The Woodstock Model Railroad Club invites you to come along with as together we build an empire. Stay tuned for progress updates, tips and techniques. All comments are welcome. Email ljbrinker@yahoo.ca

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Items for sale

Ralph's items for sale. The  following items are new and in  original packages . I can be contacted nightly at 519 421 9097 should anyone be interested

Circuitron DT-2 Logic Grade Crossing  Detector
Circuitron FL-2 Alternating Flasher
N.J.International Inc. #1161 Highway Crossing Gate HO
Keystone HO- 104 Barnhart Log Loader
GHQ Roadmaster HO - 1940 D8-8R Dozer
GHQ Roadmaster IT18F Log Loader
GRS Electronic Light House Beacon
Atlas GP7 HO  CP (Ontario Great Lakes) Diesel DCC no sound 2 units #8411 & #8414
Tichy HO  Boom Car 2 units
Tichy  HO  120 Ton Steam  Wrecking Crane
Kadee HO Disconnected Log Car
Fin Scale Miniatures # 110  The Depot ( Two Story Wooden Structure ) HO''

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Tuesday night at the Huff and Puff 09,19,17

With only a few operators available all the set up done by the Friday crew did not get a proper test.  I tried setting up a train but found it very difficult to get just the right match of cards, especially for the forwarding part. This could possibly be corrected by adding more cards. The 2 biggest objections to this system are the time needed for the initial set up and all the cards sitting on the layout. Solutions suggested included card racks for each siding, all cards for only 1 car (you could still take multiple cards to switch 2 or 3 cars at 1 siding, only have multiple switching at sidings which hold 3 cars like Coastal Oil to the refinery. Other thoughts include, a storage rack for excess cars, located in the office, only switch exactly what you deliver say box car for a box car, leave the flat car, add more cards to make set up easier, ignore the day part of the card, have card racks for forward switched cards which might include tank cars, stock cars, coal and limestone hoppers, refers, and covered hoppers.
You can bet more ideas will surface. The most important thing is that we make the system more interesting without making it too complicated.

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Friday Set-up Time @ the Layout

Most Friday afternoons from 1 - 4 pm are nice quiet times to run trains and sharpen switching skills. But it also serves as a time to set up trains around the layout to get Tuesday night running sessions into operation quickly. Recently, club members agreed to indulge in a slightly more complex switching method called car forwarding. Larry has already provided details covering how this should work in a recent blog. A trial on the first Tuesday night revealed several glitches and the through train will be cancelled for the time being. Here Jim is placing individual cards against appropriate rail cars in an outbound train from Lincoln that indicate a forwarding industrial location for that car rather than bringing all those switched cars back to Wellington or Elsewhere as before. The cars switched out at the forwarded locations will be brought back or reforwarded to another location if they have a card indicating such and so on and so on.


In the photo to the right, the cars and caboose represent an outbound train from Lincoln that would normally have been brought back to Else-where or Wellington yard. Now, you add the cards indicating those rail cars to be forwarded and switch them at the appropriate locations on the way back to the yard. There can also be forwarding cards leaning against cars already in industrial locations. This means, once picked up either by switcher or regular loco, those cars carry on to their new lo-cation.
Feel free to join the fun on any Friday afternoon if you have the time.  Call Glen before Friday at 519-539-2403 to ensure that someone with a key will be there or drop in if you see our cars parked in the usual spots.

P.S. Just in case you're wondering, the yellow card lying on the shelf is a Train Order authorizing the use of a switcher at Lincoln Yard. If no switcher is in operation [depending on bodies available on any Tuesday night], you are responsible for switching any Lincoln cars you are dropping off and for adding the switched out cars to your train. As above, you switch any forwarded cars as you carry on.








Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Quilt batting scenery.

While visiting Leo and Ruby's layout a different technique for scenery was discovered. They shape foam into the required land form wanted, cover it with a quilt batting like material and then apply a generous coat of earth tone paint. This is then dusted with ground foam. The openness of the painted fiber creates the illusion of a forest floor with all it's lumps and bumps. When the paint dries the fiber forms a semi solid surface to which more scenery can be added. Photos supplied by Leo.

Shaped foam covered with batting

Progressive stages from the left to right

Finished scene. 

For sale

Items for sale. . If any one is interested they can contact me at ralph.tayler@glstebbins.com during the day Monday to Friday 8 till 4 pm or  by phone at 519 455 1350  or in the evening by phone at 519 421 9097
Church by Campbell with cemetary, funeral procession, hearse, wedding and carriage. 










Steam tug by Torrus 
Motorized Turn table

Experimental expanded operations.

One trial, not the one I was assigned, but it goes something like this. The train was set up as normal, but at each destination new cars and car cards were picked up to be delivered. So you start with say 8 cars, as you go the ones you deliver are replaced, as usual with the ones you pick up, but they now have new destinations, extending the amount of work each train does. On this trial the new destinations may be in a town already visited, how do you turn your engine? To correct this would require careful sorting of the new destination cards, but how do you know what train will pick them up. The trial I ran had multiple destination cards that were sorted sequentially in my westbound direction. This took about 3/4 of an hour to set up but worked like a charm. Photos show the trip.
Box car and flat cars card cards.

Hoppers cards

Train leaving Elsewhere 

Switching the Power Plant in Herons Landing 

Leaving Lincoln after switching Allen Lumber 

Waiting to switch the coal mine in Springbank 

Multiple moves to switch Hillside Lumber in Valleyview 

Final switching moves in Wellington. 


Tuesday night at the Huff and Puff 9,12,2017.

Busy night of experimental operations, more on that later, on another post. But here are a couple of scenes from the nights runs.
2-8-0, On30 trying out the layout.

Helper service on the logging run.


Tuesday, September 12, 2017

More items for sale by Ralph part 10

Items for sale. . If any one is interested they can contact me at ralph.tayler@glstebbins.com during the day Monday to Friday 8 till 4 pm or  by phone at 519 455 1350  or in the evening by phone at 519 421 9097



Water tank by Alexander models 

Brownstone Apartments by Magnuson models plus 1 more kit

150' Howe truss by Junco

Small saw mill by Fine Scale models 

Grist mill by Campbell 

Items for sale by Ralph part 9

Ralph items for sale. 
The following items are to be posted on the blog . All are for sale. If any one is interested they can contact me at ralph.tayler@glstebbins.com during the day Monday to Friday 8 till 4 pm or  by 519 455 1350  or in the evening by phone at 519 421 9097
Float, dredge, pump, pipes, and silt badge,  kit bashed


Old style van with bull nose.

Insley  back hoe, dump truck by Magnuson models 


For sale part 8

More  items for sale by Ralph. 
The following items are to be posted on the blog . All are for sale. If any one is interested they can contact me at ralph.tayler@glstebbins.com during the day Monday to Friday 8 till 4 pm or  by phone at 
519 455 1350  or in the evening by phone at 519 421 9097

Orange station, wooden, by Alexander 

Feed Mill by Fine Scale models 

Big bridge portals scratch built, part of big bridge. 

Small saw mill by Fine Scale models 

Orange wooden station by Alexander 

Monday, September 11, 2017

For sale by Ralph part 7

More items for sale. 
The following items are to be posted on the blog . All are for sale. If any one is interested they can contact me at ralph.tayler@glstebbins.com during the day Monday to Friday 8 till 4 pm or  by phone at 
519 455 1350  or in the evening by phone at 519 421 9097
Casket Co. Kit bashed Atlas model 


Feed Mill by Fine Scale models 

Stock pens by Campbell models 

Freight shed by Fine Scale models 

Thursday, September 7, 2017

For sale part 6

Items for sale by Ralph 
The following items are to be posted on the blog . All are for sale. If any one is interested they can contact me at ralph.tayler@glstebbins.com during the day Monday to Friday 8 till 4 pm or  by phone at 
519 455 1350  or in the evening by phone at 519 421 9097
Van

Work trail picture 1

Work train picture 2

Work train picture 3

For sale part 5

Ralph's items.

The following items are to be posted on the blog . All are for sale. If any one is interested they can contact me at ralph.tayler@glstebbins.com during the day Monday to Friday 8 till 4 pm or  by phone at 
519 455 1350  or in the evening by phone at 519 421 9097
Oil refinery by Cornerstone 

Light house scratch built

Oil tanks kit bashed Atlas kits

Lift bridge scratch built static model only

Round house model of Sterling Colorado,  by SS Structures

For sale part 4

Ralph's items. 
The following items are to be posted on the blog . All are for sale. If any one is interested they can contact me at ralph.tayler@glstebbins.com during the day Monday to Friday 8 till 4 pm or  by phone at 
519 455 1350  or in the evening by phone at 519 421 9097
4-8-4 TH&B engine 501

Ice house

Bridge


Chain gang