L&T Branch Trackside Running...

Hi All,

This is a little ops session video I have produced of our two KATO - Reading Lines locomotives, a SD45 & GP35 weathered, custom detailed with Soundtraxx Tsunami Sound done by JiM Rinker of Delano Mountain Custom Models in Reading PA.

The video features both locomotives consisted together as the RDG LOCAL on its daily run onto the L&T Branch.

Enjoy.

Jas...

Two more structures/industries for the L&T Branch...

Well for the two weeks I have been working on the next two major structures for the L&T Branch.  I have still yet to decide on what type of industries they will be, if they are linked together or stand alone.

They are both Walthers Cornerstone kits, the first is the Armstrong Electric Motors - Background kit and the second is the Shop Building No1 - Background Kit.  The kits will be built almost straight out of the box, however they both will have small scratch built add ons added to them.

The Armstrong Electric Motors kit has had one of the loading bay doors enlarged to fit a Walthers Modular kit large access door.

I have also added scratch built loading docks that are extra width, and extra height to match the floor levels of my box cars.

The second structure is all straight from the box, there will be detail parts added and that will be about it.

It has access on both sides for cars and also has a stub end rear siding for storage of one 50' boxcar outside of the building.

More to come as progress on these structures continues.

Jas...

Hiding a hole in a backdrop...

Well this week my BLMA modern billboard arrived from the USA (courtesy of Jim Rinker who forwarded it for us) and has been installed in the L&T section of the layout.

The idea was to use the billboard to hide the entrance from the main layout onto the L&T as it passes through the plaster/drywall backdrop.  I had considered using a skybridge between the the two structures either side of the opening.

Now that the billboard is in place I'm really happy with the result and fits the whole area really well.  To secure the billboard to the layout I firstly drilled out the base of the billboard upright to 10mm, I then drilled a 12mm hole through the layout baseboards.

I then placed a 10 mm Dynabolt through the hole from the bottom, I then pushed the billboard upright into the layout plaster/drywall base and tightened the Dynabolt from underneath.  This allows the billboard to be secured and tightened with the Dynabolt (care needs to be taken not to over tighten the Dynabolt and split the upright.

And here are a few photos of the finished billboard in place on the L&T...

Jas...