8' of Indio staging remains on my workbench. I am a bit worn out. Maybe later tonight I can finish soldering in the throwbars and mount the yard into the layout space. I need to ensure the frogs are wired correctly first. So maybe a bit more time on the workbench until I can put it in place. The wife keeps touting scenery, but am on a mission to have a running mainline.
I have been on a quest to build up my passenger car fleet by using all the etched sides that I have accumulated over the years. My latest project is an ATSF baggage & express car built by American Car and Foundry in 1950. This is the same car that Kato released with their Super Chief set. Many years ago when very little was available in plastic passenger cars, I took two Atlas Rivarossi baggage-dorm cars and kit bashed two baggage sections together to create a stand-in for my Santa Fe trains, based mainly on that series of cars. I believe they were Rock Island prototypes. I located some etched sides to update that baggage car but never got around to using them because they were chrome plated and warped significantly. When M&R came out with the same sides I used them to correct many of the deficiencies by using it as a core. The roof details were all off but it was a big improvement and I may yet go back to revisit those issues. Back to the chrome plated etched sides. I had discovered on a previous project using chrome plated etched sides that by hosing them down with my Badger grit blaster and roughing up the inside with a Dremil sanding drum, the warping flattened out. I guess the tension of the chrome plating had caused them to warp and the roughing up process had relaxed the bi-metal effect making them flat again and easier to use. I still need to add hand holds and baggage door stirrups before painting. The work in progress car, using a Kato CB&Q Budd car as a cor with a Kato smooth roof, is in front. The old Atlas Rivarossi car with M&R sides is on the right. The Kato Super Chief is farthest back.
Been working on this guy for the last week. Building this for my dad who has the first Joe I ever made so now he can double-head. I encountered a lot of issues causing me to just shake my head at each new problem and just press on. Finished paint this weekend and now need to add the grabs, railing, ladders, other details and re-wire the motor. These Joes sure were good lookin' locomotives! -Mike
Got a package today of 180 3D printed roof top details and tonight started adding them to a building I am finishing for my home layout. Seen here are 9 pf the pieces in various stages of glue drying, painted, and weathering.
My latest project. More J&J chrome plated sides. They have the doors and bars over the windows next to the doors soldered on. The bars were to protect the glass when a mail bag slammed against them. Have grit blasted the plating so the paint will stick.
Catching up posting the HandCab build.... More info and images on TrainBoard here.... https://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/handcab-wifi-throttle-part-1.154692/#post-1299195 Sumner
Working on some wrapped lumber loads for my Micro-Trains center beam flat cars. Using Evergreen styrene square and rectangle tubing for the core and installing some very small magnets inside so these can be removable.
Finished. The letter board for the RAILWAY POST OFFICE decal was too short but I managed to cut the decal up to sort of fit. It is what it is. From a few feet away on an NTRAK layout most folks will probably not notice. These RPO cars were delivered from American Car and Foundery for exclusive use on the newly equipped Super Chief in the late 40s. However after a batch of RPOs were delivered from Budd, they went into pool service. Most had their skirts removed about then.
The workbench was once again covered in BLI parts. This is for my Amtrak E8 #327. This time I got the correct truck pickups so the locomotive got a new truck installed and all was right in the world. But I was suspicious of the motor in the unit so I applied 9v to it to see what happens, and it worked. So I reversed the polarity and it worked again… but not as fast, and then not at all, and then a burning oil smell. So I reversed the current again to see if it would still go like it did before… and no, no joy. Well, I don’t know if this is why the last decoder fried, or if the last decoder caused this, but now I need to order another motor… great…. Oh well. By the time I’m finished I will have a completely rebuilt locomotive.
I need details. We want to make an South Shore Little Joe over here. Sent from my Pixel 8 using Tapatalk
We actually did a South Shore just over a year ago. It has the specific spotting details for those units ( like different pans than the Milwaukee Road which set into the roof recess and other details ) I'd have to bring the 3D model up to spec as I've done a lot of improvements with the Milwaukee Road version. You can PM me for any questions/details. My friend Ernie did this build: Cheers -Mike
