Modeling topic
How and where to sell used equipment?
Time and health has caught up with me, three surgeries this year, so it's time to pack it up.
Question on macro(-ish) freight ops ATSF (LA Division)
Hello everyone,
I have been looking at macro(-ish) operations over my prototype (ATSF, LA 2nd district between LA and San Bernardino), and i became curious over a few things. I am after what is more logical/realistic (although if someone has that ATSF specific info that would be golden!)
I know that there were 2 local freights daily (end to end locals), one EB and one WB. They switched industries along the line and returned back to origin on the next day.Freight-loads ratio has heavy in favor of WB over the district.
Walthers Layout Control Switch Motor
I am looking to use the Walthers Layout Control System to operate my turnouts. I am using some PECO Electrofrogs. I will be using a DCC system, First NCE during construction and then a Digikeijs DR5000. The switch motors will be operated from the systems facia controls and from a DCC throttle as well. I understand I need to massage the turnouts a bit to make them work. My problem lies in how to power the frogs from the Walthers Switch motor from the aux 5a switches. However I may be wrong in this. I have checked the instructions and online with no luck.
Helix as staging?
I've seen some people who build a helix that contains multiple tracks (more than 2), and use them for staging. It seems like a great way to conserve space if you are already going to have a helix, and don't want a separate deck for staging.
Running the Union Pacific Transfer at South Omaha
I thought you might enjoy watching a transfer run on my layout. This is the Union Pacific transfer, which exchanges cars to my shortline at South Omaha and is based on the prototype. The era is the early 1990s.
Adhesive to bond styrene sheet to Masonite for backdrop
I wonder if anyone can suggest an adhesive that would work to bond large sheets of .030 styrene to a Masonite backing without melting the styrene. I'm experimenting with using styrene sheet as a finished surface for the backdrop for a shelf layout, a seemingly ideal material as it will easily cove at the corners as well as into the overhead lighting deck to get a seamless transition. Some form of contact cement would be ideal but I'm afraid most types would melt and distort the styrene. Thoughts anyone?
Using Rapido's RailCrew switch machines
I am familiar with standard solenoid switch machines (like Atlas) and stall-motor machines (like Tortoise) and have used both. The RailCrew machine appears to be a solenoid device but the documentation shows what looks like a dpdt toggle switch that does not use all of the contacts. I am missing something here...
That feeling when...
...you're about to take a razor saw to a piece of a kit, not just random stock styrene.
It came out okay. Goal is the kitbash below. The Walthers papermill isn't really big enough to be convincing, so I'm re-purposing the back wall, which would be invisible anyway:
New ProtoThrottle Faceplate Color?
As we prepare for the next run of ProtoThrottle faceplates, we are considering another special run color. Would anyone be interested in an olive green faceplate? The photos below show how this olive green color would look relative to the standard grey/blue faceplates, in some different lighting conditions. We will still keep the standard grey/blue and probably do another set of black plates. These would be in addition to that.
Please let us know your thoughts, either way.
Thanks,
Michael
Just another modeling tip
As part of the ADM project I need some grain trailers with the tarps open. Therefore, I needed something to represent corn kernels that was near scale size. Now your significant other probably won't appreciate this but I appropriated a jar of ground mustard to represent the corn as it has that bright yellow color and is the right size.
I just used diluted white glue to adhere it to the surface. once this dries out I will go back and touch up areas where the mustard didn't stick.
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