Eastern Tn logging on the DG CC & W RR 1928

Sawdust

Member
Hey Bill
Just got back from a long weekend out of town. The church looks coxy set back next to the mountain. My wife had a nice church scene set back next to a mountain & also an old school house. Every thing she builds is nice & clean. My son & I weather every thing. We nick named her areas Martha Stewartville. I worked some more on my platform for my log unloader today, will post some pics of the frame work soon. Have you ever tried Structo-lite on stacked foam. It is a plaster base coat material that sets up slow & very easy to work with. I do all my hills with that. Once you spread it on & let it dry some you can tool it how ever you want, if it dosen't look right just take a damp painters brush & brush it out & start over. I also use painters caulk to glue the foam boards together & push finish nails at an angle in various places to keep it together. Keep up the work !
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
SML trial    cmp  @rigmnt.jpg SMLskshpcs.jpg SML rgmnt cmpny hs.jpg SML crkd crk cmpny hss.jpg I'm Back!!

Been busy, fixed a hole in the ceiling in the kitchen (plaster lath). The new patch made the rest of the kitchen ceiling look bad, so I removed the popcorn texturing and re painted the ceiling 18 x 18 feet ten foot high. then I put in some crown moulding. that made the cabinets look bad, so I dissasembled the cabinets and painted them. They made the walls look bad so I painted the walls. I'm re finnishing the floors a little at a time, as the floor machines make my body hurt.


in any case, my kitchen is functional now, so I have some time to think about trains. the pictures didn't come out in order. but here goes. Camp cars from the C & S have landed on the DG CC & W RR, along with a camp kitchen, which didn't seem to fit, so it went to the C & S, but like a bad penny, it's back again. Being an Idiot, I'm trying to put it right next to where it used to be, before i put it on the shelf-oh well I'll think of something- or not.

The logging operations on the narrow gauge are up @ Gegaukayoosa, which is not finnished (barely started actually). It is conceived as a staging area, cause a six feet three inches, it's not easily visable. but actually modeling a camp there might be passible, also it might be possible to put some camp structures down on the 2nd level @ Muray Tn, where there is some logging camp staging. I'll have to study that option also.


In any case I'm thinking I'll need more skidshacks. When I made the last batch I saved some patterns, and one completed shack, and the patterns are shown in one photo. The windows I used were leftover from kits I modified to make some of the company houses in Crooked Creek (The Duplexes). They were I believe Model Power Grandma's houses. I had two of these I purchased acedentaly via mail order (they were built up models and I thought they were kits) . I got them down off the shelf to see if I could pop the windows out, but the glue they used was too good. I had no room for the two big houses, so I cut three of the gable ends off each to get three flats (six total), to represent company housing for Ridgemont/State line (they are right next to each other Ridgemont is in Tn, and State Line is in Ga. I have a pictue of them being test fit.


I don't have enough widows to do the skid shacks or the small company cabins (pieces left over from the Crooked Creek company house Duplexes (two windows upstairs). The single family hoves (three windows upstairs are IHC aunt minne's houses (?) which have been modified. I may end up scratchbuilding some windows to fit the skid shacks.

If you look at the skid shack patterns for the walls, youll notice they are black. I can cut rectangular wall blanks the same size, stack the pattern with door and or window holes on top, and shoot them with black spay paint. the area that needs to get cut out for the window/door openings is precisely transfered to the next wall piece, so I can quickly and pecisely make identical pieces for the skid shacks. I'm going to look into making a jig for window construction, if that works I'll post pictures here and in the tools and tricks section

another thing I need to mass produce is a bargeload of two hole outhoused for all of the company houses cown in Crooked Creek.


Bill Nelson
 
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Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
SMLcmpbldgs@Murray lgng stgng.jpg alternate test fit!

I have done an alternate test fit of Tom's camp buildings, and the returning camp kitchen, @ the logging camp staging @ Murray Tn, on the Valley division between the Murray passing siding and Harlow This corner is all that is visible there, but I kind of like this, as it establishes the feel of a logging camp.

I may make some more skidshacks for the background down here, I'll need some in Ridgemont somewhere


this photo shows how this second level (the same height as Harlow) sets over the southern staging below, and under Montgomery Furnace up above, which is the same height as Crooked Creek. the pink foam is a safety item, I once dumped a 15 ton Shay down that hole. fortunately it landed in a box of bags of ground foam.


Bill Nelson
 
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Doctor G

Well-Known Member
Loggers Cabins live again

I have done an alternate test fit of Tom's camp buildings, and the returning camp kitchen, @ the logging camp staging @ Murray Tn, on the Valley division between the Murray passing siding and Harlow This corner is all that is visible there, but I kind of like this, as it establishes the feel of a logging camp.

I may make some more skidshacks for the background down here, I'll need some in Ridgemont somewhere


this photo shows how this second level (the same height as Harlow) sets over the southern staging below, and under Montgomery Furnace up above, which is the same height as Crooked Creek. the pink foam is a safety item, I once dumped a 15 ton Shay down that hole. fortunately it landed in a box of bags of ground foam.


Bill Nelson

It is really great to see the loggers got new jobs on the DG CC & W. In fact their new boss is so nice he even toted their beloved and aromatic skid shacks over to the Murray logging camp. Hope the new "super" is tolerant of some of these guys strange habits with the "recipe". Here is a picture from their camp 5 days when the boys were in a really good mood from that notorious "recipe".
Doc Tom:wave:
 

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Mountain Man

Active Member
Glad to see you back at it, Bill. I missed the photo tours of your layout.

A word of caution about that kitchen ceiling - if you're not careful, it could lead to a whole new house due to a strange condition known as "creeping upgrade"! :thumb:
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
creeping upgrade

Creeping upgrade is the plan actually. I have been laid off, and I was working in a odd nitch in the automotive repair. I am an accomplished trim carpenter as well, although other than a short stint in cabinetwork, I have never worked in that capacity. There is lots and lots that needs to be done or re done on my 130 year old house. Rooms I did an excellent job of remodeling/restoring 30 years ago are starting to need work again.

We worked on the house all the time before the kids showed up, but three kids took us out of doing major work for twenty years or so, and now that they are out of the way we can clean the house. and once it is clean we can see what needs to be done, and there is a lot of it. So for now at least, this is my job. and between the house and the yard, the woods and the crubling out buildings I have a lot of work lined up.

Bill Nelson
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
SML2generals.jpg SMLBWKR&Genoa.jpg inspiration from elsewhere

Looking around over in the HO subdivision I came across Toptrains workbench, My Work Bench and storage room, what I am up to




which gave me some inspiration for some projects. I liked his collection of Mantua Generals, and the Genoa & Bowker.

This is History man! These are the locomotives that were the backbone of my fleet back in the middle to late 60's before I scraped up enough cash for Shay # 15.

Seeing these on his workbench was enough to convince me that mine need to go into the shops to be re worked. Their paint and weathering reflect the time when I modeled the late 30's, and now that I'm modeling the late twenties my #1 a General with a tender/motor from a Genoa needs a little more polish, and perhaps some more brass details. #5 is a General with a Cary conversion boiler, and a MDC tender, modified to allow a cannon copier motor to fit.
In the other photo is an elderly Bowker, with a kitbashed switching pilot. It is my #3 and is weathered to feflect logging service in the late thirties. since it doesn't like my mountain division, where most of the logging happens, It needs to be repainted to reflect beter care, and be prepared for service in the valley. In front of it is a AHM Genoa, which I picked up recently. Except for grinding the flanges down, it is still stock. Not sure what it's role will be.


If i'm going to run these teakettles on my valley division, I will have to mess with the schedules to make smaller trains, or split the mixed trains into passenger and frieght trains, or wire the lead track to the turntables to make it easier to double head.


In anycase Toptrain has given me an assignment! this is great, what these fourms are good for! So here are four locomotives that need to go to the paint shops for some work. They could probably use some electrical pick up work as well. If you add pick up to the insulated side of the locomotive, then you have less of a problem with lossing electrical contanct due to tourqe related tender rock.


Bill Nelson
 
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toptrain1

Well-Known Member
*****Very Good Bill !!!!!! *****

Got to have more picts. Can you show some of these locos in action.
frank
 

toptrain1

Well-Known Member
Looking around over in the HO subdivision I came across Toptrains workbench, My Work Bench and storage room, what I am up to which gave me some inspiration for some projects. I liked his collection of Mantua Generals, and the Genoa & Bowker.

This is History man! These are the locomotives that were the backbone of my fleet back in the middle to late 60's before I scraped up enough cash for Shay # 15.

Seeing these on his workbench was enough to convince me that mine need to go into the shops to be re worked.
In anycase Toptrain has given me an assignment! this is great, what these fourms are good for! So here are four locomotives that need to go to the paint shops for some work. They could probably use some electrical pick up work as well. If you add pick up to the insulated side of the locomotive, then you have less of a problem with lossing electrical contanct due to tourqe related tender rock.


Bill Nelson



Bill good luck with your plan. But I like the way they look now.
frank ** toptrain
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
SML#1nctn.jpg SML#1dtl.jpg In Action!

here is a photo of #1 in action at Tom's Bend, just north of Crooked Creek . and a close up, showing some of the charms, and defects of #1. #1 was last shopped, best I can figure back in 1973 or earlier. #1 is so numbered as it was included in my first Ho train set.

Over the years it has received a brass smoke stack, pilot , bell and headlamp. I also cut out a section of it's frame between the cylinders and the smoke box, leaving thin rails in the far rt and left of the frame to get some of that open look under the front of the boiler that Americans have.


When I re paint the locomotive I cam paint the cab weight black, and have it removed when and if I weather the cab, so the weight won't stand out so . also I probably need to re do the hand rails, as they look bad. I also have some brass injectors, with the associated piping, that should look a lot better than the little cast on bums on the side of the boiler. There is also a thumb print in the red paint on the roof, that is way out of scale.


I also need to swap around some drivers, I had two drivers with traction tires on this locomotive. I swapped them out as a test to #5. #1 had a rotational noise that I thought might be a driver with a ban spot or slightly out of quarter, but neither is the case, as the noise did not change. #1's tractive effort went to near zero, and #5's did not improve much (it is a much heavier, and beter ballanced locomotive). Some study will be needed to figure out why it clunks going down the track. I also need to work on it's electrical pick up some, and see if I can get it up to my current standards. In one photo you can see the brass drawbar that is strateigically bent to allow the AHM Tender/motor to fit the Mantua locomotive. I have to study that tubing drive shaft to see if that is where the thump is comming from


Bill Nelson
 
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ytter_man

Member
That first picture really blends in with the background, it's supposed to be there! lol

My only suggestion is to clean the windows, even if they're black plastic underneath it will differentiate them from the body proper of the loco and give some indication there's empty space there. Dont clean too well though! The crews arent that neat, leave some gunk around the edges :thumb:
 

toptrain1

Well-Known Member
Re clean windows

On mantua generals you can't clean the windows. You can just paint the lead weight that you see their silver, and put in clear plastic windows. No room for a crew. The weight is in the way. You can paint silhouettes in colors on the silver painted weight. Removing the wieght lessens the traction of the loco.
frank
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
and now for something completely different!

This is only tangentally related to model trains, It came off the same workbench. Some of the lumber in thic was cut for the railroad. Some of the lumber cut for this found it's way into my RR.

This proves I'm nuts, but if you got this far you know that already

Here is the link Warning not a train!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTFNzLDrlHs



On the train front, I want to carry my camera to the RR club, so I can show you what Tom has done with the trees form the good old C & S


Bill Nelson


O , cleaning out my garage, I found a plastic bag full of window castings the right size for the skid shacks and cabins I have been wanting to build, so I'm back in business. the kitchen is done!! and I never finish anything; Its scary.
 

ytter_man

Member
I remember seeing that in the background of your pics, WOW!

A rowing trireme! Freakin brilliant, mind if i share this with some folks?

AWESOME!
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
share!

I remember seeing that in the background of your pics, WOW!

A rowing trireme! Freakin brilliant, mind if i share this with some folks?

AWESOME!


Actually it is a Bireme- and one that is short the second bank of oars ( a singlereme?) by all means share, that's why I put it on the internet. getting that oar mechanism to work is the most challenging hobby project I have worked on in years. Now I have to build the poart oar mechanism. It floats well. I think it is going to work (after 3 years of toil and mental anguish).


Bill
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
what next? ? ?

I got my radio control boat almost ready for the water. Just a few more technical issues to deal with, and then some details, but it should be pretty much workable very soon, a video will be released.


Doing the first videos of the boat makes me want to do a train video. I have an audio recording of logging locomotives, but I can't find it, I'd like to use that as a sound track. My last computer had a shay whistle as a start up sound , that is the last time I remember using that CD. I havn't found it with my computer CDs, my audio CDs, nor have I found it in the RR room. Tom did I get you one to?? I know I was thinking about it but I don't know if I did.


I want to try to get my RR ready for some operations now that I can't get my log train operation fix @ Tom's One thing I need to do is to rebuild my Southern Railway staging yards one more time and see if I can get them to be trouble free. Then I need to make lots of tabs for tab on car operation.


@ the club this weekend they were doing switch list operations, and I can't say what I think of that on a public forum. I can hardly see those car numbers on my workbench, and I suer can't see them in a crowded yard. Even if I know what car is what, I don't have the nice color coded tabs that help me blok the train for efficient switching later down the route.


Tom and I are going to Try to set up a tab on car system fot the Coal and lumber co, and see if we can convert the rest of those guys.

up on my moutain in the gizzard I have a small scenery project going, with some pink foam. I can work on that, and try to find some other projects. I got two flouresent light fixtures, and some daylight flourecent tubes, I'm going to try to inprove the lighting up there, as that will help a lot with the old eyes.

Bill Nelson
 
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