Signature locos

I know I said the next project would be ballasting in DuBach, but I just can't seem to find the ambition for that right now, so...

For the last week since getting the JMRI up and running again and the track work in DuBach done, I just haven't had the ambition to go down and get anything started again. I did get the layout staged for a possible shakedown session this weekend, and then I have one planned for May 9th.

I went down and walked around the layout, trying to find something that would peak my interest. It's not for the lack of anything to do, but more so of the amount of things that I could do. I was mainly looking for some scenery that I could quickly start on, but most will take a decent amount of preparations first.

So I shut the lights off and walked back upstairs.

Chatting with a friend last night about finding the next project and then thinking about it more today while out delivering, I think I'm going back to the bench for some more loco building? I've been wanting to get after a trio of these ever since I settled on modeling the Little Rock line. They're kind of a signature loco for this section of the Rock and kind of the mainstay of power towards the end. The fourth one I'm going to do because I'll have the airbrush out and dirty, plus I forgot to do it when I did the other 5 U33B's.

I'm not feeling fully pumped yet, but I'll try to force myself to get started on them with the details...

Track painting in DuBach

This weekend I was able to get the raw ceiling tile painted after trimming the cork.   Once dried I got after getting the track painted.

The first thing that I always do before applying paint is to protect the turnouts and points from getting covered in paint.  A lot of folks will lay a strip of tape over them, but I go at it via a different route.

I took a small piece of napkin, rolled it between my fingers until it was just big enough that I could pack it in between the point rail and the stock rail. This should keep the paint off both surfaces. This also held the opposite side tightly closed so that no paint could get on their surfaces either.

I also took a small drop of oil and placed it in the joints of the switch points where they hinge on the PECO turnouts, my thought was this would keep the paint from insulating the switch points which has worked very well in the past. Please forgive me, by the time I got the picture snapped the oil had puddled. You only need a small drop.

Once the prep work was done it was time to paint.  This time though, instead of using Krylon Camo Brown and two other Rattle cans of light colors that I had used before, I chose to give some acrylic paints a chance to shine this time.  The last time that I painted the tracks between Ruston and Winnfield, the fumes did get a little strong and I had no way to vent them outside.  It wasn't a fog, but the fumes were kind of strong, that was in Feb I do believe.

Now this time it was April and a bit warmer, but the look on the wife's face from the last painting episode I decided to invest in a new airbrush and give acrylics a try, and to save a marriage, although I must say that she is pretty supportive of me and my endeavors.

I chose to use Tamiya paints this time around as they seemed to work pretty good when I sprayed the Ouachita River a while back.  I chose three colors of brown for this.

XF-10 Flat Brown, XF-68 NATO Brown and Boomer's favorite color: XF-52 Flat Earth!

The XF-10 Flat Brown was a little too red when I first applied so I added some black, but it moved a little too much, so I added more of the flat brown to bring the brown back out a bit.  I also thinned it roughly 50/50 with 70% alcohol, this worked out good.

Then I got the mainline, passing siding and one of the spurs painted.  The other four spurs will get painted once I get the buildings built and see how they'll fit, at that point I can adjust the spurs to fit and they'll get painted.

Next I switched to the XF-68, thinned it then shot the tracks by sweeping the airbrush back and forth across the tracks, randomly painting only part of the ties.

For the final color I switched to the XF-52.  I was afraid it would be too light?  But it turned out quite well so I continued onward.  With this color I sprayed the tracks the same as I did with the intermediate color but did not spray as many ties, hoping to get a very random effect.  Now on the one spur for Cajun Hydraulics, I did cover that spur with more XF-52 to simulate a more dirty and unkept appearance, which is what I'll do when I paint the other spurs.

To be honest, while it looks OK now, by the time the ballast gets applied and I get it weathered with Pan Pastels and apply some burnt umber pigment, most of this will probably just blend into one basic track color.  If this was a larger scale, I'm sure it would stand out a bit more.

But hey, at least I didn't just leave it as a nasty-ass, factory plastic with bright shiny rails...  

Next up, everyone's favorite:  Ballasting!

DuBach track work complete.

All of the tracks are laid in DuBach, the only thing left to do is to drop the feeders and connect them to the bus.

The spur tracks are just tacked in place for now, this way I can easily adjust them as the industries get built and installed in case I need to move them to fit.  This will also allow me to work on the operations to make sure that things will work the way I'd like them to.  If not I can easily make adjustments.

North DuBach

South DuBach

 

Progress in DuBach

It's been a few weeks but I finally got around to the track work in DuBach.

While there isn't much difference on the location of the tracks, I did move them away from the backdrop to allow for the new industry: Cajun Hydraulics.  This created a subtle sway in the tracks just enough to  reduce the long tangent I had before.

As before, the main track will be closest to the backdrop, this allows for a larger radius track and it also keeps one from reaching over the train while uncoupling. 

Starting at South DuBach, the mains sway away from the backdrop enough to allow space for Cajun Hydraulics.  The spur in front with only cork will be for A&A Cement.

The tracks are not too far from where they were before.  The radius has been reduced down from 28" to 24" on the main line.

Still working on the North end.  Where the new turnouts are is where Piggly Wiggly will still be, but moved just a tad, the spurs in front will be for ARKLA Plastics and the new Bayou GenTech track with a transfer crane.

My long‑awaited DuBach re‑do has begun

The long‑awaited re‑do of DuBach is officially underway, and today marked the first real step into this next chapter. I focused on the stretch from the bog heading north, through the curve that leads into the south end of El Dorado. It’s a satisfying way to kick things off—if also a little destructive. There’s something about ripping out old track that feels like a true point of no return, the moment when the commitment becomes real.

Back on November 10th, 2025, I said it was time to completely rebuild DuBach. Now that the work has started, that decision feels even more justified. This will be the third—and hopefully final—time this section gets a full overhaul. After operating the layout many times over several years, you learn what works, what doesn’t, and what quietly drives you crazy every session. Things evolve. Ideas mature. Standards rise.

This redo will be my chance to get it right, third times a charms, right? With the old track now pulled up, there’s no turning back. And honestly, that feels pretty great.

Not more than a few hours after the last bit of track was ripped up, I got an email. Every year, the local train show rolls into town like clockwork - a weekend of diesel fumes, nostalgia, and more N‑scale temptation than my wallet can reasonably withstand. But this year, the show comes with a twist. When it arrives a small crowd of friends who’ve all said the same fateful words:

“Hey, while we’re in town, we’d love to operate your layout.”

And just like that, the sword was hung over my head.

A small change at El Dorado

I haven't been doing a lot to the layout since November, Several things have been in the works: the building of Cajun Hydraulics, planning an op session to see if I can have both locals working on the layout at the same time, playing with the 3D printer, planning the complete redo of Dubach and getting supplies for that.

About four years ago I tore up El Dorado completely and removed the small mid yard.  It's been working great with the change, however Quin had mentioned several times during recent sessions that adding a right handed crossover next the depot between the main and siding would make it a little easier for the SB local to work the Mill at El Dorado.

This weekend I decided to get those installed.  It took a few hours to get things gathered up, prep some used Peco C80 turnouts and then getting them installed.  Hardest of all was getting under the layout to get the wiring wrapped up.  

What this does for ops:

When the SB local arrives in El Dorado, it arrives on the main.  The first chore if needed is to work the house track, the second job is to the work the Mill.  In order to get to the mill, the crew needs to cut the cars from the consist and pull clear down to the south end of the El Dorado and make a reverse move clear up to the north of town.  Then it needs to make a couple of switchbacks to access the mill.

With the crossovers, the crew can just pull forward a bit, back through the crossover and they're pretty much right there by the mill.  It'll save a few minutes and distance.

Looking North towards the Mill:

Looking South:

 

  

Cajun Hydraulics, open for business

Well, for the most part anyways.

You gotta love the long holiday weekends!

I started working on it again Wednesday night, getting the details ready, some final painting and some minor weathering, then started applying the details.  Had it pretty well wrapped it up late Saturday night. 

The detail parts are made up from a mix of stuff:  Detail parts from other kits, both old and new, 3D printed parts that I got off eBay or FB, a couple of items I picked up at some shops over time and of course, one of my favorite items to use: LEGO pieces.

I suppose I could have added a lot more to the building, but I didn't want to overload it and have it look as if I had stepped back and threw a box of parts at it.

For now I'll call it done, but there is still some painting of parts and weathering needed to do like the concrete pad, the overall building weathering and some of the small detail parts yet to be added.  For now I can handle it without worrying about messing up the weathering.   At this stage I can at least use it as a keystone when I start rebuilding the tracks in DuBach.

Now I need to clean up the workbench and worktable, uuugh!  I envy those who can keep their workspace clean and organized throughout a project.

Assembling Cajun Hydraulics

With 3D printing hot and heavy these days, I'm still learning the old school ways I guess?

I got the Pike Stuff kit assembled and then started working on the middle building which I used sections of the DPM modular wall sections last night.  I dug through my styrene stash and first added a lip to support the roof section, then I kept working on it so it would be self supporting.  It might be a little overkill, but it should stand up for the long haul.

I also got the concrete pad finished up.  Since I didn't have any 0.060" styrene on hand, I used plain 0.030" sheets and with my homemade Dupli Cutter, I scored 10' squares.  After gluing two sheets together, I added a lip around the edges to make 0.060" so it sets up against the ties, but below the railhead.

Kit bashing is definitely not as easy as kit building, but at the same time it provides one with a challenge.  This is something that I'm going to need to learn from as I have a lot of kitbashing for the layout.

 

Next I need to start painting the buildings and concrete pad.  I'm trying to figure out how I want to attach the buildings to the pad?  Either with magnets or blocks, hmmm?