Weekend Update 1/18/15

[Puddington]

Tom: Beautiful job on the Espee unit but those trucks are the absolute bomb!!!!!!

[draskouasshat]

It's called kings gold made by Apple barrel rich. It's in the craft section ny office supplies and the sewing/fabric section.  Made in usa and all!
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Puddington]

It's called kings gold made by Apple barrel rich. It's in the craft section ny office supplies and the sewing/fabric section.  Made in usa and all!
(Attachment Link)

...um, did I miss something ...... what did you use this for.... Inquiring minds want to know....

[C855B]

...um, did I miss something ...... what did you use this for.... Inquiring minds want to know....

Previous page, Mike. Adam was showing his A-B-A Erie-builts, noting a craft paint discovered at Wal-Mart is the closest match he has found to pictures of the Armour yellow of the era. Richie asked for a pic of the paint jar.

[Do I hear a motion to approve the minutes?  ]

[draskouasshat]

Previous page, Mike. Adam was showing his A-B-A Erie-builts, noting a craft paint discovered at Wal-Mart is the closest match he has found to pictures of the Armour yellow of the era. Richie asked for a pic of the paint jar.

[Do I hear a motion to approve the minutes?  ]

Not necessarily closest match for the era as I'm sure someone will come on here and disagree with me. It's what my minds eye likes on this one lol.

[C855B]

If it counts for anything, I think it's a pretty good match overall. I'm getting a little weary of the too-brown and too-orange interpretations coming from the manufacturers. But, again, that's just me.

My activities this week are first this:



Robyn and I are on this train and seated at the front of the dome, running a down-and-back errand to Carbondale. Between chatting with the conductor and then phoning a fellow a$$hat from the train (thanks, Justin!), we get the info that this car - Ocean View - is the last of its kind on Amtrak. It's been on this Illinois trainset (391 & 392) since the week after Christmas. Most recently in storage (notice the "cigar band" scheme), the dome is planned to head West next week for the "Reno Fun Train", a SF-Reno charter, and I'm guessing they put it on the Illini/Saluki service to wring-out any bugs.

In modeling, I have been working this week on a sort of "holy grail" project, fitting LED lighting into a Showcase Miniatures searchlight signal head. I think there is a way to do it and I have the micro-pico (1mm x 1mm) 3-color LED chips on the workbench, the primary challenge soldering four wires to the chip. Not possible without a microscope. After burning-up a couple of chips I am waiting for delivery of specialty soldering supplies which hopefully will get past the main issue, too much heat for too long. Funny/not funny challenge working with these tiny LEDs is the simple act of getting them out of the carrier strip. If you aren't extra, extra, extra careful, the springiness of the carrier will launch the chip into oblivion. I lost five this way. They're about the size of a grain of salt, so finding them on the floor or bench isn't going to happen.

[up1950s]

Not necessarily closest match for the era as I'm sure someone will come on here and disagree with me. It's what my minds eye likes on this one lol.

Thank you Sir .

[Scottl]

Fiddly details on the bridge- maintenance walkways and the decrepit communications conduit that is hanging off since the derailment and fire in the 1990s.  Some of the walkways on the far bank are missing and that is prototypical too!  I also installed code 40 guardrails.

[nkalanaga]

I remember the Ocean View when Amtrak was new, and it wore the GN's experimental BN-style paint.  It came through Pasco regularly on the Empire Builder, and it's nice to see that it's still in service.

[jmlaboda]

Most recently in storage (notice the "cigar band" scheme)...

The "cigar band" Phase III (soon to be Phase VI when the new <I>Viewliner</I> cars are placed into service) paint scheme is for Amtrak's 50th Anniversary celebration last year.  No storage here... the car is moved all around the system for specific events and the like, especially so the Fall Foliage runs.  It was in New York back last month.

[garethashenden]

NE5 almost done, just needs clearcoat and windows.

How did you make it?

[C855B]

The "cigar band" Phase III (soon to be Phase VI when the new <I>Viewliner</I> cars are placed into service) paint scheme is for Amtrak's 50th Anniversary celebration last year.  No storage here... the car is moved all around the system for specific events and the like, especially so the Fall Foliage runs.  It was in New York back last month.

Interesting. Thanks. That wasn't the story I got from the conductor, so chalk it up to the usual suppositions by train crews, after all, it's just a job.   At any rate, the car is a little dog-eared and due for a refurb, so I have a hunch it'll be sold off when the Viewliners hit.

But talk about a smooth ride. Six axles and sheer tonnage do wonders.

[jmlaboda]

But talk about a smooth ride. Six axles and sheer tonnage do wonders.

The best riding cars that I have had a chance to ride over the years were the Southern Railway's modernized heavyweights that were built from Pullman sleepers.  By far a better ride than anything with four-wheel trucks!!!  But that was the thinking behind some lightweight cars being built with six-wheel trucks...

[sirenwerks]

Do you have better pics of the coach and combine?  Central Hobbies website is lacking in such potential customer niceties.

[Puddington]

Do you have better pics of the coach and combine?  Central Hobbies website is lacking in such potential customer niceties.

Not of the coach; I just snapped it with the Ipod and my good camera is at the office... Here's the combine....