I thought we had a thread for rolling stock still lettered for a fallen flag but still in service. I think now it was at the old place so I think it is a good topic for the
"Big Blue".
Charlie

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I've mentioned before that it is my intention to build this little beauty and I've finally got going.....
I've already gotten the board & batten siding and stripwood for the frame. Still got to order door & windows and a few odds & ends...
I'm treading into unknown territory here, so I would like your input on a couple of things.
1. Is the back of a roundhouse actually radiused, or would it be flat sections..? Unfortunately I don't have a view of the back so I'll presume it had at least a couple of large windows at each stall, and maybe a door here and there...
2. Would this have been a dirt floor facility or might it have had a stone floor..? Or maybe just some wood boardwalks between the spurs and along the sides and back..?
3. Where can I get hinges for the doors..? I would like them to be operable....
4. I had thought to make the roof with tar paper. Would this be appropriate for this kind of structure..?

This'll hold me for now, though I'm sure I'll have a ton of questions as I go along.....
Thanks for any insights you might provide....

Just a note...It'll only have three stall as I don't have room for four... :cry:

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Andrew don't have much in you era either but here is what i got.
jim

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It's possible to model yard operations without the entirety of a space-hogging yard. Mainline trains can exchange blocks of cars, called block-swapping, at remote locations and sidings anywhere on the railroad. This can introduce more switching on a layout where the mainline run is already too quick.

A few years ago CSX used to haul auto parts from Chicago to Louisville but no trains directly served those two cities. The parts would leave Chicago on train Q501 and travel east to Deshler, Ohio where they'd take a right hand turn and head south for Lima. There the cars would be set out in the yard for train Q241 to pick up and take to Louisville. This arrangement was required because train Q501 did not continue all the way to Louisville, instead terminating in Cincinnati. Train Q241 came from Walbridge, Ohio and after changing crews in Cincinnati continued on with the auto parts to Louisville. When CSX introduced remote yard jobs in Lima productivity declined and the yard became less efficient. Lacking sufficient yard space to make the auto parts set out and pick up in Lima the chore was moved to the south sidings in Deshler. South of Deshler on the Cincinnati mainline are two passing sidings, one on each side of the mainline. With sufficient capacity for the dispatcher to arrange meets one siding was used for a few hours each evening to hold auto parts cars. Train Q501 would leave the cars on the passing siding in Deshler and continue on to Cincinnati without working in Lima. Train Q241 would then pick up the cars a few hours later and continue on to Cincinnati and eventually Louisville.

This could effectively be modeled on a model railroad with any passing siding or even a surplus spur. It adds operational interest for train crews who might otherwise just run around the layout without doing any work. It can also create more work for the dispatcher who has a siding out-of-service for meets account of cars being held in it.

"Blast Mode"

You guys probably know this unwritten feature already, but thanks to a reply to my reprogramming problem posted on the digitrax tech forum from a more knowledgeable DCC'er, I learned how to reprogram the address of a Soundtraxx Tsunami engine from the factory default 03 to a four-digit number that matches the engine's road number. For those that don't know of this feature - which isn't written anywhere in the Zephyr's manual - all you do is change the Ops switch setting 07 from "T" thrown to "C" clear (or open). Then place ONLY the engine you need reprogrammed on the mainline (absolutely nothing else that can draw power), and follow the reprogramming directions as outlined in the manual. Remember, you MUST return the Ops switch 07 back to "T" after you're done. The manual covers how to change Ops switch settings, but doesn't list the 07 switch as a possible setting to adjust.

My problem was the Soundtraxx decoder pulling more amperage than the Zephyr could produce on the dedicated programming track. On the mainline, and in the OPS mode, it also didn't get enough signal duration to compete the renumbering process of CV17 and CV18 (needed to overwrite to a four-digit number) and CV29's setting to recognize the four-digit address instead of the two-digit. Soundtraxx suggested purchasing their power booster (approx $60) and the additional power pack that would be needed to power the booster ($$$). I posted my problem on the digitrax tech forum and thankfully, someone told me of this unwritten feature. It saved not only money, but solved the frustration of not being able to rewrite an engine from 03 to the 4-digit address I wanted. Changing that one Ops switch setting makes the whole layout a programming track, but at full power instead of the much lower power normally on the programming track. According to the tech rep at Soundtraxx I contacted, the Zephyr doesn't sent quite enough power to complete the write cycle on the Tsunami decoder. Other DCC units might not have this problem, but the Zephyr does. This simple procedure solves the problem.

Hope this helps someone using a Zephyr system. For more details including step-by-step instructions, you can contact me or see the digitrax tech forum on yahoo/groups. Do a search for "blast mode zephyr" and you'll find all the threads.

I'm surprised nobody here has mentioned this yet:

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Being on a very limited hobby budget for awhile, I've been spending some time fixing up old "junker" cars. In fact, I found an old box of junked train-set cars from my youth. Ralph's caboose thread and Foulrift's upgraded cars inspired me to look through the box and see what I can fix up and use. I propose a "fix up an old train-show junker" contest. Rules could be to take a used freight car (no unbuilt kits or new cars) and upgrade or detail the car. This could be anything from a simple weathering job to a complete kitbash into something else. Anyone interested?

My apologies to those of you that tried to view a picture that I recently posted on the scratchbuilding thread. The posted picture came out rather small and was hard to view.I found out that I had my settings wrong but the situation has been fixed.
Again my apologies.
Bob

This was taken just a few days before the big earthquake.
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Charlie