Weekend Update 7/13/14

[up1950s]

[bbussey]

Found some time to drop my Red Caboose find to a proper ride height.  It's now riding on Barber S-2A trucks, which allowed me to not have to file the bolsters.  But the underside of the floor was too low for 1015 coupler boxes.  Fortunately, after mixing and matching MTL coupler components, 1015 couplers in 2004 boxes put the couplers at the correct height.  BLMA wheels finished it off.



Gotta upgrade the roofwalk still, but the stock one can stand in for now.

[CBQ Fan]

Very nice and some good ideas for my Q fleet.

[atsf_arizona]

After a long hiatus since Feb 2013, I'm back to working on the N scale Santa Fe RSD-15 / RSD-7 project, with MRC/Mehano shells over a Jim Bence-inspired Atlas B40-8 chassis fitted with Atlas C628/C630 trucks.  This is the future Santa Fe "bookend" blue/yellow RSD-15 #800:



This shell is sitting on the RSD-15 mechanism that I documented building here:

http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/n_scale_rsd15&page=all

I'd fortunately bought a bunch of N scale Mehano RSD-15 Conrail shells last year directly from a seller in the former Yugoslavia - this is one of them. Soaking the shell in 91%
isoprophyl alcohol floated the paint off in a matter of 20 minutes or so, just took toothbrush and the paint and Conrail lettering came right off. The result is the bare blue plastic shell that you see here.

I used the Micro-Trains 1163 adapters for MT 1015 couplers installed on the ends of the shell.

Next steps will be painting in Santa Fe blue, followed by decals.

I am thinking of doing the Windows via Krystal Klear. Handrails will be: a) ACC cement on the stock (ugly) handrail side pieces, but cut off the handrails b) do wire handrails using the "Randgust" method, same as was done by Randgust on his RSD-15s, and same methods as used on my N scale U30CGs.

In addition, at the same time as the N scale RSD-15 project, I'm working on this future Zebra Stripe Santa Fe RSD-7 #600 project:



This is another Model Power high-nose RSD-7 shell. Unlike the Conrail shells in the previous picture, this former Union Pacific-painted shell's original paint
did NOT come off with the 91% isopropyl alcohol, it only softened the paint... I had to use a stiff wire brush then to scrub the paint off.

I trust that after painting and weathering, the scratches from the wire brush will become hidden
(we will see if that's the case sometime soon!)

The blue cab rooftop is a replacement for a missing cab top, it was donated from a low-nose RSD-15 shell and modified to fit.

Here's a couple shots of the coupler adapter (I used a MT 1153 - don't remember who suggested those would be a good fit for the couplers to turn out to
be at the right height on this shell, but that certainly turned out to be the case).



Yes, I will need to clean up the endplate appearance, but I'll do that later.   



Most important thing is this coupler mounting is easy, quick, and strong.

Have good weekend, all!

[BCR 570]

Hello John!  Long time no Sing - interesting work you have posted there.

This week I applied decals to my models of cable car BCOL 6504 and panel track car BCOL 6510 for the Prince George Auxiliary:




I also created some wiring leads for our PGE-BCR Modellers display layout which will enable us to switch back and forth between DC and DCC power quickly and without having to use any tools:




The top leads connect the DCC command station to the power supply and to the layout wiring harness; the bottom leads connect the DC power pack to the wiring harness.  The spare Powerpoles at left will be connected to the wiring harness.  Now for a test run!


Tim

[bbussey]

Got a couple of other things done as well.  I'm a proponent of scale ride height, and the MTL Centerflows ride at the proper height as well as look good.  But I've never truly considered giving them a strong look.  I decided it was past time to ante up and get one that I could verify was prototypical.  The Cotton Belt fit the bill. 

The next step was to switch to body-mount couplers.  I noticed there is far less clearance between the bottom of the floor and the top of the coupler box, almost paper thin.  So I decided to use the coupler boxes on the trucks.  I got a pair of gray Barber RBs, cut the boxes off, installed blackened trip pins, and flipped the trucks so they aligned with the jack plates.  FVM wheels finished it off.





I'm surprised, the model still runs over 10" radius track, although it complains about it.  But it will be running over 18" and greater, so that's not an issue.

[ai5629]

When I body mounted my MTL center flows, I used 100 ton Atlas trucks with FVM wheels and 2003's.  The Atlas trucks dropped the ride height a smidge.  I now see they are slightly off centered in regards to the jack plate.  Regarding the 2003's, I assembled them lid side down and attached them with Philister screws MTL used to package 1023's with.  They have a nice small head.  Before I welded them, you need to drill through the lid to allow the screw to be used and to allow it to be completely countersunk.  This is another example in my fleet of correct trucks on an MTL car that are slightly off center due to their use of off centered bolsters.  I prefer this to incorrect trucks that are centered I suppose.  Thanks.

Jeff

[C855B]

Got a couple of other things done as well.  I'm a proponent of scale ride height, and the MTL Centerflows ride at the proper height as well as look good.  But I've never truly considered giving them a strong look.  I decided it was past time to ante up and get one that I could verify was prototypical.  The Cotton Belt fit the bill. 

The next step was to switch to body-mount couplers.  I noticed there is far less clearance between the bottom of the floor and the top of the coupler box, almost paper thin.  So I decided to use the coupler boxes on the trucks.  I got a pair of gray Barber RBs, cut the boxes off, installed blackened trip pins, and flipped the trucks so they aligned with the jack plates.  FVM wheels finished it off.
...
I'm surprised, the model still runs over 10" radius track, although it complains about it.  But it will be running over 18" and greater, so that's not an issue.

This. Amazing result with minimum bench time, which I have to say also reflects on the quality of what you started with, so kudos to MTL, too. Very duplicatable... thanks!

[bbussey]

When I body mounted my MTL center flows, I used 100 ton Atlas trucks with FVM wheels and 2003's.  The Atlas trucks dropped the ride height a smidge.  I now see they are slightly off centered in regards to the jack plate.  Regarding the 2003's, I assembled them lid side down and attached them with Philister screws MTL used to package 1023's with.  They have a nice small head.  Before I welded them, you need to drill through the lid to allow the screw to be used and to allow it to be completely countersunk.  This is another example in my fleet of correct trucks on an MTL car that are slightly off center due to their use of off centered bolsters.  I prefer this to incorrect trucks that are centered I suppose.  Thanks.

I'm waiting on Affa 100-ton truck frames with the MTL bolster height and the offset bolster hole, then it will have proper trucks. It will run this way in the mean time.

Keep in mind that I turned the MTL truck frames 180 degrees to get the bolsters aligned.  So your Atlas truck bolster alignment is still better than the stock MTL arrangement.

[bnsfdash8]

Running my 2 new purchases, Athearn SD70Ms in EMDX demo paint. One is destined to be rebuilt to a NS SD70 while the other will just stay in its current paint till I find a good project for it.

[flight2000]

Finally got back into modeling after a few months of constant running around.  This is what happened last night when I was left home alone....   

I also have another SD70ACe on the bench that just need to be weathered.







I also finished this Rock Island F7A.



Cheers,
Brian

[ednadolski]

Looks great Brian!   My Tehachapi Loop could use a few like this!

Ed

[nickelplate759]

Found some time to drop my Red Caboose find to a proper ride height.  It's now riding on Barber S-2A trucks, which allowed me to not have to file the bolsters.  But the underside of the floor was too low for 1015 coupler boxes.  Fortunately, after mixing and matching MTL coupler components, 1015 couplers in 2004 boxes put the couplers at the correct height.  BLMA wheels finished it off...

Where do you obtain Barber S-2A trucks?  I presume these are Atlas, but other than cannibalizing a wonderful PS-1 boxcar (which is crazy, even if you don't consider the price)  I can't find them anywhere.

George

[Dave V]

Not train-related, but essentially the focus of the weekend...  Last night we completed the adoption process for Ranger, a 2-year-old tricolor smooth-coated Border Collie.  He was rescued as a stray in rural Kansas but sent to a high-kill shelter before being saved again by the Western Australian Shepherd Rescue.  He'd been fostered in Denver since June. 



Last week we took a vacation that included four national parks and the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge:





In the Durango roundhouse sits Rio Grande Southern #42:

[davefoxx]

Dave,

Congratulations on saving Ranger.  He's got a good home now.  By the way, I understand that the RGS has been christened, and there is a new "yellow" pond near the tracks that required zero modeling effort by you.   

DFF