Living the dream.
Hello everyone, and welcome to a new weekend!
-Photograph by Kevin Parson
For months (years?) on this site I have been lamenting the fact I failed to get my hands on Artitec’s HO scale waterline model of THE ORCA shark boat from Jaws.
Well, at Reynauld’s Euro Imports they just received a new shipment, and as soon as found out, I could not click on the BUY THIS ITEM button fast enough.
This is the first kit from Artitec that I have purchased. I am absolutely impressed.
The resin parts are simply amazing with the amount of crisp detail that they managed to cast in place.
-Photographs by Kevin Parson
There are two frames of photo-etched parts included. One in stainless steel, and one in brass. There are more than fifty photo-etched parts. This kit is going to be a fun challenge to assemble.
I am sure that my neglect to prototype fidelity is well known to all… however… this model needs to be assembled to match the "prototype" exactly. I have loved the movie Jaws since I was in middle school, and this one needs to be done right.
Now the waterfront scene in Port Annabelle can be complete!
I am looking forward to seeing everyone's photographs this weekend. This thread can always be counted on to be the best of the week.
-Kevin
Thanks for starting out this week's WPF, Kevin. That does look like a very nice kit. Will look forward to seeing the completed project.
I started assembling another QCM craftsman kit a few weeks ago but stopped because I opted to swap out some of more delicate pieces of wood strips for styrene equivalents and needed to order or pick up the parts from my LHS.
This shows the top and bottom angle irons & side ribbing on one side of a PRR 51' H-32 covered hopper: (Click to enlarge)
Before applying the ribs, I sealed & sanded the shell with sanding sealer so the exterior would have a smoother finish once painted. Cutting the bevels on the bottom of the larger ribs took some fixturing and trial & error before I could get the angle cuts that I needed. I still need to add angle extensions at the top and angle iron brackets and gussets at the ends before moving onto the opposite side.
I think substituting styrene for the more delicate wood strips definitely gives the hopper a cleaner & crisper look. The wider wood strips that come with the kit (1/16" and >) should be just fine and I'll seal & sand them as I did the shell.
I also have noticed that some of the milled wood with this kit is off dimensionally by as much as 10-mil (0.01"). For example, 1/32" could mean anywhere from 0.028" to 0.042". The styrene is definitely more dimensionally stable in that respect.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Good morning from cloudy and mild Northeast Ohio!
Kevin, thanks for starting us out, have fun building that boat, it looks like a nice and different project than railroad cars and engines.
Tom, an interesting build, I have a couple of old Ambroid kits that I have never built, but since the same kit came out in plastic I have not had the inclination to complete them, but who knows.
Did not get a lot done this week what with league bowling in full swing and going back to work, but I did get one load done and finished a Moloco kit and it is in the paint shop now.
I found this Transformer on E-Bay for a decent price and installed it on one of my Eastern Car Works depressed center flats with scale 4x4's as blocking and brass wire for tie downs.
Here is the final underneath detail on the GATC RBL, since I used no roofwalk on the model, I had to move the retaining valve to near the ABD valve on bottom of the side sill instead of on the end of the car.
Now the end of the car, I lowered the brake wheel and filled all the preformed holes in the end of the car I did not need. I did not install any of the side detail so it will be out of the way when I mask the sides of car in order to paint the ends another color.
For the Club Open House for the Harvest Festival at the Strongsville Historical Society, I had my Rapido PA-1's and the Walther's 13 car General running.
Have a great weekend!
Rick Jesionowski
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
Nice detailing, Rick. Will you be going to the Berea show this weekend?
tstage Nice detailing, Rick. Will you be going to the Berea show this weekend? Tom
Not that I know of, I did not know it was on, since most of my club members will be going, I doubt I will go to the club either this week. I also do not enjoy going to these shows, they never have anything I am looking for.
tstageThis shows the top and bottom angle irons & side ribbing on one side of a PRR 51' H32 covered hopper: (Click to enlarge)
Tom, I really am admiring your work on the wooden kit for the covered hopper car.
I had nothing but bad luck with covered hopped kits. I made the decision to buy covered hopper car models in brass because of the difficulty I had with these kits.
I don’t know what the issue really is. I assemble craftsman kits of boxcars, gondolas, and non-railroad models with plenty of success. I just do not enjoy assembling covered hoppers.
My most recent failure was a Funaro & Camerlengo kit of a PENNSYLVANIA H31.
I gave up and bought this brass model of the same freight car:
dti406Kevin, thanks for starting us out, have fun building that boat, it looks like a nice and different project than railroad cars and engines.
It will certainly be a project! I was not expecting all the pieces. There are also about 30 cast resin detail, three different types of rope, brass rod, and strip wood.
I will need to take my time, this could be an amazing model.
dti406I also do not enjoy going to these shows, they never have anything I am looking for.
I do not enjoy train shows as much as I used to. I think that is because my local show ceased, and the Christmas time show in Tampa has shrunken so much.
The last train show that I really enjoyed was in Atlanta in 2019.
dti406 tstage Nice detailing, Rick. Will you be going to the Berea show this weekend? Tom I also do not enjoy going to these shows, they never have anything I am looking for. Rick Jesionowski
I also do not enjoy going to these shows, they never have anything I am looking for.
That's how it's been for me the past few years, Rick. However, I'm hoping to snag some "supply" items at the show - e.g. 2 x 3" & 3 x 4" sealable baggies. These come in VERY handy for organizing pieces/parts - particularly with projects. I'll also be keeping my eyes out for reasonably-priced brass in NYC livery.
SeeYou190Tom, I really am admiring your work on the wooden kit for the covered hopper car.
Thanks, Kevin. It's challenging but fun - i.e when it goes together well. I just try and take my time and not jump ahead of myself. The QCM assembly instructions leave much to be desired so it sorta forces me to do that anyhow.
Kevin, Thanks for launching the WPF. Artitec makes some really neat models.
Btw, this boat is an RTR Artitec. Hmm, a big waterline sailfish would make for a nifty 'Old Man and the Sea' scene.
Seeing Tom & Rick enjoying their model builds is fun.
Slow going at attempting an Atlas F100 and Trident Chevy tow truck bash-up, in hopes of resembling the AAA 'wreckers' that a good friend and I drove back in the mid-70s.
Thanks to all the contributors and viewers. Have a good weekend. Regards, Peter
tstageThe QCM assembly instructions leave much to be desired so it sorta forces me to do that anyhow.
The only covered hopper kit I have completed is this one:
Ir is an older Funaro & Camerlengo kit of a Spheron Black covered hopper.
The instructions were terrible. If I did not have a basic understanding of the AB Brake System layout I never could have figured it out.
The castings for the outlet doors were all terrible. I ended up cobbling together some new outlet doors using Warhammer Lizardman shields and strip styrene.
If the doors had not been the last parts to install, I probably would have given up on this kit too. By that point, I just needed to get it done. I was so frustrated.
I got rid of the round roof hatches and replaced them with the square hatches left over from the abandon PRR H31 kit.
SeeYou190...an older Funaro & Camerlengo kit of a Spheron Black covered hopper. The instructions were terrible. If I did not have a basic understanding of the AB Brake System layout I never could have figured it out.
Writing work instructions is one of the numerous tasks that I do at my job. Being clear but succinct - visually AND verbally - is always a challenge. Make it understandable for the level of person you are trying to instruct but don't dummy it down unnecessarily. As you read what you have written, keep asking the question: "Does this make things clear to someone else?"
The assembly instructions that I'm working from are contained in one BIG paragraph rather than steps. There must have been some complaints to the kit maker because another QCM that I just started does break things down into "chewable" bites.
Yea, unclear and nebulous instructions are a real sore point with me - if that hasn't been made evident yet - LOL.
Newest toy to come in the mail this week!
Hudson by Michael, on Flickr
It's rather nice. I don't have a ton of Bachmann locos, but this one is easily the best of the bunch. I hope this trend continues with their other offerings.
Mike
Mike,
That's Bachmann's new J-3???
tstage Mike, That's Bachmann's new J-3??? Tom
HO-VeloBtw, this boat is an RTR Artitec.
That poor fellow absolutely is in need of a bigger boat!
My haul from today's Berea Train Show (Berea, OH):
The Bowser & Proto 2000 kits were $10 a piece. The Kadee RTR boxcars were $30 each but I offered $55 for both, which was accepted. I now have 11 pieces of AC&Y (Akron, Canton & Youngstown) rolling stock in my roster:
Didn't find anything on my want/need list ...but had fun poking around for nearly 4 hrs. I also got to see and chat with a few dealers and a fellow member & acquaintance from the NYCSHS. For me - a 1/2 day well-spent.
I think this is the first train show that I've attend since 2018...
Water Level RouteNewest toy to come in the mail this week!
Very nice looking model. My Bachmann 2-8-0 was great runner. I hope my 2-8-8-4 performs just as well and as long.
On another thread, Ed turned me towards some items from Tangent.
I was poking around their website, and I found a link to their undecorated kits!
That was a surprise, because I had not seen any undecorated items listed on their site before.
Alas, they did not have a listing for kit #11505, the three compartment 6,000 gallon tank car.
This thing is hard to find. One sold on eBay last week, and I did not see it because it was part of an auction just titled as Two Tangent Freight Car Kits. Someone else snagged it up.
I am quite fond of Tangent Models. I have a number of their 6K- & 8K-gal tank cars, as well as a few cabooses, boxcars, and gondolas. The quality is outstanding.
Tangent's undecorated kits generally sell out quickly on their website. I was thankful to get my hands on one of their undecorated NYC steel bay window cabooses before they sold out of them the first time.
The 3-dome tank cars have been a very good seller for Tangent. I would definitely keep my eyes open on their website, Kevin, for any future runs of those particular cars because - chances are - they will release more undecorated kits at the same time. If you send an email query to Tangent, they generally reply back within 24 hrs.
Went on a tear yesterday and knocked out the three Bowser kits that I picked up at the train show:
The two boxcars were fairly easy to assemble. These have the glossy paint (that older Bowser kits are known for) and I will probably spray a layer of Dullcote on them at some point.
The "newer" covered hopper definitely took me longer to assembe (more pieces-parts) but the detailing is quite nice. The paint on top of the roof and hatches looks like it didn't take very well when originally painted and has a "sooted" appearance in some places:
I kinda like the look though, as it gives the top a somewhat weathered beginning-to-rust look to it. The paint surfaces on the rest of the car are perfectly fine.
Tom:
Thank you for the tips about undecortated models from Tangent.
That looks like a good haul from the Berea Train Show. As of right now, I think my wife and I will be attending that show next year, and then go see family in Indiana.
Thank you to everyone that participated in this week's edition of Weekend Photo Fun.
See you next week.