OMG this is one of the coolest threads I've seen here for awhile. Awesome setups guys!!! :rock:

Thought I'd post an update.

I just bought this 1910 Barnhart Log Loader. Part of my Forest products industry project. These steam powered booms were mounted on rails mounted to the bed of flat cars. The Loader moved along these rails lifting logs that had been placed by the side of the tracks by the lumberjacks. It could haul itself from car to car by use of special joiner sections which let it bridge the gap as it filled each car in turn.

At the time this was considered a big innovation because it meant you didn't have to move the train every time a car was loaded.

I have chained it down on rails to the deck of a 30' flatcar and stored extra rail sections between them. In the background you can see my latest efforts in using Sedum as HO scale trees. The tree trunks behind them are small branch pieces with moss filling in the background. The effect looks pretty realistic I thought.

http://home.comcast.net/~rdsterling/...20Dscf3735.jpg

Your whole setup is HO scale, correct?

That does look pretty cool just in time for christmas, I miss my HO set, I did download rail simulator then my box crapped out,, any intel on any decent train sims...????

Try to weather the car?

Yeah that's on the list AVG. I plan to make it look like it's been sitting in the yard for a very long time. A silent and rusting witness to the more modern machines that supplanted it... :)

Yep. If I had to start over I might prefer N gauge instead just because it gives you so many more possibilities per square foot but i'm happy with what I got.

Very nice August, and a nice design too, never heard of such a thing before but a very clever solution to the problem of loading logs. The trees are looking good too. :yep:
When it comes to weathering, do you plan to weather the track as well?

Yes, ballast and rust up the sides of the rails. That comes last once all the scenery behind it is done.

Good work here,:up:

A little update here.

Got a new DCC system as my Christmas present to me. Digatrax Zephyr with one remote throttle. Works pretty good. The Zephyr will be perfect for switch yard operations.

I couldn't get the Athern SP Black widow to run right, keep cutting out. Spent hours checking my track only to find out I wasn't getting power to the front truck on the loco. :/\\!!:/\\!! Got that fixed, loose wire. Brand new, very expensive and it didn't work. :nope:

Replacing all the trucks on my older rolling stock with new metal wheels, roll much better.

Got a bunch of stuff on order so I can get back to laying track but right now you can't buy anything, it's all on back order even rail joiners are hard to get.

Found some good videos on installing DCC in the older Athern blue box locos. So I'll be trying that next, looking at Soundtraxx 750 Tsunami sound decoders but at $135.00 each I will be a while getting them. Still cheaper than new locos though. I do like the Southern Pacific gray. Got them all cleaned up and running good. They are 30 years old but much better built than the new ones.

August that logging crane looks great. I'm trying to fit some sort of logging thing into the layout but don't know where yet. Had one planed but that plan used 3% grades and they just didn't work so I went with 2% and everything changed.

Magic

I am terrible with model railroading. My 'woodshop' and electrical work abilities leave much to be desired; by which I mean that they are totally lacking. However, I love the photos in this thread, and love seeing these things grow and transform.

More, pics! More, I say!

My steam engine fueling facility.

In the foreground the Sand House and Water tower with the Coaling station just behind it. Aside from painting and weathering the structures I replaced the molded plastic chain with a real scale chain (40 links per inch)

http://home.comcast.net/~rdsterling/...20015%20CR.jpg

:rock:

That's the kind of detail I like to see. It makes all the difference. :sunny:

Now that looks so cool :sunny: