The C&NW serves the south.

Fantastic work on that

Fantastic work on that structure Chris!

Jeff

Greg Northern Office

Chris: I can smell the wood hips! 

Wrapped up my Greg Northern Office and switchman’s shanty, I need to build a base for it so it is a bit more protected. 
 

Hauling woodchips on the

  Hauling woodchips on the ACWR.

Jeff

Your layout

To Chris B.: When I saw the initials "C&NW", I was expecting to see green and gold locomotives from the Chicago & North Western. But instead, it's a totally different version of the C&NW. Nice picture of your layout.

Wendell

Thanks guys.

@Greg Great work on those buildings. 
@Jeff Those loads look fantastic. I need to send you some dimensions.

@Wendell #11 was the only RS-11 on the Southern system and it was purchased by one of its subsidiaries, the Carolina and Northwestern who had an all ALCO roster. I believe that #11 was the last ALCO purchased by the Southern or any of its subsidiaries. Ironically it ended up in green and gold when it was sold to the much larger C&NW in the mid 70s. 

East end of the yard

Empty yard storage tracks.

Country Smelter

A couple arrives with a load of hope. (Furnace is molded Sculptamold. Chimney is carved pink insulation. Door plate is scrap styrene.) 

Looking Good!

@nsmapaul : I really like the look of your tracks.  Clear to see they are not the mainline and see much less maintenance. 
 

@abelida : That is a neat little wagon is that a kit or just something you purchased? 

@mountaingoatgreg

Its a Berkshire Valley Models HO kit with one of their horses and a driving couple. Neat wagon kits. I've made three. Besides this buckboard, I did an ore wagon and a delivery wagon. (below) Rgds, Alex

Company House

This City Classics kit is simply a very nice plastic structure, the only one on my layout.   You can doll them up with stove pipes, gutters and downsputs and roll roofing.  I have a weathered white one and it came out well, too.     I think an American company, too (?)

RDG VO-1000

A smooth running engine, crossing Levi's Creek.

creating foundations

Congrats Charlie!

That space looks very new also very tall. Would love to see more and get some details.

@mountaingoatgreg

I like the modern office look! Reminds me of the office at Manville, NJ. Those K rails, where did you get them? I like the cracked look of the one. Looks real at first glance... well all of it does, actually. 

Contrasting tracks ...

Some temporary Peco 83 flex in the foreground, contrasted against ME weathered 70 on CVT 2003 8’ 6” under the boxcar in the rear. 

The ME rail is not yet even attached, just laying on there in the CVT tie plate grooves as I want to build all my turnouts before laying out the positioning of all track.  I have so little room to work with, and there is the hinge to contend with, so it has to be laid out very carefully.  

The CVT tie plates are so perfect, I’m pretty sure I could run straight line trains on it as is.  

ME 70/ CVT will be standard on the Bedside & Hinged and likely also on my still-in-design CPR Laggan Sub.

The GP9 is a just released Athearn Genesis unit. 

The 40' Trains Canada CPR Newsprint Boxcar (Build Date June,1959) is one of 6 I managed to find at Central Hobbies (don't waste your time, I bought them all!) for the bargain price of $15 each, a bargain by today's standards.

Sorry about the lack of scenery ... SOON! 

Patience Grasshopper

When I get all the pictures uploaded, I'll do a blog post on the whole thing. Including costs

Mike, that code 70 rail looks

Mike, that code 70 rail looks great on those CVT. I'm wondering if you can get code 55 rail on the CVT. That would be ideal for sidings.

Played around with iPhoto to

Played around with iPhoto to blend two pieces of carved foam to visualise how an outcrop would look like on the new module I'm working on. The outcrop is a real rock.

Great stuff like usual!!

Neat projects going on for you guys.

LOOKING GOOD

 My contribution. The train is on the main  track behind the  Howe truss which is the branch 

Deemiorgos ...

I'm thinking the answer is yes, you might just have to use a three point gauge to be absolutely spot on in taking up any slop that the narrower base on Code 55 rail introduces.

Here's the critical data borrowed from Fast Tracks website:

(Source: https://help.fast-tracks.net/hc/en-us/articles/360022942113-Can-you-make-Assembly-Fixtures-for-rail-other-than-Micro-Engineering-)

Interestingly, only 0.002" difference between Code 83 and Code 70 rail base width (and the code 70 is wider!).  Code 55 is 0.014" narrower than code 70. 

So it will definitely fit with 14 thou of slop.  Per the CVT website: "Self-gauging molded tie-plate detail for code 83, & code 70, and some code 55 rail!"

I've got some bundles of Code 55 and Code 40 back at the farm that I will check on the CVT ties next time I'm there.  I want to check wheel flanges while I'm at it as I definitely want to run some spindly branch lines up into the mountains (Lake Louise tram, and a non-prototype narrow gauge to the arrow lakes where I can build a replica Dolly Varden House, etc.).

Berkshire Valley Models

Alex,

I just received that delivery wagon kit from Berkshire, although I am thinking of a different logo.  I haven't opened the kit yet.  Can you share a level of difficulty?  How easy or impossible might it be to have different lettering?

Thanks in advance.

Your research is much

Your research is much appreciated, Mike.

Sounds promising.