How about replacement headlight castings?? In particular, those that fit the Life Like SW9/1200? I could use at least 6 replacements myself! From the headlight casting falling off the locomotive!
Well the trucks some one asked about before have now arrived - this is what they look like in the flesh
Those look pretty rough. Can't you redesign them in another material? Looks like you used the sandstone material or something equally abrasive. I think they would look so much better in FUD or regular Ultra Detail.
Yes they are a little fuzzy, but they don't look anything like as bad in real life - certainly not from normal viewing distances. You have to remember that pic is taken under photographic lamps with a macro lens from less than 3 inches away - it's two or three times life size. The reasons I tend to stick with WSF for trucks is it's a nylon material and is very strong - I've trodden on one of my HOn30 freight trucks and it survived - and I'm not exactly a light weight person. It also has a very low coefficient of friction and trucks in it roll exceedingly well. FD/FUD however is a little brittle - I suspect if you dropped a car with trucks made from it they would break. So being a practical person I've chosen function over form. I'm also planning to sell these on Ebay and I feel more confident selling the WSF version. The same truck is available in FUD if you buy it from my Shapeways shop, but then it's your problem if you subsequently break it ! If I was doing trucks for N gauge I think I would used FD or FUD though.
"...why not just paint a Superliner into Surfliner colors..." Hmm... some would say it ain't prototypical... but they would be wrong... http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2037433 http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1937328 http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1375960 http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=49353 http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=196881 http://www.flickr.com/photos/jacksnell707/2903555322 http://www.flickr.com/photos/jacksnell707/2902711449
I've done a bunch of MOW trucks (for use with the Atlas LNT and F150) as well as production track machines - and NS Bunk Trailers. Round Mountain Models by roundmountaingroup on Shapeways Be aware that FUD may not be available for a while after this Friday, though it should be coming back.... - Lou
Wow! Those are pretty cool. Very nice looking detail parts. I heard about FUD being temporarily unavailable, but I think it was just to allow them to catch up and install their new printer. From what I was told, they are backlogged really bad because one of their machines broke down and they had to get another one and the one that is running will probably need some maintenance soon since it has been running 24/7.
Lou, I just ordered the MOW trucks 2, 4 and 5 and one of the signal maintainers trucks. Not bad for $25 shipped. I have some experience building MakeMyModel and M4D stuff and I'll do a blow by blow on building the models. I think we all see where scratchbuilding is going within 5 years. BTW, I played around with the Googlesketch and hated it. The axis control was very clunky and I had trouble creating curved planes. Autdesk123D has other problems (like making cylenders across the subject plane rather than perpindicular to it).
Thanks for the encouragement, guys!!! Dan, I've about had it with Sketchup too, but at least it got me going here! Downloading several other programs to try while waiting for these models to get here.
Sad day indeed!! So, it looks as though the fight Shapeways has been having with their supplier to lower costs and produce more has come to a head. This was taken directly from an email from SW and in another email they tell me that FUD will definitely be back, but it might not be until September or later. They are going to fill every order that has been placed so far, but anymore orders after today will not be filled until they get this sorted out. I have sent another email to them looking for an alternate material to use until FUD comes back and will keep everyone posted.
Just wondered were that quote came from - I've just spoken to Ana at Shapeways and she doesn't know anything about this.
It came directly from an email from Joost Denissen, a Customer Service Agent with Shapeways in regards to an email I sent yesterday asking about the status of my order and whether or not it was true so I would know if there was any use in uploading more models for a while.
Well it's very sad if it's true, as there is very little in N gauge that will come out decently in other materials. Guess we all come back in September.
Yeah I will have to look for the one that says September on it so that I can provide a much more accurate quote. The quoted text in my other post is what came from Joost. I will be sure to keep everyone posted on when the FUD will be coming back and I plan on bothering them about it quite a bit :tb-biggrin:
Arrggghhh!!! I think reading between the lines on this and other messages, they're convinced there is a market for this kind of material, so it's just a matter of time. Well, more time to refine some models. Does this apply to FD as well (thought they were the same, just a different set of rules to design to?) A lot of my stuff is squareish, so it may make sense to try some other materials in the meantime. Still, I think this is the future of scratchbuilding/kitbashing. - Lou
Lou- I couldn't agree more!! Talking with a few others who do stuff on Shapeways and reading over the emails I have gotten from them, it is painfully clear just how much they need this material in order to keep the model RR community coming back. I think what this little hiatus is is the SW staff trying to regroup and get a better battle plan for the re-release of the FUD material since they got slammed so hard in the first round. I know a few Z scalers who have each ordered a couple dozen or more pieces each and I know there are people out there who probably put in orders of a few hundred pieces or more and they just need to catch up and regroup. I am confident that they will bring it back and will keep on designing until they do. Keep checking back and I will post updates on not only my progress and projects, but the status of these materials!
I can definitely say that it will not. I have been assured that Shapeways is going to fill every order that has been placed. They are just a tad behind so it may take a while. I am waiting on a couple orders myself and one was just placed a few days ago. I apologize to all who are waiting and wish there was a way I could help. I would also like to take a minute here to thank each and every one of you guys who bought something from my shop! When I first started this I thought I might sell an item here or there and figured I would be the only one buying a lot of them but I was wrong and I can only hope they all meet and exceed your expectations! John, when you get them and put them to use would you be willing to post pictures? You will probably get your beacons before I get my yard office, or my Z scale stuff and I am excited to see them being put to use! Thanks again!
I tried looking for the beacons but couldn't locate them. Maybe I was looking in the wrong place and I was not about to search through 850+ pages to find them. Does anyone know where they were located or give me a link? I did find the N scale tamper and other MOW equipment. WOW! I gotta get some of these!
