TBT: August 11th 2016

 Bet you never thought I had a paper plant on the layout?  Well here's proof.  The industry turned out too large for the layout and eventually was removed.  Klotz and Patriot Industries are now in this spot.  As for the loco, definitely a odd ball with the Horst air filter on a GP38.

Various work happening on the Midland

Spent the last two weeks doing multiple things in the office.  This includes weathering for a client,experimenting with Pan Pastels and working on a new industry.  Here are my progress photos:

Here's the smaller elevator I chose to add to Orange.  Like most Walthers buildings, they never go together well.  Had to add putty to the seam.  Even though it's a smaller elevator, it barely fits between the levels.

Here it is squeezed between the levels.  The lower level was never planned for the layout and just kinda happened.  I would like more room between the levels but it works fine for ops.

As you can see, I had move the elevator spur.  This gives plenty of room for the structure.  The closest track will be the Norfolk Southern interchange.

May have to change the lights in this area.  Wiring needs to be stapled up.

Some grain hoppers spotted. Will add a grain bin or two to the scene along with a office.   

A new gondola for the Midland.  Been wanting to do a gon with VM spelled out and finally got around to doing one.  This is an Atlas 53 footer.  It definitely needs to be weathered and a tie load added.

This is a Ebay win about a month ago.  It's an old Sylvan resin kit that was totally assembled.  It's an Ex-CP paper boxcar but will enter a second life on the Midland.

 TrainMasters TV from MRH has been running a great weathering series from Mike Confalone in the last month.  He's been  weathering various cars with oils and Pan Pastels.  I finally broke down and bought some back at the February Timonium show.  There not cheap but shop around to find the best price.  Finally tried them out and they work well.  Worked with the Pan Pastels and some oils to weather a Bowser 100 ton Reading hopper.  This was my practice hopper and it turned out quite well.  I'm planning to add CSXT reporting marks and put it in service.

My oils and Pan Pastels working space.  

My results from oils and the pastels.  I like it!

Family Op. Session the other day

Decide I wanted to do a "modified" op session the other day with my oldest son Cameron who is 7.  He started off the session with the V100E out of Battlefield Yard with 8 cars.  A pretty health train.  He took the train out to Fredericksburg and started the switching.  He's not much of an switching engineer.  He just likes to run them, which my layout is not really set up for.  He switched out (me as the conductor) half the industries.  I ran 2 other trains to give him some clearing up to do.  My middle son, Camden who's 5 came in for the second trick and did quite well.  He picks up things quick and finished up the switching.  My daughter did make a guest appearance but did not stay long. 

Why are you taking pictures?  Cameron and Camden or "Bubba" in the background.

Bubba contemplating his next move.

Caroline checking out Bubbie's switching

The switching has just started

Industrial Drive during some action.

One of my favorite boxcars makes it's way into Specialized Beverage.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Well it was back to work this week at school so not as much is getting done on the layout.  I do have several cars on my work desk that need decals.  They have been sitting there all week and most of the summer!  I was taking a look at the layout this afternoon and realized I don't have a lot of scenery left to put on the layout.  It almost "complete"!  I do have one industry spur that needs me to settle on what I am going to do with it.  It has gone through a pulpwood loading, wood chip loading, plastic pellet unloading and a few others.  The plastic pellet unloader is new but I think I am going to settle on a team track with a unloading ramp.  I could unload stuff on the ramp or near it.  I also could add a tiny residential area with a house or two near it. 

The other area is the wood chip loader on the VC.  It's there but I need to do the scenery.  Should be quite easy.

Here in the spur that has changed several times on the layout.  May finally become a team track with a unloading ramp.

May bend the track a little more this way.  Maybe a house or two where the vehicles are.

The wood chip spur that needs to completed.

Operational Session with Norm Wolf

Yesterday I had a planned operational session with Norm Wolf on the layout.  He's been wanting to come over for a while now and yesterday our schedules worked out.  He ran the V100 which runs out of Battlefield Yard (BY) to the Fredericksburg Flats industries.  He took 8 cars with him and returned with 8 cars.  Not an easy task but Norm did well.  The flats have 3 trailing industries and 3 that require you to run around your train.  The layout acted up a little but 80% was operator error (running through switches).   You can guarantee that your layout will have some shorts, a derail & a pull apart when you want to show your layout to someone.  It's Murphy's law! This stuff never happens when it's just me.   I ran the other trains that came out of staging to BY and did the switching in BY.  We ran a total of 3 trains on the layout.  The V100, a G200 grain train from Orange and the F&NN local. Here are the pics:

RF&P #124 brings in the rest of V100 train.  Norm had to wait on their arrival before he could head to Fredericksburg Flats.

F&NN power brings their small train (3 cars) into the Battlefield yard.

VMID # 292 is the yard switcher today.  He's making the RF&P's train up and just complete the F&NN train.  The F&NN train is at the top waiting to head east.  The Virginia Central cars sit on track #4.  The Virginia Central was not operated today.

Norm catches up on paper work while the F&NN train passes.  He had to clear up for the train heading east.

The G200 grain train comes into Battlefield yard.  This train came from Orange and power had to run around it's train to get into Battlefield Yard.  Older power leads this train with VMID #256 "the Red Baron".

RF&P #124 has it's train assembled behind him.  The G200 power waits in BY for it's next assignment.  A H/W load sits on the engine track.

Norm finishes up his switching since he has no other trains coming through his switching.

RF&P #124 gets an approach signal to leave Battlefield yard. 

Some of Norm's pics:

It's me switching in BY.

A B&O sand hopper bound for the VC.

The G200 grains train prepares to run around it's train.  The VC depot is in the foreground.  Norm's engine #281 sits in the upper left corner and in the clear of G200.

The BY engine track has a high & wide waiting on it's assignment.

Industry Tour Part 2: Specialized Beverage

Continuing on my industry tour on my layout.  This week I will show you Specialized Beverage, a beer distribution company.  The beer comes in from boxcars and goes to the local stores via way of truck.  This industry is on the Virginia Midland main industry spur where the VM's customers are located.  The spur can hold up to 3 boxcars.  The original building is Walther's RJ Frost.  I cut the building in half and made it into a longer building.  The logos were designed by Kevin Klettke.  I even added a video of Specialized being switched at the very bottom.

This industry is in a corner but fills the area nicely

Workers have their hands full unloading 3 boxcars a day here at Specialized Beverage.

The spur on the left is Mid-Atlantic Feed.  MAF is served by the VM and VC.  Nice Porsche by the tracks!  Must be the owner.

Specialized Beverage with it's usual assortment of boxcars.

Done scenery on the VM&VC layout

This past weekend I completed a corner of my layout with the finishing touches.  The scenery and ballast was done, but it was time to add figures, trees, and the like.  The above scene is the loading dock at Specialized Beverage.  They unload beer from Mexico and it is distributed in the area.

Here an overview of my completed corner area.  Specialized Beverage is the background and Mid-Atlantic Feeds is main complex in this picture.

The view down Industrial Drive.  Industrial Drive leads to Mid-Atlantic Feeds.