Weekend Update 10/4/20

[ns737]

EL 3632 how do they sound?

[reinhardtjh]

I'm not familiar with the Next18.  I hope this isn't a dumb question but what exactly is this and how is it used? 

Doug

The Next18 is that oblong plug/socket on the new LokSound 5 Micro decoders.  There is a plug on the decoder and a socket on that board that replaces the PC board in the Kato F unit.  See this thread: Interesting Post on ESU Facebook Group for Kato F units (and F40PH) DropIn Board

[EL3632]

EL 3632 how do they sound?

They sound good, loud, just as good as any factory install that I have seen (and I have 80 of those, so pretty good quality). I cannot say about the specific F unit sound file as I took the decoder from my ALP45 to test as I don't have decoders for these yet, with the ALP sound file, it sounds as good as the ALP itself, and a bit louder, if that is anything to base an opinion on. Once my local pusher gets Next18 decoders in, I will take video of the unit equipped with sound.

[BCR 570]

This was a big week for me as three long running freight car projects (all multiple builds) reached structural completion.

I thought I had finished building my nine Railwest chip cars, but forgot about the air hoses and cut levers.  I discovered that the Atlas re-issue of the BLMA cut levers are thicker in profile and do not fit through the BLMA eyelets or brackets  .  So I had to bend twenty cut levers from .010" brass wire  .  So glad these are built.  Air hoses left off for safety until later.

End view showing the cut levers:




'A' end and left side view:




'B' end and right side view:




Topside view of all nine:




Also completed this week are my six Vancouver Iron chip cars (more at https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=49577.135):




And also my two CC&F twin trailer flatcars (more at https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=21968.150):




With an empty workbench after all these months, I can now enjoy thinking about what to tackle for my next project . . . . .


Tim

[Mike Madonna]

better photos

Nothing like natural light.... looks good Nick!

[jpwisc]

I decided to model my own Jeep. I started with a CG N Scale print, lifted it and added 35” tires. Then I painted it and added some details to match my prototype. I’m pretty happy with this one.
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[NtheBasement]

Finished rebuilding the pusher, a.k.a. barney or pig, that feeds a coal dumper on my layout. Previously it ran up Z scale track on Z scale trucks. This caused jamming problems due to Z's inherent gauge looseness and the fact that I didn't design anything to keep the barney from going up.


I replaced the wheels with 3x7x3 mm ball bearings, and the rails with Plastruct 3/16" I-beams, which miraculously are a perfect match for the bearings.




One minute video:

Another prototype pic: http://www.boatnerd.com/news/newsthumbsb/Images-13-1/6-Dumper-4-17-13-bv.jpg

[Philip H]

I got lit:





https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=40665.msg682703#msg682703

[MK]

One minute video:

That's freakin' fantastic!  Is there a way to gear the tipper more or feed it less voltage so the dump can be slowed down?  That will be even more fantastic on top of your already great work.

[Maletrain]

Don't forget to put that hopper pusher in the "Animations" subforum.

The dumper itself would be another thread to put in "Animations".

It would be interesting to see the whole dumper operation, including the kickback track ramp, so we could see the whole process in action.

[Kentuckian]

Finished rebuilding the pusher, a.k.a. barney or pig, that feeds a coal dumper on my layout. Previously it ran up Z scale track on Z scale trucks. This caused jamming problems due to Z's inherent gauge looseness and the fact that I didn't design anything to keep the barney from going up.


I replaced the wheels with 3x7x3 mm ball bearings, and the rails with Plastruct 3/16" I-beams, which miraculously are a perfect match for the bearings.

Great work! Like the master @DKS said about animation: slow it down, then slow it down some more. My paraphrase.

[DKS]

Don't forget to put that hopper pusher in the "Animations" subforum.

The dumper itself would be another thread to put in "Animations".

It would be interesting to see the whole dumper operation, including the kickback track ramp, so we could see the whole process in action.

Well done, sir. Very clever. If I'm not mistaken, that looks like a State Street Models dumper, manufactured waaay back when by my friend Rick Spano.

As others have said, slow it down and you'll see a big improvement right away.

[JMaurer1]

I actually did something N scale related this weekend. Saw an estate sale that offered 'model trains'. Most of the pictures were obviously HO but in the background was a Kato track pack so I figured I'd check it out. It's not often that I go to a garage sale with $500 and wished I had brought more...alot more money. Almost no rolling stock but Kato passenger cars ($10 ea), WoT Harriman cars ($10 ea), Kato and Atlas diesels ($50 ea, $25 for each additional), and Kato, Bachmann, and Athearn steam ($50 ea). I came home with everything I could afford including a Big Boy, 2 Challengers, a heavy Mountain, a 2-8-8-2 with sound, WP F-3 A and B, IM Cab Forward, and a ton of passenger cars. By the time I got back, everything else was all gone (I really wanted that Kato Cal Zephyr passenger set). Some even had DCC installed (I haven't been able to check them all yet). After screwing up and missing that auction on the east coast, this kind of makes up for it.

[TimF]

My father bulit this engine back in the 1990s, now I have to remove those grills and some doors, any ideas of how to do that and - how do I make handrails?

[Super_G]

Finally was able to harvest the cabbage from the Shapeways garden.

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Looks pretty good for a first go around. Need to make some changes to the ditch light area and few other things to make it fit on the chassis better. Also need to change the windshield/window area for a better fit as well. I'm going to give it a primer coat and see how looks afterwards.