Athearn Challenger/UP Excursion Train?

Spookshow Jun 25, 2013

  1. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    Huston we have a problem!

    Ok, it looks like the bottles won't print, don't panic, I will explain, you will get them.

    I have just had an email from Shapeways saying 'After taking a closer look, we cannot print a model that you have available for sale.
    You may be able to update and continue to sell your model based on the information below.'

    For those that are uniformer with this, this is a standard email that Shapeways send out when there is something unprintable and they attach a screen shot of the problem part and their print requirements for said part. This email is for the order made by the first person who purchased a 'UP Water Tenders N Scale 1:160 Jim & Joe' print. They have also revived an email basically saying the same thing. And every body else will get one to.

    So what went wrong, I did! When I received my test print it was 99% fantastic. There where some tiny bits that did not print, not the end of the world but I wanted it to be perfect. On the side of the truck is an, at a guess, air cylinder with a pipe that runs into the truck and there was gap in it...

    IMAG0027.jpg

    Can you see it? Well I wanted to fill that in so I found the error in the model and fixed it. Well that tiny bit is the bit that cant be printed! The bit of pipe sticking out of the truck on its own is a detail and was ok, but when I filed it in it became longer and is now classed as a wall and is two thin! Can you believe it. If I had left it, it would have been ok.

    Ok, what will happen. The worst case is Shapeways will give you all your money back in the next day or so, I will update the model tonight and you can re order.

    Or, I am going to speak to Shapeways tomorrow and try and get them to push it through, because I know this will print.

    So, please accept my apologies and if you get a refund, please re-order, it will be woth it. :)

    Many thanks,

    James
     
  2. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    James and Bob, thanks for ordering. Sorry it may have to be re-ordered, as stated in my previous post. But we will get there and it will be great!

    If anybody has any questions or concerns please let me know and I will answer.

    Thanks,

    -James
     
  3. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    So, after close inspection, it turns out, stupidly, where I widened the trucks slightly I didn't pick up that where they are laid out in the print model they touch each other, forming a tiny sprue effect that can't be printed. Thats it, thats the problem! I will contact them tomorrow and see if we can sort this out without having to reorder them all.

    -James
     
  4. Spookshow

    Spookshow TrainBoard Member

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    No worries James, we'll get this thing going eventually :)

    Cheers,
    -Mark
     
  5. Xmtrman

    Xmtrman TrainBoard Member

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    Just got home from work (0500Z) and checked email...
    They haven't "bounced" my order so we're still with you!
    -Bob
     
  6. jamesdewarinireland

    jamesdewarinireland E-Mail Bounces

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    Email from Shapeways "processing complete, in production"

    Shipping about 14th.
     
  7. Spookshow

    Spookshow TrainBoard Member

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    I'm still processing :-(

    -Mark
     
  8. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    Ok, sorted, I think. The models on Shapeways have been corrected and all good. The nice guy at Shapeways is going to try and get the production department to separate the parts so those that have already been ordered can be printed. If you are refunded, simply reorder and all will be ok. :teeth:

    -James
     
  9. Spookshow

    Spookshow TrainBoard Member

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    Huzzah, my order has moved to production :)

    Cheers,
    -Mark
     
  10. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    Fantastic! Looks like we only had the bounce. Thank you Shapeways.

    -James
     
  11. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    Shapeways have just said they have shipped the first one, don't know who's it is!

    I have an instruction/layout sheet available in PDF in anybody wants one.

    [​IMG]
    PM with your e-mail address if you want a PDF copy, the quality will be a bit better.

    -James
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 7, 2013
  12. jamesdewarinireland

    jamesdewarinireland E-Mail Bounces

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    Mine has been shipped.

    Thanks for the instruction sheet.
     
  13. Xmtrman

    Xmtrman TrainBoard Member

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    Sometime in the last hour my set of 2 moved to production!

    YAY!

    -Bob
     
  14. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    Hi Bob,

    With all that commotion I forgot to say welcome to Trainboard and I am very jealous, you had a turn on the throttle 3985! Although I can boast to having had a firing turn on GWR 'City of Turo' and had a brief drive of LNER 'Flying Scotsman'. I use to work on preservation railway here in the UK. I think all the locos I have driven/fired over here combined are about the same weight as 3985:teeth:.

    -James
     
  15. Xmtrman

    Xmtrman TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks, James.

    That was a great day, running the beastie around the Cheyenne yard. We never really got going fast but the feeling of POWER was incredible. I'm sure we could have pulled Wyoming all the way to Minnesota if we had a coupling...

    I wish I had some pictures but the prints & slides I shot that weekend were lost in a divorce (along with thousands of others of UP subjects). I have one tracing made from a picture taken just outside the roundhouse that I used to make a ham radio QSL card I used many years ago. See: http://www.k8rc.com/qsls/index.html

    I am also taking note of your DD35 project in another thread...Let's see...that will cost me another DDA40X and a pair of Atlas GP35s...Hmmm

    Thanks again,

    Bob
     
  16. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    Hi Bob,

    Nice Tracing, although soon it will no longer be 'the largest steam engine still operating in the world':teeth:.

    The DD35 project is coming on well, hopefully I will have some more pics in that thread soon.

    But in the mean time, I was doing some coupling tests on the water bottles last night for height, and I think they are spot on.:teeth:.

    The ligting in my loft is 1/2 candle power so the photos are a bit pants but you get the idea....

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I did a sort of load test as well, dragged 3 Con-Cor E7s and the challenger in the picture through the water bottle with the yellow box car, and no issues at all, it is strong. Hopefully this weekend it will be winding its way to bobthebear for painting (and some photos in better light). Then running on the club layout next Saturday in our public show!

    -James
     
  17. jamesdewarinireland

    jamesdewarinireland E-Mail Bounces

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    Just received parcel from UPS with Jim Adams.
    Very, very nice. Just that the chassis part was not in the bag.
    I have emailed Shapeways and hope they will send it on.

    Now to find some Goo Gone.
     
  18. James Norris

    James Norris TrainBoard Supporter

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    Doh! Where the tiny head lights in the bag?

    -James
     
  19. jamesdewarinireland

    jamesdewarinireland E-Mail Bounces

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    Yes all there except the chassis.

    The detail is quite impressive. Very carefully applied thin coats of paint required.

    Going on a hunt for Goo Gone on Sat. Anything else easily available that would work?.
     
  20. Noc

    Noc New Member

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    Order placed for Jim and Joe. I can't wait.
     

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