Weekend Update 3/15/20

[up1950s]

http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2017/12/flat-freight-cars.html

https://nara.getarchive.net/media/interphase-transformer-from-westinghouse-loaded-on-train-flat-car-photograph-415445

https://www.gettyimages.ae/detail/news-photo/group-of-men-sitting-on-top-of-railroad-flatbed-car-loaded-news-photo/1139715602

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/tractors-on-a-flatcar

http://www.protoloads.com/shop/

[hegstad1]

Spent the week continuing to work on the NP Transport Garage/Boiler house

[Cajonpassfan]

Nice!
I spent some time this week on my LA backdrops: HYDRIL buildings and Dogtown. More on my LA Division layout engineering thread.
Otto K.

[bdennis]

Finally got some time to do some work on my JMRI panel.

White is unoccupied, red is occupied.

[boisecity]

Very impressive Brendan.  All on one screen?

JohnF

[rochsub]

The River Forest Metra station on the UPRR Geneva Subdivision

[Erik W]

I've applied all the decals to my HOn3 Precision Scale Co D&RGW caboose.  I used the San Juan Decals that came with the kit for everything but the flying grande herald.  The crispness of the herald on the decals supplied wasn't as good as left overs I had from the San Juan Decals set for a 6500 series flatcar, so I used those instead. 

Decaling has got to be my all time favorite part of modeling.  I just really enjoy the process and trying to get everything perfect.  So, for me, it's not about just slapping them on.  I take endless methodical measurements with my digital calipers and make sure everything is even, level, and symmetrical.  The other thing I'm a stickler about is making sure the edge of the decal is invisible.  The San Juan decals are on very thin film, so it's fairly simple with these.  A couple of builds ago I tried what many military modelers use as a gloss coat, the current iteration of Future Floor Wax.  Same formula, now known a Pledge Revive It (last photo below).  I LOVE this stuff.  I use it straight from the bottle, no thinning.  It's very easy to airbrush.  I applied several medium thick coats to prep the model for decaling.  Applied the decals using Microset and then Microsol.  Cleaned with Q-tips dipped in warm water.  And lastly, and this is really important, applied another covering of gloss.  I do this in repeated light coats, constantly checking to see if the decal edges are still visible.  Keep repeating until they're almost invisible.  It's not really obvious in the photos, but this is glossy enough that you can see the reflection of the side grab irons on the caboose body.  Now on to weathering . . .











Erik

[Bill H]

The River Forest Metra station on the UPRR Geneva Subdivision

Daryl:
Wow, can't wait to see that update next op session. More free time has definitely impacted an already great layout.

Kind regards,
Bill

[bman]

I've applied all the decals to my HOn3 Precision Scale Co D&RGW caboose.  I used the San Juan Decals that came with the kit for everything but the flying grande herald.  The crispness of the herald on the decals supplied wasn't as good as left overs I had from the San Juan Decals set for a 6500 series flatcar, so I used those instead. 

Decaling has got to be my all time favorite part of modeling.  I just really enjoy the process and trying to get everything perfect.  So, for me, it's not about just slapping them on.  I take endless methodical measurements with my digital calipers and make sure everything is even, level, and symmetrical.  The other thing I'm a stickler about is making sure the edge of the decal is invisible.  The San Juan decals are on very thin film, so it's fairly simple with these.  A couple of builds ago I tried what many military modelers use as a gloss coat, the current iteration of Future Floor Wax.  Same formula, now known a Pledge Revive It (last photo below).  I LOVE this stuff.  I use it straight from the bottle, no thinning.  It's very easy to airbrush.  I applied several medium thick coats to prep the model for decaling.  Applied the decals using Microset and then Microsol.  Cleaned with Q-tips dipped in warm water.  And lastly, and this is really important, applied another covering of gloss.  I do this in repeated light coats, constantly checking to see if the decal edges are still visible.  Keep repeating until they're almost invisible.  It's not really obvious in the photos, but this is glossy enough that you can see the reflection of the side grab irons on the caboose body.  Now on to weathering . . .

Erik

Very nice. Meanwhile every freight car or model car I've tried airbrushing Future or it's present day equivalent (it seems the name changes every few years) comes out horrible. Maybe I should try my son's dual action airbrush. I did dip the canopies of a couple of helicopter models I worked on for table top gaming into a cup of Future and let them drip dry. They came out amazing.  So there may still be hope for me and Future yet.

[dem34]

Here it is with as far as I can go without massive shell modification. Overall I'm okay with it considering its the first time I've attempted to use decals on a locomtive.

[Kentuckian]

Many loco projects are on the bench but a vehicle order came in and I wanted to build another farm truck.
Inspiration:
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Cajonpassfan]

Daryl, that looks just great!
Erik, the caboose looks wonderful, but in N scale, I’d worry about all those extra coats hiding detail? Thoughts? I do want to try it on my next decaling project.
I’m moving along on my LA staging yards backdrops, still more work, but coming together, see below. The white blob is the future US Post Office Annex.
More in my LA Division layout thread.
Otto K. [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Erik W]

bman,

Interesting.  You might want to play around with it for a bit.  I'm spraying it exactly as I do Model Master acrylic paints.   Same air pressure.  Airbush held about 2 inches from the model.  That said, it seemed absurd when I first heard of using this stuff for a gloss coat.  For my last project, a 1/350 scale ship, and this one, I painted a scrap piece of styrene the model color, and then tested the gloss on the scrap . . . before I ever let the airbrush near the real model.   

Cajonpassfan,

I'm big into lots of light coats when I use the airbrush.  Feels like I minimize my chances of accidentally glopping it on too thick.  My first project with the gloss wax was a 1/350 scale tugboat and buoy.  Both had decals, so both got the gloss coats added beforehand and then after they were decaled.  You can see below that those multiple coats and final mat coat didn't hide any of the detail.  If it works for 1/350 scale, should also do the trick for 1/160!  Like I said above though, being new to you, best to test it out first beforehand.

1/350 scale tugboat https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49180112336_23c5412807_b.jpg and 1/350 scale buoy  https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49259773081_1951b55ca6_b.jpg

Erik

[MK]

Whaaaaat???  They look insanely detailed at that scale!!!   

Are they scratch or kit built?

[Cajonpassfan]

Thanks Erik. 🙀🙀🙀