weekend photo fun Nov 30 to Dec 2

[SpaceMouse]

Only a little progress. I got the backdrops up and got involved in building an office in my home office/wife's studio. Most of my work is on the phone anyway. Hope to move in next weekend.

I should mention that this is just the undercoat for the finished backdrop.

What I really did.

 

[UP2CSX]

Thaks, Josh. I vaguely remember that change now when it was announced by Athearn. I think I went out and measured the long hood of one of my SD-45's and, sure enough, it was too fat. Never noticed it before.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Jeffrey, I see you're coming along on that SD40-2. I do wish you'd try some decal paper though - the method you're using with the airmail paper is covering an awful lot of detail.

The decals are made with decal paper. I need to get some solvaset to put on them so they'll snuggle down like they're supposed to.

 

[grove den]

whee(k)ll and Photo Fun

First of all I want to thank everone who showed their pictures.progress etc. about thier mrrlayout or other related subjects in this weekend Phot Fun!!
Here's mine small contribution at the end (?)of this thread...
Went to a local MRR show just across the border: in Gangelt(Germany)
The first 2 pictures are showing HO vehicles and the last 2 are about N scale. What you see is just a small part of their collection in N scale Faller Car systeme vehicles+ their modules on which the small "cars"can drive (4-6 driveways!!)

Jos

be contignued...( sounds like "Peyoton Place" in the good old days )

 

[IronBeltKen]

... Ken, nice work and paint on those covered hoppers. The decal sheet looks really good also. I like the way you used the the three "C"'s to get the CSX height right. What kind of printer are you using and what software?

Jim, ever since 2004 I've been using nothing but Epson printers; their Durabrite(TM) ink is alot more resistant to various liquids [including Testors Decal Bonder]. My particular printer model is an "all-in-one" (i.e. scanner included) CX-6000. As for software, I use a very old version of something called LView Pro because I'm already familiar with it, but any half-decent commercial photo editing tool (such as Photoshop Elements) will work - I've just been too lazy to take time to learn it.

 

[Steve B]

Thats a great weekends set of pictures, all fantastic

 

[professorkev]

My God you guys are amazing. I came here just looking for a christmas tree train replacement. I like photography, and seeing how real like these pictures are, your sets are amazing. Last thing I need is another hobby ) But I will have to bring my 2.5 year old daughter to the Train show at NYS fairgrounds when they come around.

 

[CP9302]

Holy Smokes everyone! This has been a great WPF. Lots of amazing work.

Steve: I didn't know paper buildings could look so good! I'll have to try that free scale scenes building I have again. I messed it up the first time. But your work makes me want to try again.

Bob: Outstanding models, photo and photo rig! That engine house looks a little drafty though!

Jim: Nice work on the back drop. I really like the colour transition in the sky. I love all the little details you put in your scenes. The town welcome sign is a great touch.

MTRPLS: I hope you didn't pay that videographer too much, they need to forus more on the train and not the grass! But that was a great looking train, nice weathering on those cars.

Jerry: Nice work on the dry cleaner, nice interior detail.

John: Love that subtle weathering job. It makes all the difference.

Harold: Nice scenery, that river looks great.

Tom: I'd never seen a Baldwin demo paint job. Very nice looking models.

Jerome: A-B-B-B-B-A set, very nice! I like your paint scheme too. I think you have more GP60's than EMD built! It is one of my favourite locos.

Josh: Nice station and trees. The new layout is looking good too.

R Wilson: Nice CF7, I've always liked those. I may paint one for my RR one day.

Catt: Nice On30 stuff. A friend of mine just switched over to that.

Joe: I Love Proto switchers. I've had some with warped hand rails too. I've also had Kato AC4400's like that.

Ken: Nice hopper fleet. Are you planning to fill the gaps on the ribs? If nothing else, cut thin styrene strip to cover the ribs like you did the rest to help hid those gaps. The rest of the car looks too good to leave those!

Ray: Nice work on the retaining wall and Caboose. I think you've got one of the best model RR names around. How hard was it to come up with that accronym? I know that wasn't an accident!

Chip: I hate it when life gets in the way of my trains!

Jos: You N scale guys are nuts! I couldn't paint an HO wheelbarrow! That Highway is nice, but where is the train tracks!?! Most major highways around here have train tracks next to them.

And now for my humble addition to this edition of WPF.
Pic 1: I started kit bashing an Athearn WV Caboose to resemble a CP Angus built Van, and am happy with the result so far. Then the owner of one of our LHS's asked me to build a Prototype Model Industries CP Angus Van for him and I can see how far off my Athearn kit bash is! The white kit is the PMI model. It is resin, less trucks and couplers. A very nice resin kit. Not too much flash to deal with and the pieces fit very nice. $40 for the kit isn't too bad a price either. Check them out at: www.prototypemodelindustries.com

Pic 2: This is a RTR Athearn Gon with coil steel load that I have been weathering using techniques learned from the folks at www.modeltrainsweathered.com, an excellent site for those interested in accurately weathering your models. Lots of folks here can be found there as well.

Pic 3: This is some of the spline sub-roadbed I've been building for my club's layout. The lower track is hidden in a tunnel. The other track is the gradual down grade (.75%) from the top of the mountain. The grade on the other side of the mountain is 2.5% and will operate as a helper district. You can find more pictures of my clubs new layout under construction at www.windsor-modular.com/newLayout.php

Congratulations on a great weekend everyone. I'm looking forward to next weeking already!

 

[UP2CSX]

Professor, it has been determined by the FDA that this site is addictive and further visits will cause many late night sessions laying track and putting in scenery.

Ken, I've been using an HP Photosmart 7550 for my decals and haven't had significant problems with the ink bleeding as long as I'm careful to get the soaking period just right. I hear the Canon inks stay brighter on decals though, especially the lighter colors, something the HP inks don't do well. Maybe it's time to check out a Canon and get a decent monitor also.

Jeffrey, even without solvaset, I don't understand why the decals seem to be changing the shade of gray behind them. What brand of paper are you using? You do need to get a bottle of some kind of decal setting solution. I've found the one by Testor's seems to work as well as solvaset and it's a lot cheaper.

Jos, that is one big crane. I think that's one that Walthers has in their catalog and it's something like $400 over here (!). So all those Faller vehicles run on the roads we see below the line up of vehicles? Boy, I'll bet that's no cheap setup either.

 

[CP9302]

Professor, it has been determined by the FDA that this site is addictive and further visits will cause many late night sessions laying track and putting in scenery.

Isn't that the truth! Bob needs to put a disclaimer in the signup section.

Jeffrey, even without solvaset, I don't understand why the decals seem to be changing the shade of gray behind them. What brand of paper are you using? You do need to get a bottle of some kind of decal setting solution. I've found the one by Testor's seems to work as well as solvaset and it's a lot cheaper.

I think he is printing the grey as well on white paper. That is how he gets the white in the KCS logo. But I could be wrong. It is known to happen

 

[grove den]

episode II of...

CP9302

That Highway is nice, but where is the train tracks!?! Most major highways around here have train tracks next to them.

Overhere, actualy in my country, it is not so common that there is a railroad just next to the highway .I Don't know why? ....may be because "we" think that and a highway and also tracks together to a certain town or so is: overkill!!
You know we are a small country )
Btw They( N scale Fallercarsystem enthousiasts) do have a Worldrecord!!: over 104 meters( about 314 feet of fallercar N scale roads and over a 1000 cars/ vehicles that could drive on that ( Faller)road. it all happened in Gangelt last weekend!

UP2CSX :

So all those Faller vehicles run on the roads we see below the line up of vehicles? Boy, I'll bet that's no cheap setup either.

YIP! they are/can run and they are , together, not cheap...

t
The next pictures are from a dutch mrrfan/modeller( Henk Wust) who has made a diorama about a place/town at the British south east coast during the end of WWII..it is freelanced but the buildings( seen on the many vacations/trips he made in GB) still do exist in real today. You can see soooo many details!

Jos

 

[jbaakko]

Wow, GREAT weekend guys!

 

[Steve B]

Very nice Jos, saw a similar one not long ago but based on the french coast during WW2

 

[jbaakko]

Of the EMD's only the GP35, SD45, SDP40, GP30, & GP7/9 were wide hood. The SD40-2 came in during the 70's along with the GSB SD40-2, and they had already adopted the narrower motor.

I left out the SD9. I think the SD9 was the only other EMD I forgot.

 

[Steve B]

Chip if you want any clamps i know just the man
Fred Thats an amazing piece of joinery your doing , just getting to grips with the card kits, i think the secrets getting the right thickness of card in the first place and making good score lines with a blunt knife.

 

[Maxitrains]

That's the crane I want for my dock, its small and from the era I'm working on. I just need to gather some items I need from Walthers and get a whole lot and maybe get the shipping worth the goods I buy

 

[IronBeltKen]

...Ken: Nice hopper fleet. Are you planning to fill the gaps on the ribs? If nothing else, cut thin styrene strip to cover the ribs like you did the rest to help hid those gaps. The rest of the car looks too good to leave those!

Believe me Fred, I've definitely agonized over those notches - they put me between a rock and a hard place <LOL>! Unlike the broad, flat areas that could simply be covered, the braces are a specific shape protruding outward. My options were:
(1) Totally discard the original sides and use Evergreen styrene sheet of the same thickness, with new strip styrene pieces of the proper length;
(2) grind away the original braces [from the existing sides] and install new Evergreen strip in their place; or
(3) attempt to fill-in the gaps with some sort of sculptable epoxy, such as J-B Weld.

Option #1 would be very time consuming and require special tools that I currently can't afford; option #2 would risk damaging the sides, and also take a large amount of time. And both options 1 & 2 would negate 80% of the work I've already done. Which leaves option 3: I might get some type of gap filler in there, but in the end each filled gap will still look different from the rest of the brace, i.e., a distinct line of 'different looking' spots will still be visible along the length of the car. I'll experiment on the remnant of one of my cannibalized hoppers, and if I like the results, I'll go that route with the models themselves.

 

[IronBeltKen]

Jos - you European guys sure know how to "do N-scale right!" I'd love to see some of those animated roadways in action. Those WWII-vintage dioramas look really good too!

 

[UP2CSX]

I think he is printing the grey as well on white paper. That is how he gets the white in the KCS logo. But I could be wrong. It is known to happen

It looks like the logos are all red to me so he should be able to use clear paper with red ink. Clear paper shouldn't change the background color like that.

 

[UP2CSX]

Jos, that's a very neat looking diorama. Maxi, that crane would be the one that I think was suggested to you by Josh as a dockside crane. One quibble with that diorama though. That British MTB is either taking on water or the builder had to use some modeler's license to fit it in the scene. My dad was on PT boats during the war and both American and British torpedo boats had much higher freeboards than the one in that picture. Other than that, it's a nice model.