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+--- Thread: GEC's Layout Progress (/showthread.php?tid=108)
Re: GEC's Layout Progress - Green_Elite_Cab - 09-13-2012
The super schedule graph that took me all summer to make! Its easier to read in excel, since I can mouse over the "trains" to see what they are.
The Bottom of the graph is 12 AM, the top of the graph is 11:59 PM. the horizontal white lines mark approximately 1 hour
The stops (represented by points on the scatter plot) from left to right are:
Philadelphia, Trenton, Princeton Junction, Jersey Avenue, New Brunswick, Edison, Metuchen, Metropark, Rahway, North Rahway, Linden, Elizabeth, North Elizabeth, Lane Tower (freight only), Newark Penn Station, New York Penn Station.
The basic color code is-
Light Blue- NJ DOT trains between Trenton, or Jersey Avenue (Arrow MU)
Orange- NJ DOT trains to South Amboy (Arrow MU)
Purple- NJ DOT Trains to Bay Head (GG1-exchanges with E8)
Red- NJ DOT Trains to Bay Head (GP40P Express trains)[note, the 5300 series trains did not got to NYC. However, the corresponding train the red line touches in New York is the connecting train one would have to take to reach NYC]
Green- Amtrak Long Distance trains (such as the broadway limited, Silver Meteor, etc)
Lime Green- Amtrak Clocker Trains
Yellow/Gold- Metroliner service (Metroliner MU)
Blue- Conrail Freight trains
![[Image: Schedule1autofixed.jpg]](http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg445/CAB_IV/Model%20Trains%202012/Schedule1autofixed.jpg)
Re: GEC's Layout Progress - BR60103 - 09-13-2012
Is that the DNA they recovered from what may be Richard III?
No, but is that an actual timetable that you've graphed? What a piece of work.
Re: GEC's Layout Progress - Green_Elite_Cab - 09-14-2012
BR60103 Wrote:Is that the DNA they recovered from what may be Richard III?
No, but is that an actual timetable that you've graphed? What a piece of work.
Its atleast three different timetables (Amtrak, NJ DOT Trenton-New York, NJ DOT North Jersey Coast Line), and several Conrail freight scedules (not all trains were listed in each schedule).
However, timetables are pretty meaningless. they're great for catching the train, but they don't give you the full picture of where every train is. This sort of graphing gives you greater insight. For example, a train like the Metroliner only stops in New York, and Philadelphia, skipping other stops. Where is that particular metroliner at any particular time? regular timetables won't tell you that, but if i check my chart, I can figure roughly where the train is at a particular time, even though its not necessarily on the schedule.
Given the huge number of trains moving on the NEC (somewhere just above 250 trains a day), knowing this kind of information is essential to modeling it. This lets me pick a place and time that I can model relatively accurately, while not becoming overwelming.
Its funny you mention DNA. These days, they have Next Gen sequencing machines that pretty much give you huge chunks of a genome at a time. They do come out multicolored, like this, but MUCH longer. What is the REALLY scary thing is the old way they sequenced DNA. They used to make these things called "Polyacyrlamide sequencing gels" You would have to manually read gel strips (which looked like 2 foot sections of masking tape), which had about 200 base pairs for each gel. An entire genome consists of millions of base pairs. Not only would calling out each A T C and G at a time be tedious, making the gels and preparing the samples themselves was also a tedious and long task.
Re: GEC's Layout Progress - Green_Elite_Cab - 09-30-2012
Well, I got some stuff at the NEFF RPM yesterday.
Tom gave me four Conrail Freightliners. I also recieved a few PRR documents from a vendor who wanted to get rid of them (can't argue with free!), as well as a few photos of GP40Ps.
I made sure I purchased the CNJ GP7 marker light details, since I plan to model at least two ex-CNJ units (one as a Conrail-CNJ patch, and another as NJ DOT "GP7P", which had a housing protruding out the lower half the long hood ends)
My major impulse buy though, was something a little unusual for my roster- A Bowser E6 4-4-2 Atlantic kit. I'm very excited about this kit, since when I was doing research on the tracks local to me, the E6 seems like the primary passenger locomotive in southern New Jersey. G5s seemed like the next dominant PRR steam class, followed by K4s.
I've already begun prepping some of the parts, and I'm ESPECIALLY happy i checked the internet. Bowser's "latest" instruction manual doesn't leave one quite so far in the dark as the one that came in the box!
Right now, I'm trying to track down the super detail kits, and possibly the assembled piping. While I know I could probably solder and bend the piping myself, I figure i'll pick up such a kit if I find one for something i'm willing to pay.
Prior to the show, I started painting my PATCO transit cars, with limited success. the Metallic paint was no problem, but as predicted, painting the black "face band" became a nightmare, and I may need to repaint that end of the locomotive.
I'll post pictures soon.
Re: GEC's Layout Progress - Green_Elite_Cab - 10-14-2012
Here is some photos of recent modeling efforts.
Arrow II-
two of the four Arrow II married pair kits are supposedly ready, with the other two to be complete by the end of the month. They will look like the Arrow III kits below, but will have other details.
Arrow III-
Here are the balance of Arrow III kits that I was prepping for assembly. Unfortuneately, this quickly drove me insane, and they are all back in their boxes. Most of the problems revolved around parts that were not cast well, in particular, the air intake blisters on the roofs of the Arrow kits (not installed in this photo). For some reason, there was a lot of "spilled" resin on these blisters, and roughly half of them were not salvageable.
Otherwise, all the bodies have been cleared out, and I drilled the holes for most of the grab irons. I only got around installing "A" ends and B-end doors on some shells. The underbodies will probably be less frustrating to deal with, so I'll probably shift my focus to them in the mean time.
![[Image: IMG_0123.jpg]](http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg445/CAB_IV/Model%20Trains%202012/IMG_0123.jpg)
Pennsylvania Railroad E6
I picked up an OLD bowser kit of an E6. These 4-4-2 locomotives were the top passenger steam locomotives in Southern New Jersey service. Though generally overshadowed by the railroad's K4 Pacifics, The E6s broke several speed reccords, in particular when the crew of #460 was told "Go as fast as appears safe", when racing aircraft footage of Charles Lindbergh to New York city, reaching up to 115 mph on what is now the Northeast Corridor.
The model has been a little frustrating, since part of the cylinder casting came off, and so I'm working on putting a "post" in to hold it back on. The valve gear and pistons seem to have some resistance, but it doesn't seem to be to detrimental. The motor probably needs the most work, but i'm told that I can refurbish the motor (as opposed to buying an expensive Helix Humper Can motor repowering kit).
I'm still trying to get more detailed photos of the locomotives, and while the REAL #460 is only an hour or so away at the RR Museum of PA, I think its being refurbished right now, so i'm not sure if i'd be able to get a good look at it.
![[Image: IMG_0325.jpg]](http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg445/CAB_IV/Model%20Trains%202012/IMG_0325.jpg)
![[Image: IMG_0334.jpg]](http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg445/CAB_IV/Model%20Trains%202012/IMG_0334.jpg)
I like fast trains
![[Image: IMG_0344.jpg]](http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg445/CAB_IV/Model%20Trains%202012/IMG_0344.jpg)
Amtrak Broadway Limited
From the book "Delaware Valley Rails", I was able to get an actual consist with car numbers.
These included-
GG1
Baggage- 1223
Slumbercoach- 2025 ex GN
Coach- 5404 ex SCL
Coach- 5258 ex SCL
Pub Car- 3344 ex SCL
Kitchen dorm 8802 ex PRR
68 seat diner 8803 ex PRR
Sleeper- 2552 "Brooklyn Bridge" ex CRI&P
I just acquired a new pullman baggage car. Pullman baggage cars were rare on Amtrak. Most were ACF cars. Fortuneately, the ACF baggage cars look VERY similar to the pullman cars, and so I might be able to get away with this.
Right now, I'm trying to get a hold of an undecorated budd Tavern-Observation car. I'm planning on modeling #3344, a former SCL car. These were rebuilt by the SCL to have a full-sized rear door (as opposed to a normal round-end observation car). This allowed these cars to be placed mid train. "Pub" cars like this were common on the Broadway Limited. This should be a relatively simple kitbash from the Walthers model, which is nearly identical to the SCL prototype car.
I'm also eyeing the Walthers Broadway Limited PRR Pullman Twin unit diners (Kitchen/Dorm-68 seat diner). I may be recieving an undec pair in the future, but its still in the air. These persisted until being retired in the early 1980s, with one pair surviving into the 90s. The Walthers models are just right, if only they sold then in Amtrak!
The final "difficult" car will be the former Rock Island 8-6 sleepers. Union Station Products makes a brass car side for this, and I own the Train Station Products Core Kit that would be necessary to build it. I'll probably pick this one up as well. Specifically, I want to model 2552, the "Brooklyn Bridge".
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://unionstationproducts.com/_4195_1.html">http://unionstationproducts.com/_4195_1.html</a><!-- m -->
The coaches are all similar to Walthers "Budd 52 seat coaches". The Pullman 52 seat coach Walthers sells also shows up in other broadway limited consists of that period. If the Walthers coaches become difficult to obtain, slightly more prototype specific brass car sides do exists for these models.
All in all, the New York Section of the Broadway Limited should be a relatively easy train to complete, and consist of all sorts interesting second hand stuff.
The new Baggage car
![[Image: IMG_0342cropped.jpg]](http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg445/CAB_IV/Model%20Trains%202012/IMG_0342cropped.jpg)
![[Image: IMG_0341cropped.jpg]](http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg445/CAB_IV/Model%20Trains%202012/IMG_0341cropped.jpg)
Re: GEC's Layout Progress - sailormatlac - 10-16-2012
Your two last shots are great!
Working with resin always drove me crazy at some point. When I started using this material a decade ago, it was with large scale figures and pieces could handle lots of reworking and prep-ing without too much trouble. However, working with HO scale parts is an other story, quite hard to rework very small and badly casted parts.
Good luck with the Bowser kit. 4-4-2 have always been my all time favorite passenger steam locomotive, much more than Pacific. Atlantic with their small dimensions and high drivers look like hare ready for a fast run.
Matt
Re: GEC's Layout Progress - Green_Elite_Cab - 11-19-2012
Well, not much progresss on the layout itself, though I have been upgrading my equipment lately.
Metal Wheels and Couplers
Namely, I've been replacing the plastic wheels with metal ones, and as well as replacing plastic couplers with kadees or some metal equivalent. This is mostly due to my club's certification standards, but there are of course benefits. Some railcars that were formerly problematic appear to be running much better now, and all the couplers adjusted just right, the wheels checked and in gauge.
I would say most of my equipment is in the best shape its been in for years, from an operational standpoint. While most of my passenger equipment had already been fixed up, its good to see my freight cars get the treatment as well.
Decoder problems
The one major issue I'm having is that my new Arrow III single unit has already wrecked it's decoder (a TCS MC2). It was running weird right from the start.
At first it had no problem. Then after a while of running, the car would pause occaisionally, then keep going. The next day, the car would move only a few feet then pause, then run, then pause, and then it let out the blue ghost. I've never had a decoder smoke up like it did.
It seemed to burn out in three or four differen't locations. It has been upsetting to me, since I really hoped the railcar would be ready for show season (tonight is the last night to qualify. I have a far more expensive MC4, but I'm worried that one might fry too).
What I would like to know, is what went wrong. its not the first time one of these drives has had an issue like this. Nor is it the first time one of my MC2s seemed to explode for no apparent reason. Still, I didn't do any fancy programming or wiring, so I don't understand why there is a problem.
Thankfully, TCS has a no questions asked replacement policy
sailormatlac Wrote:Your two last shots are great!
Working with resin always drove me crazy at some point. When I started using this material a decade ago, it was with large scale figures and pieces could handle lots of reworking and prep-ing without too much trouble. However, working with HO scale parts is an other story, quite hard to rework very small and badly casted parts.
Good luck with the Bowser kit. 4-4-2 have always been my all time favorite passenger steam locomotive, much more than Pacific. Atlantic with their small dimensions and high drivers look like hare ready for a fast run.
Matt
Forgive the late response! I really like the close up picture of the baggage car, since you can see the wire and the pantograph, and it looks like its part of a larger train (and it soon will be).
Resin might be a pain, but its the only option for these commuter cars, so I gotta roll with it.
Re: GEC's Layout Progress - Green_Elite_Cab - 12-02-2012
Well, not much layout progress, due to classes and prepping for show season. However, I do have some new additions regardless.
Amtrak Broadway Limited Update-
I've managed to acquire the remaining car models, with the exception of the Rock Island sleeper car sides. Some I had acquired in the last for weeks, but most were purchased for me as a birthday gift. All are Walthers RTR.
As it stands, my consist looks like this (new cars in bold)-
GG1
Pullman Baggage
Budd 24-8 Slumber Coach
Pullman 52 Seat Coach
Budd 52 seat Coach
Budd 52 seat Coach
Budd Tavern Observation Lounge
Budd 68 Seat dinner (Broadway Limited)
Budd kitchen dorm (Broadway Limited)
Pullman 4-4-2 sleeper
Budd 10-6 sleeper
All the cars are painted In Amtrak Phase 1, except for the Budd Tavern, and Diner/Kitchen-dorm pair.
Walthers Budd Tavern Observation Lounge-
A Tavern (Pub) car was part of the Broadway limited's usual consist, and was frequently handled by one of the SCL's Tavern-Lounge cars.
there were two classes of such cars, one identical to the walthers model (the Walthers model IS an SCL car), and one that was a blunt-ended car. To my knowledge, the only available blunt-end SCL tavern car in plastic is the Union Station Products Car-sides and roof-end piece.
Ultimately, SCL modified many of the "boat tailed" (walthers versions) car with diaphragms on the round end, allowing them to be placed mid consist. I decided this was favorable to building an entire core kit, since it would require less work and frustration in the short term, than trying to assemble a core kit.
I will have to cut a "slot" into the car end and fabricate this housing with styrene. I believe this can be done relatively easily. Doors and diaphragms are readily available for budd cars, so i do not percieve this as being an area of frustration. Except for maybe one or two windows, the car doesn't need to be otherwise modified, and in theory, an RTR car is a safer bet in terms of reliability.
Here is a protoype photo.
![[Image: AMTK%203344.jpg]](http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures/44584/AMTK%203344.jpg)
Broadway Limited Diner/Kitchen-dorm-
These only came in PRR or undecorated, so I didn't have much choice. Should be a quick spray of silver and then some Amtrak stripes and decals. Otherwise, these cars should be ready to go.
Arrow II / III update
I'm told that my Arrow IIs are almost ready, but the manufacturer has some delays. Apparently, all that is left is the floors.
My Arrow IIIs have made slight progress. Work has been done towards getting my older Arrow III single back operational so it can run with my current RTR one. I'm also looking to assemble a married pair as a dummy so that I can run a 4 car Arrow III trainset this january/february.
New equipment
On top of the Amtrak cars, I recieved several locomotives and freight cars from friends giving them away. these include-
PRR GP9 #7206 (P2K)
Conrail NW2 # 9241 (Kato)
Conrail and Erie Lackwanna 60ft Double Door boxcar kits
I may also get a Conrail GP7/9 that was meant to be with the PRR GP9, though it don't know the details of this.
I'll probably end up modifying the GP9, and I'll almost certainly be rebuilding the NW2 to reflect early Conrail.
I don't currently have any photos of the stuff, but I will later in the week.
Re: GEC's Layout Progress - jwb - 12-02-2012
Isn't this another of the SCL boat-ended cars? These also were on the Coast Daylight (note in early years it didn't go north of Oakland, so it was named Daylight) for a time.
Re: GEC's Layout Progress - Green_Elite_Cab - 12-02-2012
jwb Wrote:Isn't this another of the SCL boat-ended cars? These also were on the Coast Daylight (note in early years it didn't go north of Oakland, so it was named Daylight) for a time.
Indeed it is. I suspect that one is either 3342 or 3345 (i'm modeling 3344), as they were known to be on those consists. There is a fancy color photo of the coast Starlight with this car on page 130 of "Amtrak By the Numbers". Three of this type were rebuilt by the SCL with the round end diaphragm, but the rest kept their tail end intact.
One of the ways you can tell its an old SCL is the octogonal drum head on the back. This car was meant for the Silver Meteor, but it has obviously traveled very far!
Early in Amtrak operations, before the SDP40s arrived, i'm told that SP used their SDP45s to haul this train.
Re: GEC's Layout Progress - jwb - 12-03-2012
Sure did!
Re: GEC's Layout Progress - Green_Elite_Cab - 12-03-2012
ooo that would be a cool one to see. Are any of the SDP45s still hanging around?
Re: GEC's Layout Progress - jwb - 12-04-2012
No, long gone. Some EL SDP45s were rebuilt to M-K SP SD40Ms.
Re: GEC's Layout Progress - Green_Elite_Cab - 03-12-2013
Well, its been just over 4 months, And I've managed to pull in a lot of new things, but I haven't managed to do much more work on any projects.
NJ DOT related stuff
I haven't progressed on my Arrow III kits
My Arrow IIs still haven't arrived.
Still sitting on the Arrow I, taking longer than I expected to get the molding material.
I did aquire a few new models though, including three ACF 44 Seat coaches, 2 in Great Northern "Big Sky" blue, and one Undec (not sure if i'm going to paint it NJ DOT or Burlington Northern).
These will be part of my Jersey Builder train, along with the ACF "empire Builder" 60 seat coach I had. The ACF cars only made a small part of NJ DOT's "Jersey builder" cars (six 44 seat ACF coaches, four 60 Seat ACF coaches). Most were Pullman Standard 48 seat coaches. These will require Brass-Car-Sides kits to do. I'll hopefully order a handful of these to assemble on a rainy day.
And of course, the Duff Challenge GP40PH-2 isn't getting anywhere fast. Even if I had the time, school has me to burned out to put time into it right now, which is annoying. I really want one of these!
Amtrak Projects-
I haven't rebuilt or painted any of the undec equipment I have, even though i do have the decals for it.
Its a little bit upsettting-
two different HEP car projects half finished:
--The one ex-Army kitchen car kit I have is rare, and the short baggage car is desireable as well as the HEP car variant. I'm waiting for another kit to show up.
--The old UP coach HEP car is going to need some slightly annoying work to do right, and so it sits until I have a free day.
--The PRR Twin diners actually need more work than I thought (some windows were made smaller later), at least i can see pair 8801-8802 don't require the full width diaphragm, which was turning into an expensive part.
--the Observation/Tavern car is still untouched. I might be able to steal an extra door from the baggage car/core kits I have, since it looks like nobody stocks passenger car doors anymore. I have the diaphram for it though, so maybe thats enough to get started on the housing. Don't know when I'll have the chance to though. This one will need some windows filled to be perfect, but its undec so thats alright.
-- Looks like the Metroliners got delayed until late July. That kinda sucks, mostly because It looks like my orders for things will start stacking up around them, and they are expensive! They will be cool though, and they are necessary for a 1970s Northeast Corridor (one departs Washington DC every top of the hour, and one departs New York every bottom of the hour. See the yellow lines in the schedule graph).
--I started scratchbuilding a "Le Pub" car sides from thing plastic sheet with the intention of making my own car-side for a car type nobody sells. Its been a little tricky. I've also been playing around with actually making a 3d model of the car sides and submitting them to "Shapeways", where they could 3D print the sides for me.
Scratch building it is frustrating, but probably faster.
Conrail projects
Started on some of tom's freightliner trucks
Picked up a Reading Company GP30 to be patched for Conrail. Unfortuneately, I ran out of CR patch decals, since this would have been an easy project otherwise.
I also got a few new Conrail boxcars, including a Blue Evans X72 car.
I got my Conrail GG1 back from MTH, but haven't tried it out. Its looking better than when I sent it back though, at least its a little straightened out.
I have the NW2, GP7 and PRR GP9 that I haven't yet figured what to do with.
---The Kato NW2 I'll probably repaint into CNJ, as it physically matches its prototype. Most of the "blue" NW2s with that body type had weird cabs or other odd details that prevent me from simply changing the number and keeping the full Conrail blue paint scheme.
---The Kato GP7 doesn't really seem to match any of the Conrail ones precisely enough for me to just renumber it.
---It also looks like most of the PRR GP9s on Conrail were retired or rebuilt, and it doesn't look like the PRR GP9 will be a good candidate for a patch even in the 1978-79 time frame (not without repainting the entire engine anyway).
Catenary Updates
I ended up transplanting my catenary towers onto a 1'x4' mini module as a demonstration piece, and I wired up the second track.
unfortuneately, this means my layout is devoid of catenary right now (its already a wreck though, since I haven't run it in a long time because of school). I'm wondering if its even worth putting back on my layout, which is depressing, but it might be better to put the effort in on projects that will go somewhere.
General projects and updates-
Unfortuneately, on my last day of show seasons at my club, my train got rear ended accidentally by a Lionel Veranda turbine in a tunnel. A good chunk of my trains fell to the floor and were heavily damaged. I'm not sure If I have all the parts, and many of these cars (just over 1/4 of my "period" matching cars) will probably need a lot of work to get them back to normal, if at all possible.
I managed to also acquire a Walthers Trainline NJ Transit F40PH, and a pair of NJ Transit Comet II coaches.
I also ended up with a new Roadway Truck, which is nice.
I also ordered a bunch of Reading Company "Green" car kits from IHP. These are Reading Company's "analog" to the MP54. A small Reading Company module has always been an interest. Who knows when these will actually show up though, since I still haven't gotten my Arrow II kits.
Speaking of MP54s, I had planned on picking up two of the Penn Central Concor units. My bet is that those, the Metroliners and the Reading Cars I ordered will all come out at the same time and bankrupt me!
I also have two Funaro & Camerlengo MP54s in "purgatory", half finished. One of these days!
My E6 atlantic will probably have to sit a while longer, its low on the priority list.
CRAZY INSANE PLAN OF DOOM Input appreciated
I may or may not cut my layout apart. Personally, I'm tired of being "squished" into a 4x8, but I don't want to abandon all the work I've done.
My plan is to cut the layout into two 2x8 "modules". I will remove the curves all together, and make brand new "curve" modules that have larger curves that work better with my passenger equipment.
This will allow me to make a larger yard (by extending and adding to my "yard side" module, and will let me extend the track lead on my industrial park so that i could possibly use "normal" road switchers on the track.
I might add or remove some of the mainline tracks as is practical. Obviously, some of the structures would have to changem but it might make things interesting once again.
Re: GEC's Layout Progress - tomustang - 03-14-2013
Those are YOUR freightliner trucks now!
DONT cut you board/work up man! Add 2'X4 sections and blend it together, I'm sure your mind can think up of something