Funny thing that this coming after Brian's post.... Brian they look great!!! Here is my first attempt at color fading and light chalking. Comments welcome Boy I need a new camera
Thanks Nick. One of these days I'll actually remember to take before pictures... The fade on yours came out really well. Subtle, but effective. For the three cars, I airbrushed Poly Scale aged white, dirt, and grimy black (all diluted 75% with alcohol). Then I went to work with the chalk/alcohol washes (more dirt, rust, and black). Brian
I received a Ferarro New Holland construction set from a friend in Germany. These snap-together vehicles are close to N scale, though look decidedly toy-like. After the success I had converting their American fire engine series, I decided to see what I could do with these toys. Most of the vehicles are so rudimentary that it would be almost impossible to make a true model from. The one exception was the New Holland W190 wheel loader. Here is the prototype: http://www.machinerytrader.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=8206519& And the toy: http://spur-n.com/fahrzeug27/ferreronew02g.jpg For the most part, the toy scales out well compared to the prototype. The real thing measures 11’3” at the roof while the model is just about 12’. The width is just a hair wide at 9’6” compared to 9’ on the prototype. Good enough for me. I rebuilt the cab, making the glass look flusher, and repositioned the doors. The front bucket was scratch built from sheet styrene. I added the side ladders, handrails, rearview mirrors and headlights. I painted the model with Floquil and weathered it with chalks. I still need to swap out the wheels with something a little less ridiculous. I still need to clean up the rear lights a bit.
Finished trashing, I mean weathering another trio of cars tonight. These had been on the bench for almost a week while the coats of "rust solution" dried. Brian
Finished some more cars (6 of the BNSF gondolas) and another engine detailing project. Still to many projects on the bench overall, but progress is being made. Brian
Some Non-Revenue Equipment I took a break from layout construction this week and spent some time getting some non-revenue equipment ready for painting. BCOL 993454 was an outfit service diesel fuel tank car. This was the only photograph I had to work from, which was shot in haste out a car window years ago by my friend Trevor Mills: My model is an Arnold tank mounted on a Micro-Trains tank underframe with Gold Medal Models fittings. The decals were printed on a laser printer by my friend Jeff Briggs and I was very pleased with the results: Next up are two outfit cars I have been working on for a while. The last step prior to painting was to add some Archer rivet decals: Tim
BCOL 6503 was a tool car assigned to the Prince George Auxiliary: PGE 991130 was an emergency rail flat car assigned to Chetwynd yard: BCOL 994016 was a tie car: Off to the paint shop! Tim
Tim, very nice, please make sure to post the finished models' pics! I love the additional rivet detail done with Archer! Regards, Otto K.
Found my old no longer made Pola, which also isn't around anymore, enginehouse and found three of the stall doors missing. Decided to go ahead and build four new ones out of V groove styrene cut on the diagonal like the original. Very thin V grovve was used since I need board detail on both sides. Doors were trimmed in .020X.060 styrene strip and the hinges were made from styrene. People doors in the stall doors were from some in my door and window parts boxes. A similar kit is made by Faller, which absorbed Pola, but it doesn't have the two story shop addition like this one. This kit is probably 20 years old and I heavily weathered it back about two layouts ago. Will mount this on a thin masonite board and install a Peco inspection pit in one stall and do a few other upgrades like installing some lights. Stalls are 74 feet in length so it can accomodate a 2-8-0 as the biggest loco. This will be the branchline home of my Shays and Climax locos along with the two wood burning steamers and tank loco up on the future branchline.
Made some more progress with the enginehouse in that I managed to mount two inspection pits in the stalls, fabricated a wood deck around the outside of the stalls, and extended the stone walkway out some more. I drilled out the masonite to accept a standard light for interior lighting and a 2nd hole to accept a circuit for a welder. I use the rough side up on the masonite as it gives a better surface for landscaping and plaster. Enginehouse was attached and when set a thin soup of plaster was applied and then Floquil water based earth colors applied diluted some with water. I won't apply any grass or other material until the mini module is finally set on the layout and terrain blended in. The colored base allows the earthtones to show through any thin spots in landscaping, What is left is to mount the new doors and it is done for now.
Here's a couple of projects that just got punted off the workbench and onto the layouts. Most were simple, one night projects that took longer to dry than to complete. The engine took me a few nights, plus the weekend to finish. This one was done in the same manner as a picture I saw of a CNW car. Obviously not the same graffiti, but the overall feel is there. Did a Santa Fe SD70ACe to compliment the BNSF SD70ACe I did a few months ago. Might get to that Zebra Stripe SD70ACe next... Brian
I'm glad to see somebody doing this kitbash....following the "it won't be released in plastic until somebody kitbashes/scratchbuilds it" rule it will probably push Kato into finally releasing the Transfer Caboose version of the "shorty" caboose, which is the original version of the car as-designed (the Belt Railway of Chicago car was the one I measured and drew up; the Cupola and Bay Window were spun off of it). The sales of the Cupola version were so poor they decided not to go ahead with the other versions which I think would have sold better; the only cupola car that was similar was for a western PA coal hauling shortline, but several roads had the Transfer and Bay Window styles on short cars. Charlie Vlk
My latest thing is weathering FVM Boxcars painted in the Texas Mexican Railway scheme. I've got five in the works and here's one I finished.
