Weekend Update 4/5/20

[bdennis]

Carpet update..
Found some spare carpet off cuts in the shed out the back.
Managed to play a good game of jigsaw.. and covered the floor up to the skirting edge.

Once this COVID-19 crap is over, then I will go and get some second hand office carpet tiles and replace what is there now.



Also see here http://dh2ndsub.blogspot.com/

[Sharky_McSharknose]

Here's some weathering I've done to a Atlas B40-8, including a mostly stock version in one picture for comparison. I'm not happy with how the paint on the molded-on nose grabs look, but otherwise I think I did OK for what is my second weathering attempt.


>

[altohorn25]

Bruce,

Tell us more about the twin beam headlights on those Santa Fe Fs.

Ron,

Not trying to hijack Bruce's post, but you can get metal inserts for those twin beam headlights via Ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/TWIN-BEAM-HEADLIGHT-PLATE-F-E-UNITS-KATO-INTERMOUNTAIN-N-SCALE-KV-MODELS-KV-102N/202135663889?hash=item2f10397511:g:yAQAAOSwPCVX3vft

[arbomambo]

Bruce,

Tell us more about the twin beam headlights on those Santa Fe Fs.

Ron,
they are a part of a detail set produced by Kato’s Kobo Shops a couple of years ago.
They were designed to modernize the Kato Union Pacific E9 units to look like the modern excursion units.
They included 3D printed UP-Style snowshields, MU hoses, non-operating ditchlight housings, non-operating rotary beacon, 5 chime horn with mounting bracket, and these headlight inserts. They came pre-painted and ready to glue. But they were pricey.
Each set had enough parts to detail an A-B-A UP E9 set ( two headlight inserts).
I bought two sets, just to use the snowshields, since my UP E units represent my 1957 modeled era.
The headlight inserts came in handy for these ATSF freight units.

[MK]

Here's some weathering I've done to a Atlas B40-8, including a mostly stock version in one picture for comparison. I'm not happy with how the paint on the molded-on nose grabs look, but otherwise I think I did OK for what is my second weathering attempt.

Sharky, that's a pretty damn good job for an second attempt!  I really like it!

[thomasjmdavis]

Ron,
they are a part of a detail set produced by Kato’s Kobo Shops a couple of years ago....

Another option for twin beam headlights (if you don't need the whole Kato kit) is made by KV Models- http://kvmodels.com/kv-102n/

[superchief]

Bruce,
   Love the F units!!!!! you did not say what route you took except to pick up Route 66 in Albuquerque, did you go thru Slaton, TX? they restored the Harvey House there too into a bed and breakfast, great cinnamon rolls!!!!!! The La Posada is awesome stayed there a couple of times, had dinner in the turquoises room. What are the paper interiors your are using for you DPM buildings? they look great! Gordon/ Santa Fe-All the way.

[arbomambo]

Bruce,
   Love the F units!!!!! you did not say what route you took except to pick up Route 66 in Albuquerque, did you go thru Slaton, TX? they restored the Harvey House there too into a bed and breakfast, great cinnamon rolls!!!!!! The La Posada is awesome stayed there a couple of times, had dinner in the turquoises room. What are the paper interiors your are using for you DPM buildings? they look great! Gordon/ Santa Fe-All the way.

Gordon,, then
Yes, we travelled from Ft Worth to Roscoe, Snyder, Post, Slaton, up through Lubbock (had to stop at Taco Villa!), then to Clovis.
Here is the link to Roomettes:
https://roometteslighting.com/

[wm3798]

Sharky, that's a pretty damn good job for an second attempt!  I really like it!

@Sharky_McSharknose , the trick to those molded on grabs is to just skim the color across the top edge of them, using the side of a flat, relatively dry brush.  The camera sees all, but to the eye, it makes the rail look a lot smaller, and provides some separation from the surface it's attached to.

[TimF]

Just wanted to show two of my newest engines on my "Covid-19" diorama...have a nice week!

[CRL]

@Sharky_McSharknose , the trick to those molded on grabs is to just skim the color across the top edge of them, using the side of a flat, relatively dry brush.  The camera sees all, but to the eye, it makes the rail look a lot smaller, and provides some separation from the surface it's attached to.

The dry brush technique is my favorite for highlighting any sort of molded on detail. The lighter the highlight color, the less is needed.

[jpwisc]

Anybody seem a "cattle guard" in N scale?  I guess we could use some roof walk etchings, placed edge-to-edge, but not exactly right.  Still, it might make a nice "easter egg" for people to find.

P.S.  This isn't intended to be a criticism, just another wild idea in my stream of thought.  I up-voted your post because I like your model.

I checked a couple of cattle guards down in SoCal, the grate was actually 90lb rail lined up perpendicular to the road. I’ll see if I can find my pics of it.

[nickelplate759]

Here's P&WV 1053 cosmetically complete.  Still waiting for a socket to hook up the engine to the decoder in the tender.
Most of the work went into detailing the front end, and putting on lots of single decal letters and numerals.

[CRL]

Here in Texas, most cattle guards I’ve seen are made from surplus oil field drill pipe, but I’ve also seen some made from old rail.

[nkalanaga]

I've also seen the "old rail" type, especially in areas where lines have been abandoned.  Cattle guards can be made of anything that can handle the traffic and weather.  They don't even have to have a hole under them, but one has to keep the slots clear if they don't.  And, they don't have to have the slanted sides, just run the fence to a at the cattle-side corner of the guard.  That can limit the width of loads going through, but that can be fixed by using a longer guard, or temporarily removing the posts, if there's a need for wide loads at all.