Got my fuel island done. One thing I learned...if you break a fuel crane...just throw the ^$&(^^%$%^$## thing in the trash !! The frustration of trying to glue it back together will drive ya over the edge !!!!!
I've spent part of my Saturday doing more work on my Rix Butler bins and elevator kit. One bin done and only a couple of things to add to the elevator. 001 by WPZephyrFan posted Apr 2, 2016 at 6:48 PM
The Butler bins and the elevator are pretty much done. All that's left is for me to start on the elevator building itself. I'll add the chutes from the elevator to the bins and the building when I set the complex on my layout. 002 by WPZephyrFan posted Apr 3, 2016 at 2:21 PM
A little more work on the Bachmann S4... Trimmed the stack a bit, and took off the rounded corners with a sanding stick... Decided to use Floquil Bright Silver, then drybrushed some 'exhaust'...it really looks the 'part' now. Something else I noticed about the Bachmann Alco which works in my favor-the long hood side grabs and nose grabs are not molded in. Great for me as, now, I don't have to remove molded grabs to replace with freestanding ones.
I'm about to start adding the cab sunshades... I'm assuming these were steam-era canvas shades, as I see them on most of the ATSF (and others) switchers of the era... I had done this to one of my Atlas VO-1000 a number of years ago, using spare grabs from the BLMA Ultimate E/F detail set... here's an in progress pic of the wrapping process (at the time I was making it harder by attempting to actually 'roll' the tape around the grab fixture-I'll simply CA it this time) Forgive the poor pic, taken with an aging, failing camera almost 4 years ago... The S2 and S4s also had these shades... ...so I'll replicate it on the Bachmann S4....
lol..yes...a couple of these guys are the guys we always see at shows...one or two nice engines,(and lots of 30-40 year old stuff) with anything and everything trailing... even today, I'm appalled that they still need a 'transition car' to pull most of their rolling stock! with the incredibly GORGEOUS weather we've been experiencing down here in Coastal Alabama, module and scenery work has now moved to the 'fair weather' hobby room (aka, the garage). I'm finally adding scenery to one of the very first SWARMTrak modules, one of the original 180 degree end caps. The other original end cap quickly became the Triple D Farm and Ranch, but this one always seemed to take a back seat as other modules were built and sceniced. I'm taking the opportunity to do it now, as I have a few more modules in the queue that will also receive the same type of desert scenery, so I can do all of them together. This one is getting several layers of 1" foam (sic), rummaged from scraps, to build up the general forms that will become eroded mesa formations. At this point, I've got the general shapes in, but I'll add1-2 more layers to what is seen here. General shaping of the slopes and cuts will follow, using a rasp and foam knife, followed by capping with the eroded rock formations. I'll blend those in with a little sculptamold (I want them to appear to be formations that have been left protruding out of the eroded slope of sandstone, etc...) I'm trying to present the scenery in such a way as to create a view block to attempt to hide the ridiculously small radius that is become the T-Trak standard for these end caps and corners.
What brand of track is that? Your module looks great. My N road is laid with 30 year old Shinohara, so I've not had to pay attention to track developments in a long time. As I think about building a new pike, I have a renewed interest. Thanks!
In a huge slump so I have been building #6 Fastracks turnouts on my workbench in preparation for the garage empire.
Coming out of spring time and into summer heat my work bench has moved outside, for the moment, in getting my pond ready to look like this 08/15 image. A nice change in focus. Carl
a few more baby steps on adding details to the very nice (and inexpensive!) Bachmann S4... I used a GMM template, a #80 drill bit, and BLMA 15" drop steps to the long hood fireman's side and front end. Bachmann doesn't mold these in place like Atlas does on their diecast bodyshell, so it is MUCH easier to add this feature to the Bachmann Alco.
So, I've added the 'canvas' sunshades...trimmed strips of Tamiya masking tape, CA'd into place...I used an Xacto blade to gently work the canvas in and around the top support in order to make it drape a little more like the photos I have; none of the shades look 'neat', they all seem to be wrinkled and rolled. I then painted with a thinned flat white . I'm pleased with the results...I still have yet to add shades to the cab end windows, I'm going to depict these as rolled up do I should be able to manufacture and assemble them at the work desk, then add 'after the fact'. After brushing the step grabs with thinned flat black, they almost disappeared...one can only really see them close up or in the photos, but they do look good and, at least, I know they're there... Bruce
Bruce must have incredibly steady hands, to paint such small details and not get the surroundings in that process.
