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Ken's Railroad

Started by Ken Huck, July 13, 2020, 03:17:55 PM

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Grumpy468

Awesome Ken. I love your layout. I need to add posters and billboards to mine as well.
We Are What Your Mother Warned you about.

Ken Huck


Thanks, Sheldon.  Those decals that you used on that kit look pretty nice too.
Are they pre-weathered or did you do that ?  I use pictures that I cut from my wifes many
magazines.  I sand the back-side so the printing doesn't show through.  I use white glue
to attach them to my wood structures.

Here's what I've been doing for the last month or so...more scenery.

















That's pretty much it for now, more to follow.

Ken


Terry Toenges

Such an incredible amount of work you put into that building. Great job. I love the interior detail.
Feel like a Mogul.

Ken Huck

#93
Thanks Terry.  I believe the best of this hobby is impressing an impressive audience !

Got a few new things this time around.

Anybody know what the purpose of a "Blind-end caboose" ?  I thought it was interesting.



Another brass import caboose:



Last but not least, one with interior and running lights.



Thanks for looking, more to follow.

Ken

Edit:  Somehow there was a problem with "disappearing photos" and I had to
       re-upload them.




Terry Toenges

I can't find the answer to "blind end". A lot of references to blind end caboose but I can't find an explanation. I  wondered if they were just box cars converted into cabeese.
Feel like a Mogul.

Len

'Blind end' cabooses seemed to have started with the ATSF converting wood boxcars in the late 1800's. With their side doors, they quickly became known as 'widowmakers'. On some the ends were pushed in and an end door was added. The sill had a railing added to turn it into a platform of sorts. No steps from the platform though. Getting on/off involved pivoting to use the original boxcar stirrup. They pretty much violated every safety regulation in place by 1920, but a few survived in limited local use into the 1960's.

Len
If at first you don't succeed, throw it in the spare parts box.

trainman203

The MP and TP both had the side door cabooses without any platforms. This type of caboose preceded the ones with end platforms.  The TP ones in particular lasted very long time.  They were called "muley" cabooses. Who is going to be the first to tell us what muley means.  Without going to google.

Terry Toenges

Not me. Not without Google.  ;D
Feel like a Mogul.

trainman203

The trouble with very high layouts that are easy to duck under is that you have to stand the whole time to operate them. When you get to be my age, you really can't do that anymore. Years ago I built my layout 36 inches high to not obscure existing windows too much, but now, years later, I'm glad I can sit in an office chair the whole time to run it.

jward

I agree with Trainman here. I purposely originally built my layout with 48" legs years ago. Standing to run it gets old, though getting underneath to do wiring was much easier. When I moved a couple of years ago and set it up again I replaced the legs with 36: ones but it's still too high for my wheelchair bound wife to see.

By contrast, the layout I helped my dad build was about 36" and when you work the yards you can be seated. My grandfather's old layout was even lower, with 30" legs. It was a pleasure to sit and run trains, and you could easily reach into the interior of the layout to work on it, but you has to use a mechanic's creeper to work on the underside. Keep in mind that, like Ken's beautiful layout, these were mountain railroads and even a 30" height meant the lowest tracks were 32-33" and the tops of the mountains were over 4 feet above the floor.
Jeffery S Ward Sr
Pittsburgh, PA

Ken Huck

Finally arranged other abandoned buildings on the same spur as the "mystery" building.



There's going to be a small parking lot for 'mystery' employees as well, being
since I just added all those crossings to have access to it.





I still have a bit of leveling and filling in to do.

More to follow.

Ken


Ken Huck

Here with a couple of pics of the progress I'm making.







Still a bit of 'fine tuning' and blending in the edges...

More to follow.

Ken

Tenwheeler01

Man those building look great!   I also like the mountain dulcimer hanging on the wall. 

Grumpy468

WOW Ken you are coming along. Winter is here now so I am trying to spend more time on mine as well.
We Are What Your Mother Warned you about.

Ken Huck

Hey Sheldon,

It's been a while, hope everything's OK.  It'll probably a while before I get anything new up.
At a loss as to what to do next.  That's the norm for me.
looking forward to seeing any updates you may have and the sooner the better.

Ken