Wordless Wednesday: First Railroad Hobby Show

Layout Update Mondays: Wiring

The underside of the MOW module section.

As I have mentioned before, I tend to build layouts a bit backwards.  Even though I have started the scenery work, I still haven't finished the wiring.  When I laid the track, I installed all the feeders I'd need, however, they haven't been connected.  Part of the reason is that I have been waiting for the control system to be constructed.  One of my friends, an electrical engineer, is in the process of building a really neat throttle system which is based upon Arduinos.  I hope to install it the first week of January.  In the meantime, I went ahead and installed wiring harnesses to connect all of the modules as well as install the two turnout motors.  Now, back to work on structures and scenery until the throttles arrive!

Wordless Wednesday: Ready for Paint

Layout Update Mondays: First Texture

Initial scenery on the MOW module.

A long time ago, I wore out a set of Dave Frary's how-to scenery videos - actual VHS videos - as he demonstrated his well known texture over texture scenery technique. (Visit Dave's website here.) Even though some of the materials have changed from those early videos, the techniques he presented are still applicable today.  This past week I've been able to finish the "first texture" layer of scenery on three of the five modules. With this base coat of ground cover added, the scenes are starting to come alive and would look presentable for a train show.  Most likely, I will only truly finish the scenery on one or two of the modules for the 2016 edition of the Railroad Hobby Show and the other three modules will simply reach this "first texture" level of scenery. 

With only five weeks (!) left until show time, I am starting to prioritize what portions of the layout I would like done for this year and what will have to wait until next year. While I hadn't planned on having everything complete for this year, in general, I like to bring a layout where there is at least a basic level of scenery completed.  With a few more days of work, I should be pretty close to having this base coat of scenery applied to all 44 square feet of layout.

Figure Fridays: Rail Crew

The O Scale Rail Crew for the Tribute to Springfield.

One of the focal points of the layout will (hopefully) be all of the figures which will help tell the story of the Railroad Hobby Show. 

The first set of figures I have finished for the layout is the rail crew. The figures started as the Bachmann O Scale Mechanics. In order to modernize the figure set, each figure was repainted to have a safety vest (the modern green version) as well as change some of the colors of the pants and shirts.  These simple revisions completely changed the look and feel of the original figure set.

Layout Update Mondays: Painting

Base painting completed on the modules.

I've always felt that one of the significant milestones of layout building is painting the base scenery color onto a layout.  This is the first chance to really begin to see how the final layout will look and it also means that the final scenery step has arrived.  While there will still be a lot of work on details and structures left to complete on the layout over the next year, adding scenery will make the layout look tied together while those other projects are on going.  Over the past week, I've been able to paint all of the road surfaces and landform areas in preparation of adding scenery.  Hopefully, the layout will start to look visually more complete over the next couple of weeks...

History Fridays: 1997 Railroad Hobby Show

Before the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum was wowing the crowds at the show with their full size narrow gauge dairy car, vendors in the Young Building got quite a show each year in the late 1990s and early 2000s. During this time period, one of the members of the Mohegan Pequot Model Railroad club was a commercial truck driver.  He worked for a moving company and had access to a tractor and 53' trailer.  Since it was the slow season for the moving company, they agreed to donate the use of the trailer to the club for about a week around the show.  The Wednesday before the show, the club would pack up its HO and G scale layouts inside the trailer.  Early Friday morning, the tractor trailer was the first entrant into the building as club members would race to unload so other exhibitors and vendors could enter and begin their setup.  After the show on Sunday, the tractor trailer would be the last vehicle into the building as many vendors needed to do move out before there was enough room to enter the Young Building.

This was certainly an unusual sight for those working in the Young Building and would bring everything to a stop as the big doors were opened and the rumble of the tractor-trailer filled the building. The first year the club was able to use the trailer was 1997 (which is shown in the video above).  For eight years, this was the routine.  While today the club simply has its members bring their own modules - typically in personal vehicles - this was a fun behind-the-scenes story for a number of years of the show.

Exhibitor Thursdays: Mohegan Pequot G Scale

Mohegan Pequot G Scale Layout at the 2011 Railroad Hobby Show.

Exhibitor Spotlight Name: Mohegan Pequot - G Scale Years at the Show: 20 Display Style: Modular Layout Type: Model Railroad Club Size: 38'x58' Present Location: Young Building Past Location: N/A Home Location: Ledyard, CT Website: MPRR Club Social Media:

The Mohegan Pequot Model Railroad Club's G scale layout features huge yards, drawbridges, coaling towers, and intermodal facilities. The railroad always has lots of running trains with its double track mainline delighting railroad enthusiasts of all ages.

Over the last 10 years or so, the club has been partnering the with the Central Connecticut G Gaugers to help bring a larger and more impressive layout to shows. This influx of members has kept the group active and attending events in New England as well as shows as far away as Pennsylvania.

At the Railroad Hobby Show, the group display's a 38'x58' layout inside the Young Building.  Traffic is always busy and the large size of the trains certainly draws a crowd. Over the years, the group has steadily added to the display with new animated scenes.  For example, the layout has included a working drawbridge, intermodal crane, and even a drive in movie theater.  There are some rumors that a working rotary dump module is in the works and might just make it to the show this year...you'll have to stop by the show to find out!

To learn more about the club, visit the website at: www.mprr.org

Wordless Wednesday: Paving

Layout Update Mondays: MOW Details

MOW area in progress.

Things have been moving on the layout over the last week.  With the Thanksgiving holiday, I was able to finish adding all of the foam landforms around the entire layout and begin the process of paving on the Young Building, Slide, and Mallery Complex modules.  The paving is not much to look at - just a lot of bright white spackle.  Each pass takes awhile to dry and it usually takes four or five before I'm happy.  This means there is not much to see until it is ready for paint.  In the meantime, I have been slowly working on painting and installing details to the M.O.W. area. The rocks and retaining wall were all painted and weathered along with the fuel unloading pad and fuel stand pad.  The jersey barriers, fuel stand, and safety bollards still need to be painted.  Overall, this scene is getting close and is now ready for ground cover.

Wordless Wednesday: Car Repair at the West Springfield Yard