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Post by riogrande on Jun 1, 2021 9:40:35 GMT -8
In some ways, undecorated models are likely more important now then they were 20 years ago. To a few, although from what I understand, manufacturers sell very few undecorated models - so they say. |
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sp3205
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Post by sp3205 on Jun 1, 2021 9:59:25 GMT -8
The problem often isn’t the paint, it’s all the added detail. Added detail can make it hard to strip a model and not lose something. But the list of manufacturers from whom the paint is not ridiculously - and objectionably - thick is limited. Tangent comes to mind, no one else at the moment.
Elizabeth
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Post by lvrr325 on Jun 1, 2021 21:52:34 GMT -8
I stripped four brown box Proto GP18s, with all the plastic detail parts, when they were nearly new in 1995-ish.
Guess how many got put back together?
I did paint one that started as an undec but even that was not finished because I had issues getting paint to stick to the handrails and detail parts that would be molded in color on a decorated model.
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Post by slowfreight on Jun 2, 2021 5:52:56 GMT -8
I had issues getting paint to stick to the handrails and detail parts that would be molded in color on a decorated model. I hit parts like that with automotive adhesion promoter before priming, and have had very good success on "slippery" plastics. |
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Post by rounder on Jun 2, 2021 15:31:43 GMT -8
There is usually not much hope for tearing down a Proto unit for painting and trying to put it all back. They had an annoying habit of melting everything in place with a soldering iron and the handrails were almost always a total loss trying to get them off. Always,always plan on new brass handrails and grabs when stripping a Proto.
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Post by 12bridge on Jun 2, 2021 15:40:24 GMT -8
I have stripped more proto units of every flavor then I can remember at this point and can never really remember having an issue getting the parts off. A quick swipe with an exacto chisel blade to shave down the melted spot and they pop right out.
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Post by rounder on Jun 2, 2021 15:47:28 GMT -8
*shrug* I have three GP30s and a Geep 7 that beg to differ. None of them were undecs, however.
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Post by lvrr325 on Jun 3, 2021 10:52:56 GMT -8
I had issues getting paint to stick to the handrails and detail parts that would be molded in color on a decorated model. I hit parts like that with automotive adhesion promoter before priming, and have had very good success on "slippery" plastics. I painted it in like 1995. It's in a box somewhere with cracked gears and who knows what parts with it. Looks like the Rapido SW1200s my source had are sold out, I got a complete in stock list and while I can still get a few B36-7s, FAs, F7B/F9B, and RS11s I don't see any SW1200s. Of course more could turn up later. |
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Post by riogrande on Jun 3, 2021 11:10:55 GMT -8
Well, Kleins still has a decent number of SW1200's in PRR, NH, MILW, GN and D&RGW. Interestingly they only got in the DCC/Sound versions. I don't think I saw any DCC ready there. Usually Kleins gets in both kinds.
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Post by wmrdgfan on Jun 3, 2021 11:37:57 GMT -8
Well, Kleins still has a decent number of SW1200's in PRR, NH, MILW, GN and D&RGW. Interestingly they only got in the DCC/Sound versions. I don't think I saw any DCC ready there. Usually Kleins gets in both kinds. I hope thats not their new trend. |
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Post by rockfan on Jun 3, 2021 12:08:49 GMT -8
I doubt it, sure the DCC/sound locomotives sell for more but they didn't get all the road names Rapids announced.
Something must have happened to only get DCC/sound. I'm sure Rapido wants to get the SW1200 out there and the other roadnames and non DCC/sound units will follow.
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Post by riogrande on Jun 3, 2021 16:45:19 GMT -8
Lombard did have dcc ready versions of Rapido SW1200 so they are out. Klein's didn't seem to have any however.
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Post by zephyrgray on Jun 6, 2021 13:59:48 GMT -8
OMG, did I get old! I was going to carry on about the price of their RTR engins, but the level of detail that an engine has today were only dreams during the blue box era. It is a shame that reserving an item from Rapido is like shooting craps. Wait, I think my odd are better at the local casino...
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2021 16:50:35 GMT -8
I stuck with the Walthers sw1200. I measured the MP class lights for them…but I can just have those photo etched.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jun 13, 2021 13:19:57 GMT -8
Well, folks. I picked up my GN SW1200.
The striping color "in person" is not as obnoxious as in the photo I saw of the model. I think someone pumped up the colors in the model photo, which made the stripes yellower. What it also did was make the green greener, which is unfortunate, because the green on the model looks perfect to me. However. The orange in the photo was pumped up--the orange on the model is pretty washed out and faded. I found this upsetting, at first. Later, as I lived with it a few hours, I got in an accomodating mood. The model is WEATHERED. In my view. Or FADED. It looks like it would do nicely for a late sixties version, parked near some locos newly painted in the simplified scheme.
That done, what about the rest?
Well, no roof beacon. Turns out there really shouldn't be one. I couldn't find a shot of one of these in the original paint with a beacon. So the promised beacon was a mistake, and the non-beacon appears to be proper.
The class lights don't light up, contrary to what Rapido promised. That doesn't bother me lots, but it does bother some other folks. Lots. Mine arrived with only one (dummy) class light. The lenses are painted aluminum, which doesn't have much to do with how the real ones look, illuminated or not. When I fix this problem, I'll probably paint the lenses a yellowish light grey.
For some reason, Rapido left out the hood-top grab at the top of the side ladder. Easy-ish to fix, but for the money, we shouldn't have to.
They got the protective handrail in front of the radiator shutters way wrong. It's probably correct for one of the road favorites of the Rapido crew. They also got the GN class light mounting brackets wrong.
Moving on a bit:
I felt and feel that the sound is kind of weak. Not AWFUL, but missing too much bass. Perhaps a better speaker would have helped? I know that the recording has PLENTY of thump.
Missing is a "keep alive", which is true of all other switchers, except that little micro one Walthers produced. Switchers need "keep alive" more than road power, and have less place for it. Running mine, it had one hesitation spot that it managed to roll through, but I saw it. Of course, if I were to clean my track more often,........
Out of the box, the loco ran terribly. The directions say to break it in. Instead, I chose to do the ESU Autotune. WOW!! Suddenly great low speed running. This was the most improvement I've ever seen when I did this. Autotune is da bomb, as the younger set say. Or so I hear.
I've decided I like this loco. I'm going to give it a B+ (or MAYBE an A-). I will also give Rapido's F40PH and their FL9 an A. And then there's their SP&S/BN FA-2--not passing.
I dug out my benchmark switcher, the Atlas S-2. In GN. The orange on the Atlas is brighter than the Rapido. Not LOTS, but certainly noticeable. I think I can live with it, since they both seem to have the same "color value" (not TOO red, for example). I like the sound a bit better on the Atlas.
The Atlas weighs 10 1/8 oz. The Rapido weighs 10 1/2 oz. My NW2 lifetime project locomotive is just over a pound, so far. And it has "keep alive" (really HAS to, with a Hobbytown drive).
Ed
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Post by middledivision on Jun 13, 2021 15:13:31 GMT -8
Is Autotune on the Lokprogrammer?
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jun 13, 2021 15:27:10 GMT -8
Is Autotune on the Lokprogrammer? I don't think so. It's in the decoder. Loksound 5 has it. And Loksound Select 4 had it. Probably others, too. The process hasn't changed between 4 and 5. You put your locomotive on the track with about 3-4 feet of empty track in front of it. Make SURE that your throttle says it's going to go in the right direction. Yes, I've screwed up on this. Once. Do Program on the Main. Go to CV 54. Enter 0 (it probably already has 000. This does NOT count. You HAVE to enter 0). Get out of Program on the Main. Hit F1. The loco will start quickly and slow down. The bell will be ringing. Turn off the bell. Now, if all went well, your loco will run better. Maybe just a little. Maybe a lot. This time, it was a LOT. Ed |
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Post by 12bridge on Jun 13, 2021 15:31:03 GMT -8
If they recycled the drive from the SW1200...yeah, it really needs a keep alive. You can get a Loksound Powerpack Mini in the cab. and its pretty well hidden. The pickups are just not very good on those.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jun 13, 2021 15:45:18 GMT -8
The first time I tried a "keep alive", it was on a brass gas-electric. It had/has the classic two wheel pickup on each side. And it lacked, uh, enthusiasm in its pickup. As is, that little fella couldn't go more than an inch or two without stalling. Over and over and over. Yeah, I thought about improving the pickups. But. I heard about this new idea.
I was planning on having sound inside. The Soundtraxx Dual Whitcomb looked like the best choice. I added TCS "keep alives" and a nice big speaker (this fella has plenty of room and few windows).
Now it NEVER stalls. Never.
As you can imagine, I became a Believer. I am super happy that ScaleTrains puts them in their Rivet Counter diesels.
Ed
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Post by middledivision on Jun 13, 2021 16:44:49 GMT -8
Is Autotune on the Lokprogrammer? I don't think so. It's in the decoder. Loksound 5 has it. And Loksound Select 4 had it. Probably others, too. The process hasn't changed between 4 and 5. You put your locomotive on the track with about 3-4 feet of empty track in front of it. Make SURE that your throttle says it's going to go in the right direction. Yes, I've screwed up on this. Once. Do Program on the Main. Go to CV 54. Enter 0 (it probably already has 000. This does NOT count. You HAVE to enter 0). Get out of Program on the Main. Hit F1. The loco will start quickly and slow down. The bell will be ringing. Turn off the bell. Now, if all went well, your loco will run better. Maybe just a little. Maybe a lot. This time, it was a LOT. Ed Thanks |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jun 13, 2021 16:54:03 GMT -8
You're quite welcome.
It's a great thing, and not enough people are aware of the option.
Ed
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Post by Colin 't Hart on Jun 14, 2021 1:34:53 GMT -8
If they recycled the drive from the SW1200...yeah, it really needs a keep alive. You can get a Loksound Powerpack Mini in the cab. and its pretty well hidden. The pickups are just not very good on those. I believe just ahead of the cab there is a small weight that can be removed making just enough room for a small keepalive. |
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Post by hbgatsf on Jul 31, 2021 6:18:00 GMT -8
Out of the box, the loco ran terribly. The directions say to break it in. Instead, I chose to do the ESU Autotune. WOW!! Suddenly great low speed running. This was the most improvement I've ever seen when I did this. Autotune is da bomb, as the younger set say. Or so I hear. I dug out my benchmark switcher, the Atlas S-2. In GN. The orange on the Atlas is brighter than the Rapido. Not LOTS, but certainly noticeable. I think I can live with it, since they both seem to have the same "color value" (not TOO red, for example). I like the sound a bit better on the Atlas. I want another switcher to use in a steel mill. I am going to get an undecorated model and paint it black so color accuracy isn't important to me. Low speed operation is. I like the look of SW1200s so I have been considering the Rapido, but I could just get another Atlas S2 or S4 and paint it as I don't want to mess with the ones I already have. The Atlas is a great switcher. How does the Rapido compare to it after doing the Autotune? Rick |
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Post by lars on Jul 31, 2021 16:59:05 GMT -8
Don’t rule out the Proto SW units of you’re looking for good running characteristics. There are many positive comments further up in this thread about the Walthers switchers.
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Post by hbgatsf on Jul 31, 2021 18:22:09 GMT -8
Don’t rule out the Proto SW units of you’re looking for good running characteristics. There are many positive comments further up in this thread about the Walthers switchers. Funny that you would suggest that as I found the Mainline SW7 about an hour ago. This locomotive will not be front and center so the lack of detail won’t be a problem. The big plus is that they are hitting shelves now. |
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Post by tom on Aug 1, 2021 5:56:52 GMT -8
Since we sort of switched from the Rapido SW to the Walthers SW this is a good time to not to dismiss the Walthers Mainline SW and NW switchers. They run very well and the basic detailing is pretty good. Certainly good enough for me. Here is a Walthers Mainline NW2 that started as un undec unit. Only details that I added were windshield wipers, sunshades and an antenna. Painted in black and lettered it with Microscale decals.  I also used Kadee short shank couplers. .  |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Aug 1, 2021 6:52:07 GMT -8
That is very good to hear about the Walthers switcher. It is looking like a very presentable and affordable locomotive. I've got a UP coming, and am looking forward to it.
I just did a "retest" on some switchers:
The Atlas Alco--runs GREAT--still the best.
The Rapido SW1200--for some reason, it's running like crap again--I thought I had this fixed!
The Bowser Baldwin--runs very nicely--on mine, Bowser didn't fill in the holes for the hood mounted handrail--also a bit lighter than the Atlas--still, if you want a Baldwin switcher, it's pretty nice!
All the above have ESU decoders.
Ed
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Post by lars on Aug 1, 2021 9:01:57 GMT -8
The Rapido SW1200--for some reason, it's running like crap again--I thought I had this fixed! Ed Please explain. Something minor, you think, or is it something similar to the issues on the SW1200RS? |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Aug 1, 2021 9:59:43 GMT -8
If I could explain it, I might be able to fix it.
I noted that someone earlier was asking after a new switcher, and I remembered the Baldwin as interesting. So I got out alll three and put them on the track. And reported the results.
I would think there's either a flaw in the drive train that might be fixable by adjustment or fiddling, or it's the motor which.......
I surely don't understand how it was able to end up running so well and then NOT. Just by sitting around.
MIGHT be in the decoder, I suppose. I searched on the Loksound group and didn't find any comments on the matter.
It's just way weird that the running quality would degrade on a loco sitting on a shelf.
I've got other things on my plate now (besides lunch!), so I'll just let the SW1200 sit until I have the time.
Ed
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2021 3:08:15 GMT -8
I’ll stick with the Walthers units. The Rapido units have too many issues…especially for the price.
An old light blue box proto 2K is an awesome running unit too. With KV details ; it can be made into a top line model.
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