Weekend Update 12/29/24

[draskouasshat]

Its been a slow year for designing and printing for me but im getting back to it. id say i got a tad burnt out on it but never the less, new projects and designs are FINALLY being printed!!! Heres a Milwaukee F-6a that im working on for @Sokramiketes and a UP CA-1 caboose.
Drasko
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[btrain]

Nice work everyone! I’m finally getting back in the modeling groove after a month and a half of helping out with holiday trains.

Here’s Cleveland Union Terminal 5903 all painted and DCC equipped. I sometimes get to see the real McCoy work on the Indiana Northeastern Railroad on freight assignments or passenger runs. It was a nice project as the shell was already painted black with lightning stripes from the previous owner, and all that was needed was K4 Decals for the CUT lettering, along with yellow handrails, and a little bit of weathering.

While it’s a humble road switcher, it’s claim to fame was pulling a mail car from CUT up to Collinwood, where the Century would stop on the next track over from it, and a mad exchange of mail between trains occurred while the flagship changed its crews.

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[BCR 570]

Nice looking Caboose models Tim.

Thank you; will look even better once grab irons and handrails are on . . . .

@BCR 570 those cabooses look great! If I hadn’t nearly finished four of the resin kits (just need to paint and install hand rails I soldered) I’d be tempted to get a few. I don’t think they are available anymore though, is that correct?

Thank you; yes the kits remain available from Kaslo Shops.  No point if you are almost finished your resin ones; mine were still in the boxes and some of the parts were seriously warped, so I opted for the newer printed ones.


Tim

[altohorn25]

I finished up the two express cars I was working on.

Shells by Bill Denton (out of production from Skytop Models).  Modelflex paint.  Circus City Decals.  Gold Medal Models grab irons.  American Limited trucks.  Kato wheels.  Micro Trains 1015 body mounted couplers.

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[peteski]

Finally getting back on my micro-layout, the Ashland Coal and Iron. I’m trying to get the appropriate size rolling stock together. A small layout needs short cars. Sticking with my typical modus operandi the caboose first:



Bachmann chassis, Arnold shell, Micro trains caboose rails and ladders, Kato smoke jack. A real team effort. Scalecoat and Vallejo paint. Some of you SPF’s may recognize the color.

That is one cute bobber, but that coupler?  Ewwww!  I know it  came with it, but IMO a MTL N or Z coupler would make it look much better then the boxing glove. 

[davefoxx]

I got my Intermountain U18B all finished up this weekend, after adding a Decoder Buddy, a LokSound decoder, a Scale Sound Systems speaker, and new LED lights.  Not shown here are the Gyra Light and red emergency light, which, no thanks to the SCL, are installed on both ends of this Baby Boat.  Here it is, lashed up to a U36B on a local freight near Southern Pines, North Carolina:



By the way, are a U36B and a U18B the equivalent of 1.5 U-boats?



 

DFF

[Dayliner]

Checking in after a long absence from these boards to give an update on my current long-term project, the E&N Railway's Nitinat Logger.  I have just completed the last of twenty flat car conversions, which was my year-end goal. Most of these were Con-Cor 50-ft flats acquired from BCR 570 some years ago, with a few of my own. They have now all been shortened to 40 ft; I also had four of the Red Caboose 40-ft flats.  The picture shows the fleet filling the small yard at Hayward.

Next steps are: filling and sanding the joints in the side sills, adding brake cylinders (the cast-on cylinders were on the section of underframe that was discarded) and brake wheels, and of course fabricating and installing log bunks.

Much of this conversion work was undertaken at monthly modelling nights sponsored by our local NMRA division--a great way to keep moving forward on a large project like this which has the potential to become tedious.

[Dave V]

No modeling worth sharing this week, but I have been trying to find renewed inspiration to continue modeling the RGS (and--by extension--the D&RGW) and somehow this week, I found it. I'm still planning and working on my N scale PRR T-Trak layout, but am also enjoying renewed interest in my HOn3 endeavors, to wit:

[robert3985]

Its been a slow year for designing and printing for me but im getting back to it. id say i got a tad burnt out on it but never the less, new projects and designs are FINALLY being printed!!! Heres a Milwaukee F-6a that im working on for @Sokramiketes and a UP CA-1 caboose.
Drasko
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Regarding your UP CA-1 caboose, I've got some questions.

(1) - Is it cast resin or 3D printed?  From the looks, it appears to be cast resin, but, I could be wrong.

(2) - Are you also including the underbody or does it require modifying a Micro Trains "wooden caboose" metal chassis?

(3) - Are you also offering the two distinctive truck options for the prototype CA-1's - the wood-beamed Q-truck and the Bettendorf T-section caboose truck??

(4) - Are you offering end-platform handrails, vertical brake wheel & ladder, or is it engineered to accept the "almost right" MTL end platform version with a modern brake stand??

What I can see in your photo looks pretty good, but more, clearer photos would really be appreciated!

Keep up the good work!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[chuck geiger]

It began two years ago this weekend.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/21PDXgz1di8

[craigolio1]

Thank you; will look even better once grab irons and handrails are on . . . .


Thank you; yes the kits remain available from Kaslo Shops.  No point if you are almost finished your resin ones; mine were still in the boxes and some of the parts were seriously warped, so I opted for the newer printed ones.


Tim

Oh yes I forgot they are still Kaslo offerings. For some reason I thought Briggs Models had done the printed version.

The warping is a pain. I’ve made wood blocks or strips  that friction fit into just about every resin shell I’ve built and I put them in boiling water for a few seconds to relax them. It works but it’s a pain. 

[draskouasshat]

Regarding your UP CA-1 caboose, I've got some questions.

(1) - Is it cast resin or 3D printed?  From the looks, it appears to be cast resin, but, I could be wrong. 3D printed

(2) - Are you also including the underbody or does it require modifying a Micro Trains "wooden caboose" metal chassis? underbody is included minus weights and platform ends/ladders

(3) - Are you also offering the two distinctive truck options for the prototype CA-1's - the wood-beamed Q-truck and the Bettendorf T-section caboose truck??i plan on modeling the wood beams and the bettendorfs can be modeled from MT trucks IMO

(4) - Are you offering end-platform handrails, vertical brake wheel & ladder, or is it engineered to accept the "almost right" MTL end platform version with a modern brake stand??answered above and i do plan to incorporate the MT ladders into the platforms

What I can see in your photo looks pretty good, but more, clearer photos would really be appreciated!

Keep up the good work!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[John]

No modeling worth sharing this week, but I have been trying to find renewed inspiration to continue modeling the RGS (and--by extension--the D&RGW) and somehow this week, I found it. I'm still planning and working on my N scale PRR T-Trak layout, but am also enjoying renewed interest in my HOn3 endeavors, to wit:

I love this picture - It reminds me of the time 9 years ago when my son surprised me for my 60th with this great trip

[NtheBasement]

Finished converting my unit train to magnet rotary couplers and getting everything working.  Very happy to get rid of the 5-car drawbars.  Train at the flood loader is almost full. [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[craigolio1]

I got my Intermountain U18B all finished up this weekend, after adding a Decoder Buddy, a LokSound decoder, a Scale Sound Systems speaker, and new LED lights.  Not shown here are the Gyra Light and red emergency light, which, no thanks to the SCL, are installed on both ends of this Baby Boat.  Here it is, lashed up to a U36B on a local freight near Southern Pines, North Carolina:



By the way, are a U36B and a U18B the equivalent of 1.5 U-boats?



 

DFF

Wow it sounds like a really neat install. Do you have any pics of the process? I’m always interested in cramming more lighting into locomotives.

Craig.