Actually now OFF the workbench . . . A CN tractor served the NAR freight shed in Dawson Creek, so I recently finished a CN tractor trailer: Also finished a trio of bulldozers for the layout: Tim
Still on the workbench - recent progress on outfit car #2 includes the 24" square louvred vent on the right side, and preparation of grab irons and ladders: Here is outfit car #3 with the sides added to the inside ends/floor assembly: And with the Intermountain outside ends and roof test-fitted: Outfit car #4 has been waiting for a parts order from Intermountain which is now three months overdue, but friend and fellow forumite Andrew Hutchinson has kindly loaned me the elusive diagonal panel roof which will allow me to get going on the sides and outside 'A' end: Two weeks of holidays commence today, during which I hope to get back to tracklaying as well as push these projects toward completion. Tim
Three pilots done...two to go! The BLMA cut levers and MU hoses are beautiful....however, it appears that the only access to these is by purchasing the "E and F ultimate detail set"...which provides but 3 sets of cab unit cut levers...I really wish that these would be made available seperately, however, I'm sure I'll find uses for all the extra grabs and handrails that come with these sets... Thanks for looking, Bruce
Well this isnt N scale, but its Christmas time and I figured if my kids are making gingerbread houses, I need to make myself a gingerbread train. Merry Christmas everyone.
just finished adding the roof-mounted centered numberboards on my last two Kato PA's...giving my eyes a rest before work!...after adding the silver trim (decal stripes), I'll be ready to lightly weather these! Thanks for looking, Bruce
Bruce, so did you use the Kato number boards for the high board? Seems narrower, but looks good! Mine are in the mail. Thanks for the idea. Otto
Otto... yep...used the ones I talked about earlier... I trim the part from it's 'sprue'...(the part that normally inserts into the opening in the bodyshell...) clean 'up' the bottom with a sanding stick and Xacto blade...then carefully glue the numberboard in place with thin liquid cement...after it's dry and secure, I remove the horns and mask around the part, while I sand or scrape the top part smooth...I also trim the front ridge and marker light from the front... Then I just mix a little matching paint (Floquil ATSF red with some ATSF yellow to replicate the Kato paint) and hand paint with a fine tip brush... Then carefully painted the now-flat front 'face' with Tamiya semi-gloss black before appkying the decals... the process 'sounds' difficult but it really isn't...the shape of the numberboard follows the contour of the roofline very well,,,one needs to trim just ashade off the bottom front lip to get it to sit real flush,,, MUCH easier than trying to fabricate the whole 'shla-bang' from scratch! Bruce
Well - I hope I did this picture thing right. Here is a shot of my new Bachmann Undec 2-10-2 decalled for the 'Q' 6002 - While not quite the same as the real CB&Q 2-10-2 loco type, at least the number is real And this was my latest 'N moddeling not for sissy' project also
final details to the PA's... a little silver trim on the numberboards ...this gives the effect of the 'lip' of the numberboard being 'chromed' as on the prototype... just used a bit of N scale 2" striping from Microscale... now for the lift rings, a little weathering, and we'll call these 'done'! Thanks for looking! Bruce
Thanks! Well my mom's side of the family lived in Mt Pleasant Iowa - 29 miles from Burlington! Spent many times through the years on vacations as a child, and later, between relatives, the Q, and Old Threshers Reunion in Mt P.
Hello all... last bit of modelling for a week or so!... I wanted to finish detailing the PA's before I starting celebrating... Here are pics of the PA's with the numberboards done...the silver striping 'around' the fron end of the numberboard gives the appearance of the silver 'outlining' the front face of the numberboard as in the prototype...(in some pics, it's apparent that this 'lip' was painted red and not necessarily left in it's original chrome) from 6 inches away, the silver appears to be on the face....so much in N scale can be 'suggested' with careful painting, rather than actually modelled seperately... Only the macro lens on the camera shows that the silver striping is actually applied 'around' the front edge of the numberboard... Thanks for looking and Merry Christmas! Bruce
Here's a couple of Atlas 17.6K gal tank cars, the Cargill has Full Throttle Z scale body mount couplers, the Casco has MT Z scale 905 body mounts. Both cars are lowered with BLMA 100T trucks. Hand-formed cut levers, BLMA hoses. The MT coupler sticks out a bit more as the box is longer. Surprisingly, I found that these cars really have highly weathered, rusty trucks and wheels and relatively clean bodies in prototype photos, so the models are fairly representative. Both cars were completed in about 4 hours, the Casco went a lot faster as it was the second. These are really nicely detailed cars, but the truck mounted Accumates and brown plastic wheels just don't cut it for me.
Very nice, I really like the wheels and extra detail on the ends. The weathering is also fine looking.
During this past week I was able to put in some quality time on my outfit cars and the first two are now ready for paint: Car #1 - roof vents, half running board, electrical conduits, grab irons, sill steps, ladders, brake equipment added to carbody; couplers and underframe added to floor: Tim
Car #2 - end vents, intake screens, side exhaust stacks, electrical conduits, grab irons, sill steps, ladders, brake equipment added to carbody; couplers,underframe and brake equipment added to floor: These cars will now receive a primer and gloss clear coat in preparation for the application of Archer rivet decals, and then the final paint coat. I also have to source some appropriate decals with which to finish the cars. Tim
