Weekend Update 4/19/20

[chicken45]

A few questions about the brick, if I may:
Is this brick sheet?  If so, from whom?  How well do the bricks scale?

Did you do the cuts on a Silhouette or similar?

https://thenarch.com/
This is a kit, but they sell sheets of different bonds. 

[samusi01]

Samusi01:  I don't remember ever seeing one of those in Pasco, but it does answer my question of when such containers were developed.  I have some kitbashed 20' flats for my 1974 narrow gauge, and have long wondered if anybody had them earlier.

In my composite image, the upper left one appears in, amongst other publications,  Jane's Freight Containers 1970-71. The top center and right images are from N. P. publications pre-merger... there are a surprising number of flat racks, bulk containers, and tank containers floating around by 1970. Most of what I've seen are ISO but there are non-ISO still remaining.

In the N. P. wheel reports I have, the vast majority of the flatbeds and most of the open-top are either N. P. or other railroads, with a few XTRA thrown in. All the Sea-Land traffic recorded are conventional dry vans, no reefers, flats, tanks, or open top are recorded.

Sam

[Kentuckian]

Lovin’ me some tenders. I’m experimenting with wheels wipers, but results are mixed for six wheel trucks.

[jereising]

Hidden Oakville:

Heavily processed shots showing first arrival to the right and departure to the left



A better shot of the departure yard:



And finally the departure area from the outside.  The plywood on the left is the base for the Caliente Post office and building to the west.  You are seeing the first train out on each track; there are two trains per track (excepting the one on the left which is the 112 car earthworm).

[arbomambo]

Westbound Super Chief meets an eastbound SFRD reefer block...
Having a little photo fun on the Southwest crossover module while I assemble the parts for a new T-TRAK single.
I’m at a small impasse with finishing the crossover double - I want/need to add signals to protect the crossover but I can’t make up my mind which ATSF prototype I want...
Regular signal bridge? (Single target)
Cantilever signal bridge? (Single target)
Semaphores?
Semaphores on a signal bridge?

[daniel_leavitt2000]

https://publicdomainflix.com/last-clear-chance-1959_fd1441065.html

I am 100% sure this was on MST3K.

[wcfn100]

I am 100% sure this was on MST3K.

Jason

[Mark W]

I had to take a few steps back on the CalTrain MP36.

Here's where I left off.  Unfortunately I discovered that the red and black strip along the top were both too thick and running about 1.5mm too low!  I asked @RBrodzinsky if he could measure the logo on his Kobo unit, and he confirmed that once my decals arrive, they would not fit in the space I allowed.


https://i.imgur.com/bbW64Fa.jpg


Not to worry.  After a few days of dreading, I picked up the washi tape and went back to work.   Here's the result, all ready for decals! 


https://i.imgur.com/NY1KqHQ.jpg

Decals were supposed to arrive yesterday.  I guess I won't be finishing this over the weekend like I hoped.  Oh well, plenty of other projects to tend to!

[nkalanaga]

Sam:  Thank you.  I knew that flatbed trailers were common in piggyback service, and that both the GN and NP owned them.  But that flat/bulkhead containers were that common is new to me.  Interesting.  I wonder if the reason I didn't notice them was that most were on chassis, and I just classed them as "odd truck trailers"?

Mark:  Not all of the early center-pivot systems were arched.  Some used "truss rods", with straight trusses, and extended frames to hold the rods away from the truss.  If you can find a picture of one of those, it wouldn't be hard to add to your model, and would make it look even better.  As is, I like it, and don't remember ever seeing a model of one before.

[nickelplate759]

Here's my first URTX-NKP reefer:


And behind NKP 646:



Two more are in the lettering shop.    I used K4S decals, Tru-Color paint (Reefer Yellow, Oxide Brown, Weathered Black) on a Micro-Trains reefer.
Body-mount couplers and Micro-Trains metal wheelsets.

K4S decals were new to me.  They go on very nicely with a nice thin film that doesn't tear. Stands up to Solvaset OK too.  Printing is decent but not quite as crisp as Micro-Scale in small sizes.

Here's a builder's photo of the real thing:

[wm3798]

Homely old girl gets nose job.

[spookshow]

Not all of the early center-pivot systems were arched.  Some used "truss rods", with straight trusses, and extended frames to hold the rods away from the truss.

You mean like this?



Thanks,
-Mark

[randgust]

Finally get back to my 'doing it on the cheap' FP9ARM's to do a model of Texas State Railroad 125.   Shells are old Model Power FP7's, in the Close Enough for Me department.   The real visual changes are in the massive HEP housing and cooling fan system on the rear of these.   

Closer study of the pair I'm modeling discovered that the 6308 had 36" fans and the 6302 has 48", and it's amazing the variance between the two.  As I'm keeping one and one is a gift to my friend, both are done on the 6308 basis.

I like the cast metal shells, right up until I had to drill a whole lot of holes in them for more handrail detail to come!

[u18b]

Finally completed the third CSX GP39-2.
I've been taking stock Atlas models and patching them for CSX.

This is what I was after.  I saved this one for last because I knew it would be the trickiest.
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photos/GP39-2/4303glf.jpg

Basic procedure was to do a thin coating of white to age the stock paint.   Then paint over the G herald with paint closer to stock.  I knew I would need to make a stencil.

I went into this thinking it did not need to be perfect.  Looking at these Guilford GP39-2s showed that what CSX employees did was pretty haphazard.

I measured the G with my caliper.   Microscale decals were not the same size as the Atlas model.  So I photographed the model.  Imported into Corel Draw and then made the G the same size as the model.  The red line was my 11.23 mm reference line.  Printed out the page- as shown here.



Laid down some very sticky masking tape.


Then secured my paper printout.  Used a knife to cut around the G.  Since I want to be sure and completely cover the white, I went a little extra.







I then mixed up some paint (didn't have any guilford paint).  Basically mixed rail brown and black until it looked "about right."

I should have taken a photo of the first painting.  But here is the second.  The white G on the model is showing through.  I was able to used the stencil twice.   This side is the hardest because of the blower duct.


I then weathered and finished the whole model.



Now all three are complete.
Here is a parting shot of the trio.

[robert3985]

Westbound Super Chief meets an eastbound SFRD reefer block...
Having a little photo fun on the Southwest crossover module while I assemble the parts for a new T-TRAK single.
I’m at a small impasse with finishing the crossover double - I want/need to add signals to protect the crossover but I can’t make up my mind which ATSF prototype I want...
Regular signal bridge? (Single target)
Cantilever signal bridge? (Single target)
Semaphores?
Semaphores on a signal bridge?

@arbomambo ... Most iconic...SF style cantilever signal bridge (single target)

Most difficult, but most enviable...Semaphores on a signal bridge...especially if you can get them to work!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore