I found that HOn30 diesel I was working on. Need to add some more parts to it and I should be ready. It's built on the Atlas RSD-4/5 chassis. Good running and pulling. I may build another to go with it. The big overhang rad on the back will house a speaker for sound. Not sure what I'll put in it. I'm leaning towards a LokSound 3.5 with the 8-cylinder engine effect. I may also go with Soundtrax and the FM sounds for something different. The first cab I was not happy with on that engine, so it's going onto another.. Too long for the Ugly, it'll work for a center cab engine instead. That's a Kato centercab switcher chassis I had floating around I wanted to use, so now I found something for it. Art
No specific prototype in mind. Kinda half-a$$ed from WP&Y diesels. Just something funky. The centercab will be the same thing, something out of my mind, or what's left of it.. I'm also working on a couple of HOn30 container cars. My island ships rum and cigars via 20' containers now, but the buildings are not near the port, so they have to be hauled inland. Art
I like the free-style idea. I have been cooking up some plans for a Coudabin railroad based on narrow gauge logging prototypes.
I am no fan of dievils, but I am a fan of scratch building. I like what you're doing! Let me guess...some various diesel components were acquired, used, and the road's shops are building a new locomotive from them. Nice to see a freelance diesel! I'm thesis writing right now, so I'm laying low. Still, I found two very important MIA hobby items: the bag of draft gear parts for my Link & Pin couplers, as well as the drill adapter for drilling out the pin holes in the couplers. Here's a picture that illustrates my love of L&Ps... And what they look like installed: Michael
That's what is nice about HOn30, On30. A feeling of almost total freedom. Proto, imaginary, or a nice mixing of the two. Boxcab E50
Hi Michael, How do you deal with coupling these cars together? Do your fingers get crushed just like the brakeman of the time? Otherwise, nice work. BTW - what's your thesis topic?
I use a pair of tweezers most of the time. I've also experiment some with using staple methods...but nothing beats seeing that little link running between two couplers with pins in each end. A computer model for nitrogen dynamics in streams...and I have to get back to it now... Michael
A computer model for nitrogen dynamics in streams...and I have to get back to it now... Michael[/QUOTE] Hi Michael, I know this is so not trains but what field of study is this being done? Sounds interesting. Years ago I was a grad student in Atomic Physics for a short period of time but I was able to publish a paper in the Physical Review A, May 1991. The title was "Effect of radiation trapping on the polarization of an optically pumped alkali-metal atomic beam." After I dropped out I lost touch with where all of this went but those years were some of the most stimulating of my life. Good luck with your thesis and dissertation!
Environmental Engineering. It is train related! I can prepare chemicals to treat the locomotive water! More seriously, my coursework and experience is a mix of civil engineering, chemical engineering, ecology, biogeochemistry, fluid mechanics, and biology. I was a PhD student for 3.5 years before switching to easier way out/ability to stay in Cincinnati. Michael
Yes Boxcab - if only there was a degree in model railroading! Michael - sounds like a great mix of disciplines. I also agree that after years of moving cross country in pursuit of career jobs it's best to lay down roots and stay put. That's the only reason that has kept me in the south Minneapolis burbs even now that I'm in between jobs. Next week I'll finally get the final inspection on the basement remodel and begin building benchwork for my On3 empire!
It does remind me of a DL-535E, but almost as quickly, I thought of BC Rail's CAT-repowered RS-18s. And now that I think about it, the nose and cab remind me of a C39-8.
Congratulations Dan! Will you be building all of the benchwork at once, or in phases? After turning in a draft of my model description yesterday, along with not feeling too well, I was only able to run a couple trains in Trainz and read some of Myrick's Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California. Michael
I need to plan the layout first, although I have a pretty good mental picture already. Since the allowable space won't be anywhere near as much as I'd like I'll be doing a two level plan. However, I don't know what challenges I'll run into to get the two levels to coexist yet. The room is 'L' shaped with the bigger portion being 12'x18' and the other being 7'x12' The base of the L is 24'. Trains will be short unfortunately but I hope to have lots of sidings for operational fun. Stock pens, oil platforms etc.. I'd even like to make some sort of Monarch mine structure but we'll see. Otherwise I have the Cumbres station and Crested Butte enginehouse so I want to work these in as well. Once the plan is set then I'll be doing it in stages. Chama will be my hub and as such the bulk of the work will start there. I have the Banta Ridgeway seven stall roundhouse, San Juan coal tower, Crystal River dual spout tank as well as 70+ rolling stock kits so I have a ton of work ahead. I have four MMI locos, inside valve K-27, K-28, K-36 and K-37, plus C-16's #223 and #278 on order. Since I've been doing the basement myself there hasn't been much time or even work space to do any modeling so I'm getting pretty itchy about now! Everyday I see the three unfinished SJCC MOW flats staring at me...... I will of course be posting pictures as things get rolling. But for now, back to the basement....
The cab, nose and hump are like the C39's. Didn't plan it that way to begin with. It'll be a 4-6-8 cylinder loco, so I'm thinking of either using a SoundTrax decoder with a EMD SW1200 or SW1500 sound unit, or a LokSound decoder with maybe a Baldwin engine sound chip. I do like the way Baldwin engines burble. The more I think about it, the more I'll wind up with the Baldwin sounds.. http://www.esu.eu/en/downloads/sounds/generation-3/loksound-micro-v35/us-sounds/ Click on the play button for 72851... Art
