPmITHfqxk4mgxKKX4k59/s4080/PXL_20230214_203253923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUY6OOAR6V15JgouhP9lk_ii6KCk6CUKCG_g-1MQV-tacR-EdDEO_3v1HbOBt6T4eJFaPy68NUlqQ5MRo53ic0FbAuJZaMueNdG9UYHkOoc0xoTGR2RUW1-AFNY9EsrfMSdt4Bd5wcoxb_dglzhl6NkkuSEg86Fv6bs6cPmITHfqxk4mgxKKX4k59/s320/PXL_20230214_203253923.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The light from the blinds created a reflection on the Fire tablet which I am using for the LocoFi Android app. I visibly checked the belt and mechanism under the block to see the power was turning the motor. The LocoFi equipped Stewart/Kato F unit can also be seen on my workbench. LocoFi is still working on changes to the Android app for steam engine functions as opposed to diesel. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This LocoFi test stand project being successful, it will now go back into hibernation until the rest of the Owl Mountain Harriman 2-8-0 Stand-In conversion parts become available. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The turntable and the water tank are constantly in my thoughts. The mainline trackage is the other very big project. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-36238951918937138842022-09-11T17:01:00.000-07:002022-09-11T17:01:42.125-07:00September and the HO SP C-30-1 Caboose ladders are consuming most of my time.<div><span style="font-family: arial;">The SP C-30-1 (2, 3) end ladder project is a bit vexing as my skills constructing and soldering the new nickel silver etch ladders have lost a lot over time. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">They look beautiful still in the etch:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUNjBqJPoJj30OGAuvz2icDWFNYFm4Vkm7ZzqFw0G_G6pxZK6K9GR8InlAzFP-7UE8soofx9HEwutsw_XH1gT_pN8ztTGWNcZ5HwRms0HpS-3fR1n32OA2L7-Uy8XjEBejX_wB438vdL4PKmZnbdCbJVw_rO_PY96Dvw2C2vVV010-tiGTmkl5h1a/s4080/PXL_20220910_182331556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUNjBqJPoJj30OGAuvz2icDWFNYFm4Vkm7ZzqFw0G_G6pxZK6K9GR8InlAzFP-7UE8soofx9HEwutsw_XH1gT_pN8ztTGWNcZ5HwRms0HpS-3fR1n32OA2L7-Uy8XjEBejX_wB438vdL4PKmZnbdCbJVw_rO_PY96Dvw2C2vVV010-tiGTmkl5h1a/w285-h132/PXL_20220910_182331556.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">This is a reminder to keep them taped to the 3x5 card being used to protect them when you drill the rung holes. I am using a Starrett drill and #79 drill bit. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Keeping the ladders straight on the silicon rubber jig I had proposed is not working. This was the second result. The ladder sides are not parallel. Anticipating an attempt to straighten the right side ladder I have not trimmed the upper ladder rung ends completely. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nopSai7IPfO_vtrNh8HbMozbAvLZUWokFCO3gnvurbkJ1OnZloiSwRH9E_ia5hJkkpY4LoDY0DbezMLlhjmrtP2xzW05z4eXOf0BxGNt4QmDVXKGUD6R3KJ7eo9VII4ccO0ygWs23b5bxavJa8jPCnlgM-QFwmS5t1ES_AC2lSRrbuhsykGUVS4Z/s4080/PXL_20220911_231002300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nopSai7IPfO_vtrNh8HbMozbAvLZUWokFCO3gnvurbkJ1OnZloiSwRH9E_ia5hJkkpY4LoDY0DbezMLlhjmrtP2xzW05z4eXOf0BxGNt4QmDVXKGUD6R3KJ7eo9VII4ccO0ygWs23b5bxavJa8jPCnlgM-QFwmS5t1ES_AC2lSRrbuhsykGUVS4Z/w233-h155/PXL_20220911_231002300.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">This caboose lost the ladder and the hand rails and I am bending new ones from brass rod. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After the SPH&TS convention, I will get back to writing a type of basic instruction manual to be found on this site in PDF form. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I will include the SP standards drawing for the ladders and the C-30-1 handrails in the instructions PDF. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I plan to use the Plastic Freight Car Model Builders group on groups.io for a discussion topic where we can share methods and help building the ladders. I own that group and can both moderate and not step on the toes of any other group. (The Walthers SP C-30-1 was a plastic model...my justification.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The initial distribution of the ladder etches </span><span style="font-family: arial;">for a $5.00 contribution for each etch </span><span style="font-family: arial;">will be at the SP Historical and Technical Society convention in Modesto, September 14-18, 2022. Any remaining ladder etches will be distributed at the September 25, 2022 NMRA Coast Division meeting. If there are remaining etches after the NMRA meet distribution, I will let the Espee.groups.io forum know how to obtain them.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Note that the $5,00 contribution just about covers my costs for having a professional etch designer draw the etch and have a sheet of 72 etches made as a single sheet in the UK. We could not find a North American etcher for small projects like this. By going to the UK we used an etcher who is familiar with model trains and making etches out of nickel silver which has become the preferred UK material for scratch building locomotives. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have made arrangements with the designer/vendor of etched kits who helped me with this project as a personally funded commission to order and carry the ladders in the future through their online store so additional ladders will be available with me out of the picture. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">More on this blogsite and https://plasticfreightcarbuiilders.groups.io to come. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-74363936429950480372022-08-11T10:48:00.003-07:002022-08-11T10:48:30.159-07:00Bloggers Block Unleashed a bit for July and August and related Modelers Block Too<span style="font-family: arial;">Another month has gone by and I have little to show for it. Now the dog days of July have extended into mid-August. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">A few minor adjustments to the station area have been made. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQh47yPXYL7FoVlDVOH9adIe69NiTUo0QH2-TuP_xUqCO7cOnZvRLZZCpd7hY8yuC4JbPg75jhYmCwlB_BdeLEK_W2FjrC9x2zmN5Gi17sHOXg9h-UKGsq3EvypBKc9aVgdl3s8K8k0JI6R8L_dpFZJ2M6ekG-NIVQT_UZSD32A5Kfc4b4XXFXOAFU/s4080/PXL_20220810_220356777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQh47yPXYL7FoVlDVOH9adIe69NiTUo0QH2-TuP_xUqCO7cOnZvRLZZCpd7hY8yuC4JbPg75jhYmCwlB_BdeLEK_W2FjrC9x2zmN5Gi17sHOXg9h-UKGsq3EvypBKc9aVgdl3s8K8k0JI6R8L_dpFZJ2M6ekG-NIVQT_UZSD32A5Kfc4b4XXFXOAFU/w320-h186/PXL_20220810_220356777.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A hedge now disguises the foundation of the Section house. A new pair of Oxford 1950's passenger cars have been added to the congestion around the back of the freight house. Otherwise not a wheel has turned on the engine service tracks or yard tracks of Port Costa. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The westbound mainline trackage around the curve at the west end of the layout has been tentatively laid out and tested with hand pushed freight cars. It is not yet powered. The layout for the turnouts for the crossover between the eastbound and westbound mains has been also laid out at the far left of the photo. The radius is a little tight at about 27" but what's a poor boy with only and 14 foot long layout to do. And the curved ramp from yard level to mainline level trackage works. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4W3Sh4TyRQGUetFPwXLkZa-N2Ptdv5gjXTi_Xg3H0uzel8mKItzQ8qw2p7lI5__7wujRzpwAicQJ6YIkPf9ocx7DEY7dfLoUfJ2KDylZMNjKiZIgN9-Gq4B-zr3Ql7xqiLQZlIWJkHn1V_-cNcOKo-6Yh5cNQhdJh-pf_y8jzc84S2hnJddTNh28p/s4080/PXL_20220811_170055443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4W3Sh4TyRQGUetFPwXLkZa-N2Ptdv5gjXTi_Xg3H0uzel8mKItzQ8qw2p7lI5__7wujRzpwAicQJ6YIkPf9ocx7DEY7dfLoUfJ2KDylZMNjKiZIgN9-Gq4B-zr3Ql7xqiLQZlIWJkHn1V_-cNcOKo-6Yh5cNQhdJh-pf_y8jzc84S2hnJddTNh28p/w320-h158/PXL_20220811_170055443.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">On the freight car building front, I have finally completed the painting and decaling of the UP A-50-16 automobile car from an early 2000's Trix RTR version. National Scale Car formerly Speedwitch decals were used to correct the incorrect Trix all yellow scheme and other lettering issues. The paint used is a base Taimiya Red Oxide primer with a hand brushed mix of 3 parts Vallejo 70.982 Cavalry Brown and 1 part 70.953 flat Yellow. Pledge Floor Gloss was brushed on the decal areas and then Tamiya Clear Flat spray used to seal and return a flat finish. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlBHP-3biftnzpkizjR75kp383NBAOzyWr0Aau7Zse3eQ2r1lanTjOzyFr0PBafczEeX4H68cW0zaj5CJWhmQQo7IFkrteLmXygF-OXqR0JFfhduXPdBxny4Zgi4QIdfj-WvrBsc-gUyp-NdG45DxAevMCNt27IPqyQJsBG3HZ4SEXbszB0VNMuQs/s4080/PXL_20220730_204459381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlBHP-3biftnzpkizjR75kp383NBAOzyWr0Aau7Zse3eQ2r1lanTjOzyFr0PBafczEeX4H68cW0zaj5CJWhmQQo7IFkrteLmXygF-OXqR0JFfhduXPdBxny4Zgi4QIdfj-WvrBsc-gUyp-NdG45DxAevMCNt27IPqyQJsBG3HZ4SEXbszB0VNMuQs/w320-h178/PXL_20220730_204459381.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></span><span style="font-family: arial;">The A-50-16 is the obvious UP car in the above photo. The floor and underframe are still incomplete as I have been unable to locate a plan or photo that shows the very prominent Evans loader chain storage cylinders that protrude below the sill line. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I am awaiting the delivery of a nickel silver sheet of 72 sets of etched the distinctive SP C-30-x caboose end platform ladders. I hope to have these available at my cost reimbursement price ( estimated at about $5) at the SPH&TS convention in Modesto September 14-18. I have been practicing assembly of the ladders using the UP brass ladder set I received earlier in the year from Bill Lugg of the UP modelers group. Bill helped me get in touch with Bill Meridith of Leadville Designs who has handled the design and production of the ladders as a custom etch. If there is sufficient demand I will fund the production of additional etch sheets (72 ladder sets per sheet.) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXDFn8hbAzd8z8m4WV8gaJKDOQQrVw3k3-WN5khiWGfBMtO8eOnjsgcF4abzCup0K_J9RR1QF49ob9gD1lKsjAWbW6cnvMN1MYWeELKoXBMfoYm8nn3ibnJeCLaO3IUl701SMF1wpSoIjpTL4JosfHmLYJ49sEPhrzgivOUACmjDh7MmQ6WC254la/s181/Single%20Lugg%20Etch%20SP%20Ladder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="92" data-original-width="181" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXDFn8hbAzd8z8m4WV8gaJKDOQQrVw3k3-WN5khiWGfBMtO8eOnjsgcF4abzCup0K_J9RR1QF49ob9gD1lKsjAWbW6cnvMN1MYWeELKoXBMfoYm8nn3ibnJeCLaO3IUl701SMF1wpSoIjpTL4JosfHmLYJ49sEPhrzgivOUACmjDh7MmQ6WC254la/s1600/Single%20Lugg%20Etch%20SP%20Ladder.jpg" width="181" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">This is the etch which shows the two part ladders that were bolted through a flattened section of the end handrails. These are intended as replacements for the ladders on the Walther's C-30-1 model which tend to break over time. After soldering buyer supplied .020 brass rod ladder rungs in place they can be attached with canopy glue to the existing Walthers hand rails if they are intact. I am also working on how to build new hand rails if they are broken as are the hand rails on one of my Walther's C-30-1 cabooses. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">More on this once the etch arrives. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The change to of at least two of my active steam locomotives control from DCC decoders to LocoFi WiFi control is still on hold as LocoFi has not completed the and released the Android app upgrade with steam locomotive type cab controls and wav files for steam exhaust, bells and whistles. I am also not particularly fond of using the Amazon Fire mini-tablet for the Android app and may change it over to my old Galaxy S8 now that I have bought a Pixel 6 </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I guess that's all for now folks.... </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-70306588672229589822022-07-12T16:10:00.004-07:002022-07-12T16:32:18.564-07:00This post should be little noted nor long remembered. <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have not touched the layout or any motive power projects in at least 40 days. I have had health issues that have taken much of my attention and strength from April through into July. No Covid but other debilitating maladies that are partly driven by aging. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have looked at the scenery and trackage every day but have had no impetus to work on any of the 30 or so projects that I have started or contemplated. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The addition of LocoFi to the two active plastic steam engines has been stalled over how to add a Keep Alive to the wiring flow between the rail pickups on the engine and tender and the LocoFi receiver. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The best I efforts I seem to have any drive for are freight car projects such as were detailed in my last post https://srandsp.blogspot.com/2022/06/here-it-is-middle-of-june-and-i-finally.html . I have another project for repainting and adding a new floor and underframe to a Trix RTR UP class A-50-16 double door automobile/box car. This too has stalled as I have been unable to find the definitive brake gear arrangement and locations of the 12 chain cylinders from the Evans loader system that are visible below the car on most photos of the A-50-16 prior to or in the modeling period 1950-54. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I do have one other project which I have been pursuing for the last several months and is now into the actual production stage. Early this year I became interested in the efforts of a group of UP modelers to obtain prototypically accurate replacement ladders for the UP CA-1 cabooses made by Walthers. I actually ordered one and have worked on soldering it together although I have not completed it. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This lead me to Bill Lugg. the UP modeler who created the UP ladder project. Bill helped me find a US based etcher and designer, Bill Meridith of Leadville Designs, who was able to take the photos of the SP Common Standard design drawings for the C-30-1 caboose and create a brass etching design for the HO version. I have just paid for that design work and the initial sheet is going to the etcher today or tomorrow. The full etch sheet has 72 pairs of ladder styles (side rails). This is what the artwork for an individual etch looks like:</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdxn93YvdAtgzpl5QVyw6uU0Kqf9Xc8zwqDWNIrYm-4IFKSLv7LO5bR5siWbSsC42SutFxJn84zHLMWmmm06JU7TZGM2by0VXc9BXuws2h0_mw9aXLD8uuc5Vo2Oqtwt4AxJd84FkxVnOpzeJqLWT9DI7BCw3Ye-hO_HuP7D940r6dACD0XGQn9zk/s181/Single%20Lugg%20Etch%20SP%20Ladder.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="92" data-original-width="181" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdxn93YvdAtgzpl5QVyw6uU0Kqf9Xc8zwqDWNIrYm-4IFKSLv7LO5bR5siWbSsC42SutFxJn84zHLMWmmm06JU7TZGM2by0VXc9BXuws2h0_mw9aXLD8uuc5Vo2Oqtwt4AxJd84FkxVnOpzeJqLWT9DI7BCw3Ye-hO_HuP7D940r6dACD0XGQn9zk/w218-h111/Single%20Lugg%20Etch%20SP%20Ladder.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">I The etch has all the holes for the ladder rungs which must be cut from .011" brass wire to be supplied by the modeler. The ladder styles etch is .003 thick. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have had the etch design work reviewed by Tony Thompson (the SP freight car guru) to get a second opinion and he agreed this etch would be useful for accurately replacing the Walthers caboose ladders. In the past I have built brass wire caboose end railings. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">These ladder etches are in two parts as the bottom rung and the upper part of the ladder with 3 rungs were separate. These were bolted together through a flattened portion of the end rail. Tabs to be bent for the mountings on the deck, bottom and top of the rail and the roof are included in the etch. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I will have to look at a soldering jig and instructions to build brass rod handrails for the replacement of the old Walthers SP C-30-1 caboose ladders. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is the Common Standard design drawing for the C-30-1 on which the etch is based, It was used for production of the C-30-1 possibly earlier wood cabooses. The attachment plate for attaching the ladder to the edge of the roof shown in the drawing was not included. a piece of brass or even pieces of plastic angle could be used to replicate that feature. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyQx2MIwaF08ltFrsBK4RpwFM7ZodrYXssiR2UhsZXhyv4IGLJm2GsPIjuQKHH3rhfNSjzo4N3e5pcw_nMANjnid--fUeskiR8y17dP4-zfq6omW4kNYlw2UnI-zmvaybodW2_1zrUQY6hfZB2sn2tl8GKDvpoW3jdG-rxhO3DRv2FlHfpXxmDXK0/s640/AA_FC_%20DRAWING%20CA,%20C-30%20END%20LADDER%20_01_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyQx2MIwaF08ltFrsBK4RpwFM7ZodrYXssiR2UhsZXhyv4IGLJm2GsPIjuQKHH3rhfNSjzo4N3e5pcw_nMANjnid--fUeskiR8y17dP4-zfq6omW4kNYlw2UnI-zmvaybodW2_1zrUQY6hfZB2sn2tl8GKDvpoW3jdG-rxhO3DRv2FlHfpXxmDXK0/w368-h213/AA_FC_%20DRAWING%20CA,%20C-30%20END%20LADDER%20_01_.jpg" width="368" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>This has taken a bit of mental energy. I was originally hoping an 3D print would be good for a replacement but the ladder thickness would have to be significantly overscale to provide sufficient robustness. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I hope to have the first sheet and a built up sample by the Southern Pacific Historical and Technical Society convention in mid-September. I think I can find someone with an e-store to handle any subsequent distribution as I really do not want to be in the mail order business. I am looking to just recover my costs if possible and have maybe 5-6 etches for my own needs. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-41089858996366417392022-06-14T13:49:00.004-07:002022-06-14T13:49:47.516-07:00Here it is the middle of June and I finally blog Again<span style="font-family: arial;">This should be the final blog about the construction of the Tichy Pittsburg and Lake Erie rebuilt USRA 40 foot 50 ton capacity box car. I am finally complete to the point of diminishing returns for doing any more. I could have added air hoses and a Carmer lever uncoupler but that would take me weeks at my current pace. I have Yarmouth Carmer lever etchings but the attachment is quite fiddly. Ask long as I am leaving the coupler trip pin on the couplers an air hose connection would sort of look redundant. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx3pjqGbj7Dou0R-s2FsYZhOzTGCpMpFtu0TBMYYTNggq_Ya9aRusOH4uTnVcTwjykXKjGQtFshRviEp11NaJ8hUfbTNPPjygEJP3ywf0rUNXO7fuT2UgbbThrYay3-YIvYWNftfAfC2RSUpvDAhlSOdUQRCR9zYBm1ANrsL43uV75KHSybwtD68P1/s832/Complete-with%20chalk%20marks%20and%20final%20road%20dust%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="832" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx3pjqGbj7Dou0R-s2FsYZhOzTGCpMpFtu0TBMYYTNggq_Ya9aRusOH4uTnVcTwjykXKjGQtFshRviEp11NaJ8hUfbTNPPjygEJP3ywf0rUNXO7fuT2UgbbThrYay3-YIvYWNftfAfC2RSUpvDAhlSOdUQRCR9zYBm1ANrsL43uV75KHSybwtD68P1/s320/Complete-with%20chalk%20marks%20and%20final%20road%20dust%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The object attached to the sill just to the left of the door on this side only is a NYC cover for the AB valve. It is fairly common on 1950's NYC system box cars. I have not seen it on any other roads. </span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Nearly everything added to the model came from Tichy although not in the kit. The grab irons are Tichy 18 inch drop style and the sill steps are from a separate set. The NYC decals are from National Scale Car as are the chalk mark decals. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">The paint process started with a Tamiya grey primer coat that was used in construction. When I was satisfied with the boxcar's body I used the Tamiya red oxide primer as the base box car read coat. The car was then decaled. I then hand brushed diluted wash coats of Vallejo Panzer Aces #302 Dark Rust until it reached a dirty dark color representative of steam era freight cars. The running board was washed with Vallejo 71.121 Light Gull Grey to achieve more of a weathered wood effect. Highlights to the running board were added with diluted Vallejo Panzer Aces #310 Old Wood. I used Vallejo's airbrush thinner to dilute the paint instead of water. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">The trucks were a bit of a problem to find. There are lots of versions of Andrews 50 Ton trucks in HO. But the closest match to the prototype is a now out of production Proto2000 truck. I managed to locate a 2 pair on eBay at a reasonable price (less than new Tahoe trucks.) It was fortunate I bought 2 pair as the side frame broke off one truck while testing to see if Tangent Code 88 wheel sets would fit. In the end they didn't as the axel was a bit loose in the Proto2000 trucks and I went back to using the wider wheelsets that came with the truck.</span></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The car is not quite correct as there was a significant error in placement of the reporting marks on the side shown. The previous blog post covered some of the problems of construction. But now It is ready to be shown publicly. If my mojo is right I will take it to our local RPM meet, the Bay Area Prototype Modelers meet this Saturday in Richmond, California. I just have to type up a description.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Note on the photo. I am working with my new phone camera on a Pixel 6. I am also working on modifying the color saturation of photos that I am publishing. </span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This is a builders photo of the original rebuild fresh out of the shop as it was originally lettered for the </span><span style="font-family: arial;">PMcK&Y. It was re-liveried for the P&LE and New York Central System about 1940.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxq6uRJwSm3Xz2d5wWQWTF_Vv61vLWZDXLxD3JUeNgiOaOWnK_E9KnbmNUfrBETTbapS1UHYFH_QDee29DOHi_tHuM-ofIhpuMIZ90nyG0Dr3Kjysw96u7TQcl57NXB3I7OLhCGbya3rEeh6ui3Vdf9rIJn6kdUz0jwlZ7vPHfOGfkdPVKG0E3PaNW/s600/NYCHS%20PLE%2083400%203%20qtr%20view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="600" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxq6uRJwSm3Xz2d5wWQWTF_Vv61vLWZDXLxD3JUeNgiOaOWnK_E9KnbmNUfrBETTbapS1UHYFH_QDee29DOHi_tHuM-ofIhpuMIZ90nyG0Dr3Kjysw96u7TQcl57NXB3I7OLhCGbya3rEeh6ui3Vdf9rIJn6kdUz0jwlZ7vPHfOGfkdPVKG0E3PaNW/s320/NYCHS%20PLE%2083400%203%20qtr%20view.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo from the NYC Historical Society Collection</div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">As Porky Pig would say at the end of a Walter Lanz Cartoon film....Thaaats Aaalll Folks</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-5621486646689178732022-05-07T12:19:00.002-07:002022-05-07T12:19:42.305-07:00Port Costa Layout in Stasis for April 2022<span style="font-family: arial;">Nothing much has happened on any layout improvement projects for the last 6 weeks. Four of those weeks I have been fighting a combination of sinusitis and bronchitis that has left me mostly unmotivated. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have been pecking at a project to build a Tichy Rebuilt USRA boxcar following the closest prototype to the kit, a PMCK&Y/P&LE/NYC 50 Ton car. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This has been a bit frustrating as the kit requires 36 separate grab irons mounted in 72 #78 drilled holes. In the process I have gone through at least 12 #78 drill bits. But I am finally done with that phase. I have 72 3/4 " NBW castings from a Grandt Line set to cut off and mount above the grab iron holes. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have completed building the underframe and mounting the AB brake parts as far as I will go (I don't do the detail piping.) The trucks are Proto 2000 Andrews trucks and Kadee 158 couplers in narrow draft gear boxes. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have modified the Youngstown 1930's style doors to follow the Richard Hendrickson 1990's MRJ articles. The Speedwitch kit for the correct doors is no longer available. Assembly, brake end detail and other body details still to go before painting and decaling. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GThsc1-8vNH7lRrzbIa0STdgXLzZNmWflQx40kieTGLrBKhkMkjUX1xe8Oz2HCOtBeqFwy5lZinOxeXbHvoruVhhxToLNce6qRhqQmq3SFbA0_hH3nf6QcPlHgEwrHLqOQx06zs5DIdXe-AT52LKMFzx7tsdGVcc9-wwwJC4z2IqugZnr_n73-Eh/s4032/20220430_163549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GThsc1-8vNH7lRrzbIa0STdgXLzZNmWflQx40kieTGLrBKhkMkjUX1xe8Oz2HCOtBeqFwy5lZinOxeXbHvoruVhhxToLNce6qRhqQmq3SFbA0_hH3nf6QcPlHgEwrHLqOQx06zs5DIdXe-AT52LKMFzx7tsdGVcc9-wwwJC4z2IqugZnr_n73-Eh/s320/20220430_163549.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That's all for now. I am focused on this kit and then another Tichy kit for an 1943 52 Foot War Emergency gondola. I like building car kits but for now I will in future stay away from freight cars that require grabirons instead of ladders on the ends. </span></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-5995765895193942782022-03-22T15:51:00.005-07:002022-03-22T15:51:51.717-07:00You Didn't Miss Me at All, Did You...<span style="font-family: arial;">Well, after not publishing anything for a while, I decided to write up what I have been working on.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">First, the turntable project has been given a lot of thought but not much action. The pit issue may have been resolved when I followed up on a method used by Bill Schneider of Rapido in a presentation he made on his OW&N layout on a Hindsight 2020 Zoom clinic. He used a 10 inch MDF speaker ring with bezel mounting spacer recessed. So I ordered a pair (they only came in pairs) for $18 from Amazon and have been playing around at how to finish the pit ever since. The 10 inch inside dimension diameter scales out to 73 feet instead of the 70 foot for the Port Costa turntable. But the Banta model of the Port Costa roundhouse track spacing was built to use the 75 foot Diamond Scale turntable so I am closer to that and will have to fudge less.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">These is a photo of an earlier 70 foot turntable bridge attempt being used to play around with the speaker ring as a turntable pit:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwix4eds6CJ00Jums_i6HiQajCYVozvbm9i1R9u2FvIpZhOn-KVAmx5BnJe2A2YhsuEs5lApSQH6K3ELqcsyT-tVYFa_PbGgprXUMEOiTNEuBvfS6RN81wu1YVEkFdnMekFvMBwT5cJW8-vGE2tDEs3n26MbOX06TnKfLXHDuEQiZS5gW-kCpxo1nA/s4032/20220318_134049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwix4eds6CJ00Jums_i6HiQajCYVozvbm9i1R9u2FvIpZhOn-KVAmx5BnJe2A2YhsuEs5lApSQH6K3ELqcsyT-tVYFa_PbGgprXUMEOiTNEuBvfS6RN81wu1YVEkFdnMekFvMBwT5cJW8-vGE2tDEs3n26MbOX06TnKfLXHDuEQiZS5gW-kCpxo1nA/s320/20220318_134049.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMGj5onjhxZz0l2UaWoLYg1KCfw6Fo063GllS9wtwCvfnfT5Y_bLpT8sjvBziS48ZY7Bokh1jv07Brrl9R0e4FG2FP6Sd2Mcx1iKfep02tB3CFfNgjnGQK9JtMlndRUI8IvU5S3CXYnUStoYI27EbuTWi3dPSo3cgno66YrGYBqKMP-Gfq5qADQuE/s4032/20220318_133749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMGj5onjhxZz0l2UaWoLYg1KCfw6Fo063GllS9wtwCvfnfT5Y_bLpT8sjvBziS48ZY7Bokh1jv07Brrl9R0e4FG2FP6Sd2Mcx1iKfep02tB3CFfNgjnGQK9JtMlndRUI8IvU5S3CXYnUStoYI27EbuTWi3dPSo3cgno66YrGYBqKMP-Gfq5qADQuE/s320/20220318_133749.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The white plastic circular insert covering the bezel is an attempt to build out a larger inside ring for the turntable support rail. A new scratchbuilt bridge will have to be rebuilt. I bought a Sterling cast pot metal turntable kit a several years ago for a much deeper D&RGW prototype when I first started Port Costa. The main bridge support seen at the center of the second photo may yet be used. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A few weeks ago I figured out I needed some different Peco Code 83 turnouts to make the SP mainline track plan at the west end of the layout work. These have arrived and I have just fitted them into the west end curve. This morning I wired them and tested them with both locomotives and some freight cars. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There is a short ramped section on a curve (ouch) to the level of the mainline trackage. Thus far I have tested the two Alco switchers and the M-4 2-6-0 and the three work fine over this bit of nasty trackage. It is a lead off the mainline into the Port Costa yard and engine stabling area so no passenger engines or cars are expected to traverse the sharp 20 inch curve on a grade. Right now bits of a plastic wedge are being used to support the grade. This area "off scene" and is not going to be "scenicked" but I do want a more resilient support for the trackage.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVScIr_UWd4F_uXj2evQ5x3c9A8ao6wNAR7IxGPcMKiAzES5Xo9d4u3hFJa4xetgYXApeRxi5F2YSpQ5YcaYGSW-s65KRb8EwlcbvdDCePrEfvLTQL7qRu7wRazNim9rxZ3xjuQT7gW7mt3irQACJj18kwIQzTbGdtJe9fSji3K5r0k4Oe9GcneUdH/s4032/20220322_145130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVScIr_UWd4F_uXj2evQ5x3c9A8ao6wNAR7IxGPcMKiAzES5Xo9d4u3hFJa4xetgYXApeRxi5F2YSpQ5YcaYGSW-s65KRb8EwlcbvdDCePrEfvLTQL7qRu7wRazNim9rxZ3xjuQT7gW7mt3irQACJj18kwIQzTbGdtJe9fSji3K5r0k4Oe9GcneUdH/w453-h255/20220322_145130.jpg" width="453" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The mogul is sitting on the Eastbound SP main just before a right hand curve turnout. The mainline curve continues into another right hand curve turnout and left hand #6 forming a crossover to the Westbound main. Beyond that is a siding along the mains next to the Carquinez strait and some stub trackage where the old ferry terminal to Benicia used to be located. The foreground will be occupied by the hill with the water tank. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For the turnout into the compact storage and staging freight yard I had to use a 18"/20" radius left hand Peco Set Track turnout. Not elegant but it works. I did some shimming to adjust for the Code 83 to Code 100 height transition and then back to Cod3 83. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You can't see it well with the low resolution but the metal pencil shaped object is a thin Xacto knife holder with a Proxa brush dental cleaner that was discussed recently on the Model Railroad Hobbyist forum as an uncoupler tool for Kadee couplers. I found a pack of the brushes on sale at a Safeway and tried it out. It actually works separating the cars with minimal movement or hand intervention.<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px !important; font-weight: 400; line-height: 32px !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></h1><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-36764735541568561722022-03-22T14:57:00.003-07:002022-03-22T14:57:33.846-07:00January 2022 Layout Progress<div><span style="font-family: arial;">I left this in draft since January 30. No wonder I have nobody reading this blog.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Well basically, there has been little progress on the layout in the last few months. I did some design work on the turntable pit and bridge but little has happened to the layout which remains the same. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Note the lineup of steam locomotives on the service track (water/bunker oil.) I am still waiting for the Owl Mountain Harriman Stand-In parts to add to the lineup. I have another Bachmann 2-8-0 to convert and parts to fix the second Mehano M-4. I have little hopes for another brass C-9 or C-10 as the only ones coming to the market lately have been unpainted 1970's models that would require complete rebuilding to work in a DCC/LocoFi control environment. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKc0GfpeCzzRPqk2ZVNHM4PniMt5vlsoK9nUBDAXYfYnfRtIWrs2v0vu6Xyk2dZPbmlC5zWBSzhIhLUZKXa-Chc_KgxR5eBA1A3Z_O3ZfNC4VrPpE0KBt_HxFamaYG_ne2LOoog6tjZ1toip5aQg8MQ9H_uAwusImB1SWsm9dtt5omD2nIov-MHdHH=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKc0GfpeCzzRPqk2ZVNHM4PniMt5vlsoK9nUBDAXYfYnfRtIWrs2v0vu6Xyk2dZPbmlC5zWBSzhIhLUZKXa-Chc_KgxR5eBA1A3Z_O3ZfNC4VrPpE0KBt_HxFamaYG_ne2LOoog6tjZ1toip5aQg8MQ9H_uAwusImB1SWsm9dtt5omD2nIov-MHdHH=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">I have yet to fix the roof on the section house or do anything better with the trees and ground cover. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On the control experimental side, the pre-ordered LocoFi new Gen 3 chips that will be able to support steam sound and control features have arrived. I am waiting for some better information on new developments in stay alive/products before performing any more conversions. One thing that has happened is I have found how easy it is to build and load sound packages for the LocoFi control module.</span></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-14780159005855074252022-01-13T10:32:00.008-08:002022-01-18T10:44:40.997-08:00Thaaats All Folks...<div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I have been very remiss in ignoring this blog. I can't promise to better as I seem to be already spending an inordinate amount of time at the PC and doing very little modeling. Almost nothing has changed on the layout. I can't promise much more for 2022. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">This is the only freight car project in the last 3 months:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0lL0KpJ7LjP6G53ypIW969Na6CI6JfdEOFSh4Ec3fJRh_kp3KfnlLs6y1kgH6xOeUf5PK09_bCyt-k4tDbvrzQ0sC_QK0Vl4fClPwLDDkLVbuhmikue27xFGCrBXC_8Tw2EUUA4IGY5b-wO78euUuyCp875pPTDk5paijtOmW92kI0xThzW4COrLm=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0lL0KpJ7LjP6G53ypIW969Na6CI6JfdEOFSh4Ec3fJRh_kp3KfnlLs6y1kgH6xOeUf5PK09_bCyt-k4tDbvrzQ0sC_QK0Vl4fClPwLDDkLVbuhmikue27xFGCrBXC_8Tw2EUUA4IGY5b-wO78euUuyCp875pPTDk5paijtOmW92kI0xThzW4COrLm=w320-h151" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">It took me 3 months to finish this SP&S 40' flat car. I found out the Tichy flatcar kit which cost me all of $8.50 was identical to the 50 AC&F cars SP&S purchased in 1924. I have always liked that railroad and lived in my youth in all the three cities of its name. I have 1960's memories of the SP&S ALCO FA and FB unit lashups crossing the Spokane river bridges and the tall viaduct over the dry valley southwest of Spokane.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I modified the kit to represent the early 1950's with AB brakes. I had Tichy Andrews trucks and was given some non-public good color photos of the cars from the 1960's when still in revenue service for lumber loads. The problem that led to the lengthy build time was finding decals for the model. Champ made a decal set for this specific car with 7 road names but did not include SP&S in road names (eastern/midwestern bias?) I tried using the Speedwitch SP&S boxcar set but the reporting marks were too large. I wound up buying a RR roman letters set from Microscale to piece it together but had to pay for $20 minimum order (3 sets of decals.) I finally did get from eBay the Champ Tichy flat car set but all the weight and other small lettering was in block gothic. I used it anyway as by that time I realized it was never going to be a contest quality model. </span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Interestingly the SP&S rated the car at 40 ton capacity rather than the 50 tons on the Champ decal set. I must have spent over $40 on decals for the $8.50 car. </span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">The end result is not a closeup detail model but a 1 foot model. With Moloco .088 metal wheels and Kadee #158 couplers the weight is not too light. I am trying to adapt the Owl Mountain lumber load kits to this flat car. It looks like I will have to use the 9' wide lumber stacks rather than the smaller lumber as the Tichy flat car deck is a full 9 feet wide with no overhang unlike the OM SP F-50 flat car decks which are 8.5 feet wide but overhang the side sills. </span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I am back looking at the design of the Port Costa turntable pit and trying to figure out how to build it. </span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Thaaat's</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> all folks....(remember Porky Pig at the end of Walter Lanz cartoons...)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-15643228762793405832021-11-02T13:07:00.000-07:002021-11-02T13:07:07.344-07:00November Notes #1<div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">My blogging appears to be bogged down. Age must have something to do with it. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Anyway the following of my model railroad/railway activities are of note as or 11/2/21:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">A new model vehicle has been acquired for the 1930's auto parked in back of the freight house next to the freight platform. From the original 1950's photo (courtesy Contra Costa County Historical Society) I had identified it as a 1936 Dodge Sedan. I tried for many months to obtain an HO model of the 1936 Dodge but have been unable to find a replacement for the OO scale Oxford Miniatures Austin Sedan being used as a stand in. In that search I stumbled across a 3D printer going by the name of Toys in the Attic who had a model of a 1938 Plymouth F5 sedan. Figuring that was probably as close as I was going to get, I ordered 2 of these 3D prints with one being a backup in case I mucked up the paint and assembly of first one. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEq5F-ugHP1fx_KxSvp2wAt3ZmUNPbGSyLGQaDdv0C3Sh5FejUtDMxNxS9OxMKs0PcJoNMov46o15gXAM2XdzourB80ovfw340M6074Oo1RXxCpUaihUdvIWtwfcNJaks2P7El0QijcPc/s4032/20211029_100035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEq5F-ugHP1fx_KxSvp2wAt3ZmUNPbGSyLGQaDdv0C3Sh5FejUtDMxNxS9OxMKs0PcJoNMov46o15gXAM2XdzourB80ovfw340M6074Oo1RXxCpUaihUdvIWtwfcNJaks2P7El0QijcPc/s320/20211029_100035.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">It has been painted Vallejo Gull Grey and left unglossed to reflect the aging affect of 12-14 years of the fierce Contra Costa sunshine on 1930's auto paint. The windows have been made with Microscale Micro Krystal Klear. They work if if viewed from a 2 foot or more distance. Now all I need is a 1950-53 California Orange license plate decal to add a plate. </div></div></span></li><li><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Two new foreign road (non-SP) box cars have been added for the consists of east and west bound Cal-P traffic. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">For a the past 6 months I have been working on a CMStP&P (Milwaukee Road) Accurail 40' Double Door rib sided kit. I had wanted to add a Royal Slack Adjuster brake cylinder per prototype to the underframe. My attempts to procure a casting for this type of brake gear have also come to naught and I just went ahead finished the car. Other modifications were replacing the running board with a prototype for period wood running board using the Tichy part # 3029 "Roofwalk" and a better Ajax brake wheel. It still needs a corrected reweigh decal to replace the as printed NEW date and location and should have Barber not Bettendorf trucks. </span></div></li><li><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">The second new foreign road boxcar is a Rapido PRR X31a which needs no modification beyond a corrected reweigh date and location applied instead of NEW. </span></div></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqf4QTi1wDhmKUcvPwGXoIZYGUD1ARMiT5xjotyQnrgHDHE7BDizKbrZsAoieAiW-a0ADQwznZE503nR9v2v1AfHoLDpxUEEEizd1t7G-fVlqgBiHtV2zimv1Bpsn8X8hXvNeSgLCWmY/s4032/20211101_163210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqf4QTi1wDhmKUcvPwGXoIZYGUD1ARMiT5xjotyQnrgHDHE7BDizKbrZsAoieAiW-a0ADQwznZE503nR9v2v1AfHoLDpxUEEEizd1t7G-fVlqgBiHtV2zimv1Bpsn8X8hXvNeSgLCWmY/w329-h156/20211101_163210.jpg" width="329" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">The SPMW Bachman Scale Test car and Scale Maintenance car have been completed to the 98% at which I usually say that is good enough. The scale test car has been repainted and uses decals made by a friend. I had to replace the lower side grab irons which were cast on to get the decals to fit. The scale maintenance car started as an Accurail outside braced box car and was modified to a picture Jason Hill displayed on the SP Prototype Modelers Facebook group. It took a lot of cutting and rebuilding. I had to scratch the door steps from brass, used Tichy work car windows and covered those with sanded clear styrene to simulate window screening. </span><br /></div></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHv7MJYDmV7cpXgqKDSjjbzj52uNZtRF1EchhFRo6dlBQ5ZLI8dF0u9s6bLgAzyzcZtlcn0dIPKklWtUx8v4jGjR-Awt4NwhNgO2hLfz7LW5uTTBJ7QaYpww09Q6iHi1UEPeH_GFNb7k/s4032/20211019_120238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHv7MJYDmV7cpXgqKDSjjbzj52uNZtRF1EchhFRo6dlBQ5ZLI8dF0u9s6bLgAzyzcZtlcn0dIPKklWtUx8v4jGjR-Awt4NwhNgO2hLfz7LW5uTTBJ7QaYpww09Q6iHi1UEPeH_GFNb7k/s320/20211019_120238.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">The turntable is my current focus on the Port Costa layout. I have looked at my earlier attempts at a bridge and need to build a new one. I also need to work out the turning, bridge power and locking methods. This may take a couple of months. I am working on it off the layout with the final steps cutting out a square section of the underlay for the pit and putting an almost finished turntable pit and bridge. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Small projects will include additional ballasting of the house track/siding around to the small company freight dock behind the roundhouse. I have a lot more work to upgrade the stand in buildings behind the roundhouse. I also have to address Tank Hill scenery, refine the station area scenery and add more realistic foliage and trees. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I also need to add remote controls to the turnouts behind tank hill that cannot be reached. I am looking into manual not motorized solutions. Then there is the mainline trackage that needs to be fully realized so I can display some of the freight cars, road locomotives and passenger equipment I have been acquiring.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Smoke me a kipper....</span></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p> </p></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-11009572578324613352021-10-08T14:00:00.004-07:002021-10-08T14:06:51.911-07:00October 8, 2021 and Lack of any Layout or any other Model Railroad Progress<p> <span style="font-family: arial;">This is a short note to anyone who glances at this bloggy spot. I recognize I still have a blog but have had nothing I really want to post at this time. All work on my layout and model projects has slowed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">At the moment I have turned my attention to the turntable and possible replacement of the mockup stand-in with an actual pit. Bill Schneider (who works for Rapido) did a clinic on his HO NYO&W layout and talked about his building two 76 foot turntables for his layout. This has somewhat motivated me and pushed the Port Costa turntable back to the foreground of my myriad layout building tasks. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I had already procured two one foot square slabs of half inch PVC sheet. My initial attempt to cut out the pit was interrupted when I stabbed my left hand badly with a utility knife. Three weeks later I am thinking about getting back to the project. Bill's ideas on building the pit and bridge are roughly similar to my earlier attempts and the half inch PVC sheet idea I got from an MRH blog is very tough material makes this look more feasible. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">More later.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-26443601725900872622021-07-24T16:45:00.005-07:002021-07-24T16:45:44.734-07:00July marches on and I am just a little closer to finalizing one part of my layout. <div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Here it is almost the end of July and I am just getting around to adding a new chapter in this slowly evolving layout and its accompanying blog. The first 10 days my attention was diverted as I had volunteered to be a co-host for 4 4 hour shifts on the virtual NMRA National Convention Rails by the Bay. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I still have a bit of a sore posterior from the 5 days of the convention followed by a heat wave confining me mostly indoors. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">I also took my first BART ride since the start of the Pandemic when I attended a luncheon held by my friend's political saloon. And I followed up with attending the annual 4th of July members picnic/ride for the Pacific Locomotive Association/Niles Canyon Railroad. There big information was brewing as and it has now been announced that the dismantled San Jose Lentzen SP roundhouse will, if all goes well, be reconstructed in the wye area at Niles. If all goes well this will also house SP Pacific 2479 along with M-6 Mogul 1744 being rebuilt at at the Brightside maintenance facility. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Unfortunately the cost of oil (rightfully so) is going to at least double by the time these are ready to steam. Perhaps a solar fueled boiler could be used power at least the M-6 as a fireless cooker with compressed steam tank in the Vanderbilt tender. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Well onto the layout. I am still focused on the landscape segment for the station, freight house, section house and other buildings. Nothing new on Tank Hill. Eric Burgh gave me a rather blurry copy of an 1937 aerial photo of the complete area I am modeling. I am not sure how to find the sharp original, but the photo confirmed nearly all the building locations that were critical in the station area module. I was beginning to have doubts about the length of the freight house at 41 feet. Other sources had indicated it was about 35 feet in length. In the aerial photo there was a 40 foot house car about 150 feet east of the freight house and using my calipers I was able to verify the 41 foot length. I have found a lot of photos foreshorten buildings and one which showed the southeast corner of the freight house had made me wonder if I was correct in following the plan length in the 1931 SP relocation plan. The station building was shortened by at least 10 feet from the plan. Before I build the final version of the station, I am hoping to find the actual as built layout for the interior so I can finally answer all my questions about it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">I have spent a lot of time reconstructing the landform for the station area trying to get the elevations of the terrain. Pictures of the current area only hint at what it was when the Port Costa station was active 1931 to 1960. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">This is my best guess at the shape after a lot of trial and error:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpOQu4DC8dJ8xa1SFCQnY7nQpuGuAxXR-fv4mYk1pxZjjFQUUEhA6JaZjRPnWmkOF17p9fxxN6UUuPEgaVI2HPr65FZXXSUF_YiitTETkF_tH7IQWJVBIQYmtO8iZE_0W2mRqrysrCCQ/s4032/20210724_145330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpOQu4DC8dJ8xa1SFCQnY7nQpuGuAxXR-fv4mYk1pxZjjFQUUEhA6JaZjRPnWmkOF17p9fxxN6UUuPEgaVI2HPr65FZXXSUF_YiitTETkF_tH7IQWJVBIQYmtO8iZE_0W2mRqrysrCCQ/w386-h188/20210724_145330.jpg" width="386" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ignore the structures strewn across the tracks. I have finally got it to the point where I could paint the bits of foamboard and lightweight spackle used to shape the terrain. The base color is called linen and the terrain does disappear in this photo. These show the structures back in place. </span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Note the wooden boardwalks like duckboards used to connect water treatment and signal and telegraph repair shop buildings.</span><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DXCtMvVsj-Ro7dhkHafRP6c2KfACuw0iM0X3tXVlBNYi_qrt60gPawn8I2JVVJfshUTI30aEsu6zkFiJzedbP3n2mqVyJ9M-lSyXqEbNXtYlb767sMNhv0rms-3piuo5yjye-TNm0zY/s4032/20210724_161733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DXCtMvVsj-Ro7dhkHafRP6c2KfACuw0iM0X3tXVlBNYi_qrt60gPawn8I2JVVJfshUTI30aEsu6zkFiJzedbP3n2mqVyJ9M-lSyXqEbNXtYlb767sMNhv0rms-3piuo5yjye-TNm0zY/s320/20210724_161733.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> I am very focused on the corner where the section house, freight house and station met. It will be the scenic focus for half the layout.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHIiU0I77_os8cCGSCQdT2siaD3PAsSRLwkqb-kGSrMFM0KTJlBefzrVu3Hk771LOJeAyG2eOGVonNq4DQX6D4N1l1wDRKDBLqh2wWz3PQ9Mf71pnySpTajZEGhWvEmq4inPCkxAM78Q/s4032/20210724_161717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHIiU0I77_os8cCGSCQdT2siaD3PAsSRLwkqb-kGSrMFM0KTJlBefzrVu3Hk771LOJeAyG2eOGVonNq4DQX6D4N1l1wDRKDBLqh2wWz3PQ9Mf71pnySpTajZEGhWvEmq4inPCkxAM78Q/s320/20210724_161717.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">This is the eastern part of the station scenic module.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15kFw5eVrUGGVdqf1kmyb4UET7mUFxRMErgK4KA9aWZpYLbfChD_yXXiNXSHxHeS8XMRlXOxeTmrHCigejLHB7iNI0Kc3LgcILn9g6ZiiUa5OtgKz-NwDEi1M9rOYX-ZaBdudPOvZfeA/s4032/20210724_161824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15kFw5eVrUGGVdqf1kmyb4UET7mUFxRMErgK4KA9aWZpYLbfChD_yXXiNXSHxHeS8XMRlXOxeTmrHCigejLHB7iNI0Kc3LgcILn9g6ZiiUa5OtgKz-NwDEi1M9rOYX-ZaBdudPOvZfeA/s320/20210724_161824.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">The tree in the retaining wall is very prominent in photos. I am still not completely sure of the location of the steps up to the section house. The clearer photos of this part of the complex date from 1910 before all the 1930's topographical changes. Note the bollards to prevent anyone driving a vehicle into the space between the station and freight house. The tree is a stand-in and a black iron railing goes on top of the wooden retaining wall. This is the photo, from the Contra Costa County Historical Society collection on which I am basing much of this scene. Note also the rough cement transition from the station rear walkway to the area around the end of the building. That is yet to come.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzhdGLdChCnzGcy-iV_Cg_Wyb7dBzv9-doHdSawesgLKz7yrsEC4ZMhrPrSkVzst4FCm2DdvGnmaieVikJXVGRmSdSDFI0nmc1s_GYGOma3zqiJZVX0Qw_0N8dVp0MdVoB3jh73-Tn1E/s764/backside+frt+station+frt+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="726" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzhdGLdChCnzGcy-iV_Cg_Wyb7dBzv9-doHdSawesgLKz7yrsEC4ZMhrPrSkVzst4FCm2DdvGnmaieVikJXVGRmSdSDFI0nmc1s_GYGOma3zqiJZVX0Qw_0N8dVp0MdVoB3jh73-Tn1E/s320/backside+frt+station+frt+house.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">That's as much of a blog post as my sore posterior will allow at this moment.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-58655562714555811692021-06-15T10:47:00.005-07:002021-06-15T10:53:26.732-07:00More June Rework of the Layout Scenery<div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">After completing the retaining wall and walkway behind the station all the problems with the mocked up scenic area became too much of a glaring issue in my mind and started keeping me awake at night. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">So, in one of those spurts of energy, I tore everything out and have decided it is time I need to create the non-mockup scenery modules for the area behind the station and speeder shed. I am using the 1/8 inch thick plastic from the 4'X8' sheet I bought at Zap Plastics a couple of years ago as the foundation for the scenic modules. These are intended to be completely removable so I can work on the scenery at the dining room table from all sides as well as ballast and finish the trackage behind. The hillside with the water tank will be a smaller separate scenic module. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Monday, had a real burst of energy this afternoon. The full sheet cutout for the scenic module is heavy enough it doesn't move on top of the Woodland Scenics foam underlay. I don't plan on using an adhesive at that level. If it needs more positional stability I can screw it to the cross stringers of the benchwork. Still easily removable that way.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__L7L7KX07AGldPNBYc1fkB0sq5Y9N2zSsoipa_pEvRyCAZ1KT7Mqmz8es9fWNJb9_CeZTpjbyAQrflPZw0R62AfGuNCaBpWGu3PxI5rU4GmhyphenhyphenNxo5-5QHnAI0XeJGfhRQJlkUr8SWfg/s4032/20210614_163740.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__L7L7KX07AGldPNBYc1fkB0sq5Y9N2zSsoipa_pEvRyCAZ1KT7Mqmz8es9fWNJb9_CeZTpjbyAQrflPZw0R62AfGuNCaBpWGu3PxI5rU4GmhyphenhyphenNxo5-5QHnAI0XeJGfhRQJlkUr8SWfg/s320/20210614_163740.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I may need to glue some support under the sheet where it is not supported by the two benchwork modules to avoid any sagging. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">This is with the buildings placed where they will go</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UioxpinlJqfj5lHpkbqrKht0YgDGehSrZStTNV9tDXJg6AOCZ3bkPv5-QQH5kTM1WTiprkHiO97tBKjiLK9C_1ybEju2zD-Eg52p5UJmdY1yr_f2B5L2Pb6xmd-laDrD-zNAYua6KMo/s4032/20210614_164955.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UioxpinlJqfj5lHpkbqrKht0YgDGehSrZStTNV9tDXJg6AOCZ3bkPv5-QQH5kTM1WTiprkHiO97tBKjiLK9C_1ybEju2zD-Eg52p5UJmdY1yr_f2B5L2Pb6xmd-laDrD-zNAYua6KMo/s320/20210614_164955.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">T</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">his is what the flat raised area behind the station building looks like today. The retaining wall runs diagonally on the left side of the picture. This is 60 years after the section house house and other buildings were removed. I think the concrete pad visible in the lower center of the picture was the floor of the water treatment building.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-d-y1fn0xO2raOF8EoYM_q00u8_yBuREEtqH22YtsahO0dq4foma6DNLv-0u8xFPPISpPefz7uMvCiuG95sHdTY1vu0eAeo3fy1g7Rq5WlkzkCYTdZ88H9F4d0j2-yOj8CxvjEkGKJA/s4032/20210226_112917.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-d-y1fn0xO2raOF8EoYM_q00u8_yBuREEtqH22YtsahO0dq4foma6DNLv-0u8xFPPISpPefz7uMvCiuG95sHdTY1vu0eAeo3fy1g7Rq5WlkzkCYTdZ88H9F4d0j2-yOj8CxvjEkGKJA/s320/20210226_112917.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The next challenge will be building the elevation levels above the module base level to resemble the actual land form south of the retaining wall. For this, </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">I just lucked out a bit. I vaguely remembered a huge Woodland Scenics landscaping module kit I had purchased for Steve, my son, when he was interested in building a module for his collection of N scale Wheels of Time commute coaches and FM trainmaster diesels about 2005. He is no longer interested in it and gifted it back to me for any modeling purposes I needed back in the days of my Brixham, Devonshire, layout. </span></span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I found the Woodland Scenics kit tonight buried in a bedroom closet. All that was left in the large box were 2 18X36 1/2 inch thick sheets of very dense styrene foam. Perfect for building the elevated section which is 1 1/4 inches high over the new styrene base. And of course water resistant as I have some scenic plaster cloth also from the kit to model non-flat areas. I have two of the 2 X 2 foot x 2 inch pinkish dense foam tiles from Home Depot. You can have them if you want as I also have the large 2 inch thick sheets of very dense architectural terrain modeling foam that I bought many years ago. It shapes easily into ground forms. The architectural foam will be used for the tank hill and the small bit of sharply rising terrain at the east end of the layout. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0_DGZ75QVSXyTEtL-Wcz5Ch0KLO6AMFGKABPz-b4lnmry82EG9Ecpua7ATOzkTSHw0T6QdJG9Nlc99_e8DTgdBNiA1J2_UP0cjNVEgqBfmCJR5Batd3vX4pQBcmH-TwPYF32C_bph9k/s4032/20210615_102850.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0_DGZ75QVSXyTEtL-Wcz5Ch0KLO6AMFGKABPz-b4lnmry82EG9Ecpua7ATOzkTSHw0T6QdJG9Nlc99_e8DTgdBNiA1J2_UP0cjNVEgqBfmCJR5Batd3vX4pQBcmH-TwPYF32C_bph9k/s320/20210615_102850.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I have to paint the base sheet with the camo sprays on the garage floor and then build the ground elevation which will be the challenge for the rest of the week. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br style="text-align: left;" /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I have put off final versions of the structures until I can get full access to the CSRM library and the microfilm records that are not available to order prints online. Hopefully they have the specific plans for the station and section house. Maybe even the plan for the water treatment facility. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I may get the layout back in order by the end of June but then will be involved with the 2021 Virtual NMRA National Convention so it will be mid-July before I have much time to return to my own model railroad. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">That's all for now. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-15548569003238637402021-06-09T09:34:00.002-07:002021-06-09T09:38:06.534-07:00It's Already Mid-June and the Mockup Station Area Land Clearance<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">I'm a bad bad bad blogger for not having published any updates since May 1, 2021. I would just rather mess around with the layout than write about about it. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">And mess with it I have. This photo was taken this morning. Currently the area where the station and other SP PC buildings looks like it did in 1962 after the SP razed the area hopping to sell the land after moving the switching operations 4 miles east to new yard trackage at Ozul. Steam had been gone 5 years and there was not more reason for keeping any of the structures now 30-70 years old.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27PteeFOAvMOm2eEsU1e4wG7iDajcLIixl_bB5nun4NoON6C5FNRiFMeRGLQaKSZCNMtXZ1oXRbCa51EEOyZ3T4KMKC1q5KF5jJVFfY3IBkdIK7hyMuSgiNHcjE_onyJBIFYx-rh8-fs/s4032/20210609_083018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27PteeFOAvMOm2eEsU1e4wG7iDajcLIixl_bB5nun4NoON6C5FNRiFMeRGLQaKSZCNMtXZ1oXRbCa51EEOyZ3T4KMKC1q5KF5jJVFfY3IBkdIK7hyMuSgiNHcjE_onyJBIFYx-rh8-fs/s320/20210609_083018.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Except the SP didn't remove all the trees but did remove all the yard tracks.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9lLzY2jxGk-hMlho97J3YTdloLoMwF5qphcswLa8c3tJMsMSVYwlSGUtWeGoGSBwehwzmLP_-X5RtVoBaISF_7tlSjJ6R7KII1mV0y19tOUDQrJq9LJP7BRBSDmvd7CQnf_Vp1rI3KwA/s811/clearing+theyard+1962.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="811" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9lLzY2jxGk-hMlho97J3YTdloLoMwF5qphcswLa8c3tJMsMSVYwlSGUtWeGoGSBwehwzmLP_-X5RtVoBaISF_7tlSjJ6R7KII1mV0y19tOUDQrJq9LJP7BRBSDmvd7CQnf_Vp1rI3KwA/w267-h177/clearing+theyard+1962.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">The reason for my land clearance is that I have been just putting around with the scenery in this area and it is time to get more serious with the final elevations and shape of the ground. It is also time to paint rail and ballast and that is much easier done if you don't have the buildings in the way. I may also get the mainline done before the structures return. This may take a while and I have volunteered to help with the virtual 2021 NMRA National Convention from July 5-10. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">I have been working on the retaining wall and walkway that went behind the station building. Yesterday, I went to Port Costa and measured the height and it was only 45 inches at the highest level part of the retaining wall. This was a bit lower than the 60 inches (5 foot) height I had scaled from the 1931 SP drawing of the </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">proposed</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">rebuilding of this area following the </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">December 1930</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">opening of the Carquinez Strait SP drawbridge. Well, the station turned out to be 90 feet long instead of the 106 feet on the drawing so what else was different. I need to trim the height of the retaining wall I have cut from 1/4 thick styrene before final assembly of that area and any photos in this blog. I am keeping the current mockup of the station building. Hopefully, this fall I will be able to do some research at the California State Railway Museum library in Sacramento and get access to the uncatalogued microfilm archives that will have the correct information particularly of the internal layout of the station building. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">I am also working on the double 45 foot SP signal and telegraph and pole fixture that stood at the end of the walkway. Apparently there was an extensive telegraph operation in the station building. The Western Union joint poles with the SP Signal and Telegraph department split at this point with the Western Union lines going up over the hills while the SP S&T lines remained along the right of way. Also at this point the SP S&T (and Western Union?) main lines went underground under the SP tracks and then through an underwater cable to the north shore of the Carquinez Strait. There was a small Western Union Telegraph Office sign on the NW corner of the Station building that I am trying to find a decal (or picture I can photo reduce) for my model. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Enough for now. Will try to update before July.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-31441570251746149852021-05-01T13:32:00.001-07:002021-05-01T14:46:54.830-07:00Trackwork Progress on Port Costa Mainline Trackage<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Ariel</span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qbd40VvKJ2vXcBoHwKy04_1zgY51aktIf0q_td6q4IJCwcr4eCfD0bMxBkq41yZieOqAC-qzGNXxkH2QJBpVdC_C75VVEjvH4grDFeQzGKEgIAbaeKQDyYj4P4HrkHgOVrFQxOU-YhQ/s2543/Strait+View+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="2543" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qbd40VvKJ2vXcBoHwKy04_1zgY51aktIf0q_td6q4IJCwcr4eCfD0bMxBkq41yZieOqAC-qzGNXxkH2QJBpVdC_C75VVEjvH4grDFeQzGKEgIAbaeKQDyYj4P4HrkHgOVrFQxOU-YhQ/s320/Strait+View+2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">UP Trackage today at Port Costa looking across the Carquinez strait to Benicia</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Wow, I missed posting what I did in April. The focus for the month was mostly trackwork on Port Costa mainline trackage. But I have been sidetracked a lot of times and there were days I just didn't feel like working on the railroad. </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">So much of what I do is ad hoc, spur of the moment change of focus. This is a hobby and I am not too disciplined or end focused so I change projects almost on a whim. I do have a spreadsheet with a master list of projects. But I don't keep it up and follow it rigidly. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">I have developed a workable approach to laying the mainline and north/strait side siding track. I had purchased a 4' x 8' sheet 1/4 inch thick sheet of polystyrene at Zap Plastics 3-4 years ago and had it cut into 2' x 4' pieces. I am going to use 6" wide pieces of it as a track base/roadbed for the mainline and the strait side siding trackage. I have cut it into manageable lengths to allow the track to be laid, wired, ballasted working at the dining room table rather than reaching over the 32" area of the benchwork where the turntable, roundhouse building ant out buildings are located. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjF-dFVr1vUacB5LimkpN1Zig1QvJUnjwNi64jhxin8_LtR0pjmODddzELjzC1RBpknHbzCN9D07QyE4mZhBhviWPtL2FDHVtdpZka09HB_sX1xTZkT2PFvFkuSEVXgGDj9ySQybfb_tI/s4032/20210412_123626.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjF-dFVr1vUacB5LimkpN1Zig1QvJUnjwNi64jhxin8_LtR0pjmODddzELjzC1RBpknHbzCN9D07QyE4mZhBhviWPtL2FDHVtdpZka09HB_sX1xTZkT2PFvFkuSEVXgGDj9ySQybfb_tI/s320/20210412_123626.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Before test lay out of turnouts</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfqB3ouBfMiygbj8zzzzZ6-Plqa-nd0KrP7k3mhp_jjQfsFS2r902hOVbMK5uDrMoCRlG7r1zMRKZZYU2ldqjnRYykS85rPjAnzzqi2aFpXiHWEND9qxPO6Bb6XXa3iR2oI60mm6BMKg/s4032/20210416_173025.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfqB3ouBfMiygbj8zzzzZ6-Plqa-nd0KrP7k3mhp_jjQfsFS2r902hOVbMK5uDrMoCRlG7r1zMRKZZYU2ldqjnRYykS85rPjAnzzqi2aFpXiHWEND9qxPO6Bb6XXa3iR2oI60mm6BMKg/s320/20210416_173025.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Test layout of turnouts with freight cars to check clearances.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">This is the overall view of the mainline with the track just laid on the plastic for working out the crossover arrangement and ramp for changing from the yard trackage height to the elevated trackage of the mainline. Note that I understand that SP standards called for a 6 inch difference in height between yard and mainline trackage but the 1/4 inch thick plastic scales to about 9 inches. The track separation should be 14-15 feet between mainline tracks. Note the ramp has been fitted. It is quite steep but short. I don't have much linear space to work with so the S curves are unavoidable if crossing to/from the yard lead trackage to the westbound main. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Note that the sheet plastic was primed/painted with Rust-oleum and Krylon in several over sprays on the plastic sheet to prime it. The matte clamshell color approximates the light grey tan look of the ground at Port Costa in bright sunlight. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">I have been stalled at this point since mid-April. I have had a diversion to review ballasting and seeing how this will work on top of the sheet plastic road bed. I have been working on a sample of double track with ballast and painted rail. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The rail was glued to the painted plastic using Formula 560 Canopy Glue. Left to dry overnight it is a very tight bond. Next came the ballast. I used Woodland Scenics walnut shell light grey on the far track and Woodland Scenics new Grey Blend on the near track. I am using Joe Fugate's recommended zip ballasting technique with Ballast Bond from Deluxe Materials diluted about 50% with 70% IPA. I apply the ballast adhesive with an eye dropper. Setting time is about 18 hours. I used the same technique on ballast between the two tracks. </span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Fingers run inside the track tamped down the ballast and then a</span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> metal pick was used to remove stray pieces of ballast on the ties and tie plates. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIU6b0J5PMbaDvXphwNHd08xSmpg6ip2BD5bDPF3fBgMPw9U7f64V9l1Ze8Zlfwaew-rISgq6W_v2_PZiGMYGa7quM74BE9F9EGHHK30Hg19MdBKy3EyHEvYupDgT77aT9pZjqTvofzqY/s4032/20210501_144224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIU6b0J5PMbaDvXphwNHd08xSmpg6ip2BD5bDPF3fBgMPw9U7f64V9l1Ze8Zlfwaew-rISgq6W_v2_PZiGMYGa7quM74BE9F9EGHHK30Hg19MdBKy3EyHEvYupDgT77aT9pZjqTvofzqY/s320/20210501_144224.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;">I am using the shorter Micro Engineering Code 83 rail joiners on the Peco Code 83 track with no problem. I am worried about the ballasting around in place rail joiners so I added solder to the joints. I don't have any long runs of track without power feeds and my layout is in an air conditioned very low humidity room so I am not to worried about expansion. There are going to be insulation gaps and separate feed wires around the turnouts </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The track was painted after ballast using Vallejo 70.822 German Black brown brushed on the ties and rail sides. After the black brown dried, I brush painted the rail and tie plates with Vallejo 71.080 Model Air Rust (AKA #29015 Freight Car Red at Micro-Mark when I bought 6 bottles about 8 years ago.) I tend to like a dark rusty color even on mainline track. This photo was shot from the observation platform of the Redwood Empire in 2017 on a trip to LA at Vandenberg south of Surf. Those are rusty rails.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqkRTQc8tQu79JFI1CnDAyZ6BR_uEj_Bil2MQTeUaYKLsP7fm90cuDykXSARbopB_eVTVtou8NPT85Xo7hgz7g4eqCxU-Gzt1K7FVEQw9N-Ii7X1_9sX0gqAfWsqaEbTZyEVxyASs9CY/s1470/24+The+hidden+coast.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="827" data-original-width="1470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqkRTQc8tQu79JFI1CnDAyZ6BR_uEj_Bil2MQTeUaYKLsP7fm90cuDykXSARbopB_eVTVtou8NPT85Xo7hgz7g4eqCxU-Gzt1K7FVEQw9N-Ii7X1_9sX0gqAfWsqaEbTZyEVxyASs9CY/s320/24+The+hidden+coast.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;">Magnify the picture and you can faintly see the launch towers to the right of the track in the background.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;">After painting the rails, I cleaned them off with the 70% IPA. within a couple of hours. The upper track has a trail of Vallejo 73.817 Petrol Spills. I have also used a light brushing of dusty colored weathering powder on the ties of the rear test track. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">All this work will be done on the dining room table when my motivation comes back to finish the mainline trackage so I can get on to the ballasting of the yard trackage and building the turntable. It will get done sometime in 2021. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Note that trips on the Redwood Empire are chronicled elsewhere in this blog. Unfortunately with Amtrak becoming highly restrictive on private car operation, the owners have put the car up for sale. It was no longer fun. In addition Amtrak has now banned open platform riding while the train is in motion so a picture like the above is no longer legally possible. <br /><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-8349074237286946112021-03-26T09:28:00.001-07:002021-04-12T09:42:19.131-07:00"I'm finding my thrill in modeling Tank Hill"<div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">"I'm finding my thrill in modeling Tank Hill" with apologies to Fats Domino....</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Scenery has always been a dark mystery to me in 65 years of model railroading. I love researching and building structures and rolling stock but modeling a setting on a layout has always been sort of a mock up to suggest the setting. I'm now 77 years old and I guess it is time to delve into those dark arts and do a little better at setting the section of a railroad I model in a more believable/realistic scene. In the past I have considered myself a follower of minimalist impressionism or perhaps cubism and my efforts on Port Costa are still in that stage. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">In my little Port Costa world, I cannot even close accurately model the east end beyond the roundhouse and support buildings as the 2 tracks of mainline and strait ward siding curve to the left . On the east end i am taking extreme liberties with the actual track plan to start the Molocco line curving to the right instead of continuing eastwards on through the Martinez flying junction, the bridge and the branch junction at Avon for the San Ramon branch. This will in fact be just a stub crossing over and behind my workbench. If I should live so long I might create a dummy Avon and have a place for a module with the Walnut Creek depot highly compressed. Such are the fantasies that I amuse myself with. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Now on the west end, we have the steep hillside around which the trackage curves across from the site of the ferry piers. On the hillside just above beyond the hand car and tool sheds was the huge final Port Costa water tank. The 1920's Sanborn map I have lists it as a 175,000 gallon tank. Ron Pleis in his research found it to be a 41 foot diameter tank mounted on a timber structure that was built to fit the sharp slope (I estimate about a 40' slope angle). The road to the wooden viaduct that crossed the tracks to the old station site, ferry piers and original town of Port Costa (built on pilings out in the Carquinez strait and burning down several times) wound around the back side of the tank. The final tank was preceded by several smaller tanks that fed the steam engines and ferries in the days before the double track Carquinez strait lift bridge was built. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPhN1Yoee5kHffv3OHUu9DGkNLR2PA56mw8j29_qSBQxS5A7KL4SwpOeKl4fy80CIdGq7ydLwnTpwD3jYnmDeX7Uduu3hAwOsRIyCkBKF4kRBxBeFtV9EfrJNgIRy1vWxUy5V-LEsUYY/s360/1960+view+across+water+2+crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPhN1Yoee5kHffv3OHUu9DGkNLR2PA56mw8j29_qSBQxS5A7KL4SwpOeKl4fy80CIdGq7ydLwnTpwD3jYnmDeX7Uduu3hAwOsRIyCkBKF4kRBxBeFtV9EfrJNgIRy1vWxUy5V-LEsUYY/s320/1960+view+across+water+2+crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">This is a portion of a 1959 photo from the Contra Costa County Historical association collection enhanced as much as I can with limited photoshop skills.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">The tank was not that high (I estimate about 20 feet high) just vast. It was a huge black object whose shadow prevented most photographs showing any of the wooden support structure underneath by keeping in dark shadows. The hillside is the modeling challenge. Compounded is fact that you cannot see the trackside slope directly on my model of Port Costa. I have some mirrors set up right now. I am also looking at mounting a remote video camera such as used on drones and home security systems. This will allow me to monitor the trackage and see my modeling efforts in direct image rather than mirror image.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUFBN7_lFIJeMpQnE4DksKTs64wWKzERKO6gASFN3O7Mmapqgs2nJ9adSNDvXj3nxF2jthxALzh3TdDv2usCkeS-eGVuWiCJScaYcX1G2OiJnOOTL2xaQE9bxVzhOFj_MiIo3pGH1U6Y/s4032/20210320_182005.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUFBN7_lFIJeMpQnE4DksKTs64wWKzERKO6gASFN3O7Mmapqgs2nJ9adSNDvXj3nxF2jthxALzh3TdDv2usCkeS-eGVuWiCJScaYcX1G2OiJnOOTL2xaQE9bxVzhOFj_MiIo3pGH1U6Y/s320/20210320_182005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">I am planning to build the tank and hillside as a removable scenic module about 30 inches long and 12-15 inches wide. All structures and vertical objects on the layout must be removeable as I have not finalized and laid the mainline and other strait side trackage. As it is removable it will be constructed primarily of sheet foam. I have been out to Port Costa recently and taken photos of the hillside. One of the concrete footings for the water tank is visible. Photos from about the 1950's show more of a rocky slope than it is today covered with thicker vegetation. I understand the hill has burned several times and the houses on the upper slope are now gone.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Currently I have a 41 scale foot cylinder of cardboard and black construction paper standing in for the tank which will be another modeling project sometime soon (like many other projects including the turntable.)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">I was fortunate to remember that about 20 years ago I had purchased two 2 X 4 foot sheets of 2 inch thick very dense foam used for architectural and display models. I have played around with this material and found it very easy to cut and shape with a cheap snap off box cutter knife fully extended. It cuts beautifully smooth even at an angle and can be shaped into the contours of the slope. I also had a lot of Scenic Woodlands Styrofoam riser and flat shape material I had used on my old Padstow layout for the Padstow town bluffs above the train station and yard. They would also have been used to form the pier and quay sides had I ever gone that far with the Padstow concept.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Another Woodland Scenic product I am playing with is 10 inch wide 3 foot long strips of heavy foil material covered on one side with a fuzzy scenic coating. These can be cut and shaped as needed into rocky and dirt covered steep slopes. They are easily sprayed with spray can camouflage colors and will be dressed up with the usual California desiccated weed foliage. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2OT_ILXdYAjVOwtp5ajju1zkkkrjqb14a_KR_k4lY257iDEEQ9CEAvO2iHC5h0Oet68FUnaPU3CQVcYwqiM2dR9d4MEUMAtuBNQCDRf8hpMo7BWxMqBQc5bLD-EFUq6Z-uRKMGMJ4DM/s4032/20210320_163802.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2OT_ILXdYAjVOwtp5ajju1zkkkrjqb14a_KR_k4lY257iDEEQ9CEAvO2iHC5h0Oet68FUnaPU3CQVcYwqiM2dR9d4MEUMAtuBNQCDRf8hpMo7BWxMqBQc5bLD-EFUq6Z-uRKMGMJ4DM/s320/20210320_163802.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">So the tank hill(side) game is afoot. The photos included in this longer than usual diatribel illustrate where I am with current efforts. The mirrors are obvious.</span></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-68812712866897037462021-03-13T13:03:00.002-08:002021-03-13T13:07:35.123-08:00Station Building Mark 3 Mockup Now on Layout and the Remains of the SP yard at Port Costa<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">I have been consumed these past couple of weeks with the latest illustration board mockup version of the Port Costa station building. It has many changes from earlier versions and is hopefully the final mockup that will stand in for the final model until I get the urge to replace it with a novelty siding final version. This is hopefully the best guess at the door and window arrangement on the non-track side. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTq8IkUaFqvP6ytmvVt9cs-ubm6YtRU_AxrWayJcRkjETvjBxIYvLjuMvJBLEyH7RKqB2XE3Yu4XYhjBcTaRlIcn07M1kD48llJrsVHzglyja_Rx-QsyKvJsN7yGyBseZW8QHioGbLQw0/s4032/20210313_120625.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTq8IkUaFqvP6ytmvVt9cs-ubm6YtRU_AxrWayJcRkjETvjBxIYvLjuMvJBLEyH7RKqB2XE3Yu4XYhjBcTaRlIcn07M1kD48llJrsVHzglyja_Rx-QsyKvJsN7yGyBseZW8QHioGbLQw0/s320/20210313_120625.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-1xL7t9CAQvyVAvciM-tqgcksCSTrPKuiGNb55ePiE0AdyonM9BEcAbEVBt31-WCv2NKmTEitK2LFPaVHMjMCyH8P5ee_gjXm9073Ydfk7OB-pNKpEnaKM0u4ypy1loB5qi3VFsV7gc/s4032/20210313_120513.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-1xL7t9CAQvyVAvciM-tqgcksCSTrPKuiGNb55ePiE0AdyonM9BEcAbEVBt31-WCv2NKmTEitK2LFPaVHMjMCyH8P5ee_gjXm9073Ydfk7OB-pNKpEnaKM0u4ypy1loB5qi3VFsV7gc/s320/20210313_120513.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjeA7Fi6m8L5lul7adoDajg3_3yuscUFItKGd8sbydmfV2V1wekfwZZMU1k30lNgtev7lauwV_muNeaVJTHMRVrGX2exsrk_BPtPmytAWD4AWAgePFgbxm5QTTescl36IOoMwSwSVvVc/s4032/20210312_165949.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjeA7Fi6m8L5lul7adoDajg3_3yuscUFItKGd8sbydmfV2V1wekfwZZMU1k30lNgtev7lauwV_muNeaVJTHMRVrGX2exsrk_BPtPmytAWD4AWAgePFgbxm5QTTescl36IOoMwSwSVvVc/s320/20210312_165949.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;">The station building is hidden behind trees from the normal north looking view of my layout. The mirror currently against the wall shows the location in reverse view. Holding the phone camera at a low angle on the layout shows more as in the top and bottom view. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;">This is the full view on the workbench of the track side with the back side wall in front.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjto5nQX6HBFYW48XIyLtb3EKUpvIHAeJF9K8obSMXJurMnRUn_uJeAMhPCtG7jt7VZxiAfUyDEMgagdNf8av_aZkZL51REpZz5x_ArQjJFFC7lOijiJfbwukUszOxUhyphenhyphenJ-v-p1M7MT7s/s4032/20210310_120623.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjto5nQX6HBFYW48XIyLtb3EKUpvIHAeJF9K8obSMXJurMnRUn_uJeAMhPCtG7jt7VZxiAfUyDEMgagdNf8av_aZkZL51REpZz5x_ArQjJFFC7lOijiJfbwukUszOxUhyphenhyphenJ-v-p1M7MT7s/s320/20210310_120623.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;">The windows and entry doors are all from Tichy which has the wide variety of plastic castings needed for the several types/shapes of windows. The baggage room doors are Grandt Line (sadly missed these days) door frames with correct 5 pane transoms and scratch built doors to the SP design.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;">The arrangement of the trackside windows is well documented from photos. This past year I was able to find the 1930 proposed floor plan for the station when the original trackside station near the second ferry slip was cut up and moved after the opening of the Martinez to Benecia lift bridge at the end of 1930. However the plan is not what was built. The plan was shortened from 106 feet in length to about 90 feet. I have several pictures from the trackside but only two very high angle photos of the backside. I had to guess at the changes to the floorplan. The CSRM being closed due to the Covid-19 Pandemic these last 13 months has inhibited any further research on site. The available documents online only included the 1930 proposed plan. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;">This sketch map shows the station site move:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3x1wxHyO0FvH7K5kuyZizVkKEAh681UohFxhgNLryXy3IBHQu5l2ORUrr0MCAZlc7Gk-_xQ6NWMiDZAPLif_U1FG45ZSPIMDjbesvSPBjbFqnoEAFCoP_bAW6RKNX1p5TBt-6GfBRJI/s773/site+plan+1930+resite+of+station.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="773" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3x1wxHyO0FvH7K5kuyZizVkKEAh681UohFxhgNLryXy3IBHQu5l2ORUrr0MCAZlc7Gk-_xQ6NWMiDZAPLif_U1FG45ZSPIMDjbesvSPBjbFqnoEAFCoP_bAW6RKNX1p5TBt-6GfBRJI/s320/site+plan+1930+resite+of+station.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;">I am not sure if any passenger services stopped at Port Costa after the bridge opened. Crockett and Martinez had nearby stations and the greatly reduced SP activity at Port Costa would have reduced the need for a stopping service. It takes about 15 minutes to drive to Crocket and 20 to Martinez these days. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;">Speaking of these days, I took advantage of our very dry February weather to visit Port Costa and see if there were any remains of the SP complex left. It had been leveled in the 1960's when SP tried to lease/sell the land but there were no takers and it remains a gravel parking lot. The only visible trace was the concrete walkway in back of the station building and ramp at the west side of the building.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMt4VC6-zsnoGt4Dxc0sJDXMMraUjdVJXMDEZUFrobRo0mzuM35MFI4pnBa7xuh6F-JO6lTJ4Ro0KkB4o9P5xtU_a8oGfXBYZAQz9zroGsmvglMdwKWuvrEHIWFGWKXt3veVY9iqb3sBg/s4032/20210226_112351.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMt4VC6-zsnoGt4Dxc0sJDXMMraUjdVJXMDEZUFrobRo0mzuM35MFI4pnBa7xuh6F-JO6lTJ4Ro0KkB4o9P5xtU_a8oGfXBYZAQz9zroGsmvglMdwKWuvrEHIWFGWKXt3veVY9iqb3sBg/s320/20210226_112351.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">The walkway and retaining wall for the level where the section house and water treatment building stood</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSG71h9i9Ro66XtvUSjTaAGl14FsUfBsdT44ELiO8Tcboby2kAH3wSIWKTTCze6lTAz1MSqSDqVclhUj5aJYKR9eUKT57JTuc-YA_MAqvlXzTQLnEprWF2hCDq7Jcv_wxSNTMiFY2E4Y/s4032/20210226_112320.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSG71h9i9Ro66XtvUSjTaAGl14FsUfBsdT44ELiO8Tcboby2kAH3wSIWKTTCze6lTAz1MSqSDqVclhUj5aJYKR9eUKT57JTuc-YA_MAqvlXzTQLnEprWF2hCDq7Jcv_wxSNTMiFY2E4Y/s320/20210226_112320.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: justify;">The ramp at the north end of the station building</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CD7WTLWxAHX2J8qBJ0IXsd84PooJk9hoqURxLIIZUjFFoQPr0DXHXnhLMk8yXE3iXcsRvHRMTbRa-N3Vg9R7-TYhUyg9v7fOVi5UR52647iZ6WHgvv3DWQtZxqvCk9yiJ0AYYAV5RVw/s4032/20210226_114127.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CD7WTLWxAHX2J8qBJ0IXsd84PooJk9hoqURxLIIZUjFFoQPr0DXHXnhLMk8yXE3iXcsRvHRMTbRa-N3Vg9R7-TYhUyg9v7fOVi5UR52647iZ6WHgvv3DWQtZxqvCk9yiJ0AYYAV5RVw/s320/20210226_114127.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The parking lot. The station would have been behind the white truck at left. This view would have been of the sand house and west end of the yard. The mainline is just visible and the Carquinez strait beyond it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpbA4QbEZzMLxf5o5xNKgFH6CsAw80Is17GLaTIPEMoNc0x76agHpQhd6mzlujzmffDMCNtVH1SwzVjfYKHe0rmoIZBDYBDdY58ZV8oGDaPJSqL5K6CScISgYc_BP5mKyL6APEfKPmkc/s4032/20210226_112045.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpbA4QbEZzMLxf5o5xNKgFH6CsAw80Is17GLaTIPEMoNc0x76agHpQhd6mzlujzmffDMCNtVH1SwzVjfYKHe0rmoIZBDYBDdY58ZV8oGDaPJSqL5K6CScISgYc_BP5mKyL6APEfKPmkc/s320/20210226_112045.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">I can't take a photo for a backdrop of the Benicia hills beyond the strait as they are now covered with houses and strait side docks. In the 1950's, photos show barren hills beyond the water. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4665960090164035478.post-86675216038272847462021-02-21T16:19:00.003-08:002021-02-21T16:19:58.442-08:00Progress update on foreground scenery experiments and mockups<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">This is the first three weeks of February's progress on the Port Costa Station, freight house and section house corner.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">The ground cover is now coming into shape with the foam base, ivory paint with a touch of mustard yellow and fine sanded grout for texture to represent the color of the ground in this corner of Port Costa. The tree in front of the corner is temporary as the real tree was not a fruit tress and the station is in another stage of a mockup. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">The newest addition is a first attempt at the three bollards in front of the walkway at the non-track side of the station (not really the back of the station.) They were placed here to prevent anyone trying to drive onto the platform. Critical as the section house would house track gangs and other single employees who might arrive back at the lodgings somewhat inebriated in the dark of the night. Engine crews on call I understand would stay at the hotel or lodging house across Prospect street (not modeled) from the section house.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">The color of the garage in front of the section house needs toning down to a lighter grey with more aging. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeaI9Dx-S90KvIVK6XTr7O5XqtyhKgyMKDuu8XD5DGyQGAJODqYG-quZwwDJOivalA930tynRVxRl5ulEUE-WhnJ_msSImpTF_23DcKX-rCG_67BUjK4pXSN0qB5p5dxAV8lJ0_hSukI/s1860/2021-02-21the+bollards+first+attempt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1860" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeaI9Dx-S90KvIVK6XTr7O5XqtyhKgyMKDuu8XD5DGyQGAJODqYG-quZwwDJOivalA930tynRVxRl5ulEUE-WhnJ_msSImpTF_23DcKX-rCG_67BUjK4pXSN0qB5p5dxAV8lJ0_hSukI/w398-h194/2021-02-21the+bollards+first+attempt.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">In the background you see more ground painted the ivory color and a new mockup of the now 75 foot turntable. It should be 70 feet in length but is 75 feet to match the geometry of the tracks and stalls of the Banta round house kit. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I still need to build the two mainlines and the siding by the strait so everything is removable so I can access the rear of the layout. I am not very disciplined and work on what interests me most and I like structures and details. I need to finish and ballast the mainline trackage and rear siding trackage soon but I like to model or play with the foreground structures and scenic features. </span></div>Ken Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814695054763011068noreply@blogger.com0