Forks Creek Bridge

Forks Creek Bridge.

Stuck inside so mainly doing kits builds and re-motoring a brass HON3 loco.

Made some headway on the Forks Bridge I thought I might share. It is a kit bash of the Central Vally Pratt Truss Bridge. Made 2 bridges from the kit, one for Elks Creek and the second for Forks Creek. Modifying for Narrow Gauge and adding walk ways as on the original.



I expect this will be a placeholder until I get good enough to scratch build one. While it is a reasonable likeness, it does not quite have the right look.

Also managed to fix my shorted out strand of LED lighting on the layout.

Thanks Cameron

K-27 all healed!

K-27 all healed!

One of the low points to Sunday was my Blackstone K-27 would not run. At full throttle it would move about 1/4" stop then move again. C-19 ran fine so was not the track.

Went on HON3Chat Forum and Earle suggested I put the DCC K-27 on a DC power pack to the locomotive pins 1&8. Run at 12v and see if blue smoke came out. Apparently Blackstone had some first release K-27's that had too much oil.

To say I was nervous was a major understatement. Did just as Earle (Forum name) recommended. At first ran very poor then it started picking up speed, and just as described out came blue smoke. Ran til smoke cleared.

Took out to the layout and it ran like a top!

Way to go Earle. Saved me sending back to Blackstone with a possible large bill for motor replacement. Here are some pictures:

K-27 running past siding.




K-27 coming up to Beaver Brook.




K-27 on Elks Creek Bridge 1




Very happy to get her running again. All-in-all not a bad beginning of the week!

Thanks Cameron

Sunday Progress - It's alive!

Sunday Progress - It's alive!

Spent 6 hours Sunday concentrating on laying track, wiring drops and installing turn-outs (3). Bridge at Elk's Creek in in-place (removable) as is the Bridge 2 at Elks Creek. Pulled out my c-19 (leased from DRGW due to increased traffic) to test. My K-27 refused to run, looking into what the issue is now.

Here are some pictures:

Elks Creek Bridge with C-19 heading across. Need to add pick-ups to bridge after I figure out what connectors to use. Forgive the picture quality using iphone. One set of LED's was acting up so 1 section too yellow.


Bridge.


Passing siding heading up grade to Forks Creek.


I like this picture as is shows forward movement of loco.


Bridge 2


C-19 heading upgrade to Beaver Brook.


New hand-laid turn-out at Beaver Brook.

All in all a satisfying day. Wired 1/2 a dozen power drops and the turn-outs worked well.

Thanks Cameron

Wednesday July 4th Update

Wednesday July 4th Update

Only had about 4 hours to work on layout so tried to pick specific items to wrap up. Focused on creek color, finishing sculpt-a-mold on mountains, painting rough terrain coat, and completing some roadbed and test fitting turn-outs.


This is downgrade from Beaver Brook looking towards my fictional tunnel (C&S had no tunnels in this district). The sculpt-a-mold work is done. All base coat now painted on. Will continue to add rock castings.


Second bridge at Elks Creek. Added rock and painted in prep for a test pour. Need to add some water effects or chalk to act as both rapids and a dam between sections.



Looking towards Forks Creek. New creek color added and blended in with shallows. shallow areas for rapids created.


Creek bed at main Elks Creek bridge. Recolored creek and added more rock. Once I get abutments painted will add debris and do a test pour.

Rest of time spent testing turn-outs and completing roadbed. Hopefully this Sunday will see the turn-outs installed. Once Beaver Brook bridge and wooden flume cover completed I can complete track for this section (Middle Peninsula deck 2). This is a try at my first try on AP for scenery.

Thanks Cameron

Brass Loco overhaul.

Taking a little side trip here - Reworking a 2-6-0 mogul I picked up on e-bay.

The unit runs very poorly, has old open-frame motor and the electric pick=ups are like most brass, limited and relying on the tender bolsters to conduct the juice.

Will upgrade in stages, first get running well in DC, then add decoder for DCC. Can't find small enough sound decoder yet, may look at zimo.


Here is the unit with the boiler and tender shells removed. In upper corner you can see can motor from LocoDoc I will be installing.


Close up of tender, here you can see 2 points of electric current, front pin and wire for positive and tender trucks on bolsters for negative. Want to rewire so I have wire connections for both positive and negative from both loco and tender.


Here is tender taken apart to begin adding pick-ups from wheels. New wire for positive added to connect from tender to loco.


Tender trucks are now wired, small gauge flexible wire runs from Phosphor bronze wires to PCB, then to wire where they allow free movement of trucks.



Can motor test fitted to begin install planning. You can see where I had to cut out floor to clear the fly-wheel.

After install having 2 issues, one not getting power to motor and motor mount not holding unit properly.

More to follow.

Thanks Cameron

Brief update on Selena's (Barkeep's) Tavern.

Brief update on Selena's (Barkeep's) Tavern.

Added Lighting and wainscot to walls. Looking much better. Used 1.5 volt mini-lamps from Minitronics with nice brass shades. Thought about replaceing with led's but wanted to use these up. I may regret it later on if a lamp goes out.


Here is wainscot added. That was an excellent idea from this forum, thanks guys.


Here is the lighting added. The tint adds that olden look to the scene.


Here is lighting and front windows in-place.


Another view

Adding the windows helped me see how much would be seen so I could judge just how much detail to add. Hoping this will count as one of my kit builds for AP. I assume interior detail counts a super-detailing.

Still need bottles, furniture and people, but getting there. Having alot of fun. The interior posting ya'll pointed me to helped spark ideas.

Thanks Cameron

Sunday 1-July Update

Sunday 1-July Update

Not a lot to show this weekend.


This is the second bridge at Elk Creek. Crosses the creek only and as you can see quite small.


Rounding the curve going downgrade towards Beaver Brook. This is one of the places where the creek and track were moved. The old creek is now filled in the mount covered. I really like the texture of the sculpt-a-mold. The covering has a nice rough look which works well as rock similar to Clear Creek Canyon.


Looking downgrade from Beaver Brook. Track has been relaid on cork roadbed. The sculpt-a-mold has been completed and more rocks are the next step.


The creek bed color is really difficult. Only color pictures I can find is with the creek low and it appears fairly greenish. Spring run off will be deeper and faster. Anyone who has ideas I'm happy to hear them. Tried burnt
umber, and several variations.

Also working on fitting new pickups to Brass 2-6-0 and a can motor. Will post more.

Thanks Cameron