Weekend Update 7/13/14

[up1950s]

Dave,

Congratulations on saving Ranger.  He's got a good home now.  By the way, I understand that the RGS has been christened, and there is a new "yellow" pond near the tracks that required zero modeling effort by you.   

DFF

That's a pisser , LOL .

[chessie system fan]

Been a while since I've had a chance to do any modeling.  Here's an ACL PS1 I'm currently working on.  The sills require modification, but nothing major or time consuming.  I haven't decided if it will be painted black or brown.  I guess it will depend on available decals.



Here's a closeup.

[flight2000]

Looks great Brian!   My Tehachapi Loop could use a few like this!

Ed

Thanks Ed,

Haven't decided what part of the system I'm going after yet, but I like messing up perfectly good paint jobs in the mean time...

Interesting enough, the real 5296 has looked like this since at least 2003.  Guess they really don't want to repaint it.

My next target is BNSF 617, another wreck with fire damage, but in the Red and Silver Warbonnet base scheme... 

Brian

[garethashenden]

Thanks Ed,

Haven't decided what part of the system I'm going after yet, but I like messing up perfectly good paint jobs in the mean time...

Interesting enough, the real 5296 has looked like this since at least 2003.  Guess they really don't want to repaint it.

My next target is BNSF 617, another wreck with fire damage, but in the Red and Silver Warbonnet base scheme... 

Brian

Oh my that is a wreck.  http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=725904

[bbussey]

Where do you obtain Barber S-2A trucks?  I presume these are Atlas, but other than cannibalizing a wonderful PS-1 boxcar (which is crazy, even if you don't consider the price)  I can't find them anywhere.

Most PS-1 40' boxcars rode on ASF A-3 trucks.  The BLMA ASF trucks use the same bolster arm as the Atlas Barber S-2A trucks.   So swapping in BLMA trucks on the Atlas PS-1 boxcars creates the S-2A surplus for use on models of older prototypes.
 

[BCRail_FSJ]

Not doing too much on the layout over the summer, mostly playing around with scenery on the test dioramas. 

This week started adding in bushes and low trees to both the Beatton Bridge diorama and the test section.  I have been using Woodland Scenics Foliage clusters for the small trees.  Once you mass a bunch of them together they produce a nice dense scrub forest effect.   

[Ian MacMillan]

Some new power arrived this week. Some CN units and a few GP9's.



Also I started drawing out the trackplan for the paper mill at Groveton.

[JanesCustomTrain]

Some new power arrived this week. Come CN units and a few GP9's.

Ian, they look hot, what's the story ? Nice handrails. HO ? 

Jane

[nkalanaga]

Bryan:  I recently put Atlas trucks on my MT CFs as well.  They fit nicely, and look better, with the larger wheels.  I've never understood why Kadee, years ago, decided to use the offset bolster hole.  It doesn't serve any useful purpose, and they're the only company I've ever seen do it.  Any insight, anyone?

That caused a few problems when trying to put Atlas trucks on my Trainworx 4-bay hoppers, which were designed for KD trucks.  They already had MDC roller bearing trucks, which barely fit, due to slope sheet interference, but which looked better to me than the KD/MT available at the time.  I finally made a jig to hold the cars and ground clearance holes in every one to fit the Atlas trucks.  It was that or rebuild the underframes to move the body bolster holes...

Semi-related, for anyone with a bunch of those MDC roller bearing trucks, and who needs 100-ton trucks.  Buy some 36 inch wheels, with MT axle length, and you can make your own.  The trucks have a raised ring on top of the bolster, about 0.01 inch high.  Substituting 36 inch wheels will raise your car about the same amount.  A sharp chisel blade will remove that ring, and you have 100-ton trucks for the cost of the wheels.  You may need to make a plastic washer to fit under the truck bolster, to take up the extra space between the truck pin head and the bolster, if you truck fits too loosely and the car rocks.  I'll use Atlas trucks as I can afford them, but the "el cheapo" conversions look fine.

[eric220]

Uh, Ian, this is the N Scale Weekend Update.  There's a whole forum for your Horribly Oversized stuff around here somewhere...

[bbussey]

Bryan:  I recently put Atlas trucks on my MT CFs as well.  They fit nicely, and look better, with the larger wheels.  I've never understood why Kadee, years ago, decided to use the offset bolster hole.  It doesn't serve any useful purpose, and they're the only company I've ever seen do it.  Any insight, anyone?

The reason for it originally was so the coupler box (and the back of the coupler components) would clear the bolster pin mount on the diecast underframe.  Originally, on the older models, the offset on the coupler truck frame aligned with the bolster.  But somewhere along the way, the placement of the offset on the bolsters got reversed, so the trucks don't align with the jack-plates or the ends of the represented prototypical bolster as depicted on the body shell.  So if you flip the trucks around (after removing the coupler pocket), they align properly with the relief on the body shell.  With the long cars that use the #1019 extended coupler arm (the TOFCs and auto racks), you just have to turn the trucks around to have them align with the jack plates.

Both FVM and Trainworx models have the offset bolster hole, because the models originally were released with Micro-Trains trucks.  But they are designed properly so that the trucks align with the bolster detail on the body.  Hopefully those ASF trucks will be released as detail parts at some point, because they are the proper width and look better.  And, the 100-ton Ride-Control version (used on the PD3000) compensates for the larger diameter wheel, so you can swap those under MTL models without worrying about the car ride height changing.

[basementcalling]

In Cheyenne for the weekend. Started taking pictures and won't stop till the battery is dead.



I stopped in Greeley on the way up from Denver. The Museum layout there is well worth the trip.

[wcfn100]

  With the long cars that use the #1019 extended coupler arm (the TOFCs and auto racks), you just have to turn the trucks around to have them align with the jack plates.

 

The holes for the truck pins on my MTL 89' flats and auto racks are basically right on center with the pads.   It doesn't matter which way the truck is turned, they're offset from the jack pads.


Jason

[mmagliaro]

After that 6-month marathon to build my SP&S 4-6-2, a few months ago, I got back to my layout and made a big push to get it to what I call "operationally" finished --- meaning, all the track down and ballasted, all the ground cover done, rail blackened/painted so the whole thing is at least pleasing to look at while I go back and add structures and lots of details and weathering.

The yard in the peninsula was the last major piece to construct.  I got all the track in, and the industries I decided to reuse from previous layouts are in place.  The large open dirt (grout) areas will be home to other as-yet-undecided industries.


I painted the fascia, finally.  It's a gradient.  I painted it with a charcoal gray, then, while still wet, painted a stripe of lighter gray about 1" wide across the top, brushed it downward into the dark gray, then brushed horizontally to smooth out the gradient (just like you would do a blue sky backdrop). 
Here's the whole layout - this is 3 years from day I started it.

[nkalanaga]

Bryan:  Thank you! 

Jason:  I've found a few MT trucks with the holes centered like they should be.  The odd thing is that it isn't consistent.  They seem to have both offset and centered versions of some styles.