Weekly Photo Fun 5-29/6-3


V

V&AL

Fred's Loco Shop Foreman
I'll kick it off... with some stuff I did LAST weekend, but just now got around to taking pictures of...

First a Spectrum E-33 being converted to something... "newer" I added a chopped-down GE wide cab, and a chunk from an old hustler shell to make it look more than a cab-swap. Still all placed together, so it's a bit rough and crooked... nothing a little more sanding and some MIGHTY PUTTY!!! can't handle...

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Showing the original high-nose, the chop-nose, and the wide-cab.:
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I also did a tender swap on a Spectrum 4-8-2. The Texas and Gulf Coast was the first RR to use oil as fuel for steamers. The long, empty stretches of central and western Texas led to the use of very large tenders.
I used an old ebay 8 axle tender with some ancient bowser brass trucks. The trucks still need some cleaning and I need to strip, paint and decal the tender, and attatch a pin to couple it to the loco. But the test run was phenominal!
(I've got another steamer in for a tender swap as well, but the whole locomotive is getting rebuilt on that project.)

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oh, yes... it's numbered 1522 fer a reason... it WAS gonna become a model of the real Frisco 1522... but I never got around to it and this project was ready to do, so it will be TX&GC 1522 instead....
 
Well, that electric is certainly...different. :) I think that's also the first steam engine I've seen with a tender bigger than the engine.
 
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Started work for the new bridge, so far I've removed the old bridge (shown below). The bridge came out easy, with some 70% Isopropyl alcohol.

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cnwgp38 said:
These are cool, They look like they came out of Wimberly Shops in Sundown, LA. :))
Click to expand...

Nope, the electric came from Fred's Locomotive Shop, Altoona, PA while the steamer came from Fred's Locomotive Shop, Houston, TX...

(dont ask who Fred is... I came up with the shop name YEARS ago... I thought it sounded cool)
 
Frankenshops really does exist! What an eye-popping combo, V&AL. :)

Jeff, I think that may be one of your finest images, but mainly because it shows a vantage point not seen before. It also reveals how complex and realistic you have made your layout in some places. Really well done!! :D

Josh, the bridge setting will be a good one judging by what you have accomplished with it so far. I look forward to seeing more.

-Crandell
 
"Frankenshops "... watch out Jeffery, that just might stick! :D
Some nice stuff there folks!
 
Once again, great start to the week everyone. I've tried to do freelanced models but always get stuck on some detail then do something from a photo. Sometimes it is hard to let go of the tenuous grip I have on reality. Looking forward to more scenes from the bridge, Josh, maybe they won't be just 6s or 7s any more. Grampy, the only thing that would make the scene better is a switching line down the middle of the street. It looks like you and I have a similiar problem, the camera is always listing, I have gotten quite familiar with the 'rotate' command.

Here are my contributions, both happen to be coal related.

First is a Walthers coaling tower. It is painted with gray primer then washes of thinned acrylics to get the concrete look. I covered the roofs with strips of tape, then removed the strip one by one. After each strip was removed I went over the edge of the next piece with a misting of black from the airbrush. When it was all done, added more dirty black until the lines nearly disappeared. I was trying to get the look of rolled roofing. Wooden doors, window frames, etc are gray and metal fittings and walkways are black. The chutes are rigged with .010 wire because the supplied string looked like, well, string.
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I need to come up with a name for this mine/loadout. Here, a detailed and weathered Athearn SD60 and SD60M lead another empty through the loadout. This was also painted with gray primer and washes of thin acrylic were stippled on with a 2" chip brush. The loadout can actually load the trains automatically, the biggest challenge is getting the locomotives to run slowly and smoothly to make nice even loads. The best performers are old Athearn blue boxes from the 1990s and MRC powerpacks. The trailing BN SD60M in the photo is a close second with a backEMF decoder.
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Looks like the new bridge is coming right along, Josh. How did you make the bridge deck?

Jeffrey, I agree with Crandell, nice shot of view we haven't seen before.

Gramps, I like the layout of your main street. Down here, it's common to have the main street facing the tracks like that.

Paul, great modeling and photography. I thought that loadout seen was a prototype until I looked closer. Did you take it outside? The lighting is amazing.

Here are a few of mine. The first it a view looking up First Avenue, headed out of town. The second is the Prattville & Northern 638 making up a train on the yard lead as passengers wait for the Southern local to arrive. The last is a borrowed caboose from an affiliated road, the Adobe & Petaluma. This is a Roundhouse caboose I kitbashed back in 1978 and is one of the few things I saved from the old layout.
 
V&AL - now that is some motive power!! and it looks like some more stashed away in the back ground.
Josh - what are you using for the "dirt"? I like the effect.
Jeff - is that your new camera? Looking good - pretty good depth of field.
Grampys - it always a pleasure to see your modeling and camera work. I'm just starting to play with background and back drop. Your pix are helpful and inspiring.
Paul M - absolutely beautiful!!
Jim - the amount of detail you put into a scene is pretty amazing.
Great start on the week end.
Here is my 2 cents worth. Just starting to play with painting back drop . Had to get it finished before setting in the FeedFactory. Still haven't decided on what method of signage to use on it and on the Sophtenold Seel Tools (from Germany).
 
Some of my older projects:

E-45:
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E-60 in Modern V&AL paint, (with the Fred's Locomotive Shop C-415 shop switcher):
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F-60M
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"Cab Car" (half whimsical, half possable TX&GC experiment...):
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Another great weekend here I believe! Definitely some WOW factor I would say. I DO like that shot Crandell!

I haven't gotten a lot done this week and most is just some mudane stuff that is not very photogenic..... I did, however, complete a Waterspout to satisfy the demands of those thirsty passenger locos stopping in Hopewell Junction. A few varied shots of her:

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And a closeup:

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Ray, my waterspout plainly sucks. I scratched it when I was having a bad day....apparently. :p Yours and the added other adjacent items really help to nail that scene.

-Crandell
 
One of a pair of water tanks that I built this week, this one is a D&RGW 50,000 gallon tank with paired spouts to serve two parallel tracks. Piece is done is O scale and other then the pair of Grant Line spouts is entirely scratch built board by board.
 
Second tank is a freelanced 30,000 gallon open top tank for a shortline. Piece is also in O scale and again other then the Grant Line spout is entirely scratch built also with board by board construction. Water surface is Envirotex Light about 1/16" deep. Went with a spout mechanism inspired by the RGS.
 
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