Sunday Photo fun 9/25/2022

[TBird1958]

Been awhile.........

 Just some progress on 3 Athearn/Genesis SP PC&F cars, there were so many cool variations of these owned by SP and subsidiary Evergreen, they're essential players on the  Rio Grande during '70s, even with the majority of the traffic of the SP going to the UP at Ogden, UT most east bound D&RGW trains had a cut of SP lumber. 

Here I've started by gloss coating and adding a few decals as needed, more gloss, then dull coat. 

 
    


 I did a bit of salt on one roof to further experiment with this technique. 

  


Just a group shot of a few of my SP cars on the desk.


 

 

[Donnell Wells]

You beat me to it! Oh well... Today's entry is an N-scale Rio Grande Tunnel Motor by Henry Baez. I know this is the HO board, but there is not enough participation on the N-scale board to warrant a separate SPF. Anyhow enjoy!

[riogrande]

Mark,

Great gaggle of SP boxcars!

Wow Donnel, huge improvement!

[Christian]

Sept 25, 2022 10:08:12 GMT -8 Donnell Wells said:

. . . not enough participation on the N-scale board to warrant a separate SPF.

The three scales probably ought to be merged onto one board. Nowadays the modeling issues are pretty much the same for the three scales plus the occasional OO scale stuff that has appeared. The scales just use a different ruler for measuring.

[tom]

Yesterday (after at least a year) I weathered my PRR company service X29 boxcar. Car started as a Red Caboose undecorated X29 kit that I removed the running board, lowered the ladders and added Bowser PRR trucks. I replaced the plastic stirrups with A-Line ones.



The car was then painted reefer yellow and then lettered with Mt. Vernon Shops PRR decals.



Finally after getting tired of it sitting in clean yellow paint I weathered it with water color pencils, Pan Pastels and airbrushing. The weathering looks a little darker than the photos show.



I photographed the prototype car in Pitcairn, PA in 1984 and it sat there for a decade or two longer.

[gmpullman]

Thanks to the availability of the Bowser Erie-Lackawanna passenger RS-3, I can run my Cleveland-Youngstown commuter train again:

EL_1057-tunnel by Edmund, on Flickr

Thanks, Ed

[Baikal]

Sept 25, 2022 11:13:54 GMT -8 gmpullman said:

Thanks to the availability of the Bowser Erie-Lackawanna passenger RS-3, I can run my Cleveland-Youngstown commuter train again:

EL_1057-tunnel by Edmund, on Flickr

Thanks, Ed

Interesting handrail configuration.  Standby heater equipped? Were these dual-control?

[djh4d]

Hi all, just a few update photos for me.

Permanent bench work is complete for the main level.

We put a temporary return loop in so we can run trains on the new section. I think we'll have this done sometime early November. Once done, we'll have another running session.

Speaking of running sessions, here's some of the trains that was ran during the previous running session.

Enjoy,

-Dave

[dti406]

Managed to finish up a couple of cars this week.

First up is an old AHM PS Covered Hopper, where I removed a lot of the cast on parts and replaced them with new ladders and wire replacements along with a Plano Roofwalk, airline slung under the sill and A-line Sill steps. Car was painted with Scalecoat II MofW Gray Paint and lettered with Mask Island Decals. Could not find out what the cars were used for and car was done per a Mont Switzer article in Mainline Modeler.







Next is an IMRC R70-20 Mechanical Reefer kit, painted with Scalecoat II White and Black Paints then lettered with Microscale Decals. After the breakup of PFE the SP painted their cars white from the previous orange. The only differing item in the paint scheme was that the logo was in different colors (this one is purple).



A pair of Athearn SD-45's with a general freight headed by a pair of R70-20 Reefers at the Strongsville Club layout which will be open on Saturday for the Historical Society Harvest Festival.



Thanks for looking!

Rick Jesionow

[sd40dash2]

Sept 25, 2022 10:56:11 GMT -8 Christian said:

The three scales probably ought to be merged onto one board. Nowadays the modeling issues are pretty much the same for the three scales plus the occasional OO scale stuff that has appeared. The scales just use a different ruler for measuring.

I think I need to disagree with this. As soon as the boards are merged, the highly-vocal online N (et al) scale armada will be on every thread posting the question "What scale?". They've already taken over the comment section on every single Rapido youtube video. Things are very peaceful in ARF as far as this goes, let's not give these folks yet another venue here.

[cera2254]

I agree with sd40dash2, the forums should stay separate.

[fr8kar]

Sept 25, 2022 15:53:14 GMT -8 sd40dash2 said:

Sept 25, 2022 10:56:11 GMT -8 Christian said:

The three scales probably ought to be merged onto one board. Nowadays the modeling issues are pretty much the same for the three scales plus the occasional OO scale stuff that has appeared. The scales just use a different ruler for measuring.

I think I need to disagree with this. As soon as the boards are merged, the highly-vocal online N (et al) scale armada will be on every thread posting the question "What scale?". They've already taken over the comment section on every single Rapido youtube video. Things are very peaceful in ARF as far as this goes, let's not give these folks yet another venue here.

Tongue planted firmly in cheek my N scale friends!

[cemr5396]

Spent an enjoyable weekend at the local annual train show, even came home with a few goodies

[nsc39d8]

So here is the clinic boxcar that I will be presenting at the Carolinas RPM next weekend.



A few touch ups left.

[fr8kar]

Wow, tremendous submissions from everyone! Love that AD&N car, James. For my neck of the woods it's a must-have. I'm also amassing a sizable fleet of those various SP and SSW boxcars, Mark. They were all over Texas, too.

So I've been working on this concept for what feels like forever. I'm using a known quantity - the Dash 7 series by Atlas - to come up with a system that will allow me to model the real oddballs of the prototype world using off-the-shelf parts such as Athearn, Kato and Atlas drive parts. What I've got here is a laser cut steel frame part that mates with a 3D printed frame. The steel provides the rigidity and the printed plastic gives me the ability to easily change wheelbase, fuel tank location, draft gear, etc. Which is handy because in the 80s GE was changing these items from order to order. So I'll be able to model the diesels that will never be made, like the early LMX B39-8s, the Santa Fe demonstrator B39-8s or the B32-8s delivered to Norfolk Southern. Or a personal favorite the B30-7A1 delivered to Southern which shares a frame with no other locomotive. I've also used this opportunity to make a properly proportioned fuel tank compared to the Atlas Dash 7 tank. They did such great work on the Dash 8 models I don't know why the Dash 7s are so far off. Here I'm using an Atlas shell to test the fit of everything. Once I'm happy with it I'll move to the next step.












Lots more stuff in the works, but at this point I've been up for 31 hours after a 15+ hour day staring at red signals, so it will have to wait until I'm coherent again.

[cemr5396]

Sept 25, 2022 17:48:51 GMT -8 fr8kar said:

looking forward to seeing those GEs Ryan, I've always been impressed by your GE kitbashes in the past.

[sd40dash2]

Sept 25, 2022 16:46:44 GMT -8 cemr5396 said:

... came home with a few goodies

That show is a bit too far from me. I've been there a few times before when I lived in the area but never found anything that even made the admission price and time worthwhile. Glad to hear you were successful though; what did you buy?

[cemr5396]

Sept 25, 2022 18:02:56 GMT -8 sd40dash2 said:

Sept 25, 2022 16:46:44 GMT -8 cemr5396 said:

... came home with a few goodies

That show is a bit too far from me. I've been there a few times before when I lived in the area but never found anything that even made the admission price and time worthwhile. Glad to hear you were successful though; what did you buy?

-Walthers NSC plastic pellet hopper
-Atlas F89J pipe service flatcar
-Intermountain CP 4550 cu.ft. covered hopper
-Atlas BN ACF 4650
-KATO AC4400 someone did a very good job heavily kitbashing into a CP AC4400CWM rebuild.

I was also there as an exhibitor, running trains with one of the clubs that was present so I got in for free

Those are my CP SD70ACUs in the second photo.

[sd40dash2]

Sept 25, 2022 18:40:43 GMT -8 cemr5396 said:

-Walthers NSC plastic pellet hopper
-Atlas F89J pipe service flatcar
-Intermountain CP 4550 cu.ft. covered hopper
-Atlas BN ACF 4650
-KATO AC4400 someone did a very good job heavily kitbashing into a CP AC4400CWM rebuild.

I was also there as an exhibitor, running trains with one of the clubs that was present so I got in for free

Those are my CP SD70ACUs in the second photo.

As a CP modeller you forgot to purchase the following Rapido items:

VIA F40PH-2D (original scheme)

ex-CN F9B (VIA blue scheme)

'The Canadian' trainset

wide vision cabooses (434-series)

...plus Intermountain CPWX, ALPX, SKPX hoppers and CP Rail bathtub gondolas.

[nstophat]

Sept 25, 2022 16:10:58 GMT -8 fr8kar said:

Sept 25, 2022 15:53:14 GMT -8 sd40dash2 said:

I think I need to disagree with this. As soon as the boards are merged, the highly-vocal online N (et al) scale armada will be on every thread posting the question "What scale?". They've already taken over the comment section on every single Rapido youtube video. Things are very peaceful in ARF as far as this goes, let's not give these folks yet another venue here.

Tongue planted firmly in cheek my N scale friends!

Absolutely read in John Lithgow's voice in my head as I saw this...

[cemr5396]

Sept 26, 2022 3:15:58 GMT -8 sd40dash2 said:

Sept 25, 2022 18:40:43 GMT -8 cemr5396 said:

-Walthers NSC plastic pellet hopper
-Atlas F89J pipe service flatcar
-Intermountain CP 4550 cu.ft. covered hopper
-Atlas BN ACF 4650
-KATO AC4400 someone did a very good job heavily kitbashing into a CP AC4400CWM rebuild.

I was also there as an exhibitor, running trains with one of the clubs that was present so I got in for free

Those are my CP SD70ACUs in the second photo.

As a CP modeller you forgot to purchase the following Rapido items:

VIA F40PH-2D (original scheme) - out of era

ex-CN F9B (VIA blue scheme) - out of era

'The Canadian' trainset - there wasn't one available, can't really afford it for the prices it goes for these days anyways. Also technically out of era due to steam heat details

wide vision cabooses (434-series) - got one, ordered another one from the new run that is coming

...plus Intermountain CPWX, ALPX, SKPX hoppers and CP Rail bathtub gondolas. - I do have a 30 car ish CP grain train with Government cars and various mordern 110 tonners, but I would like to try and put together a decent size Thunder Bay coal train with either the black and red steel bathtub cars or the modern aluminum bathtub gons.

[loco8107]

Sept 25, 2022 16:49:58 GMT -8 nsc39d8 said:

So here is the clinic boxcar that I will be presenting at the Carolinas RPM next weekend.



A few touch ups left.

Nice job- one of my favorite boxcar schemes! I used to occasionally see them on the train that ran thru my town as a kid.

[sd40dash2]

Sept 26, 2022 4:40:10 GMT -8 cemr5396 said:

<abbr title="Sept 26, 2022 7:40:10 GMT -5" data-timestamp="1664196010000" class="o-timestamp time">cemr5396 Avatar
</abbr>

<abbr title="Sept 26, 2022 7:40:10 GMT -5" data-timestamp="1664196010000" class="o-timestamp time">Sept 26, 2022 7:40:10 GMT -5</abbr> cemr5396 said

VIA F40PH-2D (original scheme) - out of era

ex-CN F9B (VIA blue scheme) - out of era

'The Canadian' trainset - there wasn't one available, can't really afford it for the prices it goes for these days anyways. Also technically out of era due to steam heat details

Possibly you are too young to remember, but our Prime Minister at the time shocked this nation when he axed over 50% of VIA in 1990. A lot of us never got over him removing the world-famous Canadian from CP Rail, leaving many towns and cities totally devoid of passenger train service for the first time in over 100 years. Remember this was the original mainline across the country that was completed in 1885, making a commemoration in model form especially important.

[surlyknuckle]

I always enjoy getting my train fix here... thanks for sharing.

[surlyknuckle]

I'll offer a few subjects;

CSX train I031-19 had an SD70AC leading on the 19th, something that has not occurred in years. I haven't even run an SD70AC in two years, I don't think one has led the UPS train in about five years. It was enough to get me out for a few photos. This is the train splitting the Powhite Parkway in Richmond Va, as seen from the Douglasdale Rd exit. That's also the name of the railroad location (the Douglasdale intermediate signals are out of the frame). Right behind me is "Blue Shingle", where the inbound crew will swap with the outbound crew. This was chosen as the swap location due to terminal congestion at ACCA yard. While this has always been a popular photo location in Richmond, the scene is getting horribly grown-in these days.
25 Cent Shot by Freight Engineer, on Flickr

Since I have a slide (or two) from this location, I thought to offer a comparison to this photo taken on December 14th 1982 by Doug Boyd. This section of railroad between the RF&P's ACCA yard and the middle of the James River bridge was known as the RF&P's James River Branch. It was owned and dispatched by the RF&P, but used and maintained by the ACL, later SCL. The 5th pier of the James River bridge is where the ownership officially changed over to the ACL. Originally this was the "Belt Line" because it went around downtown Richmond but is now the main stretch of railroad in town for through traffic. After CSX, this was reorganized as the "North End Subdivision" which is now the trackage between West AY (bottom of ACCA yard) and Rocky Mount NC and is generally referred to as "The Seaboard" by crews.
Douglasdale Delight by Freight Engineer, on Flickr

Finally, some semblance of modeling. Just playing around in the basement here, with some fast flyin' B&O empties. They really rattle at track speed. Kitbashing and modifiying the coal car fleet is a long term project on my railroad....the Chessie had tons of them. I can't wait for those Plate C WM fishbelly rebuilds...
Coal Cars by Freight Engineer, on Flickr

[loco8107]

Sept 26, 2022 8:19:02 GMT -8 surlyknuckle said:

I'll offer a few subjects;

CSX train I031-19 had an SD70AC leading on the 19th, something that has not occurred in years. I haven't even run an SD70AC in two years, I don't think one has led the UPS train in about five years. It was enough to get me out for a few photos. This is the train splitting the Powhite Parkway in Richmond Va, as seen from the Douglasdale Rd exit. That's also the name of the railroad location (the Douglasdale intermediate signals are out of the frame). Right behind me is "Blue Shingle", where the inbound crew will swap with the outbound crew. This was chosen as the swap location due to terminal congestion at ACCA yard. While this has always been a popular photo location in Richmond, the scene is getting horribly grown-in these days.
25 Cent Shot by Freight Engineer, on Flickr

Since I have a slide (or two) from this location, I thought to offer a comparison to this photo taken on December 14th 1982 by Doug Boyd. This section of railroad between the RF&P's ACCA yard and the middle of the James River bridge was known as the RF&P's James River Branch. It was owned and dispatched by the RF&P, but used and maintained by the ACL, later SCL. The 5th pier of the James River bridge is where the ownership officially changed over to the ACL. Originally this was the "Belt Line" because it went around downtown Richmond but is now the main stretch of railroad in town for through traffic. After CSX, this was reorganized as the "North End Subdivision" which is now the trackage between West AY (bottom of ACCA yard) and Rocky Mount NC and is generally referred to as "The Seaboard" by crews.
Douglasdale Delight by Freight Engineer, on Flickr

Finally, some semblance of modeling. Just playing around in the basement here, with some fast flyin' B&O empties. They really rattle at track speed. Kitbashing and modifiying the coal car fleet is a long term project on my railroad....the Chessie had tons of them. I can't wait for those Plate C WM fishbelly rebuilds...
Coal Cars by Freight Engineer, on Flickr

Love the vehicles! Very nicely done. I remember the Pacer- THE ugliest car ever! 😂

[loco8107]

Sept 25, 2022 17:48:51 GMT -8 fr8kar said:

Wow, tremendous submissions from everyone! Love that AD&N car, James. For my neck of the woods it's a must-have. I'm also amassing a sizable fleet of those various SP and SSW boxcars, Mark. They were all over Texas, too.

So I've been working on this concept for what feels like forever. I'm using a known quantity - the Dash 7 series by Atlas - to come up with a system that will allow me to model the real oddballs of the prototype world using off-the-shelf parts such as Athearn, Kato and Atlas drive parts. What I've got here is a laser cut steel frame part that mates with a 3D printed frame. The steel provides the rigidity and the printed plastic gives me the ability to easily change wheelbase, fuel tank location, draft gear, etc. Which is handy because in the 80s GE was changing these items from order to order. So I'll be able to model the diesels that will never be made, like the early LMX B39-8s, the Santa Fe demonstrator B39-8s or the B32-8s delivered to Norfolk Southern. Or a personal favorite the B30-7A1 delivered to Southern which shares a frame with no other locomotive. I've also used this opportunity to make a properly proportioned fuel tank compared to the Atlas Dash 7 tank. They did such great work on the Dash 8 models I don't know why the Dash 7s are so far off. Here I'm using an Atlas shell to test the fit of everything. Once I'm happy with it I'll move to the next step.












Lots more stuff in the works, but at this point I've been up for 31 hours after a 15+ hour day staring at red signals, so it will have to wait until I'm coherent again.

Looking very good! And I’ve been meaning to ask- any updates on the GP38 extended cab kit?