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Post by ChessieFan1978 on Apr 11, 2021 5:37:33 GMT -8
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Post by cr9617 on Apr 11, 2021 5:53:27 GMT -8
Morning everyone! Just wanted to share a couple of cars I recently finished up... First one up is an Overland caboose. The only major thing I did was swap out the draft gear for a Moloco piece and scale couplers since the caboose came with the oversize kadee box and #5s. I also repainted some of the details on the end platforms to better match the prototype photos before weathering. The keen observer will also notice that I need to clean the sensor on my camera lol.  IMG_4811[1] by cr9617, on Flickr  IMG_4812[1] by cr9617, on Flickr Here's the second Intermoutain flat I have been working on. The tractors are from Ertl, a little crude, but they get the job done. The wheels were that unpainted translucent looking plastic, so I pulled all the wheels and painted them. The rest of the tractor got the panel liner/semi gloss finish I used on the combines. I pulled one of the duals off and chained them down to match a photo I found on Ebay and used some stryene rod to simulate the axle.  IMG_4828[1] by cr9617, on Flickr  IMG_4824[1] by cr9617, on Flickr |
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Post by TBird1958 on Apr 11, 2021 8:44:20 GMT -8
Tangent's recent release of 4750's in FarMarCo colors allowed me to easily add to, and finish up my desired group of cars. Since they're '74 built cars I kept the weathering pretty minimal and tried to subtly make the 4750's look like they have the wavy side panels by using some Dullcote and glossy Warm Orange applied with my Iwata. Some simple masks made from styrene to fit each of the three different panel widths allowed my to easily control what I was airbrushing. The rest is chalks applied with an 1 1/2" wide soft brush and a little bit of brush work.  Close up of one of the masks.  It's nice to finish this group of cars, they would often move in small groups in manifest trains on the D&RGW, the others cars are Atlas ACF 4650's from a couple years back and an early Walther 4427 that I rebuilt the ends and walkway on way back in the '90s when the car was first released.  |
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Post by timvanmersbergen on Apr 11, 2021 9:06:30 GMT -8
As layouts get more populated with high quality rolling stock, one finds older stuff is not up to the current standard. While some of these are irredeemable, some others like these older Kadee PS-1 boxcars can get a second chance. All of these were done 15+ years ago and they showed that. I took them out of service, glosscoated, updated lettering with new data, reweigh, repack, chalk marks, paint outs, ACI, etc to reflect my 1969 era, dullcoated, and weathered them to their approximate age at that time. Spring is, after all, the time of renewal.      Tim VanMersbergen |
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Post by fr8kar on Apr 11, 2021 10:20:26 GMT -8
Besides the Ortner hoppers I also got to a couple other projects. Here I've started on some reefer conversions for my TOFC trains. We have two Atlas Pines trailers (top and bottom) with a custom painted Walthers Stoughton I built a couple years ago for comparison. The Walthers model has a modified ThermoKing reefer unit by Automodelle along with wheels/tires and fuel tank from A-line. Decals are from Microscale. The Automodelle units are really nice, but the majority of the closeup photos I have of 45' reefers show a different ThermoKing RMU. The factory painted Atlas trailers have had their lower sides sanded down flush with the raised area over the fifth wheel and the tandem sliders have been modified, but the wheels and landing gear remain stock parts until replacements arrive. I've added the 3D printed ThermoKing RMU reefer units and modified A-line fuel tanks (turns out a 0.25" diameter styrene tube is a perfect fit to lengthen the A-line reefer fuel tanks). I think the Walthers Stoughton trailer makes a better stand-in than these Atlas Pines trailers, but replacing the landing gear and wheels/tires will do wonders for these models when it's all said and done.  And here's the other thing I worked on during my 48 hours off. Rapido makes the best looking FB-2 sideframe ever and many people ended up getting replacement parts after a snafu at the factory. Thanks to some generous friends I ended up with some of these unwanted extra sideframes and I decided to find a way to use them. After making a 3D printed adapter to mount Atlas FB-2 sideframes to Athearn trucks, I decided to make a similar adapter to mount Genesis Blomberg M sideframes with leaf springs to blue box trucks. That part was a success so I worked up a prototype adapter to fit the Rapido sideframes to Athearn blue box trucks. I have a few models that use the ghastly old Smokey Valley FB-2 sideframes so they will be the first models to be fixed. Here are some photos showing the prototype adapter part cobbled from styrene and one of the 3D printed Genesis to blue box adapters. This part has been drawn in CAD and will be printed soon. Finally the sideframe is shown on a model with a 3D printed frame and fuel tank with blue box trucks and an Atlas body. The goal here is a model of the B30-7A1, but there's a long way to go before that's done.      Is this crazy? A waste of time? Probably, but I enjoy the problem solving part. And I get to upgrade some older models that could use a little help. |
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Post by Funnelfan on Apr 11, 2021 11:25:31 GMT -8
Ryan, what is the purpose of making a 3D printed frame and fuel tank instead of the Atlas frame and fuel tank???
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Post by Funnelfan on Apr 11, 2021 11:28:48 GMT -8
BTW, I had a couple of former bosses on a shortline I worked for that were from the Southern Railway. They had a lot of stores to share, so I have a soft spot for that railroad even though I primarily model western railroads. But I just loved the model coal train pics with the radio controlled helpers.
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Post by fr8kar on Apr 11, 2021 11:58:26 GMT -8
Ryan, what is the purpose of making a 3D printed frame and fuel tank instead of the Atlas frame and fuel tank??? The reason for the printed frame is the truck spacing. Atlas made Phase 1 (62'-2" overall, 36'-2" truck centers) and Phase 2 frames (62'-2" overall, 37'-2" truck centers) but not Phase 3 (61'-2" overall, 36'-8" truck centers). I needed the shorter frame for my B36-7 model. Of course that was before the Rapido model. So now Rapido makes a Phase 3 frame but that leaves the oddball B30-7A1 which is basically a Phase 3 frame lengthened by 14 inches (62'-4" overall, 37'-10" truck centers). I've used the printed frames to model some of the odd stuff GE built in the 80s when they really started to tinker with the Dash 8 improvements. And recently I've adopted a hybrid printed nylon/laser-cut steel frame to address the shortcomings of the nylon only frame. The main issue is the nylon only frame is too flexible and cannot support much weight, so the weight must be attached to the shell. Making the printed part of the frame thinner and laminating a laser-cut steel weight gives it much greater strength though not much additional weight (not an issue because there's plenty of room in the shell). Here's a few shots of a hybrid frame and fuel tank detail:    The reason for printing the fuel tank and reservoirs is the Atlas B23-7/B30-7 part is very poorly detailed and lacks depth to the fuel filler details because of the way the tank attaches to the frame. I thought I could do better. I also designed these frames for Kato motors and Athearn drive components since both are readily available. Here are some frames from a couple years ago:   |
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Post by sd40dash2 on Apr 11, 2021 12:19:31 GMT -8
^ Epic modelling by he6agon above.
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Post by fr8kar on Apr 11, 2021 12:22:55 GMT -8
^ Epic modelling by he6agon above. I thank you for that, but there is no shortage of excellent work in this week's thread. You guys always inspire me. |
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Post by 12bridge on Apr 11, 2021 12:47:51 GMT -8
 Finished up another MMRR 24 for a customer. Proto GP20 sill, GP9 hood and Mainline cab/short hood.  Working on some GE style split radiator cooling modifications as well. |
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Post by ncrc5315 on Apr 11, 2021 12:48:34 GMT -8
Ryan, where did you have the frame laser cut?
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Post by myoungwisc on Apr 11, 2021 12:59:18 GMT -8
Here's a few Soo Line and Milwaukee Road cabooses that I've built/modified over the past couple of years. There's a couple more on the workbench I hope to share soon. #159 is a Walthers kit which received Moloco draft gear, plated windows and a few other details. It was decorated using Tru-Color ATSF brown and Microscale decals. These cars had a very deep brown when they were fresh out of the shop, I think this particular color replicates that deepness well. The prototype ended up being returned to the lessor and wound up in Mexico working for the FNM. 
#100 is also a Walthers product but with a few more modifications. To replicate the MNS prototype, I started with an undecorated CNW version of the International model which had its bay windows replaced using those that came in the Milwaukee Road kits. Some rooftop details were added/relocated per the prototype including the unique red beacon on its own stand. A tool cabinet was scratchbuilt and original trucks replaced with Athearn Genesis. I'm in the process of replacing the plastic end rails with steel for better fidelity and durability. This model was decorated using Tru-Color white and custom decals that I purchased off ebay several years ago. The font is not a perfect match to the prototype, but it's close.  The final car is Milwaukee Road #991915, a factory decorated Walthers RTR car that was "redressed" into something which replicates how the prototype appeared late in life. The paint and weathering patterns are actually pulled from several different cars as they appeared in 1986. Several layers of fading and weathering compliment the plated windows and hastily repainted bay window. Microscale decals were used and though not visible in the photo, a rear flasher was added. I plan to make this operational at some point in the future. |
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sp3205
Junior Member
Posts: 92 
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Post by sp3205 on Apr 11, 2021 14:36:51 GMT -8
Here's a couple of RBLs that I built a few years apart. The prototypes were built in 1979, and seemed pretty common on SP trains in northern California. The idea on how to do this kitbash came from my friend Brian Rutherford, who pointed out that cutting the door section from the Athearn smooth side PC&F RBL with the 14 ft single door and splicing it to an outside-braced RBL gave pretty might the right dimensions, considering the prototype is a 52 ft car. I think the ends came from Athearn FMC double-door boxcars, which are too wide. I just cut the ends off and narrowed them with my mill. That the two cars were built about 4 years apart explains the slight color difference. I still need to weather them, but the paint on the real ones didn't hold up well and some light weathering will even things out a bit.
Elizabeth 
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Post by sd40dash2 on Apr 11, 2021 14:53:09 GMT -8
^ Outstanding work!
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Post by simulatortrain on Apr 11, 2021 17:00:59 GMT -8
I now have a test pair of 50 ton Barber S-2s to stress test. Fortunately Tangent just did the A-3s since I need those too.  |
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Post by fr8kar on Apr 11, 2021 17:32:58 GMT -8
Ryan, where did you have the frame laser cut? Sendcutsend.com Todd from Lines West recommended them. I also used them to make the floors for my Thrall well cars. I'm very pleased with the work they do. |
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Post by fr8kar on Apr 11, 2021 17:35:25 GMT -8
Those boxcars look great Elizabeth. That has me wondering if those doors would work for Rio Grande beer cars.
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Post by nsfantodd on Apr 11, 2021 18:25:43 GMT -8
Wow!
Fantastic work everyone!!
Thanks for sharing
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Post by TBird1958 on Apr 12, 2021 7:35:19 GMT -8
Those boxcars look great Elizabeth. That has me wondering if those doors would work for Rio Grande beer cars. The Rio Grande car that uses a 14' door that I must one day make....... Built by FGE  |
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Post by fr8kar on Apr 12, 2021 8:22:23 GMT -8
Those boxcars look great Elizabeth. That has me wondering if those doors would work for Rio Grande beer cars. The Rio Grande car that uses a 14' door that I must one day make....... Built by FGE Nice! These are the cars I was thinking of:  rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2436629 |
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Post by riogrande on Apr 12, 2021 8:56:05 GMT -8
I didn't have my copy of Jim Eagers Color guide at work.
Here is the info from page 55:
"D&RGW series 50800-50899 (2nd)
The Rio Grande returned to PC&F for it's last RBLs, built in May, 1979. These exterior-post sixty one footers also had 14-foot plug doors and duel air bag load dividers. Once again, they were given numbers previously occupied by cars that had been leased from North American.
The second RBL above looks similar to one of the RBLs done by ExactRail or Eel River at first blush.
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Post by protofrtcar on Apr 12, 2021 12:25:14 GMT -8
That second car is not FGE, it is a PC&F D&RGW 50800-50899 RBL 61 Footer Blt-79. Eel River model no good. Kitbash similar to the ST&E car using Athearn 14'door and two Athearn/ Genesis Exterior post PC&F Boxcars ( spliced together and lengthened roof ) as the Athearn bodies have the correct ends and seperate roofs.
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Post by riogrande on Apr 12, 2021 12:52:01 GMT -8
Explain why the Eel River body is no good.
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Post by ncrc5315 on Apr 12, 2021 14:26:58 GMT -8
Ryan, where did you have the frame laser cut? Sendcutsend.com Todd from Lines West recommended them. I also used them to make the floors for my Thrall well cars. I'm very pleased with the work they do. Thanks for the information. My first trains were a Tyco set, been trying to come up with a way to re-use the shells, this has given me some ideas. |
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sp3205
Junior Member
Posts: 92
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Post by sp3205 on Apr 12, 2021 18:04:16 GMT -8
Explain why the Eel River body is no good. I have a box of Eel River beer car parts that for the life of me I can't find right now because I "organized" everything. But if I remember correctly, those cars were essentially the same profile as the PC&F PFE refrigerator cars, and are shorter than the profile of the RBLs. The car Ryan posted the photo of appears to be the taller style. Splicing a 14 ft door section into the OB Genesis car gives a 52 car, the D&RGW appears to be a 60 ft car, and it has an additional rib on each side of the door compared to the ST&E cars. It's definitely a doable kitbash, but unless you have some extra Genesis boxcar shells laying around, it would take three cars (two OB cars and one with the 14 ft door), so definitely not inexpensive.
Elizabeth
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Post by riogrande on Apr 12, 2021 18:11:27 GMT -8
Thanks!
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Post by protofrtcar on Apr 12, 2021 21:15:27 GMT -8
Explain why the Eel River body is no good. Please Explain !! Okay, the Eel River car has a peaked roof, the Athearn car has the correct flat roof. The Eel River car also has incorrect ends, because of the peaked roof, but more importantly the ribs on the Dreadnaught ends are very poorly rendered compared to the Athearn car. The ER sides measure the same height as the Athearn car, but not sure if the ER car is correct ( haven't checked the Equipment Register for each prototype ) as they are both plate C cars. The ER car is old 90's tooling. The Athearn/Genesis is also about 20 years old, but it is a high fidelity model with excellent tooling. The Athearn is the best way to go for this kitbash, as previously mentioned, although requiring three body shells, but the leftover parts of the body shells make for some interesting future kitbashes, not to mention extra cut levers and brackets and genesis trucks left over, so not a totally expensive project if reusing leftover parts. You're Welcome. |
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Post by spartan on Apr 12, 2021 21:42:25 GMT -8
Besides the Ortner hoppers I also got to a couple other projects. Here I've started on some reefer conversions for my TOFC trains. We have two Atlas Pines trailers (top and bottom) with a custom painted Walthers Stoughton I built a couple years ago for comparison. The Walthers model has a modified ThermoKing reefer unit by Automodelle along with wheels/tires and fuel tank from A-line. Decals are from Microscale. The Automodelle units are really nice, but the majority of the closeup photos I have of 45' reefers show a different ThermoKing RMU. The factory painted Atlas trailers have had their lower sides sanded down flush with the raised area over the fifth wheel and the tandem sliders have been modified, but the wheels and landing gear remain stock parts until replacements arrive. I've added the 3D printed ThermoKing RMU reefer units and modified A-line fuel tanks (turns out a 0.25" diameter styrene tube is a perfect fit to lengthen the A-line reefer fuel tanks). I think the Walthers Stoughton trailer makes a better stand-in than these Atlas Pines trailers, but replacing the landing gear and wheels/tires will do wonders for these models when it's all said and done. And here's the other thing I worked on during my 48 hours off. Rapido makes the best looking FB-2 sideframe ever and many people ended up getting replacement parts after a snafu at the factory. Thanks to some generous friends I ended up with some of these unwanted extra sideframes and I decided to find a way to use them. After making a 3D printed adapter to mount Atlas FB-2 sideframes to Athearn trucks, I decided to make a similar adapter to mount Genesis Blomberg M sideframes with leaf springs to blue box trucks. That part was a success so I worked up a prototype adapter to fit the Rapido sideframes to Athearn blue box trucks. I have a few models that use the ghastly old Smokey Valley FB-2 sideframes so they will be the first models to be fixed. Here are some photos showing the prototype adapter part cobbled from styrene and one of the 3D printed Genesis to blue box adapters. This part has been drawn in CAD and will be printed soon. Finally the sideframe is shown on a model with a 3D printed frame and fuel tank with blue box trucks and an Atlas body. The goal here is a model of the B30-7A1, but there's a long way to go before that's done. Is this crazy? A waste of time? Probably, but I enjoy the problem solving part. And I get to upgrade some older models that could use a little help. These look great, are you going to replace the Atlas Pines trailers with A-line floors, landing gear etc. |
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Post by loco8107 on Apr 13, 2021 6:42:06 GMT -8
Really nice stuff this week everyone!
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Trains by Matthew Fisher, on Flickr
Trains by Matthew Fisher, on Flickr
Trains by Matthew Fisher, on Flickr
Trains by Matthew Fisher, on Flickr
Trains by Matthew Fisher, on Flickr
Southern Ford Boom Truck by Matthew Fisher, on Flickr
Untitled by Matthew Fisher, on Flickr
Untitled by Matthew Fisher, on Flickr
Trains by Matthew Fisher, on Flickr
