Weekend Update 3/7/21

[thomasjmdavis]

WM FA2 302, RS2s 182, and 184 are ready for the paint booth! They'll get a bath this afternoon and then set aside until we get a warmer day with low humidity - probably next week. In the meantime, I need to install decoders in the RS2s. These units have helped to develop my skills, and have me thinking about stripping and redetailing my other RS2s and FA2 to the level of these units. Only one more RS2 and I'll have the entire WM roster!

Given the numbers of horns on the roof of their locos, I think the WM board of directors must have had even more brass players that Railwire.  You need to program the decoders to play "Stars and Stripes Forever" on a spare CV.

Kidding aside, great work! 

[wazzou]

I haven't really done an awful lot but I did break out my Molotow Chrome Pen and finish these.

[chessie system fan]

I'd go with the MT ends.  I doubt that you could print a piece as thin, and detailed on both sides, without it getting too fragile to use.  In fact, design the body right, you might be able to print it so that the ends would be moveable, just like the MT cars.

I'll certainly try it.  There are other variations of this car that didn't have drop ends so sometime I will actually need to learn how to construct those dreaded dreadnought ends.   

Consider mixing media types: if you have access to a laser cutter, do the decking in laserboard or similar. I did that with my 35' Sea-Land flat racks.

I thought of that too.  The complicating factor is that since the car is so thin at the ends every little micron is needed for structural support, especially around the coupler area.

[craigolio1]

Haven't done much modeling lately but I did have a chance to put together a N Scale Briggs Models GP20ECO. I love the little door handle in the third photo. Paint is next.





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Happy Modeling

Chris

Great looking model Chris.

When I did my S13s I opted to not install all the door handles. I didn’t want to apply them first and then mask/decal around them, and I didn’t want to preprint and apply them after paint and decals. Didn’t have the courage. Haha.

But they plague me still. They exist in my RS18 and M630 sets as well.

Maybe one day....

Craig

[brokemoto]

Layout surgery for me.

 I had a troublesome PECO turnout that kept losing electrical continuity.  It was on a busy part of the layout, where the Short Creek and Nopedale comes into Short Creek Junction to interchange with the Capitals Route.  There are two tracks that run through that side of Short Creek Junction.  One is the SC&N line to Nopedale, the other a station track that is properly part of the Capitals Route, but, most SC&N passenger trains use it as most SC&N passenger trains terminate at Short Creek Junction.  This particular part of the layout always has had electrical problems, be it the continuity in the PECO Electrofrog turnout or the weakening over time of the Atlas terminal rail joiners which result in numerous "pressure stalls" due to a loss of electrical continuity.  As it goes with most problems, most of us do not do anything until we have had enough.  Finally, I had enough.  The usual treatments to the offending PECO switch were not working, so, it was time for everything to go.  I added a Kato Unitrack terminal section and a Number Four turnout.  The terminal section provides a small straight section off a curve before the train hits the turnout, something especially necessary to avoid derailments at speed when the turnout is set for diverging.

I used to  have an old MP diesel (I forget what it was, now) and some old MP freight cars that I used to use for a test train.  If the trackwork did not derail anything when the test train ran over it, I knew that it was allright.  I d o not know what happened to that test train.  I guess that if they ever resume shows, perhaps I can find a new one for appropriate prices (I am not paying twenty five dollars for an old MP diesel that is worth no more than ten and that only in mint condition).  Instead, I ran one of my Bachpersonn ten wheelers and some six axle passenger cars over it.  This particular ten wheeler has a pilot truck that likes to jump more than most, although there is no consistency to where or why it will jump the track.  It does not happen all that often, but it does occur enough that I notice its doing this more than most.  At first, I thought that it had fllunked its continuity test, but that was the fault of another in-line PECO Electrofrog.  Never will I understand why everyone likes PECO turnouts so much.  They give me some real and frequent continuity problems.  Once I addressed that, I ran the train backward and forward over each turnout route three times and got no derailments.  There was one derailment on the initial run over the  diverging route, but that was due to a half-thrown inline  E-Z Track turnout.  I must have bumped the little tab when I was doing my clean-up.  Once I set it properly, it ran fine in both directions.

[mrhedley]

The roof shingles for the station didn't show up in today's mail, so I did a little detailing of the industrial section of the layout.  It's coming along.

[mu26aeh]

Maybe you should ask the fine folks there at the GAF plant if the shingles were shipped yet ? 

[mrhedley]

Maybe you should ask the fine folks there at the GAF plant if the shingles were shipped yet ? 

No roofing at this plant.  Film and paper coating.

[kiwi_al]

Still messing about with Steam Loco's - 2-10-4 front, 4-8-4 rear (yep it's a bit crap at the moment but it'll get much better) 

[bbussey]

.  I still have no idea ... I'm going to draw the Dreadnaught ends though!   

Aaron - Create a rectangular solid object that matches the width and height of the drop end (the thickness is not important at this point). Add the necessary relief to the face of the solid object to represent the outside face of the drop end, with the necessary filleting to create the illusion of a stamped end. Then create a surface object of the outside face and delete the solid object. Duplicate the surface object and move it a small distance away from the first surface object, say .010” for example, to represent the back face of the drop end. Then create a new solid object of the end by lofting from the first surface object to the second surface object. Delete the two surface objects and you have your stamped drop end.

You also can create the end without surface objects by duplicating the solid object and shifting it away from the original by the desired thickness of the drop end. Then, perform a subtraction-combine by subtracting the duplicate solid object from the original solid object. The new drop end with the correct relief on the inside face will be the end result.

[bbussey]

... I thought of that too.  The complicating factor is that since the car is so thin at the ends every little micron is needed for structural support, especially around the coupler area.

You can “cheat” by incorporating the MTL coupler box into your solid model. That would allow you to add a laser cut styrene or plywood deck. Then you can use a standard MTL coupler box lid and #00-90 screw to secure the standard MTL couplers.

[mu26aeh]

Actually did some modeling today.  Painting for @R L Smith

[wcfn100]

Aaron - Create a rectangular solid object that matches the width and height of the drop end (the thickness is not important at this point). Add the necessary relief to the face of the solid object to represent the outside face of the drop end, with the necessary filleting to create the illusion of a stamped end. Then create a surface object of the outside face and delete the solid object. Duplicate the surface object and move it a small distance away from the first surface object, say .010” for example, to represent the back face of the drop end. Then create a new solid object of the end by lofting from the first surface object to the second surface object. Delete the two surface objects and you have your stamped drop end.

Another way is to just use the shell function.  Use the thickness of the rectangular solid as your shell thickness.  The advantage is it will create a uniform thickness, the disadvantage is the details on the inside wile be slightly smaller.

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Jason

[bnsfdash8]

It's been awhile since I've touched them, but I got one NS tie gondola (rebuilt Seico pulpwood flatcar) ready for paint. I should've done it from the beginning, but I updated my model with ladders so I don't have to mess with adding etched ones.

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[freedj]

The DIY WiFi Throttle project continues this week.

I have finalized the case design and have ended up with:

• Big Pot for the throttle
• on - off - on toggle for direction
• a push button switch for the horn
• 7 tactile switches for "things"
• a OLED display
• a 500ma LiPo with charge controller
• a schnazzy paint scheme

[li]85mm x 50mm x 22mm
[/li][/list]

You can see how it all fits together in the red prototype, and the finish painted case in yellow.

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