It's Sunday!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  Hopefully things are getting back to normal now.  Updates will be more regular, but with the layout approaching complete except for detailing, there may not be enough for a post everyday.

 

I'll start with the biggest first.  I am very happy that I finally finished my GP7r conversion project.  #23 is finished, weathered, and in service on the layout.  It started life as a standard Atlas GP7 just like #60 behind it in the pictures.  Like all of the locos in my roster, it has DCC and sound and a current keeper. 

I built and installed a variety of track bumpers and stops this week.

I built a wooden stake body for a Promotex tractor that I had on hand.  This will eventually carry propane tanks for delivery.

 

Speaking of trucks...  I can't believe how competitive the market for HO scale trucks for the grain industry is.  I have finally managed to acquire 3 bulk grain trucks and the first arrived this weekend.

I grabbed some ties out of the bag that are stained to look new and glued up some bundles for the MOW work train that I am detailing.  Still need to figure out banding.  Will try cutting kapton tape into strips and see how it looks.

 

I got a couple of generic houses in a lot recently.  I had an empty spot and decided to plant a few house lots.  I started on the first one this week.

 

I have started building a few unloading racks for tank cars this week.  Here is the first one getting its base coat of paint next to a batch of spike kegs destined for the work train.

 

That's it for this week!  Thanks for looking.  The blog will be going back to updates being posted on the day I do the work, so check back often.  See you soon!

Suday, Sunday, Sunday!

Another cold week is in the bag and while the week was slow for layout work, the weekend was fruitful.  The local club, the Eastern Maine Model Railroad Club, held a show on Saturday and my Sarah and I attended.  It was small, but really nice with a few operating layouts and some good buys at the tables.  I took a few snaps and will post them up on a separate page.

 

I did some light weathering on a few cars this week.

These two were club cars from the EMMRRC that I picked up at the show and weathered.

 

And this pic has the two that I built on the right and the two club cars on the left.  I have two more of these in the works.

 

I made up some snow brooms for the fright crews

 

Working on installing a retaining wall along the run-around track on the branch.

 

Added a few more details to the town scene

 

Printed a few signs for the cement complex

 

And finally, my GP-7r conversion is almost complete!  Just a few more decals and done!

 

Thanks for stopping by this week.  More next weekend.  Hunting season ends this week so, updates will become more regular starting after Thanksgiving. 

 

Sunday

It's been a busy, and cold, week.  The only heat in the layout room was a small electric heater and my efforts at adding more insulation to the walls and ceilings hasn't progressed quite fast enough, so it's been pretty chilly in there.  It's messy looking now, but the facia will hide it.

I tapped into the 240v line in the building and added an outlet for a heavy forced air heater.  It does the job well and will hopefully have to run less as I finish insulating the ceiling.  I have been working with my GrassTech II this week.  Laying static grass over the base of ground foam.

 

Static grass and spilled corn at the elevator

 

I added some details around my scratch built potato house and the mixed freight building.

And more details to the town

Got some retaining walls in and started planning out where they will be cut in.

 

Finally got some muscle in to help move my workbench from the house out to the layout

 

And last, but not least, I worked on this DCC install.  It's a Bowser U25B.  I added a Tsunami BW1000 sound decoder and a current keeper.  Unfortunately, I miss measured and will either have to mill a spot for or cut down the number of capacitors inside the keep alive unit.

 

Well, that's it for this week.  Since my workbench is finally set up again, I am hoping to have a few more loco and car projects to show next weekend.  Check back for more!

Sunday update. This time on time!

Things are back to normal after almost 4 days without electricity last weekend.  It's been good hunting weather this week and most of my time not doing that has been spent adding to the insulation in my workshop and the layout room.  I have spent some time working on scenery this weekend, though. 

 

I added some more details and scenery to the farm scene.

I finally started work on the very last spot on the layout that did not have even basic scenery.  It's been a sore spot for me, as I hate bare foam and plaster, so I don't know why it took me so long to get to it.

 

I hand laid the crane rails for the LaGrange wood chip unloader that I am scratch building

Started working on the road and working crossing leading out of town.

 

That's it for this week.  My workbench move is still mid process, so workbench projects are still on hold for the time being.  Thank you for looking.  Check back next weekend for more!

 

 

 

Sunday update... on Tuesday!

After spending most of the weekend and Monday with no electricity, the power finally came back on in the night sometime.  We weathered the storm and resulting power loss well, much to my significant other's surprise, due to a backup wood stove, a small generator, and a supply of water that I keep for just such occasions. 

Anyway, since most of my working time was taken from me this week, this update will be smaller than normal.  Of course, more trees.  I have a good setup for making super trees and try to get a few minutes a day to rotate them through the process so that I have a steady supply to place when I have time.  I worked on plants, grass, and trees on two of the small streams that are on the layout this week.

I built this concrete barn this week and started the rough placement of the gravel and brush around it.

I also added a new locomotive to the roster.  It's a Bowser F3 with Tsunami sound.  It runs really well but I will still be installing a keep alive in it as soon as I have time.

 

That's all I have this week.  I am planning on hitting the very last unscenicked spot on the layout for this weeks project. Come back next Sunday for more!

 

 

Sunday update delay

I have no electricity and haven't all day due to a storm so, this weeks update will be delayed untill my power returns.  Once I have more than just my cell and can upload pictures off my camera, I will post up right away.