Weekend Update 2/10/13

[peteski]

Besides enjoying watching the mother nature (snow storm) from the cozy indoors, I took apart three stem locos (just to see what makes them tick):  Dapol A4 Dwight D. Eisenhower 4-6-2 in blue livery, Fleischmann streamlined Cl 01 (4-6-2) with factory installed Zimp sound decoder, and last but not least, the lovely and tiny Atlas 4-4-0 American.  I also figured out how to install a decoder in the Atlas loco.

Other than that, I have been tuning up a trio of Atlas D&H RS-3s for a friend.  These were factory (over)lubricated with some really nasty brown grease which over the years has separated into oil (which seeped out onto the locos' shell)  and into a sticky residue which looks like earwax!    It reminds me of a 30 year old automotive axle grease I have sitting in the basement!  I'm sure glad that Atlas is not using that stuff anymore!  I will be also installing TCS decoder in those puppies, after I mill a grove in the frame for the wires (because I'm anal).   I also noticed that the all the gear shafts in the trucks are a bit short and they can easily pop out of the truck frames (not a good design).

I also started stripping paint from some Mercedes Sprinter vans which will be repainted in FedEx Home Delivery colors.

Saturday, I will have to give up some of my hobby time for digging out from under all the snow.  Looks like the predictions (this time) were correct. I'm probably looking at couple of feet of snow by the time this thing is over. 

[GP38-2freak]

Not much modeling from me this week, I only got some parts for Peteski (say thank you to some german modelers) and now I try to find out how Windows 8 works on my notebook...oh, and I hope that my lovely wife allows me to buy that nice digicam...

[Chris333]

Around 2006 I had these laser cut:

and back then I etched the window awnings and endrail/ladders. Even though no decals were available 

Later Prime Mover Decals finally sized their HO decals to N scale and I bought a bunch.

Then a few more years go by... and last night I finished one:



Only 3 more to go.

[CodyO]

erie cabeese!!
Very nice!

Just spent about 4 hours making a google map of my fictional railroad PRR Northeast Division
follows LV New York to Sayre then Erie from Sayre to Buffalo`s LV terminal-445 route miles roughly 
Reading line from Philly to Bethlehem

http://goo.gl/maps/6H8IU

[atsf_arizona]

Working on N scale Santa Fe RSD-15 Alligators.  Using Jim Bence's (San Diego Society of N Scale) method of Atlas B40-8 mechanism fitted with
Atlas C628 trucks.

photos of the mechanism, and here's the link to the Pbase.com web page where the complete set (of what I've done so far) is located:

http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/n_scale_rsd15&page=all



http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/image/148672756



http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/image/148672757



http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/image/148694137

Next up will be the major reworking of the shell, of course:  strip, paint, decals, pilots, wire handrails, etc.

The biggest piece of surgery needed on the Atlas B40-8 frames was creating clearance for the rear three-axle truck to clear the frame:



http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/image/148672772

Have a good week, all.

[JSL]

That is another cool loco mech conversion John. Can't wait to see the finished product

[Scott Lupia]

Chris, really nice Erie cabeese.  Love the 049 series. 

Scott Lupia

[Puddington]

Chris, really nice Erie cabeese.  Love the 049 series. 

Scott Lupia

+ 1

[Philip H]

Once again TRW gives us more fine modeling by 10 AM then most folks do in a day! We've got scratch built signals, an RSD 15 conversion (John, didn't those end up on the GB&W?), great cabeese, and Peteski writing 3 more articles about how our locks tick (hint, hint). 

Modeling is slowed way down for me, as we just started a 4 month temporary assignment in Charleston. I do have a few projects lined up, but mostly I'll be getting back in touch with my inner fisherman.

[Kisatchie]

"This weekend I'm assembling 80 pairs of Micro-Trains #1027 body mount couplers, and trying to figure out how to put them on 90 cars"

80 pairs for 90 cars?  Drawbars between some of the cars?  The prototype's done it on quite a few car types over the years.

Hmm... Ah, Kiz and his
wishful thinking...

[LIRR]

Markdance,
Nice work.....how did you make the stone abutments?

[mark dance]

Markdance,
Nice work.....how did you make the stone abutments?

Thank you for the kind words.

The stone pier was made from a couple of Chooch castings with the horizontal and vertical gaps filled with epoxy-based wood filer then carved afterwards.

The concrete abutments and pier were made from shaped balsa wood which were covered with the same wood filler to give it some texture.

thx for asking!

md

[up1950s]

That is another cool loco mech conversion John. Can't wait to see the finished product

+1 , and I want ATLAS to jump on this being it's in house guts . Should be a short lead time Atlas , Christmas would be nice , as well as a pre-announcement for us to salivate over . Please .

[Dave Schneider]

Once again TRW gives us more fine modeling by 10 AM then most folks do in a day! We've got scratch built signals, an RSD 15 conversion (John, didn't those end up on the GB&W?), great cabeese, and Peteski writing 3 more articles about how our locks tick (hint, hint). 

Some of the Sante Fe RSD-15s went to the Lake Superior & Ishpeming and then to the GB&W. This was in the late-ish 1980s. I have some photos of them at Norwood Yard somewhere. They were amazing smokers.

Best wishes, Dave

[Alwyn Cutmore]

Hi All,

Great article John. I have been on the case with Atlas now for some time. When PSM/BWL brought out their HO variant I enquired with them about doing it in N Scale considering they had the drawings done in HO and they came back with some lame excuse about not being able to get a motor small enough. That wrote them off for me.  IAs you say Ritchie I do hope Atlas pick up the ball and run with it.

Regards

Al