LEGO Upgrades!

The NMRA National Train Show trip was very reflective for me. It broke a few historical records, being the first time I not only represented GFLUG but also ran with ECHOES and FECRS_NTrak. It reflected also the numerous friendships I've made in the train hobby and for that I am very blessed. It also reminded me of how disorganized my LEGO system is, too.

Hold that thought! That took a quick turn there!

I am always my toughest critic and the display I contributed to the club's massive 30'x50' ensemble shows no exception. I had gray ballast, black ballast (Club), and concrete ties stitched together in the piece. I don't think it bothered the 11,241 guests who showed up but I was like it's time to get consistent.

As I am transitioning to university mode and putting away all the toys, I am also working to improve my city components so that I am on the ready the next time around. That will likely be the Tampa show in a little over four months.

Keep in mind a lot of these are personal variations of GFLUG club standards, but work with them and can be attached alongside of them. Track I detailed can snap right next to all club track, and of course, (why wouldn't it) streetlights are interchangeable.

Ballast
In 2007 I jumped on the bandwagon and started incorporating black ballast, just as Mr. Werner implemented. The parts were abundant on the PAB wall and very convenient, and worked. But I ended up wanting to shift over time to the gray ballast that reflects the Georgia granite that lines the FEC main, and in 2013 my chance came when I purchased what was probably my most expensive LUGBULK haul which consisted of over 3,000 gray plates (1-wide and not so long, plus L corners and 2x3 plates). It wasn't the plate that drove the cost up, mind you but of course the baseplates I purchased, but that is another story. By Christmas, I reckon three panels and a set of curves were constructed. I didn't really add to it until the GCRM display series came and went, where I just added two panels.

I had experimented with concrete ties but yanked them off as I opted to model CSX Central Florida ops using the ABS plastic bricks.

It is now Summer of 2017, and I secured some more plate, this time from Pick-A-Brick. The 2x2 and 1x2 are now available and I am loving it. Akin to 2008 standards, I wanted concrete ties again since I flipflopped back to FEC after a stint with CSX (Bone Valley-ish) so over the last two years my LUGBULK orders called for them. Alas, we have three panels fully upgraded, one of which I just built from scratch last night:

Lampposts

The club standard had forever involved: Fabuland standard, clear minifigure head, dish, and stud piece. Prior to about 2013-ish the club had always used the white Fabuland posts which came abundant with the Modulars. In 2007 from LEGO Online Pick a Brick I made off with a few, a sampler of about 20 posts. At some point, the standard shifted to black posts which I feel are far more prototypical for Florida. I stuck to white until just recently where, debuting in the NMRA show, I installed a flurry of black lampposts (from guess where). The design for me is altered, instead of using the dish and solid stud, I just stick a clear stud atop the minifigure head, which reflect a little detail seen in the real deal. 

Traffic Signals

A minor structural change, I added 6L with stub bars instead of a stupid contraption that used a 3L technic axle with stud to the bottom of my mast arms. This will hopefully mske the traffic signals stand better as they kept drooping on all layouts. As a tradeoff, a technic plate or round plate must go on the bottom now.

Grade Crossings (to be done)

David Glenn recommended me to switch out an old club standard 3-wide crossing plate for a rigid 4 wide crossing plate using 2x2 tiles. I feel this might pan out a more realistic approach as it gives the plates a more concrete feel, as using 3-wide arrangements take only 1-wide tiles which make the plates look like wooden boards. It works well when it is applied so I will upgrade all three crossings to have identical plates. And gone will be the inconsistent color differences between ramp pieces, everything will perhaps be dark gray with the exception of the light gray plates.

As a side note, I'm investing in more classic grade crossing arms to hopefully replace all the stupid tubular crossing gate arms. Ironically, this is not nearly my most expensive investment yet, as the going rates on Bricklink are $3 per bar as opposed to $16+++++ per FEC GEVO windscreen.

Stay tuned, I'm sure there will be more city upgrades of which I will be writing.