I just posted a calendar I created.  It's on Lulu Books.
I'll donate all proceeds to Big Blue that were bought through this link:

https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/mike-piz...pageSize=4

This was sent to me by Pete's daughter, Heather. Please take the time to view this service aboard ship. Pete spent his life in the service of our country and it is fitting that they honor him in this way. Pete was a friend to us all and went out of his way to visit those of us here that he could. It was a pleasure knowing him and he will be missed. It is also touching to know that members of the US Navy  still take the time to do this.

https://youtu.be/cj6sP84vly0

The Agway foreman has a discussion with the conductor of WPMA-17 on what cars need to be respotted after the loads are pulled.

Bruce

   

WPMA-40 eases to a stop in Mannheim Yard after completing it's daily run.  The crewman will uncouple the engine, which will then head over to the service track.

Bruce

   

Hello, does anyone know what would be the closest color mix for CPR Mineral Brown using Vallejo Model Air paints.
Thank you

Hello everyone! I've been lurking on Big Blue for a while as I've gotten back into modeling, and I would like to share my current project in HO.

At a trainshow today I found a pair of Redball cardboard carsides printed for the Michigan Alkali Company, and purchased them out of curiosity thinking that I might be able to do something with them eventually. A plan began to develop when arrived home and rediscovered a bag of Mantua reefer parts in the junk box that I had previously purchased (and forgotten about). Both are 40' wood reefers, and between the two of them I have the better part of a car, so I figured I would attempt to make something out of a couple bits of almost-somethings.
Here is what I have to work with:






The cardboard sides are going to need bracing and support that the metal car's missing sides never needed, so the first order of business is to construct a a carbody to support and hold everything together. Using the underframe as a guide, I trimmed out the length and width of the car from 1/4" Basswood sheet to form the floor of the carbody. A test-fit revealed I was about 1/8"over-zealous with the razor saw, but a stripwood shim brought everything back into alignment. I then drilled holes in the carbody floor in-line with the bolsters on the underframe.





At first I thought couplers might present a problem. The original coupler boxes are missing from the bag o' parts, but cutting the underframe down to make room for Kadee boxes would make aligning the car ends a more finicky process. Through some trial and error I found that a Kadee No. 213 box is just about the right size and shape to fit, and with some MDC trucks from the truck bin this car will at least roll right.






With this project now looking quite feasible, I cleaned the metal reefer parts to prep them for some painting touch ups. I elected to keep the oxide red as it's plausible and I wasn't able to find any prototype information on Michigan Alkali's cars other than some lettering specifications. With that drying I turned my attention to bracing for the carsides, which I cut to length from 1/2" square stock and glued to the floor of the carbody and clamped to ensure a square and snug fit.

I posted in an 'upper bunk' thread that I had aquired 4 Branchline heavyweight coaches, all in Canadian Pacific but was a bit 'turned-off' by the color choices from the factory:
   

Since then I stripped three of them and have started to repaint them. One in Canadian national, two in a better Canadian Pacific color.
   

The CP cars are painted in CP Tuscan by Scalecoat. 

   

I painted the CN car with the last of my Rapido CN Green, just when I figured it out. Being in Western Canada, it's not easy to find without mail order from an eastern supplier. I used Polly-S engine black for the bottom. The built Pullman behind is another Branchline car I picked up at a swap meet a few years back.

WPMA-29  sets out a car for T&T Freezers.

Bruce

   

I recently finished some projects which were on the shelf for some time.  Here is one of them.

A Sylvan Scale Models kit of CN 1929 Single Sheathed 40' Boxcar.  Here are some photos.

   

   

   

   

   

   

Hello,

several years ago i had the opportunity to purchase a bunch of second hand Shinohara Code70 switches:


There were some #6's, a pair of #8's and 3-way #6.





A while i was dreaming what could be done with these switches if ... But that was still a deam. May be become true in the future.





All have all metal frogs and have to be live wired.





This were my first Code70 track and here is a comparison between Code 70 and code 83.





A comparison between old Shinohara Code70 (above) and one of the very last and DCC-friendly 3-way switches from Walther's made by Shinohara.


Lutz