Model Railroading > Weedy spur track in operation

Maybe two or three years ago I added a spur on my small shelf layout to have another try at making an overgrown, poorly maintained track that still operated well. My modern engines, though, didn't take to it that well; they would lose connection for a moment in the dips. Awhile back I got an F-unit for a passenger train, even though it is way out of era. I just tested on the segment and found that it works very well, maybe because it is so heavy that the trucks follow the track profile a bit better. It is an Intermountain F7, and my Intermountain U18B does ok but not as well on this track.

Anyone, I also happened to have an excellent borrowed video camera in my hands for a day, which allowed me to finally make a video of this track making the effect I hoped for. I cobbled together the few cars I have that might pass for being early 70's Milwaukee. (And... ignore the CPL's. Maybe this is Indiana somewhere?) The F7 needs a lot of work to make it look better, especially that pilot. But for now, the video.

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Is that MILW boxcar one of the old metal Roundhouse/Model Die Casting kits?

CPR_4000 Wrote:
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> Is that MILW boxcar one of the old metal
> Roundhouse/Model Die Casting kits?

Good question, I have no idea. I think I made a thread on here way back actually trying to find out who made it. It is all metal.

Excellent video! It gets the point across to the viewer that the track is indeed in poor condition. Great work!!!

     This is the kind of modelling we live for, . . . . .REALISM !

inCHI Wrote:
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> CPR_4000 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Is that MILW boxcar one of the old metal
> > Roundhouse/Model Die Casting kits?
>
> Good question, I have no idea. I think I made a
> thread on here way back actually trying to find
> out who made it. It is all metal.

That clue suggests it is, indeed, the old Roundhouse kit.  The corporate name, for long time, was Model Die Casting Co.

Who makes the street light? That is awesome!

Will a keep alive circuit keep the engines from stalling on the worst parts of your track?

Larry

The street light looks to be a Walthers product. They are nice, but pricey.

Posted from iPhone

Keep alive would probably help. Maybe at some point I'll have the money for it and have the nerve to open up certain engines that need it, like my problematic Athearn MP15 which has always had pickup issues but is a pain to take apart.

dgraves Wrote:
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> The street light looks to be a Walthers product.
> They are nice, but pricey.

Indeed. It looks good, but I only got one because of it. Many streetlights are priced in a way that makes it hard to imagine getting streetlights. I have another modeling project where I found some cruder but cheap ones from China on Ebay.

Very nice scenery. I've always been worried about overgrown tracks like that when it comes time to clean the rails. Which method do you prefer to get the job done?

imrl Wrote:
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> Very nice scenery. I've always been worried about
> overgrown tracks like that when it comes time to
> clean the rails. Which method do you prefer to get
> the job done?

I use a regular pad cleaner. What I've found over time with static grass is that it is surprisingly resilient and sturdy, so cleaning doesn't hurt it that much. I do tend to use the narrow edge and do one rail at a time, though. This is such a small section it isn't too tedious.

It looks amazingly like the Milwaukee Road I remember!
309
 

That metal car could be a real old Mantua. If it is, thats going back to when I was a kid and thats pretty old.

Jim
Hatboro, PA

Looking good!  I've had problems too running on my purposely uneven track.  I think the locomotive wheels tend to lift off the rail momentarily and loose contact.  In some places, I've had static grass laying over the rail which will break the wheel contact.  I've used a hot soldering iron to melt away stray grass on both sides of each rail.  Look out for the fumes from melting the grass; its nasty.

Very realistic scene!

Dennis

GBW309 Wrote:
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> It looks amazingly like the Milwaukee Road I
> remember!

The F7 needs a bit of weathering but, yeah, it does look like the Milwaukee.
Nice modeling and nice video!