last one for 2018

This ole classic from Sunshine Models, PRR GS 38' all steel gon.
And that neat large tire load.
This will be the last car built this year, but many more to come next year, I'm sure.
It's been a good year.
Yarmouth Model Works continues to be a success. My products are being well received and we're always looking at new items. There are some exciting new kits looming for 2019.
Stay tuned!
I know I've fallen way behind on custom building work, but I'm hoping that the coming year will allow me to pickup some of that slack.
The new layout continues be a joy. Look for lots of updates as work progresses.
The big goal is to have trains run from one end to the other by this time next year.

Happy New Year everyone!!! :-)

Not quite "Benchwork in a Day!"

But I'm rather pleased regardless!

The sub-roadbed is all in now through the peninsula.
We now have the foundation for East Fresno, Maltermoro, Las Palmas and Tarpey.

2 solid days of cutting, fitting, leveling and screwing.
Have to get at least another sheet of Homasote for roadbed, but that can wait until the New Year.
Now I have to get ready for the Cocoa Beach RPM

A water tank for Friant

Given that Xmas isn't a big deal in this household, I feel it fitting that I complete this kit today.

An American Model Builders kit.
This kit went together very nicely and I'm rewarded with a good looking structure.
It was built without the usual discharge spout since the SP used a water plug between the tracks, a little to the left of this photo.
The roof wash dusted with chalks, while the streaks on the tank proper were done with enamel weathering products.
Now the engines can get a drink and prepare for their return trip to Fresno.

And that's the thing about Trevor

He makes me look good.
Some pics he took of the layout yesterday

Lots of works in progress.

The Gang of Four hard at it!

Photographic evidence.
And well 3 were very busy.
Trevor seemed to be taking lots o pictures.

                                     

Thanks again for the help guys

So this is weird

I can honestly say
I've never seen anything like this
I've been working with resin kits for a very long time now.
The other day a fellow was by showing my 3 passenger car roofs that had warped on him.
I'm not even sure how this could happen

So steps are underway to see if we can get him replacement roofs made.

Extra hands make quick work

From this

to this

In the space of slightly less than 2 hours.
With the kind assistance from some friends, we tore off the old remnants of the Cayuga sub.
It's all in bags or neatly piled in the garage waiting to be taken to the dump.
At the rate this is going, I should be able to have an ops session in less than a year.
oh boy!

Back in the saddle again

It's been awhile since I've posted anything.
I've been rather busy with work outside of the basement since the Chicagoland RPM, and I don't bounce back from 20 hour work days like I used to.
Add in a little bit of modeling burnout and it's hard to get anything done.
However I can now report that I have been making progress on quite a few projects in the last few weeks.
I finally got the weathering done on these 2 brass cars for a client.

They'll go out in the mail on Monday.

After a delay in getting the decals, both of these new kits from Yarmouth Model Works are finally done.

This will be YMW-107.1. Rebuilt '37 AAR 40' boxcars. Virtually all of the NP fleet of '37 AAR cars were rebuilt with continuous side sills starting in 1957. This will be the first kit to reflect this prototype.

Next is the D&H 40' 50 ton Oneonta built boxcars.
These unique cars were shop built by the D&H, with the signature double weld beads. An attempt to solve the "oil canning" that welded cars experienced, which didn't quite work out.
This kit will include 3 decal variations
After careful consideration, I have decided to go the Prototype Rails RPM, in Cocoa Beach this coming January and it is at that event I'll be releasing the D&H kit.

And I've managed to get work done on the layout as well!

At this time some 2/3rds of the rail for the town of Friant is spiked down. With any luck I should have all of it in place by next weekend and then I can wire it and run some trains ffrom Clovis to Friant.
The turntable of course requires assembly, along with all the little tasks that make up layout construction.
And speaking of next weekend, the middle peninsula that hosted the old St Thomas yard is now ready for the Gang of Four who  will be visiting next Saturday to help me with the last of the heavy work in removing the old layout.

The backdrop will come out, along with all the foam, all the Homasote, etc.
The actual benchwork remains in place and then we can determine actual track alignment for East Fresno,  Maltermoro, Las Palmas and Tarpey.
This is going to be fun, and just before Xmas!
And , finally I've been preparing for yet another foray into the Trainmasters TV studio, just before Xmas.
If you've not yet had a look at Trainmasters TV, give it a try. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
Okay, back to work for this guy!

If you couldn't make to this year's RPM in Chicagoland...

A- You missed a great RPM! Thanks to Mike and the gang for making it happen.

B- The new kits from Yarmouth Model Works are now on the website

http://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/ResinModelKits/Index

A sure sign of progress

Trains that move!

After a little crawling under the layout routing wires ,etc, we have actual working trains, with no electrical gremlins!
Feeling rather pleased.

And one more

Just under the wire for next weekend

I'm pretty certain that this particular car has not been offered before, particularly with this level of detail.
CNR 10'6" IH AAR 40' boxcar, with NSC-3 ends and PS-1 roof.
The kit features all the things you've come to expect from Yarmouth Model Works. One piece resin cast body, custom etchings, Black Cat decals, our own etched Apex running board, etc.
And as a first, we're now including Smoky Mountain HO resin cast draft gear boxes.
The kit will be for sale, first at the Chicagoland RPM and then online. The kits will go online right after the RPM.
$60.00 USD plus shipping

Well that's 3

Pilot models ready for Chicagoland!
Still waiting on delivery of resin castings and other pesky details, but confidence is high.

I'd like to change my tune a little

For years now I've said that while some swear by acrylics, I swear at them.
I'd like to say now that in some circumstances that is no longer the case.
In the last year or so, I've come to use certain acrylic paints more and more, with more and more success.
Take this fence for example;

With a base coat of woodish tan, a white top coat and a black wash for weathering, this fencing would have taken days to be ready to install.
Instead I used Tamiya Wooden Deck Tan as a base, and Flat White over top.
The acrylics dry so quickly that I could paint all the fence panels with the base and then come back immediately and overspray with the white, mind you I have 16 actual feet of this fencing. It's the Central Valley wooden board fencing, btw.
A quick wash with india ink in alcohol and the fences are ready to install.
I'll be using more acrylics as work on the layout progresses, but I'm still not ready to use them on resin.

Well that's one done!

Pilot model for the 25th anniversary freight car kit is finally done!

10 of this design were built by AC&F to replace cars that were wrecked.
The kits will be for sale at the Chicagoland RPM next month.
We're still working on
AC&F built boxcar for C&EI
AC&F built boxcar for M-K-T
D&H Oneonta kit boxcars
NP modified side sill AAR boxcar
CNR 8' door with PS-1 roof and NSC-3 end
So many models, so little time.

Playing in the dirt

As I've mentioned in a previous post, http://elgincarshops.blogspot.com/2018/05/2nd-times-charm.html, the ground cover in the area I'm modeling takes a little effort to get looking right.
The dirt in the area has a decidedly grey colour.

Not something you see alot in the scenery supplies, so I've taken to painting the initial dirt cover to get things closer to the tones I'm seeing.

Freshly applied Scenic Express Fine dirt.

First pass with Tamiya XF-78 wooden deck tan

2nd pass with Tamiya XF-57 buff

3rd pass with Tamiya XF-55 deck tan
the final result is a ground cover that has hints of browns through a decidedly grey colour.
Now I can come back and add weeds, etc.
That'll be for another day

Bloody brilliant!

I've built hundreds of Westerfield kits over the years.
And for the most part I've enjoyed them.
One of the challenges was the roof "truss" that you had to create with a resin ridge pole and 5-6 "rafter" type castings, to support the roof panels. If you've ever built a Westerfield kit, you'll know of what I speak.
For some the creation of the truss arrangement was a major hurdle. For me it was just another fiddly thing to deal with.
Well since Andrew Dahm purchased Westerfield Models, one of the things he did was create a cast one piece roof supporting structure.
Today I finally had the chance to work with this creation.

Brilliant!
Quick, easy. And it squares the car body up.
Thanks Andrew for making my day a little easier

What else does one do on a long weekend?

But finish up 48' of backdrop.
Using my preferred technique of pine frames and 0.060" thick styrene, I got backdrop up and painted over the last few days.

The painting makes for a nice change of pace while working on other projects.
As I sit back and admire this bit of work, I'm really happy that I listened to my friend the scenic artist about colour.
These colour choices really do better convey the feel I'm going for in this layout!
Mind you the actual names on the colour chip are a tad suspect.
The light colour is called "Wings of a Dove"
And the darker colour is "Awakening"
And people get paid to come up with this stuff!