N scale "What's on your workbench?"

Mark Watson Oct 28, 2009

  1. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett TrainBoard Member

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    It's not on my work bench but I did modify benchwork for module 08 and cut the background panel for the light switch to overhead lights in the room. Will post photos on my build thread later tonight after I do some other projects.

    Joe
     
    nscalestation and BNSF FAN like this.
  2. Nick Lorusso

    Nick Lorusso TrainBoard Member

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    Just finished a BNSF re-re-patch. Unit started out as a FVM Santa Fe GP60 that i redetailed patched and weathered with paint and chalks.
    118183545_130358645434084_8126591506963372690_o.jpg 118173183_130358655434083_6825488435454282109_o.jpg 117726528_130358642100751_4119584382103177436_o.jpg
     
  3. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    That looks great!!

    (y)(y)(y)
     
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  4. PapaG

    PapaG TrainBoard Member

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    Work continues on the layout as terraforming begins in earnest!

    I've been using some earth colored grout to level this incline. It's worked out pretty well... I've applied a pretty heave layer over some Mod Podge and then leveled it before applying alcohol and a homemade scenic cement.

    There are still some low spots that need to be addressed, but not as many as I anticipated. I think I'm going to mix some Mold-A-Scene plaster to fill the low spots because I can use my hands to do that, while providing some shape to the spaces in between tracks as I go.



    Terraforming 4.jpg


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  5. freddy_fo

    freddy_fo TrainBoard Member

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    You're hired! :D
     
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  6. freddy_fo

    freddy_fo TrainBoard Member

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    I picked up a Kibri derrick crane kit about 15 years ago after which I assembled enough for paint then tossed in the rolling stock box trying to come up with a way of changing out the coupler housings to accommodate MTS couplers and then got distracted with life and other projects. I recently discovered tru-color paints which got me the yellow I was looking for and got the ambition to finish clearing out pockets in the trucks to attach MTS 1015 couplers and below is what I got so far. I still need to apply decals. I know this isn't prototypical but a modern UP derrick has a place on my layout and non train nerds will never be the wiser:D

    Oh... I used ez-line for the rigging which is elastic and will stretch a bit. This allows me to extend and retract the boom without having to mess with the take-up spool. Unfortunately the block and tackle pulleys don't rotate so operating that portion of the crane is tedious.


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  7. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Nice work, rivet counters notwithstanding!
     
  8. freddy_fo

    freddy_fo TrainBoard Member

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    Thank you and LOL.
     
  9. logging loco

    logging loco TrainBoard Supporter

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    Cool. Would the counterweight extend out on the prototype?
     
  10. freddy_fo

    freddy_fo TrainBoard Member

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    It would. This will extend a bit further but it took a bit of fine tuning to sand for ease of extension while painting to take up that gap and not get it too loose to look stupid when setting it up with everything extended. That first pic was taken on the first paint which schooled me on the tight tolerance issue so I had to sand a bit then re-shoot the paint on the extension arms.
     
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  11. Carl Sowell

    Carl Sowell TrainBoard Supporter

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    I have now completed my UP 4-6-6-4 "Challenger" project, so it is time to move on. Following is an image of the "parts" for my new project. It is a Tomball Locomotive Works, "superturbine". casting mated to a B'mann J Class 4-8-4. I am going to build an SP, T&NO, GS-1. Hopefully it will resemble this.....................
    [​IMG]

    Here are the parts to accomplish this.......................
    [​IMG]

    I also have several small bags of detail parts to throw in. I have made a quick down and dirty measure of the tender insides and I think I can add an ESU LokSound v5 Micro DCC decoder and a sugar cube, I sure hope so. Really look forward to this build and it's completion so I can move on to my 2nd SP AC-9.

    Stay safe, stay well,
    Carl
     
  12. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    Well new on my workbench is a new workbench... and tool box too. My little shop is so much nicer to use now!

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  13. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett TrainBoard Member

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    Very nice work bench and shop area Massey!!! Always a pleasure to have a clean and organized work space. I've been cleaning the layout room a little bit each time I go in, just about finished.

    Joe
     
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  14. Nick Lorusso

    Nick Lorusso TrainBoard Member

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    Just finished up an Altas GP9 for my Pacific Belt. PB 1846.jpg
     
  15. PapaG

    PapaG TrainBoard Member

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    Work continues on the HCD layout...

    I received a suggestion on how to set up these spurs without creating an 'S' curve to avoid some potential derailing headaches. So, that suggestion was incorporated and I like it much better than the original design. I've also added the rerailers so my grandson can get cars onto the rails more easily. I think this will be an idea incorporated into the yard as well, considering that the yard is right up in front of the layout.

    Speaking of the yard, I found another opprotunity to use turnouts differently than I had it set up to avoid another 'S' curve there, as can be seen in the last pic. You can see where I have the diverging route of that first Right Hand #6 turnout leading into another Right Hand #6 turnout, and where that diverging route creates yet aother 'S' turn. I think I'm going to change the second turnout to a Left Hand #6 to create a better line through those switches.

    I was also thinking of using #4's here... does anyone have any advice on those? I see things in discussions that they sometimes need some special attention.

    I've also added some structures that I've been working on just to see how things might fit in the space. I have the rest of the warehouse to assemble that goes with the building with the green AC unit on the roof, so that structure will be quite a bit larger when it's completed. I used a light colored grout on the roof to give the appearance of a gravel roofing material. I really like the way it turned out, and my testing indicates that it will take paint and chalks rather well if that's the direction I go. I'm torn between letting it look like new construction and distressing it a bit.

    I also have a Vulcan Mfg. model that I haven't started assembling yet... that may be something I use rather than the distribution warehouse. But I'll have to assemble the gantry crane portion of that to see how it will lie in the space.

    The other building will serve as a small freight office. I'm still trying to develop the skills associated with the weathering and distressing of these models. It's not nearly as easy as I thought it was going to be! I'm not UN-happy with the results, but I'm not thrilled by how this turned out either.

    The thing I like most about the reimagining of the spurs is that it almost completely solves the problem I created for myself when the spurs paralelled the main line under that girder bridg; which was that any industry I put in this space was going to have it's rear facing the front of the layout. By bi-secting the available space with the spurs I now have room to plant that industry on the far side of the spurs with it's side profile facing front... which is a much better perspective than the other option provided. In addition, I now have more room for roads, parking spaces, fenced in storage areas, and some various accumulation of detritus that you might find along a spur. Completing the main warehouse and getting the Vulcan Mfg. gantry crane section assembled is the next project needing my attention so I can commit to how the space will be used.

    This is what the spur looked like originally...
    Then I added another one parallel to this one, but it made the placement of any industry there a difficult and less than satisfactory proposition as the back of the industry would be facing the front of the layout.

    IMG_4926.JPG


    Then I replanned them like this...

    IMG_4978.JPG


    But this is what I think I'm going to stick with...

    IMG_5029.JPG

    I really like it when the Harleys find their way into the shot, Lol!

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    Freight office... I'm not 'in love' with the weathering job i did, but at least it's not bright, shiny, plastic!

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    The office to the distribution warehouse looks pretty good the way it is... but we'll see what it looks like when I get the warehouse painted and assembled.

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    I think my little water feature looks pretty good along the tracks... can't wait until I can start getting some "green" on the rest of the layout.

    You can see the yard behind the water feature... this is where I'm going to use a Left Hand #6 instead of those two Right Hand switches.

    IMG_5036.JPG
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2020
  16. logging loco

    logging loco TrainBoard Supporter

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    NOTHING!:D

    I decided to clear everything off go through stuff and install a magnifier lamp I've had for a couple years.

    Amazingly I filled three grocery bags full of junk and containers that were empty or had dried up contents.

    I still have a carousel full of origional formula Floquil pants to go through in the future.

    Planing on moving work area to other side of window over the winter.
     
  17. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    Well this isn't N scale (tho I would love to have one of these in N scale) This is what is on my work bench right now.


    This is what I started with... Well this is after I got it running, it was a basket case missing quite a few pieces when I brought it home.
    Trail 90 old (2).jpg

    This got completely disassembled back in January-ish and was sent to a high school body shop to be stripped and painted. This is what i got back and what I am working on now. Sorry guys no trains at the moment!
    Trail 90 now (2).jpg

    For a build thread on this check out the forum below, and if you want to check out other bikes I have worked on and what not search Rebel N Dirt on YouTube. (sorry I cant access YouTube from my office to make a direct link to my channel)

    https://www.motorcycleforum.com/threads/1978-honda-trail-90-custom-restoration.241250/#post-2624109

    So there ya have it, why I have not been working on trains!
     
  18. logging loco

    logging loco TrainBoard Supporter

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    I call them Mike Fifers! Soldering track feeders to Kato rail joiners. Saw it on one of Mikes videos. I had always drilled through plastic roadbed and soldered to rails until I saw Mikes video a while back.
    Thanks Mike!
     
  19. freddy_fo

    freddy_fo TrainBoard Member

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    Derrick crane is done! The caution strips on the outriggers were very tedious. I cut up strips of yellow decals to get what you see then afterward I find on the microscale site they have some ready to go although they don't specify the width of the stripes. I ordered a set anyways as I have other uses for them such as my loading docks etc.

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    Also added the detail parts to an FVM GP60M, installed individual pico leds for the headlight, two forward ditch lights and put in sound. Had to clear out a hole in the tank area of the chassis for a speaker and trim out the rear of the shell to accommodate the loksound decoder. The latter task was kind of nerve wracking as it took a lot of patience to carefully carve and sand the inner shell without accidentally punching through to the exterior. I got lucky and all went well but after this it's unlikely I'm going to add sound to the two FVM GP60 B units I have until ESU comes out with a smaller sound decoder.

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    The SOO SD60M in the background is an Atlas loco from pre 2000 which I've added ditch lights to as well as other details like grabs and mirrors. Still have some other work to do on it before a full reveal(y)

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  20. freddy_fo

    freddy_fo TrainBoard Member

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    While waiting for decals to arrive for my SOO loco ive begun the detailing process for an intermountain SD45 (santa fe). I've separated the headlamp from the number board lighting and will be adding a roof beacon like the real thing. Using loksound DCC/Sound decoder to help provide the lighting effect. Also cut off the molded grabs and will be adding my own. So this shell is all glued together from the factory and breaking down to better get at all the pieces parts comes with the risk of breakage so a bit of a challenge to sort out.

    Big issue is that the headlamp lens is glued in place and there is a bit of light leakage through the roof which is noticeable under low light conditions. I can't get paint in between the headlight glazing and the roof so the only option is to paint it out on the outside so this is what I am in the process of doing per the pic below. All the molded in grabs have been shaved off and holes drilled for wire grabs. Intermountain did a great job of adding nice details like metal etched fan grills and windshield wipers so not sure why the stopped there and left out the grabs. Next hurdle is to mix paint to get as close to perfect match as I can for the yellow already on the shell.

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