Catch up time...

Been working on some projects/custom cars for clients since I've been on vacation.  Lots of decals and lot of weathering.  Hope to have some layout progress to come right after I'm done with these projects I have had for a while.  Meanwhile, I'll leave you with a picture of a huge pile of decal backings!

Decal overload!

My work desk during this 13 car project.

Older train testing or back dating????

June 2018 NMRA James River Division issue of Crossties is out!

June 2018 issue of Crossties

Enjoy!
Shannon

Happy Fathers Day!

Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there!  This is a great hobby to share with your kids because it so very different from any of the many things they do all day long.  My kids always come in the layout room and check out what I'm doing on many occasions.  Take time to explain to them what your doing.  Because sooner or later they won't be interest anymore when they get into their teenage years.  I'm pretty sure my oldest Cameron is hooked because I catch him in the layout room more!

Happy Memorial Day! And maybe some modeling on my part?

Wanted to take time to thank all of our service men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice so we could have this great county we live in.  I took time to visit a local civil war cemetery in Fredericksburg on Saturday night.  They do a illumination every Memorial Day where they set out 15,000 plus candles by each headstone.  It's a Union cemetery for the battle of Fredericksburg.  I took a good friend there for the first time and he was just blown away.   Let us not forget all the lost soldiers that shaped this great nation.

Model railroading has taken a backseat the last couple of months to life but it will hopefully start to ramp up soon.  I've got 3 weeks of school left, but a shorter summer since we start in early August this year.  I've picked up I few items over the last few weeks, including another locomotive: a 70 tonner.  I want to put sound in this and paint it into a simple paint scheme like below.  So if you don't mind, I'm going to get off the computer and head into my layout room and get a few things done.  Might even have to clean up for a bit before again gets accomplished.  Take care!

Picture from Warren Calloway

NMRA James River Meet in Schuyler Virginia yesterday

Yesterday, I traveled down to Schuyler Virginia for our local NMRA meet.  Not a long ride but through some of the better parts of Virginia. Most people do not recognize Schuyler, but it's where the old TV show "The Waltons" was set.  They even have a museum.  Schuyler is about 30 minutes south of Charlottesville.  The area is also famous for it Soapstone deposits and is still mined to this day.  The meet was located at a private quarry garden that is opened to the public by appointment.
Schuyler Quarry Gardens

The reason we were here is that an O scale model railroad is also being built at the gardens visitor center.  The track is laid and represents the area in the mid 1900's, to represent the Nelson and Albermarle RR that ran in the area.  It's probably a year from being totally complete but has a great start.  The layout is being built by a good friend and a great modeler, Mark Chase from Richmond.  Check out his great website below.
http://eastblueridge.com/

No I didn't stop.

If your a fan of the Walton's you will definitely recognize this house!

Soapstone info

Soapstone info

This O scale Saddlebag log represents one of ten the N&A had.

The building were made out of soapstone in real life so a foam core was used to simulate it.

More of the mill facility.  

Mark Chase giving his presentation on the Soapstone industry.  Yes that is a 44 tonner for the N&A!

View from the garden overlook

On the way home, I stopped and took some pics of a fertilizer unloader.  Very simple and definitely could be used on my layout.

The auger to the top of the structure

The actual storage building

Could not pass up this picture in Gordonsville!  That's a '37 Packard

New Edition of Crossties

Out this month is my local NMRA,  the James River division puts out a great publication every even month.  Lots of great articles and reviews of our previous meets and other info.  It's even got my smiling face in it every edition.  Definitely check it out!

Crossties April 2018 edition

Model railroading and Spring don't go together

As we approach the month of May here in Virginia, it seems winter is still holding on by a thread.  I've spent several evening baseball practices this month watching my boys, freezing from the wind.  Looks as if we will finally be past that this week as Thursday is calling for temps near 90.  The good thing is that I just cut grass for the first time last weekend!  So, that gets me to model railroading.  For most of us, it takes a back seat this time of year.  We have so many things to do around the house after winter, there is hardly any free time.  Throw in three kids 12 and under, and you time is very limited.  I have not accomplished a whole lot, but mainly have gotten started on a few things.  I finally have figured out my favorite part of the hobby, building locomotives.  It seems that I am always in the middle of one of those projects.  You will see, I am actually in the middle of several.  Plus I have a few in the my storage drawers that are about 80% done!  Plus with a train show just about every month, that gets me shopping and thinking of future loco projects. Anyways, on with my pictures:

Should have seen my work desk before I cleaned it.  Just got the big stuff off.

My RS3M "Dewitt Geep" project.  Not happy with the color or the hand railings.  I will paint this Conrail blue and patch it for VMID

This a Proto 2000 chop nose Geep I got from a good friend.  The hard work is done, just have to check the drive (Proto crack gear issues) and decide on a paint job.  

An Intermountain GP10 painted in the MidSouth scheme.  I will patch this for the VMID.  Already has Lok sound installed and in VMID colors

Bad habit: For me, piling up stuff on unfinished scenery is a norm.  As you can see, not much time in the office tends to add more piling up.  I need to get the scenery done on the lower level!