So I've painted and decaled my Kato RS2, and modified the nose, painted, and decaled my Atlas GP9. I need to do the numberboards yet, and weather and install the new headlight and all in the GP 9, but hoped for feedback; does everything look ok, or do you notice any thing I should work on? Those teeny stripe decals are something else to work with! I am trying to figure out why the GP9s paint is so much flatter; I sprayed both with Vallejo matt acrylic varnish thinned about 2:1 with Vallejo thinner, from the same airbrush, at the same pressure, yet the GP9s paint is much flatter; the RS2 has a bit of shine yet, which I prefer. Also, does anyone know what sort of Micro-Trains couplers I'll need for the GP9? (( Ordering couplers tonight, hopefully they're on the track soon! ))
I model WM too. Those look fantastic! Would you, by any chance, know what font was used on their cabeese? Or does someone make a decal sheet for them?
I am not sure the name of the font, but micro scale does make a decal sheet that covers western maryland cabeese from the 30s until the chessie era. I need some more round FFL herald cabeese. What time period do you model?
I agree with Rocket -- the pair looks excellent! I don't model the WM, but I've long been a fan of it and operate some WM units on my N Scale road. I visited the region too late to have actually seen the WM in action, but have several photos of WM power.
I’ve only used Vallejo a couple of times and really like it. I suspect the clear wasn’t completely mixed. I had to remove the squirt tip from the plastic bottle and used the handle end of a paint brush to make sure it was stirred thoroughly. Just shaking the bottle wouldn’t let it mix properly. Vallejo clear flat is dead flat. Their satin clear gives a very nice finish.
Hardcoaler - Same for me. By the time I came along, Chessie had taken over, though there were still plenty of B&O and WM signs, structures, bridges, and paint jobs to be found in Northeast West Virginia where I'd spend summers with my grandparents! I love WM's diesel paint schemes; classy and utilitarian at the same time. J Starbuck - I use Vallejo exclusively anymore, and I usually add a steel or glass mixing ball to each bottle, which helps a lot. I will have to look for Satin finish clear! Can that be used before weathering? I tend to shake the devil out of the bottles of clear (I buy it in the bigger 200 ml bottles) before use, but i suppose I might have not shaken enough. wpsnts - The shells both came as undecorated models, the same light grey styrene. Both were painted with Vallejo glossy black, thinned about 3:1 with Vallejo thinner and sprayed at about 15 PSI through my Badger airbrush. I did put a gloss coat on the RS2 with an airbrush before I did the decals, on the whole model, and then sprayed over it with the matte varnish before using a bit of Tamiya weathering powder. For the Geep, I just brushed on gloss in the areas where decals would be, then sprayed it with the matte varnish. It's dead flat!
Excellent job!!!! I wonder if the type of plastic (slight chemical makeup difference) has anything to do with the shine vs. flat.
The finishes could be due to the two different ways that you applied the clear coats. Call it a guess on my part. I have yet to try Vallejo paint. I miss my Floquil paints. None the less the models look great. The Geep will probably use Micro-Trains 1015 couplers.
Nice job on both. I always thought that the black on the fireball appeared more glossy on the prototype, anyhow. It is easier to deal with the stripes if you cut them into more manageable lengths and apply them in two or three sections. This works better on the cab units and on the long hoods of the RS-configured diseasels. I did a pair of Kato RS-2s in the fireball, and, of course, when LL released its in WM fireball, it did the same numbers that I did. I keep meaning to change the numbers on my Katos to the other two. You can get decals from Microscale for both the round "Fast Freight Line" herald cabooses or the speed lettering. Speed lettering first appeared in 1954, or so. The FA-2s got it in 1954 or early 1955, I forget exactly when. The F-3s had fireball when they went back to Electro-Motive for rebuilding into F-7s in 1954. When the came back from LaGrange in 1955, they had speed lettering. Now, if only someone would sell WM passenger car decals, especially now that MT is going to sell a single window coach. The MT baggage/nail is close enough. If WOT would do one of its clerestory roof baggage cars, that would be close enough, as well. The windows on the WM coaches were a bit higher than those on the NYCS coach that MT is using as its basis. It is a seventy-eight foot coach, which NYCS did have, although NYCS' standard HW was actually seventy feet. I do wonder if MT did select a less used design for NYCS coaches so that it could put the six wheel trucks onto it for the other roads. Boston and Albany had some round roof seventy eight foot commuter coaches with four wheel trucks. P&LE's and P&E's were seventy foot clerestory, though, as were most of the other NYCS coaches.
wpsnts - You're quite likely right on the different finishes, and thank you on the MT part number! Couplers for both are ordered =D Brokemoto - It never occured to me to cut them into smaller bits, doh! That would make sense... ack. And same on the passenger decals; I cannot seem to find a WM combine and coach, so it seems decorating them is the only way. I suppose they could always be custom printed?
I suppose that you could have them custom printed. The problem is finding a photograph or lettering diagram that shows the printer what he needs to get the dimensions correct. I have yet to see such a photograph and never have seen lettering diagrams for WM passenger equipment. The font on the Microscale or Northeast Decals WM fireball sheets are close, but not quite. You will not find any commercially available passenger equipment lettered for WM. It does not exist. Currently, there is no HW single window coach available in N scale. There are three paired window coaches out there: 1) the MT, which is based on a B&O prototype. HOORAY on that one, as I also run B&O, so together with them and all of the B&O passenger power out there, i am doing well, there. 2) the RR, which, depending on whom you ask, is also based on a B&O prototype. It does look enough like a B&O coach. You do need to add the steps (Gold Medal?) and body mount couplers, though. 3) Lima/MP This one is based on a Penn prototype. WM had single window HW coaches. MT is going to issue a single window coach in early 2019. It is based on a seventy-eight foot NYCS prototype. This is not the usual NYCS HW. Most NYCS HW coaches were seventy feet with four wheel trucks and clerestory roofs. NYCS did have some seventy eight foot coaches with four wheel trucks, but they were odd lots and not the standard. B&A even had some with round roofs, which were not the standard, either. The B&A did acquire those coaches while under NYC control. The only HW baggage/passenger out there is the RR, which is based on an ATSF rebuild of a Pullman. I forget if it was originally a parlour/baggage, lounge/baggage or smoker/baggage. ATSF used some of them as rider cars on mail trains. It looks nothing like any baggage/passenger combine that any other road had. There is the Lima/MP mail/baggage/passenger, which is based on a Penn prototype. WM never had anything like it. The MT baggage/mail is close enough to some that WM had. The door arrangements on and length of, some of the WOT baggage cars are close enough to some that WM had. Supposedly, MT is going to issue both single window and paired window baggage/passenger cars. The former is supposed to be based on a similar NYCS prototype as the coach; the latter on a similar B&O prototype as the coach. The B&O, especially in later years, did alter the appearance of some of its baggage/passenger cars; mostly to enlarge the baggage compartment at the expense of seating. Judging from the photographs that I have seen of the rebuilds, no two were alike. The only time that I ever saw any N scale WM passenger equipment for sale, anywhere, was at a Timonium, Maryland show. Some guy had them in a C-C set box on his table. There were two Atlas/Kato RS-3s painted fireball with hammerhead numbers on them, but, not only did they lack the hammerhead, but, whoever painted them did not even put steam generator stacks on them. There were six cars, but two of them were MP/Lima; a coach and the baggage/mail/passenger. The others were RR; coaches and a combine. Whoever had done this one did use either the Microscale fireball set or the Northeast Decals fireball for lettering. If you consider what was available at the time, I suppose that this set might have been acceptable to a WM modeller; there was just nothing else out there or even being considered.
In my opinion, you have done a great job. As for cutting the stripes into smaller strips -- I wouldn't and don't. I leave them in the length that is needed or even a bit longer - for any raised details. But, that is what works for me -- we all have to find the techniques that work for us. My latest tiger striped locomotive: Keep up the great job, Wolf
Brokemoto - Well, that is a downer! I thought there'd be something available. Mmmrrrr... I plan on adding some B&O or PRR to the collection and layout, so I suppose they'll have to handle the passenger runs for now. SP-Wolf - That is gorgeous! Are the warning stripes on the side sills of the loco decals?? That has to be a bit of a challenge to cut and fit right. I also love how smooth the paint on the painted bits of the handrails is; what sort of paint did you use for that? Vince p - Thank you! =)
Thank you Vince!! Yeah - the side sill stripes are also decals. And, yeah, they take a lot of concentration and patience. For the black - I used True Scale. For the handrails - I used Model Master Then a bit of weathering with Pan Pastels. Thanks again, Wolf
Hi Vince, Well, I am still working on my weathering technique. I was trying to give her a well maintained but a bit dusty appearance. What is your suggestion/s - ? Thanks, Wolf
On the issue with mixing paint. Put a small nut in the bottle. The best size is one that has to be pushed through the neck of the bottle so that it will shake freely but it won’t fall out when pouring the paint. — Dan Boehlke West Saint Paul, MN Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
SP-Wolf. I joined (no conflict here) The rustbucket forum it about learning and improving your weathering with a variety of media's. From water soluble artist oils which I use. To include powders, Goauce however it's spelled. All sorts of ways to weather Only thing is you need to sign up to see the methods and items these guys/gals weather is something to see to believe. Yes that good I'm still working on my curve still lol.
