Back to the layout - wiring Glen Burnie

Well, I can walk now and standing for a little while is not too bad, so it is under the layout we go. Glen Burnie JCT panel is the first to get wired. You can see all the tags hanging down as I start to connect everything together.

I placed a base for all the terminal strips on the left side of the panel. You can see I noted wheat was where, segregating switch motors, power inputs and blocks onto three separate terminal strips. The 8 wire flat strip is for the local cab walk around control. 

So, I am getting everything sorted and wired before I bind the bundles together. This way I can more easily fix any mistakes. 

I did find I had put in one wire in the wrong place in connecting to the track and that drove me a bit crazy for a while. Once I located it, we were all set.
 

Building a Chooch NP Grain Car

So, this is an early model by Chooch of a low outside braced grain car. It was a kit I bought second hand and was missing some parts, I discovered. So, any black parts are from Intermountain or elsewhere. 

It is a handsome car, but I had to build up the tack boards, make those individual rung ladders, etc. so it took some time. I also had to reach out to Gene Deimling, the maker of the patterns for the kit, to get more prototype information that he kindly provided. Without it, I could not have finished the car as it came with no instructions. 

The roof corner platforms were problematic as I had to bend styrene without breaking it. 

 

The next step is into the paint booth. I took a photo of the brake system and the underbody because it is distinctive but I lost it. I will try to add it later. 
 

Correcting a couple of brass cars

So, I had two Precision models of a brass double door car that was based on a MKT prototype. Unfortunately, they put on the wrong brakes for the car. Here they are behind the resin car and a brass model of the GN wood sided 1937 AAR car. 

So, first I had to secure the doors and fix any minor defects. 

Then I had to take off the power brake system and build a manual brake system and add other details

I had to repair some steps and door supports

Closer view of the new brake system with cut lever and air hose added.

A new brake platform and brake staff support. 

A bottom bracket for the brake staff also.

The airline was also replaced and moved. 

The cut lever was run behind the brake staff support. 

 Given I model 1956, the cars had to have two hand grabs on the left of the car side. So, I added a Precision cast grab. Next is the paint booth. 

Modifying Lionel Tank Car Frame

I continue to work on that Lionel tank car and here I show how I added material to simulate a full frame with a bolster. 

The car is now on trucks and looks okay

The trucks operate with no binding so that is good. 

I added end sill fillers and then air hoses

An end view. 

On the test track, the car matches up well with the coupler height gauge. 

 

It turns out that the frame on the prototype car is painted black so that is the next step.
 

Building some Resin Cars

Since I cannot stand for long, I spend time at the bench, building car kits. This is the Sylvan model of a 1921 era outside braced car. It is lower than a USRA car and makes a nice addition to the roster.

I had to use some other parts to complete the kit. The black is from Intermountain. 

Th eCanadian cars had an extra step on the end. 

So, now it awaits painting. 

The is a Chooch kit of a NP wood sheathed 1937 boxcar. The underbody is now done. I bought this as a started kit that was poorly done so I had to remove all the earlier work and then come up with parts to continue the build. So, some of the parts are from Chooch and some from Intermountain. 

Chooch is grey and Intermountain is black

Underbody is done. 
 

Custom Lettering a Tank Car

I wanted to develop some lettering for a 10M gallon Precision tank car. I had some period lettering from

an early Microscale set but it was for about 1920. So, I had to modify it for 1950. 

                                        
This is a pictorial on how I modified it. I used more recent detail lettering and kept the large company logos which I had determined were in use in 1956.

This is an overview of the car.

These are chopped decals to correct the car number to reflect the class of the tank car.

Here it is on the layout, before being Dullcoated.
 

Installing the panels

I used Plexiglas panels, 1/16 inch thick, that I painted from the rear.  Here I have installed the block switches and turnout controls for Glenburnie. I also used a clear tape to label the panel. 

This is the simpler Shamokin panel in the same stage.

Now installed at Glen Burnie into the fascia

And at Shamokin Now for the wiring of everything.
 

Adding the panel at Glen Burnie

Just a quick shot of the completed opening for Shamokin. 

Glen Burnie is simpler as it is a straight section of fascia. Here I am measuring where the panel will go to avoid some interior bracing.

Cut made and finished with a sander to make it square. 

Here is an overview of where I am working. The good news is I can stand underneath the benchwork and only scrape my head slightly! That platform is for future operators to be able to stand and see the trains at eye level. 

You can see the turnout motors behind the panel opening It made it easier to adjust them when I was installing them. 

Installing the first frame member. 

The bottom frame member incorporates the frame of the benchwork as I did not have enough room to make it free standing. So, I cut a thin piece of wood to shim pout the benchwork to match the frame dimensions on the other three sides. 

It took a few clamps to set the strip inside the fascia. I also had to make the joint with the side members at the top of the benchwork. 

This gives a better view of the overall assembly. 

Here is the finished frame from the left side

And from the right side.