Weekend Update 4/30/17

[up1950s]

[peteski]

...and inside that door is a rack of what appears to be 1:1 scale traction tires. 

[jmlaboda]

...and inside that door is a rack of what appears to be 1:1 scale traction tires. 

[u18b]

Well, with #E-5 safely delivered, I've started on a couple more brass EP-2s.

I've worked hard for the last two weeks to be able to post something.

The first destination is #E-1.  This one has no horn on the B end, 4 lights in the lamp housing, and in this view, you can see extra wires running to the thing I call the sparker (that V shaped thing) just behind the light.




Here is the basic assembly.  Trucks are built, as well as the frame and the motors installed.  A lot of work to get to just this point.

I'm doing a couple of things different based on past experience.
First, I'm getting the boiler room perfectly balance at the start rather than the end.




I'm also now opening up some room from the screw on top of the front truck.   The area that has been gouged out of the circuit board really helps.




And another change is to install a larger plug in the vestibule.  Not sure if this will be better or not.  We'll see.




And another improvement is to add a phosphor bronze thin flat pick-up piece to the frame.  This is where my extra wiper from the power truck hits.    Before, it rubbed on plain brass- which will oxidise over time.  This should be better.



Here is the B shell with all the extra unneeded details removed and holes plugged.



E-1 has the strange lift ring sort of loop that I do not see on the others.  So I added it.



I also added the extra wires to the sparker.




While working with the frustrating but important shelves on the nose, I improved my tool.

The grab width is formed with the soldered piece in the middle.
Then, the left side gives the precise distance from the nose to the end of the grab.  I added that piece on top to help hold it while I'm trying to solder it (very frustrating before).

And the fatter portion on the right is for bending the shelf.



My goal was to perfect a more uniform look.  Which I think I achieved- except the grab dips a little lower on the  right.  But still looks better than my other attempts.




Several other details were added to the nose, including that socket, the plating over the door windows, and the grabs on the curve of the nose.




This body shell is complete.  Now to turn to the A cab, and then the walkways.

[tehachapifan]

Incredible work, Ron!

[nkalanaga]

I believe that "sparker" is just that - a spark-gap lightning arrester.  Normally, the gap insulates the hot side from ground, allowing the current to go through the motors.  If lightning hits the overhead, the high voltage ionizes the air in the gap, and the surge goes to ground (the rails). 

Modern lightning arresters are usually solid, with an insulating material in the gap, but the air gap variety still work just fine.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_arrester

If it is, there should be a gap in the center of the "X", but I wouldn't advise trying to cut one.  The result would probably be too fragile to handle.

[Cajonpassfan]

I'm always on a lookout for generic things useful for modeling; potential scenic materials, loads, tools, etc. Yesterday I found these at our Walgreens women's beauty isle. Very compact and nifty, although I think I'll have to hide them from my lovely wife, she's already making designs on the pink one....
Otto K.

[peteski]

Nice tip!    There are plenty of useful modeling products sold as beauty items.   I use all sorts of emery and polishing sticks too. The cuticle trimmers make handy miniature diagonal cutters. Then the is the acrylic powder/liquid which can be used to mold small parts and as a filler.  I also use nail polishes to paint model vehicles.  There are some really nice automotive color nail polishes.

[basementcalling]

I'm always on a lookout for generic things useful for modeling; potential scenic materials, loads, tools, etc. Yesterday I found these at our Walgreens women's beauty isle. Very compact and nifty, although I think I'll have to hide them from my lovely wife, she's already making designs on the pink one....
Otto K.

Otto's been keeping us in the dark. 

[rickb773]

Just returned from the Atlantic County 4-H Train Show in Egg Harbor City, NJ with Blazeman and NTrainz1.
About 5 large operating railroads set up by several area N scale groups.
I was really impressed with some of the T Trak group's work.

[Cajonpassfan]

Not at all, it's just that progress must be slow
when the highlight of my week is a set of ladies' tweezers 😬 Otto

[Cajonpassfan]

Okay, I did do some work. Replaced TT tired drivers on my BLI UP E7's with regular axles from BLI and am now testing them on my COLA (City of LA for you Pepsi guys). The middle B unit is a dummy, the A and trailing B are powered with sound. Plenty of power for a 12-car lightweight train, even backed it up the 3% downhill grade with no issues. That means my other BLI units will get the same treatment; BLI has the wheelsets in stock for both PA's and E's. Here they are westbound at Keenbrook...
Otto K

[mu26aeh]

I caught an eBay auction listing 4 locomotives that were broken/non-running for $110 BIN.  I took a flyer and bought them, thinking either had decoders in them or some minor tinkering will get them running.  They showed up yesterday and to the test track they went.  Included were 2 Walthers/LifeLike GP38-2, an Atlas C40-8, and an Athearn SD70M.  Two Walthers/LL units ran right out of box, both had loose front railings and one had a busted coupler.  C40-8 lit but didn't run, a quick adjustment of motor tabs and success, it runs !  Athearn SD70M is DOA.  Motor hums, sometimes barely moves.  Disassembly shows a motor that scrapes when you turn flywheels.  I put a drop of oil on either end of shaft and worked it in, but did not improve.  Reassembly and repower proved no help and a wisp of smoke.  So will either hunt for a replacement motor or turn it into a dummy unit.  Needless to say, a good buy I say.

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[sp org div]

Otto
Keenbrooke scene is lookin pretty good with that COLA snakin thru it.
Jeff

[Blazeman]

Just returned from the Atlantic County 4-H Train Show in Egg Harbor City, NJ with Blazeman and NTrainz1.

Cody there with the NJ Southern team and Mike Madonna joined the party as well.