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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Feb 9, 2020 11:35:44 GMT -8
I haven't posted anything for months, here is a shot of a quartet of Atlas Trainman RS-36s with Loksound that I recently upgraded for my layout. I drilled out the handrails spots and added ones I bent to fit, replaced the factory speaker with a small sugar cube and custom housing mounted on a 3d printed board that also includes TCS KA2 modules. Painted with Tamiya and lettered with Highball Graphics decals that I had made. This unit is next to one of the older RSD-15s. The paint shop used up all the Southern Railway Green on hand and motive power decided to upgrade to the new color.
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Post by dti406 on Feb 9, 2020 11:56:40 GMT -8
I completed a couple of cars this week. Walthers Express Reefer Kit, broke 3 drills drilling all the holes for the grabs on this kit. Car was painted with Scalecoat II Hunter Green and lettered with Microscale Decals. These are the new look lettering that REA Express started in 1961 when they were allowed to integrate trucks into the fleet. When passenger trains fell off REA ran into problems. Express Reefers ran in passenger trains carrying high value fruit items and or things like magazines and newspapers that required a clean dry car to avoid damage. This is a Life-Like Proto 2000 Kit of the PS 4427 Covered Hopper, replaced the Plastic Roofwalk with a Plano one, drilled about 50 #79 holes for the roofwalk supports, on this one I did not break a drill, had much softer plastic than the Walthers kit. Car was painted with Scalecoat II UP Hopper Car Gray and lettered with Oddballs Decals. The C&EI was controlled by the MP and their cars ran in the same number series as the MP and were delivered in 1971 for grain service. The reason for the Southern Caboose I finished last week. A pair of Southern GP38-2's running on the Strongsville Club Layout. Will be using these in operating sessions on the layout. Thanks for looking! Rick Jesionowski
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Post by TBird1958 on Feb 9, 2020 12:52:38 GMT -8
A couple of oldies from me this week, I haven't been able to shoot pics outside for months now due to Seattle's 150 Shades of Gray winter..... It's finally a sunny if cool day here today - of course I'm stuck at work! Anywhoooo....GP30's
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Post by riogrande on Feb 9, 2020 13:14:10 GMT -8
Mark, nicey nice! Excellent weathering on the Moloco.
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Post by fr8kar on Feb 9, 2020 14:57:56 GMT -8
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Post by brammy on Feb 9, 2020 16:02:18 GMT -8
Speaking of stantions.
I have a Stewart U25B I lost the end handrails do. I soldered two brass wires together to make a set that at least pass the 3' test.
What are a good set of stantions that drop into the top of models? All the ones I have seen go in the side.
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Post by fr8kar on Feb 9, 2020 16:21:18 GMT -8
Speaking of stantions. I have a Stewart U25B I lost the end handrails do. I soldered two brass wires together to make a set that at least pass the 3' test. What are a good set of stantions that drop into the top of models? All the ones I have seen go in the side. Included in the Smokey Valley GE Utility Cab kit are two side mount stanchions and two deck mount stanchions. They're a little soft for my liking and they tend to bend easily. These stanchions can be seen in the first photo of my previous post in this thread. In the past I've cut up a pair of Utah Pacific stanchions and soldered the bottom on sideways to make a couple deck mount stanchions for my B39-8. You can see one in this image (first stanchion behind the cab):
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Post by drolsen on Feb 9, 2020 20:14:31 GMT -8
Ryan, that B-unit looks great! It's fun watching your projects come together. I personally don't think plastic handrails will ever look as good as wire / metal, although the hybrid railings like Rapido is using are getting much closer. Since you love experimenting with things, I'm curious if you've taken a look at the etched handrail stanchions from KV Models. He's doing some amazing things with the etched parts he's still through his eBay store, but I'm wondering how well those fine stanchions will hold up, and how easy they are to form the tops and solder. Great stuff this week, everyone! Dave
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Post by fr8kar on Feb 9, 2020 20:48:19 GMT -8
Thanks, Dave. You should see the pile of Atlas parts I've accumulated. There will be more of these projects I can assure you!
James Wall asked me about those stanchions, too. And you pointed out the problem I can see with them, which is curling the tops. I like to install the stanchions then bend the wire to fit and I'm not sure if that method would work unless I could figure out a way to consistently curl the tops before installation. And being an etch, I'm not sure how well they'd hold up. The brass Smokey Valley stanchions get bent up pretty good compared to the Utah Pacific stanchions, so I can only imagine how etched brass would fare.
I really dig what KV is doing with those radiator parts. Very cool stuff. When the etched screen is used with the radiator core its very believable. I wish I hadn't glued the radiator parts in place on my U33B, U36B and B36-7 models. It would be very challenging to install the KV parts without doing major damage to those models now.
I did something similar with the 3D printed B30-7A1B body kit. The radiator core is part of the body beneath the radiator screen and the Atlas etch and plastic frame fits in place over it. I'm excited to see how the effect comes out when I paint it.
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Post by ChessieFan1978 on Feb 9, 2020 20:50:56 GMT -8
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Post by brammy on Feb 10, 2020 6:41:31 GMT -8
Included in the Smokey Valley GE Utility Cab kit are two side mount stanchions and two deck mount stanchions. They're a little soft for my liking and they tend to bend easily. These stanchions can be seen in the first photo of my previous post in this thread. In the past I've cut up a pair of Utah Pacific stanchions and soldered the bottom on sideways to make a couple deck mount stanchions for my B39-8. You can see one in this image (first stanchion behind the cab): Thanks. My soldering skills pretty much stink, so this could be good practice.
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Post by timvanmersbergen on Feb 10, 2020 7:10:50 GMT -8
Took a break from scenery to finish a few Tangent tank cars.
This is the 1957 tank in the 1974 plain GATX scheme. I had to backdate for my 1969 era layout by removing the COTS and changing the re-weigh date to 12-67. The tank test date was 1964 so I didn't need to change the tiny lettering. Experimented with texture and a bit of glosscoat on weathering the car for fatty acid service. Tim VanMersbergen
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Post by tom on Feb 10, 2020 14:32:11 GMT -8
Here is my current work in progress. A Kato GP35 that was stripped and is now being upgraded using Cannon fans and a new turbo hatch. Like the KS RS-36s above I am also upgrading the Kato handrails by drilling through the stanchions and replacing the handrails with smaller diameter wire ones....I am using Tichy 0.015" wire. The unit started as a UP unit so the then engine is in its raw grey and yellow plastic. The handrails are tedious so its best to do a little at a time. Once the handrails and other details are done the unit will get a coat of black and become a Penn Central unit.
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Post by edgecrusher on Feb 13, 2020 11:06:33 GMT -8
Late to the party as usual, here are a few pics of a switch I was finally able to get functioning. I works better than I had expected. The switch motor casting is just sitting to see how it looks. (and I see its facing the wrong way. ) I took it all apart this morning so I could some paint on some of areas I won't be able to reach when everything is installed. And so I can trim off the extra length from the ties.
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Post by ncrc5315 on Feb 13, 2020 16:03:57 GMT -8
That looks really nice! Whose switch? Where did you get the castings?
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Post by edgecrusher on Feb 14, 2020 6:58:34 GMT -8
That looks really nice! Whose switch? Where did you get the castings? Thanks, its certainly a work in progress. But it works and that's a big step. The switch is from multiple sources. The main part of the ties are from Central Valley, the frog, guard rails & joint bars are Details West castings, the points and photo etched parts are from the Proto:87 Store and finally the switch motor is a Century Foundry casting.
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Post by csx3305 on Feb 14, 2020 10:15:54 GMT -8
I keep fighting the urge to buy a Scaletrains C39-8 and make a BN B39-8 out of it. Don’t have much justification for it on circa 1993 CSX, but the temptation remains.
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Post by riogrande on Feb 14, 2020 11:22:57 GMT -8
That looks really nice! Whose switch? Where did you get the castings? I agree. Very nice looking turnout!
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Post by fr8kar on Feb 14, 2020 12:01:32 GMT -8
I keep fighting the urge to buy a Scaletrains C39-8 and make a BN B39-8 out of it. Don’t have much justification for it on circa 1993 CSX, but the temptation remains. I have another Rail Power shell that was going to become a C39-8. I keep it around wondering if I'll get inspired to do another B39-8. At this point I think your idea is better. Seems like I'd just have to do the weird body cuts and none of the upgrade stuff to get the B39-8. And I'd have the drive leftover to build a C39-8E using an Atlas C40-8 body. Hmmm.....
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sp3205
Junior Member
Posts: 92
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Post by sp3205 on Feb 14, 2020 12:39:50 GMT -8
I keep fighting the urge to buy a Scaletrains C39-8 and make a BN B39-8 out of it. Don’t have much justification for it on circa 1993 CSX, but the temptation remains. The BN units were B32-8s. They were shorter than the B39-8, so maybe a little more work. But I agree, they were interesting. But even further outside my modeling era, so thus far I've avoided the temptation to chase after that squirrel!
Elizabeth
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Post by fr8kar on Feb 14, 2020 22:56:15 GMT -8
Dan Raitz built a couple of the BN B32-8s from Rail Power shells and documented his build on the Diesel Detailer forum. If you're ever needing inspiration to get started, look no further: dieseldetailer.proboards.com/thread/5491/ge-b32-8I'm certain the same techniques could be applied to the Scale Trains shell.
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Post by spchris on Feb 23, 2020 9:59:45 GMT -8
A couple of oldies from me this week, I haven't been able to shoot pics outside for months now due to Seattle's 150 Shades of Gray winter..... It's finally a sunny if cool day here today - of course I'm stuck at work! Anywhoooo....GP30's [/quote] This reminds me of the two Athearn SP SD45s i modified with correct plows last year .... they were nearly as "low plowers" at first as GP30 3006 in this picture (assuming that either this plow is loose or you just wanted to check how quickly the DCC equipment would get the short - ). Hm - the complete front looks a bit bent downwards ... In the meantime i have revised my plows and set them a little bit higher (which was in fact much more work than i had imagined ... not like "done in a day"). Of course - had finished this "small project" just in time the Scaletrains SD45s were announced - "well done"
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