Weekend Update 1/2/22

[thomasjmdavis]

Happy New Year, everyone!

Got in a bit of work while watching holiday movies and such over the past week. 

A while back we had a discussion on available brick buildings- https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=52896.0 .  I bought the "corner tavern" discussed on that thread.  Mine is reversed left to right from the one shown on the thread.  "Big Dave's Bar and Grill" will occupy a corner on my upcoming layout. 

Although not included in the kit, I think (looking at the photos) I am going to add a post under the unsupported end of the porch- it just doesn't look right to me as is....

[StewRRFan]

Well done.  I have this one also but am working on one of the stand alone houses.  Trying to figure out window treatments.

[Erik W]

I reached a bit of a milestone on my HOn3 D&RGW Jordan Spreader OU.  I'm now finished with all of the work on the main car body.  I have more work to do on the side blades, as well as kit bashing/scratch building the blade extender arms.  This last week I added the chain (from Train Cat) that raises the front blade assembly.  I pulled out and reworked some of the front styrene bracing.  I also added Grandt Line cut levers, front corner grabs from .010" brass wire, rear stirrups from kit bashed Grandt Line stirrups, brake wheel mounted on .015" phosphor bronze wire, ratchet and pawl from Grandt Line, end rail from .015" wire, retainer valve from Grandt Line (super small part on very rear left side frame) and retainer piping out of .010" wire, and Precision Scale air hoses.   From looking at photos, there were two small winches on the rear deck.  I scratch built these out of styrene, .010" brass wire, and brass gears from left over Precision Scale brass caboose ends.  Lastly the small whistle on the front top of the deck house is .010" wire and .025" styrene rod.  I'm proud of myself, I somehow hand drilled a hole with a #80 drill bit dead center in the .025" rod to fit the brass wire. 















Erik

[jagged ben]

After finally getting my order of ESU Kato decoders just before Christmas, I did my first install over the weekend. Apart from sound, my goal was to separate the ditchlights from the headlights without creating a wiring mess inside the model. After some experimenting I did succeed; no wires connecting shell and frame.
First "victim" was a C44-9W. The only shell modification required to fit the decoder was grinding down the exhaust mount from the inside as it interferes with some parts on the board. The two factory mounted SMD LEDs won't work in the C44-9 as they are too far from the light tubes, so only a very dim headlight was the result. As I wanted to have ditchlights that can be operated independent from the headlights, some more work was required. ESU supplied two 3mm LEDs with the decoder (apart from their standard 15x11 speaker, which won't fit the shell...) which can be soldered directy to the board. This now lights up the front headlight, a second SMD LED lights the ditchlights. The light tube leading to the ditchlights was shortened slightly and then reinstalled with black, non-translucent tape separating it from the other light tube to the headlights. Speaker is a 9x16mm size mounted to a 3D custom-printed baffle (my other weekend project) on the rear frame with a SMD LED glued to the end for the rear lights.
Quite happy the way it worked out, so another C44-9 and AC4400 waiting to be completed the same way.
(Attachment Link)

Chris

Nice to see this.  How is the color quality on the 3mm LEDs?  (I hate the SMD trend on ddecoders.) 

[Cajonpassfan]

Otto, let me know if you need help with that "top shelf". Happy New Year !

Lol, Bill, you and lots of others!  But you are welcome here anytime. We may even open the 18 I've been saving for a special ocassion....
This weekend, I am working on some long forgotten scenery to get the rest of the top deck all covered with plaster, pic below.
More on my LA Division thread.
Otto

[dnhouston]

Thanks to @NtheBasement's idea, I added water troughs to the stockyard.  More info on this thread: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=53261.0

[chessie system fan]

It's been a while since I've popped in here, but here's what I've been doing recently.  It's been exclusively 3D modeling. 

I finished designing a 1918 USRA mill gon shell the other day.  Here's a quickie cell phone pic of my first test prints.  Micro Trains drop ends fit.  I just need to design a slot for them next time.  I haven't decided what I'm going to do about weight and the underframe yet.

Eventually, a NYC cement car with the cut-out sides would be fun to do if I can find decals for one.





I've worked on several passenger cars too.  Here's a B&O rebuilt coach.  I've wanted one of these for ages.



And a B&O/KCS 14-4.  It would work for MP too if I cared about adding rivets.  Maybe I'll do that version someday.



I have no need for this MP baggage car, but it was easy to design so why not.



Here's a GN baggage car.



And here's two CSX business cars to compliment the HEP car I've already done.  The first is the Greenbrier, formerly an IC diner.



And finally, here is the Michigan in its current form. It was previously CR 12 and had fluted sides.  Originally, it was a PRR parlor car.

[peteski]

After finally getting my order of ESU Kato decoders just before Christmas, I did my first install over the weekend. Apart from sound, my goal was to separate the ditchlights from the headlights without creating a wiring mess inside the model. After some experimenting I did succeed; no wires connecting shell and frame.
First "victim" was a C44-9W. The only shell modification required to fit the decoder was grinding down the exhaust mount from the inside as it interferes with some parts on the board. The two factory mounted SMD LEDs won't work in the C44-9 as they are too far from the light tubes, so only a very dim headlight was the result. As I wanted to have ditchlights that can be operated independent from the headlights, some more work was required. ESU supplied two 3mm LEDs with the decoder (apart from their standard 15x11 speaker, which won't fit the shell...) which can be soldered directy to the board. This now lights up the front headlight, a second SMD LED lights the ditchlights. The light tube leading to the ditchlights was shortened slightly and then reinstalled with black, non-translucent tape separating it from the other light tube to the headlights. Speaker is a 9x16mm size mounted to a 3D custom-printed baffle (my other weekend project) on the rear frame with a SMD LED glued to the end for the rear lights.
Quite happy the way it worked out, so another C44-9 and AC4400 waiting to be completed the same way.

Chris

Very nice Chris.  Whenever possible I also strive for no "umbilical cord" between chassis and the shell light installs.  How feasible would it be doing alternating ditch lights with this type of install?

[Brian M]

Eventually, a NYC cement car with the cut-out sides would be fun to do if I can find decals for one.

Yes, please!  I'd happily buy a couple from you if you ever do them.  Have you seen that Bowser/English's Model Railroad offers 3D printed cement LCL containers?  I bought four packs of two, they are very nicely done.  But yeah, decals for the cars and the containers would need to get created, I'm not aware of any commercially available in N scale.

-Brian.

[Bendtracker1]

A few shots from my Biddle engine facility.





An overview of the shops can be seen on my thread: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=23915.msg730016#msg730016

[amato1969]

First snow storm and cold temps set the stage to JFRT this weekend.  Spotting some paper at the printing company:



Swapping a few tank cars of chemicals:



  Frank

[Maletrain]

Chessie system fan, those passenger car shells look really nice.  Have you thought about printing the B&O version of the 10-6 sleepers, with the 6 bed rooms in the middle on one side, splitting the 10 roomettes with 5 on each end?  At least those can be had as brass sides.  But, I have been comtemplating how to make those rebuilt B&O coaches for a while, now.

[chessie system fan]

Maletrain, those 10-6 sleepers are just the ROWA cars so it should be fairly simple to model them.  Just sand off the fluting for those that didn't have it.  I've got some in my stack of projects.  But it would be simple to draw that if there's a need.  I have the plans for them.

[davefoxx]

I finished painting the dark green doors and lower walls this evening on the former Seaboard Air Line station.  Next will be the roof shingle decals.





More on the Carolina Sandhills Lines thread in the Layout Engineering Forum.

DFF

[Kentuckian]

Haven’t had much train time lately between the holidays and a disaster relief call out to Western KY after the tornadoes. I did wire the track and solder the joints on my micro layout, which I’m calling the Ashland Coal & Iron Railway. I need to start a layout engineering thread.

Please excuse the pink plain.