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Post by tankcarsrule on Mar 8, 2015 5:26:31 GMT -8
I'll kick it off this week. My whalebelly Phosphorus six axle car. Regards, Bobby
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Post by mlehman on Mar 8, 2015 5:43:15 GMT -8
Bobby, Beautiful work on that awesome tank car! That pic is none too shabby, either, as you've really captured your subject well from an unusual angle. Dare I say at least the pic is -- gasp! -- art? The big buzz around the layout here this week was the progress the B&B gang made in getting facilities operational 'way out at the end of the Cascade Branch. We grabbed a ride on the local to see what all the fuss was about... Little more than a week ago, as you rounded the curve from Crater Lake Junction into CL proper, this is what you saw. Now things are a little more usefully huddled around that17" min radius wye. I moved the tie mill down off the hill, next to the tracks, while the boys in the woods have been keeping it busy as they load more gons for the Koppers treatment plant in Alamosa. Still kicking myself for putting that spur in the middle of the open space, rather than to one side or the other. I think they're gonna have a word with the track crew about moving it to one side or the other at this location.
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Post by TBird1958 on Mar 8, 2015 6:17:50 GMT -8
Great looking tank car Bobby, that model is fantastic, love the railings and deck, and as Mike says a very convincing picture too!
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Mar 8, 2015 7:28:39 GMT -8
Love the tank car. Everything from the construction down to paint and weathering.
Sergent couplers?
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Mar 8, 2015 7:30:34 GMT -8
Another fine example of why tank cars rule.
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Post by TBird1958 on Mar 8, 2015 8:54:35 GMT -8
Here's a couple I had the chance to shoot this morning after the sun came up..... P2K Rio Grande 4427, this is one of 4 high side cars on my roster, they were often used in bulk dry chemical service (Perlite, Gilsonite, Potash etc.) And an Atlas Mcloud River FMC5077, this would be a pretty new car on my layout, so not too dirty yet.
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Post by tankcarsrule on Mar 8, 2015 9:17:00 GMT -8
Thanks guys for the uplifting comments. The photo was taken with my wife's I phone. I like it because I can upload to Flicker with the app on the phone. Yes, those are Sergeant couplers. None look better or cost more. Mark, I always look forward to your models. I followed you in Mainline Modeler, and was inspired by your tank car builds Mike, your layout is inspirational, wonderful work. I almost forgot, the walkways are made with double thick Plano. Thanks again to all
Regards, Bobby
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Post by kcjones on Mar 8, 2015 9:41:59 GMT -8
OK Bobby, What did you do this time? Use a drone to fly over that tank car? I really dig your work since I use to see these monsters all most every day when I was working for the ICG back in the day. Brings back a lot of great memories. Mark, great work on the MCCLOUD. Do you air brush your wheels or paint them with a paint pen?
JL
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Post by mlehman on Mar 8, 2015 9:44:46 GMT -8
Bobby, Thanks for the appreciative comments. The inspiration from yours, TBird's, SoCal's and others work has started to loosen the starch in my collar enough so that I've taken to weathering - at least baby steps. I didn't really do any on the stock pen kitbash, but the station, water tank, and coaling platform all have at least a stab at weathering. Except for the various pieces from the Walthers stock pen leftovers, some Branchline shingles, JTT cut stone and a few Grandt windows and doors, everything else in the group of buildings just constructed at Crater Lake is scratchbuilt. The station uses JTT stone sheeting, as does the foundation of the watertank. The watertank battens were all attached individually. The station is my own design. The enclosed water tank is patterned after the one at Eureka on the Silverton Northern, which still stands, but largely without exterior details. I made my own spout for it. The coaling platform roughly follows C&S practice, because those were the handiest references. It's all stick-by-stick, stained with Min-wax gray. A closer look... Oh, yeah, figured out this week how all those planes stay in the air, despite the rather obvious lack of a suitable airfield...
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Post by tankcarsrule on Mar 8, 2015 9:59:46 GMT -8
JL, I'm glad you like my tank cars, I sure do enjoy building them. Jim, I stand corrected, the couplers are McJunk, they're all I had at the time.
Regards, Bobby
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Post by kcjones on Mar 8, 2015 10:01:35 GMT -8
Mike, Took awhile, but I finally saw how your planes were staying up in the air. What is that mid-air tanker? Never seen one like that.
JL
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Post by TBird1958 on Mar 8, 2015 10:25:11 GMT -8
Thank you Bobby, working at Mainline Modeler and writing for them was certainly fun times. The modeling was a bit less sophisticated too. Your work far surpasses anything I ever did - it's you that inspires me now!
JL, I usually airbrush my car wheels and then go over them with chalk - the McCloud car was done with colored pencils and chalks, then Dullcoted.
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Post by mlehman on Mar 8, 2015 11:05:09 GMT -8
Mike, Took awhile, but I finally saw how your planes were staying up in the air. What is that mid-air tanker? Never seen one like that. JL JL, It's old school, but was aroiund surprisingly late. It's a Minicraft 1:144 model of the KC-97L. It was developed by adding a large cargo cabin atop what was essentially a B-29, giving the C-97 cargo plane. Then this was adapted into a tanker, which served from the early 50s to the mid 70s. I remember seeing a few around, but don't think I ever got to tour one like I was able to with many mil aircraft on Armed Forces Day and other special occasions. The jet engines were added in the mid 60s to help it fly fast enough to fuel the fast movers that came down the pipeline long after it came off the drawing board. The Utah Air National Guard decals are one of two choices, along with the Wisconsin ANG, that come with the kit. I just happened to have an F-4E hanging around, so I extended the refueling probe in the down position and opened up the receptacle for the probe on top the fuselage behind the cockpit. Then it was just a matter of getting them in formation to add a bit of implied motion by refueling.
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Post by riogrande on Mar 8, 2015 12:54:19 GMT -8
Mark, nice photo's of the 4427 hopper and McCoud River box car. I have a couple of the D&RGW 4427's - they are good matches. I remember seeing the gray hoppers similar to them on a trip through Colorado on the Amtrak CZ around 1990 and they went on my want list then. The McCloud River box car crossed the Rockies too, it's on my need list.
Mike your airplain refueling photo reminds me of my dads flying days. He started out in the Airforce as a navigator on KC97's in the late 50's and later moved to KC135's - he even took 8mm home movies out of the boom window when they were refueling a B58 Hustler. The B58 was retired around 1970 so that would be impossible to do now, not to mention with all the security yada yada.
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Post by oldmuley on Mar 8, 2015 14:20:55 GMT -8
Here is my Russell snowplow I've been working on. It will eventually become a very weathered Wisconsin Central #300.
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Post by onequiknova on Mar 8, 2015 17:08:18 GMT -8
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Post by icrr3067 on Mar 8, 2015 17:29:28 GMT -8
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Post by onequiknova on Mar 8, 2015 17:38:52 GMT -8
I assume those are IC cabeese, but they are very CB&Qesque with the single window cupola.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Mar 8, 2015 18:21:16 GMT -8
Des Plaines Hobbies Centralia Shops IC side door cabooses?
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Post by icrr3067 on Mar 8, 2015 18:48:45 GMT -8
Yes and yes!!
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Post by Mark R. on Mar 8, 2015 18:50:12 GMT -8
Mike - NOT being critical, just asking .... ever try taking pictures of your layout without the blue lights on ? Most of your pictures have a blue cast to them. I can tell in some of your pictures, there are warmer colors in there. Would really like to see some pictures with a warmer natural light look.
Mark.
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Post by mlehman on Mar 8, 2015 22:16:24 GMT -8
Mark, I could try it. I suspect it's not the blue LEDS, though.
Are you talking about all my pics or just a certain large percentage? I generally take shots in either the Auto setting, which provides good color rendering, and with the Aperture Priority. It a Canon PowerShot SX100.
With the AP mode, there is a decidedly blue cast, which I typically hit with Auto Color to solve most of the shift AP mode causes. The results are very similar in look to the ones without correction when using the Auto mode. I use AP mode to get the best depth of field, although I then also have to deal with a longer exposure time, typically .6 to 1 second.
Anyway, I'll try some next time around, if I can get the plugs pulled for the blue lights without too much hassle.
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Post by mlehman on Mar 8, 2015 22:33:06 GMT -8
SNIP Mike your airplain refueling photo reminds me of my dads flying days. He started out in the Airforce as a navigator on KC97's in the late 50's and later moved to KC135's - he even took 8mm home movies out of the boom window when they were refueling a B58 Hustler. The B58 was retired around 1970 so that would be impossible to do now, not to mention with all the security yada yada. Jim, Glad you enjoyed that. I was trying to remember if you'd said he flew -97s. I remember you mentioning the all-jet Stratotankers. Those old reciprocating engines were to jets about like what steam is to modern diesels -- a whole different kettle of fish. BTW, came across this great little site when doing some research on the build: airrefuelingarchive.wordpress.com/I'm pretty sure I recall a KC-97 to Hustler refueling film, definitely at least one Hustler if it wasn't one of the -97 videos. While I always thought the Hustlers were a pretty cool ride, you had to be brave (or something) to fly one. They did have escape pods, but the execution, err, I mean ejection, left something to be desired in emergencies. And the pilots view must've been impressive hurdling down that runway. They had one on display up at Chanute until the shutdown. The cabin windows were at least 20 feet in the air on that spindly landing gear needed to clear the engines slung under the big delta wing.
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Post by riogrande on Mar 9, 2015 4:40:34 GMT -8
The B58's had their problems with ejection as I recall my dad telling some stories about them not always working out properly and a pilot or two died in the process. I was at Bunker Hill AFB (renamed Grissom) as a kid when a B58 had a landing gear problem which collapsed and the pilot had to eject on the ground to avoid the ensuing fire, but it may have been fatal anyway. The landing gear struts were long because of the clearance need to carry the pod underneath. I was at Bunker Hill from about 1963-1967.
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Post by mlehman on Mar 9, 2015 5:43:47 GMT -8
The B58's had their problems with ejection as I recall my dad telling some stories about them not always working out properly and a pilot or two died in the process. I was at Bunker Hill AFB (renamed Grissom) as a kid when a B58 had a landing gear problem which collapsed and the pilot had to eject on the ground to avoid the ensuing fire, but it may have been fatal anyway. The landing gear struts were long because of the clearance need to carry the pod underneath. I was at Bunker Hill from about 1963-1967. Sounds like you know more than I do: those guys really earned that flight pay, as I'm sure most of those standing alert did back in the day. Mark, Insomnia left me with some time on mu hands, so grabbed some comparison shots. Let me know what you're seeing, as color rendering on the internet can vary...doubt this will turn into some hot thread about color like that dresss did last week Camera on Auto setting, blue LEDs on. Camera on Aperture Priority Mode, with Photoshop color correction partly applied via Auto Color. Camera on Auto mode, blue LEDs off. Camera on AP with Auto color correction.
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Post by nebrzephyr on Mar 9, 2015 6:36:55 GMT -8
Mike......#1 and #3 look good to me, with maybe #3 a tad better. Bob
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Post by dti406 on Mar 9, 2015 6:56:21 GMT -8
The B58's had their problems with ejection as I recall my dad telling some stories about them not always working out properly and a pilot or two died in the process. I was at Bunker Hill AFB (renamed Grissom) as a kid when a B58 had a landing gear problem which collapsed and the pilot had to eject on the ground to avoid the ensuing fire, but it may have been fatal anyway. The landing gear struts were long because of the clearance need to carry the pod underneath. I was at Bunker Hill from about 1963-1967. Guy I worked with in Toledo was an Air Traffic Controller when that happened. When I worked in Alaska a company up there had either a KC-97 or a KB-50(?) that delivered gas and oil to various parts of Alaska. We had a delivery made to a job site of various lubricating oils as they had subdivided tanks for that reason. The guys I knew at the job site said it was really funny to see the crew run out of the airplane with large wash tubs to put under the engines because they leaked so much oil. Rick J
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Post by riogrande on Mar 9, 2015 7:21:20 GMT -8
My dad did fly through Alaska when he was with the KC135's. He brought back King Crab home - he stored it in the aircraft wheel well to keep it cold, but used dry ice as well. I can still remember it stunk the kitchen up when cooking but it tasted good dipped in melted butter, yes, even to a 1st grader!
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Post by mlehman on Mar 9, 2015 8:12:37 GMT -8
Mike......#1 and #3 look good to me, with maybe #3 a tad better. Bob Bob, Thanks for the data point. Still waiting for Mark to get a look-see and his reaction. My evaluation is like yours. The Auto setting deals with the blue shift, regardless, while the Aperture Priority mode doesn't, even when Auto Color correction solves most other issues. It's probably something I could fix by just manually adjusting the color rendering if Mark sees the same thing. If not, I may have to look at other options.
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Post by mlehman on Mar 9, 2015 8:21:34 GMT -8
My dad did fly through Alaska when he was with the KC135's. He brought back King Crab home - he stored it in the aircraft wheel well to keep it cold, but used dry ice as well. I can still remember it stunk the kitchen up when cooking but it tasted good dipped in melted butter, yes, even to a 1st grader! Jim, That's just so similar to my dad's experience, even though he wasn't flight crew. He was at HQ ATC at Randolph during much of the 60s. There was a regular inspection trip to Keesler AFB on the Gulf Coast that they'd take a T-39 ride to make. It was the duty of whoever got the TDY to bring back large quantities of shrimp and host a party. I'm remembering it was something like 20 pounds, because me, my bros and sis got stuck shelling it after mom cooked it. Wholly legit use of a trip one would otherwise be on and a nice perk for all the long hours and risks taken for relatively low pay. Where I did start to question this one time was a trip he took to Torrejon AFB in Spain from HQ USAFE in Germany. The return flight by the "ass and trash" C-130 found the rear ramp and commodious accommodations of the Hercules quite handy...some colonel bought an entire bar and rolled it onto the plane, airfreighting it back to Germany. Legal, yeah, but really stretching things. Colonels can be pretty good at that. The bar came up in a conversation about the sizable mirror dad brought back, something like 3x6 feet. I said "Wow, can't believe they let you bring that in your luggage!" he said, "That's nothing, some other guy brought back a bar..."
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