Hi folks, I just wanted to show a comparison pic I took of my OMI Brass SD-80MAC next to one of my detailed Kato SD80MAC's. (Detailing done by one of the frequenters of this board. Namely, the young Mr. Martyn ) <img src=http://members.home.net/chesapeakenscaler/rrpics/KatMI3.jpg> This is my first attempt at taking digital photo's, and I just wanted to share it with everyone. Oh and in case you can't tell, the one on the left is plastic. Bill
Bill - what a great looking pair of locos - I sure couldn't tell which was which - the handrails on the right seemed just a tad finer- Which one runs the best?
With the quality of current offerings in plastic, there is no need for brass, it seems Except for unusual prototypes which are unlikely to be made in plastic.
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by ajb: Which one runs the best?<hr></blockquote> Without a doubt, the Kato loco runs rings around the OMI unit in the performance area. The OMI is jerky, even after repeated attempts at cleaning the contacts, wheels etc, and when it does run, it is extremely fast!! Probably 30%to 40% faster than my Atlas SD-60's. Bill [ 04 November 2001: Message edited by: Chesapeakenscaler ]</p>
I find brass to be way over-rated. The depth of fine, molded details on newer, plastic models far exceeds what I guess is stamped(?) details on many brass models. Just look at the door latch details and then the price tag... enough said ! Russ
You guys are absolutly right when it comes to brass. The handrails sanctions on the kato SD90 are finer than the OMI model. You would be able to tell this when both models are viewed from the side.
As I have no brass locos, I cannot attest to performance. I have 8 Kato products: 5 Dash 9-44CW's and 3 E9's. I can tell the detailing is on par with the OMI and other brass offerings, which makes it almost crazy for me, a budget-minded train freak to spend that much on one loco, when I can have 5 or 6 Katos!
More proof taht Craig is a modeling Genius...or what the rest of the world would call a nut with really big sense of really little detail!!! I would hate to see Craig in HO...Just might kill some of us when we see that train barreling down on us and we forget that it is only a layout!!!
I spotted Craig's engine on the left instantly because he has everything correct and even has the hand holds on the hood. In fact, if you look closely, you can see him sitting in the right seat waving at us! Craig is the King of N, but he would be hard pressed to beat John's EM-1's in HO. The HO details would be so heavy, I'm not sure Craig could lift them! Kidding you both of course! Its a fine job Craig, as usual.
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by watash: I spotted Craig's engine on the left instantly because he has everything correct and even has the hand holds on the hood. <hr></blockquote> I agree. IMHO I think that Craig's is the better looking/detailed of the two. The only thing that I would add is a little weathering around the exhaust grating. Good job! Russ Hoffman Valley RR
Thanks for the great compliments guys, I really do appreciate it. Also, thank you Bill for giving me the chance to work on your units, that I also appreciate! **Plug: Remember guys, like it says in my signature below, as well as detail parts I offer a custom detailing service. Thanks again!
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Craig Martyn: Thanks for the great compliments guys, I really do appreciate it. Also, thank you Bill for giving me the chance to work on your units, that I also appreciate! **Plug: Remember guys, like it says in my signature below, as well as detail parts I offer a custom detailing service. Thanks again!<hr></blockquote> Craig you are quite welcome I would also like to say, that not only does Craig do beautiful work, but he does it at a VERY reasonable cost and in a very timely manner. I will end this thread with one more pic of CR 4123. (I am still playing with the camera ) <img src=http://members.home.net/chesapeakenscaler/rrpics/SD80_4123_2.jpg> Bill
I liked the way you developed this thread with pictures and commentary... well done. Thank God plastic runs better and looks about the same.... it is expensive enough as it is... in Canadian dollars.
I'll say this from prefessional to professional! Craig nice work! Thats one fine loco! But being I do the same detailing in HO and specialize in steam thats GREAT WORK for N scale. I'll never tempt N scale i'm 23 and N is just tooooo small Detailing for me you ask? HO and O... Its the fact of steam though for me! I set and redesign pilots and all.. Working on designing an B&O EM-1 boiler. It was a factory Rivarossi Big Boy and i'm customizing it to a Yellowstone (2-8-8-4)... In HO scale. I have customized a Rivarossi UP Challenger to the Western Maryland 1200 series specifics.. Costed me to retool the pilot, boiler, and tender.... Plus I retro fitted a can motor and dual flywheels in it! I'll post a pic and all here even tho its HO scale.... Its trains right? [ 07 November 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]</p>
heres a picture of my customized Rivarossi 4-6-6-4 Challenger it was an Ex. Union Pacific, now custom painted and specificly designed for the Western Maryland #1201 first of their fleet of 12 class M-2 Challengers. A view of the front and the rear. Rear view... Also a picture of the 3 Rivarossi's together and a solo picture of my Yellowstone (B&O EM-1) that was an Ex. Union Pacific Big Boy.. And now the solo EM-1 #7600 for the B&O... I have some redesigning to do to it, the boiler domes are of Big Boy design by ALCO and it should have domes of Baldwin design... Overall let me know what you think! Rear View of the challenger... [ 07 November 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]</p>
Thanks for all the compliments John, much appreciated! I admire those who work on steam locomotives as they are a totally different feild from diesel locomotives and I wouldn't have a clue where to start on one! Your model looks awesome! Thanks for posting the pictures!
Craig, I get into all types steam and diesel customizations. Its just that I do twice the bussiness with steam. Not many guys tempt to bust into a expensive steamer. Thats why it takes me awhile to make sure the jobs done right and prototypically! That Rivaroosi HO scale Challenger took me 3 weeks to customize from a UP based one to a Western Maryland. The sad part is the Western Maryland Challengers had "All Weather" cabs.. Well the Rivarossi is an older version that has the motor in the cab and all and limited me from putting on the conversion part I custom made for it being the motor sticks out the rear of the cab to far to install the part. So I had to omitt that preticular part. The only other fault with that Challenger is the wheel diameter. The UP Challenger's had 69 inch drivers where the Western Marylands had 68 inch drivers... Not going to find to many of those so. I didn't even worry about that detail! On the B&O, EM-1 Yellowstone. It was made from a Rivarossi based Big Boy. The boiler domes are incorrect being they are ALCO design and the EM-1's were built by Baldwin. Also, that loco preticularly is the very first of any loco I ever customized and I didn't want to chance to cutting the stack shield off. So I didn't. But now I have the skill and i'm not afraid to cut it off, so when I go to do the boiler domes the stack shield is also leaving! And also, I kinda do alot of recycling parts and such. When I did my first Y6b's into B&O EL-5's I take the original N&W welded square tender and keep it... It is the closest match tender to the B&O EM-1 tenders. So I took off the UP "Centapede" tender and fitted the N&W tender for the EM-1 square tender. I have to buy the Vanderbuilt Rivarossi tenders for the EL-5's being the B&O was big on using Vanderbuilt style tenders on the EL classes on their roster. They never used a square tender on any of their EL class loco's. So I have to fit the Vanderbuilt to the drawbar to mate properly. If you get close to a factory Rivarossi EL-5 B&O 2-8-8-0 and a N&W Y6b 2-8-8-2 look at the difference between the drawbars of them both! Very different and can be difficult fitting them to a Vanderbuilt being the pin is in the far most spot on them compared to the square tenders being its relatively close to the front most part of the tender... It can get rough on mating them! I've done my fair share of it though and all, but in the end it was well worth the effort involved! As for diesels I don't do awhole lot. I do them yes, when I know what i'm actually doing and or modeling. But sometimes its almost the hardest thing to customize if you really get into it as deep as I am and as deep into it as i'm noted for. Its the fact of turning down a diesel to not ruin the name i've made for myself, to customizing a steamer that I know I can do! In other words I know when and where to draw the fine line of a superb model and a failure. I'm very preticular when it comes to that being I have my own quality control and such. I take every job I get as if it was mine and being so it will get the treatment as if it was my own and suit me and nothing less... Being I got such a standard, that insures me of a happy customer. Thats what i'm known for.. I like it that way... And if it don't suit me, it won't leave my shop either! I'll hold onto it till it does, and not let go till it does. Also not charge anything more for a mistake I may have made. I take that as if it were my fault and actually was my fault that I didn't do addequate research. So to me I have the right to make it right at my own cost... Very seldom has that ever happened, but I had a few people that were terribly hard to please.... So I stuck to my guns and did the job to please the person that owned them. I do a massive research before I even begin a job so I know what i'm doing when it arrives or is begun the process of customization. As far as the compliments... One deserves another... I may have the skill and talent to customize steam loco's but you got that same talent in diesels! My pictures aren't the best of quallity being my digital camera is an "el-cheapo" that doesn't have the resolution or focus control that i'd like, but it gives a basic view to give my work some justice, but not the justice i'd like! I'm going to get a good one that I can learn to get good pictures with to show the fine detail! Then i'll be satisfied! [ 07 November 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]</p>
Fellas, your work is awesome!I started this hobby back in the '70s, and I had to endure snide comments from the brass collectors (one in Kansas I remember) who looked down on our plastic "junk". Nowadays, with the motors, scale-width hoods, superdetail parts, and some good tools, you can build a diesel (or steam) model in most scales that look and run sweeeeet (and don't cost an arm & leg). Just 20 (maybe ten) years ago, the topic of plastic vs. brass would start a fierce debate (and a flamewar on this forum had it existed back then ) with all the ferocity of the manufacturer squabbles (and we ain't going THERE again!). OK, so much for geezer rambling... good work, guys!
