Ha, it is a DeLorean hiding back there. It's just waiting on a 4-4-0 to push it up to speed. Two others on the layout so more of us can go I'm sure I'd have an item or two to add to your list Bug Jake.
So in addition to looking closer at some freight cars (more of that to come - fair warning ) I have been doing a little bit of other stuff. I started painting the stacks of junk cars. Per suggestions, I have one yellow and one orange (didn't make this picture) to represent some high powered Mopar products that will make Hemi cry. Of course, the classic pink Caddy too. Still a lot more painting and rust and weathering to apply. Some prep work includes making some India Ink washes based on a recipe shared by a fellow TB member in another thread. Levels 1, 2, and 3 all ready to go now. I am wanting to make more pipe loads in different sizes for gondola loads that I can swap out occasionally to add variety. For this round, I went with smaller straws and black instead of mint green. There will be more mint green pipe coming. Despite a certain persons suggestion that i could just buy the straws in the color I want, I still have to do it the hard way The in process shot: And the finished stock piles: Some other parts for loads include some steel I beams that are poking into the top of finished pipe picture. Also working on some "new" wheel set loads. Right now, they are just sitting util I can weather them just a little and configure them into a load. Will probably do and all rusty scrap load of wheels at some point too. I removed the CN lettering from this Atlas F150. Not sure if it will stay just plain or not. And then prepping one more future project Guess that's enough rambling through stuff for now.
Now we need that machine from "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" to expand the DeLorean up to 1:1 scale so we can actually fit in it! Just make sure it's not sitting on the layout when you expand it.
Got a pic here of the Scale Trains Golden West hopper with the Rapido Golden West boxcar. They do look good together. Guess we can take a closer look at that Rapido boxcar next.
Earlier this week, I saw an announcement from Rapido in regards to N scale. They talked about how their N scale rolling stock has been very hit or miss so they are going to finish up a covered hopper project and refocus on just N scale motive power which has been successful for them. Business is business and you have to do what pays the bills but I'll miss not seeing more N scale rolling stock from them. With that said, let's take a look at one of their B-100-40 50ft boxcars. This example is wearing a faded Golden West Service - SP patched scheme As with all Rapido I have seen, the packaging is excellent. Right out of the jewel case, you can tell this is a great looking well made car. Here's a look around the car Side A End A - Nice brake wheel, cut levers and other detail Side B End B Roof view - crisp but I might add a little more weathering and rust up here on top The underside of the car has a lot of nice detail as well. Metal wheels, knuckle couplers and lots of brake and air line detail Here's a little more angled look down one side of the car. You can get an idea of how nice all the door hardware looks. Very nice touch. All in all, a really nice car. This car has spent a bit of time racking up revenue miles on my layout and has been a solid performer. I can see adding some of the other road names and paint schemes to my fleet at some point.
I tend to not pay much attention, as my modeled time period is the 40 foot box car with roof, pre-mega merger era. They recently advertised an EV caboose, which briefly caught my interest. But it appeared to simply be various paint schemes applied to a Canadian car body. The numbers on the road name of interest were incorrect. After contacting them, they said they were going to change them, but my last glance at their ad did not show an update. That made me hesitate. So I decided to pass on the opportunity.
What era is that GWS/SP boxcar correct for? I know in the late SP era I saw plenty in videos on Tennessee Pass, but I wonder if they would fit my pre-'83 era? They sure look nice. I just got my first Scale Trains car (a carbon black car) and Broadway Limited car (a cryo tank car), and the detail is excellent. I haven't bought rolling stock for years, as you might surmise... Don't tell me what Mopars those were, or I might cry....
I'd say those SP patched GWS boxcars are late 2000's era in that scheme. They do look nice. You know I just sold some ST Carbon Black cars and we dare not mention how many are left. I like the Broadway Limited Cro cars as well. Only have one and be forewarned that it may be the next "Let's take a look" car I won't tell you at least one was Hemi Cuda either. Don't want you to cry sir.
Pulled out another car for the layout so lets take a look at it real quick. It's the Broadway Limited Imports (BLI) Cryogenic Tank Car. Mine is in the Linde paint scheme. Here's the packaging The car comes in a plastic clamshell type bed inside a cardboard box. One thing I noticed was there was a date of manufacture sticker inside the box. The packaging does a good job of keeping the car secure but personally, I'm not a fan of the cardboard box. Think this car could benefit from being packaged in a plastic jewel case,. Might add a dollar or two to the price but would be worth it. Out of the box, the car has a very nice appearance a nice finish and printing. Side 1 End 1 Side 2 End 2 Top Bottom Overall, a nice looking car. A little lower level of detail that the Scale Trains and Rapido cars but still at a nice level. The car runs and tracks well. It will look right at home being delivered to the chemical distributer on my layout. Not sure but might add another example of this car to the fleet. Hope you all enjoyed the look.
Wow, that's a beautiful car. I have only a small amount of experience with today's exquisitely detailed cars, but would you say that the detail is durable? I want to be able to pick a car up and enjoy running it without worry about knocking something loose. I am very pleased with my Eastern Seaboard Models boxcars in this regard.
Those ESM Leigh Valley boxcars look great Hardcoaler! I don't have any ESM cars but have been eyeing the Conrail version of that car for a while. To answer your question on durability, I will say that yes, all that detail can be a bit fragile. For me, tank cars regardless of who makes them these days seem to be the most fragile and for me at least are handle with extra special gentle care. The Rapido boxcar (posted in the last page or two), the M/T Ferromex box cars (from many pages back), the Scale Trains (S/T) 3 bay covered hopper (a couple of pages back) and S/T Carbon Black cars (I might have posted a pic somewhere) are good examples of cars with a lot of of really nice paint work and detail that have held up well to handling by my big fingers so far at least. While I haven't had an issue, I find the S/T coil steel cars are somewhere in the middle and as long as you are somewhat careful, the detail seems to do well. The disclaimer is that this is just my experience so far. Your handling and damage experience may vary
Well, it's here, time to start the raise the layout height and redo the fascia project. Before staring, here are a some brad views of the layout. Enjoy. Should be fun........
Just going to raise it about 12 inches since I am far enough along that as I sit and drink coffee while operating, it's closer to eye level but still low enough I can stand up and reach everything. Plus, it will be a bit easier to get under it to work on wiring. As for replacing the fascia, it's thin and you can see if the last picture that it's bowing some. Going to keep the color but a thicker material plus it's a chance to try some stolen......ummmmm....... I mean new ideas for the placement of controls, switches, and stuff.
It might be but if I get in a chair that low, I'm going to have trouble getting my Homer Simpson self back up again
