Thank you again for all the compliments.

Yeah Yampa, thats the Connie. She gave me a lot of trouble this past week. Seems the axle gear has worn so the worm gear only catches it half way, causing sporadic operation. She's getting sent in to Bachmann Service on Monday for repairs.

I haven't decided on railing yet, but that product looks promising and I'll keep that in mind when the time comes. The layout isn't even sitting on any sort of benchwork, and I can't buy any lumber until my economic situation improves.

Thanks for the idea for the junk hotrainlover, next time I see one of those kits I'll be sure to snatch it up.

And thank you for all the nice comments on the coaling tower. I've never made anything from scratch and it is my centerpiece, even though it's near the left edge

I've made some headway not on the module itself, but the locomotives. All the motive power has been weathered (well, its not rusty, but not shiny new). Heres a quick run down.

Revell static Big Boy model has been painted, weathered and decaled (Has one decal that has ripped, to be replaced tomorrow).

The Rivarossi Big Boy has been detailed, decals on the number boards, and slightly weathered to give it a more clean look.

The Bachmann Connie was painted and weathered. I cut off the marker lights on the top of the smokebox and mounted them on the front. I was going to add the Cal-scale number boards but I will wait until she returns home from the shop.

Last but not least, my current pride and joy. My Broadway Limited Blueline Mikado. It has been more heavily weathered. I added Cal-scale numberboards with decals, a tool box on the tender, and a custom made Sweeny smoke stack as seen on the UP USRA Mikes. The company that made this in a brass detail part doesn't exist anymore, so I mounted a small piece of styrene cylinder on a drill press, and took a razor blade and lathed it by hand to give it a slightly tapered look.

Well, I should say my father lathed it. He doesn't trust me with his machinery yet.

I'll have more pictures later, but here is some pictures of the Mike.









*Please excuse the terrible photography, and thank you for putting up with it. Still working with the lighting. 

MJC

I have to say I liked the Batman set!

But a Star Trek set? Really? Give me a Star Wars set instead and maybe we'll talk 

I do find these interesting. Not sure I'd ever buy one but if you need a lot of F-units with sports themes, movie themes, Presidents, NASCAR drivers, rock n' roll stars, military themes or legendary cars, then I can see where one might want one.


The batman one really did catch my eye. Must look away!

MJC

The Atlas turntable won't connect with EZ track, but will work with a little elbow grease. The best way to get them to line up it to cut the tabs off the end of the piece(s) of EZ track you want to lead up to the turntable. Then you can take a regular piece of straight track (without any roadbed, just plain old track) and cut it to fit in the small space on the turntables between the table itself, and the track leading up to the turntable.

Maybe someone can make that sound more clear, I know its been done before. Good luck!

MJC

That looks great! Can't wait to see what else you add. 

I couldn't help but chuckle at the Edward quote.

MJC

Many thanks, I'll probably just send a check just so I won't have to worry. Thanks again.

Granted, the cash would be in a non-see through envelope, in the box inside a box. I never send cash in the mail in a plain old envelope. Thanks/

I just have a quick question.

When sending in a locomotive for service along with money for the service, would an envelope with the appropriate amount in cash, included in the locomotive's box be acceptable? Or should I write a check instead? And if I should write a check, do I write it out to Bachmann Industries?

Thank you all for the kind comments and suggestions

As far as vegetation goes, I'll be adding some weeds sometime next week. I put some sand in the sand bin, and the buildings are glued down and painted. There is also some inspection pits right behind the coaling tower, and there is some sand spillage on the tracks

I'll look around for some old parts in my junk box and scatter them around.

Thanks again everyone. I'll have new pictures up once the camera charges.

Regards,
MJC

Thank you. Its not just finished yet, there is still a lot of painting to be done, and details to be added. I grabbed that shed out of the bottom of a box full of junk, figured it might be useful somewheres.

Since November, I've been working on a small 2x4 module type layout. Its going to be entered into a train show in St. Pete, Florida at H&R Trains. I knew once I had the sheet of plywood, I wanted to do a locomotive servicing terminal. Since you can't really run HO scale trains on a 2x4 continuously, I figured I'd do something that could at least show off the motive power I had.

It isn't modeled off of any specific prototype, I just wanted to do something to get out of the armchair and try it out. I learned so much about airbrush techniques, ground covering, construction and planning. Allow me to share what I started with, up to today.

A blank sheet of plywood, painted flat black, with some track and roadbed.


A coaling tower I've scratch-built from cardboard and sheet styrene.


Here is some more progress. The coaling tower has legs, and there is ground cover.




Here it is today


The coaling tower is painted.


My first locomotive painting project. I took my all black Rivarossi Big Boy, and gave it a UP Harbor Mist Gray smokebox, something I've been itching to do since I bought it off a member here 3 years ago. I also painted the wheels and running gear grimy black. It's just awaiting a dullcoat. It's sitting on the wash racks, waiting to be rubbed down.


A BLI Mike sits under the tower, about to progress towards the sanding tower. There is a Big Boy right next to it, thats a Revell 1:87 scale model kit, all plastic. It's just to make the yard look more populated.


Last, my best running locomotive, the Bachmann Connie. Just hanging out next to a shed.



I still need to add details, and people. Does anyone know what kind of "junk" would be found around a servicing terminal?

And yes, I plan to add on to this in the future. I already have many ideas for an around the room type layout.

Thanks for looking.

Regard,
MJC

Pleas excuse the terrible photography. 

Once more, some Harriman Standard steam would be wonderful. Its smaller, perfect for more small layouts, and it was a standard for many roads if I'm not mistaken.

We'll find out what they have up their sleeves during some toy show in February, won't we? Or did I miss that.

Plus, the Bach already has some great smaller steam. Other then an accurate Mogul, or Atlantic, or what have you, what would you like to see? I don't know about you, but I'm itching for some tenders that are universal.

Bachmann has likened themselves to do standard USRA designs. I'd like to see some Harriman designs. I haven't seen any Harriman motive power, and it was the standard for some of the larger railroads. A Pacific would be wonderful.

He wants to buy the SY Mike, but he ordered Decapods from the Favorite Spot which have sustained shipping damage. I believe this is correct.

I found a great bargain at wholesaletrains.com. Here is the link

http://www.wholesaletrains.com/HOProducts2.asp?Scale=HO&Item=160B282M

Good luck. I'd buy one if I had a use for it.

Sorry, I don't quite understand that logic.

I use Bachmann track along with my regular Atlas flextrack, and when they are ballasted together, there is no evidence of the EZ track being there. The ballast isn't higher on the EZ than on the flextrack. If paired with cork or foam roadbed, you shouldn't have any issues with rail height.

Thank you for the replies. My knowledge of DCC is fairly advance. I have a few books on wiring for DCC and I know how it all works. Its just that I only have a small module that I'm putting on display at an upcoming train show, and I don't need DCC just yet until it expands a bit. I just want to have the startup/idle sounds of locomotives. If Tsunami can give me that on DC, then perfect.

And yes, Yampa, I had gotten my problems sorted out. The Connie runs wonderfully, thank you.