Weekend Update 6/25/23

[nkalanaga]

Angus Shops:  That was also my first thought, which didn't help me realize it wasn't a model photo.

Yes, my second thought was some type of antenna.

[glenng6]

Lemosteam,
Very nice modeling and the loading dock came out beautiful. Glenn

[glenng6]

Craig,
The railings look fantastic. I guess this proves making a jig is worth the time. Unfortunately, I am not that disciplined but I probably should be. Glenn

[Angus Shops]

Was your second thought an antenna ?

Almost immediately! An antenna seemed like the most likely alternative.

Craig - that’s some serious modelling effort going on!

On the home front, I added 2 new locos to the fleet: GP7 8409 needed a decoder and numbers (decals) in the number boards. GP9 8524 needed lettering (“CANADIAN PACIFIC”), all numbers, and decoder. Both required light weathering (my late 50’s time frame means engines were kept relatively clean as ‘engine wipers’ were still on the payroll). Both locos had been previously detailed with separate grabs, roof lift rings, correct horns, winter hatches, MU hoses and etc., and repainted (4809 from an inaccurate early (old) Atlas scheme and 8524 from CP ‘script’ to CP ‘block’) but were awaiting finishing and decoder installation. This gives me a fully operational fleet of 5 GP9’s and 4 GP7’s at the same level of detail.

I’m waiting for the new Atlas GP9’s  - I’ve got 2 sound units on order to go under previously detailed shells that are currently sitting on old non decoder friendly mechanisms.

[Dwight in Toronto]

This week I soldered some very difficult handrails.

I started by making some assembly jigs. I used styrene V groove siding and .015” phosphor bronze wire sits in grooves with a matching cover screwed on top to hold it in place.

The idea was to make repeatable assemblies and solder them in place in the jig. It mostly worked but I started to melt the jigs. Alas a couple of them turned out not so perfect and the jugs did not survive. But I feel like I’m happy with what I ended up with.

Next ti get them painted up with chrome metalizer.

Craig

I really like the jig idea - it has great potential.  Looking forward to further advancements with your Rocky Mountaineer build.  Maybe you could make it a dedicated thread, like your ONR project!

Dumb question - is “chrome metalizer” the pseudo-chrome spray can stuff from Home Depot or whatever?

[John]

I got the layout's laptop computer up and running for recommissioning of the fast clocks:




The clocks were built by my friend Victor who was on hand to get them working again:

Looking good -- would you please describe the fast clocks?  Arduino based? 

[craigolio1]

I really like the jig idea - it has great potential.  Looking forward to further advancements with your Rocky Mountaineer build.  Maybe you could make it a dedicated thread, like your ONR project!

Dumb question - is “chrome metalizer” the pseudo-chrome spray can stuff from Home Depot or whatever?

Thanks everyone.

Dwight the metalizers are a line up of paints from Alclad II. In the case of the chrome that I’m using you do a gloss black enamel base and then three coats of the metalizer and it looks fantastic. They make then for many kinds of metal finishes. You see them used lot on high end models of car engines and aircraft. Very convincing. You aren’t suposed to put clear coats on them. But with the really bright shiny ones like the chrome you can do one coat. It tones it down to look more like stainless.

I’ll post some pics

This is the metalizer



Here’s a terrible shot of a test sheet I did for a model of a loco that has a stainless boiler jacket but with bands that are a polished stainless. I used a base of flat , satin, and gloss… then shot metalizer to see what the final finish would be on each base coat.



And here’s the finished product. This is Alclad II Chrome with a cost of enamel gloss after doing decals. Which the instructions say NOT to do lest ye ruin the finish. With no clear coat it’s wayyyyy shinier.



At some point I’ll do a build thread in the Rocky Mountaineer.

Craig

[BCR 570]

Looking good -- would you please describe the fast clocks?  Arduino based? 

Sure.  The fast clock software was written by my friend Victor and runs on the dedicated laptop. 

The fast clock repeaters comprise an Arduino Uno module and an ESP 8266 chip for the display. 

The computer and the repeaters are clients to an MQTT broker and they communicate via a Wi-Fi router which is cabled to the computer.

Victor is working on a master clock module which will run the software and replace the laptop computer.


Tim

[BCR 570]

the metalizers are a line up of paints from Alclad II

I have seen some nice aircraft models finished with these.  I am thinking of using them when I get around to doing those shiny Canadian Freightways trailers from the 1960s/1970s.


Tim

[craigolio1]

I have seen some nice aircraft models finished with these.  I am thinking of using them when I get around to doing those shiny Canadian Freightways trailers from the 1960s/1970s.


Tim

The aircraft models look spectacular. I’ve done a terrible job of showing what they actually look like because I used a clear coat. But it worked for what I wanted to accomplish. The metalizers used in their proper format look amazing.

Do you have a pic of one of those trailers?

[Dwight in Toronto]

Dwight the metalizers are a line up of paints from Alclad II.

At some point I’ll do a build thread in the Rocky Mountaineer.

Craig

Thanks for the clarification - I’ve just spent some time studying the Alclad website. 
This is the first I’ve heard of this product line - certainly looks like interesting stuff.  And supposedly available from a LHS just minutes away (Pinnacle Hobby in Markham). 

[craigolio1]

Thanks for the clarification - I’ve just spent some time studying the Alclad website. 
This is the first I’ve heard of this product line - certainly looks like interesting stuff.  And supposedly available from a LHS just minutes away (Pinnacle Hobby in Markham).

Nice!

[TrainCat2]

The Verde Canyon RR day trip is just amazing!! The pic Richie posted is just a section of the total trestle on a wide curve.





With a new job, I'm finding less time to work on the layout but things are progressing. I finally built the B&O Perishable Products Terminal  and the B&O/RDG Cold Storage buildings. I went back and shifted the terminal tracks and reprinted the plan. With this nailed down, I can get to the trackage.







Started making the servo switch machines. The close proximity of adjacent track and turnouts demanded a slimline solution. Instead of printing them, I opted to use Evergreen .625 x .080 and .250 x .080 strips to build the housing. I'm not joking in that it took about 10 min to build the housing since I was using pre-made strips. I cant finish the prototype until I get 1/32 drill bits (could have sworn I had some).  Needing over 100 housings, I did not see the need to print them when I can build them this fast.

[John]

I was going to use servos for my new Western Maryland Midland & Ohio East Sub, but I have quite a few tortoises from the old layout that are still usable, but I will probably put servos into the staging yards rather than ground throws

[BCR 570]

Do you have a pic of one of those trailers?

Yes but they are from the Hank's Truck Pictures website so not sure if I can post here; will email to you.

Tim