Weekend Update 5/7/23

[up1950s]

https://www.steamlocomotive.com/places/frisco/

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/pop-up-metro-ready-to-demonstrate-the-first-battery-powered-train-in-north-america-171035.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kb5wk/48673865038

https://enchantingtexas.com/best-railroad-museums-in-texas/

https://restaurantguru.com/Olrailroadcafe-Rosenberg-2#gallery

https://www.radiomuseum.org/museum/usa/museum-of-the-american-railroad-frisco/

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/apr/06/opinion-randy-mccrory-rogers-affected-by-frisco/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/11581147@N06/4464997887

https://www.route66news.com/2017/05/08/photo-deck-dedicated-ship-frisco-trestle/

https://oklahomarailwaymuseum.org/exhibits/frisco-649-caboose/

https://www.scenicusa.net/052011.html

[haasmarc]

I have wanted some Reading Taylor caboose trucks for a long time and I was trying to hunt down some plans.  Well, it turns out I had some plans all along.

So, I drew up this:



And printed these:





I really love my Phrozen Mini 8k.

[peteski]

Wow, that's great Marc!
Is that a Life-Like or Bachmann caboose?

[haasmarc]

Thanks peteski!

It's a Bachmann.

Now I need to light the caboose marker lights I did awhile back.

[Dave V]

It's not often you can find good deals on HOn3 brass on eBay anymore, but somehow this little gem was available and embarrassingly inexpensive, especially given that the engine has two decoders (a DZ125 in the boiler and a TSU750 for sound in the tender), a working backup light (RGS 42 didn't have one, but still), and illuminated marker lamps. Perhaps more importantly, the original motor had been replaced with a Sagami can motor.

The tender's not quite right. Besides the aforementioned backup light, it's much taller than 42's tender. The word on the street is that Key took a shortcut when importing their RGS 42 by using the tender they'd already imported for D&RGW C-18 #319. But, that's not a hill for me to die on. The locomotive itself is correct for 42, a C-17 whose driver spacing, dome spacing, and the connecting axle for the drive rod are different than the ubiquitous Blackstone C-19s.



I plan to re-letter it to make the RGS logo more centered in the vertical. I'll also add the "Defense Supplies Corporation" stencils per photos taken in 1942 in Rico. Then--of course--it has a date with an airbrush for some RGS-style weathering.



Here's the sound. It's no Tsunami2 or TCS Wow but it's good enough for me!

Now that I have an actual brass model of RGS 42, I can retire the stand-in I've been using, a Blackstone Class 70 (C-19) that I relettered. Blackstone engines are now worth their weight in gold and I'm a proud recycler, so this engine will get its round number plate back and find itself lettered as Silverton Northern #4. The real Silverton Northern #4 was about the size of a C-19, but like the C-17 and C-18 classes, had its drive rod connected to the third driver. But that's hardly going to keep me awake at night!

[u18b]

Work slowly progressing on the next Milw Road EP-2.

This one will have a 4 bulb headlight.   I was REALLY hard to make.
Will be glad when this one is done.

[NtheBasement]

I have wanted some Reading Taylor caboose trucks for a long time and I was trying to hunt down some plans.  Well, it turns out I had some plans all along.

So, I drew up this:



...

I really love my Phrozen Mini 8k.

Kudos on your CAD capabilities!  Far harder to come by than the printer.

[chessie system fan]

Marc, I'm impressed the brake shoes printed so well.  What was your print angle?

Recently, I was gifted this (slightly dusty) custom SD45 by the family of a modeling friend who now has dementia. 



I suspect my modeling friend bought it somewhere and didn't create this himself, but whoever did it did a good job with what they had.  The paint and decaling looks nice.  Interestingly, it's on a Con Cor C-636 chassis--note the trucks.  If it has Microscale decals, I'm guessing this model dates from the '80s.

http://spookshow.net/loco/ccsd.html
http://spookshow.net/loco/c636.html

I had very low expectations when I put it on the track, but it actually runs! It actually runs surprisingly well.  It's not jerky at all.

[chuck geiger]

Sculptamold and Plaster Cloth arrived and the fun begins...Negative space added to negative space works. The hill works perfect to break up the scene.
I was able to disguise the runaround loop in the back. Now to figure out the road and creek how it will go through or end at the divider.

[u18b]

Headlights installed.

4 lenses.  And a cover glass- like the prototype.






As a comparison, here is the three bulb configuration.

 

[Olivani]

Headlights installed.

4 lenses.  And a cover glass- like the prototype.

Wow, bloody hell, that's crazy. Looks perfect ! Well done.

Oliver

[haasmarc]

Marc, I'm impressed the brake shoes printed so well.  What was your print angle?

I printed them flat but up on supports.

I placed the brake shoes back so they are next to the wheels instead of right behind the sideframe like most trucks.  3D printing lets you do that easily where as injection molding would make that difficult without separate pieces for the brake shoes.  I was really surprised that the holes in the brake shoes printed.

 

[C855B]

And printed these:

Crazy good. Just crazy good. Wow.

[up1950s]

Sculptamold and Plaster Cloth arrived and the fun begins...Negative space added to negative space works. The hill works perfect to break up the scene.
I was able to disguise the runaround loop in the back. Now to figure out the road and creek how it will go through or end at the divider.

Looks like the cloth holes may be an early data entry tape .

[nkalanaga]

Richie:  That was my first thought.  They looked too random for just "plaster cloth".  I'd love to have a roll just to see what the repeat distance is.  If it's more than a few inches someone spent a lot of time making the "punch roller", when a basic repeating patter would seem to work just as well.

Aaron:  I'm glad you got a good!  I had a CC C636, bought new way back when, that never did run well enough to use.  I even tried wiring it to a Minitrix F-unit, and it still wouldn't run right.  Disappointing, because the combination was rare, but prototypical, on the 1970s BN.