The Atlantic and Southern Build Thread Continued, Part 4

[ACL1504]

[ACL1504]

I removed all structures and equipment from the area.

I painted white glue to the areas between the tracks and added Scenic Express Medium Dirt, some grass and weeds.

The next day I sprayed/misted the area with warm water and then used a large plastic eye dropper to add matte medium as a gluing agent to hold the dirt, grass and weeds.

[ACL1504]

Over several days, I worked towards the roundhouse/turntable area.



I marked where the NJ International brass water columns were located and added ballast and scenery around the area.

[ACL1504]

I did the same around the coaling tower.

The test car is one I made after seeing one in a magazine. I built mine for less that $2.00 as the one in the magazine cost $15.00. This is a car to test and make sure no ballast is dried to the rails. It there is, I use this car to find it and remove it so I have smooth track for the locomotives.

[ACL1504]

[Philip]

Great test car! Great looking layout. I last looked in when you were building REA. 

[elwoodblues]

Tom,

Nice progress in the engine facility.  I also have a transparent test car that I use to test track work as I hand lay it.

[deemery]

Is that acrylic test car home-made, or did you buy it?  It's a great idea.

dave

[ACL1504]

Great test car! Great looking layout. I last looked in when you were building REA. 

Philip,

Thank you. The test car is home made after seeing on in the store for $20.

Also, I quit this build thread when this forum shut down. I need to get it update.

Tom 

[ACL1504]

Tom,

Nice progress in the engine facility.  I also have a transparent test car that I use to test track work as I hand lay it.

Ron,

Thank you for the comment. The test car is a great addition to any layout under construction, especially if you hand lay the track.

Tom 

[ACL1504]

Is that acrylic test car home-made, or did you buy it?  It's a great idea.

dave

Dave,

My friend Jim Miller, now deceased, and I saw a car like this in the hobby shop for around $20.00. We decided to make our own. So, yes, this car is home made. Jim put couplers on his version. I don't know what happened to Jim's, it wasn't in his estate.

Tom 

[ACL1504]

I see my last update to this thread was November 2023.

I'll update this thread but I have a lot of irons in the fire now.

[deemery]

Micro-Mark has those acrylic track inspection cars in both HO and N scale.  https://micromark.com/products/micro-mark-track-inspection-car-ho-scale?keyword=track%20ins  

dave

[ACL1504]

Micro-Mark has those acrylic track inspection cars in both HO and N scale.  https://micromark.com/products/micro-mark-track-inspection-car-ho-scale?keyword=track%20ins 

dave

I first saw a car like this at Colonial Photo and Hobby in Orlando some 20+ years ago. Certainly didn't like the $19.95 price.

I wonder where they got their inspiration for the car. It looks very close to mine. Jim and I built ours based on the one at CPH for around $1.75 each. Also, ours isn't as thick as the one MM is selling. Maybe we should have gotten a patent for ours. 

Tom

[deemery]

Micro-Mark has those acrylic track inspection cars in both HO and N scale.  https://micromark.com/products/micro-mark-track-inspection-car-ho-scale?keyword=track%20ins 

dave

I first saw a car like this at Colonial Photo and Hobby in Orlando some 20+ years ago. Certainly didn't like the $19.95 price.

I wonder where they got their inspiration for the car. It looks very close to mine. Jim and I built ours based on the one at CPH for around $1.75 each. Also, ours isn't as thick as the one MM is selling. Maybe we should have gotten a patent for ours. 

Tom

There's a patent lawyer who hangs out at the MRH forums.  We got into a discussion of patents and model RR stuff.  His SWAG for a patent was $10k-$20k.  You'd have to sell a lot of those cars to pay off the patent (lawyer...)

But you could probably sell a bunch here, I'd take 2 (one in HO and the other in N, for my HOn30 track.)

dave