Weekend Update - 11-4-2007

[cv_acr]

Spent a good part of yesterday afternoon and evening building shelves/benchwork at the club, and spent most of today at a local train show. Mostly sitting at our club's display table, but picked up 3 Walthers cars and a heavy-duty dump truck for my future iron ore processing plant.

Not much work done at home this week, but last week I finished one tower for a small steel trestle bridge. I'm using Micro-Engineering kit parts, but heavily modified and resized to fit the size of the bridge. It's a little late for me tonight, but I'll try to post photos later.

[Iain]

Still working on valve gear for a Nn3 2-8-0.

Waiting for some electronics for a On30 Davenport.

Started engineering a new coal bunker for a Model Power Vanderbilt tender to use behind the new USRA 0-8-0.

Would those electronics include some audio amplification fiddly-bits?

Randy, that 70-tonner is hot.

I was at the Raleigh show all weekend.  I managed to run a train on the PRR Middle Division as modeled by Dave Vollmer.  I was also amazed by the trackwork of the the Sipping and Switching Society's layout.  Handlaid dual gauge, girder rail...just beautiful.  Not my first time seeing it, but it was my first time with a camera.  Photos of all this, plus finally cab ride video, to come.

[wm3798]

I added some details this evening to the new SD40...


Plows and sun shades, for starters.  Also a side mounted bell.



As always, still a few more things to do, decals, number boards, MU hoses, etc....  I also weathered up the trucks a bit, but you can't see that in these shots.

Lee

[engineshop]

Wow, great job!  I too have the kit, sitting there collecting dust.   Care to give us some steps on how you did it?   what'd you use for the artwork?

Tim

Tim
I followed the instruction that came with the Micro Mark's kit. Nothing else. I found this web site of a newbie
that gave me the courage to do it.
http://www.subpirates.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&p=30980

For the artwork I used a free program called Serif DrawPlus 4 from http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/DrawPlus/default.asp



It is a vector software that has some need features that make the drawings easier than other ones I tried., It still takes a while to get used to it.

[Chris333]

Looks like my "engineering" paid off. This is a Model Power tender. I shortened the wheelbase and made a new coal bunker.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/el/loco/erie225.jpg
Lots more to do...

[sparky]

Wow Chris- you're really getting the hang of the etching process.  It really opens up new avenues in modeling.  I can't wait to get my shop set back up.

[lv4142003]

Randy, will you be casting that 70 tonner and offering it for sale? Joe Hueber <lv4142003>

[qantaqa]

Just gluing cork on the home layout... just a little more to go, then track to lay. (and there was much rejoicing -- yaaay)

this past weekend was our club open house.  about 75 people over 2 days.  a couple of derailments, an intermodal stringlined into  the bay, and one dead (HO) seagull; but nothing more than a paper outhouse hit the floor

too much fun.  that concor pioneer zephyr sure is a nice looking model (from someone without the rivet-counting gene  ;D  )


cheers!!

[randgust]

At this point I'll let you know I'm working on it with a kit in mind; i.e. I'm doing masters of everything.  The frame extension, sideframes, and fuel tank are already castings in that photo.

The real trick so far was developing a single-piece frame extension that works, and can be done, with a minimum of impact on the existing frame - one cut.

[lv4142003]

Randy, what is the mechanism, one of the Tomytecs? Joe Hueber <lv4142003>

[Pomperaugrr]

(and there was much rejoicing -- yaaay)

Always makes me happy to see a "Holy Grail" reference.   

[randgust]

Randy, what is the mechanism, one of the Tomytecs? Joe Hueber <lv4142003>

Nope, that's a Kato 11-105/6/7.   Trucks are actually small on it, but they were too big on the Tomytec.  Frame height is dead on though.   The 'secret' is the frame splice part I designed that I'm not showing off, not just yet.  It solves the wheelbase and the motor mount problem in one shot.

[Roger Holmes]

Hey, rather than retype the whole darn thing, please check out my good news/bad news post on Atlas' SNFF.

Life goes on down the tracks!

[Dupesy]

Good luck, Roger.

[John]

Good luck Roger . hope you have a restraining order on "layout abandonment" .. you gotta save Mt Chuck ..