Best Of Spokane, Portland and Seattle (SP&S) 0-6-0 Project

[mmagliaro]

I just took the time to go through your latest detailing efforts on your 0-6-0 Max.  Quite inspiring, to say the least!  I find your thought processes at least as interesting as your techniques.  Thanks for the insight.  I'm waiting with anticipation what you're going to do with the backhead and crew!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

Thanks, Bob  (and everyone, for such wonderful compliments!)
I plan to do the backhead much like I did the one on the SP&S 4-6-2 project, using an assortment of tiny hardware bits and wire to simulate all the pipes and valve controls.  The crew, I'm too sure about.   I hadn't even thought about putting figures in the cab (although I have a few in some of the engines on my layout).  They  are always the first thing to give away the model as "just a model" in photographs.  Of course, an engine with no crew doesn't make much sense unless it's just sitting idle on a yard track. 

[peteski]

  Of course, an engine with no crew doesn't make much sense unless it's just sitting idle on a yard track.

Well, without smoke it will look  like a cold engine sitting in the yard. So crew-less is ok.  You aren't considering adding a smoke generator, are you? 

[mark dance]

Thanks, Bob  (and everyone, for such wonderful compliments!)
I plan to do the backhead much like I did the one on the SP&S 4-6-2 project, using an assortment of tiny hardware bits and wire to simulate all the pipes and valve controls.  The crew, I'm too sure about.   I hadn't even thought about putting figures in the cab (although I have a few in some of the engines on my layout).  They  are always the first thing to give away the model as "just a model" in photographs.  Of course, an engine with no crew doesn't make much sense unless it's just sitting idle on a yard track.

Hi Max...if you do elect to use crew, I would be honored to paint them for you.  I used to be handy with a brush in my old Golden Demon figure painting days

md

[mmagliaro]

Hi Max...if you do elect to use crew, I would be honored to paint them for you.  I used to be handy with a brush in my old Golden Demon figure painting days

md

Mark, I appreciate the offer.  I looked up Golden Demon and discovered you were quite the prize winner for painting those figures!  Congratulations!   I don't know if I want figures in the cab or not yet.  I need to decide on that one.

[Cajonpassfan]

I think Max may be saying he's not sure he wants figures he didn't build from scratch in the cab?
Otto K.

[robert3985]

I think Max may be saying he's not sure he wants figures he didn't build from scratch in the cab?
Otto K.

I think you may have a point there Otto....   

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[mmagliaro]

I think Max may be saying he's not sure he wants figures he didn't build from scratch in the cab?
Otto K.

I'm not quite that nutty (although ... )
If I decide to put figures in the cab, I would use commercial ones.   I will allow myself to cheat a little here because a crew are technically not part of the engine itself.

[nkalanaga]

And, if a better set of figures comes along, they can be replaced, without redesigning the loco.

I wonder how long it will be before 3D printing gets to the point that it can print detailed N scale figures?  It took about 30 years to go from primitive "fonts" on consumer dot matrix printers to usable home photo-quality printers.  How soon will we see a 3D printer, probably capable of only very small objects, with the resolution to do figures?  If a printer could print a cubic millimeter sized volume to an accuracy of one micron, 0.0625 scale mm, it could do recognizable individuals in N scale.  It would probably be limited to high tech micro devices at first, but eventually it would be cheap enough for our use.  Imagine having yourself as the engineer!

[PGE_Modeller]

snip -  How soon will we see a 3D printer, probably capable of only very small objects, with the resolution to do figures?  If a printer could print a cubic millimeter sized volume to an accuracy of one micron, 0.0625 scale mm, it could do recognizable individuals in N scale.  It would probably be limited to high tech micro devices at first, but eventually it would be cheap enough for our use.  Imagine having yourself as the engineer!

It is here already.  The Feb-Mar 2016 issue of the "2mm Magazine" had an article by Mick Simpson about a UK company, Modelu3d (https://www.modelu3d.co.uk), that offers an impressive array of figures in scales as small as 2mm = 1ft (1:152 compared to our North American N scale 1:160), which is only 5% oversize for true N scale.  In addition to their regular line, they offer whole body scanning and 3D printing of an individual.  In the article, Mick had himself scanned and printed in 4mm scale (slightly larger than HO).  The photos of some of their 2mm scale figures were impressive.

Cheers,
Greg

[Chris333]

That would be great for figures in poses you can't find. Just go out and pose the position and scan. Someday...

[DKS]

There are several outfits printing good-quality N Scale figures. In addition to Modelu, check out 3D-Modellbau, EtchIT-Modellbau and RailNScale. Plus, new ones are appearing on Shapeways all the time--it's tough keeping up. Details on all of them at http://davidksmith.com/n-scale-figures/index.htm

[PGE_Modeller]

There are several outfits printing good-quality N Scale figures. In addition to Modelu, check out 3D-Modellbau, EtchIT-Modellbau and RailNScale. Plus, new ones are appearing on Shapeways all the time--it's tough keeping up. Details on all of them at http://davidksmith.com/n-scale-figures/index.htm

Thanks for that additional information, David. 

Cheers,
Greg

[nkalanaga]

Looks like the technology is advancing faster than I thought.  And, since human sizes vary by more than 5%, anyone who can print a 2mm figure could easily print an acceptable one in 1:160. 

[SandyEggoJake]

This model will eventually end up in a museum.

Absolutely!

And if I can make two suggestions of where:

http://sdmrm.org/  (I'm biased as I'm on its library's staff)

or

www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/

[mark dance]

Absolutely!

And if I can make two suggestions of where:

http://sdmrm.org/  (I'm biased as I'm on its library's staff)

or

www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/

well that Craftsmanship Museum just went on my bucket list...!
md