detail or not to detail....

StickyMonk Oct 10, 2000

  1. StickyMonk

    StickyMonk TrainBoard Member

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    <font color="336633">Ok i was looking at my rolling stock the other night and makeing a note of what detail parts that need adding to my frieght cars (seperate grabs, air hoses, etched walkways etc.) and i realised at how my detail standards have changed from when i first started out.

    in the begining i just left locos and cars how they came (painting Athearn handrails was allways a must), then i moved onto putting mu hoses and snow plows, then i began to add lots of other bits, then replacing all grabs, now im to the stage where im going to put on every possible detail i can, even down to the traction motor cables....

    as for freightcars, i have only just began to detail them up, no point in haveing highly detailed locos if the cars they pull are bare.

    did anyone else have this same detailing curve, or maybe you have allways gone to the high end of detailing, or are you happy as they are out of the box??
    </font>

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    Matthew
    wheres all the C636's????
    stickymonk.com
    Matts Photo gallery
     
  2. watash

    watash Passed away March 7, 2010 TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    Its a stage we all go through, Matthew. I learned from my Dad who was a perfectionist! That's the worst kind, because you will never get all the detail he thinks you should put on. Ha. He wasn't that bad, but he did point out to me that the cord on the drop light on a dihorama in progress was 1/4" in diameter. That's .0028" at 3.5mm. So I couldn't use the silk thread, I had to use a human hair. NO ONE COULD SEE IT! Are we going to live our lives detailing, then let everyone and his dog pick up our prized pieces so they can see the detail? If that's what floats your boat, go for it. If you want to take 'real' photos, you better put bugs on your flowers and frogs in the ponds! Just keep a big stick handy to whup up on the everpresent nick pickers who always kibitz!Ha. Personally, I'm going to run! [​IMG]

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    Watash
     
  3. tunnel88

    tunnel88 TrainBoard Member

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    I'm totally with you on this one Matthew. Except i'm not quite at the Nth degree because of time and money constraints even though i wouldn't mind being there... [​IMG]
    In fact right now i'm figuring out how feasible it will be to replace all grabs/ladders/etc on freight cars with wire replacements...

    But i think there's a line between detailing and operation because with too much attention to detail you might never have a working layout.
     
  4. Mike C

    Mike C TrainBoard Member

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    I found it eaiser to just get rid of all my old cars and start over. Now all I have are Intermountain, Proto 2000, Red caboose, and a couple of Kadees, All of them are kit built except for the Kadees. I really like the detail on these kits and they really arent all that expensive. The only cars I havent replaced are my fleet of coal hoppers. So far no one has made a descent kit (with the possible exception of Tichy, still need to build them ) But I did remove all the grabirons and stirip steps and replace them with wire grabs and steps. This also wasent that difficult, I was able to do 2 an evening while watching the TV....Mike

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    Its only Money !!
     
  5. Denis F. Blake

    Denis F. Blake TrainBoard Member

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  6. tunnel88

    tunnel88 TrainBoard Member

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    I just started a new project and here's a good example of how far i'm going to go on it...

    I just picked up one of the new run Athearn SD40-2s last week. It's the BN pinstripe model. It's a dummy because i have trucks and mechanism assemblies already, i just wanted to see how the new handrail were. Oh, yeah, i was very impressed with the handrails, which is great because i won't have to worry about bending my own anymore! Except for the front of course... In fact i emailed Athearn and asked them when they were gonna start making the plastic handrails for most their other stuff!(they were considering it) Anyway back to the level of detail. I don't want to do a whole lot of work, but i don't want it to look like every other Athearn SD40-2 so here's what's happening...

    New Cannon cab- With wipers and correct antennas. I'll paint it to match the body...

    Body-wire grabs, levers, eye bolts, horn, etc... I'm leaving the original fans, but painting and weathering them to show their depth. I'm pretty sure i'll add 1 part from the cab sub-base kit to replace the Athearn piece, but i won't redo the whole part.

    Anticlimber on front, and appropriate pilot details(mu/hoses/drop step/etc) for both ends.

    Undeframe details- correct fuel tank fittings, some tank end piping, bell, sand lines from frame, all truck details and chain.

    And i think that's it. It should look good with some weathering, and isn't too much work... Did i mention it would have P87 wheels? [​IMG]
     
  7. Mike C

    Mike C TrainBoard Member

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    Hey Dennis, where in Columbus do you live? I am on the east side in Whitehall. Maby we could get together and run some trains ....Mike [​IMG]

    [This message has been edited by Mike C (edited 30 October 2000).]
     
  8. StickyMonk

    StickyMonk TrainBoard Member

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    <font color="336633">One prob with only buying the high quality stuff is your limited to what you can run, and cant get a decent mix, so i have to detail all my other stuff to match the better models.... and i also enjoy it anyway, just need time and money.... both are in short supply at the moment [​IMG]</font>

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    Matthew
    wheres all the C636's????
    [​IMG]

    stickymonk.com
    Matts Photo gallery
     
  9. Mankind

    Mankind Guest

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    When I first got into trains as a little kid, I was happy to just use most stuff as-is, but as I got into my teens, I quickly started going all-out on my stuff. I haven't gotten too far into freight car detailing (yet), but as for diesels...well... [​IMG] Here's an example I had on display at the Western Prototype Modeler's Meet. The pic is by Harry Wong, from his Zing Photo Album: http://www.zing.com/picture/pe44a55ec22e6eb1ebb1cfa3e4b6093ae/ff4f620b.jpg.orig.jpg This project just sorta snowballed...I had originally just planned to use the RPP shell with just a few Cannon parts (cab, nose, sub-base) and the usual mix of DA/DW/etc parts. But after really looking at the RPP shell, I didn't really care for the doors; they didn't look as good as the ones on an Athearn, so off they came. The pilots and stepwells on the RPP didn't look as good as everybody elses, so I chopped those off, and replaced them with stepwells/pilots cut from an Athearn GP40-2. And since the Overland drives have such a low motor and driveshaft profile, I felt it would be a shame for all the cab space to go to waste, so I installed a cab interior kit. Treadplate was installed, and on and on....I've been working on this model off-and-on for about a year and a half now. Just too many other distractions, with numerous other projects, classes, friends, and so on. Thankfully, it's almost done, and should get an SP Kodachrome paint job in the near future.

    Paul "Mr.Socko #3" Ellis

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    Have A Nice Day!
     
  10. tunnel88

    tunnel88 TrainBoard Member

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    Yeah, i'd love to do some UP SD90MACs but i don't think the RPP shells are all that great... And i don't want to redo the whole sides! [​IMG]

    Which interior kit did you go with? I wouldn't mind trying to stuff them in my models...
     
  11. Mankind

    Mankind Guest

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    <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by tunnel88:
    Which interior kit did you go with? I wouldn't mind trying to stuff them in my models...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    I used the kit made by Keystone Locomotive Works. They make interior kits for E-units, F-units, 1st Generation EMD, and 2nd Generation EMD. I use the 2nd gen kit, and it's nice; they give you a cast metal control stand, speedometer, some brass wire for the horn, throttle, and reverser levers, cab heaters, 2 seats, floor, front wall, and detailed back wall with access panels and switches. If you install it in something with a low-profile drivetrain, like Kato or Overland, clearance isn't a problem, but in something that's Athearn powered, you'll have to modify the floor and back wall so the drive will fit.

    Paul #3

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    Have A Nice Day!
     
  12. tunnel88

    tunnel88 TrainBoard Member

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    I expected i'd have to modify for clearance but that shouldn't be too big of a problem... After i get some of them kits i'll need an engineer or two as well! [​IMG]

    I forgot to mention how nice the SD45 was btw...
     

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