Best Of Detailing the Micro-Trains BNSF Fuselage Set

[heyrob]

Here are a couple of Boeing photos of the P-8, the first one was the arrival of P-8 fuselage #1 at the Renton plant, (The large building in the background contains the commercial 737 assembly lines, the P-8 is assembled in an older building much farther back out of sight in this photo).

The second photo shows the APY 10 Radar.

Finally, still further off topic but likely of interest, here is a view of the "bomb bay" and all 6 Sonobouy launch tubes. The bomb bay is capable of carrying torpedoes, Harpoon missiles (also on under wing pylons), or bombs.

[heyrob]

That P-8 was a great catch! That would make a unique subject to model for sure.

I plan to do so with one of the follow on sets coming in January.

Oh and here is a shot of the Sonobouy rotary launcher. [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[pmpexpress]

I haven't seen any up close & personal in over a year, but the last ones I saw at Balmer yard in north Seattle, where the view from the street starts out elevated above the tracks before dropping to track level, there were a couple of idler flats with fresh paint and the decks appeared to be painted with a gray anti slip textured paint. I didn't get the impression that the decks were aluminum.

Well then, light gray it shall be

Thanks for your reply and the splendid photo uploads.

[GNSteamer]

I am a bit late to this but does anyone know where I can find a four pack of the fuselage cars at a reasonable price??  I had been working on a fuselage on flatcar where I was granted permission to crawl about one of these trains for about 6 hours to photograph and measure what I could reach(no ladders) and have created a set of drawings. Let me know if anyone is interested I could share my information on this forum. Thanks!!

[pmpexpress]

I am a bit late to this but does anyone know where I can find a four pack of the fuselage cars at a reasonable price??  I had been working on a fuselage on flatcar where I was granted permission to crawl about one of these trains for about 6 hours to photograph and measure what I could reach(no ladders) and have created a set of drawings. Let me know if anyone is interested I could share my information on this forum. Thanks!!

With delivery scheduled to be in January 2018, Micro-Trains Line has been accepting pre-orders for a second release of three two-car sets (i.e., rather than a single four-car set) of these models.

https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?_route_=n-scale/pre-orders/bnsf-fuselage-2pk-1rd-s800113-800048-coming-1-18

https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?_route_=n-scale/pre-orders/bnsf-fuselage-2pk-2-rd-s800122-800056-coming-1-18

https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?_route_=n-scale/pre-orders/bnsf-fuselage-2pk-3-rd-s800125-800062-coming-1-18

[Mark W]

Timely thread resurrection as I'm finally getting back around to this project myself.  I have the cutter set up to cut the remaining masks for painting, which I hope to complete this weekend.

In the meantime, I caught three fuselages heading west through Marsland, Nebraska a few weeks ago!

 
https://i.imgur.com/LYNS8F0.gif

[Edit: Image URLs]

[GNSteamer]

I've noticed that Micro-Trains did not replace the flatcar decks with the correct smooth pebble grained textured steel decks. The fuselage flatcar has markings for the location of the wing box grip depending on the 737 model 600,700,800,900. There is also a steel box that is flattened under the fuselage while it is transported here to Boeing Renton plant and set up to hold the grip components and covers for the trip back to Witchita. I've created the Boeing markings that are everywhere on the fuselage from my photographs, something Micro-Trains should have done with their ability to pad print but didn't because of licensing rights. The panels over the wing box used to be almost transparent lexan and look a lot cooler than the solid panel offered by Micro-Trains. Ok, looking forward to getting some of these cars to modify and detail.

[pmpexpress]

I've noticed that Micro-Trains did not replace the flatcar decks with the correct smooth pebble grained textured steel decks.

That is because a 57' 6" Converted TOFC Flatcar body was used.

None of the prototype component flatcars had raised brake stands or the trailer mounting deck gear.

Besides the issues and omissions that you have noted, the component box body is lacking a number of details that are visually apparent in online videos and photographs of the prototype component flats.

While Micro-Trains does provide the best fuselage train model thus far, an excellent starting point for a skilled modeler, the kit is by no means completely accurate.

Some of the Boeing fuselage train parts offered on Shapeways better represent the components that are seen on the flatcar decks.

Although the wing box bracing is available from a Shapeways seller, at this point in time, no one has modeled the grip components box in either its collapsed or erected form.

[Mark W]

Although the wing box bracing is available from a Shapeways seller, at this point in time, no one has modeled the grip components box in either its collapsed or erected form.

I did, but haven't had a chance to share it yet.  It fits the bill, but I will redo it and make some improvements.


https://i.imgur.com/jemg6ly.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/KrppKTb.jpg

Also, since I've had several requests if I'd sell my Cameo cut masks, I've made the Studio3 file available  so anyone with access to a Cameo can cut their own. 
direct download here


[Edit: Image URLs]

[basementcalling]

How is this thread not a best of tag?

[peteski]

How is this thread not a best of tag?

I second that!

[carlso]

Mark is the man. There is a great deal of history and pictures in the thread. Pretty neat stuff. Here is a picture of my rendition of  a Boeing train as it passes my refinery. Yes, I know the SP GP-60 doesn't quite fit but I do not have any Santa Fe or BNSF units. The main thing is the train as seen on club layout during show. Acceptable? I have one more to do.

As Mark and others would agree, this train along with  blade train were big hits with visitors.

Hope you enjoy,
Carl

[Mark W]

Acceptable?

Absolutely!  Graffiti on the component boxes are a nice touch too.

[carlso]

Thank you Mark, appreciated.

C

[pmpexpress]

Anticipating the arrival of the second run of the Micro-Trains Line BNSF Fuselage Train sets, I commissioned a German outfit to produce a complete set of decals for the fuselage carrying flat and the component box and box-less idler flatcars.



With a whole bunch of extra lettering and markings, two styles of BNSF, and the earlier TTMX text, the set was designed to letter at least four pairs of (i.e., eight) cars.





Along with several sizes of the yellow safety rectangles, circular "EXCEEDS PLATE F", square "PLATE G", and the brush guard placard markings, all of the component box lettering and some odd colored deck markings were also included on the sheet.







Referencing Railwire post numbers 74 and 75, I finally determined what the small box on either one of the component box doors was.

It appears that the boxes contain lading documents

Directly above the boxes is the following text, "BOX CONTAINS PAPERS ONLY 1-800-532-5452".



The aforementioned lettering has also been included on the decal sheet.

As comprehensive a set as I could come up with (i.e., excluding the now ubiquitous graffiti), most, if not all of the common BNSF and TTMX fuselage car lettering configurations could now be modeled.

Next up, we'll be working on a fairly accurate decal sheet for the Micro-Trains Line 737 fuselages.

As Joe at Micro-Trains has indicated that the paint that was used on the firm's models was custom mixed, does anyone know of any commercially produced paint that closely matches the colors of the MTL BNSF flatcars and the component boxes, which are somewhat darker?