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Post by GP40P-2 on Jan 18, 2024 19:57:15 GMT -8
^ Thanks Evan, I am actually struggling to reach the finish line on these. Yet, the self-imposed requirement to maintain daily updates provides a BIT of motivation to continue. Still feels like I'm running out of steam here so don't be surprised if the daily updates cease soon. Finalizing the roofs and completing final detailing feels a little intense. Thoughts welcome. Keep going. We're watching you. In bicycle racing, I can grind along to the bitter end at the finish line. In model trains, this is were a lesser person (me), would slide the entire lot off the work surface and into a box, never to be seen again, as some shiny new project would be calling.
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Post by Christian on Jan 19, 2024 2:07:27 GMT -8
^ Thanks Evan, I am actually struggling to reach the finish line on these. Yet, the self-imposed requirement to maintain daily updates provides a BIT of motivation to continue. Still feels like I'm running out of steam here so don't be surprised if the daily updates cease soon. Finalizing the roofs and completing final detailing feels a little intense. Thoughts welcome. Keep going. We're watching you. In bicycle racing, I can grind along to the bitter end at the finish line. In model trains, this is were a lesser person (me), would slide the entire lot off the work surface and into a box, never to be seen again, as some shiny new project would be calling. Ditto that. I have several boxes. Two I really want to finish. Several should be stripped of good parts and trashed. Posting build threads here on ARF motivated quite a burst of modeling a couple years back. But, actually, only the boxcar and the Taco Bell were completed. I brought the Atomic Cafe and the Walthers Farmhouse to a reasonable close so far as for posting, but neither were, nor are, finished. When sd40dash2 started this mega thread back at the start of September beside another build of two additional cabooses I was curious to see how he motivated himself to finish seven cabooses. Right now he is at the point that I tend to box things. The fun stuff is finished and what remains can get repetitious. And new things beg for attention. Brass caboose?
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jan 19, 2024 5:55:05 GMT -8
Thank you GP40P-2 and Christian for your thoughtful and encouraging comments. Motivation generally has become a major problem for me over the past several months and these threads were an effort to combat that. It hasn't always worked but the folks here like yourselves who are actually interested have been a tremendous help. It is indeed very easy to box things up and move onto shinier things but as you all have convinced me, the finish line is very close. Your support means a lot, I will continue to the finish line on these.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jan 19, 2024 5:56:33 GMT -8
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mdq
Full Member
Posts: 128
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Post by mdq on Jan 19, 2024 8:25:09 GMT -8
An impressive build by any standards. Your skills and patience are on a league of their own.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jan 20, 2024 8:27:49 GMT -8
Quick spray of yellow and dullcote on roof edges. I didn't feel like hand painting all of these pieces. Basement spray booth to the rescue, worked like a charm even in -40.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jan 21, 2024 6:42:11 GMT -8
All roofs finally complete and ready for mounting.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jan 22, 2024 7:19:41 GMT -8
Whew! Thank you to GP40P-2, Evan, Colin, jacksong, cpr4200, Christian and kentuckysouthern for encouraging me to continue the climb up the big hill to reach this point.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jan 23, 2024 6:17:17 GMT -8
OK here are the parts needed for the final detailing stage, hard to believe this is all that remains.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jan 24, 2024 9:11:33 GMT -8
Determine smoke jack locations and drill mounting holes. All variants of CP 437442 need just one stack while two are needed for 438545/437451 after running board removal. If modelling 438545/437451 with running boards at any time then just one stack is needed, check your usual photo sources.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jan 25, 2024 6:07:04 GMT -8
Juneco smoke jacks cleaned, painted and dried, ready to weather and install.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jan 26, 2024 6:38:01 GMT -8
Hmmmm engineering time again, this time for the railings and other end bits.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jan 27, 2024 6:13:42 GMT -8
Determine railing mount location and drill in each right side upright. Caliper tool was very useful for this task.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jan 28, 2024 5:46:24 GMT -8
Glue brake wheel to stand x10. You can use Weldbond but I think a small drop of ACC is better for this task. Remember these MBE parts are heavy lost wax brass and other than Kadee wheels, I have not found a better styrene aftermarket part.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jan 29, 2024 6:20:26 GMT -8
Glue mud guard to left side ladder upright and allow to dry. Decision made to attach this section to van as a single piece.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jan 30, 2024 7:16:44 GMT -8
Attach left side ladder upright and brake wheel stand w quick dry ACC. You might need to fashion a crude jig to hold the heavy brake stand uprights into place while the glue sets. Your mood also needs to be right for this task as it is quite finicky. The good news is I think this turned out fairly well, what do you think?
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Post by cp6027 on Jan 30, 2024 9:38:37 GMT -8
These are looking awesome as always!
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jan 30, 2024 9:44:15 GMT -8
^ Thank you so much for your very kind comments and support, they really mean a lot. I also appreciate the user ID you selected.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jan 31, 2024 5:45:48 GMT -8
OK now install the other upright, mud guard and brake stand. This took a lot of time.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Feb 1, 2024 6:35:31 GMT -8
Moving quickly to the outer end railings, first build and install test set.
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Post by Colin 't Hart on Feb 1, 2024 7:44:39 GMT -8
There can't be many parts left now, wow!
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Post by sd40dash2 on Feb 1, 2024 7:56:46 GMT -8
^ Storage boxes, uncoupling levers, smoke jacks and side grabs are all that remain.
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Post by Colin 't Hart on Feb 1, 2024 8:53:57 GMT -8
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Post by edgecrusher on Feb 1, 2024 11:10:13 GMT -8
Looking great, you are so close now.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Feb 2, 2024 6:26:48 GMT -8
First coat of paint for the test railings, yep looks good to me.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Feb 3, 2024 4:39:10 GMT -8
OK now bend and install 40 more custom railing pieces for all five vans. Whew!
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Post by GP40P-2 on Feb 3, 2024 15:33:08 GMT -8
OK now bend and install 40 more custom railing pieces for all five vans. Whew! Hey what’s 40 more on top of what you have already done! You are soon going to have <<FIVE>> finished cabooses that no one else has!
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Post by sd40dash2 on Feb 3, 2024 16:11:00 GMT -8
Hey what’s 40 more on top of what you have already done! You are soon going to have <<FIVE>> finished cabooses that no one else has! Yeah it looks like we're both feeling the excitement build as the finish line nears.
Keeping in mind this project was always about the journey rather than destination, I have no complaints. Bending these little pieces of wire is easy with the crude jigs Christian asked about earlier.
Don't touch that dial!
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Post by sd40dash2 on Feb 4, 2024 6:16:08 GMT -8
All end railings painted and dried along with ongoing touch-ups and paint for all sill grabs. I think this turned out well, what do you think?
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Post by Christian on Feb 4, 2024 7:50:55 GMT -8
All end railings painted and dried along with ongoing touch-ups and paint for all sill grabs. I think this turned out well, what do you think?
Three to go. I really like these yaller ones. It's been a long haul. When you do the beauty shots could one the set of the same number, different year?
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