Eastern Tn logging on the DG CC & W RR 1928

[Bill Nelson]

I never got to sleep yesterday, went shopping with the wife, and ended up at a furniture store where the owner was retiring. Oriental rugs at 60% or more off list. that led to some purchases which led to furnature moving, no rest, no model train activity.


Still moving furniture, mainly to get ready for the next round of home renovations, I took some time to work on the roof for the Stateline Georgia UnionTerminal . I had been putting this off, cause due to the was this building touches the sloped ceiling, the roof was very tricky.


From my rest fits this will probably work. next I need to ass a little to the balcony on the left side, so a stairs down to the ground level will clear the window; and then add the stairs porch posts and railings to try to get this to look more like the Terminal building in Harlow Tn.


Mack, if you are lurking tell me what you think!



Nelson

 

[Bill Nelson]

back to the locomotive paint shops

Trying to polish up some elderly locomotives to make them look more well cared for.

The 2-4-0's tender got kicked back to the mechanical shop. I tried to add the tender trucks for this photo, and the new motor is too large and interferes with their swing, a real same, as the big motor has a lot of power at a very respectable slow speed.

I'm down to the tricky trim here.


Bill Nelson

 

[gbwdude]

Looks good Bill, I like the color choices a lot as it really compliments them. Now only to get the WRRy's equipment painted up and looking good! Of course since I'm in 1940 right now the lokies won't be all polished up like Sunday but should look respectable since the WRRy shops like to keep their locos fairly clean.

Tyler

 

[Bill Nelson]

Looks good Bill, I like the color choices a lot as it really compliments them. Now only to get the WRRy's equipment painted up and looking good! Of course since I'm in 1940 right now the lokies won't be all polished up like Sunday but should look respectable since the WRRy shops like to keep their locos fairly clean.

Tyler

The date on my railroad has been going backwards. 35 years ago when I painted the 2-4-0 last i was modeling in the mid to late 40's. and this 1880's style locomotive was painted to look like it had had a hard life. Now that I'm in the 20's. my railroad is more prosperous, and this locomotive is 25 years newer. thus the need for the paint job.

I like this satin black paint. this particular brand ( Krylon) has a slightly rough surface. this is exaggerated by the flash in these photos, and some detail disappears, but the effect is an old machine, polished pretty hard


The big job just finished here is the new freight pilot on the 4-4-0. I am trying to get set up to double head on the Valley division, which will add some interest, and more importantly, allow these old teakettles to get some use.

Next is to try to do some work to accentuate the trim, and make another attempt to get a better motor in the 2-4-0. and start to test some wiring for the tenders to be sure they run the same direction as the likely candidates for double heading. Two 4-4-0's doubleheaded may be almost as interesting as a 2-4-4-2


Bill Nelson

 

[Doctor G]

The date on my railroad has been going backwards. 35 years ago when I painted the 2-4-0 last i was modeling in the mid to late 40's. and this 1880's style locomotive was painted to look like it had had a hard life. Now that I'm in the 20's. my railroad is more prosperous, and this locomotive is 25 years newer. thus the need for the paint job.

I like this satin black paint. this particular brand ( Krylon) has a slightly rough surface. this is exaggerated by the flash in these photos, and some detail disappears, but the effect is an old machine, polished pretty hard


The big job just finished here is the new freight pilot on the 4-4-0. I am trying to get set up to double head on the Valley division, which will add some interest, and more importantly, allow these old teakettles to get some use.

Next is to try to do some work to accentuate the trim, and make another attempt to get a better motor in the 2-4-0. and start to test some wiring for the tenders to be sure they run the same direction as the likely candidates for double heading. Two 4-4-0's doubleheaded may be almost as interesting as a 2-4-4-2


Bill Nelson

Bill,

The locomotives look good. I think "double heading" is the way to go to get more pulling power out of the engines.

Tom

 

[Bill Nelson]

These locomotives might not do real well on the code 55rail down in Harlow, that will remain to be seen the better motors may or may not improve the situation. My railroad started with power like this though, and even if they do nothing else, they will look right around the turntable in Harlow.


Down in Harlow I wired the approach to the turntable with some spots I can turn on or off, and have a magnetic uncoupler at one of the joints , so I may be able to assemble and disassemble doubleheaded pairs of locomotives there without much hassle. I have no such provisions in Harlow. I'll have to play around and see if the double heading action is worth it.

they have gotten some trim, now they need the #2 pencil treatment for the graphite smokebox, and perhaps to highlight boiler bands


Bill

 

[Bill Nelson]

tracton tires are here.

I didn't check the mail yeasterday, I was busy getting my ducks in a row for lawnmower repair, and starting to put some Dupont house wrap on the side of my house where the aluminum siding was removed so I could rebuild my bathroom last fall. With the outset of cold weather , having a solid well insulated wall was important, and having it look good from the outside was less so. since then I got a new Job, My wife taught Nursing students for a semester, while still working the floor, Now she is getting ready to work as a pediatric nurse practitioner. We are finally getting ready to try to get siding pack on this 130+ year old farmhouse.

Coming back from grocery shopping today I did check the mail, and I have my traction tires for the Mantua Generals . They will probably come down from the RR room soon, and I can get the traction tires on them while I test the wiring on the locomotives in the paint shops to be sure they run the same direction as the rest of my power to allow the possibilty of doubleheading.


Bill Nelson

 

[Doctor G]

they have gotten some trim, now they need the #2 pencil treatment for the graphite smokebox, and perhaps to highlight boiler bands


Bill

Hi Bill,

THe paint job is very nice. I like the color combo you have going there. Good work.

Doc Tom:thumb:

 

[Bill Nelson]

something new something old

Tom .

The look there has something new and something old. I started painting cab roofs red six or seven years ago, and I really like it. most of my locomotives have red roofs now. the 2-4-4-2's don't and that will have to be remedied.


The tan color on the cab is close to what I used to, and still do paint most of my freight cars. I really like the green cabs I'm putting on my State Line RR narrow gauge locomotives (and your C&S #1). I thought about extending that scheme to the standard Gauge locomotives, but decided that some visual distinction between the roads, even though we have overlapping directors, would be advisable. While doing some maintenance I noticed that my #1 ( a heavily modified Mantua General ) had a tan cab, and so did # 19 ( a heavily modified PFM 3 truck Shay). I figured if I had two locomotives with tan cabs, having four wouldn't be bad.



And on to another project!. Those of you following Dr Tom's 1:20.3 scale Yard project will se the combine I have just restored for him. If you have followed this thread, you will know that my era was once way up in the late 40's, but has now crept back into 1928, seeking greater prosperity for the increased operation potential.


I have been reworking my most ancient and honorable locomotives, either repainting them completely, or reworking the weathering to de-emphasize the crudification. My Passenger cars started to look shabby, and I have just repainted my favorite passenger car . a Combine I cut down from a La belle kit. It was built under the heavy influence of John Olsen, and had paint peeling all off of it. For years it was the oly passenger car on my Railrioad, and has been in constant use on my Mountain division since the inception of this version of the DG, CC, & W RR.


In the cabinet I had a partially built coach, which I had cut down to the identical amount. I had stopped building it because I did not think I could match the paint job on the combine, so today I masked them both , and shot them both with spray paint. They match now!


In the photo they are paired with some of my MDC fleet, which was painted to try to mimic the peeling paint on the Labelle combine. the MDc fleet will get repainted too. It is 1928, the iron furnaces are still hot, and the mill is running 3 shifts. The money is rolling in, lets keep that passenger fleet liiking sharp boys.


Bill Nelson

 

[Doctor G]

Tom .


In the photo they are paired with some of my MDC fleet, which was painted to try to mimic the peeling paint on the Labelle combine. the MDc fleet will get repainted too. It is 1928, the iron furnaces are still hot, and the mill is running 3 shifts. The money is rolling in, lets keep that passenger fleet liiking sharp boys.


Bill Nelson

Hey there Bill,

I like what you are doing with your "varnish." Your RR looks increasingly prosperous with all the BIG mountain related industries and your folks need to travel about in style. Its still the roaring twenties and that mess on Wall Street is still years away. Let your little people enjoy their transportation after hard work at the thriving mills and burgeoning towns.

My Garden RR is also going to be set in the prosperous early 1920's too and I appreciate your help getting the passenger coaches right for that era on the LRRR.

You done good!!!! Doc Tom:thumb::thumb::thumb:

 

[Bill Nelson]

I shot some green paint on the MDC passenger cars, and painted the trucks green as well. I still . Still have to paint the roofs, and get them assembled. I also have to add the handrails on the end platforms. I built those cars when I had little boys that played with my trains, and I left off anything that might get broken.


At the train club on Monday night I ran my American types #1 #2 and #5, and they all ran very well I was impressed. I need to go back to work on # 3 the 2-4-0 and get it rolling as well.


Bill Nelson

 

[gbwdude]

Badgerland... HO!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Passenger cars started to look shabby, and I have just repainted my favorite passenger car . a Combine I cut down from a La belle kit. It was built under the heavy influence of John Olsen, and had paint peeling all off of it. For years it was the oly passenger car on my Railrioad, and has been in constant use on my Mountain division since the inception of this version of the DG, CC, & W RR.


In the cabinet I had a partially built coach, which I had cut down to the identical amount. I had stopped building it because I did not think I could match the paint job on the combine, so today I masked them both , and shot them both with spray paint. They match now!


In the photo they are paired with some of my MDC fleet, which was painted to try to mimic the peeling paint on the Labelle combine. the MDc fleet will get repainted too. It is 1928, the iron furnaces are still hot, and the mill is running 3 shifts. The money is rolling in, lets keep that passenger fleet liiking sharp boys.

Mr Bill,

What would you suggest for stripping older wooden cars? I have two Silver Streak cabooses that need to be redone, ones a bay window and the other is a high cupola four window (two windows per side). I have taken all the metal details off and stripped them using floor wax remover (did that in Korea... it's all I had! It also worked for removing paint on plastic shells!) but wasn't brave enough to try it on the wood bodies for fear they'd warp. I do know of that Chameleon stuff, it has good reviews but haven't seen it anywhere. Any suggestions?

On another note, I'll be heading to Wisconsin on Friday until September 1st. Hopefully in that time I'll get to go to my home club and see if they got any more new guys. Just in case you're curious about them, check out their website: http://www.papervalleymodelrailroad.com/index.htm . I also have some more WRRy goodies to dig out of storage up there.

Tyler

 

[Bill Nelson]

Tyler,

First of all have a safe trip, and a good visit. We will look forward to seeing you when you return to the fort, and can come and play with us @ the trainclub, where you have quickly become a valued member.


I don't have good advise for stripping wood, as I have never done it. The wood cars I have I seem to have painted well the first time, so the paint wasn't thick enough to be a problem in the rare circumstances that required a repaint job.

If there isn't too much paint ( enough to obscure the grain and the detail) , then it can be carefully repainted , working to minimize the thickness of the paint , as we should with every model project.

If there is too much paint on the wooden parts you may be screwed. Cleaning paint off of brass and plastic, I have used brake fluid, mineral spirits, and rubbing alcohol with varying results, but all of these methods would lead to disaster with a wood carbody.

One thing I might try ( warning untested idea!) , would be to cut up an emory board into small pieces that could get into the nooks and sand any blobs of paint off the wood parts and if paint fills some nooks experiment very carefully with a scriber or the flat side of an exacto # 11 blade, to see if it can be dislodged. work carefull to do as much as you can without causing damage and then painting over the result.

Good luck, and if you screw up, this office will deny any knowledge of this mission.

when you get up to Wisconsin show your assosiates up there our work down here, through Zealot, and invite them to join us in showing off, I mean sharing , valuable methods ,techniques, and insperation


Bill Nelson

 

[Bill Nelson]

Note to Zealot.

I have noticed that the edit post button is only available on my recent posts. This assumes that I am capable of catching my textual , intelectual, factual, spelling, and grammatical errors in a timely fashion . Quite often I notice that I got something horribly wrong on a post that is Months old . some of these errors make me look stupid, or possibly illiterate (Careful readers will already know this); but I'd like to fool the casual reader if possible.


Bill Nelson

 

[Doctor G]

Mr Bill,

What would you suggest for stripping older wooden cars? I have two Silver Streak cabooses that need to be redone, ones a bay window and the other is a high cupola four window (two windows per side). I have taken all the metal details off and stripped them using floor wax remover (did that in Korea... it's all I had! It also worked for removing paint on plastic shells!) but wasn't brave enough to try it on the wood bodies for fear they'd warp. I do know of that Chameleon stuff, it has good reviews but haven't seen it anywhere. Any suggestions?

On another note, I'll be heading to Wisconsin on Friday until September 1st. Hopefully in that time I'll get to go to my home club and see if they got any more new guys. Just in case you're curious about them, check out their website: http://www.papervalleymodelrailroad.com/index.htm . I also have some more WRRy goodies to dig out of storage up there.

Tyler

Hey Tyler,

Have a safe and refreshing trip. I enjoyed the Yankee (Wisconsin) layout. I particularly liked that very cool scratchbuilt station.

Like Bill said see if you can get some of your Northern buds, hey the War between the States is over, on to Zealot and we can engage in more dialogue and picture swapping.

Doc Tom

 

[Bill Nelson]

passenger cars!

two more G scale passenger cars are out of the shops, and I am proceeding to work on the H0 home passenger car fleet (I have more at the club). the cars I have at the club are Mantua 1880 passenger cars, some of which date back to my 2nd train set. For years they looked to ***py to use on my layout. I re worked them to take to the club, and they ended up looking better than my home fleet.

I have two sets of old time passenger car end post and hand rail brass castings from Cal-Scale. I have been cutting up my Labelle Combine to fit a pair on it, and have also Have been making some modifications to the unfinished Labelle coach that was cut down to match the cut down combine. they were originally 50 foot cars, way to long for the too sharp curves that have plagued my railroad since it's first layout.


Also in the shops ate some MDC shorty Overtons. I have a baggage car, a combine, and three coaches. I really miss these kits, I could use another coach and an observation car. they also cut up very well to make HOn3 cars.

The labelle Kits are still in production. check out the price on the box, they now cost about ten times that much, but produce the best looking wooden passenger cars possible in O On3 HO and Hon3. the address on the box is as obsolete as the price., they have a web site, I advise you to check it out.



Bill Nelson

 

[Doctor G]

t


Also in the shops ate some MDC shorty Overtons. I have a baggage car, a combine, and three coaches. I really miss these kits, I could use another coach and an observation car. they also cut up very well to make HOn3 cars.


Bill Nelson

Hi Bill,

If my memory serves me correctly I believe I left MDC shorty HO combine, and at least one coach at the club when I tore down the C&S RR.. You are welcome to snag them and put them to work after plastic surgery on your nifty Hon3 layout. I do not mind and I rather doubt they will get much "air play" at the club with all the heavy weight passenger cars we have there. Please feel to use them.
Doc Tom:mrgreen:

 

[Bill Nelson]

Tom, Thanks for the offer, but the cars are occasionally available built up, and it would be more work to cut a Tom built car than a Chinaman built car.

Also I really like those cars, and there will be plenty of use for them on the end of coal trains and log trains. I'm in favor of passenger cars on the end of all coal and lumber co. freight traffic, as well as the dedicated passenger train with the varnish. As to the more modern coaches, when I actually see them operating on the club layout, I will believe in that possibility. Until then, the layout belongs to wood sided truss rod passenger cars; and I'd like to have them a strong presence in any case that will help keep the era-meter more heavily toward the steam side. It will take quite a few diesels to counterbalance A classic American type in front of some truss rod open platform varnish.


Bill

 

[Doctor G]

Tom, Thanks for the offer, but the cars are occasionally available built up, and it would be more work to cut a Tom built car than a Chinaman built car.

Also I really like those cars, and there will be plenty of use for them on the end of coal trains and log trains. I'm in favor of passenger cars on the end of all coal and lumber co. freight traffic, as well as the dedicated passenger train with the varnish. As to the more modern coaches, when I actually see them operating on the club layout, I will believe in that possibility. Until then, the layout belongs to wood sided truss rod passenger cars; and I'd like to have them a strong presence in any case that will help keep the era-meter more heavily toward the steam side. It will take quite a few diesels to counterbalance A classic American type in front of some truss rod open platform varnish.


Bill

Well thought out. Some good comments. Agree probably best to keep the club focused on steam power and the interesting equipment used during that era.

Doc Tom

 

[Bill Nelson]

pass car shops

I did some work on my passenger cars, adding seats from pikestuff. My ancient Labelle combine has cast metal seats. somewhere I have the wall that goes between the passenger section and the baggage section. It was broken and I left it out to repair it. It is around somewhere, but now that the car is open I can't find it.


Before the labelle cars go together, I need to file the white metal step castings to fit, and add couplers, trucks and under body details to the coach, before the MDC cars go together I need to add the end rails, which I left off when I built them so that my son wouldn't destroy them playing with the cars. Now that I'm safe from that danger I need to put them on. surprisingly I found them after all of these years..



Bill