I love the idea.
Unfortuntalley, most of the photos have their left side cut off. I have had this problem ever since they installed the new software. For the IT guys, I am using Safari on the I-Phone 4 with IOS 6. Please fix this!!!!
Some pics of my CSX SD40-3.The cab is from Shapeways The only credit I can take so far is the fact that I own the loco.
Forgot to mention she is N scale.
should you seal or dullcote after details & decals
I ask cause Ive been detailing some stewart ft abba factory black with yellow decals NP freight units and Ive added some # decals and gabs and such and they still have a toy like sheen and am thinking they need something ? ..Jerry
BIG JERRshould you seal or dullcote after details & decals
Yes ......I use either Testors Dullcoat or Model Master Lusterless flat.
Dennis Blank Jr.
CEO,COO,CFO,CMO,Bossman,Slavedriver,Engineer,Trackforeman,Grunt. Birdsboro & Reading Railroad
The Birdsboro & Reading doodlebug is finally complete.
That looks great Dennis.
Excellent work guys! I like that doodlebug! OK, so, I've had an Athearn BB GP9, painted for the MILW. for ever, and it has become my switcher of choice. I did install the hand rails, took me years to actually paint them, and 3 years ago, when I started my latest layout, I gave it the Athearn "tune-up" which included hard wiring the contact metal strip, and added led lights.
Here is some pictures, as it came, out of the box, with the handrail kit installed, and painted:
You can see the red "hard wire job" in the window, and notice I have already shaved off the molded-on grabs. Top view: So, after studying lots of pics of prototype MILW GP9's, Athearn has the paint a little off, as the black comes down to the bottom of the windows on the prototype, and everything below that is orange. I'm going to make a "bandit" scheme from this, so I can hide that. Also, the top view, the fans are wrong, along with the winterization hatch, and the inclusion of the steam generator vents on the short hood, and the horns. This seems to be the "stock" casting for all Athearn GP9's. And it seems that only the units used in road service, and those used on the "West Extension Lines" had dynamic breaks. The units used in commuter service had no dynamic breaks, and had air tanks on the roof, and did have the steam generators. I am modeling a road unit, so I made the changes to the top, as this work in progress photo, along with the photo I printed of a prototype, as a reference: The finished loco: (so far) I scratch built the winterization hatch, and the all weather window, as I couldn't find commercially what I was looking for, and didn't want to wait for shiping. I also bent my own coupler bars from 26 ga. wire, as that is 1" in 1/87 scale. I didn't have any others at hand. I also added a plow to each end, which is probably not prototypical, as this switcher constantly works in both directions. I also added the number boards on the top of the long hood, as the prototype had. Athearn didn't have this one numbered at all, and the lettering they did have, was wrong. I am now changing my previous wiring, and installing a DCC harness and dummy plug. Time for this GP 9 to get back to work! I also added the speedometer/recorder line, and break lines. Thanks for looking ! Mike.
You can see the red "hard wire job" in the window, and notice I have already shaved off the molded-on grabs.
Top view: So, after studying lots of pics of prototype MILW GP9's, Athearn has the paint a little off, as the black comes down to the bottom of the windows on the prototype, and everything below that is orange. I'm going to make a "bandit" scheme from this, so I can hide that. Also, the top view, the fans are wrong, along with the winterization hatch, and the inclusion of the steam generator vents on the short hood, and the horns. This seems to be the "stock" casting for all Athearn GP9's. And it seems that only the units used in road service, and those used on the "West Extension Lines" had dynamic breaks. The units used in commuter service had no dynamic breaks, and had air tanks on the roof, and did have the steam generators. I am modeling a road unit, so I made the changes to the top, as this work in progress photo, along with the photo I printed of a prototype, as a reference: The finished loco: (so far) I scratch built the winterization hatch, and the all weather window, as I couldn't find commercially what I was looking for, and didn't want to wait for shiping. I also bent my own coupler bars from 26 ga. wire, as that is 1" in 1/87 scale. I didn't have any others at hand. I also added a plow to each end, which is probably not prototypical, as this switcher constantly works in both directions. I also added the number boards on the top of the long hood, as the prototype had. Athearn didn't have this one numbered at all, and the lettering they did have, was wrong. I am now changing my previous wiring, and installing a DCC harness and dummy plug. Time for this GP 9 to get back to work! I also added the speedometer/recorder line, and break lines. Thanks for looking ! Mike.
Top view:
So, after studying lots of pics of prototype MILW GP9's, Athearn has the paint a little off, as the black comes down to the bottom of the windows on the prototype, and everything below that is orange. I'm going to make a "bandit" scheme from this, so I can hide that. Also, the top view, the fans are wrong, along with the winterization hatch, and the inclusion of the steam generator vents on the short hood, and the horns. This seems to be the "stock" casting for all Athearn GP9's. And it seems that only the units used in road service, and those used on the "West Extension Lines" had dynamic breaks. The units used in commuter service had no dynamic breaks, and had air tanks on the roof, and did have the steam generators. I am modeling a road unit, so I made the changes to the top, as this work in progress photo, along with the photo I printed of a prototype, as a reference: The finished loco: (so far) I scratch built the winterization hatch, and the all weather window, as I couldn't find commercially what I was looking for, and didn't want to wait for shiping. I also bent my own coupler bars from 26 ga. wire, as that is 1" in 1/87 scale. I didn't have any others at hand. I also added a plow to each end, which is probably not prototypical, as this switcher constantly works in both directions. I also added the number boards on the top of the long hood, as the prototype had. Athearn didn't have this one numbered at all, and the lettering they did have, was wrong. I am now changing my previous wiring, and installing a DCC harness and dummy plug. Time for this GP 9 to get back to work! I also added the speedometer/recorder line, and break lines. Thanks for looking ! Mike.
So, after studying lots of pics of prototype MILW GP9's, Athearn has the paint a little off, as the black comes down to the bottom of the windows on the prototype, and everything below that is orange. I'm going to make a "bandit" scheme from this, so I can hide that. Also, the top view, the fans are wrong, along with the winterization hatch, and the inclusion of the steam generator vents on the short hood, and the horns. This seems to be the "stock" casting for all Athearn GP9's. And it seems that only the units used in road service, and those used on the "West Extension Lines" had dynamic breaks. The units used in commuter service had no dynamic breaks, and had air tanks on the roof, and did have the steam generators. I am modeling a road unit, so I made the changes to the top, as this work in progress photo, along with the photo I printed of a prototype, as a reference:
The finished loco: (so far) I scratch built the winterization hatch, and the all weather window, as I couldn't find commercially what I was looking for, and didn't want to wait for shiping. I also bent my own coupler bars from 26 ga. wire, as that is 1" in 1/87 scale. I didn't have any others at hand. I also added a plow to each end, which is probably not prototypical, as this switcher constantly works in both directions. I also added the number boards on the top of the long hood, as the prototype had. Athearn didn't have this one numbered at all, and the lettering they did have, was wrong. I am now changing my previous wiring, and installing a DCC harness and dummy plug. Time for this GP 9 to get back to work! I also added the speedometer/recorder line, and break lines. Thanks for looking ! Mike.
The finished loco: (so far)
I scratch built the winterization hatch, and the all weather window, as I couldn't find commercially what I was looking for, and didn't want to wait for shiping. I also bent my own coupler bars from 26 ga. wire, as that is 1" in 1/87 scale. I didn't have any others at hand. I also added a plow to each end, which is probably not prototypical, as this switcher constantly works in both directions. I also added the number boards on the top of the long hood, as the prototype had. Athearn didn't have this one numbered at all, and the lettering they did have, was wrong. I am now changing my previous wiring, and installing a DCC harness and dummy plug. Time for this GP 9 to get back to work! I also added the speedometer/recorder line, and break lines. Thanks for looking ! Mike.
I scratch built the winterization hatch, and the all weather window, as I couldn't find commercially what I was looking for, and didn't want to wait for shiping. I also bent my own coupler bars from 26 ga. wire, as that is 1" in 1/87 scale. I didn't have any others at hand. I also added a plow to each end, which is probably not prototypical, as this switcher constantly works in both directions.
I also added the number boards on the top of the long hood, as the prototype had. Athearn didn't have this one numbered at all, and the lettering they did have, was wrong. I am now changing my previous wiring, and installing a DCC harness and dummy plug. Time for this GP 9 to get back to work! I also added the speedometer/recorder line, and break lines. Thanks for looking ! Mike.
I also added the number boards on the top of the long hood, as the prototype had. Athearn didn't have this one numbered at all, and the lettering they did have, was wrong.
I am now changing my previous wiring, and installing a DCC harness and dummy plug. Time for this GP 9 to get back to work! I also added the speedometer/recorder line, and break lines. Thanks for looking ! Mike.
I am now changing my previous wiring, and installing a DCC harness and dummy plug.
Time for this GP 9 to get back to work!
I also added the speedometer/recorder line, and break lines. Thanks for looking ! Mike.
I also added the speedometer/recorder line, and break lines.
Thanks for looking !
Mike.
My You Tube
Some recent work/rework on my RS-1.
Two of my favorite HO locos.Both are modified KATO GP35s and are done except for lighting.
Thirty four years of Z,N,HO,On30,& 1:32 scale model railroading.It's actually older than that but the first two years were a 4' x 8' plywood central.
Short answer is totally freelanced
Completed the RS-1.....
Dennis .... Your RS-1 is outstanding! ..... .... Congratulations for your great work.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Nice looking engine Dennis, loved the details.
A link to the 8th video out of 11 in the series I shot this past Monday night at the local club I belong to.
http://youtu.be/RJ9aeRbUfMg
Two questions:
1) who makes suitable ditch light castings for this type of light: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=117915
2) for the rear pilot, there's no plow so I'll have to plate over the Athearn BB gap. The reference I was using to plan from just used .010 styrene and NBW castings, but neglected to say what size. Would Detail Associates #2203 (which represent 3/4" nuts with a 2" washer) work for this?
How about a diesel and a freight car?Loco is Athean blue box SW1500,car is a TYCO Center-Flo.These are from the HO side of my hobby.
The SD40-2 project is moving again.....now that I was finally able to get the wire bent for the truck air brake lines.
Now all 7 locomotives will be done at the same time.
Looking forward to seeing your fleet when finished Dennis.
rdgk1se3019 farrellaa Here's an old Athearn Hustler with DCC and sound! Just couldn't get the body shell back on, but it was fun while it lasted. I just have an appreciation for the Hustler and have about 6 of them but only one is DCC. Am working on lights and interior cab. -Bob Hi, Have you tried a smaller speaker? You might be able to get a really small one either at http://www.tonystrains.com/ , or http://www.soundtraxx.com/
farrellaa Here's an old Athearn Hustler with DCC and sound! Just couldn't get the body shell back on, but it was fun while it lasted. I just have an appreciation for the Hustler and have about 6 of them but only one is DCC. Am working on lights and interior cab. -Bob
Here's an old Athearn Hustler with DCC and sound! Just couldn't get the body shell back on, but it was fun while it lasted. I just have an appreciation for the Hustler and have about 6 of them but only one is DCC. Am working on lights and interior cab.
-Bob
Hi,
Have you tried a smaller speaker?
You might be able to get a really small one either at http://www.tonystrains.com/ , or http://www.soundtraxx.com/
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
Performing nose surgery........now I know what Michael Jackson`s doctors felt like in the 80`s.
Newest project's I'm calling it an SDSC40-2.
(My Model Railroad, My Rules)
These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway. As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).
Took some time yesterday to pre-clean some parts for the SD40-2 project.
More progress.