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+--- Thread: Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge (/showthread.php?tid=9623)
RE: Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge - hillyard999 - 07-29-2026
Todd & Charlie,
Both of those features are almost never found on model railroads.
Great ideas, both.
For some reason, I am reminded of an old MR article on the San Francisco Belt Line. It had a photo of a chlorine tank car spotted at the city water treatment plant.
RE: Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge - Charlie B - 07-29-2026
(07-28-2026, 05:55 PM)TMo Wrote: Sewage treatment... Lovely topic.
I'm on to attempting to finishing that system of 3 clarifiers and the administration building for the facility. Got the clarifiers out of cold storage and added a central shaft that will protrude out of the walking deck between the clarifiers.
I just thought of something. This is probably the only time telling someone a model looks like ---- would be a compliment. Now I got a chuckle out of that.
RE: Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge - TMo - 07-29-2026
(07-29-2026, 09:08 AM)Charlie B Wrote:(07-29-2026, 03:00 AM)TMo Wrote: Thanks! Sometimes I do know my stuff.... I always go back to summers between college years when I worked in the state park system in Pennsylvania. A good portion of my work was cleaning pit toilets with a bucket and a 3-ft brush.....
The septic service truck idea is brilliant. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled...
That old Ford F6 is as close as I can remember to the one my FIL owned. I worked for my MIL for about 6 months after we got married. My FIL was killed cleaning a septic tank. August 2, 1962. Methane gas and MIL ran the business until 1967. I need to do a better job on the windows and grill. I did that 14 years ago. I couldn't find any pictures of the truck in the family pictures.
Charlie
Wow... Died while cleaning a septic tank. Not too many fates or occupational hazards worse than that. Had to be tough for your wife and her mother. Do you remember the name of their septic service? Maybe I can find a truck and do up a logo.
RE: Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge - Charlie B - 07-30-2026
Wow... Died while cleaning a septic tank. Not too many fates or occupational hazards worse than that. Had to be tough for your wife and her mother. Do you remember the name of their septic service? Maybe I can find a truck and do up a logo.
[/quote]
There was no logo on the truck. it just said RICHARDS SANITARY SERVICE, 3 lines. Her dad also managed the local pickup center for Darling and Company, a rendering company based in Cleveland. He started working for them in the early 40's. Another smelly job that paid very well.
(I have a railroad story about that one)Charlie
RE: Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge - TMo - 07-30-2026
This is fate. Going to have to include the Richards Sanitary Service in the scene! I took a quick look at evil bay, and they do have some Magnuson resin kits in either Ford or Mack, but the tanks are more for fuel oil - not to say I couldn't adapt something... I'll keep my eye peeled for something appropriate.
RE: Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge - TMo - 07-30-2026
While I hunt for septic service trucks and mess around trying to color "crap" in the clarifiers, I'm also getting stoked to start detailing/weathering my remaining Delaware and Hudson locomotives and my fleet of TOFC cars and trailers. This task has been one of those that I've meant to get to, but other things have bubbled up in front of it:
1 C628 (Stewart) and 2 RS36 (Atlas) locomotives will be the first taskings. I'd started working toward weathering the C628 and realized I should probably add some details to it before I do that. Came up with a list for the C628: horn and horn bracket, updated 3-axle pickups for the trucks, fuel fillers for the tank, lift eyes, corner grabs, ladder grabs, MU hoses, coupler bars, Sinclair antenna, rain shield on each side covering the dynamic brake intake, windshield wipers... I have some of these, but I ended up putting a cart together.... added a few more items for the RS36s. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, but the small details really can make a model. I'd hate to kick myself later after completing the weathering and wish I'd added the details.
RE: Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge - TMo - 08-01-2026
I've been playing around with "gray water" - trying to find a color combination that looks "good" in the clarifiers of my sewage treatment plant. The glue-impregnated coffee grounds accepted acrylic paints quite well, just a matter of squirting some paint around in there and spreading it out. I am ASSUMING that the Realistic Water will also sit on top when I get the color right.
In the meantime, I took my fleet of D&H locos off the rails in preparation of detailing. I do have plenty of grab irons leftover, so I'm gonna start with them once I get the shells off.
All three have been in my fleet a long time - I guess back to around 2007 when I found out that during the first years of Conrail, that the D&H had run-through rights in the gorge. I belieive I picked up the Atlas RS-36's first. Got the boxes out and each one had "$59.99" on them. They were DCC ready and have been steady runners for me. I love the long low hoods - almost an alligator look without 6 axles. The C628 was an undecorated version from Stewart that I picked up for a decent price on evil bay - I painted and decaled it but never put the handrails on it. Back in '76, the C628's would be getting ready to be sold, but these beasts are one of my favorites, so they're still running freight (even hot-shot Apollo and Mercury trains). Amazing to see how dust has accumulated in the crevices. They'll all need some attention prior to weathering.
I'm going to use the Bowyer method for drilling out the multitude of holes - "chuck" the pin vise in my battery operated drill... genius!
RE: Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge - jim currie - 08-01-2026
(07-10-2026, 05:29 PM)TMo Wrote: Thanks Jim! Silverfish would be a disaster on my layout.if you could find an old plastic villa police station kit it would make a good start in a smaller bank.
I have been looking for a simple in-town bank... No luck with the cardstock models, so I resorted to picking up a DPM #118 (1st National Bank Building) for White Haven. Design Preservation Models DPM 118 1st National Bank kit HO SCALE - Premium Rolling Stock & Model Trains for Collectors and Enthusiast
Jim
RE: Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge - TMo - 08-01-2026
Jim,
Are you thinking a kit like this: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f9/78/f9/f978f99149910078f128e254a18e4544.jpg
If so, brilliant! I have one I assembled around 1980 or so - and you're right - it could be a bank with a little work...
RE: Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge - Charlie B - 08-01-2026
(08-01-2026, 04:20 PM)TMo Wrote: Jim,
Are you thinking a kit like this: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f9/78/f9/f978f99149910078f128e254a18e4544.jpg
If so, brilliant! I have one I assembled around 1980 or so - and you're right - it could be a bank with a little work...
Todd, I am probably linking to a site you know about but just in case you aren't there are a couple banks here.
free cardstock buildings
Charlie
RE: Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge - TMo - 08-02-2026
(08-01-2026, 08:19 PM)Charlie B Wrote:(08-01-2026, 04:20 PM)TMo Wrote: Jim,
Are you thinking a kit like this: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f9/78/f9/f978f99149910078f128e254a18e4544.jpg
If so, brilliant! I have one I assembled around 1980 or so - and you're right - it could be a bank with a little work...
Todd, I am probably linking to a site you know about but just in case you aren't there are a couple banks here.
free cardstock buildings
Charlie
Great find, Charlie! And you can't beat the pricet. The Crystal Lake bank is a really good fit - here's a shot of the real bank (now converted into town offices):
- I think I can enhance the quality of the kit a bit by printing multiples and layering - gonna be a good projec
RE: Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge - Charlie B - 08-02-2026
[/quote]
Great find, Charlie! And you can't beat the pricet. The Crystal Lake bank is a really good fit - here's a shot of the real bank (now converted into town offices):
- I think I can enhance the quality of the kit a bit by printing multiples and layering - gonna be a good projec
[/quote]
I will follow along to see what you can do. I find these cardboard kits quite interesting. I just bought 100 sheets of 110# cardstock to make some 40 foot containers. I have to watch the printer, it needs help loading the heavy stock.
RE: Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge - TMo - 08-02-2026
I typically use 67-lb cardstock, but as long as the printer can get them through, the heavier stuff should work well. You will have to help the fold lines - either on the back side of each fold or lightly on the front side using a straightedge and something sharp (I use the back side of my blade). Gap-filling 5-10 second cyanoacrylate glue is also recommended. Good luck with the containers! I'm guessing they were from teamtrackmodels.com?
RE: Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge - Charlie B - 08-02-2026
Todd, I actually found the containers here containers
Charlie