Best Of Detailing the Micro-Trains BNSF Fuselage Set

[ryan_wilkerson]

Rob, I didn't make the connection but glad you did! Great info on the early times.

Great followups with the vintage photos too.

Has anyone found photos of the early 1990s trains? I'm assuming that would be BN power and BN flats?
-Ryan

Hi Ryan, I don't know if you recognize the handle, but this is Rob Petersen, of the PNW Freemo group up here in Washington.

To answer your question, the first seven 737's were built in whole at Boeing's Plant II (home of the famous B-17's) in Seattle, beginning with plane #8, the fuselages began to be built in Wichita and were shipped in 3 pieces (forward, center & rear sections) to Seattle with the first rear fuselage section being shipped by rail in June 1966. Eventually the ship sets were shipped in two pieces and this continued with the original "Classic -100 through -600 models. While I don't know when the production was moved from Plant II to Renton, but I believe it was with the of the introduction of the -400 model in the late 1970's or early 1980's.

The fuselages began being shipped as a one piece unit with the "Next Generation" series (-700 through -900 models) in the early 1990's.

[heyrob]

Both are listed as the first shipment from Wichita to Washington.

Jason

Interesting my source last night left the impression only the tail section was part of the first shipment, that didn't make a lot of sense to me, but now I see that wasn't correct impression.

I also did some research of the company archives today and found this to add to my comments of last night for those interested.

Only the first 6 737's were built at Plant II #7 through #271 were built at what is known as the Thompson Site about 1 mile south of Plant II. Production moved to Renton to join the 727 production there, beginning with #272 in November 1970. The first "Next Generation" planes (-700, -800 & -900) started production in 1996 with the first roll out in December of that year.  Single piece fuselage transports began with the NG models, so that was 1996.

[Mark W]

Thanks for all this info Rob!  I think we're building the definitive Fuselage Train Thread here, for both proto and model!

Speaking of model, I spent the past few days using my Cameo Silhouette to make masking all the painted details a thousand times easier, which allows me to add a few details to the task list as well.

http://i.imgur.com/3jzObUe.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/qLzBdAZ.jpg

Top circle thing is based on the third fuselage of a train that came through Lincoln several weeks ago.  No idea what it is...



It was taking me all night to manually mask a single fuselage, including tail boxes, wing port, and I started doing door plugs and even masked the cockpit window plugs.

http://i.imgur.com/1IHnVfn.jpg

Manually masking not only takes forever, but opens the door for inconsistencies and poor masking edges as the layers of tape add up.  So, time to dust off the Cameo.  About 4 hours of drawing, test fitting, and adjusting, now I have a perfect mask every time! 

http://i.imgur.com/aJAqzox.jpg


[Edit: Image URLs]

[peteski]

Very clever idea Mark!  Looks good!

[heyrob]

According to the Kansas memories photo captions of the "First 737 shipment" those photos were taken in November of 1966, while the source I had of the first tail section shipment was from June, 1977, so evidently there were earlier sections that shipped separately. These could have been used for tool validation for the body section join tools etc. Thanks for the photo source wcfn100.

Oh and the tail section in the photo I saw was much shorter than what is seen in these photos, as in just forward of the rear door in these photos.

[heyrob]

Thanks for all this info Rob!  I think we're building the definitive Fuselage Train Thread here, for both proto and model!


Speaking of model, I spent the past few days using my Cameo Silhouette to make masking all the painted details a thousand times easier, which allows me to add a few details to the task list as well.




Top circle thing is based on the third fuselage of a train that came through Lincoln several weeks ago.  No idea what it is...



It was taking me all night to manually mask a single fuselage, including tail boxes, wing port, and I started doing door plugs and even masked the cockpit window plugs.


Manually masking not only takes forever, but opens the door for inconsistencies and poor masking edges as the layers of tape add up.  So, time to dust off the Cameo.  About 4 hours of drawing, test fitting, and adjusting, now I have a perfect mask every time! 

The model looks awesome Mark, well done!  What file format does your Cameo use? I have a Silver Bullet that accepts .svg's if you'd be willing to share your template. Wink wink, nudge nudge. 

As for the circle on the top of that fuselage, that one has me stumped. I would have guessed that perhaps that was a P-8 fuselage, but they don't have windows and these appear to be -900 fuselages and the P-8's are based on -800 bodies.

[Mark W]

Thanks Rob.

Looks like Silhouette has a proprietary file format .studio3, but there's a few tutorials on how to convert to svg.  Happy to share the file once it's finalized.  (Side note for Free-moN, any chance you'll join us in SLC for N Scale Convention 2018 or NMRA show 2019?)


A guy from Facebook suggested the circle is for a WiFi dome.  Based on a few google photos, I think he's spot on.

[peteski]

Looks like Silhouette has a proprietary file format .studio3, but there's a few tutorials on how to convert to svg.  Happy to share the file once it's finalized.  (Side note for Free-moN, any chance you'll join us in SLC for N Scale Convention 2018 or NMRA show 2019?)


A guy from Facebook suggested the circle is for a WiFi dome.  Based on a few google photos, I think he's spot on.

I have an older Graphtec CraftROBO cutter (which I really haven't utilized much at all yet).  I was able to find a Corel Draw plug-in for it which allows me to design the artwork in Corel Draw then send it to the cutter directly from Corel. I wonder if Silhouette offers something similar?

As far as the round thing on the tail goes, this is the first time I have seen that myself. None of the photos I found show that feature. Must be a fairly recent development.  Just when you think you've accumulated all the research material, they go and change something on you!   

[Point353]

More fuselage cars due in January 2018: https://www.micro-trains.com/publicfiles/monthly/MN1709.pdf

[Mark W]

More fuselage cars due in January 2018: https://www.micro-trains.com/publicfiles/monthly/MN1709.pdf

Darn, I was hoping the announcement would be a few months out yet so I could get mine finished and sold while demand was high and supply was limited. 
Anyone notice a few of these 4 packs went for $300+ on ebay!  

New sets are just 1 fuselage packs, with 3 different number options making 5 total unique carrier flats (plus 5 unique buffer/component box flats). 

[jnevis]

That is definitely the WiFi SATCOM dome.  It may also be to close to the tail.  Looking at a United and Delta -800, it's near the trailing edge of the wing.
P-8 doesn't have that, or no where near that many side windows.

[Santa Fe Guy]

This is a great thread. I am enjoying the history that some have provided.
Rod.

[atsf3751]

I have bookmarked this thread so I can use it in the future. Maybe I should have gotten more than one set.

[peteski]

I have bookmarked this thread so I can use it in the future. Maybe I should have gotten more than one set.

They are making more . . .

[heyrob]

Thanks Rob.

Looks like Silhouette has a proprietary file format .studio3, but there's a few tutorials on how to convert to svg.  Happy to share the file once it's finalized.  (Side note for Free-moN, any chance you'll join us in SLC for N Scale Convention 2018 or NMRA show 2019?)


A guy from Facebook suggested the circle is for a WiFi dome.  Based on a few google photos, I think he's spot on.

I would love to make it to SLC next year, I was born in Ogden, and I have my dads ashes waiting for me to take him home and cast him on the waters of the Ogden river, it sounds like I can kill two birds with one stone next year. Are you from that area?

Interesting about the WiFi dome, I had never paid any attention to it before. I'll keep my eyes peeled from now on.