Quick Update...

I know content has been a bit lax here as I focus (too much time) on the Valley Local Facebook Group, and it's also my busiest time of year at the day job. . . But there are some exciting new developments coming up and I'm planning on sharing them here too, so your continued patience is appreciated!

In the meantime, in addition to helping Pete out with his layout . . .

 . . . I've also been working at the north end of Middletown - specifically, the "floodplain" area at the Middletown/Cromwell town line. . .

. . . and I finally finalized the backdrop in this area (so those sheets of paper you see above will be replaced soon), but I haven't had a chance to install it yet . . .

. . . and the main reason for that (other than the aforementioned dayjob schedule), is because I focuesd on finishing up New Haven Railroad DEY-4 #0806 . . .

I custom painted/lettered an undec Rapido 44-tonner and weathered it with a combination of airbrushed acrylics, oil paints, and PanPastels. I also installed MV lenses as well as a cab-filling Scale Sound Systems speaker which really rattles the windows. Only downside is that I had to sacrifice the cool cab interior. But I think it's worth it. You can have a listen in the video below . . .

The video also shows some of the other progress being made in Middletown - specifically a new "concrete" pad for the bulk track.

More to come, so thanks much for your patience and stay tuned!

Rapido 44-tonner Sound Check - Dirty Little Deeds, Done Dirt Cheap

Sincere apologies that I've been posting more to The Valley Local Facebook Group than posting here - and given the current zeitgeist I should probably wean myself off FB (as many of you have, if you were ever on it) and post here more. A quick review of this here blog reveals mostly a photo album. My last substantive post was literally last year. New Year's Eve, but still 2024.

But there is LOTS to post and I sincerely hope to get to work on those posts soon. In the meantime, and as you may have guessed from yesterday's Wordless Wednesday, I've recently acquired a Rapido 44-tonner. A full review will need to wait, but suffice it to say it will be effusive - this model is one of the best locomotives I've come across in a while. The way it runs so quiet and smooth reminded me of the first time I saw an Atlas RS-3 running back in the day - which is to say, like a Swiss watch. But the details (as well as how I went about weathering it and reprogramming it for my ProtoThrottle) will have to wait another day.

This post is about how it sounds - specifically trying to answer the question of "what the heck is Sound Slot 30 supposed to represent?!"

Check out the video below and let me know your thoughts in the comments...

Wordless Wednesday #491 - Rapido 44-tonner (new & weathered (& crewed))

 

Wordless Wednesday #475 - New Arrival!