Hi Crew,Thanks for the feedback on the previous "Alclad: Photos of ongoing projects 12/2011" thread. where 3 HO passenger car shells to be metalized were featured as a work in progress.Here are photos of the Rivarossi Budd Sleeping car. Included are photos of a stock Walthers Budd Sleeper. I filed down the protruding floor-bolster flat, enabling the car to sit at a lower, more realistic height on the trucks. Underframe1. Light washes of Polly Scale Grimy Black, Dirt, and Freight Car Brown were applied on the underframe. Instead of the airbrush, I used Taklon Artists paint brushes. Each color was thinned 70% and brushed on with vertical strokes. -------------------------------------------Interior: I used a spare IHC HW Sleeping Car interior that I bought and painted about 15 years ago. The sides had to be trimmed to fit the underframe.Window Glazing: I airbrushed Alclad #408 Armoured Glass. Four mist coats gave me a nice, "greenish" prototype finish (3 minutes between coats). For window shades, I used Plastruct Styrene Strips, cut them into needed lengths and glued them on to the glazing in varying positions. Microscale's Kristal Klear worked very well to secure the glazing on to the shell and the strips on to the glazing. Letter Board. Made with Plastruct Styrene strips .010 x .150 that were painted with a Dark Gray base color under the Alclad metalizer. Seaboard Coast Line name applied.Finished Car Forgot to mention that I still need to body mount Kadees. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Comparison to stock Walthers SCL 10-6 SleeperWalthers car with factory "Silver" finish:
Rivarossi car with Alclad finish:
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
Looks Great Antonio!!Thanks again for the write-ups & tips!!!
Thanks very much Chad,Here's a shot through a window. I cut a piece of brass wire and glued it on to the spaces between the walls with Kristal Kote to simulate the hall rail. I like to do the Rivarossi's first because they're so easy to disassemble/reassemble. But I'm looking forward to metalizing my Walthers units as their detailing makes them very attractive cars. I modeled the Riv Sleeper after a prototype Budd sleeping car named "Lake Wales" which was of Seaboard Airline ancestry. When the merger between ACL and SAL took place in 1967, the majority of lightweight passenger cars from SAL had their roofs painted black. The ex-ACL already had black roofs. However, the roof painting process on the ex-SALs took a while so some cars received SCL lettering but continued running with unpainted roofs for a time. This is the version I'm modeling.I realize that the Rivs are not accurate as far as underbody detailing and window placements, but I do freelancing quite a bit (I hope my friends on the prototype modeler's forums forgive me for that!)
Hey guysRegarding Weight:
Like IHCs and AHMs, the Rivs are "featherweights". I can't find the photo showing it, but all of the cavities/pockets in the underframe's floor were filled with BB shot pellets and smothered with Elmer's glue. Along with metal wheels, the added weight greatly improves rolling qualities. You can add additional flat weights underneath the IHC interior to get it to NMRA recommendations. I do still need to buy a digital scale as my old spring-loaded U.S Postal scale fell apart a while back.
Guys,
Just to share with you that I've made my share of mistakes in the past and continue to try to fine tune this and share it with modelers so they can enjoy making SS passenger cars look like the real thing while avoiding the mistakes I made when I started using this product.------------------------------A quick tip:After applying your 3rd mist coat of Alclad, DON'T apply the clear coat yet! Alclad dries quickly, so wait a few minutes and then with gloved hands pick up your shell, (preferably holding it from the inside ends) walk to your layout room, and look at it in the light. If the shell still appears too dark, apply 1 to 2 more mist coats of Alclad. Check it again in your layout room lighting to make sure you're OK with the appearance BEFORE applying the clear coat. Hence, the importance of feedback from fellow modelers!