Weekend Update 6/4/23

[SP-Wolf]

My SP utility truck project is coming along nicely.
They are now ready for equipment - so, they can get to work.



Thanks,
Wolf

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ok, V&O flat is back in service. I cut the deck, pulled it up and glued and clamped it while it dried. Once applied I scored it with a knife in a few places then hit it with some paint and pastels to hide the cuts.

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I also got started on a "study" to try out some track techniques before I go into full production on the layout.

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[samusi01]

I ended up getting decidedly more aquatic than expected:

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Eighteen inches down in there is a number of parts that, in my excitement, I'd neglected to position appropriately. As each one was cut out, it dropped into the reservoir... In my defense, the fab lab employee that was also working on this with me (the water jet cutter is a new machine, and much learning was done by all that day) was also pleased with the file format that we'd been experimenting with and also didn't catch the poor orientation.

This is an earlier run, with the parts better oriented so that I didn't have to put those hours of watching underwater archaeology documentaries to use:

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...and in situ, as I edge towards being able to do serial production: a pair of GSH90A, either for XTTX or TPDX, in the foreground and in the background a trio of NSH90V.

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Things I did not know until last week: brass is heavier than steel, or at least the sheets I got off of Amazon.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Whoa, that's freaking cool!

[chessie system fan]

I'd love to be able to do that.  I can think of a few projects where that would be useful.

[dem34]

Had a lot of other non train things occurring over the weekend. Though a trip to the local shop as an (in the area thing) yielded weird fruit. Commissioned for a new N scale shop layout....
Sunday and Monday Evenings were spent both group brainstorming. "And Feasibility Studies"



Since the hardest requirements are the use of stock KATO trackwork and Woodland Scenics as much as possible. (Layouts job is advertisement first and foremost) I started with trying to streamline prettying up Unitrak since I despise ballasting it. And I realised, Japanese modellers by and large do not ballast the center of the track. So I tried that. And Well, looks pretty nice, not as good as going that extra mile, but well... this takes 5m once all is said and done and compared to brushing around pebbles of Ballast from off ties for hours on a couple pieces of track that gets ruined when glue is applied, I'll take it. Doesn't include painting the ballast unifying coat of paint, the rails, ties. But still. A lot faster. And looks good from most viewing distances.

[Ike the BN Freak]

a pair of GSH90A, either for XTTX or TPDX, in the foreground and in the background a trio of NSH90V.

Curious mostly, but when did these cars start coming out?

[samusi01]

@Ike the BN Freak

The GSH90 series (TPDX one sees on the military trains; some are specifically marked for military use only) apparently are 2018 models. Similar appearing cars with the deep side sills (LTTX, etc.) have been around since mid '99 or so.

For DOD trains prior to 2018, MTL's 89' flats are good; their three car DODX pack and the two car ITTX pack, both from a few years back, would be perfectly at home under, say, HEMTTs...

[Lemosteam]

I ended up getting decidedly more aquatic than expected:

(Attachment Link)

Eighteen inches down in there is a number of parts that, in my excitement, I'd neglected to position appropriately. As each one was cut out, it dropped into the reservoir... In my defense, the fab lab employee that was also working on this with me (the water jet cutter is a new machine, and much learning was done by all that day) was also pleased with the file format that we'd been experimenting with and also didn't catch the poor orientation.

This is an earlier run, with the parts better oriented so that I didn't have to put those hours of watching underwater archaeology documentaries to use:

(Attachment Link)

...and in situ, as I edge towards being able to do serial production: a pair of GSH90A, either for XTTX or TPDX, in the foreground and in the background a trio of NSH90V.

(Attachment Link)

Things I did not know until last week: brass is heavier than steel, or at least the sheets I got off of Amazon.

Are these the Shapeways prints of the new materials you were trying to straighten a bit ago?

[samusi01]

@Lemosteam

These are off my personal printer, a saturn 2.