A couple of mundane ballasting phots to start off:

Ballast spread:



Ballast groomed:



Ballast wetted:



Dilute white glue applied:



Ballast dried and track back in service:



The track here is Central Valley tie strips with ME code 83 rail. The track on the right in the ballasting photos uses the more prototypical 8'6" CVT #2003 strips, while the left track is 9'0" CVT #2001. While the former looks pretty good, I found it tedious to install and managed to actually roll a rail when testing it - my locomotives do have extra weight, but I didn't think them to be that heavy! I pulled up the rolled rail without unsoldering any of the joints, applied contact cement to the rail and the tie strips, then carefully re-seated it. For the less-protoypical 9' ties, the rail was originally placed with contact cement (as were all tie strips) and has been problem free. I got a very good price on those 9' tie strips and the only place where the extra length is readily apparent is where turnouts have been installed - I used a variety of ME, Shinohara, Peco, and Atlas turnouts - and from the eye-level view afforded on the upper level, it's not really an issue.
As for the ballast, it's screened Ohio limestone, graciously supplied by my good friend Charlie B. I'll be making a visit to one of the nearby Ontario quarries (at least three within 15 minutes drive) to get some more, and see if the colour is comparable.

Wayne

A photo of a module I built for my model railroad club. Scenery is all WS products, track is Atlas code 83.

My diesel powered Trailvan train with ex-Erie Lackawanna power, an SDP45 and an SD45-2. It feels so weird not running my E44s, but my GG1s keep having trouble with the track here at the club, so these diesels will have to do. I'm hold my E44s for possible module days.









Conrail 7499 waits by the car float at the club layout. Still needs some touch up, but looks good so far!

A shot of the ill fated piggyback unloading operation at Pier 34.

Bruce

bdw9535 Wrote:A shot of the ill fated piggyback unloading operation at Pier 34.

Bruce

Looks great!. How do you make this paved area?

postman Wrote:Looks great!. How do you make this paved area?

Thanks,

I used some balsa strip wood to form the area to just below the railhead, then used premixed joint compound to fill the forms and a metal ruler to level it off.
After it set up used a sponge dipped in water to flatten it out and reapplied the joint compound to any low spots and then used the sponge and water till I was satisfied with the look. When everything was dry I used cardboard from cereal boxes to fill in the area between the tracks and then painted with a gray acrylic paint.
One problem with the way I did mind is that if you get cracks or chip the surface the lighter color of the joint compound shows. You might what to try mixing your paint with the joint compound to avoid this.

Bruce

On a sunny Sunday morning

Swapped the CR rail and street car set with the CSX set last night. Having only one layout is a constant pain.....

faraway Wrote:On a sunny Sunday morning

Swapped the CR rail and street car set with the CSX set last night. Having only one layout is a constant pain.....

Looks great!. What brand is this CSX unit?. Any Dark Future locomotive in the yard? :wink:

postman Wrote:What brand is this CSX unit?. Any Dark Future locomotive in the yard? :wink:

It's an Athearn Genesis GP38-2. I have some dark future engines too. The GP15 from Athearn Genesis is the most beautiful and has a fine drive.

Speaking of GP-15............Saw this in the yard in Waukegan Il., and had to kit-bash one.
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Do you really don't want to know how this:
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became this:
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became this:
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became this:
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became.....this:
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Yeah, about 7,500 of them, individually applied. :o NO repetitive pattern anywhere on the building.
I was applying the last two, when those "nice young men in their clean white coats, arrived to take me away".
It was still worth the effort, to not have any repetitive patterns in the shingles.

OMG!, Pete , I am completely floored that is flat out just AWESOME!

That explains visually what "patience" is. No dictionary required at all

One of my preferred local power "if" I had a model railroad kingdom in the basement

Athearn RTR GP40-2, the second unit is a dummy.

Canadian Steam at Scranton. The light was just right in the roundhouse this morning. All was quiet as just myself and a few other volunteer's shuffled around at Steamtown readying the park for todays guests.
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Pete, I would have to repeat Deano's sentiment, but no repetitive comments are appropriate in this case.
Charlie