Work today

Got my GS-4 and Santa Fe F-unit up and running again. They have no place on my terminal railroad but power is power, right? I mean I suppose you could switch with a Northern type if you wanted to. My water areas are now blue. It's a start. I've decided to model the NP mainline to Snoqaulmie so I threw up some of my old EZ-Track along the top of the layout. I plan on ballasting it fine brown when the times comes. I'd like to do another movie. Look for it soon.

Pictures

This sign hangs above the layout. Fits me to a "T".


Here we have a shot of the whole layout as it stands currently. East Ballard would be to your left, 62nd Ave NE and the ferry slip to your right.


The Salmon Bay Pier. Not the prettiest pier but it does work. And I'm rather pleased how it turned out. That is partialy completed boxcab #12 near the pier. No locomotives are allowed on this structure. The Salmon Bay station will reside here.


I ballasted all the track I had today. Here is a long shot. Notice my strip wood crossing. Why buy it when you can build it? To a point that is.


My Peco switches I ballested. All joints will be soldered.


My railroad in exile. The Temporary & Carpet Southern. That's the 3-spot on the spur. Built a tank car today too.
And here is a forlorn shot of #10 after a painting, er, accident. Incident? Well a painting someting. I'll strip it and start over.

If Whipped Cream Went on Strike, The Result Would Be Drywall Cement

It's been a very busy day in Salmon Bay, my hometown. The first rails were laid at the Port of Salmon Bay Pier. Now all they need to do is build the pier. They finally fired up that box cab and ran it around for a bit. Needs paint and decals but by God she runs if in fits and starts and with a wonderous amount of noise. She runs and that is half he battle. Doesn't gaurenntee victory however. Of course tommorow it'll be front page news. The Plymouth #10 had a bit of a fit and was put into the shop, while the GN boxcar fell off the edge of the world. They are trying to salvage what they can but it looks to be a loss. Maybe it'll decorate the yard as a storage barn. It's beginning to look and feel like a proper railroad.
For some of you who may not have been in Salmon Bay, let me tell you a bit about it. It's a very sleepy town, nestled in the crook of Lake Union, just down the ship canal from the locks. They tried to drag it into the city in the 30's but it just didn't happen. Salmonites are fiercly independant. It's almost as if the town is all by itself there. There is one general store and one church. A bakery and a fishing shop. The milk is still carried by hand and the newspaper boy has the best arm in town.
The railroad is the life blood of this town. Sure there's a road but it's for it's for plasure not buisness. And almost everyone has a boat. You learn to sail before you drvie. But it's the railroad that makes Salmon Bay what it is.
The wail of a M5 horn in the mnornin wakes people up in the morning and is their companion throughout the day. Loads in empties out. Interchange traffic to work, blowing for the Coates crossing on every move, the crash and bang of couplers. Almost all the switching is done by noon, at which point the coastal fog lifts and glorious sunshine fills the town. The local is assembled and rumbles out and the town gets quite again. It's not uncommon for a fishing boat or small cargo vessel to pull up in need of unloading after the local has left. Even still they'll fire up another engine and get done what needs to get done. Because that's how things are done in Salmon Bay. Come dusk the local will creep back into town, it's horn muted in deference to the quiet and shuttered hamlet.
Every other day the noon turn is going in a different direction. Even days it's headed northwest to the industrial doldrums of East Ballard, with it's grimy streets and never ending noise and bustle. Odd days it's southeast towards 62nd Ave NE and the ferry slip, where a buck and a quarter will get you a ride to to downtown Seattle, if that's where the cargo is headed. And if the ferry is running that day.
It's not a bad place to grow up, Salmon Bay. I know because I did.

Updates

With the Indy IV premier, life has been busy. But work continues!
The SBT has been painted in preparation of track laying. Paint was free, always a good thing.
The business coach Galena has received decals and is ready for light weathering.

SBT #10 has also been given a full set of decals and now awaits couplers, handrails and weathering.


As you can see from the photos, the locomotive received a Nathan M5 horn and an EMD style hood mount bell. Both were installed on the locomotive by NW Shipbuilding, as they were close and cheap.

And the first piece of rolling stock, a GN double sheathed 40' boxcar is now on the property.

I built it from an Accurail kit, and was very pleased with the results. The SBT has very limited rolling stock inventory and most of the cars used over the road are those of the GN, MILW and NP.

Projects for the Day

I had four things to do today.
1. Add handrails to #10
2. Improve the paint scheme
3. Add decals.
4. Get couplers back on the engine.

I'd give it 7/10 for results, but a 9/10 for effort.

My first ever decal job. Well not really, This is my sixth try I do believe. Concept? Easy. Reality? Not so much. There are some wrinkles and an air bubble or two but with some Dullcoat and weathering, it'll be passable.

Handrails need to be redone. But I have an idea of how they go on, and will spend some more time bending iron. It should be noted the engine will be set up to run short hood forward. I need to figure a way to light rear, front end. I'm thinking of just adding some ditch lights. We'll see how that goes.

I've also put some thought into services and businesses served. Some will be in pairs, some not. Here is what I am currently thinking:

Salmon Bay
*Harrison Cannery
Loads in
-Port of Salmon Bay and East Ballard Port Authority via local fishing boats.
Loads out
-Seafood to Ivar's Restaurant direct via SBT
-Shipping all points via NP and GN

*Hansen Lumber
Loads In
-Rough Lumber from Sawyers Bros. Sawmill direct via SBT
Loads out
-All points via NP and GN

*Port of Salmon Bay
Loads In
-Various via cargo and fishing vessels
Loads Out
-Various via SBT, GN, NP

East Ballard
*WESTCO Oil
Loads In
None
Loads Out
-Refined oil to all points via GN and NP

*Sawyers Bros. Sawmill
Loads In
-Raw timber via GN and NP
Loads Out
-Rough timber to Hansen Lumber via SBT
-Finished timber all points via NP and GN

*Ivar's Restaurant
Loads In
-Fresh local seafood direct via SBT
Loads Out
-Clam Chowder to all points via NP and GN

*Freemont Concrete
Loads In
-Dry mix cement. sand, gravel via NP and GN
Loads Out
-Cement to all points via NP and GN

*East Bay Port Authority
Loads In
-Various via cargo and fishing vessels
Loads Out
-Various via SBT, GN, NP

Local traffic between East Ballard and Salmon Bay, that is SBT running SBT and interchange traffic will be in the form of several mixed trains on a schedule throughout any given day. The Great Northern and the Northern Pacific run through traffic with their own power daily as well.
In the agreement drawn up between the three lines, it is the roads responsibility for point to point through traffic. What this means is a Great Northern car interchanging from East Ballard to Salmon Bay with no stops locally is the responsibility of a Great Northern locomotive and crew.
If however a car will need to be loaded at Hansen Lumber, it is the responsibility of the SBT to ensure car movement, as the interchange is local to that road.
Passenger service over the line is the responsibility of the SBT, and takes the form of a coach and/or combine tacked on to the end of the daily mixed service.
There is no GN or NP passenger traffic over the SBT, although there are central stations served by all lines in both East Ballad and Salmon Bay.
In more modern times, the Burlington Northern and later the BNSF Railway will surround the SBT. However the interchange rules still apply.

And there you have it. It's rough, but having a railroad up and running will help my routing ideas. Throughout this process I've been using this as my guidebook. Still a long way to go.

Just a note

Don't use enamel paints on your trains. I suppose there are people who CAN but at this moment I'm not one of them. Going to have to strip the #10's body and repaint.
Update: The second paint job didn't fully come off, but the new coat looks just as good. The remenents of black on the front grill are a nice subtle accent. I think I'll stick to water based for the time being. Now to get some yellow, rust, and black to finish up the basic scheme.

Descent into Madness?

The #10 has it's base coat done. And quite fetching if I do say so!

But I discovered, you can take it so much further!! I air bushed the main shell and cab, with the the roof masked off. There was some bleeding on the roof and it didn't look good. I figured, why keep the roof unpainted if it's going to look like this anyway? I had a brush and paint so I figured now is as good a time as any to work on my hand painting skills. And they need work, but they're not half bad either. After three coats on the roof, I tackled around the headlight and the more I painted the more I found that could use a touch up.
Since I had #10 out, why not see about Galena? Door sills, end rails, window sills all were repainted. I even painted the parts you'll never see that I thought should be.
In reading about how "serious" modelers model I sometimes found myself wondering "Why?" I no longer have to ask. So what if no one else is going to see the under frame sides on your 1880's business coach. They will never know the original paint is showing through. But you will, so you paint it. It's not so much for the eyes of others but for your own eyes. And my eyes after an extra hour and a half of "Work" are satisfied. For now.
But much work lays ahead. I need to wood color the doors on Galena and maybe do the window frames red. #10 needs grills painted as well as the roof and assorted. Front and maybe side grab irons and stanchions in appropriate wire, a multi-chime horn, radio antenna, off set hood mount air bell and a rotary beacon. And for both decals and weathering.
And now that I'm thinking of it, maybe do the oil tanks as well.
Wait until I get rails laid! Of course I have to paint my tracks first.

Painting

Today I did some airbrush work. My first it should be noted, but that is what weathering is for, right?
The colors of the SBT are Cascade Green and an at this point undecided yellow. Thanks to the friendly folk at the Treasure Chest, I got my supplies, and began painting.

Here is the Plymouth in the paint shed getting it's base coat of Cascade Green.Using an airbrush isn't as hard as I thought it would be. I grabbed an old GN cattle car without a roof walkway and went to town on that to try it out. Which reminds me, does anyone out there want a former GN cattle car that is painted Cascade Green?

Much of today's work centered on the SBT business coach, Galena. It began life as a former W&A RR coach and now sees double duty as business coach and local coach.With decals and weathering should come out ok.

Need to investigate printing my own decals for the SBT. I mean if it's anything like airbrushing, how hard could it be?
I'll post pics of the Plymouth when it's done.

Paint scheme

Here is a 40' AAR Boxcar done in what may be the early SBT scheme. Time will tell.

Plymoth Power

One of things I'm doing with the SBT is learning. A lot! I've decided it's time for me to move up the ladder when it comes to my model railroading. So I've decided all my roads power will be painted. By me. I've never done that in my life. But you have to start somewhere, right?

And here is my start. This will be SBT #10. It's a Bachmann Plymouth that will be the heavy hauler for the the railroad. In the photo above it's soaking in 91% Isopropyl alcohol to lift the paint. It does a very good job. Then attack it with an old tooth brush.

Here is the finished prodcut, ready for painting and super detailing. The color scheme is Cascade Green and yellow, and the details will set the engine up to run short hood forward, ala the SP. I'll print my own decals when the time comes. I can't wait to get started!