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Post by slowfreight on Apr 24, 2022 2:46:59 GMT -8
Greetings from the future, winding down Sunday evening out in the Pacific ocean. As part of a long work trip, I'll be dropping off some "beginner" HO stuff with a nephew stationed in Okinawa. I'm starting him out with a nice Blue Box tunnel motor, some extra details, a few good kits and RTR stuff. Kinda bittersweet to pass my old Troller Transamp I along to a new home. And really glad I bought a box of EZ track in a junk store some years ago. Of course, I couldn't resist setting it up and making sure everything ran as I sit here on a tiny island that has never had a railroad.  |
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Post by fr8kar on Apr 24, 2022 7:21:19 GMT -8
That looks very close to the arrangement and equipment that got me started. I'd seen my grandpa's garage empire before and was overwhelmed by it, so when I got my first oval, locomotive and few cars imagination took over and here we are almost fifty years later. Good on you for bringing this bit of joy to your nephew! Speaking of the passage of time, I've seen these locomotives around Alliance for a few years - 575 has been here the entire time I have - and the end has finally come. I knew when they were moved to 7309 track it was just a matter of time for the scrapper to get in position. I came back home the other day and caught them in the evening light for one last time.   When I was much younger I worked as a land surveyor for the construction company that built the Alliance facility for Santa Fe. These locomotives, along with the GP60Ms, Bs and others, were daily visitors as we worked to expand the facility around the trains. I remember these locomotives in better times when they were nearly new. And that's how I model them, keeping them frozen in time. |
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Post by danpik on Apr 24, 2022 7:40:36 GMT -8
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Post by surlyknuckle on Apr 24, 2022 7:59:22 GMT -8
How many B40-8Ws is BNSF down to? I thought they still had a good many. There is only one active B40-8, correct? Really neat engines. Believe it or not, I was able to catch B40-8Ws and B40-8s from BNSF leading mainline trains on CSX in the early to mid 2000s. Pretty wild to think that in 2004, you *could* see a matched pair of H1 B40-8s pulling CSX Q261...
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Post by surlyknuckle on Apr 24, 2022 8:04:51 GMT -8
No modeling photos, but I wanted to share this slide I recently acquired; DTTX 63003 (A) on August 1st 1985...likely making it's first revenue run. This is a Gunderson Twin-Stack (GWG50). The location is Westmont IL on the BN. I find this era of intermodal equipment pretty interesting...lots of different ideas being tried out before more common designs were settled upon. I know I've seen a set of these in the last few years but I'm not sure if they were all finally retired and scrapped yet. Notice the other Twin-Stack variation coupled at right....plenty of those around somehow! MJ Budo photo, scanned from my collection.  DTTX 63003A by Freight Engineer, on Flickr |
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Post by TBird1958 on Apr 24, 2022 8:56:12 GMT -8
We've been working on finishing the basement of the house, which has kept my modeling projects small for the past several weeks....... Here's a 3D printed dry bulk trailer that's pretty close to being done, it was/is a bit kludgey. I added a few parts to give some help.  The start of a GN 4400 series rebuilt boxcar, the sides are printed, the ends are cut from an IMWX 1937 AAR car, underframe is from Accurail.  Some BNSF units running south past my work in downtown Seattle.  |
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Post by dti406 on Apr 24, 2022 10:18:04 GMT -8
Well, since I only got one car done last week, here are three for this week. I finished off a pair of Bowser PRRG39 Ore Jennies, this brings the fleet up to 40 cars now. Cars were assembled, painted with Scalecoat II Black paint and lettered with K4 Decals. Loads were from Dan Pikulski, you can find them on E-Bay. _IMG_0050.png?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds) Next, a Details West sort of FGE RBL kit, subsituted Molocos cushion coupler pockets for the kit ones, painted the car with Scalecoat II Black and Silver, and Floquil PC Green paint, then lettered with Microscale Decals. Car was in service in the canned goods or other service that required some temperature control, the PC had 319 cars of this X73 class. _IMG_0053.png?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds) Progress on the car started last week, got the basic car together and removed all the cast on grabs, door stops and placards. Then drilled the holes for new Tichy grabs on the car sides. Also added Moloco end of car cushioning to the underframe. _IMG_0049.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds) Part of the G39 Fleet on the Strongsville Railroad Club layout, pulled by Steward C628 and C630 locomotives. _IMG_1403.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds) Thanks for looking! Rick Jesionowski |
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Post by fr8kar on Apr 24, 2022 10:48:24 GMT -8
No modeling photos, but I wanted to share this slide I recently acquired; DTTX 63003 (A) on August 1st 1985...likely making it's first revenue run. This is a Gunderson Twin-Stack (GWG50). The location is Westmont IL on the BN. I find this era of intermodal equipment pretty interesting...lots of different ideas being tried out before more common designs were settled upon. I know I've seen a set of these in the last few years but I'm not sure if they were all finally retired and scrapped yet. Notice the other Twin-Stack variation coupled at right....plenty of those around somehow! MJ Budo photo, scanned from my collection. DTTX 63003A by Freight Engineer, on Flickr It amazes me we only have one model of the Twin Stack car and it's the perpetually-out-of-stock and severely underdetailed A-line/Intermountain version. The variation you've posted would be welcome by me, but I would also like to see the version it's coupled to done to modern standards. These cars are among the earliest double stack cars and yet they still roam the rails today patched out or completely repainted from their original livery. The number of paint schemes possible on a model is enormous. |
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Post by nsc39d8 on Apr 24, 2022 11:57:31 GMT -8
Great works so far everyone. I have several projects I am working on currently one is converting an Atlas caboose to a closer version of a N&W C32P caboose. Here its my progress so far with a new cupola partially scratch built and new roof added.    Having just gotten everything glued together for this photo. Next is body filler and sanding. Still have to add some more roof material and the ends. Roof is from Exactrail cut down to size. Patched over windows and enlarged the single window to size. A lot of modification on the Exactrail roof to get it to sit down correctly. |
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Post by jbilbrey on Apr 24, 2022 16:57:34 GMT -8
That looks very close to the arrangement and equipment that got me started. I'd seen my grandpa's garage empire before and was overwhelmed by it, so when I got my first oval, locomotive and few cars imagination took over and here we are almost fifty years later. Good on you for bringing this bit of joy to your nephew! Speaking of the passage of time, I've seen these locomotives around Alliance for a few years - 575 has been here the entire time I have - and the end has finally come. I knew when they were moved to 7309 track it was just a matter of time for the scrapper to get in position. I came back home the other day and caught them in the evening light for one last time. When I was much younger I worked as a land surveyor for the construction company that built the Alliance facility for Santa Fe. These locomotives, along with the GP60Ms, Bs and others, were daily visitors as we worked to expand the facility around the trains. I remember these locomotives in better times when they were nearly new. And that's how I model them, keeping them frozen in time. It has been hard for me to get over the fact that locomotives like the B40-8's and C40-8's - locomotives that I remember being the "latest and greatest" on the rails- are now either being scrapped, sold to shortlines, or donated to museums. A few weeks ago, I was amazed to see an un-rebuilt CSX SD40-2 pass by me with a local while I ate dinner with my son (who was more interested in the ES40DC that trailed the SD40-2). Time marches on... Back to modeling, I worked on a Sylvan Models COE truck kit (which unintentionally turned out very CNW-looking) and a Red Caboose X29 during the past week. The X29 was a very convoluted build. I had a friend pick the kit up for me at a hobby shop that was going out of business. After the hobby shop closed, I opened it up to find that most of the smaller details (ladders, brake gear, grabs, etc.) were all missing. Last fall, I finally convinced a friend to sell me one of his undec. kits so that I could rob it of the parts needed to finish my kit. The undec. kit will likely end up being a storage shed beside the rails. I also got three more tank car kits (one InterMoutain and 2 P2k cars) in the mail to build. Finally, I got the last decals needed to finish lettering a BLI Mikado. I'll post photos of that next week when I get it on the track as a surprise for my son. |
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Post by runs2waynoka on Apr 24, 2022 19:43:25 GMT -8
How many B40-8Ws is BNSF down to? I thought they still had a good many. There is only one active B40-8, correct? Really neat engines. Believe it or not, I was able to catch B40-8Ws and B40-8s from BNSF leading mainline trains on CSX in the early to mid 2000s. Pretty wild to think that in 2004, you *could* see a matched pair of H1 B40-8s pulling CSX Q261... They had GE rebuilt something like 30 of the B40-8Ws a few years ago, some are remote control units, all those are still running. The few other unrebuilt units that were still running were all parked in 2020. They have many other, long out of service, bad ordered units still stored- these are what they are starting to scrap. |
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Post by fr8kar on Apr 25, 2022 1:32:31 GMT -8
How many B40-8Ws is BNSF down to? I thought they still had a good many. There is only one active B40-8, correct? Really neat engines. Believe it or not, I was able to catch B40-8Ws and B40-8s from BNSF leading mainline trains on CSX in the early to mid 2000s. Pretty wild to think that in 2004, you *could* see a matched pair of H1 B40-8s pulling CSX Q261... They had GE rebuilt something like 30 of the B40-8Ws a few years ago, some are remote control units, all those are still running. The few other unrebuilt units that were still running were all parked in 2020. They have many other, long out of service, bad ordered units still stored- these are what they are starting to scrap. Working out of Fort Worth we got first crack at most of those when they came out of GE. They were pretty good to run but like the rebuilt Dash 9s no effort was put into the interior. It didn't take long for them to wander off never to be seen again. |
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Post by csxt8400 on Apr 25, 2022 13:20:52 GMT -8
Well I would gladly send them back to you, Ryan! They are trying to make them Hump sets where I'm at, I refuse to use them if I ever have another option.
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Post by fr8kar on Apr 25, 2022 13:59:31 GMT -8
Well I would gladly send them back to you, Ryan! They are trying to make them Hump sets where I'm at, I refuse to use them if I ever have another option. Yikes! That is not a good match for those motors. They are dogs until you hit 5 or 6 mph then they fly, just like GP60s. |
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Post by Baikal on Apr 25, 2022 14:20:46 GMT -8
Well, since I only got one car done last week, here are three for this week. I finished off a pair of Bowser PRRG39 Ore Jennies, this brings the fleet up to 40 cars now. Cars were assembled, painted with Scalecoat II Black paint and lettered with K4 Decals. Loads were from Dan Pikulski, you can find them on E-Bay. Thanks for looking! Rick Jesionowski
Nice looking cars & load.
Where did these run to-from?
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Post by ChessieFan1978 on Apr 25, 2022 16:38:17 GMT -8
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Post by dti406 on Apr 25, 2022 17:31:31 GMT -8
Well, since I only got one car done last week, here are three for this week. I finished off a pair of Bowser PRRG39 Ore Jennies, this brings the fleet up to 40 cars now. Cars were assembled, painted with Scalecoat II Black paint and lettered with K4 Decals. Loads were from Dan Pikulski, you can find them on E-Bay. Thanks for looking! Rick Jesionowski Nice looking cars & load. Where did these run to-from?
Pennsy's G38 and G39 Ore Jimmies ran from Whiskey Island in Cleveland to the Steel Plants in Youngstown or Pittsburgh. They also ran from Phidelphia with ore imported from Labrador or Brazil and also went to local steel plants and to Youngstown and Pittsburg. After Conrail it was usual to see one of the EL Bi-Centennial units on the ore train. Rick Jesionowski |
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Post by tom on Apr 28, 2022 15:59:11 GMT -8
Great work everyone! Anxious to see progress on that Accurail/Branchline/Moloco/NYC boxcar! The GN boxcar with the printed sides also looks interesting (I think it is a 4200 series boxcar). I see the sides are available from Shapeways. Keep showing progress on that car too.
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Post by stevef45 on Apr 29, 2022 4:48:55 GMT -8
Finally got some painting done on my BNSF SD40-2B #302. Laid the black down and my god it looks great. The badger modelmaster or model flex bn green is perfect. Decals this weekend.  20220426_140730 by Tripps Pics79, on Flickr Also finally laid down the yellow sill on my nj transit/cnj unit. Used tamiya lacquer "yellow" and it's a dead ringer for the prototype. I'll be adding the reflective safety stripes this weekend now that I got the handrails glued on.  20220426_140236 by Tripps Pics79, on Flickr |
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