Coal Tipple is done!!

     The Coal Tipple that I have been working on the past few weeks is finally done!  Aiden and I weathered the roof last week using white and light tan chalk.  We added the metal smokestack and applied a rust color to give it an aged, weathered look.  Then we added a rust wash along the roof to simulate rust slowly running down and off the roof.

     The past few days I've applied a diluted India ink wash to the sides of the building.  There is a little more added under the windows to simulate extra weathering from rain running down from the window sills.

     Finally, I painted and weathered the accessories that came with the kit.  This includes truck tires, a wooden barrel, a trash can and a wooden handled broom.  There were also a variety of posters/signs that that came with the kit.  I picked a few and weathered them using some light tan watercolor paint to make the white background paper look old.  I was really amazed by how much realism these accessories added to the tipple.  It really made the whole scene pop!

     Here are a few pictures of the final product:

We're laying roadbed!!

A new phase of the NF & CR Ry. has begun....we are laying roadbed!!  The benchwork is complete and we have moved on to putting cork roadbed down.  It was exciting to actually start to see the roadbed start to take form.  We had experimented with running some trains up the grades and around the curves by just taping some track to the plywood but pretty soon we will start to lay track as well!

Norm putting adhesive caulk down onto the plywood.

We are using an adhesive caulk to glue the cork to the plywood base.  Norm spread the caulk with a putty knife following the centerlines that we had previously drawn.  Since the caulk would cover up the lines, we put push-pins along the centerline.  This also helped in placing the cork...we were able to just press the cork against the pins to follow the centerlines.

The caulk was easy to spread...but a little messy!

Once the cork was down, we used additional push-pins to keep the cork in place.  It was a little messy but it all went together well.  Next time....we will wear gloves!!

The cork went down onto the caulk and was pushed up to the pins.  Additional pins were used to held the cork in place.

Aiden even got into the fun and helped nail down a few push-pins.  He is having fun helping with the layout but I think he really would be happier running some trains!!

The supervisor even nailed some pins down!

Finally, some pictures of the roadbed at the end of the day.  We are doing the outer-loop first so that we can lay some track and run some trains.  It will be both exciting and amazing to watch that first train make a loop around the layout!!

Cork roadbed going around the outer loop

Close-up of the roadbed.

Finished up the coal tipple roof

Aiden and I finished weathering the coal tipple roof.  We used some light tan and white pastel chalks to age the tar paper and then used a rust wash to add rust to the metal chimney pipe.  We also used the rust wash to show some on the rust washing down to the front edge of the roof.

Aiden adding some chalk to the roof

the weathered roof

  After we had fun working on the structure I had to put Aiden to work cleaning my shop.  He actually loves pushing the broom around and using the vacuum!!

Vacuuming my lathe

getting all the wood shavings off the floor

Securing the Subroadbed

In our most recent work session, we fastened down the subroadbed--1/2 inch plywood cut out to shape--so it is secure.  We installed risers to do the job.  The riser were made of scrap 1X3 inch lumber with a 1X1 inch rail fastened to the top for added support.  The riser rails were attached to the risers with wood glue and nails.  The risers were then screwed to the 1X4 benchwork at the correct height and the subroadbed screwed into the risers.

The risers were fabricated from scrap 1X3" lumber with a horizontal rail attached for added support

The subroadbed was secured to the risers with drywall screws

We completed the job of attaching all the subroadbed to the benchwork.

Aiden and Jeff securing the subroadbed to the benchwork

The elevated section of the layout.  Aiden is helping Jeff drill holes for screws to hold the subroadbed securely in position

We then made some conforming cuts in the plywood base to accommodate a planned gorge and river bed.

Aiden is cutting off a a projection from the end of what will be the logging camp portion of the layout

Even after carefully planning the elevation of the subroadbed, we discovered some places where the superelevation lay in the wrong direction or was higher than wanted.  We loosened the screws holding the risers in place and adjusted them to level them properly.

A check of the level showed the logging camp area to be out of level; we adjusted the lean of the riser to correct it

We are satisfied that we now have the benchwork in place, ready for laying track.  In our next session, we'll be laying cork roadbed and preparing to install track.  So we're getting closer to running trains!  It's getting exciting!

Norm

Converting a Brass Locomotive to DCC

I have a love of steam locomotives and it's perhaps natural that his interest should gravitate to brass engines.  I like the details and weight of brass locomotives and also look forward to the challenge of restoring them to excellent running condition and converting them to DCC and sound.  Inspired by an article in Railroad Model Hobbyist on installing replacement motors and gearing, I decided that making such conversions is probably within my ability, even though I've never done one before.

I located a suitable subject for conversion on eBay: a Pacific Fast Mail Tenshodo USRA 0-8-0 that he would like to see operating in the yard of the North Fork & Crooked Run Railway.  This engine was unpainted and the electrical connections to the motor were severed.  The coal load, which had been added to the original model, was partially missing.

The PFM Tenshodo USRA 0-8-0 in its original condition

The first task was to build a cradle to hold the locomotive, and others to follow, upside down for disassembly and repair.  I had some surplus walnut left over from another project and, using pocket hole screws, made a U-shaped device 15 inches long.  To the sides of the U, I stapled a piece of cloth draped into the well of the U so it would hold a locomotive at a height convenient for working that would safely protect the locomotive's details.

Then I tested the conductivity of the locomotive with an ohmmeter.  The drivers proved to be insulated, an essential criterion.  Had they not been insulated, the whole project would have had to be scrapped, as replacing the drivers would have been out of the question.  I got good conductivity from the drawbar to the motor wire, on the other hand.  However, this was not really important, as the motor is slated for replacement.

The next step was to remove the boiler and tender shell.  The boiler is held in place by a large screw through the steam chests and two small screws located at the back of the cab.  Four screws hold the tender shell to its frame.  I removed the tender wheels at the same time.  I had purchased a plastic box with dividers to hold the parts from the locomotive, and as I removed these, I placed them in individual compartments with a label to remind me what they are.

The disassembled USRA 0-8-0

I then evaluated the motor's ability to power the disassembled drive train.  It operated only haltingly and then only when I put hand pressure on it.  Clearly, it was a candidate for replacement.  The original motor was an open frame type.  Experts in this field call for replacing these originals with can motors.

The original open frame Tenshodo motor failed to function and clearly needed replacing

The gearbox was also found to have a lot of slop in it and I decided it too needed replacing, as did the coupling mechanism.  These imported brass locomotives used a piece of rubber tubing to join the motor to the gearbox.  The tubing had enough flexibility to accommodate movement in the gears during starting and stopping movements.  But over time, they stiffen up and can even crack, thus losing their ability to transmit power to the wheels.  The recommended practice is to replace this linkage with a dogbone style coupling.

The original gearbox had a lot of play in it and it and the coupling mechanism were clear candidates for replacement

I then measured the interior size of the boiler and tender to determine the sizes of parts that could be fit into them and ordered parts for upgrading and restoring the locomotive.  Based on the measurements and my own intentions for the restored model, I ordered the following parts:

From Osorail, the following North West Short Line parts:

• A 36:1 idler gearbox with ball bearings; this will make the switcher run a little more slowly than the 28:1 gearbox, and the ball bearings will help it run more smoothly
• A 16mm flywheel
• The 2032D-9 flat can motor
• Axle stock and shaft universal connectors

I also ordered some tools to help ensure accurate and precise installation of parts:

• The Sensipress to press together wheels and gears
• The Quarterer, to assure that the drive wheels are properly quartered
• The Aligner for 3mm axles to enable precise wheel and fear alignment

I probably would not have purchased these tools for a single locomotive, but I have in mind converting others in the future and it made sense to have them available for the first conversion to help it go smoothly and accurately.

From Yankee Dabbler, via eBay:

• The Soundtraxx Tsunami2 TSU-2200 2 amp sound card for steam engines which contains a large variety of steam locomotive and whistle sounds, among other effects, and which incorporates DCC capability so a separate DCC card is not required
• The Soundtraxx Current Keeper, which contains a capacitor to keep power to the locomotive even when it's passing over dirty track with poor conductivity

From Tony's Trains:

• A TDS high bass 28mm speaker
• A TDS speaker enclosure

While waiting for these parts to arrive--and the time to install them--I cleaned and painted the locomotive and tender.  I'll address that in a future posting.

Norm

Building a Coal Tipple with Aiden

In my initial post I mentioned that I had a layout with my son's over 25 years ago.  Well, I had started to build a Coal Tipple back then but only got about 25% done before the boys had lost interest in trains and everything was packed up.  I had packed this structure away and whenever we moved or cleaned up I saw the box and said to myself that someday I would finish it. 

Over the past few weeks I've been working on it and Aiden is visiting for a few days over July 4th holiday.  Today he helped make the roof.  We are using black construction paper for the base and will texture it and weather it.

Here is the coal tipple without the roof.

We cut the construction paper into strips that are scaled to real tar paper and then Aiden sanded one side with 220 sandpaper to simulate a rough texture.

After they were sanded we applied glue and put them onto a cardboard backing overlapping them as we moved from the bottom to the top.

Once both sides of the top were done Aiden put glue around the edge of the coal tipple's top and we placed the roof onto the top.

We now have a roof!!!   We then took an x-acto knife and picked up various portions of the paper to simulate the paper peeling up due to age and the weather.  The goal is to make the roof look aged.

Tomorrow's goal will be to add some chalks to the roof to continue to weather the top.  Will probably use some light browns and white. 

A little while after we finished, Aiden said to me..."I really enjoyed doing that with you".   Not a dry eye in the house!!!