PackerHow'd you come up with the Protec hopper from an athearn PS? Those make good projects if I pick up a few undec or duplicate ones.
I found it years ago in RMC or MR. It called for decals (nearly impossible to find now) by Islington Station. I built my first two or three years ago, but couldn't find the decals. Out of stock, out of business. Microscale has 'em now (XTRA and FMC Chemicals set)...so I built a second one too. It's not an overly difficult conversion. A strip of styrene is added along the top of the sides, the ladders on the sides are chopped with an angled piece added. The brake pipe is cut off the bottom of the side. The end ladders are narrowed. Worst part was piecing the hacked-up ends back together, and making the new...end sills?, whatever the piece is THAT goes from the main car body to the ladders.
They'll make a nice break from the norm when I finally start moving cuts of hoppers around. As more and more foobie Athearns get replaced with Intermountain hoppers...more Portecs may be built...or is THAT rebuilt??
I'll see if I can find where the article went. It could be a) back in the freight cars binder where it belongs..., b) somewhere in/on/around/under the w**k table, or c) only God knows where.
As for ROBBY P's BN hopper...I've never seen one like THAT...kept thinking "something's missing." But, since it's Athearn, why...it MUST be 100% accurate...right???
Took Rerun with me today, he played co-pilot as I made a whirlwind tour of the Clear Creek Amana school district, shooting buildings for THAT. We even made a stop at Dairy Queen in Mt. Vernon for ice cream. He's very happily napping currently.
Welp, back to w**k...
Chris
***EDIT*** Looks like Rerun and I have got the supper tab. I'll go wake him up so he can schlep orders to the kitchen crew. Unlike THAT missing raccoon...Rerun will NOT deliver the meals however...
The Cedar cRapids Industrial Branch: Proudly Shipping Yesterday's CrunchBerries Tomorrow!
Afternoon ya'll.
Could I possibly get one of these in the dinner?
I tried airbrush weathering. The first 2 cars came out okay, but maybe a little heavy for my taste and with some "spottyness" to the paint (later attributed to low air pressure). So I thinned the paint out some more, but I guess I thinned the paint too much for the last few since it was really runny. At least I was using acrylic (testors model master) so I might be able to save the other few cars. Maybe using a clear color in the mix might help to kind of slow the effect down some.
Ray, I know what you mean. College books are one thing that nearly had my eyes pop out (I later found them online for about 15% of the price).
Robby, thanks for that link. Knowing athearn, getting paint schemes down might not be their biggest priority in the lower end lines.
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.
Vincent......I agree on the lower end car, but that car is a Ready to Roll series car. Unless they know something we don't (paint scheme wise).
"Rust, whats not to love?"
Grilled chicken, please.
Anyone catch Trains & Locomotives on RFDTV this evening? First 1/2 hour was mostly 2-10-4's. Thought the "spinning bridge" was cool and seemed like an efficient approach. Wonder if they are still used today? Also of interest was the steam cranes working to clean up a passenger crash site. And there was the "pet raccoon" being handled by the fella working the coal loading station. Second 1/2 hour was mostly ugly diesels.
Rob
Good Evening--
We had a shocker north of London near a tiny community of Winthrop ON this morning. I got a phonecall from one of our clients telling us to cancel today's appointment because of what happened near her home. An OPP officer with the Huron OPP was shot and killed while on duty---this during a routine stop involving a driver in a pickup. The driver of the pickup, apparently a 70 year old man, opened fire on the police officer and eventually killed him.
The 70 yr old suspect is now in hospital while the OPP officer---37 yr old Vu Pham, a 15 yr veteran of the force and who was married with 2 children is now dead. My sincere condolances to the family
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Good evening my friends!
It seems everyone had a "nice" day today...
Vincent- I saw a BN auto-carrier today while I was operating on the corridor! It was rather interesting, I am not sure if it was painted in an almost flourescent green or if has just sun faded to that color. Unfortunately, Transit does not allow cameras or such equipment on the head end, and I am not going to test the boundaries for the "on property" theory. I'll try to search the web tomorrow, right now I am about ready to hit the sack!
As promised, yesterday was a good one, because I ran every train on-time, with the exception of the last one, which was not my fault. I had to get out of the seat because a train broke down just outside the New Jersey side of the Hudson Tunnels, which once they got themselves up and running, Amtrak ran two of their trains in front of mine (which is expected, their territory) and we LEFT Penn Station NY 35 minutes late. I have to get out of the seat when the train is delayed more than 5 minutes, regardless of wether or not it is my "fault". But I take it as " I saw what it will be like when it happens to me!"
Who in here is running DC? I have several Locos that I will do not want to "convert" to DCC, but they run rather well! I'll try to put a list together of the locos that I have (unfortunately I can't remember what they are at the moment)
Well, my bed is calling for me... better not keep it waiting, I want to be "fresh" for tomorrows 3:28am sign-up! Weeeee
Good night to you and yours! Prayers for those who need them!
Sam
May He bless you, guide you, and keep you safe on your journey through life!
I Model the New Hope & Ivyland RR (Bucks County, PA)
blownout cylinderMy sincere condolances to the family
Even though Fire and Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) don't always see eye-to-eye, we mourn their passing, they are our "cousins" in public safety. I guess it really doesn't matter why the 70 year-old man shot the officer...here's hoping he gets whatever the maximum penalty is...and then some!
VINCENT: I think I might have an idea where THAT PS to Portec conversion article went...will see if I can find it and get it scanned in the next few days if you're interested.
Having a daughter in the Police service worries me every day, I feel for the family.
So good morning, evening or afternoon wherever you may reside, can I have a coffee, black and a whole rye sandwich with ham and pickles please.
This weekened my wife and I visited the Thirlmere Steam Fest. It's held every year in this little town about an hours drive south of Sydney, here is some vids of 08 and 09.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE8aK4a9cFg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1grLPKtOXE
Anyway of course they had a model exhibition and some table sales, and lo, did I get myself a bargain..I think A Athearn HO EMD GP60, still in it's box, maybe ten years old I guess, untouched. So I get it home and find I have to partially assemble it, no problems...hand rails, glue some fittings on and so on. But I want to make it DCC, and the motor is so big, it takes up nearly the whole interior, does anyone think it still can be done?
The other small thing is I need to change to a Kadee coupling and I know I've asked this before, but if anyone is familiar with these Athearn jobs, the chassis is diecast, and tongue where the existing coupler goes is a part of the chassis. Any help would be appreciated
Evening ya'll. Any of the Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Pizza Burger left?
Just got back from the barbershop. The hair was getting way to thick...
Rob, There is one near here on the CSX (ex-L&N) main that is near a railroad museum. I haven't gone to the museum yet, but I see the bridge when I go by there. I don't know if it still swings, but it's still used by the RR. Here's a map and streetview of it. I do plan to make a railfanning trip up there once since the museum has some nice stuff.
Sam, AFAIK they were kind of darker green, and they faded to a yellow-green. That might be a new BNSF repaint since those new BNSF cabooses are flourecent green.
Robby, maybe they do. If I had to guess, it was a "transition phase" between the billboard and the plain scheme.
Chris, Even though I have about an equal amount of FMC, ACF, and PS hoppers, I wouldn't mind a few more, if you know what I mean. IMO having a dozen of each isn't quite right for a 75-85 era.
The Portec hopper bash doesn't sound too terribly difficult for a 1st kitbash. Guess I should know when the Portecs were built before I try to bash a few.
PackerJeff, I'm not sure how you would get rid of a person like that. Sounds like my mother though.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
This also I thought you all might like to see, the Famous 3801
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ndYXhZRinE
I'm sorry guys I am so bad with names, I need a list.........
Ray
PackerEven though I have about an equal amount of FMC, ACF, and PS hoppers, I wouldn't mind a few more, if you know what I mean. IMO having a dozen of each isn't quite right for a 75-85 era. The Portec hopper bash doesn't sound too terribly difficult for a 1st kitbash. Guess I should know when the Portecs were built before I try to bash a few.
Even though I have about an equal amount of FMC, ACF, and PS hoppers, I wouldn't mind a few more, if you know what I mean. IMO having a dozen of each isn't quite right for a 75-85 era.
EUREKA! I found it! Amazingly, it was in the first place I looked...usually, it's in the last place I look. Then again, this time, the first shall be the last...or...the last shall be first?
Anyhoo, VINCENT: The XTRA Portec hoppers were built between 1979 and 1984. The '85 Official Railway Equipment Register showed 307 owned by XTRA, Inc., a car leasing firm; according to the article in the March, 1993 issue of Model Railroader. And yes, a fairly easy kitbash. The worst part was narrowing the end ladders/repositioning end braces. IF ya wanted to go Rivet Counting crazy, you could replace ALL THAT jazz with more scale appropriate ladders/rungs/etc. I didn't...and I'm happy with how they look. Just disregard where the instructions call for Islington Station decals...unless you've got a pusher THAT still has the XTRA set (231-100A) in-stock. I looked on "theBay" for over two years...never saw it. MICROSCALE has a reportedly better set out now, which is what I used. The MS set will do three cars and leave a ton of other decals for use elsewhere. It's for the FMC hopper (Roundhouse kit), but correct data for the 4750 cu. ft. Portec (or close-enough...) are included on the sheet.
Chris do you or anyone else know of a similiar wheat hopper in the States as this one?
http://www.austrains.com.au/whxwagon.html
These good folk have not yet released there's and I think it will be a while yet.
puddlejumperozChris do you or anyone else know of a similiar wheat hopper in the States as this one? http://www.austrains.com.au/whxwagon.html
Hiya RAY, how're things in the Land Down-Under this evening...or morning?
Yeah...we've got cylindrical hoppers... Pillsbury had 'em, Farmland Industries/CO-OP, Scoular Grain, a lot of the Canadian hoppers. Intermountain makes one that looks pretty good to my eye. I "need" to grab one or two for my CNW fleet.
I also "need" some of these Canadian (or is it Canadien?) ones for National Oats and Quaker Oats service.
Hope these help ya!
Yay...thanks Chris. In the parlence of my youngest, totally wicked dude. The green hopper is almost a copy, in fact I would wgaer the same design as another vehicle our railways use. So next question, is there a kit or a R to R of it available over there?
Here it's still hot, summer is lingering for a bit, 30c today, but a cool change tonight is supposed to drop us into the very low 20's, and .....more rain
Ray.
Glad I could help ya RAY.
puddlejumperozSo next question, is there a kit or a R to R of it available over there?
http://www.imrcmodels.com/ho/hokit.htm
Intermountain...they make some nice stuff. Assembled and kit form. Shows up a lot on eBay. Lots of small "fiddly bits" if you knock 'em together, patience is required in assembly.
Rock on with your bad self...dude.
30c? THAT would be... 60-70 something farenheit? I'd take it...we're supposed to come close to 50f here tomorrow...they keep backing it down. a few days ago they were "teasing us" with 50s, now "reality" has it in the upper 40s...still a little warmer than it "should" be...but much, much, much better than it was all winter long when it was "colder" than "normal."
***EDIT*** Not to pick on cops... Well, OK, yeah...to pick on cops! I just discovered "fuzzy math" in some numbers provided to me by a Police Dept. Lieutenant. Now, they've got 12 full-time officers and 2-part-time. THAT is 14 total. She said one full-time guy is leaving, so it would be "13 and 2" for a total of...15???
WRONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG
THAT should be 11 full-time and 2 part-time for 13 total.
Did I mention she's the Lieutenant...and the Chief of Police approved her math???
Goodnite
Evenin' folks!
Just popin' in for my evening cup of decafe. I'll be sitting by the stove in the back.
Ah Chris...... I hate to tell you this, but you got a bit of "fuzzy" math there yourself. 30°C is 86°F... A bit hotter than I tend to like it. I like it around 20°C myself. Sure hope payroll has better math than the lieutenant! It didn't add up for me, but then I'm a musician and we can only count to 4..........
Oz, nice videos! Very nice! Thanks for posting them.
I guess when your one, you can have fun with your birthday cake....
That's Emily, granddaughter #2
Hope you all have a great night. Prayers for all in need!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
howmusAh Chris...... I hate to tell you this, but you got a bit of "fuzzy" math there yourself. 30°C is 86°F... A bit hotter than I tend to like it. I like it around 20°C myself. Sure hope payroll has better math than the lieutenant! It didn't add up for me, but then I'm a musician and we can only count to 4..........
That might explain my failures in math----let's see---1--2,3,4---uh---oh yeah---1--2,3,4----or was that 1--2--3--4-----oh nuts I give up
Chloe, I just have a glass of warm milk to go -----
-----g'night I's gonna go
Yaaaawn.
Ray- Looks like half the diners in here eating. Except a LOT cuter.
I'll catch up tomorrow morning over coffee.
Prayers for those in need.
Todd
Central Illinoyz
In order to keep my position as Master and Supreme Ruler of the House, I don't argue with my wife.
I'm a small town boy. A product of two people from even smaller towns. I don’t talk on topic….. I just talk.
Hi Guys,
How's this for a way to move a locomotive.
Hope you enjoy.
Off to bed, need some ZZZZzzzzsssssss.
Johnboy out.
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
BM1 Lee Soule USCG (ret) L.S.&W Railroad Serving the Lower Great Lakes
last mountain & eastern hogger Hi Guys, How's this for a way to move a locomotive. Hope you enjoy. Off to bed, need some ZZZZzzzzsssssss. Johnboy out.
Interesting little piece of work there----wonder who owns that little toy
And a good morning to all
Have a doctor to see today--he phoned up yesterday and told me to come in today as they had an emergency--so off I go to do dis
Flo--I'll just have a coffee with a toasted bagel please----I'm over by the RC for now--
Good morning. Its nice and sunny!!!!!! Still cold in the mornings thou.
Well a friend of mine is redoing his layout. I plan on going and seeing what he has done. So I guess that will be the "layout" work for the day.
Hope everybody has a good morning.
Good morning all. Coffee please. Nice looking day out. Now. Later it's suppose to rain. Possible storms tonight. Nothing said about severe. If all goes well today, I should either have Mom's house empty of dumpster bound material, or the dumpster will be full. Or both. I hope I have at least some room, as I'd like to throw a few things away myself. But if I don't oh well the main objective is to get her house empty. Not sure it can be done.
Keith- Not the official name of the railroad, for I haven't come up with a name for mine either (you'd think it would be easy with freelancing), Toddland (of which I'm king) is the name I have assigned to the room containing the layout. I'm sure you've heard terms such as "man cave" etc. This is the area where I am in complete control. Where I can make the world the way I want. No rules or laws, (well, aside from Physics and gravity and electricity, rules like that) that I don‘t make. I can even make people stand on their heads should I choose. Is good to be king. Nice haul by the way.
Barry- My condolences and prayers for the family of the fallen Police Officer.
The grocery truck needs unloaded at about 10:30. So, until then I shall do a little bit of w**k on the layout I suppose. I've decided to try my hand at scratch building a small trestle over the shallow "gorge". I need the thing actually to continue with the track. Always something needs done "first". Anyway, I figure a 9" piece of sectional will work just fine. It's not going to be a big thing, more of a runoff ditch. Now I just have to go to the LHS to get some material for the thing.....first. I figured instead of designing the run off ditch, gorge thing to the bridge, I can design the bridge to the area. Easy Peasey.
I'll let you know when I start the project so if you hear screams in the distance.... you'll know what it is.
Have a Great Day!!!
Good Afternoon,
a sunny but still icy day - made me gamble this morning "will the car battery be dead or not?" Nope, it wasn´t!
Zoe, please, dear - coffee for me. There is such a nice smell coming from the kitchen, as Petra is making a cake for Christian, who will be joining us tomorrow. She won´t let me try it...
We will be having a little party at our place, just to celebrate his graduation. I am so proud of the "little one". I guess I have to stop saying THAT and graduate him to "my big one".
Yesterday, I received an e-mail through this forum. One of the frequent readers/posters here had read about the problems Petra and I are going through and he just informed me, that he had renewed my MR subscription for another year. I won´t disclose his name, but his generosity filled my eyes with tears. I do hope that I found the right words to thank him.
I am so grateful to be able to be a part of this community!
Barry - how awful! My thoughts are with the family of the deceased PO. We will never understand, what made the man do such a horrid thing, as the "Why" will remain always unanswered to us.
Flip - yes, we did have "Kartoffelpuffer" or potatoe pancakes for lunch, with home-made apple sauce. Yummy!
God bless you all!
Good mornin all~
Windy last night.. windy this morning. Quarter past 7 am and the wind is blowing pretty good. Sunny.. but cold. Windy.. the likes of which most have you never gotten up in the morning to experience. When I say as a boy here in southern Cali, this place used to be desert.. well. It still is desert. The only difference now.. is we don't have 'tumble weeds' blowing across the road.
As a boy.. when the winds started up.. tumble weeds blew all over. Just imagine driving down the road and a big 4 footer blows in front of your car. If it got caught under your car.. you pulled over..got it out.. and started driving again down the road.. I've been caught in two major wind storms. So major.. both times.. the sky is dark.. like a storm. The wind blowing so hard, at 40 miles an hour, it hard to maintain a straight line..and plow down the road. The sun is blotted out.. and the sky is brownish orange. Enough to make you think its the end of the world~ During Christmas holidays.. people would gather up tumble weeds.. place a white sheet over them.. and make a 'snowman' .. woo~
Now Todd.. I like your outlook on Toddland. I feel that way about the layout period. This is mine.. perhaps not 'prototypical' but its what I want. And if I want Godzilla in my layout.. so be it. lol.
Ok.. I'd show you guys a pic of what the train station looks like but it hasn't changed much at all. Seems this is really going slow.. fun .. but slow~
"More coffee please?~"
Mornin' everyone!
Zoe just a bowl of hot Cream of Wheat and my dark raost coffee in a R&GV mug if you please. I'll go sit in the front booth for a few minutes.
Foot appears to be improving (Thank God!). Hopefully I should be able to navagate the stairs at the RR Club I'm am visiting tonight. They will be hosting the NMRA Division Meet on May 1st. and I need to check out the space and see what they have for tables, etc. We are hoping to do a "Round Robin" series of short clinics (20 minute or so) THAT day. I have cut out all meat and whole wheat products until this calms down. I found last time I dealt with this (3 months ago) I can eat about 3 or 4 things total if I stay on all the diets given to me by medical people. For example I can have nuts on a Gout diet, but nuts are a big no no for me because of kidney stones.....
Currently 46°F outside here in the Finger Lakes. Tomorrow it is supposed to reach 50°F. Lots of sun outside as well.
Barry I meant to say something last night about the incident near you. What a terrible thing to have happen. My prayers for the family of the officer who was killed. Really makes you wonder what "Snapped" for a 70 year old man to go off the deep end and do something like that..... Dementia, Depression? I'm sure he will be out of circulation for the rest of his life.
Sir MadogI am so grateful to be able to be a part of this community!
As we are you're here Ulrich! How great to have someone pay your subscription for the Mag. Have a great day with "the little one" and don't forget to save the leftovers of the cake for the diners.....
Hope all of you have a fine day!
Good mornin', bucket of coffee with the IV bolus...
Yup..."fuzzy math" done got me last night. From Pair-O-Medikal Skool, I sort-of recalled the "2 a.m. rule" which said something about converting metric to normal, by "just double it." So...I doubled the celsius, celseus, celscius, ...THAT funny foreign-metric measurement...and came up with the bogus farenheit, faranheit, farenhite....THAT normal American measurement!
I agree though, 86 degrees? Too hot!!!!! I'm NOT looking forward to THAT!
Hoping for a good, SAFE day for us all... (and no math for me!)
Morning ya'll
I tried to save a few of the cars that didn't come out too good. I was able to save all but one. That car is now primer color and I'm not sure what to do with it at the moment. Guess I should learn to decal stuff. Acrylics are a lot less messy than enamels...
I think I may have came up with a trick to prevent any more screw-ups. If I'm going to weather the model with acrylics, spray the model with an enamel clear before trying to weather it. My thinking for that is if I don't like how the weathering comes out, I could strip it with alcohol off without affecting the factory paint, since the enamel would protect it from alcohol. Anyone else think that might be an effective "failsafe"?