New O Scale 2R SD9 Fuel Breathers are in!

Got the revised breathers and added them to my models after some paint and weathering.  They are fantastic.  These will get roster shots once I get some sort of layout put together.

Quick and Easy 3rd Rail FP7 Side-Step Upgrade

Been busy with weddings, life, and starting to build a layout. I've spent quite a few hours upgrading AtlasO switches and repairing some used ones I bought years ago. Have done a couple of quick side projects like the one below in the time I wait for epoxy to dry...


Ordered some steps from 3rd Rail to upgrade my FP7's from years ago and took an hour or two over a few days to get these put on my unit.

Pretty simple to do. Used my fingers to twist off the truck-mounted steps.  I could have bondo'd over the brass plugs that broke off in the hole, but figured it won't be seen that much, so I just sanded down that area and touched up with paint.

I took the new steps and used one as a guide and glued it onto the frame where I wanted it.  Then used the hole on the backside of it as a guide and drilled/tapped an 0-80 hole.  Did that for each of the 4 steps.

Then primed and painted the the steps black.  Then dull-coted them so I could pan-pastel them to match the existing weathering after installation.

Then installed them with 0-80 screws.  The trucks still have basically their entire range of rotation.  Looks much better.

Here's a before and after...

Fuel Filters Gone Wrong and My Layout Plan

So I have the fuel breathers all ready to go and one was even put on the model and come to find out, there is a mistake neither I nor the CAD designer saw....so while that is being fixed, and shapeways is being worked with, time for some layout work in my spare minutes. Oh well, it happens.

Here is one of a ready filter, that won't make it onto a model:

Below is the layout drawing.  Nothing special since I do not want to put too much effort into a layout that will more than likely not be my last layout.  Need something to show off my power and my rolling stock as well as show my friends what trains are about.

I am aware of the shortcomings of the layout. Don't really care.  What the drawing doesn't show is that the outside loop/back of Inman Yard are elevated.  Pegram Shops has been Selectively reduced...since it would take my whole basement to model that place correctly.  Another revision had Atlanta Terminal Station incorporated, but I rather not fill the entirety of this basement.  It will be on the next layout.

Also pretty much all AtlasO 2R track (with some other brands of flex track too).  Just makes life easier at this time.

Tracks are tentative, at least in the yard area, especially in the lower right.  Will take some time to rehash that later.

O Scale 2R CG SD9s Waiting for their Breathers

Quick Photos showing that these guys are basically done, fully weathered, replaced with Loksound decoders and are waiting for their fuel tank pipe breathers...coming soon.  Then a better photoshoot will be taken.

It is possible that these and several other of my projects will make an appearance in a clinic at the O Scale National 2018 on how to take a good base model and take it that extra mile to suit your prototype in a specific era.

The 50th O Scale National Convention is Coming August 22-26, 2018 to Washington, DC!

Anyone interested in seeing what O Scale has to offer today, please note that the 50th anniversary of the O Scale National Convention will be in the Washington DC area August 22-26th, 2018.

Their official website with registration and convention information:
http://2018oscalenational.com/



Also, keep an eye out on their Facebook and Twitter for extra's, sneak peaks, etc.

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/OScaleNatl2018/

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/OScaleNatl2018

Quick Visit to Steamtown - June 2017

So I was lucky enough to stop by Steamtown in Scranton, PA for about 1.5 hours on a Sunday.  It is part of the National Park Service.  Entrance was $7. Caboose ride was $5 and I waited a few rides to get the cupola.  The park was lightly visited for early afternoon on a Sunday.  It was very easy to get to since its right off the interstate.  The mall that is next to it is dead.  A shame. Several other very nice railroad buildings are nearby including a giant freight station and the Lackawanna Terminal, but I did not get any photos of those.

I highly recommend this park for anyone interested in railroads that ran across PA.  Even a Southern modeler enjoyed the time here.  I took some videos of the >5 minute train ride.  I will try to get those on Youtube at some point and link them from here.

Below are a highlight of the photos.  I took almost 500 photos as I had little time to really take everything in and figure if I needed to model anything...like the RPO, I could reference it later.  The entire camera roll is located here:
 http://s1139.photobucket.com/user/davejfr1/library/Real%20Trains/Steamtown%202017

Below are some highlights, mostly in order of how I walked around:

Drumhead on the Erie #3 car.

  

They had a wall of the locomotives they have on roster.

 

 Here's one of the first engines you see when you walk inside from the entrance.

Across the way from the entrance area, is the technology building built in 1992 I believe.  A bunch of exhibits to wander through...some interactive.

 What a 567C looks like.

 Misc Inside.

 So much RR history/technology/explanation all over the place.

 More misc inside.

 DLW Boxcar display that you can go inside.

 Rutland Caboose display that you can go inside.

 This engine, they cut it apart on one side so you could see where everything inside is.

 EL Hack rusting away outside in the center of the roundhouse.

 Nicely restored DLW gon.

Next section, similar to the roundhouse in Spencer,NC, you go inside part of the 1902 roundhouse, where they apparently still do some restoration work on steam locomotives, albeit, slowly....?

 Mysterious BO passenger car hiding in the back corner of the roundhouse.

 CN 3524

 CP 2317

 DLW 565

 NKP 759

 GTW 6039

 Old 1902 inspection pit. They also had one enclosed from 1800's...

 L&N RPO 1100

 View from outside a movie theatre exhibit on the 2nd floor. 

 View from 2nd floor, above the entrance area.

 CNJ work crane.

 These Reading FP7's greet you as you come in.  Entrance is to the right.  The hut on the upper right is where you pay to get your wristband.

 The entrance area had a bunch of these history maps.

 2nd floor of technology building had a nicely done HO model of the whole steamtown operation...though I'm not sure what era.

There is a coal ramp modeled, which is replace with the ped bridge to the mall.

 View from outside the tech blg

 The engine they had giving quick rides in a EL Hack.

 Nose shot of the FP7

 There is also a Big Boy on property.

Here I am with it to put its behemoth size into perspective.

 Some other stuff sitting out in the yard.

 Looks like an actual class 2 or 3 railroad rests its stuff on the tracks next to the museum.  Nothing was running.

 On the museum tracks.

 Another interesting locomotive on the museum tracks.

 One of many items rusting away outside.

 Mall bridge to take most of the rest of these shots.

There is a trolley museum nearby too. They had a trolley running and giving rides.  Did not ride it. No time.

 A ton of LO's sitting around making no money.

 More RIP track stuff.

 Explanation of what is seen from the bridge.

 This guy is probably their diesel power they run with excursions.  Looks familiar at least...

 I think I read that the real car repair shops are behind those two boxcars, which look to be in nice shape. I did not walk back there, no time.

 Lots of old steam-era building relics.

 A nice little 44T hiding back there.  Looks like O&W paint to me.

 Lots of random stuff on the rust tracks.

 The entrance road is on the other side of the Reading T1.  This is the first thing to greet you as you enter the park. The headlight is kept on.