I've started getting dirty!

[atsf_arizona]

Continuing to chronicle:







And up next is the N scale set of LifeLike Santa Fe Erie-Builts - which is subject of this still life artistic photo, entitled "Happiness".... showing about to start, using simple tools of weathering to make a wash of diluted Polly Scale acrylic Grimy Black to apply to the grilles, exhaust stacks, etc.    :

[atsf_arizona]

Some work on the trucks of a Kato Santa Fe C44-9W:





Which resulted in:

[atsf_arizona]

Continuing the updates.....

The Greenlight 2007 N scale Intermodal Contest is inspiring me to
get some weathering-related things done for their contest, which closes on Sept 8, 2007).  .    

(info on that contest is at:

http://greenlightintermodal.info/Home_Page.php

No relation to Greenlight, just appreciative of their excellent efforts to broaden the knowledge base and appeal of N scale Intermodal.

- - -

My entry in the Ready to Run category:




My "For display only" submissions for sharing:

Closeup of the entry:




Shot of a early 1990's Santa Fe Super Fleet Piggyback train:



Closeup of some piggybacks:




Weathering has definitely been well worth the trip.   

[ednadolski]

Nice work John!   May I add, I really like the way you document your work, with the added text in the photos that captures the key points.

I too have been working on lowering freight cars (esp. MTs) and I really what you & Tom have done  (unfortunately it takes me forever to get anything done....)

For the Huskys, how much do you lower them?  Right now I'm trying for a clearance of about 0.030" to 0.035" from carbody to railhead (about 5 or 6 scale inches).  If I go lower then vertical curves become a concern, however I have a few Alan Curtis Huskys and they seem OK even tho they are a bit lower.

Do you do anything to body-mount the couplers on the Huskys?  There isn't much there to attach a coupler, except for the walkways, and those go away too if you install the GMM etched parts.  Perhaps it's possible to build up a box from strip styrene but I haven't had time to try this.  The Bryan Bussey technique in the recent NSR looks like a possibility too (and that could also fix the "pogo/slinky/accordian" oscillation issue).

[atsf_arizona]

Hi, Ed, nice to hear from you.

I have a web site that documents how I lowered them:

http://home.comcast.net/~j.sing/MDC_Husky_Stack_Micro-Trains_1035_Short_Shank_Coupler_Install.html

Interestingly enough, the lowering is a byproduct of installing MT 1035s in place of the original MDC trucks.  The MT 1035 bolster hole is bigger than the orig MDC trucks;  just so happens, just big enough to fit *around* the bolster pin, instead of on top of it.  Net result - the MDC Husky Stack rides prototypically low when using MD 1035s.  My web site above has more info and closeup pictures.

There is an excellent body-mounting technique by William Cowie (see URLs below - his method, as well as mine, are on the Greenlight Intermodal N scale web page:

Greenlight URL:    http://greenlightintermodal.info/N_SCALE_INTERMODAL_MODELS.php

William's method:   http://greenlightintermodal.info/uploads/MDC_Husky_Stack_w-MT_Bodymountcouplers.pdf

His method is great, I tried it, it works well.

But in the end, for my own reasons I decided to go with my truck-mount MT 1035s, even though from a purist standpoint, the body-mount method is better:

1)  The body-mount MT1015s actually cause the MDC Husky Stacks to couple further apart than when using the MT1035s.   As I have enough compromises anyway with our models, I chose to go with the closer-coupling of the MT1035s as I like that appearance-wise better.

2)  It takes me more time to do a car body-mounted with MT1015s (mainly due to need to tune and fiddle with the body-mount coupler height and fiddle with smooth trouble-free coupler swing and truck clearance on my 12.75" curves in the tunnels)..... than it does to do the simple Dremel-tool modifications to install the MT1035s.  Hence for time's sake and for reason #1 above, I go with truck-mount.   Admittedly, it doesn't bother me that the truck mounts are not quite as prototypical (I cannot see the difference unless I look closely).... also, I do not do long train switching of the MDC Husky stacks either in an intermodal yard, so the problems of pushing a long cut doesn't apply to me.


Thx for the kind compliments, and I hope the above helps save you some time and gives a little enjoyment as well.

[atsf_arizona]

Some more chronicle-ing, recent project completions. 

Finally finished a N scale Santa Fe GP7B:







More info at:

Des Plaines N scale GP7B kit - any experiences to share?

[atsf_arizona]

Also, just to prove that I am not the Santa Fe bigot that I am, here's a couple of recently
completed Southern Pacific SD7 units:



Yes, I know the above DF-118 class SD7 SP Black Widow, should have
steam generators details on short hood, and barrel can headlights.....
if I can ever find any of those out-of-production Sunrise Enterprise N scale
parts, I'll add them, as in the following Tiger Stripe SP SD7



Take care, all!

[atsf_arizona]

Adding some photos of weathering Black Widow SP SD7s (these are the old LifeLike N scale models).







Yes, I know, these SP DF-118 class SD7's should have the barrel
can headlights and steam generators.....  if I can ever find more
of the discontinued Sunrise Enterprises parts to outfit these
locos, I will. 

I also know that to be prototypically correct, the ends of
SP Black Widow SD7/SD9 units should have the red stripe continue
around on the end, and there should be silver above that on the ends.   
Another project, for another time.....


=========

Have a good weekend, all!
 

[Caleb Austin]

Nice stuff. I've always loved that SP scheme.

[Norm P]

Much better than my "1000 shades of rust" first attempts

When I read that I thought you'd been in my office looking at the corrugated metal on my grain elevator, even though the post is a couple of years old. I've definitely gone overboard on my first project.

Anyway, back to the original topic.  The stuff on this thread looks good to me and gives me some good ideas for my equipment.

[chuck geiger]

John - grand work, what is the icehouse/dock kit? - I need that for Fresno on my layout?

Looked on your web site - Walthers Santa Fe Icehouse #1 - is it retired?

[atsf_arizona]

John - grand work, what is the icehouse/dock kit? - I need that for Fresno on my layout?

Looked on your web site - Walthers Santa Fe Icehouse #1 - is it retired?

Hi, Chuck,

The Icehouse/dock kit is the standard N scale Walthers Ice House kit.

It is actually some sort of Midwest prototype, not a Santa Fe prototype...
I just needed an icehouse, the Walthers kit was available in 2004, so I designed
the spur around it's dimensions, and just labeled it with some Santa Fe decals.

Someday I might get around to scratchbuilding a more accurate compressed version of
the actual Santa Fe Crystal Ice warehouse and dock in Glendale, Ariz....  someday.

[chuck geiger]

One of the kits is 27.00 and one is 99.00 - which seems to be the difference. Is one just
the platform and and the other the whole shabang?

[atsf_arizona]

Chuck, where are you getting your prices?

The price of about $27 seems about right for the Walthers Ice House Kit - includes the
ice house and two platforms (each platform long enough for three 40' reefers).

The $99 seems way out of line.

[chuck geiger]

ebay - WALTHERS N 3245 - Ice House with Icing Platforms - KIT    $99.99