Weekend Update 12-2-07

[wm3798]

I finished installing a decoder for Bufkin, then spent the afternoon test driving his RS-1.  This one was a bear.  The shell is pinch narrower than the DZ-123 board, and with the flywheels in there, there ain't a lot of room to cut.  But we got it.  I had to do the remove the inner bearing block trick to compensate for the motor being pinched a bit, but it runs smooth and quiet, and actually pulls surprisingly well for there being very little frame inside there.











So what's up down your way?

Lee

[tom mann]

I decided to sit down with a few structures and try to actually do something.  I started with a few Walthers Cornerstone kits to come up with a representation of the General Mills plant in Vernon, CA.  Its coming along, and it helps to itemize deficiencies before beginning a kit to realize what you have to live with and what you can change.  Everything then goes much smoother.

[Dave V]

Working on kitbashing a PRR M1...

[Mark5]

I'm @ the office. :-\

[absnut]

I updated my fire department by bashing a hook and ladder and a pumper to replace and English Dennis firetruck and a white metal American type which is much too small for N scale.  The ladder truck tractor uses the frame and hood of an English flat bed, build up with styrene and junk box bits. The tiller is scratch-built with ladders saved in the same box!  The pumper used to be a semi tractor.... frame lengthened and styrene body added, etc.  To keep the illusion credible, I added an extension to my LifeLike firehouse.







Dick

[chuck geiger]

Damn fine to have Dave in the house, he is The Reid Brother of PRR modeling. His layout is the bomb. Oh - I cleaned track this weekend. Read the new MR which is pretty good. The Troy shelf layout MRR staff is building is OK. Not as nice as Lance's Vodoo Chile layout. MR staff just uses all the free stuff they get and there isn't much imagination in the scenery. Put Ed is there with his winter modeling. It's a shame they don't step out of the box.

[John]

Nothing new to show .. been working on the paper mill module to make it "museum quality" .. whatever that is .. for the B&O show setup next week.

Also writing employee appraisals .. yuck ..

[Mark5]

Also writing employee appraisals .. yuck ..

That's the part of my job I hate the most ...

[Robbman]

Message deleted

[wcfn100]

Been working on a Jim Stillman Skytop car.  Mostly cleaning up flash so far.  But I found out there are no decals available so I spent last night drawing everything I needed.  Now I need to decide if I should etch the SS band that goes on the end or just make a decal.






Jason

[bsoplinger]

Jason that's a very interesting looking car. Is that a resin kit or something you made? A pointer to a bit of proto info would be nice too (Nothing long and ultra detailed, more like a paragraph or 3 overview would be great)

[wcfn100]

First link will be to http://www.nscaleskytops.com/, he's the man who did the resin casting.  It's up to the user to clean up the casting (open up the windows and get the rest of the flash) and add the details.

For some prototype info you can go here: http://www.trainweb.org/hiawatha/skytops.html.

This car is part of the "Rapids" series.

Jason

[wcfn100]

Aside from the Skytop car....


  My disappointment in the Wheels of Time RI car has started another project, RI commuter cars.


  This project will have to wait until after x-mas or until I get the Skytop done.







Jason

[atsf_arizona]

A hot Santa Fe pig train:









GP60Ms engineered by Jerry DeBene
Private ownership by William Cowie
Railfan photos by John Sing 2007

For more on these N scale custom painted locos, see:   

   http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=93573

Take care, all!

[Denver Road Doug]

Went to the OKC show this weekend and got some good news for you SD45-2 hounds...





The rep said these are the first three roads to be released, and expect them "Q1 '08".

Other news...
-Digitrax had official data sheets on their new DZ125. Smaller than the Lenz Mini and with BackEMF.
-Intermountain of course had the flats and they looked incredible...freestanding wire grabs come standard. ETA late Jan/early Feb.
-Athearn F45's. Asked about ETA and the rep said Q1. She seemed a little startled at my next question... "What year?" (2008)
-Kato had their standard m.o. booth with nothing new to report although the super-e curves were nice.
-Atlas had a decidedly uninspired presence with nothing new to report and not even the painted version of the new track.

I purchased my first FVM freight car, a Cotton Belt 5283. ($11.20) It reenforced my contention that FVM is my new favorite mrr company. Other purchases... Walthers freight cars incl CNW PS2, Hill PD Cvd Hopper, and BN Coil car, and a pack of MT 1035's.