“ROUTE OF THE SHORTYS”

[Northroader]

Since Christmas, I’ve been pushing on with the reorganisation of the reorganisation, so I’ve now got back to having three independent mini layouts, rather than trying to do it all with one. The Englefield one is a reshaped old board, with the track reconfigured, and mated up with a different fiddle yard board which happens to fit. It’s now got to the stage where I can juice it up, and run a train. My long suffering backscene has been trimmed, patched, and touched up. The next scenic job is to do the ground texture and ballasting, and make a different depot building,. That can wait while the other two lines catch up, but at least I can switch on the controller and let something roll up and down.

As to the track layout, I’ve kept to a through main road, but kept it straight, rather than a reverse curve disappearing behind an industry, as there isn’t so much to look at doing that way, with a siding in front. Having two fiddle yards was rather extravagant, particularly with the extra layouts, so the one end will be just a short pocket to park a loco. There’s another short siding behind the running line, straight out off the main fiddle yard, so you can regard it as an Inglenook plan with a passenger depot. 

Dimensions? The main board is 42” x 14” (1065 x 355mm) and the fiddle board is 38” x 15.5” (965 x 390mm) for 36” (915mm) cassettes.

(sorry, no pictures)

 

Edited June 27, 2023 by Northroader

[Mikkel]

Rare to see a painted backscene that works from all angles, very well conceived I think.

 

8 hours ago, Northroader said:

the reorganisation of the reorganisation,

 

Very realistic. Role-playing the company management, haven't seen that done before 

[Northroader]

Came across this link this morning, which makes for enjoyable viewing:

http://www.ottgalleries.com/index.html

Well, it’s American Railroad modelling, beautifully crafted, just a little time before diesels came along, just pushing the clock back.

[Mikkel]

Well that's mighty nice. I like the period feel to the page-design and language, a whole little world of its own. 

[Northroader]

I had a pleasant evening following up the links to his friends layouts, the sort of thing where they seem to have a room the size of a football pitch to put the layout in.  I have a few books by Don Ball, so it was good to have a run on his Stockton & Copperopolis, for instance. Usually all the American layouts you get are modern diesel, so it was nice to get a window on what might be termed “pregroup”.

[F-UnitMad]

This link came up on a thread about US passenger cars....

https://www.walthers.com/21-heavyweight-quot-oscar-quot-quot-piker-quot-set-ready-to-run-pullman

 

Okay, it's a different scale, but clearly  Someone   has been a VERY bad influence on the Walthers design Team.

Come on, own up  ... we know who you are.....  

[Northroader]

God, those things are out of the ark, I used to take the “Model Railroader” in the 1970s, and they were advertising them then. You don’t see many of them, and I ain’t got none. (I do have standards, you know!)   ;-)

 

[F-UnitMad]

On 17/03/2021 at 14:43, Northroader said:

those things are out of the ark

I didn't realise that; first second time I've seen them.

I did note the 'out of stock' line in the listing.

 

Edited for accuracy.

Edited March 18, 2021 by F-UnitMad

[Northroader]

Jack did a post some time back:

 

[alastairq]

They'd be OK if one has some modules with a sky board in between?  One could park one directly under the sky board. seen from both sides, nobody would be any the wiser?

[F-UnitMad]

8 hours ago, Northroader said:

Jack did a post some time back:

 

Clearly a Thread I had utterly & totally forgotten about despite posting in it as well..!!

 

Off to edit my post above... 

[Donw]

1 hour ago, F-UnitMad said:

Clearly a Thread I had utterly & totally forgotten about despite posting in it as well..!!

 

Off to edit my post above... 

That is about as near we get to a time machine being able to go back and edit a post what was Omar said about the moving finger having writ...

 

Don

[Northroader]

“Go forth and do thou likewise”

[F-UnitMad]

Saw this Thread over on the American OGR Forum, & immediately thought of our own Mr Northroader here...

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/shorty-one-bay-ps-2-hopper

 

A one-bay PS2 Covered Hopper, anyone? Or should I not have put temptation in front of "someone"...      *evil laugh*....

[Northroader]

That was mentioned on somewhere today ?Night Mail, and it is a fine vehicle, totally in keeping with shorty philosophy. However, modern lines are knee deep in covhops, and they seem to be the favourite vehicle if you’re going bumming, * but they didn’t really take off until the 1950s, so it is a bit too modern for Englefield, but thanks for the thought, Jordan.

Apologies for the lack of posts on here, all the effort been in trying to get Washbourne into shape, with an Irish trip thrown in, and a little bit of progress on the Whimsy line, plus my better half cooking up schemes to keep me going.

*Ranoutonarail

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC8XCmWXE2J5dF7wXkzUVHtw

Edited August 5, 2021 by Northroader

[Northroader]

America entered WW2 in December, 1941, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. There was a huge increase in traffic on the railroads, and a mad scramble to be able to meet the needs. A class of vehicles involved in this were termed “war emergency cabooses”, most of the major lines doing what they could to make some, and I think these make interesting prototypes. I wanted one for the NYC, and they did fifty from old boxcars. These had steel frame, pressed steel ends and roof, and wood boarded sides, so a very common type. Steps were let into each corner, with a cross passageway behind the pressed steel ends, and a rectangular hole cut in the end to form a “window”, with access to a brakewheel and airvalve. This was the only lookout, neither cupolas or baywindows were provided. The body was sheeted in with plywood sheets to form crew accommodation, which suited me, the ply being secured with countersunk bolts giving a flush side finish, much simpler than rivetted steel sheets. There was a stove inside, with a stovepipe poking out of the roof. They seem to have had a useful life after the war, you can see pictures of them in the grey and red “Pacemaker” colour scheme.

The model had a piece of stripwood to form a sill, with the bogies and couplers mounted on it. I’ve used archbar bogies, it is an “internal user” after all, though I fancy the unions would have stuck out for something with better springing. The main body was done in .060” plastikard. For the roof and ends I had some spare resin castings from experiments some time back. I did these using rubber moulds, much simpler to free the casting, but hells own job to keep a uniform thickness and flatness. The roof went on alright, then I cut the holes in the ends, and started to add detail with brass rod. It must have been the hole cutting what did it, but the ends started to warp badly, taking up a banana shape, most off putting, and causing a long delay. Finally I grasped the nettle, and borrowed my wife’s hair dryer. A good blast from this softened the ends enough to try and flatten them between my thumb and fingers, probably toffee would give as good a job. They used up quite a quantity of araldite to attach to the car, and I’m just hoping they don’t decide to start warping again.

 

The other thing I think I ought to mention is the body is 27’ long, rather than 40’, and this makes up a shorty NYC freight train set, with a Beep, a 30’ gondola, and 27’ boxcar and caboose, overall length 32” in 0 scale, yeah, right,..er.. why are you looking at me like that?

 

Edited October 11, 2023 by Northroader

[JAMO]

I like this short caboose. Do you have any drawing please?

[Northroader]

Thanks for your interest, Jacky, I’m afraid I didn’t work off any drawings. It started as a standard 40’ wood boxcar, with the usual dreadnaught steel ends and pressed steel roof, and you could then be guided by photographs. Here’s a link to an MR project which should help. Good luck with the build.

Giving it some more thought, a good way would be to get an Intermountain steel boxcar, cut the “windows” in the ends, trim the bodysides off, then fit a plastikard insert body and steps, and then detail.

 

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/13/t/282161.aspx

 

 

Theres a range of these cars, all with the build railroads take on the problem, which you could find equally attractive, so what I’ll do, is an “edit” on this post with links to more similar jobs.

 

 

Edit one: First off, a more involved job, PRR NX23, an old outside framed wood boxcar, side entrance and ladder, small bay window, portholes.

 

http://www.prrmodels.com/NX23index.html

 

edit two: another more involved job, an old outside braced boxcar which has had the door centre section removed, body spliced(!), new balconies and cupola added. Small diagram given. You may note in the description some were also done with side waycar doors and passenger accommodation included. Might suit a Midwest line like yours?

 

https://www.oklahomarailwaymuseum.org/plan-your-visit/exhibits-grounds/equipment/cabooses/rock-island-17834-caboose/

edit 2B: here’s the bit on the Rock Island one with passenger accommodation:

 

https://www.midcontinent.org/equipment-roster/cabooses/chicago-rock-island-pacific-17772/

 

edit three: here’s another one, very similar to the NYC version, but the bodysides done in narrow match-boarding (Evergreen 4100 v groove?, N&W subsequently replaced with ply) and a cupola has been added. Shown as N&W, originally NKP, bright red, with a “Fast Freight Service” white cantrail stripe, looked good.

 

 

edit four: one of the more peculiar jobs had benches fitted on the roof for lookout purposes, the rest of the car being a very obvious old wood box car. The crews called them “Hollywood cars” as sitting up there would help get a healthy film star look, and I fancy they would see more use on the warmer end of the line. Both the ATSF and the SP did some of these.

 

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/atsf-wartime-church-pew-caboose?nc=1

 

edit five: here’s one of the SP jobs, but without the benches. Very basic conversion of an old wood boxcar, still with the big side doors.

 

http://nightowlmodeler.blogspot.com/2019/09/sp-cabooses-part-4-boxcar-conversions.html

 

 

 

Edited July 3, 2023 by Northroader

[JAMO]

thank you very much for the informations and the photos!!!!

[jasond]

Some of you may know I've picked up a couple of Nth Am O-scale collections for the Winchester Meet and amongst the RTR Atlas, Weaver, etc and properly labelled packets, there are 'nearly-all-there' and 'probably-bits-missing' items.  Oh, and 'parts'.  These will be in a large bo... a couple or so large rummagable boxes, so please tuck a carrier-bag in your pocket when leaving for the show.  Jacques, I'll take some pics!  

Jason

Edited October 16, 2021 by jasond

[F-UnitMad]

2 hours ago, jasond said:

Some of you may know I've picked up a couple of Nth Am O-scale collections for the Winchester Meet and amongst the RTR Atlas, Weaver, etc and properly labelled packets, there are 'nearly-all-there' and 'probably-bits-missing' items.  Oh, and 'parts'.  ...

And afterwards, you will :-  (repeat after me)

"I will post a list of what is left on RMweb"         

[Northroader]

Next Saturday, WINCHESTER!

[jasond]

OK Jordan, "I will post a list of what's left on R...har,haah, haah..."  But I'm not allowed to am I?  

I'll take some pics .... 

Jason

[F-UnitMad]

37 minutes ago, jasond said:

OK Jordan, "I will post a list of what's left on R...har,haah, haah..."  But I'm not allowed to am I?  

 

     Or email...

[Northroader]

Two jobs finished:

 

First off I needed a gravel load for a gondola, and started by cutting a piece of 12mm ply to fit inside as a base. Glue a strip of paper round the edge of the ply, and wide enough to come above the top of the gondola sides. Then go round the inside with neat PVA glue to seal the join, if you don’t do this it allows leakage down the edge at the next stage. Going on to smear more PVA glue across the top of the base, and straightaway before it dries out, covering the base with a layer of ballast chips for the gravel, and going on to form a row of small mounds along the middle of the base. Next mix a 50/50 dilution of PVA glue and water, with a couple of drops of washing up liquid, and use an eye dropper to flood over all the ballast. The glue should be able to stay between all the spaces between the chippings without draining off the mounds, and then it’s just a case of leaving it to harden off. The depth of the mounds means it will take 2-3 days to harden, but you should end up with quite  a firm unit. When it’s ready, start removing the paper, clipping round the edge where the ballast comes to, and peeling back below this where possible. To finish off, the exposed surfaces are painted with paint blended to match the ballast.

On to a caboose which last appeared on page 9, one I picked up cheap at a show, which has been identified as from RMT model trains, makers of fine Beeps for the gentry. All that’s happens here is that the cupola has been removed and replaced with a square, tall, one in plastikard, to give it a more Western look. A higher smokestack was needed, then paint and letter for the Union Pacific. 

I’ve now gotten a Union Pacific shorty freight made up. The scenic back has been blanked out for this picture, as the train really deserves “Big Sky” treatment.

(sorry, no pictures)

Edited October 11, 2023 by Northroader