For some reason I felt like weathering this older MTH SD90 over the weekend. I think it looks pretty good.
Impulsive weathering
July 5th, 2010Layout Update #4
July 2nd, 2010Here’s the newest layout update video, #4 in the series…
MTH L4b Mohawk Modification & more…
June 27th, 2010I bought my first steam engine, the MTH Premier L4b Mohawk, in late 2009. It’s a great engine but it’s always had some power issues going through multiple switches and so forth. Unless the track has just been cleaned, the 2 power rollers on the locomotive just aren’t enough to give consistent power to the engine. To fix this, I used some leftover parts from an MTH dummy engine lighting kit and added a 3rd roller onto the front truck of the tender. It worked like a charm and the engine is now running like a champ!
Things are going a little slower on the layout right now, which is fairly typical for summer. You get busy doing all sorts of outdoor family stuff and there just isn’t as much time for the layout as there is when it’s cold or nasty out. Nevertheless, there has been some work taking place. I’m going to start shooting the next layout update video next week, so look for that on my YouTube channel in the near future.
NMRA visit and other stuff
June 17th, 2010So the guys from the local NMRA chapter came to visit the layout on Monday. They took a bunch of pictures to send to CTT Magazine, so hopefully they guys at CTT will like it. I’ve just finished another tunnel on the north side of the layout. I will likely start making a new layout update video end the of this month or the first week of July. Cheers!
2010 Piedmont Pilgrimage
June 11th, 2010I got an email yesterday letting me know that my spot on the 2010 Piedmont Pilgrimage will be on Sunday, November 14th from 11AM to 3PM. So, that gives me about 5 months to get as much done on the layout as I can. I’ve got several goals I’d like to meet before the pilgrimage, so now I’ve got 5 months to meet those goals. I’ll talk more about those goals as the Pilgrimage nears.
Tunnel work this week
June 8th, 2010The guys from the NMRA are coming to view the layout next Monday, so I’m working as hard as I can to get the layout as ready as possible. My main goal is to have the single track tunnel on the north side of the layout done before they get here. I think I can pull it off, but it’s gonna be close.
Mainline Completely Ballasted
June 3rd, 2010The mainline loop that circles the entire layout (through each room) is now 100% ballasted. 
Next Layout Update Video
May 30th, 2010I’ve been asked by several people when the next layout update video will be out. It’s a little overdue, as it probably should have been out around the first week of May (going by my “every 3 months” schedule). Right now it’s looking like I will have it out at the end of June or early July at the latest. There are few reasons for the slight delay:
1. I had knee surgery in March, which slowed things down for the about a month.
2. Quite frankly, there hasn’t been enough major progress on the layout to justify a video. That’s not to say that there’s been no progress, though. There’s actually been a lot of progress but much of it has been little stuff here and there that doesn’t carry a big WOW factor with it.
By the end of June, however, there should be enough big changes that I can justify making a video. The big things going on right now are (1) tunnel work, (2) track weathering and (3) preparation for installation of the remaining backdrops on the layout.
Later!
CTT Magazine & The National O-Scale Convention
May 29th, 2010So some exciting stuff is in the works for my layout as well a few others in the Atlanta area. On June 14th, a few guys from the regional NMRA (National Model Railroad Association) are coming up to check out my layout and take some pictures. They are doing this for 2 reasons. First, the national O-scale convention is going to be in Atlanta in 2013 and they’d like my layout to be on the tour of area layouts during the convention. Secondly, they are going to send some pics of the layout to CTT Magazine (Classic Toy Trains Magazine) and recommend the layout for a possible CTT article. So, as you might expect, I’m frantically trying to move things along on the layout as much as possible in preparation for their visit on the 14th. Wish me luck!
Scenic DVD in works
May 26th, 2010I’ve made a rough test version of the upcoming DVD release of my tunnel video. It’s pretty cool, although I need to adjust to volume of the video. Right now I’m trying to decide if I should wait until I’ve done the 2nd scenery video before I make the DVD so that I can have both scenic videos on one DVD. I will probably wait and put them both on there. In addition to the scenery videos, the DVD will also contain some “bonus” videos…some of my older tutorial videos from YouTube…as well as some reading recommendations. I’d like to have to the DVD ready no later than the end of July…maybe a little sooner if everything goes well.