work is progressing I had to paint the inside of the body black and use some cardboard to "shield" the cabin from the light. The 645 (the brown one) is ready, this was easier as there is no need for red lights, therefore I left the original bulbs and used a 2 function DIGITRAX 9pinJST decoder. Pictures here
Those are a pair of Hallmarks from back in the 70's that I just got from one of my fellow clubmembers that was downsizing. I also have a few of the Overland Models versions I got in the late 80's. Rick Jesionowski
All interesting ideas. How would you design the trough train to operate around 18" curves? That is a really interesting idea. Seems we have a good selection of tank cars in HO, unless you look at those behemoth 6 axle cars the attached link shows cars using both of your 3 axle truck options. https://www.google.com/search?q=6+a...hUKEwiJ_cLd69roAhXWi54KHUzoAokQ9QEwAHoECAoQEg
So, while waiting for my craftsman kits and scratch supplies to arrive, I gathered up some wood and plastic scraps...
A little bit of a different project: a 1992 Ford Explorer in the Jurassic Park paint scheme. The kit started off as an old Williams model I found at a train show a few years ago. I built a custom chassis and modified interior, along with the bull bar on the front. Some other detail parts came from ROCO minitanks sprues. The roof is not movie-correct because it should be a plexiglas bubble top, which I did not want to build. The dinosaur is from a LEGO set.
Here is another project for my Cricut: The first set of sides for the Talgo series 8. This is the newer trainset type with the cab car, the ones built in Milwaukee. The car shells are all pretty much the same: Coaches either have four of five windows per side, but the diner is different, as most diners go. However, the cab car has a slightly different profile around the roof and side skirts, and the end car to interface with the locomotive can be either a coach or a baggage car. I still need to choose which trainset I will model, which will determine the end car type. Four were built, two for the Cascades and two for Wisconsin. The Wisconsin 'Hiawatha' sets have since been sent to the Cascades route too. I am leaning towards the Wisconsin sets just because of their red and white as-built paint scheme. The original 1996 Cascades sets are Talgo series 6, which are modified Talgo Pendular. I have seen some people add the fairings and Cascades paint to the Electrotren Pendular model, but mine is the first model of the series 8 sets (to my knowledge). Series 8 moved mechanical equipment from the ends of the car to the underbody, so series 8 cars have side skirts that the older series 6 don't. With the machinery moved, the carbody can be completely dedicated to passenger space. From what I can tell, the car profile has been preserved in both series 6 and 8, but in the Talgo-Amtrak promotional video, they toted 'larger windows' and 'roomier interiors', so the windows on my sides have been slightly enlarged from available series 6 drawings. The car will be built as follows: car core to provide strength and structure sides and roof will be glued to core the side skirts and chassis will form a solid base to attach the shell to bodywork to smooth the joint between the sides and roof the single-axle bogie (I think the European term is more appropriate here) will attach to one end of the car The 5-window sides here are appropriate for car shells without a restroom (coach and diner). The 4-window sides are for cars with a restroom (business and coach). The Bistro car has windows up higher similar to the Acela Cafe.
Just easing my way back into the hobby after about 20 years away. Nothing on the workbench yet as I’m just about finished building it. First job though will be installing a Digitrax decoder in a C-424. Hopefully the bench gets finished this week, work area gets a good cleaning and I can get to the fun stuff.
Talgo Update: I have two cars almost done (no roof) and a third in assembly. The two cars are the diner and a coach (no bathroom). The car parts you see are for another coach of the same type. I will probably build all the 5-window coaches and then the ones with bathrooms. Those have different drain plugs on the under frame for the retention tanks, while the other cars do not. I’m in a groove with the regular underframes, so I’ll wait until the first type are done before I redesign it for the bathroom-equipped cars. The sides in the background are for the end coach. I have to verify some length information first before I treat those as my final-draft sides. They might need to be shortened, I’m not sure. Right now, I have the wheelbase as being the same as for the fully articulated cars, but since this one has its own axle at the end, it may have a shorter wheelbase.
Installed a DH165A0 decoder in my Atlas C-425. My first time doing this and it wasn’t so bad. I didn’t do anything with lighting as I’m trying to just get up and running with a DCC++ system I’ve put together.
I have another model getting ready to go on Shapeways: A Santa Fe A-Stack container for their Fuel Foiler spine car. Six of these units were built; I ran across a photo of them being stacked on a car in the October 1982 edition of Trains, which was my inspiration for this project. For such a rare prototype, at least 3 still exist. They are at the Western America Railroad Museum in Barstow, California. 3 were made of steel and 3 were of fiberglass. The museum looks to have one steel and two fiberglass containers, based on Google Earth images. A fourth container may be in Hesperia, CA, but the street view in the area is outdated, so I can't tell if it is the third fiberglass or another steel container. My model is of the steel container, I'll try to do the fiberglass one next. I tried to represent the weld beads/separate panels that are on the bottom half of the steel unit. The detail still looks a bit heavy handed as compared to photos, but I am worried that it is approaching the minimum resolution on the Shapeways printers; it could also just be the line thickness on the software too. The fiberglass container is smooth-sided except for a rib that runs around the perimeter. At least one had circular vents along the side too. The steel containers have ISO-style doors, while the fiberglass ones have some kind of icebox-looking plug door. To print this one, I may break it into parts and offer it as a flat kit. It may be cheaper that way, instead of it being a huge block of plastic.
...dunno how long I've had this: Although it's been a staple piece of motive power in HO since the 1950s(?), I think it's got just the "right" look... Mark in Oregon
Here's my Stewart F7B I'm working on it'll be for my freelanced road I altered the side skirt. The fuel tank, battery boxes and air tank are from Hi-Tech pic later. Here's where it stands as of now getting ready to shoot another coat of paint in a few. Enjoy
Thx Micheal still need to add the Black to the roof. Then the unit will get punished can't say until it's done. But will be working from a prototype photo that I can hardly believe myself.
