Weekend Update 3/3/19

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Mama & I went to the Baltimore Museum of Art yesterday to view a traveling exhibition.  Our first time in the nitty gritty of the city.  Coming from the West side we to took the "scenic" route via US 40 East off of I-695 to Charles St and then North to the museum.  Enlightening.

After the museum visit we walked to W36th ST in the Hampden neighborhood.  We visited some of the incredibly hip shops and checked out the bakeries (baked goods are a serious weakness for us both) then had an excellent early dinner at The Food Market.  An enjoyable afternoon.  Nice to be in a vibrant city neighborhood.  Flet like home except we are too old.     Thanks to Ed K. for the dinner recco. 

Oh man, you got to see both extremes of Baltimore! Hampden is an awesome neighborhood. I worked there for 10 years and it was incredible watching it go from "sketchy with potential" to what you saw. I hope you hit up Dangerously Delicious. That place is awesome. Same thing with The Charmery across the street. Glad The Food Market was a hit. That place is funny, it actually used to be a sweaty little food store that sold expired (or expiring) stuff. That place closed up and that restaurant went in. The only bad thing I have to say about it was that their valet guys used my office's parking lot after hours, making is somewhat tough if I wanted to use our office's parking lot after hours. haha.

[Mark W]

I added a coat of Mr. Surfacer to the Cafe Racer. 
I did not expect to see the engines heat dissipation ridges, nor the rear shock springs.   



https://i.imgur.com/WxVTGa3.jpg



Ok, enough playing with the micro-printing stuff for now.  Time to get caught back up with the actual products!  The Dry Bulk Trailer has a Tractor now too!


https://i.imgur.com/OF4cr7Y.jpg

[BCR 570]

With the success full test of computer printed masks and Frog Tape yesterday, I got more painting done today. The other M420 and a couple of other models that needed green while I had it out.

Craig

Nice to see your models progressing toward completion; hte NSC double door boxcars are particularly handsome cars.  I couldn't resist building one for BCR and one for NAR even though they came two years after my chosen year.

Wolf:  Nice farm scene; looking forward to modelling one of those atop my helix one day.  Your photos just invites a viewer into the scene.


With my replacement RS-3 short hoods now in hand, I spent last night and this afternoon bending and inserting the rear grab irons (for the second time  ):




More in the build thread.  With all of hte wire bending now behind me, I can move on to more enjoyable additions to the shells.

Tim

[Mike Madonna]

Time for new shoes



Thanks,
Wolf

Wolf,
GREAT Scene!

[Lemosteam]

I bought some of that really thin PCB that @peteski recommended on another thread, along with some really nice LED's and some tiny slide switches in the hopes that I could make some interior lighting for my fleet of PRR P70's.

Now these cars have easily removed roofs so I decided to put the battery and switch inside.



Roof, lights on installed on the car:


More here:
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=46596.0

[craigolio1]

I bought some of that really thin PCB that @peteski recommended on another thread, along with some really nice LED's and some tiny slide switches in the hopes that I could make some interior lighting for my fleet of PRR P70's.

Now these cars have easily removed roofs so I decided to put the battery and switch inside.



Roof, lights on installed on the car:


More here:
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=46596.0

That looks awesome!!

[Hedron]

Finished the diesel shop at Brittain Yard (Akron, OH), modeled after its current configuration on the modern Wheeling & Lake Erie. It's to scale, except it is half as long as the prototype. Scratch built, using Google maps & streetview and some very helpful photographs posted on https://www.lkorailroad.com. Pardon the rough edges, I'm new to scratch building.

[peteski]

I bought some of that really thin PCB that @peteski recommended on another thread, along with some really nice LED's and some tiny slide switches in the hopes that I could make some interior lighting for my fleet of PRR P70's.

Now these cars have easily removed roofs so I decided to put the battery and switch inside.

Pretty clever John.
As an alternative you could just buy a 5V white (or warm white) self-adhesive LED strip and hook that up to your 3V battery.  The resistors are already installed and even at 3V, the LEDs should be plenty bright for realistic interior illumination.  And the strip is very thin and easy to stick to the roof.  Just cut it to length, and attach the switch and the battery.

Here is a sample eBay listing (there are dozens of different sellers selling these). Just make sure to get one using 3528 (some sellers call them 2538) SMD LEDs. Those are fairly small. You don't need any larger LEDs.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Warm-White-LED-Strip-USB-Power-DC-5V-SMD3528-Home-Holiday-lights-Lamp-1-2-3-4-5M/132907900237

[mightypurdue22]

I'm making progress on structures, ballast and scenery.  Industrial area of Stockport, IA on my Corn Belt & Western.



Dave

[SP-Wolf]

Wolf,
GREAT Scene!

Thanks, Mike!!

[strummer]

Thanks, Mike!!

One other thing about that picture: the brick structure in the background is something I've seen in "real life", but never in model form. Is that a trash burner or a smoker of some sort?

In any case, an ofttimes over-looked detail. Well done!

Mark in Oregon

[Maletrain]

Time for new shoes



Thanks,
Wolf

Nice scene.  Been there, done that, looks right.  Except, where are the "road apples"? 

Seriously, some weathering and some static grass along the fence lines would make it look even better.

[wcfn100]

I attended the Rocky Mountain Toy Trains Show yesterday because I saw the Atlas was going to be there.  I talked with several manufacturers and picked up a few bits of information.

Atlas -

Atlas had a new freight car on display, a 4180 Airslide.  This is the same car MIcro-Trains is doing I believe, but Atlas's should have more detail and variations.  They also had some of the Walthers tooling on display.










I didn't ask too much more because Craig Martyn was at the booth and I ended up talking with him.

Kato -

Kato didn't have anything new except a rendering of the new baggage car.  However the gentleman running the both was someone I'd not talked to before and was very informative about everything going on with Kato.  The 20th century is designed but needs to find tooling time.  It will have a NYC specific E7.  A Little Joe was part of the original plan for the Hiawatha, but the costs of a 100% brand new locomotive was too much but they were able to get the FP7.  Because tooling time is so hard to come by, some of the bookcase sets might see a re-run like IC, Alaska and VIA.  The RI TA has a lot of support at KAto USA, but the unique locomotive has been a hard sell. And finally, despite the costs and already available models, the Big Boy certainly could happen as it a favorite of the owner.

I put a request in for a re-run of Milwaukee E8s when the yellow Haiwatha is released, we'll see.


Micro-Trains-

I talked with Micro-Trains again about the True Scale Coupler.  I was assured they were doing well and wouldn't be disappearing anytime soon.  However, I asked directly about any new TSC styles and got no indication that anything was happening with that.  They had a fliers for the Humvee and the TBOX.






Broadway Limited.

I don't so much talk with Ken because that always goes sideways in 20 words or less, but I did ask some questions.  The next run of F3's will be fixed.  They had a couple  samples of a cast metal SW7 shell that I don't think I'd seen before.  They also had a couple of  the new tanks cars there which he said would be here April (IIRC).









Athearn had samples of some N scale covered hoppers.





It was a well attended show that only would made been better if Mark W had made it with his layout.


Jason

[MK]

Thanks for the photos.  What's up with the buckled walkway on the Athearn covered hoppers? Metal?  I know they are samples, but they are being show to the public!

[wcfn100]

What's up with the buckled walkway on the Athearn covered hoppers? Metal? 

Probably the 70 degree difference between the inside and outside temperatures. 

Jason