Weekend Update 1/30/22

[John]

Started working on Conrail SW1500 9613, which, like all of CR's ex-Reading SW1500s, had small housings on the pilots for MU hoses. I figured this would be a detail worth sweating and also make a fairly simple little project to finally get my feet wet with Tinkercad. I'm pretty happy with how the drawing turned out, I just gotta finally source some screen protectors and I can finally fire up the Mono X.

https://www.amazon.com/Tempered-Anycubic-PJ089Y2V5-TM089CFSP01-Protector/dp/B098NVXSB1


I can print them for you as an add on to one of my jobs if you want while you wait for a screen protector ..

[GonzoCRFan]

I can print them for you as an add on to one of my jobs if you want while you wait for a screen protector ..

John, thanks for the offer, but I already ordered the kindle/ipad protectors mentioned in the video Chris had posted in the 3D section a while back. Hoping they'll be here by the weekend.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I finished the sound install in my Bachmann 44 tonner.
It has a Loksound Nano decoder, Soberton 8x12 speaker and an Iowa Scaled Engineering power keeper.
The headlight and rear light are 0603 LEDs but I put too big of resistor in and they’re kind of dim so I may change them.
I’ll post more detailed information in the DCC forum later.

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Whoa. That is amazing.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I spent some time messing with my SD40-2 fleet this weekend.
I replaced the 1016s with 1015s for slightly saner coupling distances. I'm guessing they used the longer couplers to account for 9.75" radius curves or something, but again, more work to make them a bit better.

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I'm reminded me of the Beatles song "Getting Better".

With enough work these will eventually, I hope, be on par with their price tag.

I'll say this though: at this point I'd have happily have traded free standing grab irons for lower ride height, couplers that didn't stick out like boxing gloves, or a little underframe detail.

[apudelek]

Starting on the renumbering of my Kato GG1.  I have 2 4859s, so my second will become 4879.  Trying to stick with units that are still around today, and only replacing 1 digit for the win!
4879 is apparently owned by the URHS and is stored in NJ, currently painted in the DGLE Single Stripe scheme.

Decaling will come a few days after I have assembled everything I will need to gloss coat at once.

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[bigdawgks]

This weekend I ran a lot of trains on the combined N-trak layout at the Big E show.

Found a few good deals at some of the vendors too.

[John]

Nothing much for me .. just a little work shed

[nkalanaga]

Peteski:  I'll take your word for it, but all of my LED-equipped locos (Fato and Atlas) use separate resistors, and I haven't lost an LED yet, in spite of a lot of flickering.

[thomasjmdavis]

Starting on the renumbering of my Kato GG1.  I have 2 4859s, so my second will become 4879.  Trying to stick with units that are still around today, and only replacing 1 digit for the win!
4879 is apparently owned by the URHS and is stored in NJ, currently painted in the DGLE Single Stripe scheme.

Decaling will come a few days after I have assembled everything I will need to gloss coat at once.

You did a really clean job removing that number. Which of the several methods did you use? 

One of these days, I need to compile a spreadsheet of which removal technique to use with each color lettering over each color paint, cross referenced by manufacturer- as personal experience is that no one method/chemical works universally. And worse, what takes the lettering off one will take the paint off another.

[apudelek]

Thank you, I was rather nervous about accidentally screwing up a gorgeous Kato model.  I used Micro-Sol and a clean eraser.  I didn't sharpen the eraser, but I've heard of people doing that for tighter spots.

I've heard that Mr. Color Thinner is the best for Kato models, but I can never seem to find any, so I bit the bullet with Micro-Sol.
To be fair, I also used Micro-Sol on a Kato 10-6 corrugated sleeper to remove its lettering and I was also successful...

[dem34]

Did a Test Print in N scale. Results… going to throw this onto the Thingiverse as is. I keep getting a warp in the top and I can never seem to get the supports off withought breaking a hefty amount of the end detail. On top of End detail turning out very noodley. May tweak the model around in the future to omit the details and substitute the printed details for Plastic or PE replacements.

[Chris333]

Did a Test Print in N scale. Results… going to throw this onto the Thingiverse as is. I keep getting a warp in the top and I can never seem to get the supports off withought breaking a hefty amount of the end detail. On top of End detail turning out very noodley. May tweak the model around in the future to omit the details and substitute the printed details for Plastic or PE replacements.

Ed needs your help in Z scale.

[dem34]

Ed needs your help in Z scale.

Well it was his comment  about needing hoppers in Z that inspired me to take a shot at it. I just keep forgetting why I despise SLA printing. Such a PITA compared to just popping the finished product off the bed.

[Philip H]

@dem34 - the hopper looks well used.  Pre-weathered if you will.

[NtheBasement]

Those printed details look pretty nice to me.  Great job.