Well this winter is a busy one so far. Below are just a few of the projects that are on the workbench until the weather breaks. All but the PRR unit will be becoming Cambria & Indiana Railroad engines.
The PRR Caboose will be getting clear plastic added to the windows and lighting added.
The Conrail Engine is in the very early stages with the windows removed, bell taken off, and the cab grab rails taken off.
The PRR Engine will have a few modifications done to it. The engine numbers are to big and incorrect. I am searching to find a number I want to put on it. I am waiting for the micro set to come in the mail to start taking the numbers off.
The CN calf engine is already in the beginning stages of being painted black and yellow.
The PBNE engine will have the decal removed and a brand new C&I logo added with a engine number. I haven't figured out which number I want to put on it yet but in time I will.
There is one more that is not picture and it is a C&I Caboose that is painted in tuscan red. I am going to take it back apart, take the decals off and paint it yellow. I don't need to worry about painting the roof black as it is already black.
Hard to find jokes free of foul language, sex or politics but here goes1
A little boy's Grandpa dies and he asks his mother "mommy when I die will I see grandpa again ? " Mom replies "not if you are good! ".
A man is telling his friend about his grandma passing away. "She was a tough old bird. She had buried three husbands, however two were only taking a nap at the time".
My wife was working on the downstairs computer when Zoey decided she was being neglected and employed an attention getting device:
Luckily she realized quickly that she was stuck and waited patinetly for me to move the module out so she could be shooed to the left and out of harms way.
A complete, fully operational 7' x 5' Great Northern freight HO scale layout for sale. DC powered. Four mainlines (two of which can also be used as power-off north and south sidings), a double reverse loop, two yards, one additional west siding and a crossover leading to a double track on a trestle across a gorge.
All track is ballasted Walters Shinohara code 83 flextrack. Nine turnouts controlled by Tortoise by Circuitron switch machines. One siding and the two yard track turnouts are controlled by manually operated switches.
Solid L-girder benchwork, with a slight elevation rise in the background, is supported by V-bracing on the sides and crossover bracing on the ends. The easily removable legs and bracing are secured with wood bolts and wing nuts.
Two power packs, a MRC model 9500 Tech 3 Power Command for train control and a MRC Rail Power 1400 Tech II for Tortoise and lighting control, are velcroed to a pull-out table top that can be recessed under the benchwork when not in use. The turnout and double reverse direction controls are activated by mini toggle switches, lighted by mini green and red LED lights, on a hand-built panel box attached to the pull-out table top and adjacent to the power packs. Toggle switches for controlling power to the west siding, the north and south sidings, the two yard tracks and a pavilion light are on the facia.
Based in the fictional Montana town of Sweet Grass, structures include: two cafes, post office, general store, pavilion on the town green, a church.
Rural structures include: GN depot, farmhouse, barn, workshop with fencing, a foot bridge and a road.
Trackside structures include: three track maintenance and repair sheds with tools and accessories and a tunnel (not shown here) cut through a mountain (not shown).
Interior and exterior (lamp posts) fiber optic cable lighting is by Dwarvin.
Locomotives include: MTH Alco FA-1 and FB-1 disel; Walthers EMD F7 A-B disel (the A unit needs electrical repair); Rivarossi 2-8-2 Mikado steam with tender; and a Walthers switcher.
Rolling stock includes: a variety (10) of makes and road names of 40-foot box, hopper, gondola, flat, stock, reefer, coal & ore cars and two cabooses.
Also included are thirty-eight books on all aspects of model railroading: layout design, track planning, benchwork, electrical, DCC, scenery, GN history, as well as numerous related how-to articles from Model Railroader magazine.
$3,000.00 by PayPal, cash or check. Purchaser must wait for check to clear before pick-up. Delivery is not available. Please contact me to make an appointment if you wish to see the layout.
Just and early start at wishing everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and hope Santa treats you well. Enjoy a white Christmas if that's what you expect, but have a safe and warm one regardless.
Hi everyone, I thought I would share with you my latest creation.
It's a kit from "Rail Scale Miniatures" called The Drake Street Shop Track.
It's based on a real Canadian Pacific railroad structure & scene in the false creek yard in Vancouver BC.
You can also purchase a additional lighting kit from Ngineering.com to light this scene up with.
So I just finished it yesterday, and I thought I would share some pics of it with you.
I hope you enjoy the modeling & the photos.
A very Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year to everyone here at Big Blue!
Season's Greetings everyone.Robert Wanner is my favourite rail photographer---his outstanding Canadian railway photographs are primarily taken in and around Armstrong Ontario when Robert was serving in the US Airforce during the 50's.His pictures often inspire me to try and recreate similiar scenes on the Leetown Division---Robert took his photo at Armstrong June 1955 and my scene at Leetown recently.
Ok guys and gals, I acquired a Bachmann GP40 from my girlfriend which was part of her father's collection before he passed away 20+ years ago. The locomotive was running not so great when I got it and now it is running even worse. I've checked all the wires and they are all hooked up properly to where they should be. There is the weights that Bachmann had put in there and I know if I take any out it will not have the guts to pull any of the cars of I have. Could it be a simple fix as to adding more weight on the chassis or would I just have to simply replace the motor in it? If that would be the case then I can have it fixed tomorrow sometime. I mean the engine couldn't even pull 6 coal cars and a caboose. It got to the point to where it wouldn't even pull just the caboose but then once it sat for a few moments it would pull the coal cars and caboose then right back to only being able to pull the caboose.
It could be the fact that the engine is probably well over 30 years old and it could just be wearing out and need a new motor. I don't know, I just don't want to bench this engine as I know how much it means to my girlfriend and I promised I would get the engine up and running and it was then this happened. Murphy's Law at best I guess. Any help would be appreciated.
