Weekend Update 7/11/21

[craigolio1]

I was very productive in the paint shop yesterday.

[John]

Added some crap to the details stash

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Still a work in progress, but the power distribution board for the first interlocking on the layout is coming along.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[GaryHinshaw]

^ Channeling @BCR 570 I see.

Gary, if there's any chance of making that Maxi-IV end platform available to the rest of us I'd be in for quite a few for my fleet.

I don't really have the bandwidth to make printed parts available, but I'm happy to make the .stl files and/or the sliced printer files available to anyone who wants to print their own.  PM me if you're interested and I can provide details.

Gosh Gary, these look amazing. Even though I know how painful it is to decal a full five-car set of wells, your print that allows a body mounted coupler and improved details still makes me think a full repaint and decal job would be worth it. Hopefully it won't come to that and a subtle paint / weather job will blend the replacement part in well enough.

Oh, I'm not worried about matching the factory paint on the wells (in fact the Kato parts I'm replacing don't match the well colour at all).  I was mainly referring to painting the steel walkways: do I paint them first and mask, or vice versa?  That experiment will likely start today.

This is a gorgeous diesel @SAH!

[peteski]

Added some crap to the details stash

So John, you painted some portable Johns?  Good job! 
BTW, I've heard that there is a shortage of portable porta-potties in the 1:1 world.  We sure live in some "interesting" times.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

^ Channeling @BCR 570 I see.

Trying to, anyway. If I can get to 80% of his level I'll feel like a rockstar.

[John]

I picked up this SQ-11 camera last year for about $20.  It's OK .
.
The first couple of times I used it taped to an old Atlas flat car .. which didn't work very well .. too high and the center of gravity was off ..

I found a file on Thingiverse for a camera car and printed it up.  https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2954189It works well once I added a couple of old trucks ..   

The car is too wide for a Kato single track bridge -- measuring about 15 scale feet from side to side at its widest .. the Kato bridge won't clear the car without catching.  Will need to either modify the print file, or just trim off some on the sides .. probably do the latter

[ednadolski]

Next up is to figure out how to paint it without too much pain...

I found it handy to at least prime them before cutting them off from the supports.

Ed

[Point353]

I picked up this SQ-11 camera last year for about $20.  It's OK .
.
The first couple of times I used it taped to an old Atlas flat car .. which didn't work very well .. too high and the center of gravity was off ..

I found a file on Thingiverse for a camera car and printed it up.  https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2954189It works well once I added a couple of old trucks ..   

The car is too wide for a Kato single track bridge -- measuring about 15 scale feet from side to side at its widest .. the Kato bridge won't clear the car without catching.  Will need to either modify the print file, or just trim off some on the sides .. probably do the latter

Have you tried one of the Micro-Trains depressed center flat cars?

[SAH]

This is a gorgeous diesel @SAH!

Thank you Gary.  Since I don't usually get such a close up view of my models, the first thing I thought was "Oh man, someone didn't take the time to make wire railings!"    It looks fine at layout viewing level, which is chest high.  And the 208 runs REAL sweet with an Atlas RS1 chassis beneath it, so I'm good for now.

[mark.hinds]

Acquired a couple of second-run BLI P70s, these with Futura lettering and installed Keystone Details steps and coupler pocket to achieve closer coupling.  Much better looking and no problems on the curves.  I used MT 1015 couplers. 

(images removed to avoid thread duplication)

Those look pretty good. 

[Pomperaugrr]

This weekend, I started working on converting an N scale RS3 into an RS3M, as there is no commercially available RS3M in N scale.  The only other one I have seen is the CR one Ed made, which shows up on the banner occasionally.

The Housatonic RR has an RS3M #9935 (Currently stored out of service). I am attempting to replicate it for my Housatonic layout. These shots show the original shell, my modifications and a reference photo of the #9935. It still needs more body work, details, paint and decals but I am happy with the progress so far. I have installed a decoder, and will attempt to add a sound decoder some day, although there is not much room inside for a speaker without a lot of milling.

[Jesse6669]

Finished up decals and added some weathering to the BKTY 154675 (N scale).  This is a former Texas-Mexican PS 5344 cu ft boxcar that has gone around the block a few times with several owners.  Model is a Fox Valley Golden West box stripped and repainted.  It may need a little more weathering but looks good enough for now..
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Also working on a T-scale 89' autorack.  This will have etched brass roof and sides applied on a 3D printed core.  I have been experimenting with etched boxcar doors and this is the next evolutionary step.  This is the core.  It isn't very detailed since the sides/roof will be applied--although painted and decorated it would probably be ok anyway at 1:450.
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[John]

Have you tried one of the Micro-Trains depressed center flat cars?

No .. good idea though .. but hey, this is more fun

[TiogaTracks]

Wow, with all the superb models in this thread this week, digging in the dirt seems unworthy.  But that’s what I did.  Wellsboro Junction is finally graded, and just needs to be tamped before this space starts to look like an actual railroad.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

At least I can feel proud of how the bridge looks.

-Steven