Weekend update 12/14/14

[mu26aeh]

After seeing a topic about storage of freight cars and locomotives, I went through a couple different options before I figured I already have space to store them.  I had looked at the rolling tool chests, checked out some places for used map cabinets etc.  I have a couple of old base cabinets from a kitchen my dad tore out from some where and I am already using them for the base of my layout benchwork.  One of them is the sink cabinet (read completely empty with two doors on front) .  I bought some plywood for drawer bottoms and some slides, and using some 1x4's I had laying around, I built 8 drawers, 4 per side.

Drawers closed



Drawers open



Now time to fill them up and see how many more cars I need to purchase to fill them up

[bnsfdash8]

Outstanding road work there and the refinery is pretty darn nice too.  Any idea what kit the ship is built from?

As for me, it's been awhile since I posted anything (done plenty of work though), although I've been pretty busy with travel due to work requirements.  Had a few moments (actually a deadline) to knock out my brother's Xmas present before I left for the states last week.   Used one of Reese's SD40-3 cabs to build this CSX SD40-3 (printed by Shapeway's).  Also used his SD60E cab for NS 6920, but wasn't 100% happy with my build on that one, mostly due to the decals. 

Looking great, I always like to see my stuff being used.

[ednadolski]

I've started a project using photo-etched details for building handlaid turnouts.   Thread is here:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=34762.msg404138#msg404138

This pic shows some of the detail parts: tie plates, gauge plates, frog bolts, etc.:



Ed

[nkalanaga]

I've posted pictures of my narrow gauge before, but mostly to illustrate a particular item.  This time I'm showcasing my "Heritage" fleet, mostly cars bought used after WW II, many of which are now used for railfan photo runs and movie shoots.  There are also some of the odder cars I have.

DF13s.  These are Kato DD13 bodies on Marklin chassis.  This requires some filing or grinding on the sides of the chassis, but the mechanism is unchanged.


Reefers.  These are ex-D&RGW, mostly Evergreen styrene, with Grandt Line queenposts, Detail Associates K brake cylinders and etched brakewheels, MT trucks and couplers, ladders from ???, and CDS and Woodland Scenics dry transfers.  I have two of each size of reefer, because CDS included both sets of data, but only one herald and reporting mark set.  So, I have one each in D&RGW, and used the extra data and WS alphabets to make a pair from my West Ridge Ry.


I think the DA brake cylinder is the only K brake made in N, so anywhere you see one, that's where I got it.  The brakewheels are either DA or MTs.  All of the D&RGW/RGS lettering is CDS, while my WRRy is a mix of WS HO Roman data letters and numbers, custom decals, and, where CDS data wasn't available, Walthers Steam Era freight decals.  Truss rods are mostly black nylon line.

Stock cars.  Basically the same as the reefers.  The sides were made from styrene strips, using the CDS instructions for templates.  The diagrams were N scale, as close as I could measure, so I built the sides right over them.  Again, data for two cars, so I have a pair each of 30 and 34 foot.  Republic Locomotive Works makes a stockcar kit, but I've never built one of them.
The tank car, slightly cut off, is scratchbuilt, following less-than-ideal pictures of an ex-standard gauge car on the D&RGW.  The trucks are MT N archbar sideframes, with new bolsters, and MT Nn3 wheels.  The tank is brass tubing, and the ends are balsa wood.  Drive the tubing into the end of a block of balsa, along the grain, and the soak it with super glue, and dunk in water.  The tubing gets quite hot, the glue and wood set like rock, and it can be filed and sanded to shape.  This is an OLD model!


Gondolas.  Again, ex-D&RGW, and like the previous cars,mostly styrene.  The high side gon sides were built of strips, over a sheet and strip floor, basically build a flatcar and add the sides and ends.  The drop-bottom gon was built following a late 50s or early 60s Model Railroader article on building an O scale model, but using styrene, paper, and wire instead of wood and metal.  RLW has a drop bottom gon kit, from one of my masters


Several of my cars are available from RLW, although I don't always have one of the Kits.  In some cases I'd already built the model, and Marshall asked for a master, so I didn't need the kits.  He also has a LOT of Nn3 made from other peoples' masters, and you can find almost anything in his catalog.

Steel flatcars.  More ex-D&RGW, this time kitbashed from MT N flats.  The bulkheads are scratchbuilt, and the brakewheels, again, are DA etched parts.  I'm lazy, so the only underbody detail is a slab of brass for weight.  A similar car is available from RLW.


Pipe gon and idler flat.  These were built from photos, and a pain it was.  The flat was easy, but the prototype for the gon appears to have been a Fowler Patent standard gauge boxcar.  With no plans, the dimensions were largely guesswork, but it didn't turn out too bad.  The sides are individual strips, with sheet and strip floor and frame, my usual technique.  You can also buy these from RLW.


On flatcars, or any similar car, I start with the deck, and cut everything else to fit.  That way I know everything is straight and square, even if the size isn't perfect.  It looks better than a crooked, perfectly scaled, model...  Besides, for most narrow gauge, the dimensions are optional anyway, unless one is following a specific prototype.  For my own roads cars I can make them any size I like, within reason.

Depressed center flat and skeleton log car.  These are two oddities, and I have no intention of building another of either one.  The log car was based on a Sumpter Valley car, and is mostly soldered brass.  The folding stakes are pieces of code 40 rail, with the lower ends filed to just the web, fitted into square brass tubing, with the ends slotted to accept the web, and attached with brass pins.  They do fold up when empty, so seldom look straight and neat in pictures.  Styrene would have been a lot easier, but I wanted something that would survive handling.
The modern flat was built partly to use up tender frames from the Marklin 2-6-0s my road has, and is mostly styrene and wire.  The tool boxes on the ends come from Hallmark, and were supposed to be diesel details of some kind.  The load is a keyboard switch from a 1970s computer keypunch (punch card punching) machine.


MOW cars.  These are real simple.  Styrene, brass and styrene tubing, wire, etc.  Even the queenposts are pieces of styrene strip.  The vehicles are an Alloy Forms Jeep and a cheap tractor from ???? with a scratchbuilt blade and roof.


Weed sprayer and caboose.  The weed sprayer is one of my home road steel flatcars, available from Republic Locomotive Works, with a MT Z tank and lots of other bits and pieces.  The caboose is an EBT prototype, scratchbuilt, but is also available from RLW.  The main reason I made the flatcar master is that I needed a large number of them, and didn't want to build them individually.  Anybody who wants a "modern" 43 ft flatcar in Nn3 might want to look into these.   

[flight2000]

Looking great, I always like to see my stuff being used.

Your welcome, but thank you for making them available in the first place      

Any chance you could design some additional porch mounted (CSX Style) and pilot mounted ditch lights?  I've got the two that are currently available and use the heck out of them.  I need to start experimenting with them for lighting applications.  Right now, they are just non-operating light fixtures.
 
Cheers,
Brian

[bnsfdash8]

Your welcome, but thank you for making them available in the first place      

Any chance you could design some additional porch mounted (CSX Style) and pilot mounted ditch lights?  I've got the two that are currently available and use the heck out of them.  I need to start experimenting with them for lighting applications.  Right now, they are just non-operating light fixtures.
 
Cheers,
Brian

My ditch lights look really good once lit. 0402 SMDs fit perfectly in them and you can make lenses for them from 0.030" fiber optic strand. I simply flare the end with a soldering iron, cut it off and glue it to the model with Microscale krystal clear.

I've been working on a CSX ditch light version, I just need to tweak it for shapeways.

[BCR751]

My ditch lights look really good once lit. 0402 SMDs fit perfectly in them and you can make lenses for them from 0.030" fiber optic strand. I simply flare the end with a soldering iron, cut it off and glue it to the model with Microscale krystal clear.

I've been working on a CSX ditch light version, I just need to tweak it for shapeways.

I'd be very interested in seeing how people put LED's in the porch-mounted ditch light castings.  Maybe start a thread........?

Doug

[bbussey]

Do the Mark 4 shells need to be soaked in bestine? I have a EJ&E 38-2 to complete one of these days, I have only looked at the shell a couple of times, but seems pretty flexible (and translucent!).
Rick

If they are flexible, then they need exposure to UV light to become rigid.  Put the shells on a windowsill that gets a lot of sunlight and leave it there for a couple of days.  Make sure the body is straight before starting.

[SP-Wolf]

Continued work on my GS-5 and GS-6

Painted the wheels on both and redecaled the tender and painted the fire and smoke box on the GS-6.

Before and after shots.

GS-5



GS-6



Thanks,
Wolf

[Power Stroke]

I got my NYC L/L E8 back up and running sans any more noise thanks to MECGP7, I really appreciate Clint's help! I also brought back to life a 1st gen L/L GP18 that was a freebie with another locomotive I purched off ebay a few years ago. The leads were broken off, full of dirt and cat hair. Runs like an absolute charm, now I need to find a shell.





I have also done some various model building, and work on the layout when having time. Next step is plaster cloth, Hydrocal, etc. to finish the landscaping, and make my rock walls, as well as another bridge on the rear incline that will cross a road to the lower section, "allowing" access to the country store/nursery. As you all know, the work never really stops.

[milw156]

If they are flexible, then they need exposure to UV light to become rigid.  Put the shells on a windowsill that gets a lot of sunlight and leave it there for a couple of days.  Make sure the body is straight before starting.

Thanx for that tip, Bryan, it still has the sprue in the middle that it came with from printing so keeping it straight should not be a problem!
Rick

[MichaelWinicki]

Nice progress there PS!

That track in back could use some paint on the sides of the rails. 

[Iain]

Seeing @160pennsy and his Nn3 kit at the TCA show last weekend has rekindled my narrow gauge interest.  As all of my modeling stuff is currently packed up in preparation for the move, I decided to work on some drawings.



 This is a Kilby Car & Foundry log car. Several of these were owned by Surry Lumber Co and later wound up on the Dismal Swamp RR (who converted them from 36" gauge to 42"). Thanks to Russell Underwood for supplying me with the original drawing I used and the information on these cars.

Now that I've got the basic drawing done, the next step is to engineer a model. As the thickest parts are thin enough in N scale to etch, I will etch the entire car rather than 3D print it. This has several advantages over 3D printing, notably in terms of surface finish, strength, and weight. I will engineer it to take Full Throttle Z scale couplers and Micro Trains Nn3 archbar trucks. Interestingly, Z scale track actually scales out to about 41.5" in N scale, making it perfect for modeling the 42" gauge DSRR.

[Power Stroke]

Nice progress there PS!

That track in back could use some paint on the sides of the rails. 

Thanks Mike! The rear incline is a piece of flex, and I will detail it after I put the new bridge in. I also have a few other areas that have to be done due to track mods, and additional power and common wiring for more reliable operation.

[nkalanaga]

John:  If those log cars work out well, you might want to contact Marshall Thompson at Republic Locomotive Works.  He sells etched parts and kits, and used to be constantly looking for new models to introduce.  I imagine he still is.  He also pays royalties to those who provide masters, and probably artwork, although I never did any etched parts for him.  I get a check every year for models he's sold from my models.