Mocked up an Unloading Dock

This is going to be for a furniture store in town. Yeah the store is not nearly big enough, which started out as a DPM building. The back story on the store and dock.

I did a google search on general stores some years back and got one of those pages with hundreds of photos. This was pre pininterest days. One of the stores had a small article with it. The store was in Charleston SC I believe. The guy who took the photo found some tracks behind the store and found out that the owners had used rail service to get their supplies in up to the early 1980's. I have no idea how often. I spent a couple of months working in a very small grocery store and we got a truck twice a week with an average of 6-8 pallets each delivery. 

Sounded like an interesting delivery idea. I plan on having such a store eventually, but that could be some years down the road. But the furniture store has a home and it is right next to the tracks and the only thing further down the track is a small warehouse. So, why not.

Top view first then a side view.      Jack

  looks like I got my finger in the way

Following

Following

Just reading the manual

Just reading the manual online for the multi meter; I'm a novice at this.

DCC decoder install, Athearn SW7 calf

Digitrax DZ146 DCC decoder install, into an Athearn SW7 calf.

I can insulate the motor, fit the decoder, replace lamp with LED, just need to sort out the wiring to fit so they don't snag on the flywheels.  Pictures to follow...

I’ve used Miniatronics wire for this application.

My first installations with NCE decoders were done with Miniatronics wire.

I have wired to the trucks and never had a snag.  I do recommend wiring directly to the trucks with the Blue Box and early Protos that require motor isolation.

The above picture shows how it looks with a neat wiring package to connect the motor and trucks of an Athearn RTR which is essentially an blue box with an upgraded motor.

Up on the roof

Work commences at the old brick Central Lumber warehouse. Now that a start up tech company owns the building they are busy installing the tools of their trade up on the roof. 

Those Microwave Towers

Are fantastic!  Have you added this to the layout build thread?

Thanks Phillip

Appreciate the comment. I'll see if I can find that thread and attach it there. This is being built as a detail for the building I'm working on for TMTV videos........a ways to go yet!

Four Flats

Ulrich Truss Rod Flat Cars.  Building four total, but right now three at once.  The first was a 'pathfinder' model to decide how I wanted to proceed and is already primed and ready to paint, while the other three are being built as a group to save time switching from step to step.  Read more about it at my blog.

Ulrich!

One of my favorite model cars. I had built quite a few. Still have them. Crude by today's standards, but still operate fine. Obviously with good trucks and Kadee couplers.

True, but what's the alternative?

Morgan,

I agree with your assessment. The only catch is, good luck finding any other 40 foot truss rod flat cars that aren't Bachmann Silver Series (based on a specific prototype used at Cass).  A few nice shorter cars, but that's it.  Tichy of course makes an excellent flat appropriate for the late 1920s and I've got a few of them (actually ERTL knockoffs, virtually identical).  But that's a beautiful fishbelly underframe.  Plenty of those too.

Anyway, I'm upgrading the decks using scribed cardstock and adding a rod to the K brake piston for very minimal brake detail.  Other than that, they're stock standard.  Two of the kits I collected had the original arch bar trucks with metal wheels, and two are getting Kadee arch bars, nearly an exact match for the Ulrich trucks.  Here's a picture of the bolster/coupler/sill assembly with kadee scale-head whiskers in them:

LilBat

Hi all, 

Meet LilBat - Little battery electric locomotives created by melding an unpowered kit to to a Bachmann "Underground Ernie" chassis to get a small loco in 1/43 O narrow-gauge that moves under its own power with operating directional headlights.

Things haven't gone as smoothly as they should have with the first of 3 new builds at bottom left. More details of this unfolding saga will appear on my Corrimal Colliery Incline thread. When done they should look like this

Now back to the workbench to start the next two,   

You got my point!

The results you get with an Ulrich kit are good. They make a nice model. And from what I see of what you are doing is proof of that. When you get done, you will have models to be proud of. They may or may not be as good as some of these $50 models. but you have the satisfaction of having built them yourself out of old kits no longer available. From what I can tell, most of them that had Zamac castings have had them all deteriorate. So you can be proud of what you are doing. I'm proud of you!

Zamac deterioration

Morgan,

Yes, I've had some sign of metal deterioration on a couple parts but I've been lucky with the rest. 

I hear you, and thanks for the encouragement!

Galen

Bachmann Spectrum FM H-16-44 to get Decodered

Home at the farm for a week and this had arrived so I brought a Decoder Buddy and Soundtraxx TSU-21PNEM and some LEDs with me to do the conversion.

Hasn’t quite made it to the workbench yet, but soon will, and here I have a big mill, so making room for the Decoder and it’s Buddy will be assessed and tackled as a first step if needed as I’ve read that these are tight on space inside. 
 
It’s officially on the workbench after a trip to the mill.

Full conversion article shaping up  here.
 

Practice Adding Detail

I’m working to finally finish a P2K Type 21 tank car that has been languishing on my workbench for too long.  Decided to replace a few details with brass for durability and to practice techniques.

I bent new uncoupling brackets from wire, using the plastic ones as a guide, with Tichy eye bolts.  This end has a curve to go around the brake stem ratchet.  Next step is adding the YMW etched brass stirrup steps.  After that, cleaning the brass with alcohol to remove oils and brush painting them to match. Not hugely complicated but progress for me in developing my skills.  

Bunches of wires.

I’m working up an my Atlas GP40-2(W) in G&W and NECR colors.  The motherboard was the first upgrade, of course….  I was disappointed with the brightness of the ditch lights so I reworked them first.  The printed circuit light boards were next to go.  All the lenses and number boards have LEDs attached and are blackened in the rear.  The Scale Sound Systems speaker is ready to install.  One new detail I am going to try this time is to add the low courtesy lights on the front pilot.  Ground lights and if they are on the prototype step lights are on the agenda too.  Cab light is on the list too.

Workbench...

What can I say?

Y'all asked.

erdnA

Workbench

My workbench started with an old wood desk that somebody put out for the trash. The top is an old sign. The shelves are made from an old packing crate and the back of the shelves is made from a refrigerator box. After making a mess for over 20 years I repainted everything, cleaned and sorted everything out, and added a new wood top. I'm happy with the way it turned out.

Awesome

Looks awesome!  That is some serious organization and tool selection.

I agree

That work bench is AWESOME. Wish i had room in my train shed for such an item,...but no way.

Space

Y'all should be glad you don't live in a mobile home. No basement, no attic. A separate shed would be nice, but that gets expensive when you want electricity, etc. So I settle for a card table with covering to protect it. Having just enough room for some tools. Take out only the tools needed for the project and keep all others in boxes or such. So, when Dave shows that magnificent work area. All I can do is drool and think "WOW".

My Train Shed

I do live in a mobile home here in the USA, I pulled it back under my carport that insulates it from direct sunlight, and I insulated it so it does stay cooler than if it set total outdoors. I gave some thought to what I might have done if I didn't have that carport cover. In that case I think I would have tried to put some sort of secondary roof over the shed,...perhaps even a soft cover like some of the green house structures utilize?

My electrical power is still just a HD extension cord plugged into my trailer's external light fixture. I do have some romex electrical cable laid out to connect to the fuse panel of my trailer, but have not hooked it up yet. My train room does NOT need that big of an electrical supply, so the extension cord has been fine. I also switch off the entire shed's power overnight.

https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/help-please-design-a-dbldeck-layout-in-its-own-handhouse-shed-12207028

Dave's Workbench

@ DaveintheHat - does this mean new dioramas are coming soon?  I sure hope so.  Your creativity makes me smile; especially the birdhouses.

Galen