Weekend Update 10/15/17

[central.vermont]

Jason,
what I have done in the past is to break them off deliberately and them sand them down. Once you have them at the thickness or thinness you like then just glue them back on. Worked quite well for me.
Jon
 

[johnb]

Jon, you are getting flagged for having malware, here is the warning that I got...


Malicious website blocked!

www.cgwmodeler.com

This website may be dangerous, and it is recommended that you do not continue. For your protection, this site has been blocked.

This detailed report explains the security risks on this site

[mu26aeh]

Only thing accomplished today was getting handrails installed on my @randgust CF7 build.  Now to figure out paint for it.  If all goes well, I might get another kit, if available, and do sister unit #1504.

[wcfn100]

Jon, you are getting flagged for having malware, here is the warning that I got...


Malicious website blocked!

www.cgwmodeler.com

This website may be dangerous, and it is recommended that you do not continue. For your protection, this site has been blocked.

This detailed report explains the security risks on this site

That's my website.  I had issues with an old version of a CMS but that was removed a while ago.  I have no current issues with the site AFAIK, maybe you need to clear your cache.

Jason

[mu26aeh]

That's my website.  I had issues with an old version of a CMS but that was removed a while ago.  I have no current issues with the site AFAIK, maybe you need to clear your cache.

Jason

I don't get anything when I go to the website, but clicking on any of the links gives a 404: pageNot found  from hostGator

[wcfn100]

I don't get anything when I go to the website, but clicking on any of the links gives a 404: pageNot found  from hostGator

Yeah, I gutted the site because I don't use it enough to maintain a CMS (Joomla in this case) and got tired of chasing the security issues.  Some day when days are 36 hours long, I'm hoping to get it redone.


Jason

[robert3985]

Jason,
what I have done in the past is to break them off deliberately and them sand them down. Once you have them at the thickness or thinness you like then just glue them back on. Worked quite well for me.
Jon
 

First, ya need to know how thick the F-Units' stirrups really were.  Sanding them to the thickness or thinness you "like" doesn't mean they're gonna look prototypical. To help out, here's a photo of the real deal that gives you an idea of how thick these really were:

Photo (1) - UP F-Units in Echo Canyon:


What I do with my Kato E's and F's is file the leading and trailing edges of the stirrups at an acute angle, leaving an appropriate "flat" on both edges that's the thickness of the prototype's scaled down.  This technique retains most of the durability of the stock stirrups, makes them look much thinner from most viewing and photography angles, and is quick to do.  They also stay even with the outside surface of the engine as per the prototype.

I agree that the GMM stirrups are way too thin, and to me, my treatment looks better even though the inside hole edges retain their thick look.  I'm thinking of painting the inside edges black to minimize that look, but I haven't done it yet.

I don't have any "stirrup specific" photos, but here are a couple that illustrate the stirrups on Kato F's don't look overtly "thick" using my angling technique...

Photo (1) - Superdetailed and painted Kato F-3's at the 1000 Mile Tree Monument in Wilhemina Pass on my old Ntrak module:


Photo (2) - Same Kato F-3 illustrating how much thinner the outside edges look than the stock inside edges:


This works for me and it's easy, looks pretty good (if you can discount the inside edges) and a vast improvement over doing nothing.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Mark W]

Next weekend will debut the new yard and lead extension modules at the Beatrice Model Train show here in Nebraska.  Here's the last module, awaiting almost 2 scale miles of track. 



But before we get to that, decided to take a break and play with some slightly bigger trains out in Goehner, NE on the Chippewa Northwestern








Back home and the last new module is now functional!  Added bonus, the fuel siding now has enough length for the blade train!


We'll get a base coat of paint to cover up the pink, and may even get some ballast in the yard before Friday.

[Bendtracker1]

Oh goodie, can't wait!

[rochsub]

Progress on the Des Plaines River bridge. The graffiti looks like it was all painted list night.  Busy taggers!  Definitely need some weathering.

[badlandnp]

Built my first pair of freehand switches. Have used the Fast trax stuff to do #6 switches, and figured it was time to try the glass plate method. So, printed out the template for them. Taped it to the bottom of a bit of glass, lined up a piece of double sided scotch tape along the rails and laid on the PC ties.
I used the Fast trax #6 filing jigs as a starting point, then did some more filing freehand to get the profiles for the frog and points better profiled. Then soldered away.

[robert3985]

Built my first pair of freehand switches. Have used the Fast trax stuff to do #6 switches, and figured it was time to try the glass plate method. So, printed out the template for them. Taped it to the bottom of a bit of glass, lined up a piece of double sided scotch tape along the rails and laid on the PC ties.
I used the Fast trax #6 filing jigs as a starting point, then did some more filing freehand to get the profiles for the frog and points better profiled. Then soldered away.

Excellent!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[delamaize]

Went to Chilliwack BC this weekend with MRNS for their train show. Ran the new Challenger. Pretty happy with it.

[GhengisKong]

Thought about that but was concerned it would be too rounded because you'd need a fair amount of paint.  Do you have a pic?


Jason

This is just 3 passes with Tamiya semi-gloss black and a brush over a baked-on airbrushed enamel primer. I still need to make a few more passes, but they don't really round out.  [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[mightypurdue22]

Working on ballasting and weathering the grain elevator / yard (before pic).  Toying with the idea of adding track-side loading for a barge/tug boat combo.  Thus the presence of the bridge truss in the bottom left corner.  A couple of temp overpasses provide a bigger city feel.  Progress continues...