TrainManTy Yes, I will be repainting some equipment, but I do feel like making filthy, faded, patched units... I'm ordering one of the new Athearn GP40X high-hood units in SOU paint tonight, and I'm going to totally destroy it... Repaint some of the hood doors gray-ish, airbrush with thinned white to fade the paint, and then patch it...
Yes, I will be repainting some equipment, but I do feel like making filthy, faded, patched units... I'm ordering one of the new Athearn GP40X high-hood units in SOU paint tonight, and I'm going to totally destroy it... Repaint some of the hood doors gray-ish, airbrush with thinned white to fade the paint, and then patch it...
Humm, so Tyler, what's this about not buying any more locomotives?
Oh and Vincent, nice roster! That's huge!
Looks like my WC F45 and ATSF FP45 are due for August 2009 now instead of November!
My Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/JR7582 My Flickr Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wcfan/
Jordan, thanks for the compliment. Regarding tyler, that was the voice in his head saying no more locos. lol
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.
WCfanHumm, so Tyler, what's this about not buying any more locomotives?
Uh, well, I, uh, was replacing 1701... It's the only non-Atlas or P2K locomotive on the roster, and as a wide-body (as in the hood is wider than the prototype) Walthers Trainline GP9m, it didn't fit in. So I'm replacing it with a higher quality locomotive.
And the GP40X sold out in all 3 road numbers before I could order it... I'm shooting for an Atlas SD35 or GP40 now...
Well I just got back from work and taking my brother to the dentist, so I didn't get a chance to roster my stuff. At least I get off early all week long.
Ty, what about an Altas U30C or SD24 or a P2K SW9? *hint hint, nudge nudge*
Jordan, at least your F45s got pushed fowards, instead of backwards. Don't know why it took them almost a year to move the headlight to the nose, or why didn't they offer a GN version painted for BN. I would have posted that earlier, but I had to go to work.
Tyler, what about SD45s, or a F45? I'd try smaller geeps. Maybe GP7/9s, GP30s, GP35s, and GP40s. Class Ones usually hung onto their GP38s longer than their GP40s so...I wonder how you'd be able to fit you SDP35 into your roster. Maybe you could run like a scenic tourist train, and have the SDP35 decorated in some sort of special paint scheme. Or if you are still going patch it for the WIN.
Yea, well Athearn will probably use the ATSF F45 casting for the WC ones, as the WC F45s where former ATSF.
Hey,
I haven't been in or have even modeled(!) for a few weeks now. I just got back from San Antonio with my HS's music, and have been working on the musical, My Fair Lady, and tech week is about to start. Tech week is two weeks long, so we've been calling it tech fortnight. And, Juniors take ACT & PSAE tom. and Thurs., so Sophmores and Seniors don't have school! But, I'm a Freshman over at another campus, so I'm have to go. And they claim we're one school. Anyway, just thought I'd check in.
Did I start a trend on posting upon coming back from San Antonio? (mad singer is the 2nd person to mention that since I got back)
Upon searching upon advice for how to kitbash a Bowser/Stewart C630 into a C636, I found out that Tiger valley supposedly makes a kit for them. If that's true and I can get a way to conact the company, I'd think about buying the kit; since it's probably more economically sound (read: less expensive) that cutting up a Stewart, and way less than a brass model. I'd more than likely only buy one since BN only had 10 of them; but I might get a second or a third since they seem to have been run together quite often.
I wouldn't airbrush the units with thinned white if i were you... Instead spray the shells with dullcote, and then when it's dry, use a paint brush to apply rubbing alcohol to areas you want faded. Thinned white is really hit and miss.
As for motive power, I'd recommend finding a 4 axle replacement for the SD35!
Maybe more GP7/18s or some GP35s (Athearn ones with quick plug for $50 on Klein).
Alex
I agree with Alex, find some replacement for the SDP35; it seems like an odd-ball.
I'm not even trying to explain the SDP... I might replace it at some point, but for now it's staying.
And my roster is almost all small geeps... I've got two GP7s, a GP9, a GP10, and two GP30s. Then there's the SDP and two U-boats, and whatever will replace 1701.
If it were up to me, I would have a matching roster of GP38s, but it's not, so I've learned to live with my oddball fleet...
Regarding the GP38-2s- Hahahahahahahahah... They are probably arriving here tomorrow.
Your roster isn't that bad... 4 early geeps, and 2 U Boats, sounds like FGLK. The GP30(assuming the dummy is getting aprted out and sold when something replaces it) and the SDP are the ones that don't really belong...
Tyler, sounds better than my fleet:
H-15-44 (not even around anymore (modelers license, thank you again!)
GP9
GP35
GP30
U23B
rs-1
rsd-5
C-Liner
Extremely oddball. Waht's worse is the rsd is in CNJ paint, the U23B ATSF, the C-Liner MILW, rs-1 in Susquehanna, and the rest need serious TLC on the shells. My plan: C-Liner and U-boat keep paint, alcos get one scheme, Geeps get another, H-15-44 gets a third.
Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
True, Alex. That's what I use to justify my roster!
I could always make the GP30 and SDP35 leasers... Or I could leave it... Right now I'm not using two early geeps on any one train, so I could say I'm mixing in the larger (GP30, SDP, U-boats) locomotives in each train to avoid using three early geeps...
EDIT: Here's what I've been up to recently... Night photos!
Sawyer, that roster could be protoypical if you model between the 50s and 70s.
Ty, you could make the early geeps used for locals and yard duites. Have the bigger stuff used for bigger trains.
Happily, my roster ins't really oddball, just dispropotonate. I need more engines like GP7, 8, 9, 10s or RS3, 11s and whatever else would be used for locals.
I made a list of all my freigh cars and came up with 105. Here's a break down:7 cabooses (don't know why I counted them as freight cars)16 covered hoppers5 tank cars7 flat cars (1 isn't here yet, will get pics when it does)5 gons30 box cars35 hoppers0 reefers (need to get some)
I don't have any tank cars or flatcars... Need to get some of those...
Here's my rolling stock roster and their services on my layout...
And for your reference, here's a list of the industries on the layout, sorted by town from East to West.
West Formanek:
- Delery Pulpwood, shipping pulpwood out in gondolas
Stude:
- Kimball Recycling, receiving scrap metal by gondola and shipping out finished steel rolls in gondolas.
Dooley:
- Agrawal Paper, shipping out paper in plug door boxcars. I want to make it receive something, but I don't have room for a woodchip unloader. Suggestions?
- DDWH (Daviston, Dooley, & West Hamilton) interchange, serving off the layout, a team track (double-door and standard boxcars) and some sort of food plant (airslide and grain hoppers, plus tons of reefers).
New Poland:
- New Poland Cement, receiving covered hoppers of dry cement and hoppers of sand.
- Hyce Machinery, shipping and receiving machinery in standard boxcars.
White River Junction doesn't have any industries, just a yard, although the engine servicing tracks are across the yard lead from Hyce Machinery... And the car shop (recently added, right up against the backdrop) does receive any faulty cars, either by the yard job or the 0-5-0...
Don't impacks count as flat cars?
BTW, here's a break down.
34’ 2-bay hopper
Some cars probably should be there, like the 34' hoppers, most of the 40 boxcars, and a few of those tank cars. Red means it's a repeat, blue means it ain't here yet.
Impacks are spine cars... Not general service flatcars. And I forgot to count those since they aren't on the layout, and I just went down and tallied everything I could see.
PackerSawyer, that roster could be protoypical if you model between the 50s and 70s.
I'm planning on modern day, but hey, it'll jsut be a mainline, so I can run long consists etc. (and no, I don't have final plan, lol, or really any plan )
Alex came over today, and in addition to other things, we worked on my locomotives...
The GP18 had nothing wrong with it, it was actually a faulty decoder. We found that out after totally disassembling the loco to troubleshoot the problem, putting it back together, and then disassembling it AGAIN, ripping out all the wire, and then hard-wiring in a 9-pin socket for the decoder... Then it still didn't work, so we tried 1701's decoder and it worked perfectly.The frame is here so I can work on the headlights (Alex got it running perfectly on his first hard-wire decoder install () but wasn't able to get the headlights working. I'll figure it out.) while the shell went with Alex to get painted in WRS colors...
SDP35 had it's decoder installed the right way, and worked perfectly the first time. It's currently operative and back on the roster.
The PRR GP7 had an unknown problem. I ripped out all the wiring and hard-wired a 9-pin socket in, but I don't have a decoder to test it with, since the one I have has no motor control... The frame I have, and the shell went off with Alex to get painted.
I now have two faulty Digitrax decoders... I'm going to contact Tony (of Tony's Train Exchange, where I bought them) and see what I can do about it. The 60-day Digitrax warrenty has expired since January... If he can't do anything, I'll write a complaint letter to Digitrax...
TrainManTyWe found that out after totally disassembling the loco to troubleshoot the problem, putting it back together, and then disassembling it AGAIN, ripping out all the wire, and then hard-wiring in a 9-pin socket for the decoder... Then it still didn't work, so we tried 1701's decoder and it worked perfectly.
We found that out after totally disassembling the loco to troubleshoot the problem, putting it back together, and then disassembling it AGAIN, ripping out all the wire, and then hard-wiring in a 9-pin socket for the decoder... Then it still didn't work, so we tried 1701's decoder and it worked perfectly.
Pfff, who's we!
I completely dissassembled it, tried it one way, ripped out circuit board, and started from scratch. Currently both Geeps, and my RS3 are bathing in alcohol.
I had some influence on the decisions... Other than that I provided another distraction and source of entertainment as we both toiled away trying to solder tiny wires in holes, onto miniscule tabs, and to each other, with much frustration and "darn, stupid wire!", "why doesn't it work NOW???", and "now I pulled that one loose!", on two seperate locomotives.
We would have made a good comedy show for model railroaders...
Alex screwing up again, no surprise there!
You shmuck...
I actually fixed the loco... and it hadn't been working because the left track lead had broken off... Anyways, both locos have now been painted black, the GP18 masked, the GP7 going to be masked when its dried for another couple hours, and I'm going to get red paint later today!
Also, Tyler and I fixed several trouble spots in addition to getting 2 locos running. That kink at the top of the hill was killer!
Can't wait to see the new WRS locomotives!
Both are masked. Next Friday I'll post a pic of the units.
Yup! The layout's in good shape right now, and after the work crew comes tonight, it'll be continuous and running really well!
Jordan: I had considered painting 1402 in WIN colors, but eventually decided to make it WRS instead... But next time I have freight cars that need to be patched, I'll remember about WIN!
Tyler, So the Gp18 was actually fine? That had to be a D'oh moment when that was discovered. So how do the GP7 and GP18 run now? All the engines you got from me have LEDs. They won't work if the wiring is reversed (I didn't help by not making the wiring consitent with the NMRA wiring guidlines).
BTW, if that letter of complaint gets you new decoders, tell me since I have a DH163IP that was DOA.
Alex, which one's left track lead had fallen off?
WEll, I've got the basic plan for my mainline down. I want to swap a curve around on it to see how it will look differently. Basically, I'm resurrecting the abandoned Aiken-Charleston mainline (sort of). I'm modeling a signature scene of railroading downtown (again, sort of), and then adding a scene that is compeltely non-existant but I want: a small-town main street with street running down the middle. The third signature scene will be insopired by several towns along th right-of-way; a gas station and a fire house, both of which I can get prototype pictures of but will not prototype and they aren't positioned like they are in the real world. there will also be some highway and houses. essentially, just a mainline w/ some scenes that i really want to see trains roll through. era-layout is 2008/9, rolling stock: whatever the freak I want to run.
As to the final plan, the mainline is pretty much drawn out, just trying to configure the scenes.
Tyler and GG, sounds like you had fun. glad you got some locos running! can't wait to see the new WRS units.
The GP18, the wire soldered to the frame had come detached, and the decoder was a dud. Right now both units have had handrails reinstalled and the cabs are reassembled. Both long hoods and noses are masked, and tonight I'll give them both a coat of red. The Hobby shop I went to didn't stock Polly Scale, so I had to settle on a Testors Enamel. It should work fine, but I'm testing it on a spare shell first.
Good idea to test the paint first... Replacement shells for P2Ks are probably more expensive than Trainline ones!