Weekend Update 3/29/20

[BCR 570]

I also acquired one of my two dream cars, a 1987 Jaguar XJ-S in British Racing Green.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Jaguar ownership.  If the engine is good don't even think about replacing it.  Properly looked after thy are one of the smoothest engines on the road.  The only concern with the 5.3L in the XJ-S as opposed to the XJ sedans is not to let it overheat.  I always pop the bonnet after a run to let it cool off.

I would get rid of the chrome tings over the wheel arches though; not original.  Enjoy!

Tim

[GonzoCRFan]

I started trying to reassemble my layout since I moved recently. Even though I designed it in sections and kept key trackwork away from the joints, the legs didn't want to attach to the sections as securely as I'd have liked. And even if they had, the current design didn't seem like it would survive another move (since I'm still in an apartment situation.) So I started to build corner pockets for the legs to go in. One section down, 4 more to go. At least it gave me an excuse to go buy a circular saw. I'm sure the new neighbors just love me...

[pdx1955]

Finally got my SP 12.5K tankcars completed, reassembled and ready for primer. I also completed adding side and roof braces to my fleet of converted 40' hogfuel (woodchip) cars and these are also ready for the paint shop.

[ncbqguy]

Not a modeling project per se but one which I finally finished in my office/train room that has allowed me to finally shelve my library after having it in piles all over the place.  Now to inventory and start downsizing the N Scale collection to more closely correspond to any layout I am likely to build...
Charlie Vlk

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[w neal]

Got off my couch and got something started. I went right for the jugular: decaling number boards. Thank goodness for magnifiers. I might actually get this project done seeing how "every day is like sunday"

[garethashenden]

OMG, a HUNDRED Dollars??,🙀🙀🙀
Nice. Nice going....
What’s your other dream car?
Otto

A 1920s Bentley. Need to add several more zeros to my bank account before I can consider on of those.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Jaguar ownership.  If the engine is good don't even think about replacing it.  Properly looked after thy are one of the smoothest engines on the road.  The only concern with the 5.3L in the XJ-S as opposed to the XJ sedans is not to let it overheat.  I always pop the bonnet after a run to let it cool off.

I would get rid of the chrome tings over the wheel arches though; not original.  Enjoy!

Tim

It needs a good tuneup and then I’ll go through the cooling system with a fine toothed comb, replace all the hoses, thermostats, et cetera.

Nice work area and an awesome car.  I love those Jags!  $100 and garaged!?  WOW - how did you manage that? Do I see another, more recent Jag in the background?
While it is unlikely that I'll own a 1:1 Jag like that, I do have a nice Hasegawa version as a 1:24 scale kit.  I'll build it some  day . . .

I built that kit, but it was the TWR race car version.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

So I WAS going to try and finish laying track on the coal country layout during the a$$hat Happy Hour.

But I am so tired of f***ing with switches.



So I said F'it: JFRTM.

I pulled out all my TTRAK modules (in various states of completion as they are) and put a layout together.



Given the state of it I figured making it Penn Central night would be appropriate.













But then a manhattan, a beer and a shot might've put a halt on switching hazmat... 

It was great seeing you guys and I look forward to doing it weekly.

[Lemosteam]

John, that’s a great model, truly a nice job considering what you started with. She’ll  look great!
But what with the Unimate....a 905 would look so much better, and work, too... in my HUMBLE opinion....
Otto

@Cajonpassfan & @peteski ,

Fresh out of 905's.  I will be able to swap one in later IF the pilot wheels don't hit the 905's draft box.  I started with a 1015 box which SEVERELY limited the pilot truck's travel.  Trimmed off the sides of the 1015 box and left the pivot post.  Drilled out the Unimate to 2mm at the rear hole shaved the post flush to the Unimate plane to limit coupler drop, and trapped it with a nylon 00-90 pan head screw.

Something I found in this is that the underside of the pilot extension on the front of the Minitrix shell is that if you shave away the pilot mount flush to the bottom, is the surface is perfect mounting height for a 1015.  But you have to make a wedge because the surface angles up in the side view.

[amato1969]

@Ed Kapuscinski that PC passenger geep is sweet!  Hopefully beer + JFRT took the edge off switch wiring...

  Frank

[Ed Kapuscinski]

@Ed Kapuscinski that PC passenger geep is sweet!  Hopefully beer + JFRT took the edge off switch wiring...

  Frank

I wish I could take ANY credit for it, but she's a Dr. Hotballz refugee.

[Dave V]

I wish I could take ANY credit for it, but she's a Dr. Hotballz refugee.

Back when my airbrush was still working, LOL.

[peteski]

@Cajonpassfan & @peteski ,

Fresh out of 905's.  I will be able to swap one in later IF the pilot wheels don't hit the 905's draft box.  I started with a 1015 box which SEVERELY limited the pilot truck's travel.  Trimmed off the sides of the 1015 box and left the pivot post.  Drilled out the Unimate to 2mm at the rear hole shaved the post flush to the Unimate plane to limit coupler drop, and trapped it with a nylon 00-90 pan head screw.

Something I found in this is that the underside of the pilot extension on the front of the Minitrix shell is that if you shave away the pilot mount flush to the bottom, is the surface is perfect mounting height for a 1015.  But you have to make a wedge because the surface angles up in the side view.

John,
my question was also about the flat-face, wide-tread, deep-flange pilot wheels. Seems like swapping it for one of the nicer looking wheelsets (like FVM or NWSL) would make dramatic visual difference. Yes, you would have to grind down the pointy axles, but that is easy.

[Mike Madonna]

Finally got my SP 12.5K tankcars completed, reassembled and ready for primer. I also completed adding side and roof braces to my fleet of converted 40' hogfuel (woodchip) cars and these are also ready for the paint shop.

Hey Peter,
Could you elaborate on the SP 12.K tank cars?
Thanks!!

[pdx1955]

Hey Peter,
Could you elaborate on the SP 12.K tank cars?
Thanks!!

I had originally planned to lengthen MT tankcars with slices taken from donor bodies, but after one test case, it was apparent that I'd wouldn't be able to get a good job with all those cuts. A Tony Thompson blog post mentioned that Athearn's triple dome tankcar was based on the SP's just by adding a couple domes to it. This car, like a lot of the triple dome models is way too big and domes are too short . There also was a thread on here on retro models mentioning that a lot of the early N models were just downscaled from the available HO ones.

I put two and two together from that and realized that the solution was literally under my nose as I had purchased a old Bachmann at a show just for the MT trucks it had. Measuring the car, it had the right tank and dome diameter and was within a foot or so of the total length. The dome was too short but the blog post had the way to fix that. I purchased few cheapies on Ebay and went to work.

I sliced off the safety values on each dome top as the SP's only have two in a different location and I saved the best ones, then I sliced off the dome tops, again saving the ones with the straightest cuts . The center domes were sanded flat on top for the dome extensions.I cut the extra domes off as close to the tank without damaging it, and the best ones were saved and sanded as these would be the center dome extensions. I then proceeded to do some significant carving and sanding on each body - removing excess rivet lines, the top seam, any outer dome remnants and the manway board on one side and shortened on the other (SP's only have one ladder). I placed multiple layers of tape on the inside of the tanks and use Milliput epoxy putty to fill in the dome holes and sanded down smooth. Some putty was used to finish off each of the domes as well. I am re-using the frames as-is other than the elimination of the screw on body, the original weight (but adding more to NMRA standards), the wire handrails and one of the ladders as those pieces look fine enough. These will be all primed in gray, painted black and will be decaled with MS SP tankcar decals. Not exactly perfect, but good enough and will be significantly different from the MT 10K and IM 8K cars.

[Cajonpassfan]

Interesting. Let us see progress as you work on these please, or at least when finished.
Otto K.