Weekend Update 1/4/26

[GaryHinshaw]

Lots of great content this week! (As usual.)

I wonder if a moderator could help me out. I put the build thread in the scratch building section. Could you please move it to the Layout section?

Done: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=60495.0.  The scene is coming along nicely, Craig!

Wow.

[davefoxx]

I’m following the prototype and am relettering and renumbering a U30B to convert Seaboard Air Line (SAL) No. 806 to Seaboard Coast Line (SCL) No. 1710.  This will allow me to run this U-Boat in the 1972 era currently on the layout and mix it up with the SCL U36Bs in the fleet.

Before:



An “in progress” shot after all old letttering removed and decal work just beginning:



More on The Carolina Sandhills Lines thread in the Layout Engineering forum.

DFF

[bbunge]

The model got to meet the real one. 

[Jim Starbuck]

Here are the beginnings of my next project. It’s a 1921 Mack AC railbus.
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The excellent print is available here:  https://3dptrain.com/
It’s meant to use a commercial Z scale mech with one axle removed and a Z scale truck up front. I didn’t look into the mech very far as I’m doing my own for standard gauge. The front truck is the non geared end of a Z scale Rokuhan Shorty mech. I cut the truck apart at the crossmember and epoxied a piece of .040” styrene in to widen it for N. The Z scale wheels were installed in Kato axle tubes and gauged for N. This all worked much better than I had expected.
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The rear axle is running in whittled brass angles with the Kato geared axle tube shortened to stay in gauge with just enough slack to allow the axle to turn freely. The spoked wheels are also from Kato with the axle points ground flat. I milled the floor out by .020” to let the angles recess then epoxied them in place after this photo was taken of the mockup.
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It will use a 7x16 single shaft coreless motor and worm from the Shorty driving the axle gear directly.
The detail of this print is very nice. Even the tiny Mack emblem on the hood is crisp.
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[timwatson]

Here are the beginnings of my next project. It’s a 1921 Mack AC railbus.
(Attachment Link)
The excellent print is available here:  https://3dptrain.com/
It’s meant to use a commercial mech with one axle removed and a Z scale truck up front.

I’ve always wanted one of those Jim that’s looking great. Might I ask what size are those brass angles?
Oh and feel free to 3d printing some gears!

[Jim Starbuck]

I’ve always wanted one of those Jim that’s looking great. Might I ask what size are those brass angles?
Oh and feel free to 3d printing some gears!

The angle is K&S 7/32” stock #174.

The gear generator is going to come in very handy. Thank you

[Iain]

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Made some progress on my Piedmont and Northern boxcar

[bbussey]

Testing and debugging of the New Haven EP-2 mechanism.

[cgw]

Brian That EP-2 looks very cool!  Are you going to 3d print/cnc the mechanism body in metal at a later date or are you just going in with resin?   

[bbussey]

The mechanism frame will be lost wax investment cast in brass.

[chuck geiger]

Chuck:  I've seen Quonset Huts on block walls over head-high.  Basically a block building using the hut as a roof.

Good call, I have another Q coming from Whistle Stop Models, the Rix one was a pain.

[delamaize]

Testing and debugging of the New Haven EP-2 mechanism.

Man, every time I see pictures of this project, it makes me want to try my hand at doing the same with the Milwaukee boxcabs. First thing first, I need to learn a new 3d imaging program. The one I use to use back in ny MSTas days is non existent now.

[Cory Rothlisberger]

The mechanism frame will be lost wax investment cast in brass.

You doing the casting yourself, or do you have a guy?

[cgw]

yea  I am in the same boat looking at the milw boxcars.     Learning how to  plasticity for the 3d modeling part.  so far seams to be intuitive and easy to use.    My only question is how are you handling the shrinkage of the resin,  Wax molds and the metal shrinkage?

[bbussey]

You doing the casting yourself, or do you have a guy?

I've compiled a list six contractors located around the country who specialize in "prototype quantities" (single digits) that I have to send RFQs to once the frame is perfected.  The contractor that was in River Edge NJ that @Sokramiketes used back in the day for his Z scale flat cars is no longer in business there.

yea  I am in the same boat looking at the milw boxcars.     Learning how to  plasticity for the 3d modeling part.  so far seams to be intuitive and easy to use.    My only question is how are you handling the shrinkage of the resin,  Wax molds and the metal shrinkage?

These contractors work from digital masters so they will account for the shrinkage factor I'd imagine.