With summer out door projects going full bore I decided I'd need an indoor project for when it rains. Not that I don't have enough indoor projects on the "Honey Do" list, I just need to do some modeling. I figure let the "SWMBO" scream all she wants, I'm modeling today.

I've started my second Athearn wreck crane modification. This crane will be used in a display by NCE (North Coast Electronics). It will have a DCC decoder installed by a good friend of mine who is also sales rep for NCE.

I'm also going to put up this build on my web site after I get it all built. At this point I'm not sure how far I will take this build to since my friend Jim will be installing the decoder and may even detail the crane a bit and paint it. Who knows were this will go.

The build starts in the next post.

Bernd

I'm starting my layout with an aggregate tram line that will interchange with my standard gauge New York, Vermont &Northern Rwy.

I'm going to use an old track plan that Chuck Yungkurth designed called the Gum Stump & Snowshoe  for a track plan for my aggregate line. Here's a picture of it courtesy of MR. It will be slightly modified. The layout is 6 feet long by 12 inches wide. Track gauge will be 30" or HOn30 (N scale track).

In my blog on motorizing the Athearn wreck crane Ken Rickman presented an idea for transferring power from the wheels into the rotating cab of the crane. I didn't like Geoff's method on his article on the parts he used to transfer the power from the wheels to the crane cab. Then Ken presented an idea that I took and modified. His suggestion is here: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/8956?page=6

Not one to be left behind, the subsidiary of the New York, Vermont & Northern Rwy, the Otter Creek Falls Coal & Lumber Rwy is receiving some equipment from the Lilliputian Rail Equipment Broker. An 0-6-0 switcher, an 0-6-0 Plymouth diesel, Brill Trolley and the tender from the 0-6-0 engine. But, there's always a "but", the caboose right along with the side rods, coupler and some hand railing were confiscated by rail fans when the crew parked the train and went to lunch.

The New York, Vermont & Northern Rwy is going into the 21st Century with modern steam. These are the first of five F-45 bodies to arrive from the EMD Company. The NY,V & N Rwy will be adding the drive train and support equipment. The railroad plans on building at least 3 ACE 3000 like locomotives for mainline coal hauling. The program will will last over several years. More news to come as the program progresses.

Being inspired by the crane article written by Geoff Bunza I decided to give it a try. I have had an Atheran crane for quite sometime now.

The details follow in the first post ...

Bernd

MODERATOR EDIT: Moved the bulk of this content to the first comment post so we don't get a long-winded first post that repeats across pages.

A while back I got interested in rotary dumpers. The rotary that got my interest was the Salida Colorado one used to transfer bulk loads from narrow gauge cars to standard gauge cars.

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/79835

On a trip this weekend to visit the wife's relatives in Lancsater, Pa. we stopped at a flea market on the way home in Lewisburg, Pa. While going through all the valuable treasures I came across a vendor that had one brass engine setting on the shelf. I asked the price, $200. I though boy talk about a bargain. This engine is a Key Import Milwaukee 4-6-4. So home it came with me. I'm not a rail fan of the Milwaukee road but I am a fan of cheap brass.

The engine:

NOTE: I had lost the pictures when doing a web site rebuild. Just found them today (12/22/13) while looking for some other pictures on a thumb drive.

John,

I found the round-tuit button this afternoon. Here are the Atheran F7 shells. One was made into an F3A before commercial models were available. This was Atherans second up grade. The trucks were much improved on these models. Anyway here are the prototype engines.