Weekend Update 12/31/23

[chuck geiger]

We had a great holiday vacation in San Diego and Fresno to see kids and grandkids. Frank The Trainman was weird, bought some old oddball bags of junk and a few detail items at Reed's Hobby Shop. A quick stop at Hobby Lobby to pick up some JTT trees that look like eucalyptus trees. Some branching, painting, and planting. I wanted to replicate a scene off the last layout in Hemet, CA where an old grove of Eucalyptus grew near a packing plant.

[Angus Shops]

I’ve had 3 Dimi-Trains/Tichy Train Group ‘work service’ car kits in a drawer for a couple of years. I bought them to be used as ‘service’ cars on my late ‘50’s CPR layout but realized after purchase that these are based on 40’ fish belly under frame cars when the CPR’s  service cars of this type were 36’ truss rod cars. I’ve had a few days off work for the Christmas break and it was a good opportunity to have a go at these kits - some cutting and fabricating and I’ve completed 2 service cars and a shed for an off-rail industry setting. The shed sits on timber cribbing at he disused end of a spur track for use by a firewood provider.

[SAH]

Just having fun working on the FreeMoN module.  A better view of the micro fiber weeds next to the cattle fence line.  I'm also getting better at Photoshop.  Better at the simple stuff anyway.  Still a long way to go 'til I can call myself proficient.

Geez those cows sure are bright and shiny.

[JMaurer1]

Nice! Where did the decals for the tank car come from? Isn't leather nice and shiny...and cows are made from leather...?

[nkalanaga]

John:  I imagine the supports would be easier to remove before curing!  But, since I don't have a printer, all of my experience has been with finished parts.  Most have been too brittle for my liking.

[Jesse6669]

Between holiday festivities I did this 3D model of EBT 27, intended for T-gauge track at 1:300 (Mn3) scale.  Debating how to do the end railings and ladder, might just make a jig for bent wire but will definitely test printing them.  It would probably print well up to N scale I reckon, if anyone is doing Nn3 of the EBT.

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[signalmaintainer]

Getting closer to completing "downtown" Slate Fork, VA.



I've decided the quonset hut will be an abandoned business. Had it still been a going concern, it might have housed a mine pump/ventilation repair business, or maybe tipple machinery repair. As it is, I needn't worry too much about it and just enjoy detailing the exterior grounds.

The two small company houses still need to be "planted."

[bbussey]

Between holiday festivities I did this 3D model of EBT 27, intended for T-gauge track at 1:300 (Mn3) scale.  Debating how to do the end railings and ladder, might just make a jig for bent wire but will definitely test printing them.  It would probably print well up to N scale I reckon, if anyone is doing Nn3 of the EBT.

Looks nice. I recommend etching the end ladders and railings out of stainless steel.

[thomasjmdavis]

Just having fun working on the FreeMoN module.  A better view of the micro fiber weeds next to the cattle fence line.  I'm also getting better at Photoshop.  Better at the simple stuff anyway.  Still a long way to go 'til I can call myself proficient.

Geez those cows sure are bright and shiny.

@SAH - what went into that boxcar?  Maybe a kitbash from a Walthers double door car? Or Con-cor door and a half car?

[SAH]

Nice! Where did the decals for the tank car come from? Isn't leather nice and shiny...and cows are made from leather...?

I drew the artwork for the Goodyear tanker decals.  Circus City printed them for me.  I was very happy with their work.

Funny story re: cow leather. I had a multi-month project in Italy many years back.  My wife was able to accompany me.  She and a friend were shopping the leather market in Florence.  Her friend loved to haggle so she did the bartering with the vendors for them both.  She tossed out to the vendor a concern about water resistance of a certain leather jacket my wife was interested.  He shot back "What!?  You don't see cows in the field with umbrellas do you?!"   

[SAH]

@SAH - what went into that boxcar?  Maybe a kitbash from a Walthers double door car? Or Con-cor door and a half car?

Good eye regarding the Walthers base.  I made a master using at least two shells and cast copies.  There's an old thread in TRW somewhere, might be 10+ years ago, but I can't locate it.  If you're really interested I'll post a photo of the master parts if I can find it. 

[draskouasshat]

More 3D work. I stretched my ATSF dynamometer car drawing to fit on a tomytec chassis with little modification.

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[thomasjmdavis]

Good eye regarding the Walthers base.  I made a master using at least two shells and cast copies.  There's an old thread in TRW somewhere, might be 10+ years ago, but I can't locate it.  If you're really interested I'll post a photo of the master parts if I can find it. 

I'm always interested in modeling technique, but its not a big deal if the photo is not readily available.
My big questions would be whether you needed to alter the length of the car, or does the door fit over the entire width of the door opening of the original Walthers model (10' or 12', I think)?  Somewhere I have a couple of the cars that I cut doors out of (the warped doors being the Walthers cars' major drawback). And, is there a specific prototype?

[garethashenden]

I'm always interested in modeling technique, but its not a big deal if the photo is not readily available.
My big questions would be whether you needed to alter the length of the car, or does the door fit over the entire width of the door opening of the original Walthers model (10' or 12', I think)?  Somewhere I have a couple of the cars that I cut doors out of (the warped doors being the Walthers cars' major drawback). And, is there a specific prototype?

I found a couple of Walthers kits at a show and have been looking into the prototypes to find suitable cars to model. The ACY bought used cars that match the Walthers model, but they had been rebuilt with an extra side panel and single 9' doors.

[nkalanaga]

Jesse6669:  Apparently there are a few EBT modelers in N scale, as Marshall at RLW sold a few resin EBT cabooses over the years.