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A digital night shot of the yard
office and tower that sits in Kayne Ave. yard, Nashville.
This building is not a model of that structure, but
a kitbash of two Plasticville towers from about 1960.
It’s character is similar, and serves the same
purpose in the same spot as the one today. NC&StL
line side structures were usually painted two-tone
green and yellow. After 1957 when the L&N merged
the line into their corporate structure, many were
repainted white per L&N late practice. |
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Famous outside braced NC&StL cabooses were
easily recognized and distinctive. Twenty were built
by the RR, and this is a model of number 6. A Northeastern
Scale Models craftsman-type kit from the early sixties,
I may have it painted the wrong color! Few color
photos or shop records exist to help “get it
right” where many items are concerned.. The
detail is very good for an early model but some pains
have been taken to add details such as full brake
rigging.. |
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Curving past Shops and westbound on the main,
two pair of F’s meet up. The tracks behind
curve around to the right into Nashville. Behind
us the RR goes through the wall to Memphis. Photo
by a friend of ours, a 2Mp digital original. |
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Number 660 is one of my oldest engines and
has served me well. Though a bit rough since my skills
were not all that good in 1970, she still is presentable
as-is with scratch-built Vandy tender and a few added
details. Yes, it is hand lettered. This is a John
English USRA Mike complete with brass tires on its
drivers. I have added a recent can motor and flywheel
to keep it “runable” with the other engines. |
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Kayne Ave Roundhouse, engine facility and turntable
is a great spot to catch most any kind of action
from turning of RPO cars and observations, to seeing
large engines from time to time. The 90’ turntable
is scratch-built and J-3 580 barely fits. The Overland
Models J-3 is magnificent. |
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This is what Marie 535 looked like while in process
for the City of Memphis rendition. All the major
parts have been made, yet to assemble. Details and
paint to come. The brass overlay for the boiler was
hand-formed over a block of wood carved to the shape
of outer limits of the Mantua boiler. I retained
the boiler for weight and to fill in behind the open
spaces under the streamlining. The tender is made
from patterns generated while building model 576. |