Weekend Update 8/30/15

[pjm20]

No modeling for me but I did finish processing video I shot on the Middle Division:

Lewistown:

17th Street Altoona:

Horseshoe Curve:

This one even had a slug going down the Curve along with some really heavy helpers.

[wcfn100]

Still not much modeling from me.  I was able to get on the computer today for a while and try and tackle a cushioned under frame for Athearn 50' PS-1 cars.  Many of the schemes they've done should have it.  This will include the extended draft gear once I figure out which coupler I want to use.



Not sure if I want to draw the brake gear or just use brass castings.

Whatever's done by tomorrow night will get sent to take advantage of the free shipping.

Jason

[milw156]

Finished up backdating a pair of F40PHs for RTA 

Tried to do that a while back, got the units all painted, applied one side of the decals, had some minor disintegration of the decal on one side, but was able to salvage it, the 2nd side was a total disaster, could not get either of that side on without major disintegration. and then Microscale discontinued the 2 Metra/RTA  sets due to licensing issues, so now all I have is one Lifelike that I had done a long time ago with an older, more robustly made decal set. Very nice job! Are those the Shapeways plows???
Rick

[Dksw]

Good evening,
I have been reading weekend update threads for years but I'm not sure I have ever had anything to contribute. This is my first super detail and custom paint locomotive project in more than 20 years and since switching from HO scale to N scale!  Apparently I waited too long since intermountain just announced this exact locomotive in factory paint last week!

This unit will be GEXR 3393.  I used BLMA detail parts almost exclusively except for a miniatures by Eric horn.  The dome shaped 48 inch fan came from an atlas SD18 shell.  The ditch lights I handmade using a method I found on the forum somewhere using styrene strip and rod.  One of the best things I did was try using number #83 drill bits.  It makes a huge difference for the fit and finish of grab irons and lift rings vs a #80 drill bit.

For paint I used Tru color G&W orange, Vallejo panzer dark gray for the roof and Vallejo NATO black for the anti-slip paint on the nose. This is the first time I have ever used Tru-Color and I don't think I have ever achieved a better paint finish. I hope to spray some G&W yellow tomorrow.

I snapped a pic at work of the roof of this unit to figure out the horn location and air line, and until I looked at the picture later on I never realized there was two tone black on the roof because of the anti skid paint! I hope to simulate this with the two Vallejo colors I chose. 


I have used everything I have learned, mostly from reading forums over the last several years in this project. I am pretty excited that I've been able to produce work of this quality.

Here are a series of progress shots, look forward to your feedback:

[Dksw]

Good evening,
I have been reading weekend update threads for years but I'm not sure I have ever had anything to contribute. This is my first super detail and custom paint locomotive project in more than 20 years and since switching from HO scale to N scale!  Apparently I waited too long since intermountain just announced this exact locomotive in factory paint last week!

This unit will be GEXR 3393.  I used BLMA detail parts almost exclusively except for a miniatures by Eric horn.  The dome shaped 48 inch fan came from an atlas SD18 shell.  The ditch lights I handmade using a method I found on the forum somewhere using styrene strip and rod.  One of the best things I did was try using number #83 drill bits.  It makes a huge difference for the fit and finish of grab irons and lift rings vs a #80 drill bit.

For paint I used Tru color G&W orange, Vallejo panzer dark gray for the roof and Vallejo NATO black for the anti-slip paint on the nose. This is the first time I have ever used Tru-Color and I don't think I have ever achieved a better paint finish. I hope to spray some G&W yellow tomorrow.

I snapped a pic at work of the roof of this unit to figure out the horn location and air line, and until I looked at the picture later on I never realized there was two tone black on the roof because of the anti skid paint! I hope to simulate this with the two Vallejo colors I chose. 
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

I have used everything I have learned, mostly from reading forums over the last several years in this project. I am pretty excited that I've been able to produce work of this quality.

Here are a series of progress shots, look forward to your feedback:
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Wutter]

Tried to do that a while back, got the units all painted, applied one side of the decals, had some minor disintegration of the decal on one side, but was able to salvage it, the 2nd side was a total disaster, could not get either of that side on without major disintegration. and then Microscale discontinued the 2 Metra/RTA  sets due to licensing issues, so now all I have is one Lifelike that I had done a long time ago with an older, more robustly made decal set. Very nice job! Are those the Shapeways plows???
Rick

Haha funny you mention that, the decal set I had must have been at least 15 years old because the original price on them was $2.50 and they came in the blue envelope. When I was first putting down the large hockey stick stripe up to the roof, it completely fell apart on me and was not salvageable at all.  I ended up coating all the remaining decal sheets I had in a few light coats of Future so they would hold together, at least until they were completely down on the model.

And yes, the plows shown are the ones I have available from my shop (link in signature). They're actually the 3rd rendition of the plows as I've been tweaking it a little to get the compound curves a little more accurate.

[nkalanaga]

Jason:  In my opinion, the easiest solution for couplers would be to design it to use the McHenrys that come with the car.  They'll have to be removed from the trucks anyway.

With 3D printing, it shouldn't be hard to design the box to hold MT 1015s as well, so those who don't like the McHenrys can use what seems to be the "standard" coupler for conversions.  A McHenry box will also take Accumates, if anyone has a few spares.

That way you have hit all three options with one part.

[wcfn100]

Jason:  In my opinion, the easiest solution for couplers would be to design it to use the McHenrys that come with the car.  They'll have to be removed from the trucks anyway.

Yeah, that's what I decided to do.  I'll have to experiment with the box a bit because copying the coupler box make the draft gear way too huge. 



Jason

[nkalanaga]

There is no way to make the box much smaller than 3/32 by 3/16 inch, which is also the size of a 1025 draft gear box.  Yours looks fine, and is still thinner than the 1015 MT box.  The only thing I might suggest is narrowing the portion behind the coupler to match the center sill, then adding the sill portion between the draft gear and the bolster, to eliminate a possible visual gap there.

I've been making my own extended draft gear, for Accumates, from Evergreen styrene, two 0.015x3/16 strips for top and bottom, two 0.015x0.060 for the sides, between the top and bottom, and a piece of 0.060 rod for the pivot. 

It works fine, is about the size of a 1025 box, or the ESM X58 draft gear, and can be made in long strips, as channel.  Cut too length, drill the hole for the rod, cut a piece of strip for the top, with a matching hole, and you're set.  Glue the rod into the channel, sand the top smooth after everything is dry, and glue to the car.  Put the coupler in place, very carefully glue the cover plate over the rod, and cut the rod off flush when that's dry.

Paint the inside black before installing the coupler if you don't want a white draft gear box showing!

MT could easily make either the 1015 or the 1025 in an extended version, just by casting extra plastic onto the back, and redesigning the cover plate to have a press-fit pin that goes into the screw hole.  That way no screw shows, and the rear can be screwed to the floor.  I would be very easy to use the 1015 coupler and screw the thing to the rear 1027 floor hole.Modelers could cut and drill as needed to fit other models.

[johnb]

[John]

Playing around with signaling

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/2z6oT4auc2o6MpNbghImYAA1AyIzANPJ0CvVgnb2BWX?v=grid&ref_=cd_ph_share_link_copy

[C855B]

Playing around with signaling

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/2z6oT4auc2o6MpNbghImYAA1AyIzANPJ0CvVgnb2BWX?v=grid&ref_=cd_ph_share_link_copy

Any clues as to what is causing the "blips" in the indications? Are you using the Digitrax logic straight out of the box... or JMRI?

[John]

Not sure whats doing that ..  I'm using the CATS logic through JMRI (because I can't get the JMRI native panels to work the way I want) .. to drive SE8Cs .. I suspect its sensor logic

[SD452XR]

Completed two NP SD45's  NP 3604 and NP 3605.

Steve

[wazzou]

Nice job.  Needs more windows though.