SP in 1953, Daylight & Overnight

Onizukachan Nov 18, 2018

  1. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Use to grow LEMONS that big on my tree in Argentina. :)
     
  2. bremner

    bremner Staff Member

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  3. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Ping pong balls would be quite large in n scale, these are maybe 1/2 that size.
    They scale out to full size trees. I have 20 of them, for about $10 ish dollars after discount coupon, so I was willing to work on them a little to improve them fro the price paid...
    and the Woodland Scenic orange and Apple “beads” I Got from Fifer Hobby.

    I am redoing the GS-4 mars light, it was slightly off plumb, and having that extra join, while excellent for disassembly, was killing the lumens. Had the fun of resoldering the 402 back to the wiring due to my own stupidity... and I can say I will be happy to continue to pay “extra” for prewired SMDs!

    Finally, I just bought two 15.75” x 1/2” x 8ft melamine shelves from the ‘Orange’ home improvement store. I now have those, also some 2” pink foam and thin foam, and quite a lot of sticks of code 80 flex, cork, 6 switches, 10 servos, and three switch pilot servo units.
    So I will finally be able to start to work on scenery, switches, lighting, etc. I’ll probably be just setting them across the couches... it isn’t the ideal thing, but for someone who has some LONG trains and no train room, it will suffice to at least allow SOME locomotive running and be portable for photographic purposes. Maybe sawhorses?

    I’m thinking detachable end loops, so I can run it as a back to back dogbone or as a point to point when end to end, as long as I’m smart enough to match the spacing!
    we will see. Lol.

    E1230C2F-83FE-47C5-9AF6-8DCE79EF6F65.jpeg

    Initial idea is dunes and sea in the arc like Santa Clause beach, but houses instead of shops roughly where seen here... opposite end same location would be the orange grove... it hasn’t been sold for subdivisions yet.

    1390C11A-66DB-4B39-BACA-3F257462BE7E.jpeg

    The second shelf would be the inverse, double to single or perhaps all double, and at least a couple of switches for sidings. what I don’t want is any crossovers. To avoid creating reverse loops... as I understand it, I’d need 8-9 foot loops to use a PSX, since the Daylight is about that length! So I might have to go double all around the bay?

    I’m still not sure this is a valid idea, and appreciate feedback...
    No battleplan ever survives the initial engagement, right?
     
    Last edited: May 5, 2019
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  4. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    That's for sure.

    I don't know how to advise you other then to say I do like your battle plan. Now making it work and go in the way you planned it. That's the trick.
     
  5. JMaurer1

    JMaurer1 TrainBoard Member

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    Use the shortest of the WS tree kits. They make great orange (in my case mandarin orange) trees. The ping pong ball trees work in HO but are way too big in N scale.

    Maybe instead of an orange tree, it's a grapefruit tree...
     
  6. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    It can be anything you want it to be... in a world of pure imagination...
     
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  7. JMaurer1

    JMaurer1 TrainBoard Member

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    The GOOD Willy Wonka movie!
     
  8. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    After moving these around a little bit, I decided they are way too awkward. Would be great if was a wall mounted shelf layout, but not for something that needs to be set up and taken down. Been looking at T-Track / T 1 Track instead.

    I’m sure that will make Boxcab happy... :)
     
  9. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    I took an old Bachmann water tank, cracked it open and added a servo to it...

    A42A7AB1-AD3B-4D8B-B5E6-77B70704D57F.jpeg

    I also got another one that is much nicer looking, but would be much harder to animate.

    No idea what make it is.


    2AF79CD7-36C1-448C-B915-51DE0D490B5E.jpeg
     
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  10. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    It’s alive!



    I left it on the diagnostics loop and if it hasn’t fallen apart in an hour I will call it a success.
    Then it will just be the final glueing and I can slide the Water Tower shell back on, & run new thread for the “operating” counterweights.
     
  11. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett TrainBoard Member

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    Onizukachan, the best advice I got was,

    "Plan your work and work your plan."

    I have a N scale 11 modules shelf layout that is 12 inches wide and various lengths. It is in our spare bedroom and is a continuous loop around the room. The single track main is about 33 feet long, one scale mile.

    One thing I recommend is to install a 1/2 blue insulation foam on top of your plywood and another layer of foam on top of the blue one, use one or two inch.

    This will allow you to model below track level scenery. One and half inches of foam is enough to model a small stream. The blue foam will act as a warning track when carving out the foam. I borrowed the term from baseball.

    Joe

    IMG_20181227_124455.jpg
     
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  12. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    I redid the counterweight, still not sure about it, it’s more for show than anything else. Have to have such a big weight to keep the thread semi taught at the top. Was thinking of painting it orange, just so kids can watch it go up and down.
    If I could find some very thin elastic string I might get rid of it.

    I do like the pull rope however, that came out very nice, IMO.

    I also stripped and repainted to get rid of that horrid gloss yellow Bachmann painted these.

    Enough talking, here’s my (semi) final version of a DCC Animated Water Tower...

     
    Last edited: May 13, 2019
  13. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Beautiful work! I’ve been looking at t trak as a possible modular system, as I really have no where to set up a layout on a permanent basis (rental home), I could always get a couple of tables set up in the garage to run , and put them on a shelving unit in the garage when not.

    The downside to t trak is I don’t have the tools to cut wood to build my own modules, and if you buy the laser cut kits, the shipping will bankrupt you!
     
  14. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett TrainBoard Member

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    You can have plywood cut at the lumber yard where you bought it. A hand saw would be a good tool to buy, it will take care of the 1x4, 1x2 and 2x2 lumber that you will need to build each module or other type of support structure. A cordless drill would be another good buy.
    I like to use drywall screws to attach the boards together.

    Good luck with your endeavors to build a layout.

    Joe
     
  15. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    To do the wood working needed, to build my layout I use/have a Chop saw, Reciprocating saw, small battery powered Drill motor, Dremel Tool and A Zona Saw for some track work. Soldering Iron, Wire Cutters, Small Drill set with both Phillips and Flat Head. Safety Glasses, Sanding hand tool and a mask. There's more such as various glue applicators aka spray bottles. Let's not get crazy. You need a well rounded set of tools to do the job. Simple things will work for awhile but then you are more the likely, going to tire of handcrafting everything and you'll want to get your project moving along. I ought to know. Never mind how handy these tools are, when working on your house or garages work bench. Did I mention the need for a work bench? I'm slipping up!

    Buy the tools you want and you think you need. Some of has have garages while others live in apartments and power tools may actually be against the rules. Something about noisy. Buy what's best for the environment you have to work in.

    Best of luck.
     
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  16. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thanks Rick for the positive vibes.
    I do have a double garage and a large rolling toolbox, as well as a rather large air compressor and air tools (former mechanic 20 odd years ago in my youth)
    No worries about noise but no table saw to cut sheets down precisely. Granddad and Dad were the ones who had all the wood saws, circular saws, etc. i remember using a big industrial bandsaw when I was in second grade!
    I just have a jigsaw and enough experience to know I can’t cut straight enough with a hand held circular saw, and absolutely need a table saw and fence to make this work.
    But looking at how much the T-TRAK would cost if I had to buy modules and have them shipped, I might see if my wife might agree to letting me have one. Maybe for my birthday in a couple of months.
    Til then I will keep modeling what I can as far as rolling stock and buildings for future use.
     
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  17. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    Yea them CFO's can be really tough to convince sometimes...:sick::cautious::whistle:
     
  18. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    She keeps asking if I don’t want to get a 3D printer... so I have a NICE CFO.


    <<<< Lucky Guy.
     
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  19. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    Oh yea...me too ! :D

    Mine even likes the trains. :love: She has her passenger train she runs quite a bit. She was there from the start gutting THER RV.

    Still...sometimes it can get 'sticky' discussing major purchases...like THERR RV to begin with...LOL :LOL:
     
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  20. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    I did get the Lead F3A and F3B back together as well as the GS4.

    While my wife and littlest one were gone on vacation last week, I fully encapsulated the 402s that are canopy glued to the back of the F3 number boards with 3 layers of Kristal Kleer and then used KK to glue a piece of aluminum foil to the back of each to serve as both a reflector and a lightblock.
    It came out magnificent. Nice white even lighting.



    I also redid the MARS on the GS4 again, to get it REALLY straight this time, and also to redo the front Lens on it again so it would be flat instead of concave.
    Though having the light bar split and coupled with heatshrink was fantastic for assembly and disassembly, it really did a number on the illumination, so I ditched the smaller piece and glued the 603 direct to the remaining front pipe.

    I am also happy with it now...



    I still have the bay window to get around to finishing and converting to DCC and those PFEs to get weathered, at least lightly, and the AC12 still needs new traction tires installed.
    Still no luck finding Nscale caboose lanterns, not in injection plastic, nor resin, nor even metal.
    I had the thought that if I could at least find some in metal, at least I could make a mold from them so I could cast them in resin or similar and imbed 402s in them. Then it would be easy to paint them overall with translucent red and Green and only then paint the body with a VERY fine brush leaving only the lenses translucent.

    If anyone has seen anything... prelit or not, my google-fu has failed me in this regard.
     

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