TrainManTy If I were you, I'd get a razor saw... I've used an ex-acto knife to cut loco shells (a dummy IHC Alco that was just scrapped loco details in the yard) before (I still don't have a razor saw) and it turned out really rough, and sort of butchered the shell. The whole idea of a razor saw is that it DOESN'T butcher the shell; it makes a nice clean cut. If I was doing another kitbashing project, I'd definetely invest in a good razor saw. Especially if it was a locomotive.
If I were you, I'd get a razor saw... I've used an ex-acto knife to cut loco shells (a dummy IHC Alco that was just scrapped loco details in the yard) before (I still don't have a razor saw) and it turned out really rough, and sort of butchered the shell. The whole idea of a razor saw is that it DOESN'T butcher the shell; it makes a nice clean cut.
If I was doing another kitbashing project, I'd definetely invest in a good razor saw. Especially if it was a locomotive.
Maybe you're right...
Would something cheap from Micro Mark or in the Walther's catalog or anything like that work?
And I need to find out if I can borrow a drill to make holes for the ditch lights. I've decided that they will go to the LED 3 outputs, since that's the and is the easiest place to connect them to. They'll just be constant and will come on with the front headlight and numberboards. That is, when I actually get a decoder for the thing...
My Model Railroad: Tri State RailMy Photos on Flickr: FlickrMy Videos on Youtube: YoutubeMy Photos on RRPA: RR Picture Archives
Didn't get to as much as I hoped to today, but it was more that anything I've done in the last week. I started cutting up my F40, but it's taking longer than expected. There was a suggestion about using a razor saw but two problems with that: I don't have a razor saw, and I don't want to completely butcher the shell. So I'm using a hobby knife to cut through the corners. The only reason it's hard is that my hand kinda doesn't fit in an HO shell, so holding it is awkward.
If I get time (still finishing my term paper for bio...) maybe I'll do some scenery around the lake or cut hills or something.
green_elite_cabTrainManTy Looks a whole heck of a lot better than MY first ballasting job! After a year, I still can't ballast that well... My current problem is that the stuff doesn't stay where I put it when I spray on the wet water and add glue... The best way to do it is to not directly hit the ballast. once you have the ballast where you want it, use an eye dropper and slowly let your "wet water" flow out on either a tie or something else. the trick is to allow it to seep in without letting the water flow so much that it starts to wash the ballast away. capillary action will do most of the work. then add the glue in the same fashion, the wet water should prevent it from beading up the ballast.
TrainManTy Looks a whole heck of a lot better than MY first ballasting job! After a year, I still can't ballast that well... My current problem is that the stuff doesn't stay where I put it when I spray on the wet water and add glue...
Looks a whole heck of a lot better than MY first ballasting job! After a year, I still can't ballast that well... My current problem is that the stuff doesn't stay where I put it when I spray on the wet water and add glue...
The best way to do it is to not directly hit the ballast. once you have the ballast where you want it, use an eye dropper and slowly let your "wet water" flow out on either a tie or something else. the trick is to allow it to seep in without letting the water flow so much that it starts to wash the ballast away. capillary action will do most of the work. then add the glue in the same fashion, the wet water should prevent it from beading up the ballast.
I actually used an Elmer's Glue bottle to apply it, just let the water flow out with a bit of pressure, it thoroughly soaked the ballast, and then I did the same with the glue. went really smooth.
I'm going to, for the heck of it, plan a double deck layout in an 11x12 room, with a small 4x6 closet for staging. It'll still be SC, but it'll be its own little shortline (probably the Aiken Southern, but I'll run it as an independent line from SBRail, and create another line to go from Aiken to Charleston).
This will basically be the plan I go off of if I ever get the room to build it, or a layout similar.
Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
GG, it's boxcar red with the minuteman logo. Thanks for the info regarding it. Guess if I decide to use and keep it (I'll probably end up trying to get rid of it, I want for 50 foot box cars, there weren't very many 40 box cars around at the time), it'd have to be weathered fairly heavily.
I figure that SP automobile box might be running around in the 70s, since some pictures from the early BN days do show cars like that. I'll probably get rid of the "Automobile" lettering on it, since Autoracks were around at the time. I have 2.5 Southern (one is for parts, that one is .5) ones just like it running around. So I'll probably put it together.
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.
Nice ballasting Wikious!
Ty, good vid. Sounds get better and better!
And WO might stand for Work Order???
Alex
Packer, The car you have is most likely wearing Boxcar red paint, with a square B&M Logo, or a Minuteman Logo. Its possible they ran them into the 70's, but they would most likely have received new McGinnis Black and Blue. Those cars were really low on the list of cars to keep by then, because Mickey G placed an order for 40 and 50 foot cars several times during his term. A lot of the 40ft cars survive, as they were sold to people for storage when the 50ft cars arrived.
Last night, as I was driving home past the White River Southern Railroad's White River Junction yard, I spotted a something moving. I raced a head to New Poland, where I caught two shots of it. Then I headed to Dooley, NH, where I got a shot of it crossing Main Street.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ns1nenn1xoHope you enjoy!
I got my package of 100 36 inch metal wheelsets in the other day. Didn't think I'd use all of them, but I did (13 covered hoppers, 1 flat, the rest to boxcars). I still need to get some 33 inch wheelsets for the rest of my fleet, and some more 36s since I have a few cars waiting on 36s (a Bowser 100-ton hopper in SP).
Athearn's release date on the F45 hasn't changed in a few weeks, so that's good news. I had my parents pre-order one in the hope that they would have been completed by Christmas. I'm hoping it gets done soon, so I can break it in and speed match it with my SD45s. (yeah, I have a list of stuff to speed match now)
Last night a friend of mine gave me a Red Caboose box car kit. It's a B&M XM-1, build date 1-30, with a WO date of 3-48 (dunno what WO means). Dunno if that would work for my era or Prototype. I also have a P2K SP Automoblie box car that I haven't put together yet since I think it is out of my era too. Anyone know if either of there cars could have possibly survived into the 70's?
Have you looked at the layout construction area of this site? It has a video and pdf file for ballasting. Love the diorama!!!
Eye dropper...oh yeah... I still use a spray bottle... That's probably most of the problem!
I caught a light power move on the WRS last night, but unfortunetely YouTube is being really slow uploading, so it could be a while till it's up...
This isn't so much a hard project as it is that no one has really gotten the supplies together to build one. I could probably get away with making one right now, but i'm lazy, lol. As long as you have a razor saw, and a junked F40, you should be able to graft on the last section. the hard part is the grills, but they can be done. just make sure you have a clean edge. cut off less than you have to, then come back with a sanding stick or a file. It will probably take about 2 hours to do, but it will fly, so go at it!
Modeling Conrail, Amtrak and NJ DOT under the wires in New Jersey, July 1979.
Looks good. Probably better than my first ballasting job would be, but I've never done it before.
I Finally found what I need for my F40PH-2CAT. Here's the back of a standard F40PH, which is what my model looks like now. And here's the back of an F40PH-2CAT, NJTR 4113. Note the lack of a rear platform, to make room for the Caterpillar engine. When mine is done, it will hopefully look like that. However, the back is the opposite of the back on an F40PH, so it looks like I will have to scratchbuild it. I will also get a new fuel tank which is larger on the 4113 than on the rest of the units. I found a picture of a half of the back of the 4115, but it looks different, and I don't know what the rest looks like, so I'll make mine the 4113 and use an extra large fuel tank. Here's a pic of the 4113 in Port Morris, 5 mins away from me. Note the ditch lights and large fuel tank.
Maybe I'll actually get to something today, because for the last two days, we've had a lot of homework... The roads are a sheet of ice, so I have nothing to do today.
Actually, I did do the ballast first. It looks a bit messy since I still have to vaccuum off the loose stuff off.
TMRP managed to slide to page 4! After being swamped with school, holidays, and other things in life, I picked up my 15x60" diorama and have made some good progress.
And this second picture is my first attempt at ballasting. I think I'm getting the hang of it, kind of.
Grrr, i just realized my Arrow III EMUs and Silverliner II EMUs have a different wheel base. Atleast the black beetle powered truck i picked up today at the "World's Greatest Hobby" tour had the right wheel base for the Arrow III, now i just need a decoder and decals.
TrainManTySawyer: Whether all the buildings were similar would depend on a few things.The infrastructure before your shortline took over - if there was already a yard there they would probably keep whatever buildings were in good shape and worked well and replace the rest with modern steel structures (the Pikestuff structures) If there was no yard there, then all the buildings would be the same.When each one was built. A railroad in the 60s might build a brick structure, then in the 80s build a steel structure, all in the same yard.Just some things to think about. If it was me, I'd go with all steel unless I really wanted an older structure from an older era. Just my
Sawyer: Whether all the buildings were similar would depend on a few things.
Just some things to think about. If it was me, I'd go with all steel unless I really wanted an older structure from an older era. Just my
EDIT: Great consist Jordan, those two schemes look greatr together
Jordan: if you are talking about the tight fit for the coupler boxes, there's actually a different reason for that. I ran into this problems with my GP30s and GP9s. The problem is that the electonics (DCC decoder and circuitboard, or the 2 circuit boards) are a really tight fit.I found that filling the top of the small circuit board, and the tabs on the bottom of the DCC decoder or the larger circuit board fix this. If you don't correct this you'll end up with a drooping rear step.
The SDP40 kitbash is kind of low on the priority list. I'd like to finish up my other projects first.
Well this colorful consist pulled into the pink desert some where in Wisconsin.
This CNW geep will soon be patched for the WC.
WC 6677, the first WC painted locomotive is also on the consist.
The new P2K geeps have the same coupler box problem. The frame is too low, and the top of the coupler box gets in the way of the couple lift bar. So you need to work with it for a bit...kind of hard to explain how I get the coupler box in there place.
The Kato needs some work too. The hand rails are...black...so they need to be painted maroon. Time to break out my air brush.
My Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/JR7582 My Flickr Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wcfan/
Sawyer: Personally I like the Walthers kit, but its up to you. In case you're interested, the walthers kit is available from Walthers on sale and in stock.
Tyler: Idk how it looks in person, you know more then me. In the picture it looks, well, the only word for it i guess would be "sparkly".
Joe: Maybe that car needs a little weathering to tone down the shine, huh? It looks normal in person.
ns3010Still kinda surprised on how we got into all that stuff just from Tyler asking about my fuel tank in Spanglesh. But whatever. Tyler: Looks good. But what's up with the metalic blue on the car? Sawyer: Good ideal. I can see why you wand a big yard, I would have one if I had room.
Still kinda surprised on how we got into all that stuff just from Tyler asking about my fuel tank in Spanglesh. But whatever.
Tyler: Looks good. But what's up with the metalic blue on the car?
Sawyer: Good ideal. I can see why you wand a big yard, I would have one if I had room.
well, we got talking about school, then classes, then science, etc., etc., lol.
Joe, my yard is anything but big. three tracks, all can probably hold about 8-9 cars. however, both the main and A/D track can be used for classification (yeah, how I operate, it will work), and I only need three tracks, tops, to classify the freight, and I won't need the whole track area, so that'll leave two tracks open for storage, and also all three can go into a shop.
I'm thinking either this pikestuff kit:
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/product_p/pks-541-8014.htm
or this walthers kit (it's out of stock, but there's other sites I can use):
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/product_p/933-3228.htm
the other yard buildings are all pikestuff, so I want to go with something different, but then again, it might look better to keep everything in unity. I don't know what do you guys think?
I think I figured out everything for my F40. Just want an opinion: The rear headlight works on LED 1 +,-. Front Headlight works on LED 2 +,-. Numberboards are LED 3 +,-. There is one other LED output marked LED 4/5 +,-. I think I will connnect the ditch lights to either LED 2 or 3. Do you think I should do this or put them on LED 4/5? I'm not sure how extensive the programming on EZ Command is, and I'm not familiar with programming. So, I think I will just wire them with either the front headlight or numberboards, and leave them constant? Any help is appreciated.
Yeah, sorry about that, it just makes me so ticked when i see how blind the world has become.
On a model railroading note, I think I found jsutification for having such a big yard on my layout that I don't need to operate the local oindustries: a small repair/storage yard. Now I also have an excuse to get more locos and cars painted for my SBRail system.
Tyler, sent you a PM, De lery, talk to you on facebook.
ns3010TrainManTy Packers#1 I still have regular science, thank the lord we're through the geology section, let's jsut say that charles Darwin was high when he created the theory of evolution, and that scientists are wrong about everything, the earth is only 6,000 years old, but I won't get into that more here, b/c it's religion, but if you want to hear my argument, either PM or email me. or catch me on facebook. I disagree on you about that, of course that's a banned subject here (for good reason) but I do have one point to make: Isn't geology about rocks? I don't think the theory of evolution applies to rocks... Joe: You mean these units? If so, that's really bad news to me. Those are among my favorite units on NJT... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz6qUQeatEs Sadly, yes, those geeps. I personally love them. It's hard to believe that they are now in their 41st year of service. The PL42s were originally supposed to be the replacements, but there were problems with them when they arrive, but I like them. Anyway, those 13 units are the only "historic" units left. The -2As and Bs were rebuilt from GP40s. Oh, and BTW, I think that you were at Convent Station, considering that there is no convent garden... Also, how can you "disagree on" Sawyer??? Sawyer, we have those exact kinds of conversations in Theology class. Yes, I go to a Catholic HS, in case anyone was wondering.
TrainManTy Packers#1 I still have regular science, thank the lord we're through the geology section, let's jsut say that charles Darwin was high when he created the theory of evolution, and that scientists are wrong about everything, the earth is only 6,000 years old, but I won't get into that more here, b/c it's religion, but if you want to hear my argument, either PM or email me. or catch me on facebook. I disagree on you about that, of course that's a banned subject here (for good reason) but I do have one point to make: Isn't geology about rocks? I don't think the theory of evolution applies to rocks... Joe: You mean these units? If so, that's really bad news to me. Those are among my favorite units on NJT... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz6qUQeatEs
Packers#1 I still have regular science, thank the lord we're through the geology section, let's jsut say that charles Darwin was high when he created the theory of evolution, and that scientists are wrong about everything, the earth is only 6,000 years old, but I won't get into that more here, b/c it's religion, but if you want to hear my argument, either PM or email me. or catch me on facebook.
I still have regular science, thank the lord we're through the geology section, let's jsut say that charles Darwin was high when he created the theory of evolution, and that scientists are wrong about everything, the earth is only 6,000 years old, but I won't get into that more here, b/c it's religion, but if you want to hear my argument, either PM or email me. or catch me on facebook.
I disagree on you about that, of course that's a banned subject here (for good reason) but I do have one point to make: Isn't geology about rocks? I don't think the theory of evolution applies to rocks...
Joe: You mean these units? If so, that's really bad news to me. Those are among my favorite units on NJT...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz6qUQeatEs
Sadly, yes, those geeps. I personally love them. It's hard to believe that they are now in their 41st year of service. The PL42s were originally supposed to be the replacements, but there were problems with them when they arrive, but I like them. Anyway, those 13 units are the only "historic" units left. The -2As and Bs were rebuilt from GP40s. Oh, and BTW, I think that you were at Convent Station, considering that there is no convent garden... Also, how can you "disagree on" Sawyer???
Sawyer, we have those exact kinds of conversations in Theology class. Yes, I go to a Catholic HS, in case anyone was wondering.
Convent Station? That makes more sense... I remembered it as Garden, but that was last May... I'll go edit all the videos now...
And "disagree on" was just a typo, I have since fixed it. I fully agree with Alex, lets get back to modeling!
I took this photo a while ago of a railfan on my layout, but forgot to post it. Please ignore the shiny out of focus solder joint that needs to be painted...
Yes I realized that.
I didn't know that any F40s went to Canada. And they were GP40FH-2s, not PH-2s. The FHs are geeps with an ex-BN cowl. I believe that all except the ones in Canada have been retired. You also have some comarrows (comet IBs- arrow Is rebuilt into coaches), which are the only ones that aren't retired. And yes, I heard about th fire. It damaged one of the GP40FH-2s, but nothing was destroyed. Someone on another forum made a joke saying that "Since NJ and Canada have similar equipment (AMT is leasing NJT stuff) and both are getting the ALP-46s, that by 2012, they will look exactly the same."
Anyway, lets put away the science and religion and get back to the modeling.
Yes, sorry, and agreed.
But it is an interesting subject to me, and if someone wants to discuss in a PM with me or something, I have no problem.
___________________
All that aside, I have been testing and fooling around with my Tsunami 567, and boy does it sound nice! I think I am now going Tsunami all the way, there is nothing out there that is better. Plus, you have playable horns on the DT400, something I find that is really cool.
And Soundtraxx won't tell you, because it was a complete accident, but you can change the sounds on your Tsunami with the Quantum Revolution programmer.
So if any of you are into aftermarket sound, I would really recommend Soundtraxx's Tsunami.
I've been doing more of those decoder installs, I've taken photos and need to post them and all that.
I even cleaned some stuff up in my room, and under it I found my desk!