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.