long island jack

Cheers Pete Just what i didn't want to here, Highnose GP38's must resist,must resist,mus................. Ray

Ian Always liked CSX,my first exhibition layout (Tomsville) many moons ago was CSX based,wasn't intending to buy any loco's, was looking for detailing parts,then looked in the glass display case and there it was smiling at me saying buy me,buy me. boxed,full sound, all the bit still in plastic bags good price £115. Ray Doctors note:- need more will power,must resist,must resist!

Thinking of dragging "59th and Rust" into the 90's,only because i bought myself a early Christmas present,don't know if it will work yet will have to get some more longer cars out and have a play,all the detailing is done just need people and vehicles.(hope santa's good to me) Ray

Done my switch stands last night,there Central valley (dummy) with yellow targets,though there only small,but they just seem to finish the layout off. Really going to have to get some people and vehicles. Once there on i can start on the operational side of things,fancy using scenario style cards instead of waybills this will mean less paper work at exhibitions,will try and make each scenario last 30-40 minutes,the operator does 2 cards then changes operator,this way you can have time to look around the exhibition,which doesn't happen most of the time. Ray

steady on Ian,it's bad enough painting the handle bars,never mind lettering them,have you seen the size of these little b***gers. don't think it's worth putting names on them,yo'll be lucky to see them from 3' with or with out names!! Ray

Now that my local shows over and done with i can get back to some modeling. Shopping trollys landed at the weekend and manage to get some rubber tires of one of the traders at the show looking down Rust St to 59th the alley between tino tools and clinton cigars,(all we need now is top cat to pop out of one of those bins) Starting with the switch stands tommorrow run out of super glue,what colour should the round targets on the switch stands be??? Ray

Ian Hope you enjoy the scrum!!!!! Speaker in coal bunker pointing in to cab,or speaker in cab roof and decoder in bunker,thats what i'm thinking of doing. Ray

Thanks guys for all the kind comments,it's been a pleasure building and detailing "59th and Rust" and hope you all have enjoyed the story, will give you some update now and then,also hope you get the chance to see it in the flesh somewhere soon. Ian People and vehicles are the last to go on,my sons of to the states soon,i've gave him a large shopping list and a empty suitcase!!! Only trouble with getting to this stage means,i will after start on "Franklin park",but maybe in the new year!! Ray

Got a lot of my detailing bits at Newcastle show on Saturday,spent all afternoon fixing them to the layout,i've taken a few photo's along the layout so as you can see the added detail. Not much left to add now,switch stands,rubber tyres,shopping trolleys (here at the end of the week) then she nearly finished,will have to start promoting "59th and Rust" to some exhibition managers for the back end of next year and beyond,if anyone wants a switching layout at there exhibition, please PM me. Ray

Mal Stop using them words "federal st", John h will be claiming copywright of me at Newcastle show!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ray

Mal Just for you i took some photo's today of the LIRR local going about it duty, hope enjoy them. Just hope it's all worth it at the end of the day,and i get a few invites when its finished,nothing worse than being ask for all your detail,and saying thats just what they need,then not getting a invite,had a few of them with HELM,but then again "it's only an American layout"!!!. rAY

Looks like one of the residents of the appartments is getting rid of there old sofa (don't think much of there colour scheme) Ray

Thanks for all the kind comments chaps. Mal Nothing technical i'm afraid,just tissue paper and brown paper bags,tore in to small bits some cut up in to squares added some colour to some bits,timber is match sticks cut in to strips then snap for different lengths,cardboard boxes are made from 8mm square plastic with 20 thou for the lids,bottles are made from some glass beads (from local craft shop) with 1mm wire for the neck,i've also got some silver beads with a touch of red paint to look like Coke tins,though you can't see them so well in the picture's. Adrian The plan is/was to have half the billboard with another bill being fitted,that way it could be a old one thats underneath and the new one won't have anything to date it!,when i can find some people to add to the walk way it will be sorted then. Ray

Done the other end of the layout today,that just leaves the team track to do, need to do a bit of shopping before i can finish that,Newcastle show next weekend i hope? Ray

The big thing is like what Shortliner said,i've used Peco code 100 track (thats what i had spare ) for the layout,it's built on a budget of zero!! and working from that, that why i tried card and brick paper for the buildings,it seems to have worked ok so far,will have to dip into my pocket for some of the detailing bits,but so far i've kept with in my budget. Added a lot more cluter this morning,made some cardboard boxes, starting to look more like a rundown railroad now,what do you think??,needs some more tyres,shopping trollies,and maybe i'll try making a bust sofa and chair. There must have been a few wino's here last night th've left there calling card all over the pavement!!! I've all this to do on the other half of the layout next week,i'm of to the pub now to quench my thirst!!!. Ray

Started to put some trackside cluter on today,seeing i finished work early,this is slow work, as you can see in the picture, nature is starting to take over again,it still needs some rust old metal bits and cardboard boxes,going to try and make some boxes tonight. The jurys out on the timken box car,will put it aside till later,my not need it ,i've got plenty of 40 footers need more 50 footers, so my well trade it in Ray

Done a bit of surfing on the web,it seems it's a fictitous livery done by Athearn, taken from a Timken ad in a magazine. One for the trade in box me thinks Ray

Weathered a few more box cars this week,all the 40 footers are Athearn BB, the 50 footer is a Accurail, only another 30 to go!!.There not up to the standards of the newer stuff that's coming out now,but think they will stand up better to all the handling there going to get on and off the layout, when you stand back to where the punters would be at a exhibition ( 3') they look the part. While getting the rest of the stock out of my storage box, i came across this box car has anyone got any info on it,i think the livery is 1950's,would it have lasted into the late 60's,or been rebuilt/painted. Ray

Dave The PC boxcar in the photo was in bad nick when i got it,so gave it a heavier coat than it really needed,it will be mainly used when i run the layout as Conrail,most of the other stuff will just be given a blacky/brown wash and as you said a bit of weathering along the bottom edges,with the odd spot of rust here and there . Thanks about the tip on the diesels,only done the H10-44 so far,should be able to sort it with a wet cotton bud it's only acrylic paint. Ray

Andrew Didn't notice that when i took the photo,it's surprising what you see when you take closeup photo's,anyway's it's suppose to be good luck when you get c***ed on isn't!!,(maybe "Rusty Ray's" luck will change for the better),it's not quite as noticeable from a little bit further back. As you can see in the photo, i've started to put my freight cars through the works and weather them,using acrylic paints in the form of washes and dry brushing,then a dusting of ground up pastels on the bogies and along the bottoms of the cars,this will keep me going for a while,till i get my detailing stuff to go on the layout. Ray

Managed to catch our hobo friend breaking up some old timber for his fire,looks like it's going to be cold tonight! Ian,had a couple of that Lithuanian beer last night too,yummy :no: Ray

Got the impetus back,thanks to a few pints of 'Roosters Yankee' last night, i've done a couple of No Clearance signs. I've only be away from the layout for 2 or 3 days,but when i got back, there a hobo move in and already built his camp in one of the dark corners of the layout,He must be of on his wanders with his shopping trolly!!. Ray

Progress has really slowed up,running out of crates etc,hasn't helped, seemed to have hit one of those lulls,were my get up and goes, gone, maybe i need a bit of time away from the models,you get these lulls now and then. Think the answer is beer,this always give me fresh impetus,plus it's a excuse to drink more beer he's one last photo of the PC switcher about to drop of a gon at the team track Ray

I know what you mean about the privy,but i wanted it on the front of the layout as a talking point for the kids at exhibition they love thing naughty,and another reason, it's glued on,also gotta have something for fred and barney to do when the sewer gets blocked!!!! "why's it always us when the sewers blocked" Ray

Adrian There's a window on the other side of the shed over looking the yard,i prefer the location the sheds in now, if i turn it round so you can see the window it looks a little too cramped Ray