SPF 7-03-22

[espeechris]

Here we go ...

Finally my BN 4072 is "completed". First lowered it (~0,6 mm) and during the process added complete new bolsters to the trucks (which is in fact "a lot" of work to get the whole thing balanced out and riding straight / horizontal left to right (left rail to right rail)).

Secondly ... as some might remember the complete horn mount was bent upwards. Removed the mount (including the glued on horn), put it into "some stuff" (=nitro solvent), where the glue dissolved and the horn "got free".

"Re-bent "the horn (the cast showed in all possible directions, just not the correct ones), filed the triangular mount below to get it close to a 90 degree angle and ... then ... of course ... "lost" the mount during repainting (flipped out of my twizzers twice ... nowhere to be found the second time...).

Kindly asked Mr. English for a replacment ... which of course - was provided ... and arrived just last week (thanks to international postal service ...).

PS: I'm pretty sure i will find the horn-mount soon, now that i was able to finish the unit ...

PSPS: Yes, the front end platform handrails are still bent somehow, but i could not get them any better (for now) ...

[joppasub]

Beautiful. Factory paint or custom?

[espeechris]

This is in fact factory paint, and i must say that i'm very happy about the overall look (except that every SPS RS3 had the yellowish part somehow different (in height and position) ... so, the Bowser model of 4070 would be more accurate to the prototype than 4072 !

Obviously - you cannot have everything

[joppasub]

Jul 3, 2022 10:02:56 GMT -8 espeechris said:

This is in fact factory paint, and i must say that i'm very happy about the overall look (except that every SPS RS3 had the yellowish part somehow different (in height and position) ... so, the Bowser model of 4070 would be more accurate to the prototype than 4072 !

Obviously - you cannot have everything

I agree.  I am getting more and more inclined to use factory painted engines and cars these days.  I am getting better at changing lettering and numbers; which lends itself to allowing more time for me to concentrate on track and scenery.   And, running trains. 

[slowfreight]

Jul 3, 2022 10:59:55 GMT -8 joppasub said:

Jul 3, 2022 10:02:56 GMT -8 espeechris said:

This is in fact factory paint, and i must say that i'm very happy about the overall look (except that every SPS RS3 had the yellowish part somehow different (in height and position) ... so, the Bowser model of 4070 would be more accurate to the prototype than 4072 !

Obviously - you cannot have everything

I agree.  I am getting more and more inclined to use factory painted engines and cars these days.  I am getting better at changing lettering and numbers; which lends itself to allowing more time for me to concentrate on track and scenery.   And, running trains. 

^^^^This! When RTR works, it saves me time. Then I spend my time on the wants that can't be bought RTR.

[Baikal]

Great looking model.  Colors look right-on.

Nice thin grab irons.

[dti406]

Good evening from sunny and hot Northeast Ohio!

I got a little work done this week.

First up is a Bowser 1958CF Covered Hopper kit, painted with Scalecoat II MofW Gray paint and lettered with an old Champ Decal set. I finally managed to find this decal set as it had been discontinued in the 60's for no apparent reason and seeing it was in red lettering and I have never seen a picture of a red lettered car I asked Jim Hediger if the decal set was legit. Here is his answer, in the late 50's the DT&I was going to change the lettering from black to red on the Covered Hoppers, so the paint shop started the conversion with the new Epoxy paint for the lettering, but they used the thinner from the old paint instead of Epoxy thinner and most of the lettering washed off the cars in about 6 months, so they went back to the black. (I had to have one in red paint for my fleet of cars.)



Next a Branchline 50' DD Boxcar kit, with A-Line sill steps in place of the kit's plastic ones. Painted with Scalecoat II Black paint and lettered with Great Decals decals. The NF&D was purchased from the Southern by the N&W and in the mid 60's moved excess NKP 50' Double Door boxcars to it's roster. They were originally painted boxcar red and in the mid 70's some were repainted black like the one I did.



Since it is July 4th weekend, I will submit my favorite Bi-Centennial Unit from 1976. And it is the only unit painted new by one of the loco builders as the rest were all painted by the railroad shops. Athearn EMD GP38-2 with an auto parts train.



Thanks for looking!

Rick Jesionowski

[packer]

Some minor stuff:


Added the locotrol box and E-bell to this U30C. Pretty much just guessed on dimensions; box is just a 5-sided open box and wrapped sandpaper around the roof of a junk U33C shell to get the curvature. If I were to do it again; I’d probably just use one big piece of styrene. Also has a loksound 5 with a SSS speaker. I would like to have seperate headlight/number boards, but I’m not so sure on how best to do that yet while saving the numbers. Maybe if I file enough material back to run individual LEDs like I do on athearns?


Another club member wanted me to stick sound in his GP38-2. I did, two of the tiny tsunami cubes. One in the nose and the other under the tsunami 2. The southern hopper behind is one I got as a project. Ended up using the pieces of the ATSF ones I repaired with accurail end cages to fix the southern car.

[cera2254]

Packer, I’ve always had good luck removing the number board/headlight assembly, and carefully using an atlas super saw or the like to cut the number boards from the headlight assembly. I do it by making a cut lengthwise so I end up with the numberboards being triangular pieces and the headlights being more of a rectangular piece if that makes sense. There should be just enough room between the numbers and headlights that the blade will fit.

[jako]

This week I finished a River Point F-350. Newly painted, light weathering.

Greetings Sven

[stevef45]

Building another NJ Transit GP40PH-2 #4112, this will be a mid 2000's version that was running around with a P5 horn.

Assembling the HEP section.
20220704_140356 by Tripps Pics79, on Flickr
20220704_165640 by Tripps Pics79, on Flickr
20220704_165633 by Tripps Pics79, on Flickr

[loco8107]

Jul 4, 2022 0:10:24 GMT -8 jako said:

This week I finished a River Point F-350. Newly painted, light weathering.

Greetings Sven

Looks sharp! What brand of paint do you use for vehicles?

[jako]

Looks sharp! What brand of paint do you use for vehicles?

Vallejo Model Air: 003 RED RLM23, and Black Primer.

Greetings Sven