The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[ednadolski]

The same is required with my O scale Clouser couplers. My layout is more or less at eye level so I do mainly see the couplers from the side. Not seeing them from above makes aligning them before coupling quite tough. Hard to believe, but that is true.

Not at all hard to believe.  And the smaller scale would make it all the harder.

Might be interesting to try to come up with a pick-like tool having some kind of mirror/light/magnifier combo...   

Ed

[Chris333]

Any ideas to hide the bright yellow (gold-n-rod) on the Bullfrog rods?

[davefoxx]

Any ideas to hide the bright yellow (gold-n-rod) on the Bullfrog rods?

@Chris333,

I dunno.  I haven't gotten that far.  Still lacking a fascia, I haven't installed any of the control rods yet.  I'll probably just spray bomb the whole assembly, so whatever sticks out beyond the fascia will get a coat of something.

DFF

[Chris333]

Yeah I just tested a piece with flat black, but I doubt it will stick. Also bough some 2-56 threaded rods to try.

I wonder if they are nylon and can be dyed in boiling water?

[peteski]

Yeah I just tested a piece with flat black, but I doubt it will stick. Also bough some 2-56 threaded rods to try.

I wonder if they are nylon and can be dyed in boiling water?

How about putting a piece of (black) heat-shrink tubing over it?

DISCLAIMER: I have not really looked closely at the cable so I don't know if that is feasible.

[davefoxx]

Yeah I just tested a piece with flat black, but I doubt it will stick. Also bough some 2-56 threaded rods to try.

I wonder if they are nylon and can be dyed in boiling water?

@Chris333,

I've got a can of plastic adhesion promoter that I'll spray on the rod before I shoot it with some color.

DFF

[davefoxx]

A minor update: I've been piddling with cork and track as time allows, as seen below.  I've got my DCC system jury rigged to allow me to run a locomotive for testing purposes.  Also, I did apply Sergent Engineering couplers to another freight car- the A&R covered hopper visible in the background.  I've got a locomotive, two freight cars, and a caboose converted.  Fun!



DFF

[Chris333]

Turns out the flat black spray worked! I gave it a work out back-n-forth inside the red outer tube and the high ridges just got a little glossy. Then just to see I scraped the ridges with a knife and knocked all the paint off them. Still looked fine. The black makes the bright yellow look like a greenish color. Anyways they look good to me, almost weathered 

[davefoxx]

@Chris333,

Cool!  I think your results would be good enough for my purposes.  I'm using the knobs that came with the rod kit, and they're pretty big and should hide much of the exposed rod anyway.

Thanks,
DFF

[davefoxx]

I installed Sergent Engineering couplers on two more freight cars tonight.  I think this little Monon covered hopper patched for the Seaboard System is hawt, especially with the addition of these couplers:



Also, a little more track tonight, and we're out on the mainline now:



DFF

[davefoxx]

While killing time after work this afternoon waiting for my wife to finish packing for our weekend trip to her parents' house, I built and installed my second Bullfrog turnout control.  I think I'm going to look into the control rod that can be pulled from both sides, since my peninsula is only 18" wide, and I can't decide which side would more convenient:



DFF

[davefoxx]

I installed Sergent Engineering couplers on this Atlas tank car tonight.  None of my N scale tank cars ever looked this good, not to mention that I don't have to figure out how to body-mount the couplers:



DFF

[svedblen]

Looking good! Soon you will want to swap out the wheel sets and move on to P87 

[Scottl]

Now that the car and couplers look so good, what is with the spike detail on the track?  Is that tin plate?

[davefoxx]

Now that the car and couplers look so good, what is with the spike detail on the track?  Is that tin plate?

No kidding!  I was just looking at that earlier and agree 100%.  I hope paint and ballast disguise that somewhat!

DFF