The Academy was one of those things that survived with The Gauge through all its incarnations, and I think it made us unique among forums. It was a place for the work of our members who not only had talent for the task at hand, but who also understood how to help others understand as well. Over the years there were a few different ways to get work into The Academy - a nomination was the most formal - but the result was a great resource for the membership.

In that spirit, we have created The NEW Academy for Big Blue. Whether it is a detailed "how-to", a well-illustrated step-by-step, or just some outstanding work that should be showcased, The NEW Academy is the place for it.

Please note that it is not possible to post directly in this forum. Threads here will have been moved from somewhere else on your (ie. the members) request or recommendation.

So stay tuned to see what appears! If you have any suggestions, please let me know via PM.

Andrew
for The NEW Academy

We have added a new category called, "The Back Shop" where all the real work happens. Under that category we've put "The New Academy", and that's where we'll be moving some of those outstanding threads that belong there. Note that just like before, anything in the Academy cannot be added to or commented on, nor can you start a new thread there. We want these threads to remain as-is for posterity. If you have a thread there that you need to edit, please contact either myself or ngauger so that we can temporarily open it up for editing.

You will also find that we have moved the following forum there as well:

• The Engineers Technical Workshop
  DCC
  Tips and Tricks

No longer available

I had seen a post in a thread awhile back where someone asked how someone else had done such a good job in getting their windows lined up so nicely. At the time, there had not been an answer, and I can't find the thread now. I thought I'd post this as I am currently working on such a project. I have mentioned this in my thread "An engine facility for the JGL", in the HO forum. Here I will post some step by step photos of the process I use, which requires much less accuracy in measuring and removes the dangers of an unsteady hand! First step is to determine what windows you will use, and the spacing you want between them. I drew a rough plan on paper to see what looked best. Then I used the paper to work on, more to protect my cutting mat from the styrene cement than any other reason. I used a chopper to cut styrene strip to the lengths I needed per the paln. I used .020 styrene, as the brick overlay is also .020, giving me .040 once I laminate the brick to the subwall. The windows I chose are .495 wide, so 1/2" worked well. I also wanted 1/2" between the windows, so I used .020 x .250 strips. They are edge glued together as follows:

I had done a few rows before thinking to take some pics. Here is a wall in process.
   

The next piece required was a full height strip. The parts tend to lift off the paper, once I bruch some solvent on the joint, I hold down the pcs with the knife blade as shown. The new part butts right up against both the previous parts and the window.
   

Here I have added the second full height pc, to get my 1/2" spacing, and 1 of the short bottom pcs, its length determined by where I wanted the bottom of the window to be. Once teh first bottom pc is glued, I place the window against it.
   

How about some sources for tools?

Whether it's electronic tools for troubleshooting DCC installations or wiring, hand tools for model making, or some other special trick (3rd hand anyone ), let us know what you've found and where.

Andrew

For anyone interested in modeling "What if?" as in What if the WP, DRGW, SP or Milwaukee Road had not been bought out or gone out of business, Athearn is coming out with a bunch of their latest diesels painted for fallen flags. There is an article about them in the August news letter at the Model Railroad Hobbyist site.

Potash is a commodity that is quite popular in the region of Saskatchewan that I live in.

We have many major facilities located around here and they are all serviced by rail. Here are a few pictures i have taken of the one facility as well as some of the cars. Since I saw the cars advertised in the recent MR magazine I thought there may be some interest in the images I have.


The Mosaic Potash Facility at Colonsay, Saskatchewan
http://www.mosaicco.com/about/locations_...lonsay.htm



The power


I think I saw an add in the latest MR magazine about someone who is releasing these 3 new cars(i have seen the salmon colored ones but no pics):




http://www.potashcorp.com/
http://www.mosaicco.com

Throughout this summer I have been taking my camera with me everywhere I went. This thread will be a place for me to share them with other train enthusiasts. I don't claim to be any good and many of my pictures are taken through bug splattered windshields but i think that just gives them character. Please enjoy some of the shots I have taken. I will try and break each batch into a separate post.

Hi Guys,

i was working with a client of mine for his new Steel Mill Layout hes doing in his garage. He wanted me to see if i could come up with a plan for him to fit his layout space in his garage, so i said sure, this would be fun, i love making trackplans

He gave me a list of the structures he had on hand, and i added in a couple he didnt have and that he said he would like to have on the layout. Well here are the specifications


Color Specifications;

GREEN = Layout Base
RED = Mainline Loop
Yellow = Walthers #7 Curved Turnouts and Walthers #4 WYE Turnout.
BLACK = All other trackage
ORANGE = Structure
BLUE = Water for Harbor Scene for the Ore Boat, 2 Hulett Unloaders and the Bridge Crane.


Benchwork & Track Specifications;

~~Benchwork Dimensions are listed on the plan. His Benchwork is fairly low to the floor for his kids to see, so a 4' Reach he said wouldnt be a problem....
~~Small Blue Triangle is an extension he needs to make for the loop to work.
~~All Turnouts in the back, beyond 2' from layout edge, or behind structures will be remote, all others manual for some operational fun
~~ALL turnouts are Atlas Custom Line Code 83 #6 LH or RH Turnouts
~~Minimum Radius on the plan is 22"


List Of Structures, Starting from Bottom Left of the Plan;

~~Rolling Mill #2 (Mill #2)
~~Electric Arc Furnace (EAF)
~~Northern Light & Power Sub-Station (NL&PS)
~~Tri-State Power Authority (Tri-State)
~~Northern Light & Power Powerhouse (NL&PP)
~~Bridge Crane
~~Hulett Unloader #1
~~Hulett Unloader #2
~~Great Lakes Ore Boat
~~Harbor/Dock
~~Railroad Shop
~~Rolling Mill #1 (Mill #1)
~~Rolling Mill #3 (Mill #3)
~~Engineer's Office (EO)
~~Blast Furnace (BF)
~~Coke Oven & Quencher Tower
~~Blower Engine House (Blower)


Now we realize there is no yard whatsoever on this plan. There is also nothing that connects the loop so a train could travel in the other direction. This would create a Revers Loop and i didnt think he would want to deal with that since hes just starting out (think he had a very small N scale layout a while ago). I told him there was going to be no yard unless he got more room on the bottom to travel down the wall a bit more, but he cant because there is a refrigerator there and then the door to enter the house. He said he didnt mind at all and would just live without the yard. The main reason he wanted a loop was for his kids to sit and run trains with him, so he was very happy with the LONG loop that goes throughout the layout and kinda snakes through the structures.

Well without further a-do, here is the plan lol

**EDIT** i do see one very large problem with the plan, there is no run-around track at all on the plan, and the only way to put a large run around track in is to make a reverse loop. im going to have to talk to him and see what he thinks and if he would be up to wire a reverse loop. So this may not be the final plan after all lol

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