New and New

 

Let me introduce you to my new granddaughter, Merritt Marie Willberger.  She was born on 12 March at 11PM in Birmingham, Alabama. She, mom, and dad are all doing well. We plan to visit them this week. 

Doing the laser cutter shuffle

In between pacing the floor waiting for Merritt to arrive, I took delivery of a new laser cutter. The new machine is a Epilog Fusion Edge with 50W of power. It is a much more advanced machine than the previous Epilog Zing. It has 20 percent more laser power, has better air assist to stop charring, autofocus, improved print driver software that can use both Corel Draw and Adobe Illustrator, wifi and camera optics for precise placement of the materials on the bed.  

Old Zing laser boxed up and going back to the manufacturer 

The old machine went back to the manufacturer via freight shipping. It took me a few days to get the new machine set up and the old one packed up and ready for freight pickup. 

 The new machine is just slightly larger than the old.

So far the first test cuts I have made have been excellent.

All Quiet on the Eastern Front

There has been a lot going on here with regard to modeling and my hobbies, but not much to report on the Aquia Line.  I received some excellent 3D stl files from Gerry Dykstra to print some ACW era battery wagons and forges. I haven't had a chance to print them yet.

Right about when I hurt my back, I had a set of florescent lights in the front train room burn out. I ordered new LEDs to replace them, but haven't had a chance to install them.  Other than that, I haven't worked on the Aquia Line. 

I have been catching up on some writing projects that are or were due. Hopefully you will be seeing the Aquia Line in the MR press within a year or so. I am also working on a new book project. It is a track plan book, but I can't say much more about it at this point. 

Speaking of track plans, the Hostlers in Odgen, Utah liked my basic track plan, but had some modifications to it that they desired. So I made an updated copy for them. I am waiting to hear back before I do their final track plan.

One of my major distractions has been wargaming. It is interesting that several of my wargaming friends also are model railroaders. There is a lot of overlap in the hobbies. So I have been learning new game systems including a new WW2 skirmish level game. I  helped Mike Kelly with some of his 3D printing.  He hosts local game meets at his house. I am also working with Bruce Weigle to produce forts for his upcoming wargame on the planned but cancelled Nazi invasion of Malta. Malta is covered with stone forts. Bruce is world famous for his intricate, bespoke terrain boards.  I will be laser cutting the forts to use on his new terrain board. 

An example of one of Bruce's bespoke terrain boards

Alkem Scale models is also keeping me busy. I have a new batch of DODX cars for sale. In addition I have 4 models for clients in various stages of production. One of those is a model for Alexandria's new Museum of Freedom. This will depict the 1840's appearance of the slave jail that was on Duke Street. More on that project later.

AMTRAK near the former RO Cabin on the RF&P just
northof Crystal City. The new Amazon HQ will be
 close to this site.

My back is getting better, but I am still not 100%. I have been doing a lot more exercise recently, including riding a new bike. I call my new bike "the tank" because compared to my old carbon fiber road bike, the new bike is "indestructible." I am riding for fitness, so I am more concerned with durability and safety versus speed. The bike has an upright riding position and chunky 700 by 45 tires. I am lucky in that we have lots of trails near my house including some that parallel the old RF&P so I can railfan while I ride. 

Finally, we installed a new bird feeder in our back yard. We have been enjoying it immensely. I never knew how many different species of birds frequent our yard. 

Eagle Rock Milling and Mfg Co. Inc.

I just finished scratch building this structure for a client. It is a small mill located on the C&O RR near Eagle Rock VA. It is no longer standing. The client had only a few low resolution images, but they were enough to build a model. It had to fit an existing space, so that constrained the dimensions.

I think it came out pretty well and I am considering adding this to my line of kits for Alkem Scale Models. If you would be interested in this kit, please let me know.

Playing Catch Up

This week has been catch up week for me. Both my mom and I recovered from colds, though hers was much more serious than mine. So it was time for me to get my do-list whittled down.

The laser cut parts arrayed on my work bench

The first task was to laser cut the parts for a large, intricate HO scale building for a client. It almost looks like a cathedral in appearance. The client did the artwork, as he is an architect.  Still it took me a few hours to prepare the drawings for my laser. Then another 8 actual hours to engrave and cut the parts. He will do the assembly and painting. We have more buildings to do for this client, so we are looking at other ways to depict the bricks other than engraving them one by one.

The mailbox project from start to finish

Next, I had to so some household chores. The first was to build a new mailbox that would match the new front door and have capacity to hold small packages. This was an opportunity for me learn some new skills and give my woodworking tools some exercise. The new door has leaded glass detailing. So the mailbox should have a matching glass insert. I never built a leaded glass piece before, so I went to Youtube and got the basics.  My experience in soldering brass kits came in handy, and I was able to make an acceptable diamond shaped leaded glass insert for the mailbox using pre-cut beveled glass sections and lead came. With an acceptable glass insert in hand,  I built a box with an opening to house the leaded glass piece.

With that done, I moved on to fixing the chair rail molding in the dining room. This was a residual task from the flood repairs. The contractor claimed it was a custom molding profile. So I took a sample to the local mill shop and low and behold, this molding was not custom, but available in stock. With $60 of molding in hand, it was a relatively simple matter to install the molding using my Kapex miter saw.

Rob's 1/72nd scale diorama

Then my brother visited for a few days. He wanted some instruction on painting and weathering an armored model. It was a M48 tank that he assembled at home. Over the next two days we painted, weathered,  and then built a small diorama to display it. This project was a lot of fun and my brother said he learned a lot. We used dry brushing, washes, chalk, and texture mud. The texture mud was helpful un hiding some of the flaws in the tracks.

On Saturday, I hosted a WW2 war game at my house. It was a scenario set in Holland during the Market Garden campaign. I enjoy hosting games. It reminds me a lot of setting up an op session. The game went well, though the Germans were able to cut the highway and were able to withstand the Allied attempt to clear it, though they took heavy casualties.

Hopefully, next week I can continue to catch up on the remaining do-list items.

British armor wrecks litter the battle field

Great Lakes Getaway 2019

Downhill ore train on Doug Tagsold's Colorado and Southern Railroad

I just returned from a fantastic long weekend of operating railroads at Great Lakes Getaway 2019.  I left Alexandria on Tuesday and picked up Steve King in Fayetteville, PA on the way.  I got to see Steve's new double deck N scale layout. I also dropped off a coal dock model that I had built for Steve.  This model was one of the N scale Handley coal docks I offered for sale over 10 years ago. Steve bought one and asked me to build it for him several years ago. I finally had a chance to deliver it to him! Some things can't be rushed.

We arrived in Dundee, Michigan in time on Tuesday night to have dinner with several other model railroaders in town for the Great Lakes Getaway.

On Wednesday, a group of us operated on Doug Tagsold's new Colorado and Southern narrow gauge railroad. To model this narrow railroad in an economical way, Doug used HO equipment modified to 1/72nd scale. This created a narrow gauge railroad that runs great, looks great, has long runs and was relatively inexpensive to build as he was able to reuse much of his existing HO scale track and structures. The railroad uses Time Table and Train Order with waybills and switchlists. Because the trains are short, the switching is fun and manageable.  But, oh those long runs between towns. I can't recall another railroad that I have operated that has such long runs between towns. It adds so much realism to the TT&TO operations.

Several Alkem Scale Models kits on display at
Mike Burgett's layout

The next day we operated on Mike Burgett's C&O Alleghany and James River Subdivision railroads. Mike's double decked layout is in my opinion one of the top 3 model railroads in the United States. If you want to run on a railroad that is as close to prototype as it can be, then this is the railroad for you. In addition to the exquisite railroad, Mike also has a full CTC machine with authentic equipment in its own room upstairs. And the icing on the cake, is that in his detached garage is a fully functional replica of the N&W tower at Lynchberg. The tower is staffed by an operator during op sessions. That operator watches the layout through the windows of the tower video closed circuit TV.  The layout is a museum as well as a model railroad.

John demonstrates his automated staging yard

After Mike's sessions, we stopped by John DePauw's EJ&E double deck layout. We didn't operate it, but we did admire his dense, heavy industrial focused layout. I had a chance to operate that railroad many years ago. It was nice to see it and John again.

Bruce Carpenter's new layout 

On Friday, a van load of us rode to Wapakoneta, OH (home of astronaut Neil Armstrong) to operate on Bruce Carpenter's 2-year old Milwaukee Road layout. I had visited Bruce's first layout, the BNSF Chillicote Sub, about 12 years ago. After 25 years with that railroad, Bruce decided to build a whole new double deck railroad depicting the Milwaukee Road in Idaho and Montana. The railroad is signaled with APB, and uses TT&TO. The layout design focuses on long trains (30-35 cars) and slow operations. He is trying to replicate operations as close to the prototype as possible. For example, trains must simulate setting retainers at the top of a grade by taking one minute per car. So a 30 car train would take 15 real minutes with the 2-1 fast clock he uses. The mainline is long, about 700 feet. But most jobs run from staging to the crew change in the middle of the layout.  It's an interesting concept. It will be interesting to see if the simple, yet highly prototypical operations remain interesting to Bruce and his operators.

On Saturday we headed to Saline Michigan to operate on the Wabash Operations Road Show layout. From their website,

"The Operations Road Show is an ongoing project to build and operate a large portable HO scale layout to demonstrate and teach prototypical timetable and train order operation in a friendly, low-pressure environment. We have taken it to the NMRA National Conventions in Toronto in 2003, Cincinnati in 2005, Hartford in 2009, Grand Rapids in 2012, Cleveland in 2014, Indianapolis in 2016, Kansas City in 2019, and brought out guests to the layout from the Great Lakes Express convention in Detroit in 2007. The 2019 trip to the NMRA National Convention in Kansas City was the last road trip we have planned for the layout, though we continue to hold sessions at our home base, near Ann Arbor, Michigan."

Steve and I teamed up to run two trains. A quick Monon interchange job, and a long way freight. The railroad is TT&TO based, but also has a complex blocking system for freight switching. I suspect it would take several op sessions to really get the hang of it.

Later that afternoon, we went back to Doug's Colorado and Southern for another session. This time I ran an ore extra. After making a serious error in reading the timetable, I decided to play it safe. On my return trip to the mines, I occupied a short siding on the up hill climb as I had three trains meeting me. After one double saw-by, and two single saw by's I was on my way back to the mine. What a hoot!

After seeing three double deck railroads with clean, uncluttered presentations, I am thinking about ways I could add a partial double deck to my railroad. The long runs on Doug's layout really demonstrate how they enhance realism.  My layout design thinking cap is on.

I like the clean uncluttered look of Doug's double deck construction. Travers Stravac approves too.

On Doug's layout, operators sit on rolling chairs to work the lower level, which is very effective.

Mike's layout also has a neat, uncluttered professional look to its construction

Calm before the storm

DODX 41000  cars weather to a pinkish red with the white primer showing. 

Brian and crew are making great strides on scenery,
but will he have any track down by the NMRA convention?

I've been working on client projects for Alkem Scale Models this week and doing some admin work for the Middle Atlantic Railroad Prototype Meet.

Next week we head to Florida. We'll be back for a few weeks before heading to Salt Lake City for the National NMRA convention. I'll be helping Brian  Brendel with his layout, and giving a talk at the convention. The updated plan for Brian's layout is below.

Lance Mindheim giving some modeling tips to
John Steitz and Scott Wahl at MARPM 2018

The MARPM is about 100 days out. We have a great meet planned. The list of clinicians we have signed up is second to none.  If you don't believe me, check it out here.  If you have never been to a Railroad Prototype Meet you might want to consider this one. We have a bunch of great model railroad activities planned. Plus, the hotel that is hosting the meet is adjacent to BWI airport and the AMTRAK and MARC train station. From the hotel, one could easily travel to down town Baltimore or Washington DC using railroads.

I've started making a new run for my DODX 41000 series flat car kit. This model was been a good seller for us. This will be the tenth (or maybe this is the 11th, I can't remember) run we have made.

We have O scale chain link fence on hand. We are working on the instruction sheets and gathering the parts so we can offer them for sale.

John Soch Liealoha stopped by tonight. He was in town on business. He observed some of my client model work. Then he graciously offered to draw an Army Escort Wagon in O scale using some plans I provided to him. I had been working on these as laser cut models, but John is certain they will look better as 3-D printed models. I hope so.

Finally, I ordered an Athearn HO scale SD40T-2.  There were two reasons, first it is my favorite diesel. I think it will be fun to detail and weather it. Second, I want to test it out, especially the new low profile truck that allows for see-through radiator screens on the rear.

In my mind's deep recesses, I have an idea that I might go back to modelling the DRGW, but in HO vice N scale.  I've even been toying with a track plan. More on that later.

These days, when a manufacturer offers a model you might want, you need to act as you never know when it might be unavailable. So I am getting one of these locos as a hedge in case I decide to build a DRGW project of some sort. If I like this loco, I may actually buy a few more to stock pile.  Scaletrains has a similar model, but theirs uses LokSound and costs a bit more. I prefer Soundtrax, so I went with Athearn.

Bulk Carrier Superstructure Construction

Photo etched rails visible on deck

Superstructure is coming along

The boat deck is still unpainted acrylic. The stack is not
yet glued in place. 

After a long break, I restarted work on the bulk carrier for the PoLA layout.  As you might recall, this is a fairly large ship model at 62 inches LOA and 10 inches beam. I posted about its construction several times before, such as here,  here, and here.

The superstructure is a combination of 1/8th and 1/16th inch laser-cut, acrylic parts.

I add styrene parts to the basic acrylic shell to help detail it.

The superstructure is just about ready for the base paint. Then I'll add the hand railings and stairs, which will come from a new etching that Alkem Scale Models is going to introduce soon.
In fact, all the pilot etchings were sold, even before I advertised them, as visitors to my layout, upon seeing the pilot parts asked to buy them. I sold all that I had on hand, but a new large batch is coming.

This ship has a lot of hand railings, so the etching will come in very handy. I will also need a lot of railings for the borax silos too.

Wet sanding in sink

Playing with action figures?

The fun of O Scale

New Zing 24 with 40W laser cutter

It was a busy weekend with work on various projects. First was a photo shoot for a potential book project.  In the process I took some fun photos. The shot above shows engine Haupt being watered. O scale is big and detailed enough that you can actually remove the tender's watering filler cap and place the water hose in it. Then one can hit the sound function to simulate the water gurgling.  An editor from an N Scale magazine once said to me, "O scale is like playing with action figures." He might be right.


After that, I got my new laser cutter, a Epilog Zing 24 with 40W,  set up.   The new laser cuts really well.  It's nice to be able to cut 24 inch long material now. With O scale models the extra size is handy.

The former laser, an Epilog Mini18 25W,  was about 12 years old. It still worked well, though the laser tube had lost some power.  I plan to sell it. It's in very good condition. It would be a great way for some one to get started with a professional grade laser cutter. Send me a note if you are interested.

The old laser cutter used a 15-year Dell laptop with Windows XP.  It was missing some keys and the battery was dead so it had to be plugged in to work, but it still worked.  Nonetheless, it was time to replace it.

I ended up with an HP Envy 2 in 1 touch screen laptop with Windows 10. Epilog lasers work best with CorelDraw on Windows OS, so I  got a Windows 10 machine.  I also got a Bamboo stylus, which makes drawing on the screen much easier. The laptop also came bundled with MS Office.

My current laser cutting work flow is to do my design drawing in Adobe Illustrator CS5 on my iMac. Then I send the file to my laptop for import into CorelDraw. From CorelDraw I can print to the laser or use the new (to me) Epilog Job Manager. My old laptop did not have the Epilog Job Manager. The Epilog Job Manager.software is really neat. It makes setting up the cutting jobs much easier to organize and to tweak settings.

Back to the work flow, Adobe went to an expensive subscription service for their software so they are no longer supporting CS5. I have been experiencing trouble with Illustrator and In Design on my iMac.  I don't wish to upgrade to the Adobe subscription service. So I am learning to use CorelDraw in more detail with the idea of dropping Adobe Illustrator. It's a shame as I really like Illustrator, but their subscription costs are too high for a small business.  The nice thing about CorelDraw is they provide a complete suite including photo edits in their one price package. So far, I like drawing on the screen with the stylus in CorelDraw.

Roof with simulated tar paper and battens

The last project of the weekend was to finish the wharf warehouse. I added a tar paper roof with battens. Then I added doors. The building is done except for some weathering and interior detail, which will be very minimal as the interior will be difficult to see.

This building is pretty big, about 18 by 10 inches. But I like the chunky look of O scale structures. Now I just need some more action figures.

Finished building on wharf

Tracks on the Wharf, Finally!

Last Saturday a group of O scale modelers visited the house to see the Aquia Line. Yes, the Aquia Line finally got some love.

The O scale group is an informal association of people that model in O scale or are interested in O Scale. They are largely from the Middle Atlantic area. The guests included Gary Eames, Eugene J. and Carolyn Nash and their son Gene, Jr. (who was dressed in a Union Overcoat), Ted Rabusseau, John Sethian, Terry Terrance, Karen and Jim Kinder and their daughter (she didn't record her mane), Doug Gurin, Nick Kalis, and Rick Wright. John Barry helped out by running trains for the visitors.  Alicia and my mom helped out with snacks. Not everyone signed in so I may have missed a few guests. If you want to be listed be let me know.

Later Brad Trencamp stopped by to pick up some etchings and we fired up PoLA for a few minutes.





On Sunday I proceeded to lay the track on the wharf. Yes, eight years into the project tracks are finally on the wharf.

Instead of two turnouts on the wharf, I decided to build a double slip switch. I used Alkem Scale Models photoecthed switch stands for this. I designed the etchings to allow the stands to be used in double slip and three-way switches, but this is the first time I used them in such as application. This will be a good test.

Track spacing for the float is very tight as seen
by the three side-by-side cars in the photo

I decided to space the tracks on the wharf at double the normal spacing.
This was due to the close spacing of cars on the car float. If the tracks were close enough to serve adjacent spots on the float, the gap between the cars would be very small,  too small for operator fingers. By gapping the tracks this way, operators can get their fingers around the cars without trouble.  I can change it back if I decide it doesn't look right after cogitating on it a while.

As of Monday morning, I decided after checking prototype photos to move the tracks closer together. I don't have any photos of the transfer bridge at Aquia, so I will probably replicate the design that the USMRR used in Alexandria, but for two tracks instead of three. There are photos two other examples of USMRR transfer bridges I have seen. Both of those are one track transfers, but the wharf at Aquia Landing definitely had two tracks.

African Farming Diorama

This image shows forest clearing operations at the upper left and corn farming in the foreground. In the background are palm oil plantations and the port city of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.

Today I delivered a completed custom diorama to a representative of AgriSmart Inc.  AgriSmart Inc. commissioned me to build a diorama depicting their current and planned operations in Cote d'Ivoire. AgriSmart Inc is new venture that seeks to help farmers in the Cote d'Ivoire develop farming techniques using sustainable methods and excellent working conditions for its people. Thus I was happy to build this diorama for them even though the schedule was tight.

Overview of the 2x4 feet diorama

The challenge of the project was to show the scope of their operations across much of the country with enough detail to highlight what AgriSmart Inc is planning. To do this the model became more of an artist's concept than a fine scale model. This is not the normal kind of project I do, but it was a challenge and fun to take it on.

The model depicts corn and palm oil agriculture using modern technology and techniques. The model has no actual scale, though many of the corn farming operations are shown using N scale models. To depict the corn plants I used some miniature Christmas wreath material. I made the palm trees one by one with laser cut paper fronds on toothpicks.

The barge will carry palm oil from the pressing facility to the port.

The port city of Abidjan, a city of 5 million people with thousands of building and streets, was especially tricky to depict. We settled on a very stylized representation that shows the general layout of the operation without too much detail. The city buildings are laser cut with some window detail, but are painted plain grey to deflect attention. All of AgriSmarts's operations are painted in brighter colors to highlight them.

And, we are proud to say, we delivered the model on their tight schedule and on budget!

 Combine working on a corn field. The combine is a GHQ kit.

Something there is that doesn’t love a wall

Looks like a scene from "Fast and Furious IV"

 Robert Frost may have had mixed feelings about his stone walls, but to a person modeling a modern port, fences are a fact of life. And these are not the charming stone walls of Frost's New England, but utilitarian chain link fences frequently topped with  barbed wire. With normally flat land and few places to get an high viewpoint, fences are the bane of railfans looking for photos near the waterfront.

I have been installing fences on the layout using the photoetched kits from Alkem Scale Models. I will toot my own horn here since I developed the product, but they are a breeze to install, and they look great.

I found it is also easy to make the gates operate using 1/32 inch wire and 1/16 inch thin wall tube from K&S. I solder a 1/32nd inch wire to the edge of the gate that extends about 0.75 inches below the gate. Then I insert a length of 0.75 inch 1/16th inch tube in the scenery, predrilling a hole if necessary. Next I slide the wire into the tube and test the fit. If all is well, a dot of CAA on the tube exterior holds it in place being careful to not get glue on the moving wire. That's it! Working gates.

Note that the Alkem Scale Models fence parts are photo etched  stainless steel. When soldering, rosin core solder and rosin flux will not work very well. I recommend the Superior Flux 71 available from H&N Electronics in hobbyist sizes.  Also, get some solid core solder to avoid having the rosin core contaminate your flux. Again, H&N carries what you need.

John Drye stopped by Sunday to do a bit of work on the layout. He was on his way to chaperone a high school girls graduation party, so he only had a brief time available.  He was able to build a tank in about an hour. It was a Walthers Kit. It will reside in the refinery area of the layout.

In case you don't recognize the title of this blog, it is the first line from Mending Wall by Rober Frost.

The security guard tends to the operating gate at Chase Marine Terminal.

Mending Wall

SOMETHING there is that doesn't love a wall,

That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,

And spills the upper boulders in the sun;

And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.

The work of hunters is another thing:         5

I have come after them and made repair

Where they have left not one stone on stone,

But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,

To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,

No one has seen them made or heard them made,  10

But at spring mending-time we find them there.

I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;

And on a day we meet to walk the line

And set the wall between us once again.

We keep the wall between us as we go.  15

To each the boulders that have fallen to each.

And some are loaves and some so nearly balls

We have to use a spell to make them balance:

"Stay where you are until our backs are turned!"

We wear our fingers rough with handling them.  20

Oh, just another kind of outdoor game,

One on a side. It comes to little more:

He is all pine and I am apple-orchard.

My apple trees will never get across

And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.  25

He only says, "Good fences make good neighbors."

Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder

If I could put a notion in his head:

"Why do they make good neighbors? Isn't it

Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.  30

Before I built a wall I'd ask to know

What I was walling in or walling out,

And to whom I was like to give offence.

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,

That wants it down!" I could say "Elves" to him,  35

But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather

He said it for himself. I see him there,

Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top

In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.

He moves in darkness as it seems to me,  40

Not of woods only and the shade of trees.

He will not go behind his father's saying,

And he likes having thought of it so well

He says again, "Good fences make good neighbors