Weekend Update 4/16/17

[mu26aeh]

Nice work everyone!

We moved into our new home  (well, new to us). No modeling work for me for the coming weeks / months as we work on updates to the new place, but it sure is nice having access to my library again...

The new train room is approximately 11' x 18' with limitations - specifically, access to closets which are at the opposite end of the room from the entrance. 


Ron

Yea !!!!!!!! 

Closets are for staging

[C62-2]

Very nice work. I'm not a Pennsy modeller but I would love to see any in progress shots and hear more about those dynamic break decals. Can you elaborate there?

Craig

I didn't take any pictures along the way, and the remaining A is just waiting for the trainphone antenna and decals. The details of the grill for the dynamic brake on the B unit are either completely above the surface, or close enough to being all above the surface that it seemed like they could be done using something like the Archer rivits and louvers (meaning, they could be printed the same way and look close enough to the molded on detail of the units with dynamic brakes). If someone made some, I'd be first in line to get some. Of course, I might also be the only one in line, so I'm not going to hold my breath waiting!

[dougnelson]

The LL C-Liner windshield has always bothered me as not shaped correctly so I did some plastic surgery for an eyelid lift.  The difference is seen here:


Here is another progress shot with trainphone antenna, windshield wipers, and grabiron installed.  Also installed a MT True-Scale coupler.

[peteski]

That looks good (even if I'm not a fan of liquid window material).

Looking at the comparison model it reminds me of Mr. Spock raising one eyebrow when saying  "fascinating". 

[GhengisKong]

The LL C-Liner windshield has always bothered me as not shaped correctly so I did some plastic surgery for an eyelid lift.  The difference is seen here:


Here is another progress shot with trainphone antenna, windshield wipers, and grabiron installed.  Also installed a MT True-Scale coupler.

The nice aspect to it is that you didn't have to mix any touch up paint along the way. Just cut and fill with Micro Krystal Klear!

[jargonlet]

Finally getting around to doing/redoing scenery on my layout. I wasn't happy with the ground cover in this area and it had no trees when I started on it this weekend.

[thomasjmdavis]

I finished a PRR F3A + F3B set. The A unit started as a Kato CB&Q F3, and got a nose job to change the number boards. Partly through decalling, I realized there were no dynamic brakes on the A unit, creating a small market for 3D dynamic brake decals!    One more F3A is still in the shop.

(Attachment Link)

Great work on these- makes them undeniably Pennsy. 

I'm just a little confused about dynamic brakes- all the Kato F3s I have have the dynamic brake slits on the roof.  Most of mine are from relatively early runs- but several roads and undecs, both Phase 1 and Phase 2 units, along with the late model ATSF modified with F7 side panels. I have a project coming up where I need to remove them (putty and careful sanding). Is "no dynamics" something Kato did for F3s for the Zephyr sets?

[thomasjmdavis]

I knocked a couple of decal jobs out of the way this weekend.  Up first was a set of NS hoppers.  I had 5 undec coal hoppers that I had tried unloading at a show and on eBay, all the while looking for more NS hoppers.  Then I realized you  , do them yourself with the undec hoppers you already have.  So I ordered 2 sets of NS hopper decals from Shellscale and got this.

NShoppers by Adam Henry, on Flickr

I also finished a second ADM corn syrup car.  Here is a shot of 3 of them, a faded and weathered version I did, the Atlas stock model, and a newly shopped/painted still shiny version I did last month.

20170416_191504 by Adam Henry, on Flickr

Nice job on those projects, but I have to admit that what caught my eye was the big city backdrop in the background.  I've been looking for something like for the urban area for the layout I am just starting on (cleaning up the basement today in hopes of getting in some insulation and paint later this week).  Any info you can share on the backdrop would be much appreciated.  Thanks, Tom D.

[SP-Wolf]

Wolf, again GREAT progress! Oxnard, one of our (my wife's & my) favorite places on the Coast Line. Had some of the BEST strawberries ever passing through Oxnard on one of our trips to San Luis Obispo. 

Hi Mike,

Thank you so very much!!

Best regards,
Wolf

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Been a busy week!

Made a trip to the Lehigh Valley on Friday, pics to come. But I've posted a bunch of stuff from past trips to my blog.

Lancaster in January: http://railfanning.kapuscinski.net/2017/04/a-few-minutes-in-lancaster-january-2017/


York in October: http://railfanning.kapuscinski.net/2017/04/shortline-scenes-around-york-pa-october-2016/


NS in Hollidaysburg during the N Scale Weekend: http://railfanning.kapuscinski.net/2017/04/a-rainy-day-in-hollidaysburg/


And an encounter with the Conrail Heritage Unit: http://railfanning.kapuscinski.net/2017/04/the-conrail-heritage-unit-at-cp-altoona-august-2016/





Also, Dullcoted 9253: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=41498.new#new

[basementcalling]

Ed, what's up with all the haze? Kinda early for the heat and humidity to show so "clearly" in photos from PA.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ed, what's up with all the haze? Kinda early for the heat and humidity to show so "clearly" in photos from PA.

Well, some were from the summer and some were in the rain (the Cove secondary ones).

[CBQ Fan]

Kato F3 CB&Q passenger units do not have dynamic brakes.  They were special ordered for the California Zephyr and were not necessary. The units did not last long in passenger service and were quickly replaced by E units and relegated into freight service. The did retain their passenger unit numbers however.

[dougnelson]

That looks good (even if I'm not a fan of liquid window material).

It looks better when it is not enlarged 5x actual size, but what alternatives are there to create windshields?  Any thoughts?  I guess I could take a piece of heavy acetate and carefully shape with a file, then glue in place with MS Kristal Clear.  Any other ideas?

[mu26aeh]

Nice job on those projects, but I have to admit that what caught my eye was the big city backdrop in the background.  I've been looking for something like for the urban area for the layout I am just starting on (cleaning up the basement today in hopes of getting in some insulation and paint later this week).  Any info you can share on the backdrop would be much appreciated.  Thanks, Tom D.

They are from Realistic Backgrounds.  A lot of the usual suspects of LHS carry them.  This one is just sitting there for now.  What I did was cut out the outline of the buildings from the skyline so you don't have to worry about matching your skyboard to the printed sky colors.  I think this one is 704-01

http://realisticbackgrounds.com/index.cfm?page=cf/realisticbg.cfm