Thanks for the advice. Yeah, I contemplated using one of the mounting screws, but I was hoping to get some input before I created unnecessary work. EDIT: You can either modify the pilot and use a screw with 1015s. Or can use a 1015 coupler in a 2004 box.
He beat me to it. Highball did the main decals and the side reflective stripes are custom cut from Microscale reflective stripes. This particular loco needed to have the name of the engine pieced together because it wasn't part of the set. http://www.mgdecals.com/L-252.htm Brian
Finished the seating for the BN Theatre Car and managed to transition the seating into the upper dome seating with minimal effort. I am just not going to even begin to try and cut and re arrange the upper seating to match and create tables etc. I did attempt to manage the reddish orange seating by blending some paint for the upper area. The Bmann shell interior has also been painted where it will show through the dome glazing. I also am using the original glazing insert as can be seen from the photo. Not 100% prototype by any means but close enough for me to capture the flavor. Rivet counters can get their own sides and Bmann car and do their own thing. Also applied the letter board under the small strip of corrugations on the other standard full dome seen in the upper left of the photo.
And a shot with some of the car assembled showing the seating. Another blind shot in that I was hopping the glazing would fit. Lot of clean up to do now.
Thanks for the kind words guys. Both cars now have their black roofs and hopefully in a day or so I can mask off to do the green. I am stretching my timeline a bit with the theatre car in it initially went to Amtrak then was bought back by BN and shopped.
I haven't decided yet if I'm going to make these run but they will make a great backdrop to my Milwaukee/Chicago area . Randy
Just finished my Amtrak Phase 2 F40PH. Pretty happy with it, except the number boards, they could have turned out better. I think I'm going to print my own numbers next time.
Will the Kato 105 power chassis fit under those or is it too short? Some of those running would definitely bring a nice perspective to a city scene.
These are Shapeways prints from 3rd boxcar. I used Streamstyle graphics decals and Scalecoat paint. Randy
Well the Kato power chassis (105) is only powered in one truck so you could just make your own chassis and mount the Kato parts to it without having to deal with lengthened drive shafts, etc.. I have thought about making a poor-man's doodlebug out of a Bachmann 60 foot heavyweight using a 105, turns out to be pretty simple to stretch the mechanism, even if you have to deliver juice from the non-powered truck using wires.
A few years back I took two 105 chassis and spiced the two powered truck ends together with a strip of styrene between them. That gave me a dual motor and powered dual trucks with traction tires, one on each truck. I ran jumper wires to interconnect the two truck pick-up strips so even though one of the trucks hit a dead spot both motors continued to be powered.
Continuing my small battles with the BN Theatre Car. Problem is that Bmann is the only game in town for this car and there were some construction differences between the ATSF and the GN versions especially the area around the bottom dome sill. The thing that I seem to be seeing is that the bottom skirt is going to end up too low for this car. And sitting the two side by side without trucks is that the theatre car sill is going to ride about 1 to 2 scale feet below the original. So before I mask this off for the final paint I am going to have to assemble the car with the trucks and place on a piece of track to check clearances. I also did not like the way the side vent details came through as laser scribed on the car sides. Just too shallow and almost hidden by the first light coat of paint. However I also have the corrugated sides that are for the BNSF version and they are separate pieces in that kit. So as you notice I have applied them to the BN version sides and like it much better. I also am going to cut a piece from the BNSF corrugation sides to use for the rear roll up door. When unoccupied or in transit somewhere, again unoccupied, the door would have been down. A quick update. I assembled the car with the Union Station sides and set it on the track and dang golly it clears it fine so I will leave the side skirts alone. Things are just going together too easily. Either Murphy, the Train Gremlins, or the Train Gods are lurking around the corner. Or else my 16 pound young Tomcat or his older sister Deekus the Cat are going to take a liking to the car.
