NKP Berkshire in Revenue Service

[nickelplate759]

Mine runs great and you can get instructions from Bryan at SBS4DCC.com on how to get the Mars light to work. He will also sell you a kit for that.

Got a pointer to the information on the Mars light?  I looked at SBS4DCC and couldn't find it.

[atsf3751]

Got a pointer to the information on the Mars light?  I looked at SBS4DCC and couldn't find it.

I can't find it myself anymore, it was in his tutorial and tips page. I have sent him an email and will post the link when I get it. I did buy the kit from him but I never got around to installing it.

[BruceG]

I should have listened to Max.  (We should always listen to Max!)  The Berk I purchased from TrainWorld appeared to be OK during initial test running, but later developed a problem with the valve gear that I was unable to correct.  Since I'd waited too long to return it to TrainWorld, I sent it to Bachmann and received a replacement in under two weeks.  This one appears to be fine.  It passed all the test runs on the GSMRR Club test loop, and has run well for several hours on the club's layout, pulling a respectable number of cars without any issues.  So it's time to get on with the project.

I blackened the whitewalls of the first loco with a Sharpie.  Since then I saw in an unrelated post (can't find it now) that Sharpie ink is incompatible with matte coatings.  If anyone can elaborate on that, I'd appreciate it.  I don't expect much Dullcoat to hit the drivers or other wheels, but I'd rather err on the side of caution.

Thanks,

Bruce 

[nickelplate759]

 I think that Sharpie issue is that the solvents in Dullcote and similar products will cause it to bleed.    You could just mask off the wheels, rods and valve gear before you spray.

[ncbqguy]

A little history....
The Con-Cor / Rivarossi Berkshire’s were originally tooled br Rowa for MRC (Model Rectifier Corporation).  They were excellent runners and had all-plastic valve gear and rods which tended to work loose from the drivers.  When the tooling was moved to Italy a completely new Rivarossi style mechanism was tooled but with Japanese can motors.
Charlie Vlk

[jdcolombo]

I blackened the whitewalls of the first loco with a Sharpie.  Since then I saw in an unrelated post (can't find it now) that Sharpie ink is incompatible with matte coatings.  If anyone can elaborate on that, I'd appreciate it.  I don't expect much Dullcoat to hit the drivers or other wheels, but I'd rather err on the side of caution.

Thanks,

Bruce

The whitewalls are just white paint.  Take a hobby knife with a new #11 blade, and scrape off the paint.  No more whitewalls.  That's what I did. 

John C.

[peteski]

A little history....
The Con-Cor / Rivarossi Berkshire’s were originally tooled br Rowa for MRC (Model Rectifier Corporation).  They were excellent runners and had all-plastic valve gear and rods which tended to work loose from the drivers.  When the tooling was moved to Italy a completely new Rivarossi style mechanism was tooled but with Japanese can motors.
Charlie Vlk

That is true of course of "that" Berkshire. But this thread ended up being about the Bachmann model (totally unrelated to the Con-Cor/Rivarossi/Rowa/MRC model).  Mechanically they are different models. And then there is the Life-Like (later Walthers) Berkshire. Yet another different model.

Spookshow (Mark) has some good info about all those models.
http://spookshow.net/loco/bach284.html
http://spookshow.net/loco/mrc284.html
http://spookshow.net/loco/ll284.html

[nkalanaga]

Sharpie ink will run if wetted with Dullcote - or Solvaset.  Some colors are worse than others.  Red is terrible, don't even think about trying it.  I've used black for reweigh and lube paint-outs, and it generally doesn't react badly, but a heavy coat of Dullcote can make it bleed a little. 

In your case, a little bleeding probably won't matter, since the idea is to match the already-black drivers, so you're probably safe.

Water-based coatings are fine, brushed or sprayed, over any color of Sharpie.  Modern acrylic paints seem to have a variety of solvents, so I'd say try it on scrap before using one on a model.

[peteski]

In your case, a little bleeding probably won't matter, since the idea is to match the already-black drivers, so you're probably safe.

Unfortunately black Sharpies are not black but very, very dark purple. When the run (due to the solvents in Dullcote) and are applied over white colored rim, it will turn purple. Not very realistic.

[mmagliaro]

Frankly, for metal driver edges, I'd use solvent-based paint if you want this to last and hold up to
handling and wheel cleanings.  (Yeah... the smelly kind like ScaleCoat 1.)

You can scrape that white paint off easily with an Xacto (as already posted).
Then clean the edge well with some alcohol and use a fine brush to paint the edge of the metal tire.
Even if you get a smidge on the wheel tread, you can easily scratch that off after it dries with an Xacto.

I think I'd go with Engine Black (scalecoat).

[nkalanaga]

"Unfortunately black Sharpies are not black but very, very dark purple."

Interesting.  I'll have to remember not to use one on a white car.  It doesn't show on most freight car colors, and they're much handier than paint for reweighs and repack paint-outs.

[peteski]

"Unfortunately black Sharpies are not black but very, very dark purple."

Interesting.  I'll have to remember not to use one on a white car.  It doesn't show on most freight car colors, and they're much handier than paint for reweighs and repack paint-outs.

This is not noticeable unless the ink runs.  Draw a short line on some smooth surface then moisten a paper tower with some alcohol and wipe it over the line.  You will see the paper towel turn purple.

Similar to the black sambuca - it looks black in the bottle, but if you pour it into a narrow glass and shine bright light through the glass, you can see that it is not black but really dark red/purple color. 

[nkalanaga]

"black sambuca"  I had to Google that one.  Since it's made from red/purple grapes, the color isn't surprising. 

That the Sharpie is purple was, as I thought they'd use basic carbon ink.  That's cheap, and dead black.  I wonder what they do use?

[peteski]

"black sambuca"  I had to Google that one.  Since it's made from red/purple grapes, the color isn't surprising. 

That the Sharpie is purple was, as I thought they'd use basic carbon ink.  That's cheap, and dead black.  I wonder what they do use?

No idea what they use, but it is not carbon black for sure.

[nkalanaga]

Probably some kind of dye, rather than a true paint pigment, since even the black is transparent.