Runaround Track

Well, I actually did get my work done on that runaround/siding track that I wrote about last time.  I removed the (Peco) #6 switch/turnout from one end, and put in a (Peco) curved switch/turnout about 16 inches further back, so the siding became that much longer.

There's the old turnout laying by the pile of ballast, and the new curved turnout set into in place.

And the way things sit now with almost everything complete...new turnout, new ballast, some ground cover materials in place.  Still have some details to do, such as painting the rails and ties and add the ground throw for the switch.

The work didn't actually go too badly really, and the trains are running through there on either track and in either direction with no troubles.  So far I'm calling this a win.

Now, I can easily fit seven of my 86 foot cars plus two GP engines in the runaround.  I'd like to do pretty much the same thing at the other end of the runaround as well, and that would add another car length in capacity.

To close out now, I thought I'd show this (scanned) photo that I've posted on here before, which I took while facing east from the west end of the platform here in Sarnia sometime way back in the 90's.  Here it is again though, just because this is how I've been feeling all this week when I look or go outside.Kind of makes my back ache just looking at it this.

Happy January's Over With everybody.

Run-Around Siding

Just a look at the run-around that I've been seriously considering trying to extend, which is used when switching freight cars in and out of the four industries that are located along here.  

The reason I've been thinking about making it a little longer is just so I could add an extra 86 foot boxcar to the train that serves my auto parts plant. The siding starts as the track comes out of the 180 degree curve at each end of the layout. I've got curved switches that I can use for this. As it is, I can get a maximum of six 86 footers and a pair of GP38's to fit into this run around, but I'd really like to get one or maybe even two more of the big cars into the train.  At the left in the picture, you can see the end of one of the 86 footers spotted into the parts plant spur.  And waaayyy down at the far end of the track, the red and blue GP 38's are just coming into view.

SD40 switching boxcars into the auto parts plant.

At the opposite end of the run-around is the Mid-West Plastics plant. 

And in between the parts plant and the plastics industry, we see a trio of NSC fifty foot boxcars (Atlas models) in GTW paint spotted at the busy Tri-State Paper recycler plant.

Ferrous Processing spur runs off of the other side of the run-around.

Wish me luck, 'cuz I think I might actually try to lengthen this siding.  More on this as I move forward.

86 Foot Boxcar Weathered

I'd started to give this Blue Box 86 footer some time on the layout, but didn't really think much of the fresh and clean look of it so it landed on the bench for 2 or 3 dys for a little weathering.  It took me about 3 - 4 hours working time, done over the course of 3 days, allowing for some drying time for the paints as I went along.

This is one that I re-painted and lettered last year

And so here is a full side view as the parts car looks now, weathered.  Quite a transformation  if I do say so myself.Posed here off-spot on a spur next door to my parts plant.

I sprayed the boxcar with my normal thinned Concrete Gray through the airbrush to get a light fade to the overall paint. (I like this picture)

Same location, but a look from the other end. The rust and it's streaking are done as usual with Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber acrylic artist paints. Smoke Box Graphics reflective stripes added as well.

And knowing how I like the 86 foot boxcars, my friend Chuck in the Chicago area took it upon himself to send me a boxcar that he feels no longer fits in with his collection.  Chuck told me that he had painted and lettered this Athearn boxcar some twenty years ago or so.

Have a look:

Nice that the former Conrail boxcar has been re-lettered to NYC.  Thank you Chuck !

The Information Technology team (me) here at jssxrailway has added a new blog to the sidebar so that we can now connect really easily to The Hills Line blog which belongs to James McNab.  Looks like a great layout and really nicely composed blog.  Here's the introduction to it: 

The Hills Line is an eight-mile industrial spur of the Iowa Interstate Railroad serving the eastern Iowa towns of Iowa City and Hills. This HO Scale version replicates the practices, policies, and procedures found on the prototype to provide guests and operators a flavor of real-life railroading.

Click on the link in the sidebar to go directly to the Hills Line blog.

Happy Modeling everybody.  Have a good week.

Hubert's Boxcar

Last time, in that LBF boxcar post I made mention of LBF being taken over by Hubert's Models.  So then I thought why not post my Hubert's boxcar ?  I've had this one for a long time, and did have two of them for quite a while, but sold just one two or three years ago as neither of them were seeing much time out on the layout.

This post will be just a few looks at that Hubert's model that I kept, as it's out for a rare outing on the rails here right now.  It's a nice model, has a few nice details such as the separate parts for the door posts and the ladders.  Perhaps it's a little underweight, but the roof can be removed very easily, enabling weight to be added inside the boxcar.

To simulate paint patching I had masked off different parts of the boxcar with painters tape and then faded the original green paint. A few areas with some rust streaks are added as well. The Smokebox Graphics reflective yellow stripes that I applied stand out nicely against the green colour of the boxcar.

Hubert's company is apparently gone now too, and I'm not really sure what happened to them but I would think their cars might show up at trin shows once in a while.

Anyway, here's mine...a 60 foot high cube box, in green, patched and lightly weathered:

Louisville & Wadley 50120 is trailing at the end of a short train on the east line of the JSSX.

On the spur at the Tri-State Paper warehouse

This view shows the other side of the boxcar.

And this is a look at the boxcar in the same spot, but from the other end.  And once again, a chain link fence obstructing the view a little bit.

One last look. Here is an older photo of my two Hubert's boxcars together.

LW 50122 at the right is the car that I've sold some time ago

Thanks for looking in.  Have a good week.

An Old LBF Model

Some years ago I found this Stan Lytle photo online, kind of liked the look of the boxcar, and set about painting LBF's similar model to match the prototype.  Or at least get close to matching the prototype.  TOFX is owned by TTX Corporation.The LBF model I had was originally painted/lettered for CP Rail.  No pictures of what the model originally looked like, so you'll just have to trust me on that. I removed what I could of the original paint and lettering, and then masked and airbrushed it with Primer Gray and Reefer Gray to approximate the prototype.

As seen here, at that time I just did the basic painting with no weathering.

The high cube boxcar sitting spotted at Tri-State Paper.  The focus seems to be a bit fuzzy, so sorry 'bout that.

I added the rusty weathering with the artist type acrylic colours of Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber following the prototype photo.

I think I got the rust pretty close to right.  The tack boards were not included on the model, so I found an old wooden coffee stir stick that was the right width, so I cut it into 2 foot lengths and darkened them with a dab of Vallejo Dark Gray wash.  And I positioned the reflective stripes where they should be to follow the location on the real boxcar.

A look at the brake end.  I put tack boards on the ends too, and also added the difficult-to-see coupler cut bar and rubber air hoses.  And some grime on the end panels too.  I don't know how I missed adding some wear to the brake wheel, but I'll fix that.

And a look at the other side of the boxcar.

A little colour along the door tracks.  The LBF car is a nice model, not a great model as the details seem a little shallow.  My understanding is that they were bought up by Hubert's, who then disappeared a number of years ago.

Anyway, that's it.  I hope you've had a Happy New Year.