Warp Speed Ahead! Finally got to try this. A long exposure (60 seconds) of a Barrie line GO Train heading south from Downsview Station across Carl Hall Road. I finally got the right combination of enough light in the sky but dark enough to do a long exposure light trails of both the gate arms and the train, with an aircraft turning into final approach to Toronto Pearson International Airport as a bonus.
That’s it, they are done for now. The mini fleet of seven resin box car kits I have been working on are as done as they are getting at the moment. They have been lightly weathered to take the worst of the freshly painted sheen off, and had rubber brake lines from Hi-Tech Details installed. They are now ready for some running in to find any problems that need fixing, and for me to get some paperwork done so I can start setting up operating sessions (the lack of paperwork is not unique to these cars.
I don’t remember when I first used the Hi-Tech Details brake lines, but for me, they are a game changer. Much easier to install, just two holes, dabs of CA Glue and insert the two prongs, and they are in. They are rubber, so they deflect over anything sticking up from the roadbed, and you can’t snap them while coupling/uncoupling cars reaching in with a tool to reach the couplers. I really like them, and in all likelihood as I go and cars that have more solid air hoses lose them, I will upgrade my whole fleet with them.
Time to get back to building buildings and advancing the layout scenery. I made some progress at long last on Hinde & Dauch last week and the main wall windows. I am officially half way through. 17 window openings done with windows inserted, 17 to go. Hopefully make some more progress on that this week.
A wave from the engineer in CN 2287 leading train M397 westbound at Mile 30 on the Halton Subdivision.
Crew Change at Kitchener, the incoming crew of the London Ontario-Toronto Union Station GO Train is climbing down as the outbound crew and a mechanical department staffer are walking over to climb on, check things out and take over for the rest of the run to Toronto.
Wow, four years since a group of friends helped launch the construction of Liberty Village. I had no idea when I started construction, how it would go. It turns out, its been a varied four years since I started work, two years where I had help from friends that got me to the point that the benchwork was done, and track laid, then two years on my own where I’ve plugged away at scenery and buildings. I can’t wait to have my friends back to see the layout again and run trains, but for now, this is just a thanks to show how far I have come, how far I still have to go, and appreciate the process. Still plenty of building to go, but certainly lots been done in the past 4 years. Here’s to four more years of progress getting me to a point where its largely complete!
Panning Outside Woodstock. CP 8830 leads Train 528 (Formerly 650), the Ethanol Express to Albany New York. On the tail is something I expect we will see a lot more of in 2023, a Kansas City Southern unit 4163 as distributed power pushing on the rear of the train.
Musings on my Model Railroading Addiction 