Wiscasset,Waterville & Farmington

The Wiscasset,Waterville,& Farmington in On30 is coming along. The fishing boat and fuel dock are on dry land until the water is done.

 The town will be representation of Sheepscot, some of the buildings are laid out.

 Lift bridge is a what if...... to the left of the bridge will be Wiscasset.

Lee Schamberger

Crates of tie plates...in the AC

Something, anything, to do indoors in the AC. Did I mention humidity and mosquitos as well as the 93 degrees? I had fun doing these crates of tie plates inspired by one of the "junk" photos I took in Ringos on the BR&W. They'd probably look better in S or O but, they seem acceptable in HO. N, probably not.

 

Any of you remember E. L. Moore and his leaning, saggy roof buildings in old RMC's. Making these plywood creates reminded me of his articles.

 

Just pieces of styrene from the "everyman's" scrap box.. The sides are .010. I should have used .005 for the galvanized corner braces instead of the foil from the yogert container left after lunch. 

 

Wayne Sittner

 

Getting there...

I spotted D&H 7309 as a kid with a hand-me-down 35mm camera one day while walking the tracks in Cohoes. About 15 years later, I shot it again in Troy. This time, it was in CP paint. I figured I may as well model it in both schemes. To keep myself sane, I did the D&H unit as 7309 and the CP unit as 7307. 7309, in D&H lightning stripe was easy. I found a Proto2000 model that closely matches the prototype. Done!

My model of CP 7307 was a little harder. I ebayed a Atlas 'Trainmaster' gp38. The first order of business was removing the numbers with a wet pencil eraser and replaced them with new decals. Next, the horn got removed from the front of the cab roof and replaced it with a casting at the proper CP location on the long hood. A GP-38/40 grab iron kit from Bowser was used to replace the molded on details which had been carefully shaved off. I painted them on the model and used a bit of thinner to bend the new paint into the old and to cover the areas a scratched while removing cast on details. I used a brass stanchion kit to replace the thick plastic railings provided. The model's anti-climber was removed and replaced with a thin brass L shape to closer match the prototype.

7307 had its black surfaces lightened a bit using several coats of extremely dilute white paint. Rust was added to the cab roof by applying nearly dry brown paint and following with some chalks. Black was added in the same manner around the exhaust. 7309 got its blue surfaces faded using the thin white paint. It then got its trucks, walkways, and bottom of the long hood dirtied up with some chalk.

Ditch lights are currently missing from both models... the process of running wires between the frame and shell scares me a bit and I'll put it off until these two have some track on the Troy Industrial Track where the can run.

 

Getting there.... Nearly time for a photoshoot up at the club. Nearly have 7307 (in CP red) done too.

After I get these done, I think I'll be time for the R&S shops. Going to scratch build the front part of the building ... should turn out to be about 12" x 12" and then going to build one wall section for the long building out back and cast/repeat that.. that section will be another 3' long. My great grandfather worked in there and I really loved that building. I only ever saw it as the scrap yard, so I'll build it like that.

I'll have to beat the crap out some D&H gons and I should be set for that scene.

Enjoy,
Will Gill

How much would you pay to take a ride on a time machine?

How much would you pay to take a ride on a time machine? I hope these attached photos give you an idea of my ride just this Saturday! I took about 90 ghotos all told.

Our Wyoming Valley group met at 08:30 for a three hour guided tour of this anthracite breaker operation in Laflin. It's one of only 2 left in the Wyoming Valley. The other operation (a bit larger and much more formal) is in nearby Pittston. The run of mine coal that's processed here comes down from Carbondale. You can pick a load up yourself or have it delivered in one of a fleet of trucks. There's no provision for bag coal as is still done at Blaschak in Mahanoy City.

This breaker is a perfect size for those who might model such things. It has everything contained on a site I judge to be no bigger than 8 acres.

On Sunday our Wyoming Valley (rail) Historians Group and a few selected invitees had an all day charter to ride behind the last engine in original LV paint.

The time machine ride continues! We arrived a bit before 11:00 AM and were treated like royalty by Scott (112's owner) and his crew. There was a bit of switching to do along the line and there were had several photo run-by's on the out and back. I took another 90 + photos on the day which finally ended for me at about 6:0PM.

 

I hope you enjoy me sharing my good fortune. It'll be tough to come up with a scenario of equal value next year!

Best to all,
Wayne Sittner

"Inch At A Time" Chapter 14. Vulcan 0-4-0T

Can this be a continuation of my Vulcan fascination? Recall: Chap 11 "A 45T Vulcan Side-rod Diesel". I thought this one would be easier and simpler than that project but, once I got into it, things got a lot more challenging than my first glance led me to believe.

 

This model was inspired simply by seeing the B&W (attached) of a Vulcan 0-4-0T working for The Lehigh Valley Coal Co. in Dupont, PA. Never one to let things to chance as for detail, I looked at my 1940 Vulcan Catalog Bulletin No A-394 and all the pictures on the Vulcan site on Google. I even took a trip to Arkville to check out the Porter tank engine residing there. One can never have enough resource material. Many Vulcan built engines were virtually one-offs, so I felt comfortable building a model that borrowed from several sources. The photo I followed in doing my weathering is actually a 3' gauge engine, Glen Alden Coal Co. #2. Those familiar with the three engines used in "Wanamie" will see the kinship in this photo.

My Vulcan started as a Mantua 0-4-0T. I sent most of you the prototype, model starting point and progress photos earlier. If you check out an original Mantua model you'll easily see there was a lot of modification to do. I've included one shot of the conversion in it's "raw state"and another of the backhead as I imagined it might look.. This rebuild is way beyond the LNE 0-4-0T I did for Prototype Modeler in the late 70's. My skills and modeling demands have advanced but, so have the materials and adhesives available. I spent about three weeks picking at this project but, don't think work time alone. Think letting paint cure, and much time spent away from the worktable to enjoy our very nice Spring weather.

Way back in Chap 8 "The Gulliver Effect", I talked about modifying figures into more personalized poses. Notice here my latest "build-a-man" who serves as engineer. He started as a Preiser but, has endured head and arm changes to get the pose I wanted...

For the curious, I must mention my cost in doing the rebuild: A whopping $37.00! I admit to having all the materials used on hand even the brass castings. The only piece I needed was the MDC 2-8-0 Old Timer steam chest/cylinder casting. When I first emailed my thoughts about doing the project, I asked if anyone had the part. Allen Littlefield came through with one the next day. The Mantua engine seems to average about $40.00 in the aftermarket (ebay). By contrast, I checked out a couple Gem Models B&O Docksiders that came up while I was building my model: One went for $288.00 in unpainted brass and the other at $320.00 painted! If you want a special model it pays to be inspired, inventive and courageous....

Regards to all,

Wayne Snitter

Hudson-Berkshire At Frank's

On Friday night April 26th the Hudson-Berkshire Division met at Frank Adamec's house. First time for Frank having anyone see the layout besides us. Over 30 people attended the layout and the trains ran smoothly!

 Overall shot of the main room.

The duck-under was bolted down for the open house, good thing a few people bumped their heads!

A view of Frank's single track version of the B&M's Hudson River Bridge in Mechanicville.

Finally a nice shot of Frank's scratch-build gorge bridge.

Enjoy, Rob D

Lee Schamberger's WW&F Update

On2 1/2 pics of my WW&F Themed layout - enjoy - The turntable was a Walthers 90 ' HO turntable until I got ahold of it. The light house is the Squirrel Point Light on the Kennebec River but was transplanted to the Sheepscot river on my layout. The prototype is only 25' tall and Al Wood had some pictures and measured drawings that I used to build my version.

Enjoy, Lee

Pennsy At XO

Overnight the Pennsy Heritage Unit led Pan Am train 23K out of New England! This event made for a great opportunity to visit another of my favorite locations, XO Tower in Mechanicville, NY. It has been quite a while since I was last down here. What better place to shoot a Heritage Engine? Tonight was my good fortune to shoot the Pennsy Unit a second time, having shot it on home rails passing Hunt Tower in Huntingdon, PA last spring. At a considerably higher rate of speed! LOL! Tonight, having learned of the NS 8102 leading on 23K via a text from Kevin Burkholder, I drove pretty much straight down here after stopping for a breakfast sub at the Hinesburg Subway and filling up with gas for the Civic. Arriving around 23:45, I spent over an hour setting up the lights and tweaking them due to an obstinate flash unit. Then waited nearly three hours for the appearance of 23K. The wait was worth it. Something different tonight was another night photographer, William Gill, who was set up several miles away to my east along “Fishermans Lane” in Schaghticoke, NY. William had been on location since around 21:30! We texted each other from time to time, William had more to contribute than I, as two westbounds passed by while he was there, which he in turned warned me of. Unfortunately for William, neither train was the desired 23K, and having learned of D&H Dispatcher Gordy Smith giving an e.t.a. time of four a.m. for 23K, he relunctantly packed up and headed for home around 02:30, having agreed to help with masonry work the next day. I figured about thirty minutes after William left his spot, 23K appeared! Down in Mechanicville, having learned from William of Gordys e.t.a. for the train, I was warming up in the car with the drivers side window cracked open..............just in case, in an effort to avoid the embarrassing “Surprise! Here we are!” shock of seeing nearby grade crossing signals light up. LOL! Outside temps around thirty with a stiff wind, it seemed like the place to be. Then I heard it, faintly, off in the distance, the melodious air horn. I remembered it instantly from my encounter with the Pennsy engine last spring, waiting for it to appear at Hunt Tower. Returning from an appearance at the Pennsylvania State Railroad Museum, it had activated the talking equipment detector off to my east, and the engineer identified NS 8102 as the leader courtesy of my car scanner. Running with two members of the NS executive F unit fleet, it was quiet enough so I could hear the F’s 567 prime movers! Then I heard that distinctive air horn, beautiful! In a matter of a couple minutes, NS 8102 was there in front of me...........and gone, the photo captured. Tonight, I have the luxury of a considerably “greater” amount of time between hearing NS 8102s air horn, and seeing it appear before my camera! LOL! I fire off one last test shot, the results still look fine, then wait. Life is wonderful at moments such as this. Eventually, headlights are sighted, grade crossing gates are activated, and it’s show time in Mechanicville! Slowly rounding the curve, (we are just east of the throat of Mechanicville Yard here) into the location comes one of a kind Pennsy Heritage Unit NS 8102. The “too bright” number boards glare, the paint gleams even at night! Reaching the spot I have manually pre-focused on, the lighting does its thing, camera and lens capturing the moment! Tuscan Red and pinstripes passing XO Tower! It was worth the wait. Another grand reunion with one of my favorite locations for night photos. Shot in Mechanicville, NY on April 21, 2013 at 03:37 with the 5D and Zeiss ZF 100/2 lens. This is the first time the number boards were not completely blown out on these Heritage engines, it could be this superb lens. I removed two telephone poles behind the trailing unit in photoshop. Special thanks to Kevin Burkholder and William Gill! Please enjoy!

 

All The Best In 2013;

Gary Knapp

Train Nite, April 2nd At Frank's!

 A EDSA rolls past Frank Adamec's Saratoga station.

 CP Train 251 leaving Saratoga heading north to Rouses Point.

A lone D&H lighting stripe works it way through the paper after setting out empties for pick-up.

 EDSA passing through Saratoga yard.

Frank has finally started scenery, noticing the cemetery in the backdrop he decide the hill above the tracks would be a good place for old railroaders to go!

 Amman's Fuel up on the hill EDSA rolls pass.

I painted the Hudson riverbed and Steve painted Rte 4&32. Frank scratch built a single track version of the B&M "Black Bridge" in Mechanicville. The Hydro dam will go in front of it and Akin Cement is off to the left.
Overall we had a great turnout, trains ran pretty well, a few spots left to fix before the Hudson-Berkshire division meet at the end of April!

Rob D

Randolph Coal & Ice shed

It is a wonderful experience, visiting favorite night photo locations for the first time since my operation/hospital stay! I had not been motivated to visit the NECR since getting back home due to their new call times for 324/323, which were six hrs. later than their previous times. This put them in daylight for much of the run. This week, I learned the call times for 324/323 have been changed back to the old times! Talk about a gift! Tonight, upon confirming 324 had a good leader, SD 40-2 721, I drove down to Randolph and happily found the Randolph Coal & Ice shed, (a modelers delight!) had survived the winter in fine condition for a structure of its age. A survivor from the steam era on NECR predecessor Central Vermont Railway, the photogenic building witnessed New Englands largest steam locomotives, the CV 2-10-4s passing by. I’m on cloud nine being able to visit favorite night photo locations such as exists here, once again.

Spring arriving in Vermont always seems to be viewed with a mix of skepticism and good humor, LOL! Tonight temps are a good indicator as to why. While I was here in Randolph, the temp was 23 and the wind chill................10. The soon to be retired for the season down parka is still useful in April! As is the rest of my “depths of winter” clothing. I do remember it is a lot more fun to be warmer than I would like rather than slightly colder! Standing atop the stepladder, waiting and then hearing 324 blowing for crossings north of town, maybe five to ten minutes out..............it is euphoric to be back here! Shot in Randolph, Vermont on April 4, 2013 at 02:25 with the 5D and Nikkor 14-24/2.8 lens set at 21mm. Please enjoy!

All The Best In 2013;

Gary Knapp

Update From Randy!

I had a few shots on my work PC. I hope you like them. The digital photography really shows the flaws, so I have fixed many of them since these were taken.

 

"Riverside"

 

Enjoy!
Randy Epstein