1. completely nuts

    completely nuts TrainBoard Member

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    Gary, once finished this will be a great scene.
    Like it.

    Paul
     
  2. GaryHinshaw

    GaryHinshaw TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks Paul - I hope it turns out as well as it looks in my mind. ;) I posted a virtual version of this scene from my layout plan in the Tehachapi thread:

    Tehachapi in N scale? - Page 2 - TrainBoard.com

    Back on the topic of stacks, here is a new shot of my BRAN stacks, loaded up this time:

    [​IMG]

    I really like the height variations between the hi-cubes and the others. Let's see some more.
     
  3. Cleggie

    Cleggie TrainBoard Member

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    Gary:
    Love those sweeping curves, a really nice scene to model. Keep us all posted with pics of your progress please. And now... some stacks!

    [​IMG]

    A stack train on the move on my layout.

    I will at some stage do some weathering on these cars and containers but for now everything moving on my layout is as it came "out of the box". There is just so much other stuff to do, so weathering details will come later.
     
  4. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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    [​IMG]

    Wow! Very nice! Please post more photos of these Stacks, BRAN in particular!

    Hobo Tim
     
  5. GaryHinshaw

    GaryHinshaw TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks HoboTim! Here are a few more shots of this set:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/GFHinshaw/ThrallBRRAN2008

    Cleggie - love that scene. I know what you mean about weathering - it all takes time... but it's so cool when it turns out well. I've got to get me some of those early Gundersons someday, but for my era I'll have to beat them up pretty bad. ;)
     
  6. jsoflo

    jsoflo TrainBoard Member

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    Gary,
    spectacular!!!!

    my best,
    Jan
     
  7. jagged ben

    jagged ben TrainBoard Member

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    Gary...really awsome BRAN. I have a set of TTX to compete with it but it needs weathering, will try to post pictures at some point.

    Questions: What decals for the BRAN set? Also, what did you use to for the stirrups and upright grabs on the middle units? I know the GMM set doesn't come with these. I used some GMM diesel stirrup steps for mine, but I don't have anything for the uprights. Is there a detail product that's cost effective for this? Also, you're stirrups are a bit more appropriate for the BRAN cars. (They tend to be attached on the outside unlike TTX cars.)
     
  8. jsoflo

    jsoflo TrainBoard Member

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    Here are a couple of units from a DI SP Maxi III:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  9. GaryHinshaw

    GaryHinshaw TrainBoard Member

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    Jan - thanks for the compliment. I haven't yet built up the courage to try some of the nice kitbashed units like you have been showing. I've been sticking to detail and (re)finish work, which is quite a bit easier. I'd love to try one of those standalone 53's with trailer hitches, for example.

    Nice shots of the Maxi-III, I especially like the MSC container. The last DI release of those were too mustard colored for my taste. Did you start with one of those? If so, how did you fade it so nicely?

    On the subject of Maxi-III's, I was just hauling one out today to think about weathering it and putting it into service. However, it seems like a major pain to work on it as a 5-unit set. Does anyone have a good way to separate the units non-destructively?

    Jagged Ben - good eye on the stirrups, I see you've been doing your homework too! For decals, I used the Santa Fe Thrall set from Microscale (#60-772). Remarkably, this had almost everything I needed right out of the envelope (which was one of the reasons I was willing to try this project in the first place). For the blue paint-outs, I cut rectangles out of the blue background from an APL Thrall set (Microscale #60-4096). The trickiest parts were the reporting markings and numbers: I first tried a Microscale Gothic alphabet set, but it just didn't look right, so I approached Roland Ruesch of HelveticaRR Decals to print me some. He did a great job sizing them properly from photos and measurements he took off his own Walthers set. (Thanks again Roland!) I'm sure he still has the artwork and would be willing to print some more. His web address is:

    http://usloki.tripod.com/nhodecal.htm

    For the side stirrups I ended up using the Gold Medal set for Kato smoothside passenger cars (#160-26). For the BRAN units I kept the fret and glued it straight on the side frame (step style #3). It's a wee bit clunky with the fret, but not too bad. (I too made a TTX set where I drilled holes under the frame and mounted them more inboard. The diesel stirrup set would work quite well here too). This passenger stirrup set has enough steps for 3 full articulated sets, so it's quite cost effective. Finally, for the interior hand grabs, I cut them off of one of the GMM standalone Thrall detail kits (#160-46) which many places sell for under $10. Those kits will yield 14 grabs (7 per car x 2 cars) and you need 8 per 5-unit set. So reasonably cost-effective, and the spare walkway material can be used in other detailing projects.

    Please post photos when you can! ;)
     
  10. BNSFtheLeader

    BNSFtheLeader E-Mail Bounces

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    Now this is My kind of subject :)

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  11. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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    How about some photos of stacks in Intermodal yards, Mi-Jacks in action, Ottawa's ferrying containers, and such.......

    Show the Sha-bang!!!

    Love the photos posted!!!!

    Hobo Tim
     
  12. jsoflo

    jsoflo TrainBoard Member

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    Gary,
    thanks for the kind comments! The MSC container is from the original release (which was actually not yellow enough- too cream colored, the Safmarine cans are also too light a blue, hopefully the soon, I guess late to be released- Safmarine 20' containers are as dark a blue as in the add, but I digress!) I have never taken my DI Maxi III's apart, love to hear if you do it how it went!
    my best,
    Jan
     
  13. jsoflo

    jsoflo TrainBoard Member

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    Hey Tim, here are a couple!
    my best, Jan:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  14. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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    Much Appreciated!!!

    Thanks for posting the photos!!!!

    For the past week and for about 12 more weeks I will be without my computer and only left with an I-Phone to view this forum. Luckily right now I am on an internet capable laptop. A luxury I might have once a week or two. Ugh!!!

    This is a Grand Topic "Stacks" in my book!!! Please keep it going!!!

    You guys are doing an outstanding job!!!!

    Hobo Tim

    p.s. You all should know I am the self-proclaimed Z scale Intermodal Guru!!!!
    My Rail Images Photos
    http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/3893
     
  15. Cleggie

    Cleggie TrainBoard Member

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    Nice intermodal yard Jan, well done!
     
  16. jagged ben

    jagged ben TrainBoard Member

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    This thread is getting just hella fun!

    Gary, thanks for sharing your secrets. Will have to pursue some of those tips. :)
     
  17. David R

    David R TrainBoard Member

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    Great pics, keem 'em coming, you're making me jealous that I don't have space to model a big intermodal yard!!
    :tb-tongue:
     
  18. completely nuts

    completely nuts TrainBoard Member

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    Yep I like both intermodal yards the one of BNSFtheLeader and the nice pictures of Jan.
    Great job.

    Paul
     
  19. GaryHinshaw

    GaryHinshaw TrainBoard Member

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    Jan - that's a great looking terminal! Could you say a bit more about it? How big is it, how is it laid out, what kind of ops do you do there? (The fencing is very nice too - what brand is that?)

    BNSFtheLeader - that's a heck of a collection and some nice photos. But I'm afraid you're going to have some angry customers and a congealed railroad on your hands if you don't get a crane and a few trucks in there pronto. ;)


    HoboTim - I seem to recall from threads gone by that you are responsible for the Z scale Thralls:

    http://ztrackcenter.com/intermodal/

    is that right? Those look like great models - especially for Z!

    I tried to get a good shot of my drawbar-coupled Thralls to post, but they didn't turn out very well. I'll try again later.
     
  20. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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    That's me....


    That would be me. Z Intermodal is a slow growing part of the hobby, but it is indeed growing. I am playing with the notion to do some 40' articulating Thrall's next. Not sure yet, but probable.

    Here is a crude throw together of some of my non-weathered Z intermodal stuff.
    [​IMG]

    The Mi-Jack, Ottawa's, 48' trailers and the 53' containers are all scratchbuilt, the Husky's are MTL, the 89' flats and the 48' Spine's are from Alan Curtis, the 40' reefer containers are from Harald Freudenreich in Germany and all the decals were made by me.

    I think this is one of the greatest threads started here in the N scale forum in a long time!!!! No need in stopping now!!!!

    Let's see your Intermodal!!!!

    Hobo Tim
     

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