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Teen Model Railroader Place Locked

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  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Shalimar. Florida
  • 2,622 posts
Posted by Packer on Monday, November 10, 2008 3:32 PM

A pic from the open house I ran at.

WC fan, looking good so far.

Railfan Alex, No reliable source of styrene around here.

Vincent

Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....

2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • 990 posts
Posted by Railfan Alex on Monday, November 10, 2008 2:08 PM

Nice work Jordan! How long did it take you to add the Cannon parts and the extra Styrene?

Alex

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Wausau, Wisconsin
  • 2,354 posts
Posted by WCfan on Sunday, November 9, 2008 7:53 PM

Ok, so it doesn't look like much. But thanks to you guys, and going to my LHS, I finished half of the Conductors Side Long Hood! Needs to be cleaned up, but this is a nice step forward.

I also ordered an Algoma Central GP7, so that should be coming Wednesday.

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Shalimar. Florida
  • 2,622 posts
Posted by Packer on Sunday, November 9, 2008 6:17 PM

Railfan Alex
If you are replacing broken gears in your P2K locos, call up Walthers first. I think they are still replacing faulty broken gears free of charge.

EDIT: But what do you mean by drive shaft?  Dunce Silly question... Nevermind...

If you want you can make your own with styrene rod. I did for one of my Athearns, works great!

I know they are still replacing them, that's how I fixed the other 2 I had. I'm hoping the same will apply to the motor, since I had the unit for less that a year when it went bad. (wire to commutator broke, so instead of 5 poles, it only had 4). If I'm lucky the 6 P2K locos I got will come before I place the order so I can see if they need new axles too. I'd perfer to get everything at once so I can go straight from one project to the next.

Didn't think of making my own driveshafts, however no one sells styrene rod around here.  The engine that it's going into is an athearn RTR GP35, the previous owner took the motor, driveshafts and worms out. effectively making it a dummy unit, but with the truck gears. Over the course of several months, I have put a Buehler can motor in it along with the worms from a newer athearn with the hex drive. Just needs the right type of driveshaft. I've tested the ones from my C424s and SD9 to see if they'd fit, the ends are right, but they are too long.

There is a guy on ebay selling the ones from an atlas RS-11/RSD12. They are the right style but I've never gotten an answer to how long they are.

http://cgi.ebay.com/RS11-RSD12-MALE-UNIVERSAL-CHINA-ATLAS-HO_W0QQitemZ350107034829QQcmdZViewItemQQptZModel_RR_Trains?hash=item350107034829&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

Hopefully I can figure that out how long the driveshafts are.

Vincent

Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....

2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 1,414 posts
Posted by Guilford Guy on Sunday, November 9, 2008 10:26 AM

P&W still exists, and there are rumors they want NECR's line to Palmer. NECR is a pretty sleezy railroad... They removed a slow order over a broken rail to make their track maintenance look better, and 324 put a lot of cars on the ground near Bellows Falls. NECR would still exist between Bellows Falls and New London. Also, last time I checked, QNE is owned by NECR, P&W, and a Vermont Bank, thus I think NECR still has some say in the matters.

Alex

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 9, 2008 9:29 AM

But I like NECR... I'm torn in my decision for "my" reality to have either QNE or NECR own that line... I try to keep most unplausable railroads out of my reality, like a merger between UP and CSX, for example. I do include some freelanced railroads, however, as long as they don't totally elimanate a prototype railroad (or at least a major prototype railroad, I don't care about Wilmer Rail Services...Laugh) I'm not sure about the QNE, in my reality they may just have trackage rights over some routes so that NECR and P&W (two of my favorite local prototype railroads) can still exist.

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • 990 posts
Posted by Railfan Alex on Saturday, November 8, 2008 9:16 PM

Packer,

If you are replacing broken gears in your P2K locos, call up Walthers first. I think they are still replacing faulty broken gears free of charge.

EDIT: But what do you mean by drive shaft?  Dunce Silly question... Nevermind...

If you want you can make your own with styrene rod. I did for one of my Athearns, works great!

Alex

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Shalimar. Florida
  • 2,622 posts
Posted by Packer on Saturday, November 8, 2008 5:20 PM

Tyler, you could do what I did to when I tried to make a horizontal fuel tank. I took a bunch of tape rolls and glued them together. Then painted it black. I made one, but I didn't make sure the tape rolls were aligned, so as a result it looks bent a little. I've decided to use it as a piece of a rusted old pipe on a flatcar. Putting the rolls on a wooden dowel that is the same diameter as the inside of the rolls would likely make sure the rolls are in line. Or for a horizontal tank, a piece of PVC pipe would work.

Wikious, the track looks good

For me, I bought 6 P2K locos (3 GP7/9s, and 3 SW9s) for a total of 83 bucks shipped. With luck, I'll be able to sell the NYC GP7s and SW9 to a friend locally.

My father has decided to help me out a little, so I'll be putting in an order to walthers next week to get stuff to finish up my GP35, SD9, and U28B. (the Geep needs NWSL drive shafts and the handrails and lift rings from a P2K GP30 [handrails fit]. The SD9 need a motor. the U28B needs the original coupler boxes [has kadee boxes] and horn [was missing when bought, drives me nuts that a sound unit doesn't have a visible horn])

Vincent

Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....

2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 1,414 posts
Posted by Guilford Guy on Saturday, November 8, 2008 5:01 PM
QNE runs north south from Gardner to St Albans. I think NECR is dead if you assume P&W controls the southern end, and QNE the Northern End... Basically all that's left of NECR is a line from Bellows Falls to New London, while the P&W/QNE can alternate route around them... Lamoille Valley interchanges with QNE way up north at Sheldon. It extends east over to Whitefield NH. WRS interchanges with CCRR and QNE in White River Junction... LVRC interchanges only with QNE. The WRS line was formerly B&M's Northern Div.

Alex

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 8, 2008 3:51 PM

Uh, that's four railroads... Are you modeling CCRR as well as the Lamoille Valley? And which line is the WRS? Northern?

I still don't understand where the Lamoille Valley and QNE (unless the name's been changed since I was last there... Smile,Wink, & Grin) are in relation to the WRS. Maybe you could show me on a map or something?

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • From: Memphis, TN
  • 3,876 posts
Posted by Packers#1 on Saturday, November 8, 2008 3:44 PM

Well, no Walthers catalog, but I did get a new boxcar and some woodland scenics fall foliage, which looks great. now to experiment w/ it next week. No pics, b/c i have no camera here. 

Sawyer Berry

Clemson University c/o 2018

Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • 990 posts
Posted by Railfan Alex on Saturday, November 8, 2008 3:06 PM

Sorry for confusion. I am starting to build a resin kit. It's not so fun, the castings are pretty bad...

Alex

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 1,414 posts
Posted by Guilford Guy on Saturday, November 8, 2008 2:21 PM
That would be it... I find it amusing how us 3 MA Modelers are all modeling a similar area of Vermont... Northern, Conn  River, Lamoille Valley, and CCRR...

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?2008021215365915612.jpg

Alex

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Wausau, Wisconsin
  • 2,354 posts
Posted by WCfan on Saturday, November 8, 2008 2:00 PM

Aw man, I wish my new layout space would get cleaned out sooner! I really want to work on something!

Wikious, the track looks great.

Tyler, keep up the good work! For fueling your locomotives you could contract a company to do that too. CN does that around Wausau.

Alex, good luck with the Resin! My friend wants to cast the SDL39 trucks in Resin, and possably sell them for a profit.

Tomorrow I get to go to my LHS. Hopefully I'll be able to start working on my SDL39 again.

WIN SD60 6001 came out of Horicon in a varied WIN "Lemon Lime Twist". There are two "Z Stripes" on the locomotive to accommodate for the lower Radiator on the SD60s. What do you guys think of it?

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 8, 2008 12:34 PM

 Isn't the Claremont & Concord the railroad that runs out of WRJ to Lebanon just a couple miles on the line to Concord? Paint scheme is yellow and green? WRS has trackage rights on that railroad the few miles from my Lebanon yard (named White River Junction on my layout to avoid confusion from new operators) to downtown WRJ and the interchanges there.

Wikious, the structure is a single stall enginehouse, which was in the kitbasher series. I had to cut out all the doors and window openings without guides or anything. Placement was all up to me.

Alex: Started in resin...what? What got started in resin? You casting stuff in resin? I'm confused...

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 1,414 posts
Posted by Guilford Guy on Saturday, November 8, 2008 10:00 AM

The shed is also a pikestuff kit.

With luck I'll be buying an Atlas S4 body shell kit off ebay... Which would commence my Claremont Concord 105 Project... I sitll need to finish someone's GP30, and get a job... >_<

Alex

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • 990 posts
Posted by Railfan Alex on Saturday, November 8, 2008 8:53 AM

Dunno Sawyer, you'd have to experiment.

 I would think the water would make the ground foam unglue. Wouldn't it be easier to get some yellow, red and orange foliage?

Alex

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • From: Memphis, TN
  • 3,876 posts
Posted by Packers#1 on Saturday, November 8, 2008 8:47 AM

Wikious, rail looks great. 

I'm gonna start modeling fall now, just too good of a time of year to pass up. I was wondering about soaking woodland scenics ground foam in dyed water then letting it dry out to tone the color down for some trees, would this work? 

Sawyer Berry

Clemson University c/o 2018

Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

  • Member since
    October 2007
  • From: Wisconsin
  • 378 posts
Posted by Wikious on Friday, November 7, 2008 10:06 PM

 Tyler- is that the 2-stall engine house or the one stall engine house you have there?

I started painting track for my diorama- folquil rail brown with a brush.


  • Member since
    October 2005
  • 990 posts
Posted by Railfan Alex on Friday, November 7, 2008 8:28 PM

Nice job Tyler! Work looks great. I agree, spray paint lettering looks awesome!

My LHS owner just got me started...in RESIN!

It doesn't look too great, but a completed CP Van would be a great addition to the fleet!

It's an Associated Model Makers kit.

Alex

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • From: Memphis, TN
  • 3,876 posts
Posted by Packers#1 on Friday, November 7, 2008 8:22 PM

Looks great Tyler. Good job for the spray-paint lettering, lol

Sawyer Berry

Clemson University c/o 2018

Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 7, 2008 8:19 PM

 Great work! Those weathering and painting jobs are amazing!

Today I worked on my White River Junction, VT engine terminal. Structures are a Pikestuff enginehouse, and a shed from an unknown manufacturer. I added details from my junk bin, as well as some vehicles: a fueling truck (my shortline currently doesn't have a tank, so they fuel the locomotive directly from the truck) and the shop carry-all. There's currently one part of an Impack set propped up on shop trucks undergoing repairs.

Overview

Shop office

Coffee break!

Closer view

The fuel truck is kept at the far end, in case of fire. All the shop equipment was lettered as if the shop crew lettered it by hand with a spray can, which is very prototypical for a New England shortline.

The impack is on shop trucks to allow it to be moved short distances.

 

 

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • 1,377 posts
Posted by SOU Fan on Thursday, November 6, 2008 5:58 PM
Packer

Nice work 

Do you come across problems where the paint wants to come off of nickel silver wheels like that? I have a few freightcar wheelsets I painted like that with craft paints, and the paint doesn't adhere really well to it.

I paint my wheels using an airbrush so I haven'thad that problem yet. If that ever did happen I have a sandblater that I could use to give some grit to the wheels.

Yep, I was Smoke. I actually somewhat forgot about the BN SD80MAC.

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Wausau, Wisconsin
  • 2,354 posts
Posted by WCfan on Thursday, November 6, 2008 5:15 PM

I remember you now SOUfan! Your old user name was Smoke wasn't it? You also painted a SD80MAC in BN which looked really nice!

Montana Railfan, did you catch the MRL before they got there SD70ACes? One of the reasons I wanted to go out there now was because of the SD45s and there 4 F45s, now it’s kind of more for the Scenery. Doesn't MRL have 2 F45s left? In storage though? There aren't many SD45s any more, but I'd still like to catch the few remaining.

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Shalimar. Florida
  • 2,622 posts
Posted by Packer on Thursday, November 6, 2008 4:56 PM

Nice work 

Do you come across problems where the paint wants to come off of nickel silver wheels like that? I have a few freightcar wheelsets I painted like that with craft paints, and the paint doesn't adhere really well to it.

Vincent

Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....

2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • 1,377 posts
Posted by SOU Fan on Thursday, November 6, 2008 4:31 PM
Railfan Alex

So it's you! I've seen your stuff on a few websites, and your Youtube page.

I see you like the MAC's!

What did you do to the wheels on the NS SD80MAC? I like it!

Yes I like the MAC's. I really like the SD80MAC's and the SD70MAC's. I don't really like the looks of the SD90\43MAC with the numberboards on the nose.

The wheels on the NS unit were done by painting the wheels using floquil paints for a base coat. I use "earth" as it is light so it gets covered well. Once the paint dries I take a tube of burnt sienna oils and cover the whole wheel face with the oil. Once the whole wheel face is covered with oils take some chalks and make a pile of powder on your workbench. Take a wide paint brush and dip your brush in the chalks. Then put the chalks on the still wet oil paints. The oil paints adhere the chalks to the wheelface. I use two or three different chalk colors to avoid the same colors of wheel faces.
  • Member since
    February 2008
  • From: Memphis, TN
  • 3,876 posts
Posted by Packers#1 on Thursday, November 6, 2008 3:41 PM

Montana Railfan

 At Packer#1 Im currently a Civil Engineering Major.

Cool. I'm thinking about being either a civil engineer (or whoever works for a commuter RR),  or agricultural. Long as I can go to Clemson, lol.

Sawyer Berry

Clemson University c/o 2018

Building a protolanced industrial park layout

 

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • 990 posts
Posted by Railfan Alex on Thursday, November 6, 2008 2:39 PM

So it's you! I've seen your stuff on a few websites, and your Youtube page.

I see you like the MAC's!

What did you do to the wheels on the NS SD80MAC? I like it!

Alex

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • 1,377 posts
Posted by SOU Fan on Thursday, November 6, 2008 1:26 PM
Well I model Southern Railway in the modern day. I do not have a layout right now but run my equipment at the club I am part of. I am also in school to become an engineer. Going to a CC right now and then transfering to the school of Mines, to become a mechanical engineer. I also to make a little money paint and weather engines. Here are some pics of what I have done. Painted and weathered N scale SD80MAC Custom weathered SD35 Custom painted and weathered 8-40C Custom painted SD80MAC And finally a custom painted and weathered SD70MAC!
  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Bozeman, MT
  • 28 posts
Posted by Montana Railfan on Thursday, November 6, 2008 11:06 AM

 At Packer#1 Im currently a Civil Engineering Major.

 

And yes i do (who would have guessed:P) in fact i spend a lot of time (in between, work, school, and hammer throwing) at the pass, most weekends that is where i can be found, i absolutley love it!

Owner Eastern Montana Industrial Railroad (HO and N Scale)

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