Weekend Update 3/3/13

[Scottl]

Nice bridge Mark!  I like the brass tube for rigidity- that is a good idea.

[mark dance]

Nice bridge Mark!  I like the brass tube for rigidity- that is a good idea.

Thank You Scott...

After fighting with distortion on the all-stryene Lemon Creek pony truss, I went with a brass frame on the Slocan Bridge and will now use this technique on all four of the remaining "major" spans (4th Kettle River, Farr Creek, Barr Creek and McCormack Creek)

btw: how is Cisco coming along?

md

[cv_acr]

Tim, I would think they would have had machinery on those work sites that ran several different types of fuel.  Perhaps portable power generators, heaters, water/mud pumps, hydraulic pumps, power saws etc.  Some would have required mixed gas, others straight gas and some diesel.  This would justify such a car vs. a giant diesel tank you might bring to a remote locomotive service location.   The tanks likely had their own hand pumps on them or were gravity fed, and the bottles stored in the middle could have been welding gasses and or propane.

That would be my thought too. The "compressed air bottles" look like propane tanks to me.

[Scottl]

Mark, based on my recent experience, that makes a lot of sense.  The Cisco bridge is moving along, but distortion was a problem.  I think I just found my solution.

[bbussey]

No non-ESM modeling in a while, so nothing to show.  Hopefully that will change in a month or so.  But I did finally procure one of the Bachmann trailer coaches sans doodlebug.  These are nicely done.  Bachmann definitely should release it as a stand-alone item.

[Smike]

I said the week was "almost" hopper free..... No work was done on the new slab sides but this Exactrail car got the treatment and I must say, I am pleased with the result....

I like too! Nice and subtle, great job.

[Smike]

So since FVM and Kato announced they were both coming out with horse head SD70ace’s I figured it was time for me to get moving on my SD70ace NS project. 

I had a Kato SD70ace that was one of the first locos I super detailed and was never fully satisfied with the work, so it has been on my mind to strip it down and redo it from the ground up proper.

Showing the process of stripping the shell. Gee I bet no one will be able to guess what road this was?



Working on turning it into an new style isolated cab version. Its not 100% proto correct, but it will fit the bill.




Also worked on some weathering too:

[mark dance]

Mark, based on my recent experience, that makes a lot of sense.  The Cisco bridge is moving along, but distortion was a problem.  I think I just found my solution.

The Kettle River truss bridges actually break in half.  Two long lengths of telescoping square tubing are used inside the main tubes to hold the two bridges in alignment.  This might work for joining the sides of your Cisco bridge together as well...just a thought.

md

[peteski]

Also worked on some weathering too:

The weathering is absolutely outstanding. At the first glimpse I thought those were 1:1 car sides!  Or at least H0 cars or larger. Seriously.  Did Tom Mann learn how to weather from you? 

While I don't expect to ever be that good (I think that it really takes certain type of talent to do this - not just something you can just learn), I'm interested in your weathering technique. Have you documented your weathering techniques here in the past or are you planning to do so in the future?

[Smike]

The weathering is absolutely outstanding. At the first glimpse I thought those were 1:1 car sides!  Or at least H0 cars or larger. Seriously.  Did Tom Mann learn how to weather from you? 

While I don't expect to ever be that good (I think that it really takes certain type of talent to do this - not just something you can just learn), I'm interested in your weathering technique. Have you documented your weathering techniques here in the past or are you planning to do so in the future?

Thanks Peter! I used a fade from the fading fast thread, then using oils and mineral sprits. Oils are so much more workable then acrylics. Next car I do I"ll do a write up. And who is this Tom Mann guy you speak of?   

[Scottl]

The Kettle River truss bridges actually break in half.  Two long lengths of telescoping square tubing are used inside the main tubes to hold the two bridges in alignment.  This might work for joining the sides of your Cisco bridge together as well...just a thought.

That is a very good idea Mark, thanks.

[rogergperkins]

This is the first of three sidings off of  True-Track turnouts from the  mainline to Unitrack.
Point of view does not reveal difference in rail height.
 

[DKS]

Just received Version 2 of the lasercut Nn3 switch tie sets.



The detail is quite remarkable (this is prior to machining out the rail slot).

[mplsjct]

The weathering is absolutely outstanding.

I was thinking the same thing!

[C855B]

Just received Version 2 of the lasercut Nn3 switch tie sets.

Looking good, David.

Curious, mostly... the first tests were of a darker material. Did you paint or stain those, or was that the base material?