My freelanced railroad

Ray,

Thanks for your feedback on my efforts. Appreciate your comments (in another thread).

Starting a thread of my own, here's another photo taken adjacent to my intermodal terminal.

The "National Rail Network Authority" (or RailNet) is the major owner/operator of railway assets in this district.

I "freelanced" this railroad but was amazed to discover a couple of years later that there is a REAL railroad in the US by the same name and with similar red painted locos!! (Actually it is Illinois RailNet). I think I have more locos on my roster than them though! he, heh

Gavin Miller
Perth, W. Australia

PS - Ray, glad you enjoyed your visit "down under"
 

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rockislandmike

Active Member
Hey Gavin, welcome to The Gauge

I model in HO scale, so shouldn't even be here, but I have admired your RailNet locos previously in other forums. I think most of the time it was in the MRPhotos egroup, from whence I travelled to your website. Very kewl.
 
Gavin,
After seeing your latest photos I'm convinced my first impression is correct. Your layout is great. Everything looks so authenic. Looks like the real thing. What kind of camera do you use? I have a digital but have been getting better depth by using my 35mm and setting the aperture at f 32.
 
Thanks for your very generous comments guys!

Isn't the internet wonderful?! As I sit here in the morning sunshine in Perth Western Australia I marvel at the comaraderie I can enjoy with people literally half a world away in places such as Edmonton Alberta, Hershey and Levittown Pennsylvania, Vernon Hills Illinois, Bryson City North Carolina and New Lebanon Ohio.

The love of trains (and especially N scale ones!) is definitely universal!!

Matt, I'll post some progress shots of my backdrop being made in a separate thread.

Ray, I use a "point and shoot" type digital (Kodak215zoom) which provides NO scope for creativity or manual control of depth of field, etc. Frustrating.

I just shoot a bracket of shots with the camera held at different distances from the subject, put them up on the screen, pick the sharpest and best of them then discard the bad ones.

Much easier to get better photos with a 35mm SLR set at F32 (if your camera will shut down that far) than with ANY point and shoot type (digital OR film).

I just wish I could afford a fully manual digital with aperture control!! Digital IS great for this particular medium - just SO quick and easy to share images electronically.

I have enjoyed seeing all your photos and have marvelled at the grand size and scope of your model railroad "empire". Always interested to see MORE ...

Gavin Miller

PS - I have looked in the "Edit Profile" section and can't seem to find a way to change my member status from "Junior" to "Geriatric".
 

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60103

Pooh Bah
Gavin:
Easiest way to change your status is to post another 44 pictures.
Does your catenary work or is it just for show? I had a little bit in N 20 years ago, and I'm interested in how it's developed.
 
hey gavin great looking shots will have to go look at your siteand try this to change your profile go to user cp than edit profile and where it say custom user text put what ever you what to put on to change from jr. member hope this helps rich
 
David,

The catenary is definitely NOT operational - there is no wire!
(I have enough trouble snagging and breaking the masts without the headache of trying to avoid wire).

The naked eye forgives the absence of catenary wire but in photographs those masts look awfully naked without wire!

Gavin
 

sumpter250

multiscale modelbuilder
Gavin,
There is a modular group, that I've seen at Trainfest in Milwaukee, that sets up an HO scale interurban layout with working catenary.
Thought you might appreciate the insanity. :D :D :D
Pete
 
The only problem with being a freelancer is that you can't just bring a new loco home from the hobby shop and place it "in service" like others can.

You have to buy an undecorated unit for starters, then airbrush it in your company's colour/s (I made my life easier by choosing just one colour overall), apply decal striping etc and then prepare and apply your company's titles, logos and fleet numbers.

As I don't have an Alps printer to produce **white** lettering on a decal, I use "Letraset" (rub-down) lettering applied to a clear decal sheet, then cut out and applied in the usual way.

As you can see from this shot of just part of the RailNet fleet, I have had to accurately (and TEDIOUSLY) rub down and line up the letters for the word *RailNet* more times than I care to remember!!!
 

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Tyson Rayles

Active Member
You know you coulda picked a lighter color to paint your locos then you could have used black lettering and stripes and made the finished decals yourself and saved alot work. I know, that would take the "challange" out of it! :D :D :D They do look sharp, you did an outstanding job!
 
C

Catt

Gavin,you don't need an ALPS to get white lettering .You need to know how to do it.:D

First things first,you start with white decal paper.When you do the artwork for your decals you start with the proper background colour(in your case the red).Then do your lettering in white.Your printer won't see the white only the red therefore only printing that colour,except where your white letters are. When done you have a red decal with white lettering (the origonal paper colour). The downside is you will use a lot of ink if your decals are very large.
 
Hmmm ...

Good one Catt! That makes a lot of sense.


Only problem I can see is perfectly matching the background colour. My "company red" is actually a blend of red and tan to make a sorta "machinery" red.

To save a lot of ink I would print out a whole sheet of titles and keep them in storage for future acquisitions.

Thanks for the suggestion. At 47, I now endure the problem of ageing eyes <sigh> and fiddly lettering work is getting more difficult.

Gavin
 
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