Monthly Archives: May 2016

Benchwork, On The Workbench

Happy Memorial day…

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I would like to wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day and offer my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all those who served and especially those who have sacrificed all for our freedom and country.

I have finished and started several things this past week. Pretty good considering the work load right now with my job.

First: I have the track in up to the helix transition. Yup, check that off the list.

Track work in up to the helix transition.
Track work in up to the helix transition.

While I was installing it and constantly bumping my head, I realized that a bunch of the “stuff” that I had put off till later should probably get done before I get much farther. First and foremost is the backdrop in this area. That way I can also install the base and track for the gravel company.

And then I figured that if I was going to cut the hardboard for the backdrop here, I might as well cut all the backdrops. Upper level included. Which means first I had to install all of the half inch base boards for the backdrops on the upper level.

So second: I did just that. all of the baseboards installed.

Installed all the base boards for the upper level backdrops.
Installed all the base boards for the upper level backdrops.

Then I remembered that before I could install the backdrops on the upper level I would have to get all of the upper level valance supports into place as the backdrops will be notched around these.

So… third: I started to install the valance supports.

Started the upper valance supports.
Started the upper valance supports.

I have all of these cut, the problem was that I only had enough pocket hole screws to get just this corner in place. Late on Memorial Day is not the time that you are going to be able to run out and buy more.

This whole episode is very much like the story – If you give a mouse a cookie.

A couple of other things that I have been working on. First is a background building for Jackson. It started out life as a Walther’s Water Street Freight Terminal. I am making it into a light manufacturing building. Because the space is only 4 1/4 inches deep here, I had to narrow the depth. I used the backside of the main building that I cut off to lengthen the building. Right now I’m working on the mortar lines in the brick. After that I’ll add the windows and such. To make it look more like a manufacturing plant than a warehouse, I’ll add venting ducts, piping and perhaps some tanks to the outside.

Here’s what I started with:

The basis for my light industry for the Jackson background.
The basis for my light industry for the Jackson background.

And here’s where I’m at so far:

Modified the kit as a background building.
Modified the kit as a background building.
From the other end.
From the other end.
Overall building.
Overall building.

One last thing, I installed a concrete retaining wall behind the buildings along the berm in New Brighton. I was out of the mix of paint that I use for old concrete and used Floquil “aged concrete” paint that I had on hand. The color looks nothing like old concrete. So I bought some paint and mixed my color and started to repaint it. Below is a picture of the wall and the two colors as well as a couple of what the scene will look like when finished.

Concrete retaining wall along the berm scene
Concrete retaining wall along the berm scene
View down main street in New Brighton.
View down main street in New Brighton.
From the other angle.
From the other angle.

That’s it for this week, till next time – Happy Railroading…

 

 

Uncategorized

Happy Victoria Day…

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Happy Victoria Day to all my friends north of the border. Why I would I even notice that today is Victoria Day? Well when you live in the US and work for a Canadian company you get all the US holidays off as well as the Canadian ones.

With summer upon us, days are busy with work and evenings and Saturdays with house and yard work. Sundays are “Date Days” with my wife, where we spend the day out of the house doing whatever. Very important when you both work out of a home office.

So with a sudden day off I was able to get downstairs. When I last left off in the train room I was working on buildings for the business district in New Brighton. My last project for the third block was combining a couple a buildings to make a hotel. This will represent the Exchange Hotel in New Brighton. It was “The” hotel in the town although in reality it was long gone by the 1950’s. Since it was important to the cities history (and I couldn’t think of another business to put there) I wanted to include it in the block. The problem I was having was it wasn’t turning out as I had hoped. I had joined the buildings and made an awning (not the right word, but the right one eludes me as I’m writing this) and vertical sign, but it just wasn’t working. So work came to a halt.

The base buildings being converted into hotel.
The base buildings being converted into hotel.
Buildings joined with awning (?) and vertical sign in place.
Buildings joined with awning (?) and vertical sign in place.
Overview of what the finished block will look like.
Overview of what the finished block will look like.

So with a found day I turned back to the layout. And I finished the track work in Brandon. The mainline is in to the crossovers on the north end of town and all sidings (except the spur to the gravel company) are in place.

Brandon looking north with the track in.
Brandon looking north with the track in.
Brandon looking south.
Brandon looking south.

In the photos below I show the three major businesses. The creamery building is a stand in for the feed mill, it’s from the Walthers ( walther.com ) Consolidated Dairy kit, but is the exact same building as their Columbia Feed Mill. The other stand in is the oil dealer. The one in the photo is pretty beat up and I plan on getting a new for the space. The grain elevator will be used.

The stand in building for the feed mill.
The stand in building for the feed mill.
Again a stand in building for the oil dealer.
Again a stand in building for the oil dealer.
The grain elevator.
The grain elevator.

North of the crossovers is the curve that heads into the helix. I worked out the elevations for it so that I can cut the risers for the subroadbed. Once they are in place I will lay the track and then start work on the helix. Although before that happens I will be making the doors for the cabinets. I told you my wife wouldn’t let this one go and it will be nice to get rid of the visual clutter from the open cabinets.

I hope all goes well with you and enjoy your summer.

Till next time, Happy Railroading…

 

General

I warned you…

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I warned you in the beginning of April that I might not get much done and well, I was right. Although not something I was hoping to be right about. I have been out of town a lot for work and when I’m home it’s been all about catch up.

First a confession. About mid March you may have noticed that there was something of a work slow down. Before that I was marching right along with laying track, getting it wired up and running a train back and forth across what was down. Then there was a switch to working on buildings. Confession time. My wife and I were out and about on a lazy Sunday with nothing much to do. Being kind of bored we decided to hit the “Parade of Homes” here in the Twin Cities. For those unfamiliar with a Parade, it happens spring and fall when all the builders showcase their latest and greatest.

Now we weren’t looking for a new home, but rather what’s new and hoping to pick up an idea or two for what improvements we could make at home.

Long about the third model we walked into we were both floored. (no that’s wasn’t meant as a pun). The house was perfect. We had talked over the last couple of years what our “Golden Years” were going to look like. One of the things we have talked about was what happens if navigating stairs became an issue (we both have Parents/ grandparents/family members where this was/is an issue) and thought that having a house where all the main living is on one level would keep us in the house longer.

Anyways, you would have thought that they knew that my wife was  coming. Not only was the house everything we had talked about in regards to main floor living (yes it has a basement) and then some, it was also painted and staged (you know, all the “stuff” they decorate with that makes it look lived in) with all the things my wife would do. She had mentally moved in before we left the model. After about three weeks of picking out all the things one picks out for a new home we decided that at this time to just stay put where we are right now. We love our present home, but this still could happen but not in the near future.

That’s why the “work slowdown”. I didn’t want to be working on something that I was going to tear down. And once we decided to stay put, the travel for work started.

Anyways it has made me think about what I’m doing downstairs. Going forward I have to plan on being able to disassemble the layout (because believe me, she hasn’t let this one go. Again, know your audience).  This won’t stop me from moving forward, I just have to have an eye on moving it.

About the new space. It’s approximately the same square footage, but without all the things I had to work around in the present space – ei. support posts, utility room, store room and stairs. Dimensionally it’s the same, but I actually pick up space.

Back to reality. Tonight I finally had about an hour to play with and started working on the track work in Brandon. I spent most of that hour rounding up all my tools and supplies for track work as they had been scattered because of various other projects. I hope to have a post on actual progress very soon.

Till then, Happy Railroading and thanks for sticking around…