Gene,

I believe RIX makes highway overpasses if you  want a bridge that represents a major type of structure. You could always scratch build something to suit your needs

brad

Matt,

   I know the domes are screwed on from inside the boiler other than that I don't know. I tugged at some of the details a bit to see if they would come off easy, but they didn't so I left them alone for repainting. As far as just changing the wheels on your tender to get the correct height, you may have to also change the trucks as larger wheels might not turn in the frames, You'll probably also have to shim the trucks from the tender floor to gain clearance.

brad.

Quote from: Conrail Quality on May 27, 2007, 10:10:46 PM

Quote from: Woody Elmore on May 27, 2007, 09:35:23 AM

And for that matter, they both "saved money" by deffering maintenance, a strategy which came back to haunt them.

Much like CN is doing these days. I've talked at length to a CN engineer about company practices and the state of the company today. They have over 10,000 intermodal containers backed up in Vancouver that are already late, yards from one end of the country to the other are backed up, maintenance is at an all time low in favor of shareholder profits. as are staff levels. They've been calling retired employee's to see if they will come back to work.


Sad

brad

Both CN and CP had company housing

brad

The Canadian Pacific went from the Atlantic to the Pacific, led to the Confederation of our country, was used to stop a rebellion, brought tens of thousands of imigrants west to settle the prairies, and with them 100's of towns along the tracks sprang up. The "On to Ottawa" protest during the Depression rode the rails but was stopped in Winnipeg and became Canada's biggest and bloodiest civil unrest.

brad

I used 2 inch foam board for my entire layout with only "L" backets every 16-24 inches and have had no problems. I didn't use a sub roadbed, I merely carved roadbed and ditch profiles into the foam and find it no more noisey than my last layout with a  plywood/homosote/cork sub structure.  Your frame of 1X1's and 1/4 inch plywood should be strong enough, although, I would be tempted to make the 1X1 frame out of 3/4 inch plywood as it is more stable than dimentional lumber and less likely to twist, especially with that small of wood.

brad

O scale Keystone saw mill for an NMRA meet this fall, Then my HO scale Keystone bandsaw mill for the layout with complete interior workings. Then SCENERY on the foam board central

brad

Great work lanny.. Thanks for sharing

brad

I use Caboose Ind. "N" scale ground throws on my HO layout with code 70 Shinohara track and turnouts. I forget the exact number for the throws but they look more "scale" and provide reliable operation. I will be using one switch machine to provide actuation and power to a remote turnout in a hard to reach spot.

brad

I agree. Your best bet is to go to your LHS and see what they have for scale lumber or go online to one of the mentioned sites. Grandt line also make excellent doors windows and just about anything else you can think of for model building.

Also get yourself a scale ruler. I forget who made mine, but it is without a doubt the best tool to have for scratch buiilding. It will also give you an idea of the sizes of wood you'll need.  Other tools I could recommend are single edge razor blades (buy bulk packs as you'll go through them quickly), a small machinists square, NWSL Chopper, they have 3 models. mini-clamps (small plastic ones work good) Quick-Clamps (small bar clamps), a steel plate and magnets to hold things in place while glue dries. Razor saws fine and coarse tooth and a GOOD mitre box.

Have FUN

brad

I don't know how it works in other places but here we have to pay for a yearly contract to keep tanks for our welder and torches. Between the contract cost (ours is $175 a year for 3 tanks )  and the cost of refills, a compressor would soon be payed for.  Dry Nitrogen is just that DRY, no moisture, no traps required. And if you turn the bottle upside down and open the valve you can flash freeze anything (don't try this at home)

brad

It looks a lot like the Harlem terminal in this years MRP but the pictures are better. OUTSTANDING track work. Thanks for the link.

brad

My misunderstanding. Do they both have decoders of the same manufacture?. Could be a difference of speed tables. Even though they're both b-mann could have different motors or gearing. And the a loco will run different on DC when it has a decoder

brad

The biggest problem with consisting different manufacturers loco's is gear ratios. 2 Spectrums will definitely be more compatible than two different loco's.

And yes, you are really getting more tractive effort from 2 or 3 loco's than from just one.  I pulled 94 cars behind 3 Consolidations, one  engine wouldn't have even budged that train.

And I agree it does rank up there on the cool scale

brad

I've had 5 Athearn Mikes, no gear problems and they run very smooth although, I will admit they do have trackinig problems with the lead and trailing trucks. I added an ounce to the fromt of each loco with lead and bracss castings and they pull pretty good for my small pike. If you're getting sound though, I'd get a BLI, but, a couple guys in the club have had problems with these also, decoders or poor connections internally, being across the border didin't help for service times either, 6-8 weeks

brad