Weekly Photo Fun 1/3 - 1/9/14

[sailormatlac]

Back log? What are you talking about! When I cleaned up my cupboard last week end, I found out boxes full of "projects"... kind of depressing! ahha

@GEC: I have a soft spot for multiple span long bridges, they dwarf trains and make them look better. That Pennsy stone bridge gonna be a real nice spot!

@Bernhard: You've got a point about using stronger wire. I didn't like it in the past since it's not a forgiving material when you make a mistake, but sure hold it's shape better in the long run.

Matt

[jwb]

GEC, I don't know if it's the photo angle or what, but the Metroliners look better on your home layout than the club, another reason for keeping that thing and upgrading it! (And I know the Metroliners either won't negotiate the curves or barely will on the home layout; run them on the club, but you have something going on that home layout!)

Its definitely the lighting, and probably the lack of even a little bit of catenary at the club. The "Show" lights are a lot better for photography, but we tend to leave them off unless a show is in progress, as they burn a lot of electricity.

Interestingly, those cars seem to fit onto the 22" curves as long as they are hooked up "elephant" style. I might need to investigate the underbody and see if there is any way to open up the truck area and let them handle tighter curves.

I had a similar issue with the Walthers Comet II (Horizon) cars. The back corner of an equipment box tended to protrude ever so slightly into the range of the inner truck wheel. It would act like a brake whenever the train went through a curve, and so I just filed the back corner of that box just a little, and now there is no problem!

Did you do anything special to light those shots?

[Green_Elite_Cab]

At home, I have a bendy light fixture thing I picked up at Target, and it has nice yellow bulbs in them and they tend to look good, like actual sunlight. At the club, the normal lights are fluorescent tubes, which don't really light the layout well for pictures. It looks like an overcast day with those lights on.


The show lights are really big incandescent things, and you can tell when they are on in my photos. When those lights are on, we don't need to turn on the heaters at our club (in fact, on one snowy weekend, the air conditioning was on to fight the heat generated by those lights over a few hours!)

Another issue is that the numberboards and the headlights on those Metroliners are particularly bright.

[Sumpter250]

Bernhard, while I was looking for an old kit, for an earlier post here today, I found a Main Line Models wood kit for a 36' "Private Owner Reefer"- - - - - DECKER MEAT !!!
The Iowa state "map" is Red on this car, instead of the black on yours.......and, are you ready for this?....it's lettered,
DMRL 2532 ! :o
I thought those cars looked familiar.

[modelsof1900]

Bernhard, while I was looking for an old kit, for an earlier post here today, I found a Main Line Models wood kit for a 36' "Private Owner Reefer"- - - - - DECKER MEAT !!!
The Iowa state "map" is Red on this car, instead of the black on yours.......and, are you ready for this?....it's lettered,
DMRL 2532 ! :o
I thought those cars looked familiar.

Sumpter, thanks.
Yes, you are right! I have found also cars models with the red (Roundhouse) and black Iowa map (Athearn also, Atlas) and both are numbered with 2532 also. And I have seen also the Main Line models Decker reefer with the red label.
The big question - what is correct?
The models are in detailing process and my friend and I had an opinion that only corrections to the damaged paint is to do. We definitely wanted no repainting. If we could find a clear statement that the Iowa state sign was in original a red label than we should think about changing it. But without an absolutely clear proof? But maybe we get an answer even here in the forum? Thanks in advance!