Weekend Update 6/11/23

[robert3985]

Made a 3D model in Sketchup that was water tight after a bit of self-education starting from ground zero last week, which led to the printing of my first N-scale detail parts...a left & right ditch light MU hose assembly for Kato E8/E9's to help turn 'em into modern UP excursion versions.

I designed these to be replacements for the KATO Kobo versions, as they are known to break off very easily and get lost forever.

I'm working on a second version that will be more prototypical with a slightly different bracket, different hose angles, different hoses and ends.

However, as Kobo E9 Excursion Unit replacements, I'm very happy with the results...

Photo (1) - Sketchup screen shot of final 3D model that finally proved to be "water tight"...


Photo (2) - 24 Ditch Light/MU Hoses, zero failures, first printing fresh out of the vat...


Photo (3) - New parts attached to my Kobo E9's before painting...


Photo (4) - New Parts attached before painting another view...


Photo (5) - New Parts attached and painted...


I chose Anycubic ABS-Like Resin Pro because it is supposed to be very durable (not brittle) and retain excellent detail.  I'm very happy with this little run and they are definitely NOT brittle, but very hard to break.  In fact, I haven't broken one yet when I was testing them, even with a hose diameter of only .017".  These way surpass my previous prints on my old Original Photon which I did using Anycubic Craftsman Resin which were extremely brittle...like glass.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[SP-Wolf]

SP utility trucks put to work






Thanks,
Wolf

[jpwisc]

Wow neat build! And it came together quickly too!  Does it follow a prototype or something you just made from the scrap box?

Craig

Prototype based!
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[davefoxx]

I started the second brick warehouse on my layout.  The brickwork painting is finished.  Next up will be a coat of Dullcote after the craft paints and spray paints for the roof, walls, and foundation have cured for a few days.  Then, I’ll tackle the mortar, using lightweight spackling.



More on The Carolina Sandhills Lines thread in the Layout Engineering Forum.

DFF

[C855B]

Prototype based!

As much rust as there is on that car, it makes me wonder what type of "scale" they are testing.

[peteski]

As much rust as there is on that car, it makes me wonder what type of "scale" they are testing.

Now that's pretty punny! 

[Pomperaugrr]

Vertigo.  Aerial view of Letourneau Gorge.  I'm just running some trains tonight.
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[mu26aeh]

Wrong shell project saved.  Non DB 38-2 will become GMTX 2112

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/Locopicture.aspx?id=96937

[btrain]

For early summer, there's been a surprising amount of model railroading I've been doing. This week I was invited by @SAH for an operating session on his AC&Y Spur Four layout. I feel like quite the fool for not taking any photos during the session, maybe because the operations bug has really bitten me and my mind was having too much fun plotting out moves. Steve did show me this grain complex model he had done which was featured in Model Railroader. It sure gave me the proper motivation not to smash a Walthers feed mill and elevator together for my free-mon layout, and to scratch-build something unique.



Here's some eye candy for you NYC modelers out there. I received a Key Brass H-10b in the mail this week, which unless someone comes out with a model of a Niagara (cough, Kato please, cough) basically fills out my roster for the Hiles Tower doughnut layout. I did see some sparks from the leading and trailing wheels hitting the frame during breaking in, and it does have me worried that such behavior could give me a fried decoder. Does anyone have advice for installing DCC in brass locomotives?



I also forgot that the NYCHS convention was in Cleveland this year, which would have been great to bring the doughnut layout up for that event. I did take advantage of them being in town when I heard that Grafton tower was going to be open for tour last night. The tower is operated by the Carlisle Township Historical Society and is usually open to the public during Christmas and select weekends. They are trying to open at least once a month for those people like me, who can't get enough of being in a room that smells like Kroil, lightly of pipe tobacco, and with old iron all over the place. It was nice to show the guy who saved the tower my model of Hiles, which used measurements from Grafton.

The tower did have a recent brush with fame as the model board was featured in the American Pickers TV show. It was originally thought to be lost when Conrail was going to demolish the tower in the early 1980s. The contractor for the job took it, and the tower was saved, but the board had gone missing. Fast forward to now, and after society members saw it on the show they tried to acquire it, but it was sold at auction. Thankfully a local man purchased it after it had come up for auction again and donated it to the society.

[nkalanaga]

jpwisc:  I'm surprised at the rust.  Most scale test cars are kept clean, to minimize weight variation.  I would think that they'd have to verify the weight of the car each trip, to keep up with the rust.

(For those who hadn't thought about it, rust stuck to the car increases weight, the iron in the steel combines with oxygen.  Rust that falls off, of course, reduces the weight.  Neither are predictable.)

[ChristianJDavis1]

Here's some eye candy for you NYC modelers out there. I received a Key Brass H-10b in the mail this week, which unless someone comes out with a model of a Niagara (cough, Kato please, cough) basically fills out my roster for the Hiles Tower doughnut layout. I did see some sparks from the leading and trailing wheels hitting the frame during breaking in, and it does have me worried that such behavior could give me a fried decoder. Does anyone have advice for installing DCC in brass locomotives?

Aside from insulating the motor (I haven't had my H-10 apart to check if it's insulated or not, and Spookshow's picture doesn't show the motor well enough), if you use an ESU version 5 decoder, you can turn on "overload protection" which should keep shorts from frying the decoder, but the real solution is to try and figure out a way to stop the shorting. For things like the wheels hitting the frame, you could use a very liquidy super glue and make a thin layer over where the wheels hit the frame (with the locomotive apart so you aren't gluing everything together). Either that, or maybe fiber washers put behind the wheel faces.

[craigolio1]

Vertigo.  Aerial view of Letourneau Gorge.  I'm just running some trains tonight.
(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)

Is that a beaver dam?!  So cool. Don’t see those modelled often.

[trainforfun]

Vertigo.  Aerial view of Letourneau Gorge.  I'm just running some trains tonight.

So beautifull , great pictures !!!

[Rasputen]

Aside from insulating the motor (I haven't had my H-10 apart to check if it's insulated or not, and Spookshow's picture doesn't show the motor well enough), if you use an ESU version 5 decoder, you can turn on "overload protection" which should keep shorts from frying the decoder, but the real solution is to try and figure out a way to stop the shorting. For things like the wheels hitting the frame, you could use a very liquidy super glue and make a thin layer over where the wheels hit the frame (with the locomotive apart so you aren't gluing everything together). Either that, or maybe fiber washers put behind the wheel faces.

There was an MRH article in April of 2022 about a west coast  RR club member who prevented a lot of their decoder failures by adding a TVS diode (basically two zener diodes back-to-back) to the motor leads.
His analysis showed that the inductance of the motor was damaging the decoder when the locomotive was driven into a turnout set in the wrong direction.

https://online.fliphtml5.com/buups/uzme/index.html#p=49

There are some additional comments in the MRH forum:

https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/shortproofing-dcc-decoders-12330253?highlight=tvs%20diode&trail=25

[up1950s]

jpwisc:  I'm surprised at the rust.  Most scale test cars are kept clean, to minimize weight variation.  I would think that they'd have to verify the weight of the car each trip, to keep up with the rust.

(For those who hadn't thought about it, rust stuck to the car increases weight, the iron in the steel combines with oxygen.  Rust that falls off, of course, reduces the weight.  Neither are predictable.)

Wouldn't paint drying out offset surface rust laden with all that O2 ? What about altitude , humidity ? Just how perfect does a railroad car scale have to be ?