Weekend Update 9/28/14

[bbussey]

Nice car Bryan.  Apart from the silly sill steps it's one of MTL's best tooled from what I've seen.  It's also one of the cars that that cements the fact that N scalers like shiny things over prototypical, otherwise they should be clamoring MTL to make more of that body style.  What do transition modelers think transported automobiles before autoracks? 

The only thing -  I'm 97.5% that it should have a metal running board.


No modeling for me except cutting up some Atlas Steel Rebuilt ends to see if I can make them 12" taller.  Otherwise, trying to get mentally prepared to sell off 100+ MTL cars.  I knew this day would come, just so many years collecting them makes it harder than it should be.  I'm never going to run them, so it might be time.  Hopefully use the money to help get a Mill or better yet a 3D printer.

I didn't check the prototype. I was hoping that they got it correct on the model, since they tooled both a steel roof walk and a wood roof walk from the beginning.

This is an exceptional model tooling-wise, and it even rides at the correct height or very close to it. I have the three Pennsy cars also that will get etched roofwalks at some point. I had the two C&O cars also, but I eBay'd them a month ago.

Speaking of offloading the MTL collection -- I went through the same emotions, after having collected since the beginning. But I concluded that I could use the storage space, and bolster the hobby slush funds by unloading items that were doing nothing but collecting dust.  I got rid of most of it a few years ago. And now, since most of the bodystyles I was running are not sufficiently accurate for me (let alone the deco schemes) coupled with more appropriate models from other manufacturers becoming available on a regular basis, I've recently been dispatching my operating MTL rolling stock as well. A handful of the bodystyles such as this one are keepers. But the PS1 boxcars, gondolas, flatcars and others, I've moved most of them out via auction or trade. Once you start moving them out, the nostalgia feelings will dissipate.

[bbussey]

Almost finished.

It has only taken me a year to get to this point.

Awesome, truly.

[w neal]

Almost finished.

It has only taken me a year to get to this point.

I want to thank you ahead of time for all your hard work. This seals the deal. The curse works. I can't wait to see ****'* version. Take heart though, their version will not be as nice as yours.

[unittrain]

Working on brass truss bridge, printed out scaled CAD drawings of gussets and double side taping the drawing to .005" brass sheet blanks to shear out by hand with some Friskars titanium shears. Works really good and gussets are near perfect. These gussets will then be taped to a scale print out then brushed with flux then a 1/32" x .156" brass flat bar is laid over them and aligned once that is done I solder the gussets to the bar to form the main chords. Sorry cant post pics yet so have to do a play by play (just like listening to a football or baseball game on the radio!) 

[wcfn100]

I didn't check the prototype.

Here's the picture of the exact car from the 1943 Car Builders, you can judge for yourself.

And now, since most of the bodystyles I was running are not sufficiently accurate for me (let alone the deco schemes) coupled with more appropriate models from other manufacturers becoming available on a regular basis, I've recently been dispatching my operating MTL rolling stock as well.

That's kind where I'm at.  I just can't see myself investing in new trucks (or centering the MTL one's), couplers and wheels and spending the time body mounting all these old MTL box cars.

I let myself get too torn with the idea that I may need some of these cars for kitbashing later on.  When the Atlas 6' door PS-1s come out, first thing is to see if I can make an NP combo door car.  I'm hoping the flush door from the MTL car will fit.  So do I sell the one's I have and just re-buy the shell later?  If I thought I would get $12-$15 a car the decision would be easier, but if I only get $6-$8, I may as well keep the cars I have and cut them up.

Regardless of that, I still have 50-60 cars I can unload, and I just need to do it.

Jason

[bbussey]

That is the Lehigh Valley car in the bottom photo?  Grrr ... that's why I get fed up with them.  I'm not going to alter the LV model at this point.  At least the Pennsy cars will be correct.

Well, with few exceptions (the auto box, the appliance car, the USRA steel cars and maybe the round roof car), the boxcars are problematic anyway.  And there are better alternatives from other sources for most of them.  So, if your intent is to run and not to collect, why keep them?
 
Absolutely, sell the existing cars and pick up unpainted plastic later.  Much more economical that way.  Start the cars at a minimum of $9.99 for Kadee branded and $12.99 and up for MTL branded, and most of them will go, with the occasional bidding war boosting the selling price.  Even at $10 per car and 30-50 auctions weekly, it adds up quickly.  And, by setting the starting prices at a number just to get your initial investment back, you'll end up ahead.  The only models that I won't let go at the $10 starting point are the Original Nine, the first WIF boxcar, and the B&O tankcar.  I'll have to decide what to do with mine at some point.

The good news regarding the MTL doors on the PS1 boxcars is that they are the correct height even though the car body is too tall.  So salvaging the plug doors from the combination-door body and kitbashing the Atlas model with them should work.  At least NP is one of the two roads that had them.

[u18b]

I want to thank you ahead of time for all your hard work. This seals the deal. The curse works. I can't wait to see ****'* version. Take heart though, their version will not be as nice as yours.

Since my name is not Randy Gustufson, I'm hoping the curse won't happen!

[rickb773]

Since Phil (Conrail98) gave Tim (Model Railcast Show) such a hard time about his yard work during our last operating session, Tim wanted me to post this photo of his work on today's Op Session:

We will not mention that there were two trains stacked up at the yard limits waiting to get in. 

Tim's dad (TimHar47) aligning turnouts:


Bob (NTrainz1) getting a sand delivery into Buzby Bros. Cement Co.

[Iain]

Working on the mechanism for NS 2-8-4 #601.  After stripping off all the old boiler, cab, etc. I worked on adding the four wheel trailing truck.  This required filing down the area around the rear frame screw and modifications to the truck itself.  Mechanism is Kato 2-8-2 and trailing truck is from Kato GS4.  Truck will receive further mods to match that on NS 601.

[John]

Since Phil (Conrail98) gave Tim (Model Railcast Show) such a hard time about his yard work during our last operating session, Tim wanted me to post this photo of his work on today's Op Session:
[
Tim's dad (TimHar47) aligning turnouts:


Just curios about that table nailed to the wall

[peteski]

Richie and Aikorob:  I always get a kick out of looking at the Soviet/Russian passenger trains, as they're obviously copied from Milwaukee Road plans.  The only two roads I know of that used that style of horizontal ribbed cars were the MILW and the Soviets.

I have no idea if those Russian cars were copies or not, but I know one thing: They were manufactured in Poland, in a factory very close to my grandmother's house (where I lived as a kid). I've often seen the brand new cars being moved between plant buildings.  I was told that Soviets were receiving these cars from Poland for free (as a thank you for saving Poland from the Nazis).  Not sure how true that was.

BTW, there is a model of those cars in N scale bade by Piko (in the 70s).  I have few of them.

[Sokramiketes]

Things escalated quickly after BeNscale disappeared and we needed more signals.  It was probably worth it, but sometimes I wish everything didn't have to be designed from scratch!

[nkalanaga]

Peteski:  I doubt that recent (last 50 years?) cars are true copies of the MILW cars.  The Soviets started using thestyle years before that, and I'm sure they originally got the idea from the MILW.  Too bad they couldn't buy the Little Joes in 1974.  It would have been interesting seeing them pulling such cars in Siberia as originally intended.

[railnerd]

Worked on China Basin a bit on Saturday while watching my alma mater lose the little brown jug…



More in my Layout Engineering Report thread: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=31751.msg394320#msg394320

[coosvalley]

This week I finished up these N Scale Kits MEC puplwood cars...I lowered them using leftover trucks from my Atlas PS-1s..The instructions say these cars use roller bearing trucks, but my research has shown they were delivered with friction bearings(many were changed over at some point)...I also added BLMA grabs to the sides, handmade grabs on the ends of the car, and BLMA stirrup steps, and MT Z scale couplers.....Thanks for looking!