Bought the rest of my unitrack to finish my layout and an atlas chemical covered hopper. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Doesn't matter much. Didn't know it was a holiday anyway! My last check, shows cannon is in town. Now, just waiting for a day to when it can actually be delivered! Too many government holidays, it a wonder they manage to even get anything actually done!
Got my cannon today!! All I will state at the moment is: What a car!! Initial observations are: 1. Parts list for entire car. Can also be used as assembly instructions if needed. 2. Information sheets on the car history, I'm guessing. Appears to be written in German. Have 2 sheets, both identical. Was hoping I'd have an English version as well. Not a big deal, to me. 3. A clear sheet of plastic, structure window material, providing support for a complete set of handrails and a couple other small parts for car. Also included are 2 smaller bags, with smaller detail parts. The trucks are injection molded plastic with some detail molded in. The breech, or loading end of gun also has additional handrails, small crane and platform installed. The barrel end has wooden deck detail molded in with few details. Molded just as the prototype car. Two sets of 3 axles. All rigid. Have NOT placed on track, so I do NOT know any acceptable curve radii for it yet. Will check later. 4. The main section of the car, the gun cradle, is brass construction! Turned brass barrel. Plastic/Delrin ladders/handrails installed.One ladder and the 2 short handrails had come off my car, probably during shipping. Easily snapped back in place. Barrel does raise from laying flat, to MAYBE a 45* angle for firing. Includes simulated hydraulic cylinder for raising cannon barrel. Car has an evenly applied paint job, with readable lettering!! Car is painted in solid, drab green scheme. Not sure what era this is from. I'll need to research a few things more!! Comes with a snap in Rapido coupler. Looking into how I MIGHT be able to change to a Micro Train coupler of some sort. Have NO idea what coupler(s) might work. Placing the individual parts on a digital scale, the trucks weigh in at 0.3 grams. Total car weight is 4.8 oz or just over 1/4 pound!! Prototype car now resides at Ft Lee, MD., after Army base closure in Aberdeen, WV. Prototype information can be found here: http://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=526 Photos of the car later.
A problematic Bachmann EM-1. $200+ for a locomotive you must spend hours carefully tinkering with to get it to run like it should. :headspin:
My latest purchase just arrived. Two Kato E8s from Mike at Fifer Hobby. Now I have something to give my GG-1 a break when running the Broadway. Man, I love that train. Brings back all kinds of memories of riding the PRR when I was a small boy.
I got a Digitrax Super Empire Builder xtra and a PR3 xtra from Fifer's. I have had it a couple of weeks, I mounted the DCC system inside of a plastic tool box to make it portable. I also received a two of BNSF 8-40BW's, one with DCC for just over $100.00.
HA! I like to think I did it the Joe/ SNNT way, but I have not been around long enough to know where Joe got the idea's for his. It is similar to Joe's except for a larger fan mounted on the end and I used Velcro for everything but the fan and UR92. Also, to save weight I skipped the mounting board on the floor of the box and attached the Velcro directly to the floor/ sides of the tool box. Are you coming down for RF 14-1?
Nope got out in August, been working here and there, planning on going back to school Spring quarter.
Just got the 3 latest additions to Lowell Smith's "Executive Series", ATSF shadow line business cars 20, 31 and 58.
After reading the name "Lowell Smith" a million times in the SP&S threads, I FINALLY checked out his site a couple weeks ago. Just received the first 3 issues of the American Freedom Train, and ordered the next three !!! These things are VERY nice !!! I didn't even know anyone was making these, so I'm happy as a clam !!! Now my GS4 will have something to actually do !!! Some may say they aren't completely accurate, but save your keyboard. I don't care !!! I have my AFT !!!
My latest N scale purchase was the Jupiter. I have one in HO but wanted one for my N scale layout. I am quite pleased.
You're missing 2 then, there is a total of 8 releases so far. Talked to Lowell yesterday at the Monroe, WA show, learned the history of this project. Basically Kato wasn't going to do the AFT GS-4, being no one makes the train, then Lowell mentions, you do the loco, I'll do the train. Also talked a bit about going BN business cars in the executive line. He's for it.
Ike, I was aware of the other releases. Can only do a few at a time, ya' know ??? DID YOU SAY BN BUSINESS CARS ??? Hope he does them !!! They will be mine !!! Thanks for the info !!!
He's got the NS business car 18 "West Virginia" on the list of cars to be done, I really hope he does her sister car NS 19 "Kentucky".