Remember the Frisco gp35's also had alco trucks without the roof tanks. Should look good but watch the tank clearance being the big issue
Two Branchline boxcars! Dipping my toes into HO, seeing what I think. They've been outfitted with Kadee 158s, and I do love these cars. The bigger size allows more details and more detailed scenery. I might do 2 layouts... Those tiny corner steps are flimsy! Might have to get some brass ones...
I thought I saw a picture of a 35 with roof tanks and and the Alco trucks, but I can’t find it now. I’ll keep looking. That is what I want to do. Air on the roof and Alco trucks.
From what I have found, if they had the tanks, they did not have Alco trucks. I’d rather have the tanks on top, so back to the Athearn trucks for now. Thanks for your thoughts! Dale
From what I have found, if they had the tanks, they did not have Alco trucks. I’d rather have the tanks on top, so back to the Athearn trucks for now. Thanks for your thoughts! Dale
Thanks Vince! It would be nice ,it I guess there is enough of a “rivet counter” in me these days......
I just got back from a visit with family over Thanksgiving, which means I was at the hobby shop there too. I picked up this Branchline 12-1 sleeper kit, as well as some other RTR cars that don’t really belong on this “workbench” thread. I have been reading about and looking at these kits for a while now, but this is the first time I will actually be building one. The kit comes with metal wheels, which is a plus, as well as underbody details and grab irons. I can really appreciate the amount of research that went into designing these. The instruction manual seems to be really put-together. They go over the car history, show interior photos, and include different underbody diagrams based on the various AC systems. Even though I model mostly modern, I might need to find some more of these to go with my few steam locomotives. It’s too bad that Atlas bought them and made them RTR. There are not enough good kits around these days.
I finished the Branchline kit last night. Overall it is a great model. The parts fit was near perfect, the details are on point, and snapping that roof on, without any gaps, is the best feeling in modeling. You can see my next project in the background, a PRR GG1. I am thinking about using this car on the Gotham Limited. While it was unlikely that PRR used Pullmans that weren’t in Tuscan red, it might look cool having a more mismatched train with heavyweights and streamlined cars in various paint schemes. The Gotham Limited was farther down on the priority list, so it ran with older cars from other trains.
I just finished a scratch-built HO depressed center. I installed Kadee 100-ton trucks & #5 couplers. The frame is wood. The floor is 24 gauge sheet metal. The tie-down brackets, brake wheel and side rail gussets are plastic sheet. The grab handles and stirrups are copper wire. I took it for a test run and it pulled well. So, I got a 54 foot gondola on the drawing board.
Been on a bit of a binge chopping the walks off rolling stock for my 80's-00's layout. I'm not interested in perfect accuracy in my rolling stock, but I recently learned (I'm a bit of a newbie) that roof-walks are a pretty blatant anachronism for a Chicago area layout of my era. A few before and afters... Before: Iried a few different methods with the cars above with varying degrees of success. I think the best and easiest was what I settled on and used below. I Use the pegs from the roof walks glued into the holes with solvent glue, filling the inevitable gaps with some thick super glue, then cut and shape. Comes off looking like this after trimming and filing. And after a quick hit with one buck flat black spray paint. Not quite perfect results on some of them, but they're probably destined for weathering anyway, so I doubt will matter in the end and I think they'll look fine rolling down the track.
KCS ES44AC, purchased at the OKC Train Show. I got it out tonight and lightly weathered it tonight. It needs the final coat of Dullcoat to seal it in. I couldn’t resist setting it up with my 2 other Belles for a publicity shot at the Port. Thanks for looking! Dale
Great shots Dale, man those KCS ACE's (or any ACE) are some great pullers, had a couple (out of 5 units) on a sand train, and man did those things pull. The GE we had on the head end went over a oiler dropped it's load, but boy those ACE's kicked us in the behind, pushed the GE and pulled the train too, until that GE decided to go back to work. Those ACE's are good locomotives, plus they sound good doing it, lol.
Thanks Tom, I always like to see the ACe’s go by. They have a very distinctive look about them. All business for sure! I don’t see too many of them around Tulsa but it’s always fun to catch one. Take care, Dale