Hey Guys-It's been a while since I posted anything.I have been busy with various projects.
Here are a few freight cars that I rebuilt. From left to right-
First is my version of a covered gondola for carrying rolls of metal.
Next is a bulkhead flat car that I added a load to.It is heavy timber platforms that would be used by tracked cranes so they would not sink into soft dirt or mud.
Lastly is a flat car that I removed the load,added a new floor and end hand rails.It is now being used as an idler flat.
Enjoy-Bob

here are some billboards from the 50 mostly some are from late 40's though, there app.9 or so by 20 in Ho scale.here are three so start with have a bunch of them but some need photo shopped first to clean them up a bit.
jim

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With my Empire Coal project winding down, I'm looking to get started on another section of the layout...the prairie town. As layout construction draws nearer, I've been thinking a lot more about scenes instead of individual structures. In addition to coal, I want grain and livestock to be another operational focus of the Erie & Southern.

I like this industry. Livestock cars are something that you just don't see all the time, and they look interesting in any train. I've also always enjoyed pictures of "prairie skyscrapers", those old wooden grain elevators of yesteryear. Back in the day, it wasn't uncommon to see many lined up in a row. I've only ever seen two in person as most of them have either collapsed or been torn down to make way for concrete structures.

Law requires that livestock be rested and watered every 24-26 hours. Most livestock traveled from west to east and ended up either in Chicago or other points along the east coast. So, the E&S will be receiving a prairie town, complete with a wooden grain elevator complex of 2-3 elevators, and office/scale facilities. Across the way will be a small stockyard. This will be a rather large section of the layout, and will require 3-4 tracks in addition to a service area where livestock cars can be cleaned out and re-lined with straw.

I have already placed orders for a couple structures. Up first is the GC Laser Co-Op Elevator complex. This is actually 3 separate kits combined into one: elevator, mirror elevator, catwalk, and office. To date, this is the most expensive kit I have ever purchased @ $122. I have also ordered the Stockyard kit from N Scale Architect.

As the kits arrive through the mail, I will keep build updates for the entire complex in this thread.

Coming your way is a perfect example of what an Australian Train driver looks like.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/bre...in-driver/

Hello All!

A new year brings new changes. Here's the latest:

We've got this bonus room. It's really an upstairs den that currently gathers clutter; a shared space for the family. Right now the computer cabinet lives there along with a tv on its stand, a love seat, and assorted pillows, side tables, etc.

In the midst of an unseasonably warm western washington winter, having covertly constructed my elder son's first train layout (see Andrew's first layout thread in this forum) in our cold garage, I began re-evaluating that space. It's cold, despite a space heater, and dusty & buggy. By buggy, I mean spiders. I hate spiders.

And as spring approaches already the kids are wanting to pull out the bikes & wagons & rolling toys of all sorts. My wife suggested finding a way to bring the trains inside, either in the spare/guest bedroom or the bonus room. After thinking over the options I decided on a shelf layout for the bonus room.

This layout will include the 14"x5' timesaver layout as the end of a branch line. Trains will run clockwise from staging, briefly through some mountainous countryside and past/beneath a mine spur, to reach the town of Murdock's Landing. Engines are serviced & turned for the return trip as a shifter goes about the work of sorting cars on the sidings (timesaver).

Here are pictures of the room, in sequence as described above:

[albumimg]1987[/albumimg]

[albumimg]1986[/albumimg]

[albumimg]1985[/albumimg]

Staging will be a narrow shelf for two tracks situated above the loveseat. The wall of pictures in the light wood frames will be shelves for rolling stock & equipment. The mine/mountainous terrain will be in the corner above the area where the plants are now. The town will be in the corner above the computer cabinet (notice the content on the screen ) and the timesaver on the wall above the tv.

Galen

Indiana's South Shore is America's last operating interurban. Freight service is run by the privately-owned Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad while passenger service is provided by the state-run Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD). Over the past couple years I've made a number of trips to the South Shore to record their operations and equipment. This winter I've posted the results online to share:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/railohio/tags/southshore/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/railohio/tags/southshore/</a><!-- m -->

This is a product that will help in the DCC install world. On some installs you need to solder a wire to the frame of the locomotive. This can't be done with good results. The solder will not bond to the metal frames of the locomotive. This is a silver conductive epoxy that will bond the wire and make contact electrically.
NOT cheep but it does work. $30.00 for the two parts of mix.
Here is a link to the manufacture. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.mgchemicals.com/products/8331.html">http://www.mgchemicals.com/products/8331.html</a><!-- m -->

Does Lionel make an up grade kits for engines to run on TMMC ? i know MTH does .have alot of old Lionel engines and would love to run them on the MTH DSC system.

I did repower two Athearn H0 CF7 with A-Line repower kits today.
The result is not as good as expected. The motor runs ok but the noise is still a problem. I have two observations:

1. The flywheels are glued on the shaft. There is a good fit but it is not balanced. The entire assembly is vibrating. It gets worse on higher speed.
2. The motor is glued to the mount cradle that is glued to the engine frame. There are no rubber shock absorbers anymore.

I'm under the impression that the advantage of the better motor is eaten up by the unbalanced motor assemble and the fixed mount of the motor to the frame.

I would be glad to hear your opinion and some tips how you handle A-Line repower kits in Athearn engines.

There are/were alot of rice farms down here in southeast Texas. This industry processed the rice. I haven't actually seen any rollingstock at the place, but there obviously was rail traffic at one time. The structure was damaged by Hurricane Ike, and it appears that extensive repairs have been made, although the place appears abandoned. There was alot of equipment from inside the buildings laying around the outside, large drums, hoppers, equipment. They may be in the process of getting it back into working order after the hurricane, but again, they may be in the process of dismantling everything.