The West End Of Lake St In Zenith

The city scene in Zenith is one of the oldest parts of my layout, now about 35 years old, begun in an earlier location. I had originally intended to put trolley tracks in the streets, but then I discovered that most model trolleys and interurbans won't take the model equivalents of the sharp curves in prototype street trackage. However, I did use cast plaster street-sidewalk-corner sections that were designed to be assembled around track, and I left space for track between them, filling the gap with Sculptamold that I could chisel out in case I changed my mind.

Several years ago, I did change my mind and began the process of chiseling and dremeling out a channel into which I could install track. This would allow at least a short single-track run into downtown Zenith via Lake St. This was tedious, messy work that I kept procrastinating. I finally got it finished this past week:

Everything is white plaster or Sculptamold, so it's hard to discern in the photo. Below is the slot with track installed. The next step will be sanding down the crown of the street to match the railheads, then filling things in with spackle. The track is connected to the DCC bus, but it will be isolated from other layout trackage.

Here's a brass Suydam Pacific Elecric "ten" that I painted 50 years ago. Shouldn't be hard to add a decoder and capacitor.

I "finished" the scenery in this area 25 years ago, but I never had a clear idea of how it should finally look. As a result, it kept shrubbery and ground cover, but it was scenically blah. Adding the new trolley track has brought my attentioin back to the area. I'm going to cut through the hillock in the foreground below and extend the line onto private right of way:

Another detail I'm including in the area is a Walthers subway entrance. I drilled, chiseled, and dremeled an opening for it.

Here it is installed. I had trouble with the focus so close to the subject.

I still need to bring sidewalk components up to it, as well as have the sidewalk cross the track. This will finally begin to provide a believable end to the detailing of Lake St, as well as open the area to greater scenic interest.

Some More Scanned Photos

I spent a good part of the past week scsnning more 8x10s from my collection. Here are several. Santa Fe 16L very clean in original condition, on what must have been one of its first trips west. The loco is at Redondo Jct. in Los Angeles probably in late 1946. Howard Moore photo.

Santa Fe 3751 after a first rebuilding but before receiving 80 inch drivers. The 3751 class had major changes throughout their lives. Pasadena 1938, unknown photographer.

Santa Fe 165, one of the FTs with steam generators painted in the warbonnet scheme between 1946 and 1949, the best date I have for the photo. San Bernardino, Howard Moore photo.

Santa Fe 2929 in Los Angeles in October 1951, near the very end of regular steam in the area. Joe Schmitz photo.

A Data Point For How The Hobby Has Changed

For over 20 years I was a regular customer at Troxel Brothers Models, one of the old established train stores in Los Angeles, until it finally closed in the 1990s. It was a very old school place. One of its features was a box of 8x10 glossies on the counteer. I can't remember what they sold for; I have the impresion that Ed picked them up from people who were closing out their collections, so they were reasonably priced. Going through my own collection, it looks like I picked up hundreds there over that 20-plus year period. They were from the usual well-known names like Otto Perry, RH Kindig, HK Vollrath, and many others.

I kept them in looseleaf binders cast off from varioius employers, in cellophane separators, which have been deteriorating for decades. I finally decided to bite the bullet and scan them. This had three results:

• Since I use Carbonite to back up my desktop, the scans are now backed up. Nobody could do this with a collection of 8x10s in binders.
• With the photos scanned, I can do things like post them on Facebook or on my blog, something nobody can do with ordinary 8x10s.
• The scans are easier to see than the original 8x10s and much easier to file and locate (assuming my naming and filing system is effective).

And considering how many photos are now available from photo sites on the web, via Facebook, or other social media, I don't know if many people even collect 8x10s any more. I certainly haven't, for at least 20 years. There are now simply better ways to get prototype info.

But a new featrure has also emerged. If I post a photo on a Facebook group, knowledgeable people can comment and add information I'd never have if I'd never published the photo. An example is this photo I found at Troxel sometime in the 1970s from an unknown photographer:

Remarks writrten in pencil on the back say it depicts D&RGW 498 on the ground on the Farmington branch in 1966. I posted it in the Rio Grande Modeling and Historical Society Facebook group. A commenter added this photo of the same train, taken by AM Payne on the same date:

The commenter, Guy Fontaine, added:

D&RGW #498 derailed on January 8, 1966 enroute to Farmington. Jim Mayer of Durango, CO. was on train crew. Accident occurred on Farmington Branch 2.3 miles north of Posta, CO. The train had left Alamosa on 12/29/1965. D&RGW Posta MP455, CO Taken by Payne, Andy M. - 1/8/1966

If I hadn't scanned this and posted it on social media, I wouldn't have had a much more complete vignette of the narrow gauge's final decline.

An interesting point is that the standards of decorum and emotional maturity in Facebook railfan and modeling groups is surprisingly much higher than it was on old forums and Yahoo groups. Thus we can have situations like this where people can benefit each other by exchanging worthwhile information without petty jealousies and one-upmanship.

More N Work

I wound up spending much of the past week doing more work on the Bar Mills N scale Jeffries Point Stave Company. This is a very complex and challenging kit, and after a week, the most I can say is I'm on the home stretch.

Some N Work

I was installing light kits in some Kato Amfleets and decided to experiment with painting the molded seats in the interiors. I haven't ridden Amfleets in quite some time, and they've been rebuilt since then. The new upholstery is a shade of light gray. I used a brush to paint the interior seats Model Master acrylic reefer gray.

Here is the result with the plexiglass light bar installed in the body and the body reassembled to the chassis, with power applied:

For contrast, here's an Amfleet II with the original plastic interior color:

I've been working on a Bar Mills N Jeffries Point building. This is based on a well-known and much-photographed building on George Sellios's Franklin & South Manchester. Here's a copy I found on the web, not my photo:

This is definitely one of their advanced-level kits. I wound up getting the four walls and roof assembled, with the basic windows and doors added. Then I took a long break. This past week I finished adding the basic exterior trim. There's still. a good way to go with loading platforms, awnings, porches, and steps.