Weekend Update 6/21/15

[up1950s]

[dougnelson]

For your viewing pleasure - a new video:

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The K4 - I knew you would ask - is a Precision Brass with the drive reworked by Hans Starmans.

[bbussey]

Making progress on my New Haven EP3.  Rendered the truck frames though Shapeways in FXD and they look very nice.  I need to correct some design errors, one of which I somehow didn't catch initially in the main truck length between the innermost axles.  Not an issue, as there were some other minor tweaks needed, such as a stop under the end doors to keep the porches level.  But the frames fit perfectly over the Kato truck guts, and the pilot porches integrated well with modified Kato GG1 pilot trucks.

Also got the latest version of my stainless steel RP mechanism frame back and it is perfect.  So progress is happening.







Still trying to hit my goal of having the mechanism functional in DCC before the end of August.

[Chris333]

My buddy who got a local steel mill to donate their S2 locomotive, he got it running and the news shot this of it running:
http://wytv.com/2015/06/19/old-steel-locomotive-preserved-for-future-generations/

[Ike the BN Freak]

Finished my SD40-2B

Not perfect, but good enough for a 3ft model.

[garethashenden]

Tractors!

[mcjaco]

Really cool, Brian. 

[bnsfdash8]

CEFX 1002 fresh out of the paint booth with a few decals added.The black trucks look out of place but they actually match the prototype, which received rebuilt trucks that were never painted to match.

[bbussey]

Also, this beta render arrived in the mail today.  N scale version of the Walthers transformer.  I want to make some minor tweaks, but it is usable as is.  I'm now seriously thinking of loading my bashed PC depressed center flat with full rigging and bracing, once I get over the center floor detail being obscured.

[Cajonpassfan]

Well, I splurged for Father's Day and bought me an N scale-appropriate drill press, with a proper X-Y table and vise to use for milling. A well known east coast modelers' tool dealer has a great sale going on these right now. My old and embarassing jerryrigged milling setup  (see below) is now retired!
Excuse my excitement about my new toy
Otto K.

[up1950s]

Also, this beta render arrived in the mail today.  N scale version of the Walthers transformer.  I want to make some minor tweaks, but it is usable as is.  I'm now seriously thinking of loading my bashed PC depressed center flat with full rigging and bracing, once I get over the center floor detail being obscured.

Well that is perfect . Load or part of a power sub station .

[JSL]

 Walter very nice SD-40-2B!

[JSL]

Testing of the helix continues from staging to first level! Need to clean up the wiring a little. No issues with derailments or being able to make the grade with max length train

[peteski]

Well, I splurged for Father's Day and bought me an N scale-appropriate drill press, with a proper X-Y table and vise to use for milling. A well known east coast modelers' tool dealer has a great sale going on these right now. My old and embarassing jerryrigged milling setup  (see below) is now retired!
Excuse my excitement about my new toy
Otto K.

Ah, the deluxe drill press from Micro-Mark - congratulations!  It is a nice tool.

I have upgraded to this unit (from the other smaller Micro-Mark unit) several years ago.  I thought that the digital depth gauge was a really neat idea, but in practice I don't really use that feature.

Ont thing I think I should mention is that it might not be a good idea to use this drill press for milling.  Unlike the less expensive units which have threaded shaft for attaching the chuck, on this drill press the chuck is simply pressed onto a Jacobs taper shaft.  This type of chick attachment is not designed for lateral forces which occur while milling.  The chuck can loosen and simply detach from the shaft.

Drill chucks in general aren't designed for lateral forces on the chucked tool which occur during milling but in our hobbies those forces aren't really very large, so that should be ok.

[Iain]

Actually, have several weeks worth of updates here.

Starting off with an X29 I've been poking at.  It's been lowered a little bit, but really needs to come down some more, I think:



Next is an in progress NS boxcar, part of the three car MT set:





NS GP38, with Walthers mechanism to get a smaller fuel tank.  Still work in progress:



Got me a new toy:



And, I've had some progress with the NS F1: