Conrail Joe

Looks great! I'm really into ops. Do you have a track plan you could post up? How many people do you have on your operating crew?

Wow, Very impressive!!! Thanks for sharing!

I've been using it for a year or two now! It's a great app/program, and feels wrong now when I don't use it!

What part of the P & W are you thinking of modeling? I live in RI, and VERY familiar with the P&W operations, I model it as well. here is a link to a nice area, end of a branch line I model. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/129312-my-shelf-layout-journal/

Up to 7 car spots total. but 7 cars on the layout looks very crowded. The staging cassette can hold an engine and two cars. I have a "Bullpen" (cardboard box) of cars to swap in and out right under the staging cassette. Only my HFCS cars are current, so I will need to slowly update my cars. I painted the track today. I used rustoleum cammo brown. Up next is painting the ties using a method from Mike Confalone. Diluted acrylic wash with greys and browns.

Yep, 17 minutes! Exactly what I wanted! Now it’s time to make it look like the real thing.

Thanks Wendell! All set up for my first op session. the gold color lock is for the switch stand. The other two locks for the de-rails. On the staging Cassatt I have the handwritten switch list, The keys for the locks, and a tool to clean the track if necessary Today’s operations include : 2 HFCS tank cars for JUB. (just us bakery) This is the typical monthly shipment they get by rail. Covered hopper with flower is a two month supply. I have one tank car to pick up from JUB, and nothing happening at NFPS today. Using the train crew app on my phone, I’m thinking this should take 15 minutes. http://traincrew.conrail1285.com/index.html

Solder Saturday!!! Trains are running!!

OK that’s enough of that. The track is being glued down. I attached the paperwork station as well.

I decided to follow through with the tip in lances book. To cut and remove a few ties every few inches and spread out the ties making it look more like industrial trackage. That was painful! I hope it pays off in the long run. I don’t have it glued down yet just making sure I’m happy with the arrangement first. I’ll probably let it sit a day or two, and stare at it quite a bit before I glue it down.

Staging cassette attached

Here’s the painted fascia

Put the upper valence on, took a few pics. Painted it all black, but forgot to take pics! Track goes down tomorrow!

Let there be light!!!!! Let there be light!!!!!

Here’s a picture test fitting the placement of the paperwork station, the uncoupler tool holder, and the NCE power cab jack. The second picture is the 2’ staging cassette being clamped to death while the carpenter glue dries. Tomorrow this led strip lights will be installed, and the top valence will be attached. I’m hoping to get the track glued down, but I have a long honey do list!