Weekend Update 2/2/14

[mu26aeh]

THIS is exactly why you dont find deals at shows anymore. The vendors and club members walk around all on Friday and buy anything that is less than full retail. *IF* you find a deal, 95% of the time its the crap nobody wants.

That's what a lot of the shows are anymore.  I noticed a lot of the same stuff from the same vendors at the same prices yesterday.  Can't see anyone paying $20 for ConCor autoracks

[bnsfdash8]

DPU lights fully functional with the aid of 2 0402 SMDs.

[peteski]

DPU lights fully functional with the aid of 2 0402 SMDs.

Nice to see another adventurous soul using 0402 LEDs!  Nicely done!  But those seem a bit bright to me. They seem to glow as strongly as headlights. Marker lights are usually much dimmer than headlights. But it might be just the photo, while they look fine in-person.

[SAH]

I weathered another 20 cars over the past week.  Some samples:

Wagon tops crossing the Black River.  Very subtle, highlighting the details as best I could.  They look a bit dirtier in person


A FVM MILW XM from Spencer Mills Rd.  I really didn't want to mess up such a good looking model so i went easy here too.


Here's the Rocket Express model.  An older car such as this would likely be hauling bagged carbon black from N Texas to Akron in the late 50's.  I still don't think I've got the single sheathed box car weathering technique right yet.


Man I really didn't want to mess up this one.


Some garden variety gondolas.  I need to take a stab at beating one up prior to the weathering application.


The new BLMA LO on the left.  Really sweet model. It would be brand new in the era I'm modeling so just a dusting and lettering fade.  An Athearn model on the right.


You can't tell the caboose is weathered but it is.


Have a good week all.

[u18b]

I'm sure not everyone has been interested in that long thread on the EP-2.

So if you have not been following that thread....

Here is what I have been doing for the last 3 months.
Got to this point just a few days ago....

[chuck geiger]

Working on new blog: UP/BNSF Cheyenne

http://cheyrails.blogspot.com/

[Jeff AKA St0rm]

Most of the week has been spent working on the club layout. Bench work is all done starting on cookie cutter now.







Got a little done at home as well. Worked on The layout of my town and road.





And i started work on my trailer park.

[RockGp40]

Drove to Timonium from the home. 2 hours each way. I have proof Maryland drivers are crazy, especially the one who decided to throw a BBQ in the LH lane of the 695 Beltway. When the fire trucks come down the on ramp and do a 180 to get to your accident, it is not good. One of three major accidents on the drive home, but luckily they were all headed the opposite direction.

If you are talking about the one about 6:30PM last night, it's a small world. I actually ran that call yesterday on Pikesville's E321. The lady driving that car was messed up very badly and got a helicopter ride.

[peteski]

Man I really didn't want to mess up this one.


Have a good week all.

Wick'd cool!  How did you make the ends for the tanks?  I'm asking because I'm trying to make the ends more interesting than what comes with the kit.

[towl1996]

Wick'd cool!  How did you make the ends for the tanks?  I'm asking because I'm trying to make the ends more interesting than what comes with the kit.

+1 Please do tell. Nice build!

[SP-Wolf]

+1 Please do tell. Nice build!

+2

Please, fill us in those awesome tanks!!

Thanks,
Wolf

[up1950s]

Kinda looks like deer slugs . Or spaced ball bearings with a concave filler for the edges .

[bnsfdash8]

Nice to see another adventurous soul using 0402 LEDs!  Nicely done!  But those seem a bit bright to me. They seem to glow as strongly as headlights. Marker lights are usually much dimmer than headlights. But it might be just the photo, while they look fine in-person.

I love 0402s, I use them quite frequently. They do look a bit bright in the photo but I think thats just because of my camera. They look fine to me in person.

[SAH]

The chlorine tanks:  I have a photo somewhere.  Must be on another computer.  I'll look tomorrow.  Briefly though, cut the brass tube outer shell with a tubing cutter to get the rolled edge.  The covers are round pin heads.  Cut the plastic rod supplied with the kit to size.  Drill a hole at the center of the rod diameter to accept the pin shaft and countersink a hole for the pin head deep enough such that only half the pin head is visible when it's inserted into the hole.  Insert the rod / pin head assembly into the tube shell and use CA cement to fill gaps.  Do it all again for the other end of the shell.  Make about 25% more rod/pin assemblies than required.  Oh, and don't be in a hurry.  It's a loooong process.  There is probably a quicker way using some form of technological wizardry. 

[randgust]

Tuesday had eye surgery, made my first revisit to the layout since.   So it was good to get back to work and even better to be much more comfortable doing it.

So, I finished replacing my 'ancient' Bachmann signal bridge at East Winslow equipped with old NJI signal heads with etched brass BLMA bridge with the new Tomar 3-indication single LED heads (special order).  Second install of these, these are a real game changer for me.  I knew there was a good reason for waiting to build the BLMA until I could get the right searchlight heads on it that actually have three color indications.

Before:



After:





That's fun.