filfreight progress

Darrell, Ha,ha,ha...very funny...coming from the original Mr. Cautious himself ! I just looked over it now, I would have to re-do the 2 switches...I placed the one (2nd up from the close up shot) not far enough to the right effecting the "cautious" switch. Taking a page outta NS's book I'll name it CP-Cautious in your honor... I knew the runaround would be short, that's what I was telling Bryan, the ruler on the table was a bit misleading because of the camera angle in some shots. It's ok, I'll know for next time....maybe I'll just re-do it again ! Thanks for the compliments... they're just regular Atlas #5's. The cork ? I think it's a mess, but nothing a good sanding can't take care of I guess... 2 items I ordered came thru the mail today: 1 - WS Mold-A- Scene - I figured I'd give it a try on the risers. I thought it was a ready made shaping "clay" that cured somehow but you actually still have to mix it...(life's tough ain't it ? lol) 2 - A Red Caboose CSX (in red) 73' centerbeam which I might make my own lumber load for.....going to "spoof" model Glen Rock Lumber.... remember that from your NJ days ? Do you think 73' will be ok on these 26" & 22" radii ? Should I be cautious ? lol.... I'm going to sleep now, who knows what I'll change again tomorrow ! Thanks, peace, Phil

Hi Phil, I'm a little confused. . . (neither the first nor last time). I've looked at your cork photo and I'm wondering how you can have 22" and 26" radius curves. Even if your layout is 4 feet wide, that limits the radius to 24". Are you sure you don't mean 11" and 13" radius curves? Cheers, OBRY

OBRY, A big "Doh" from me! I saw Phil's numbers and didn't think about radius vs diameter. I just mentally converted 22" and 26" as diameters, never thinking about using the wrong label on them! Label or no, 22" and 26" are still pretty good for N scale. Most equipment is 'designed' to run on 9 3/4" radius (RADIUS!!), but the longer stuff doesn't look good doing it and a LOT of the stuff that's SUPPOSED to be able to run on 9 3/4" WON'T!! (Like my Big Boy!) I think a lot of manufacturers STATE their stuff will run on 9 3/4", even though they know it won't, or will run poorly. Phil, you are making EXCELLENT progress! Getting a lot done in a short period of time! Makes me jealous!! LOL Darrell, quiet...for now

Hey Phil, Two things. One, are you checking all your locos and rolling stock while you're putting it down? I thought 9 3/4" radii were going to be ok, but when I tried to run my 6 axle locos: SD40-2 and SD70Mac, they would derail on anything under 12". That's why I ripped the whole thing up and started over. I'm not familiar with what you're running, but it you have long wheelbases or 6 axle locos you could run into problems. I am now planning 15" minimum radii, 30" diameter, which is alittle overkill, but I've had enough frustation on the first attempt at building my layout that I'm not taking any chances. Second, have you tried Sulptamold? The stuff is awesome. I tried lightweight hydrocal, and I could not work with it. It dries too fast and is too hard to mix. The Sculptamold is easy to work with, and dries hard as a rock. You can then sand it once is dries, and it's lumpy so it can resemble rocks without molds, but you can mix it thin and pour molds too. Sheesh, gives me a hard-on just thinking about it.... :lol:

The Mold-a-scene may be the shiite, but I wouldn't know, as I've never used it. The Sculpta-a-mold is a paper mache (sp?) product. It's easy to qwork with and drys hard. I've also heard good things about the Mold-a-scene. Let us know how you like it. I may have to invest in some. Anyhow, got one more thread to post on and then I'm off to work on my layout.

Hi Phil, Looking great on the railroad. Man, That mixed stuff you are working with looks great. I mitght have to order some myself. If I did, I would leave it the way it is in the picyure. It realy looks like a rain washed Bank side. I like it alot. Keep up the great work, and keep us posted. From Rob Webb

Hi Phil Yeah, I might have to get some of that stuff, and add some paint to it. That may ook great with green grass and weeds on the rough terrain. I might just try it. As far as foam strips. They work great for that purpose. I'm going to a couple construction sites tomorrow, to do some dumpster shopping for foam to use on my terrian. Well all for now, Keep up the great work, and keep us posted. Have a great day! From Rob Webb

hi again all, just wanted to share some pics of the mold-a-scene work on the incline... i would highly recommend this for those of you who want build up and "sculpt" and shape out and forms. all you have to do is re-add water to a spot to prolong it's "re-workability" for those of you looking to build a lighter or portable layout, i'm curious to see what the weight factor of this section will have when completed. i'm sure this effect could be done with extruded foam...in any event heres a lil' work i was able to do tonight. http://nscale.net/mod-photoshare-showimages-fid-712.html as always,peace to you all, thanks for your help ! phil

hi all, as some of you know i plan a plate girder bridge on one of my double track mainline curves. i remember reading a thread about a "curved" bridge... i have a similar sitautation altho i have built the abutments and will attach the bridge plates "around" the curve. atlas didn't make a code 55 erie plate girder, so i purchased a code 80 and split it in two. i stopped short with the cork to contemplate for bridge track....i was going to do this with black cardstock.....question: cork or no cork ? will have pics tonight when i get home... till then i can use some advice !!! thanks, peace, phil

hi all, darrell, good to see you back, buddy ! i ordered the chooch enterprises double cut stone abutments...but i read (don't remember link) an article where a guy saved the shrink wrap from the package (forms to the details) and he used it over a few times as a mold... so i whipped up a batch of plaster of paris poured it in and voila ! i found them so adequate that i didn't even use the ones from the pack ! they were made of resin and i didn't want to mess them up by trying to file it or saw 'em down.....looking back tho i maybe should've ordered the the double track pier being that it had the sloped edges more true to the prototype and easier to paint the erie paint scheme markings towards the base...either way i would've had to cut... i used tamiya acrylics (mixed brown & black)) gave it 3 coats of dullocte but it's still too "shiny" for me... shoulda used a flat enamel...does tamiya still make those ??? i used double thick black matboard (again scraps from work) easier to cut & shape and will use to shim under track... and add ballast...no cork. got some pics...so here's the link: http://nscale.net/mod-photoshare-showimages-fid-719.html i aologize for the lonnnnnnng winded... whaddaya think ? thanks & peace, phil

darrell, as always you bring up a good point... you are the clearance guru ! noticed most accessories are for single track, even the dbl's seem a bit tight....i'll definitely check that before gluing on the inner and outer plates...i can always glue some board under the edges to hold the plate out a lil' further... thanks for the compliment on the paint ! i feel like gluing on a coat of dust tho...lol. it'll do for now... next up will be roadbed & crossing near the station, & the "westbound" platform. keep ya'll posted...peace ! peace, phil

thanks rob, yeah the incline & the station ideas is what really changed the whole design...i would've preferred to put it on a straight away the way it is protoypically, i'll make it happen...the plates will go on after the track is laid and clearances are cleared....lol... peace, phil

Hi, Phil. I thought you had this question in an earler thread. If I remember, some of the suggestions were to glue cardstock to the top of the inclines, fill in the spaces with plaster and sand smooth, or fill in with any other material like caulking. Thinking more about it, you could purchase cork sheeting material (at a big box store) and cut it to fit over the inclines. At least your grade would be consistent and smooth. You could even put it under ALL the regular roadbed for consistency on the whole layout! I think you can get it as thin as 1/8". I think the cardstock would be the cheapest, but may be more prone to lifting up, especially after getting wet from ballasting and scenery construction. Plaster would work well, but it adds weight and sanding it smooth is messy. Plaster can also be affected by scenicking. You also have to be very careful to maintain a smooth grade. Filling the spaces with cheap caulking would work. You might want to fill it in after laying the cork roadbed. Just fill in the area between the roadbed sections. You may have to spread it out while still wet or wait until it dries and trim it with a hobby knife. (Sounds labor-intensive!) I like the cork sheets idea the best. It's not too expensive, you won't have any problems attaching the roadbed to it and, if you do the whole layout, you won't have to worry about transitioning from table-top to incline. I'll bet you never thought model railroading would raise so MANY questions! LOL Darrell, quiet...for now

hi again everyone, hopefully i will be receiving walthers modulars via usps from blwn, to see if i can still put together a kit and also to get a sense of scale.... i also plan on trying my hand at some track soldering (haven't soldered or modelled since high school ! lol) numerous questions, of course, but are these the basics to start ?

hey darrell, i guess i'll keep it on the inside since i've read more insides than outsides... but i can understand the in gauge argument. sounds like either way is good, but i'll keep it consistent. i noticed a somewhat smooth solder joint "artistry" can be acheived after some practice tries. i've tried it out on some smaller straight track and flex scraps i have laying around. i bought a can of flux but i think it's the "plumbing" kind which i read SHOULD NOT be used. the guy at the harware store wasn't any help and radio shack was out of stock.

Phil, You need a rosin flux for soldering on tracks. Acid flux is what you need to avoid. It leaves a residue that is slightly acidic which CAUSES corrosion. Eventually, the joint won't pass current through it if it's been soldered with an acid-based flux. There are rosin-core solders (solder with a core of flux in the middle) available and some people say that's all they use, no other flux. That may be okay for some wiring, but I like to use paste flux whether I use rosin-core solder or not. I use the plumbing flux, but you have to read the label on the can or tube to make sure it doesn't have any acid in it.

Hi, Brian. Yes, that's what the 1/4" stuff is usually used for. If you want to go through the trouble, you could always laminate several pieces together for greater thickness. Seems like a lot of trouble to go through for a thicker piece, especially since you can buy the thicker stuff and it's not too expensive. You don't get the thrill of "finding" stuff or the enjoyment of dumpster-diving!! LOL Darrell, quiet...for now

darrell,czar, well since moving out here to NJ from NYC i've commuted most of my life...lol. eventually it'd be nice to drive... the "closest" and most decent LHS that i can commute (take 2 trains to !) is 17 miles away...Pastime Hobbies & Miniatures in Bayonne, NJ. Darrell, have you been there ? I ventured out to pick up Dullcote (had plenty!) and placed an order for about $150 worth of various freights. very friendly (Vinny the owner grew up in Queens originally as i did) and excellent service.... the postive.... placing cash orders with them for pick-ups alleiviates the hit on my credit card but it does take time to get there. atlas & blwn are in NJ so i can sometimes get stuff in a day or two ! the only other place i order from is hobbylinc. (in GA) they have a tremendous variety of stuff. but they take 3-4 days just to ship out. i did receive an awesome brass Micron-Art chain link fence (proto) link: http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w65/bigkidtrainz31/ from them today which shocked me, due to all the snow ! Also got (a few weeks ago from BLWN) was a BLMA modern rubber style crossing. also in pic.....both are beautifully brass etched) The grumpy 'ol man at the hardware store guy gave me a can of: OATEY NO.5 LEAD FREE FLUX (cleans and fluxes) contains: ZINC CHLORIDE 7646-85-7 and AMMONIUM CHLORIDE 12125-02-9... are these considered acids ? sounds like it to me....whaddayathink ? looks like i'll start off at the switches cuz i have alot of them all bunched towards the "bottom" of the layout. Dumpster diving sounds like fun ! I'm lucky to get scraps from work but we don't use pink extruded foam !!! lol... not much progress today...(one of my lady friends came over ;-) but was able to fill in the gaps in the risers/incline with regular foam core strips and some white glue. she really enjoyed my progress so far.......very cool ! lol... thanks guys.....peace, phil

I hope the gaps in the risers/inclines weren't the only gaps you were concerned with filling....... :wink: Going back to soldering, I use flux core solder, and have had mixed results. Is using the flux paste and separate solder easier? Also, can I use flux paste AND flux core solder together?

OATEY NO.5 LEAD FREE FLUX (cleans and fluxes) contains: ZINC CHLORIDE 7646-85-7 and AMMONIUM CHLORIDE 12125-02-9... are these considered acids ? sounds like it to me....whaddayathink ? Yup, that'll work for you. Not acid based. Do some more practicing and have a go at it! Never did go to Bayonne that I can recall. Might have, but I just don't remember! LOL What about hobby shops in NYC? If you're commuting into the city every day, might as well have a look around. I like hobby shops because you can see what you are considering for purchase. On-line stores and catalogs are great, but up-close-and-personal is better. Sort of like Victoria's Secret! ROFL Brian, Check the type of flux in the core of your solder. Package should state either "acid-core" or "rosin core". You want the rosin core. You can use rosin core solder AND paste flux at the same time. The core in the solder is very small and doesn't have much flux in it. I slather on the paste for better results. Get some paste flux and try it. I think you'll get much better soldering results with it. Phil, are you going to do a short photo tutorial on building that station? Darrell, quiet...for now

Hi Phil, Yeah I can hear him yelling back to you. That's cool! SD70's are really nice looking units, But I love the Old GP38-2's, and EMD SD40-2's. I really enjoyed seeing those units in your video. I haven't really seen alot of my hometown NS trains since I left Virginia. But I will return home within a few years from now. So hopefully I can meet some more friends that work on the rails, and with the trains that I love. Keep us osted on your progress. And thanks for your input within my thread on my layout and everything. Hope all is well you way, and keep in touch. From Rob Webb

Hi Phil, I know what you mean on rare sightings on the rails. But now days you are seeing more and more mixed power pulling our trains on the rails. I have been kepping up with NS and the state of Virginia. I have been seeing BNSF,UP,MRL,Ferromex, and AC all on the Norfolk Southern Rails within the last few years. The other thing I wanted to ask you is What type of switches are you using? If they are the standard Atlas Code 80 #6's, Be sure that you hook some track to them. And run some of your six axle engines through them. There has been some defects in the new Atlas Code 80 #6 switches. The frogs are thight on some of them, which will just make your engine pop up out of the rails. Which makes( I Think) your engine look fake rolling throgh the switch. The other problem they have been having is that the moving rails are not set right on some of the switches. This will make the engines, and rolling stock pinch up going throgh, and will derail you rolling stock. I just thought I would share what has been a issue with atlas. Here is the link to the thread of others having the same problems as I am now. Hope this helps. http://www.nscale.net/PNphpBB2-viewtopic-t-5276.html From Rob Webb

Who wears the pants in your family? Who "brings home the bacon"? Who gets to decide what to do? Oh, yeah, that's right! You WERE going to Value Village so SHE could buy some PANTS!!!! LOL Buy an inexpensive digital camera. Stick it in your glove compartment. It only takes a few minutes to get out, snap some pics and be on your way. Just watch out for traffic on the highway! Darrell, quiet...for now

How well I know that feeling! (Not the one about bitching, the one about being excited by stopping at a RR crossing to watch the train go by!) Pictures are good, too. Nice way to remember the experience and collect information. I have a digital camera in my truck and my new cell phone has a digital camera, too. Does that make me twice as dangerous?? LOL Maybe you could take some time to just go sit by the tracks and wait and see what shows up! Pick a nice day, pack a lunch and grab the latest modeling magazine. Oh, and the camera, too! Darrell, quiet...for now

Hi Phil, I just wanted to say hi, and I know that I may have askesd the same question before, But are you using Atlas Code 80, or Code 55 Track and switches? Reason why I'm asking is, That if you are using Atlas Code 80 track and switches, You can purchase a small track packet that has like 5 differt lenths of track in it for 3/4",1",1.5",2",2.5,and 3". Here is a link to one auction on ebay for the 20 peice pack. And all of them availible at this one on ebay.

Darrell,Rob & all, I apologize...yes I am using Atlas Code 55 Flex brown ties,nickel silver and I went with #5 switches.... across the board...Got the Xuron rail nippers, extra track and switches ready to go (considering I'll mess up a bunch of times !) Thanks again for your help ! Keep ya posted.....Peace, Phil

thanks steam ! actually i thought it was kinda crappy...lol. hopefully have some more pics to share by the weekend sometime... peace, phil

hey all, hope ya'll doin' good... been working late nights but i was able to add the platforms for the station. after attempts with spacklin' & plaster i decided to just make them out of foamcore, painted with gray acrylic, scribed and chipped some sidewalk lines...this was faster,easier and lighter. i'll hit it with more dullcote tho....stil too shiny ! here's the link... http://nscale.net/mod-photoshare-showimages-fid-736.html for now it looks like a naval destroyer (lol..to me) once i add in the (scratchbuilt) stationhouse,fences,benches,sharbs,etc. i think it will start to resmble rutherford station. hopefully on the way in the mail are gc laser roofing and grandtline doors& windows... i ordered straight from gc, but from oakridge hobbies for grandtline.....(illinois is closer than california for me) anybody ever order from them ? hopefully i can get some track in there soon, too ! let me know what ya think.....peace, phil

Hi Phil, I just check out the pictures you posted. And wondering if I can hire you to do my concrete work on my layout!!!!! :D :rolf :rolf Man that railroad is looking great!!! What type and color paint did you use on it. I am planning to do some concrete work on a couple of walls. And I would love to make them look as real as possible by using the method you did. Keep up the great work. And keep us posted. Please share your secrets of the concrete. Thanks alot, Rob Webb

Hi, Phil. Thanks for the words of encouragement. I know my next layout will get done. I'm pretty sure it's going to be my last layout (the Dream Layout!), unless I build something for the grandkids! I'm taking my time looking at all kinds of layouts and layout plans, looking for the elements that I think will go together in my space. I have written down some givens and druthers, but the list is far from complete. In the meantime, I'm (vicariously) enjoying helping you build your layout. Watching you build your layout, piece by piece, a little here, a little there, is quite enjoyable. Being able to offer suggestions makes me feel a real part of it. Thanks for inviting me into the process! Darrell, quiet...for now

thanks again guys, you've given me the encouragment since day one ! not much done today,except adding on a little strip to the platform will try to paint it...now if i can just get that right shade of gray again ! lol... received GC Laser roof shingles yesterday they look like the perfect shade of green for the station roof....and look like fun to put together. the owner Tom was friendly and helpful in letting me know my pkg. was on it's way sure enough it was in the mailbox when i got home from work..a pleasure getting to speak directly to him..i'll give him a A plus rating in a separate thread....grandtline windows&doors are next. might have a pic update tonight....till then, peace, phil