Weekend Update 3/6/16

[jmarley76]

Working on some cardboard piles and bales this week, I only need a few hundred more of these bales... 

[Cajonpassfan]

Almost done with LIRR #39!

John, that is sweet! Can't wait to see her finished. Very nice!
Otto K.

[tehachapifan]

Those cardboard bales look very, very realistic! Nice work!!

[Lemosteam]

John, that is sweet! Can't wait to see her finished. Very nice!
Otto K.

Thank you Otto!

[bman]

I never post on the work I'm doing on my chassis so I thought I might do one.  Give some idea of what I'm up to.    Especially as I get closer to something ready for prime time.

Spent time at the shop programming and running 60 worms for a twenty-five piece prototype run of the mine loco. Ran excellent. Took two pieces to get the worm dialed in to the final dimension. Three wire measurement of the pitch line holding one tenth. The first two were within spec but the first was about two tenths over then the second was one tenth under the target. Even both of those were well within spec but it's nice to have a machine that holds a tenth all day. Then it was 60 pieces ALL within one tenth. BTW, a tenth is one tenth of one thousandth or .0001". Here are some pics for the extra curious machine lovers. It's REALLY nice to have access to some REALLY nice machines.

What type of mine loco are you building? My father worked for Jeffery and I remember seeing their products when he took me to the plant or an open house they held once a year.  They made a lot of interesting products through the years.

[chicken45]

Almost done with LIRR #39!

That is NICE. What color you gonna paint it? Did the LIRR paint them DGLE?

[Lemosteam]

That is NICE. What color you gonna paint it? Did the LIRR paint them DGLE?

Hard to tell- it had many faces!, bit i am definitely going with the bright face, as i read it was intended to be a slap in the face at the PRR...

https://www.google.com/search?q=lirr+%2339&espv=2&biw=1857&bih=995&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiKvIzH5K7LAhVHdR4KHVJPD-wQ_AUIBygC

[towl1996]

Nice job! Glad to see you filled in the mounting hole on the tender. You see so many of these Minitrix bashes that ignore doing this and it takes away from other wise excellent modeling.

[jmarley76]

Those cardboard bales look very, very realistic! Nice work!!

Thanks! I'm still trying to decide if maybe they need bands and if so what to use...

[wm3798]

That is the genesis of my question...I built a landing and new railings at the end of the landing that match the height of the OEM railing and built the inclined railing from styrene to match the pitch of the OEM railing, but as can be seen in my photos, the diagonal railing at it's top is higher than the railing at the back/bottom of the landing.

This kind of crap bothers me.  How should I address this?

The answer is up at the top landing.  Put an additional vertical post to catch the landing rail, then transition down the steps from there, and call it Christmas.


Lee

[wm3798]

Moving forward with my project in the No New Model Modeling Challenge... (See details in the Weathering and Scratchbuild Forum)
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=38288.0

A little more progress on the lumber shed, I put on the stock roof from the coal mine, but I'm not quite done with it yet.


The whole thing needs paint and some details.  I was a little worried that the building would look too tall, but I think it proportions well with the truck.

The little freight house made some progress too...


I built up the foundation using some sheet stock I had laying around, the walls and platform came from the scrap box.  I haven't settled on what I'm going to use for roofing yet, so that's yet to be added.


The back wall is built up from some scraps of sheet and strip stock that was in stock.  Some corrugated sheet makes the roll up door that's not rolled up.

Also needs paint, details, signs and lighting.

Lee

[Specter3]

So who says I never model?

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Got all but two of these off the RIP track.

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Took the 2-6-0 all the way apart to clean the gears and for the most part fixed the hitch in it's giddy up. Stripped and painted and decalled the two coaches.

[wcfn100]

I went to the Rocky Mountain Toy Train Show yesterday, and didn't get to all I wanted, but did talk to a couple manufacturers.

Intermountain said once again that the SD40-2s have been delayed due to the sound board.  This isn't new news of course, but what is new is that they said the prototype is done and is being tested.  If it passes, than they can go into production.  If I got the story correct, ESU decided that they're aren't doing custom decoders for everyone who comes looking for one.  Instead, they're making a 'universal' decoder that can should be able to be used in many applications.  And what was told to IM as taking a month to finish, ended up being much longer.





In regards to the Flexi-coil trucks, there are people in the IM building, that are trying to see what they can do.  I don't know a percentage of a chance it has, but it's not being ignored. It may not make the first release(s) that need them, but replacements will be offered if they are made down the road.

I also asked if the numbers on the new 2-bay covered hopper were good and they said yes.  It doesn't sound like there will be any issues with this car getting released.


A new manufacure for this show was Lunde Studio's.  Talked to the owner and he showed me his new N scale buildings which looked pretty awesome.  Without mixing words, if there's something you like but haven't bought, do it sooner than later.  Bob's a one mane show and in his 80's.  Hopefully next time I'll get more of a chance to talk, as he was really a nice guy to talk with.








Didn't get a chance to talk with Kato, but did see the new locomotive.





I did stop at the BLI booth.  The M1 haven't shipped yet, but 'soon'.  I reconfirmed that there is another N scale steam project even though it wasn't in the last catalog like I was told last year it would be.  I brought up the n scale wheelsets and how wide the wheel tread is, and that conversation didn't really go anywhere.  I was basically told 'what's the problem?' and that no one has ever said anything about it before.  They did have Rolling Thunder on display.  After seeing and hearing it, I won't comment on it more than saying it didn't do anything for me.  For those who are pining for more lifesize base tones from a 5" model train, maybe this will do it for you, I don't know.  Don't get me wrong, it was definitely neat, but really drove home to me how much sound is a personal thing.



I have a video of the Rolling Thunder on my phone that I need to move to my computer and watch.  I can post it if anyone is interested.

I also talked with Exactrail.  I got on them about their 4427 hoppers and only having two releases.  The opinion I offered to them was that N scale is just so different than HO that they should look at a pre-order system if they are worried about what will sell.  I was told that a new N scale car is coming, maybe something later this year.

Jason

[narrowminded]

What type of mine loco are you building? My father worked for Jeffery and I remember seeing their products when he took me to the plant or an open house they held once a year.  They made a lot of interesting products through the years.

Yes they did!  And that's the type of loco I'm talking about.  Low profile, mine and industrial applications.  I will probably have a Jeffery or two, or three, or... modeled at some point.  Opens up a lot of modelling opportunities for peripheral equipment and rolling stock, too.  It's being fun.   Do you have any old company literature by chance?

[narrowminded]

Thanks! I'm still trying to decide if maybe they need bands and if so what to use...

I did banding on railroad tie bundles using silver sewing thread.  It looks pretty good, is easy, and is easily undone if you don't like it.  Wrap it around and white glue a small overlap.