Weekend Update 12/31/17

[Dave V]

Been weathering...

[Joetrain59]

That SP Daylight RDC is sweet looking!
 Joe D

[skytop35]

Got a good start on a RPO-Express car for the Olympian Hiawatha.

[cbroughton67]

Well, I normally don't model what if's or fooby stuff -- but, after talking with a couple of close friends -- I decided to do more of a should have been. As SP owned only 1 RDC (#10) -- I decided to do would could have been or more appropriately - what should have been: SP #11 -- in Daylight.

What are Y'all's thoughts-?



Thanks,
Wolf

It looks great! I always like SP's Daylight scheme. Go with it!
Chris

[Point353]

Got a good start on a RPO-Express car for the Olympian Hiawatha.

Is this going to be used with a pre-1949 or a post-1954 consist?

[BCR751]

Great to hear from you again, Andy.  Looks like you've got a good start going there.  We'll be following along.

Being in NZ is kinda like being in Terrace, BC I see.  You have to mail order everything

Doug

[BCR751]

A #80 drill is .0135" in diameter. The package of BLMA grab irons I have in front of me says they're made from 0.007" diameter wire. This leaves you with 0.0065" of extra hole. A #80 drill is the smallest readily available inexpensive drill size. Smaller drills are available, but they get really costly really quickly.

Check out Drill Bit City.  They have everything you could ever want in small drill sizes.  I have some down to 0.005".  The only drawback is they are made from carbide and are very fragile.  Good vertical strength but little lateral strength.  Handled carefully, however, they make very good drills, especially for 0.007" grabs.

Doug

[nkalanaga]

If you're drilling in styrene or other soft materials, a piece of hard wire the size you want can also be used as a drill.  It can take some trials to get one cut and/or filed to the right angle, so it makes a centered hole, but it will work.  I remember reading that trick in magazines from the 60s, and have done it a few times, using music wire, when I didn't have a #80 drill.

Since there are no flutes on the wire, you'll have to back the drill out often, and the hole will probably be a little oversized no matter how careful you are, but it can be done.

[narrowminded]

Decided on a fictitious town name (Genmar) and made signs for each end of the station, finished some more painting and miscellaneous details, did some more scenery cleanup from the surgery to place it, and just now completed the fence.  It's coming along good.  And if anyone cares I've been trying to be more conscientious about adding updates to the build thread as well as seeking advice now that I'm actually doing some things to the layout.

And here are some pics.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
Edit add:  The monument is a mockup hand carved from a foam scrap.  It will be replaced with something more to scale and more neatly executed.  That will happen as soon as it does.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Edit add:  Just added the sign on the front.  That's all for today, really!
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[daniel_leavitt2000]

This weekend was switcher-palooza for me.  I am installing Digitrax DZ126T decoders into four Life Like SW1200s and converting three of those to SW1500s. 

This is my first project in N scale and I jumped in with both feet. I have learned that electronic part is easy. Don't short the wires. Kapton tape is your friend. Surface mount components 0603 or larger are easy to work with.  I went with the DZ126T decoder after reading too many horror stories about the DN126M2s shorting out.

Adding detail parts is more difficult.  Grab irons seemingly disappear if dropped.  I also think that my #80 drill may actually be larger based on the way that the grab irons fit.  Anyway, onto the photos.

First up: Conrail 8970, the only SW1200 painted with Conrail Quality. It's a Life Like SW1200 with Trainworx grab irons and MU hoses with the U-shaped rail in front of radiator made from .008 wire. I used Micro Trains Z scale couplers because I hat how the oversize N scale couplers look on locomotives.
(Attachment Link)

Conrail 9620 is the highest numbered SW1500.  I added new Atlas wheels, Flexicoil trucks, grab irons, cut levers and MU hoses.  Yes, I added the front cut levers upside down.  (Attachment Link)

Here are the entire group, including future CRQ 9513 and CR 9589.  (Attachment Link)

Funny, I just painted up that exact SW1500:

I believe 8939 was the only SW900 to be painted in CRQ.


Running low on the decals needed for my OCS train.


But have plenty to paint up an H47.


The M420s are in the paint shop. Should be getting a coat of brown in the next day or two. I'm a vit worried about the paint coming off the resin shell when removing the tape.


The first 9 FGE cars are almost done. I also ran out of door decals for these and can not find any more. 


I had to make a few compromises on these. I needed to use under slung couplers and there was no room for a standard axle, even with the coupler box cut down. I ended up having to use MTL Barber trucks with the offset kingpin. This makes the truck centers about a foot short.

[mighalpern]

Doug
love that little n scale logging scene.  Hope you started a building thread on it.
 where did the backdrop come from.
thanks Miguel

[skytop35]

Is this going to be used with a pre-1949 or a post-1954 consist?

It will be used as a master for resin casting.

[R L Smith]

...and so it begins.  After a year of inactivity due to a new job and relocation, the underpinnings of a new two level EL / Erie / DL&W layout are in place.






The lumber is recycled from previous layouts.  I saved two sections from the last layout; however these will be scrapped/salvaged too.  I'll start a build thread soon...

Ron

[cjm413]

The first 9 FGE cars are almost done. I also ran out of door decals for these and can not find any more. 


I had to make a few compromises on these. I needed to use under slung couplers and there was no room for a standard axle, even with the coupler box cut down. I ended up having to use MTL Barber trucks with the offset kingpin. This makes the truck centers about a foot short.

Brass tubing might work for underslung extended draft gear, just make sure the cuts aren't as sloppy as the lines that I drew with my fingers on my phone 

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=21980.0

[cjm413]

Brass tubing might work for underslung extended draft gear, just make sure the cuts aren't as sloppy as the lines that I drew with my fingers on my phone 

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=21980.0

...and as you already know, Atlas makes 70T roller bearing trucks with centered kingpin holes that may work with a thinner profile coupler box that doesn't necessarily need a screw to keep it in place.