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Post by mlehman on Nov 2, 2014 6:43:33 GMT -8
It was a busy week along the narrowgauge. There was even a rare C-19 double-header to Animas Forks when motive power shortages meant the regular power -- usually a leased D&RGW K-27 - was elsewhere when an especially heavy local needed worked up the hill. The structure project of the week was a barn in Hesperus for a hay and straw broker, which the mining camps needed in some quantity. Another small project is causing considerable discussion among the crews -- installation of a diesel fuel tank at the SURR shop. Does this mean the end of steam??? Probably not on the Silverton Branch.
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Post by dti406 on Nov 2, 2014 8:06:35 GMT -8
Got some cars done this week, I have done a couple of eras here, one for the transition era and the others for the modern era. Bowser N5c Cabin Car kit with an added Cal-Scale Trainphone Antenna kit and ECW Caboose Windows. Painted with Scalecoat II PRR Freightcar Red and Black, then lettered with Champ Decals. The Ann Arbor leased one hundred of these 1958CF Covered Hoppers of various parentage from Chicago Freight Car for use in Casting Sand Service from Yuma, MI to the Ford Casting Plant in Brook Park (Cleveland), OH. Cars could have the solid or the open sides. This is the 3rd Car I have done and this one has the solid side, added airlines and A-Line Sill Steps to the model, painted with Scalecoat II MofW Gray and lettered with Herald King Decals. Walthers giant Plastic Pellet Covered Hopper Kit, installed all the metal grabs, then painted with a mixture of Scalecoat II MofW Gray/Black and lettered with Oddballs Decals. (Hard to find a decal for these cars.) Thanks for looking! Rick J
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Post by mlehman on Nov 2, 2014 10:01:55 GMT -8
Rick, Sweet cabin car!
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Post by mrsocal on Nov 2, 2014 10:42:49 GMT -8
Mike I love your stock yard. This is my stock yard. Any time I see stockyards and or cattle it reminds me of one of my favorite songs... enjoy!
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Post by mlehman on Nov 2, 2014 14:22:47 GMT -8
Scotty, Thanks! I have 5 of them, all bashed from the Walthers kit. Eventually would like to do several more.
That's a nice looking stockyard you have, too. Is it a kit bash or ?? That water tank and windmill is a great addition. I need one, along with some water troughs and feeders.
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Post by mrsocal on Nov 2, 2014 14:53:07 GMT -8
Ya it was a kit bash big time. It is all is for sell. I am taring down my layout. I am more into the modeling of and not the building of iff'in you know what I mean. It is all HO scale stuff but it works ya.
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Post by carrman on Nov 2, 2014 19:30:46 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2014 12:42:42 GMT -8
Back in the late 80's I bought an Oriental brass C-636. I modified it to SP&S prototype and then painted it SP&S. The new Bowser C-636 sure looks better than the Samhongsa C-636 of that late 80's. Bet it runs sweeter too.
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Post by mlehman on Nov 3, 2014 19:54:39 GMT -8
Jim, The detail level is really so much better than back in the day (70s-80s). That certainly sells new locos. But the drive is what clinches the deal. A lot of brass sat -- and often seemed designed to do that task well. If you wanted an operating loco then it often was a significant rebuild effort -- at a not inconsiderable expense. Makes me wonder how possible it would be to slide a modern mechanisn under the shell of some of the older brass. I know some just won't work so well, due to internal construction.
But I also wonder if anyone has managed such a conversion cost-effectively? If one chose wisely, you could sell the plastic shell that's surplus and make up a large part of the cost of a chassis.
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Post by dti406 on Nov 3, 2014 20:10:33 GMT -8
Mike, first of all thanks for the comment on the PRR Cabin Car, I enjoyed building it and like the trainphone antennas that I installed.
I have had a number of newer brass diesels like my Overland RS-27's, Baldwin Passenger Sharks that run extremely well. But I have a few duds in the inventory; one of them an old Alco Models (KTM) T-6 runs (if you can call it running) very sporadically even after a major tuneup and run-in along with adding a bunch of weight. I have purchased cheaply on E-Bay an Atlas S unit with AAR B trucks to install inside the brass carbody, looks like everything should fit and the wheelbase is very close to the brass model. All I have to do is remove a couple of braces in the cab and the weight I added and I should have a good running T-6 model. Of course as soon as I do that somebody will come out with a plastic model.
Rick J
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Post by stevef45 on Nov 4, 2014 0:29:28 GMT -8
Actually took some time sunday to build more on my nj transit aqua train. The tank cars are pretty much done, just got to finish stuff up on them. The flatcar sprayer car is what needs the work. I decided to build the cabin do it as best as i could using digital caliper, acurate conversions of the size from the blueprints, etc. I made the sizes a tad bigger to be able to sand them down, but stupid me glued the cabin together without sanding so its off every which way. lol. Im going to build another one and this time make sure the sizes are dead on before gluing and also will make the cutouts for the windows and doors. Then it will be a mission to find a generator or genset that matches whats on the flatcar. To get the angled portion of the cabin, i measured out a scale 12 feet, then figured about 4 feet is where the bend is on the prototype. Measured it out on the plastic and scribed a line it and then snapped it enough to bend and not break off. Prototype, not my pics. Anyone good with cad drawings and making things with them? I have a pic of a shapeways drawing that couldn't be printed because the walls were to thin. I've emailed the designer and never heard from them about trying to make it work. Anyway someone can draw one up wher its a solid piece so its wont be a print issue?
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Post by mlehman on Nov 4, 2014 9:44:02 GMT -8
SNIP.. I have purchased cheaply on E-Bay an Atlas S unit with AAR B trucks to install inside the brass carbody, looks like everything should fit and the wheelbase is very close to the brass model. All I have to do is remove a couple of braces in the cab and the weight I added and I should have a good running T-6 model. Of course as soon as I do that somebody will come out with a plastic model. Rick J Rick, That seems to prove it's possible and makes me wonder what successful conversions might be out there. Certainly talking them up might restore some value to older brass. Brass is still a viable base to build great models on, presuming the basic measurements and appearance aren't compromised by errors, which very well might be the case with a few models of that era.
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Post by Spikre on Nov 4, 2014 11:38:02 GMT -8
Mike, more than a few Alco Models T-6s have ended up on Atlas S chassis in this area. today it may be easier to use the Proto S-3 chassis as its closer to the correct wheelbase. may even be able to use a Hobbytown Chassis,if one can be found. nice pics of what comes in here. will check them again later on a faster screen. Spikre
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Post by stevef45 on Nov 5, 2014 20:33:26 GMT -8
Did a little more to my nj transit aqua train. I didn't have to build a new cabin. I was able to remove the rear piece and trim it slightly also shortened the length of the cab aswell. Glued it all together and sanded the tops and bottoms flat. Cut out a piece for the roof which overhangs all the way around and drew in where the windows and doors will be. They are measured using prototype pics and nj transit diagrams. Sanded down the molded wooden deck. This was a huge pita. and it will have real wood decking. Scale 2x6's from northeast scale lumber. I also was able to find someone who was willing to sell eastern car works ballast car conversion kits. I got 3 in the mail today and worked on one of the cars. Had to trim the discharge shoots on teh car more and open up the openings. The ecw parts have to be recessed into the openings so they dont hang down and touch the rails. I looked at a prototype pic and the car actually looks similar with this setup. The prototype
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