Best Of The TP56/TP70 Kitbash thread N scale

[dcutting]

David,

Let us know when it is probably safe to order again.
And I'll place my order again.

It *should* be safe to reorder. Lol I am pretty sure they'll find another thing to nag at. I had two separate cancellation issues so far totaling 3 orders, all have been fixed.

[u18b]

I just placed my order again.

Hope it works this time

[dcutting]

I just placed my order again.

Hope it works this time

Sounds good, thanks. Randy's hasn't gotten rejected yet so we might be good to go.

David

[randgust]

C'mon Ron, we'll get this thing to work yet!!!!

[u18b]

I'm going to the Train show in Orlando Fri-Sun with Aaron.

I wish I had this thing to take with me to show off.

[randgust]

OK, made it to production this time.  Can't wait!

[u18b]

Yep.   Mine made it through processing to.

The fuel tank is in production - but the sill and shell are a little behind.

Haven't decided how to paint mine yet.
Prototypical or for my Freelanced Road.

Which one are you doing Randy?

The green or the black?

[randgust]

Green.  Already have paint

[u18b]

Ok.  Well then I'll make the black.

When I make I second I may make a home road.

[u18b]

Wow.  Just got an email that the TP56 is in the mail.

[dcutting]

Wow.  Just got an email that the TP56 is in the mail.

Any of you guys up for building one of these to send to TPC? I think they would appreciate that. At least more than EMD or GE would. I should also scale this up to HO now that I think about it. Any HO guys have mechanism suggestions? I think I also want to build one for myself at some point.

[u18b]

Any of you guys up for building one of these to send to TPC? I think they would appreciate that. At least more than EMD or GE would. I should also scale this up to HO now that I think about it. Any HO guys have mechanism suggestions? I think I also want to build one for myself at some point.

I thought of that.

if I do, I think I'll send them a dummy.

[peteski]

I thought of that.

if I do, I think I'll send them a dummy.

Hopefully they don't slap a copyright (of their design) violation on you!  Nowadays with all the crazy stuff companies do you just never know . . .

I'm semi-serious here. 

[nkalanaga]

Since most of the prototype is parts from other manufacturers, and the internal workings are entirely different, they would probably have a hard time proving an N scale model was a copyright violation.  Another factor in our favor is that, while using a second-hand diesel truck for the running gear may be a new idea, 3-axle diesel switchers, looking very similar, have been made by numerous manufacturers, so they can't claim the basic idea is original.

All they could really copyright is the appearance of whatever sheet metal they fabricated, and that would seem to be a waste of money, since it still wouldn't stop other companies from making similar locos.

That said, yes Peteski, it does sound like something too many companies would do today.

[randgust]

Got the shell in from Shapeways.   Ran downstairs,  held my breath...and slid it on the mechanism......

PERFECT FIT.  All I did was trim off the lug clips as I'm using my brass frame.  Even the cast weight I had leftover from the CC SW1500 slid into the cab.

David, wonderful job.   It looks good, the resolution is smooth enough to be painted without additional sanding or filling.  This is seriously good.   The Kato motor mounted on edge on my mechanism fit right in, there's even some room left on the top for more weight.

Now, what's your experience with cleaning/priming this acetal plastic?   I didn't mind if the truck got beat up a little, but if I'm putting on a coat of Badger I don't want it to wear back off, and I'm going to 'have' to put either white or gray primer under there to get the color right.  I'm thinking a light coat of conventional autobody primer, but I'm not rushing into this.  There's no noticeable grain, or wax, or anything on this stuff.   The only 'weird thing' is a series of indentation/dimples on the INSIDE of the shell where maybe those printing supports were?

This is cool.    It won't be finished, but I'll bring this along with me to Altoona.





You can see why I'm so high on this stuff - there are no visible ridges, striations....nothing like FUD.