Weekend Update 10/26/14

[chuck geiger]

REAL PUMPED UP. I am going to jump back in to N scale modeling with a new layout. Nothing extreme. Just a
2x4'. Modeling BNSF's FRONT RANGE SUB around Owl Creek, CO. Been taking a lot of pictures and looking at
maps and been real intrigued by this line, much like my admiration for the SD&AE (San Diego and Arizona Eastern).
After disposing of everything for the move in 2012, from California to Alaska, I am literally starting over. My wife
had suggested (a light word) no more massive rooms full of as she says (trains). So I pitched it to her that this
would be a small endeavor to work on and document this Winter.



I am purposely planning a layout with not many structures. It will highlight the high plains scenery, which is much
like desert scenery. The sub is BNSF now, but was BN before that and I think modeling BN would actually work.

http://www.railroadradio.net/content/view/182/220/
http://www.coloradorailfan.com/gallery/gallery.asp?pg=2&sub=FR
http://cheyrails.blogspot.com/2014/10/bnsf-front-range-sub-cheyenne-to-fort.html

Any thoughts on this venture are welcomed and when I get rolling will post in Layout Engineering Report.

[craigolio1]

How did you notch the nose corners for the numberboards on 601?.  That was the one thing that eluded me on my CRS 20s.   I ended up using Miniatures by Eric RS11 corner fillers and attempting to file the notched number board area into them.   Wasn't very successful in the end, but I can live with it

My model started as a TLT high nose RS18.  After I chopped it I simply filed the notches in the corners and filled the flat parts with .005" styrene.  I don't know what you started with but you mention the MBE corner pieces so was it the RS11?  That would have made it more difficult for sure.  I leaned a lot with this model and there is a lot that I don't like or that I wouldn't do on on other models but for the most part I'm happy with it.  The next CRS20 I build will be done differently.  I really like the way you did your grills on the back of your two models.

Craig

[BCRail_FSJ]

I don't know what you started with but you mention the MBE corner pieces so was it the RS11?  That would have made it more difficult for sure. 

Craig

Mine started as Atlas high hood RS11s.  The MBE corner fillers are brass, so filing a deep notch into them was a real pain.   The whole project was a big learning experience for sure.

[SP-Wolf]

Finally had cool enough weather to mess around with the layout. Damn- that was fun. Had to pose my SP steam fleet.






Thank you,
Wolf

[Specter3]

What is 2440 in that first photo? Nice large drivers.

[nscaleSPF2]

Thanks, Josh.  I appreciate your comments.  Only someone who has built one of these kits can appreciate how difficult and time consuming they are.  For example, the boiler was about 12 scale inches too high, and required grinding out a large amount of material, to bring it down to the correct height.

1. Relocate that platform from that tank in the front, or swap the headlight and generator. Depending on your era, of course. The "facelift" came later where the headlight is on top of the smokebox instead of on the front of it.

My era is mid 1950's, so I purposely moved the headlight to the top of the smokebox.

2. Don't forget about those metal platforms on the smokebox face and on the smoke box supports.

The steps on the front of the smokebox are there, they just don't show up that well in the photo.  I did not add the steps on the smokebox supports because they seemed to be redundant, given the platform located on top of the air tank.  At least to my eye.

3. Your piping looks great, and if you went just a little bit further with it, it'd be killer.

You are right, there are a lot more details that could be added.  I just decided to stop at this point, because every additional detail caused me to destroy one of the previous details.  Aargh.

Thanks again for your encouragement.
Jim

[chicken45]

I TOTALLY feel you on that. It is quite time consuming the first time. Half the battle is sourcing the kit and loco.
So if you're doing a a post war L1s, I'd remove the the walkway from that air tank and mount it to the face. If you don't want to build your own, Jeff sells postwar "facelift" kits, but you can buy just the platform for $3.
http://www.prr-parts.com/Page12.html

These kits aren't "hard" but they take a lot of precision and time. Cody O built 4 of them. I wonder how long it took him towards the end.

Thanks, Josh.  I appreciate your comments.  Only someone who has built one of these kits can appreciate how difficult and time consuming they are.  For example, the boiler was about 12 scale inches too high, and required grinding out a large amount of material, to bring it down to the correct height.

1. Relocate that platform from that tank in the front, or swap the headlight and generator. Depending on your era, of course. The "facelift" came later where the headlight is on top of the smokebox instead of on the front of it.

My era is mid 1950's, so I purposely moved the headlight to the top of the smokebox.

2. Don't forget about those metal platforms on the smokebox face and on the smoke box supports.

The steps on the front of the smokebox are there, they just don't show up that well in the photo.  I did not add the steps on the smokebox supports because they seemed to be redundant, given the platform located on top of the air tank.  At least to my eye.

3. Your piping looks great, and if you went just a little bit further with it, it'd be killer.

You are right, there are a lot more details that could be added.  I just decided to stop at this point, because every additional detail caused me to destroy one of the previous details.  Aargh.

Thanks again for your encouragement.
Jim

[SP-Wolf]

What is 2440 in that first photo? Nice large drivers.

Howdy,

That is a P-5 Pacific. It is one of the first N scale models that Key put out. Early '80's. It is tender drive. And- one of my best running and pulling locomotives.

Best regards,
Wolf

[BCRail_FSJ]

Taking a few updated photos of the layout.. so pulled the SD40-2s out of storage.  This one came out pretty good I think

[BCR 570]

Mine started as Atlas high hood RS11s.  The MBE corner fillers are brass, so filing a deep notch into them was a real pain.   The whole project was a big learning experience for sure.

My RS-18s also started as Atlas RS-11s, but I filled the corner notches with styrene which was easier to file out.  I would probably use this method again.

We need a low nose RS-18 shell!


Tim

[BCR 570]

Andy:  Not seeing your layout photo again . . .

Tim

[PGE_Modeller]

Tim;

Andy's photo displayed just fine for me.

Cheers,

[mandealco]

Although I haven't checked the dimensions, would a C-420 low nose be a reasonable source of an RS-18 short hood for the low nose versions?
Cheers
Steve

[craigolio1]

Taking a few updated photos of the layout.. so pulled the SD40-2s out of storage.  This one came out pretty good I think

Andy. Those look very nice. Where did you get the stripes for the hockey stick version.  I had planned to use the stripes from the caboose set but realized just the other day that on the caboose the stripes go back to the right on both sides. For the loco we need one to go back to the left. So for now I can decal just the left side!  Haha. I thought about having the stripes custom printed. Masking them doesn't seem like fun.

Craig

[craigolio1]

Andy. Those look very nice. Where did you get the stripes for the hockey stick version.  I had planned to use the stripes from the caboose set but realized just the other day that on the caboose the stripes go back to the right on both sides. For the loco we need one to go back to the left. So for now I can decal just the left side!  Haha. I thought about having the stripes custom printed. Masking them doesn't seem like fun.

Craig

Although now that I think about it, masking and painting the white would look way better.