I think there are more than a hundred of these cars on the rails now, because of the car numbers I have seen posted. I think the scheme is very attractive, right up there with the CN Lifesaver car. I found a color that looks like a very close match, Tamiya TS-35 Park Green, so I will give it a shot.
Fantastic kitbash, great paint scheme! And if the colour is not matching exactly you can allways say it's weathered
Robert Ray for President Good God man, is it anything you can't do? Fantastic project. Just think if your political skills were as good as your modeling skills. We would have the next president, and he would be a Z scaler. Seriously those Canadian grain cars have beautiful eye catching paint schemes. I hope Uncle will is up on this, so he can bring out 4 and 6 bay variations. Sure would be cool. Robert, it seems easier to cast those bays than go through all that trouble of cutting, filing, and sanding each one. Same with the top hatches.
Well, I admit it is a lot of work, 2 full days to do 3 cars, but I have the first ones in the world, so I am happy! See, this is the reason I like Z Scale, because whatever you do, you are the first guy in the world to do it, and there is a certain satisfaction in that! So, here is the next installment: I used Tamiya TS-35 Park Green, and shot the cars with several light layers until it was candy apple coated. I selected a couple decals from the sheet and set them on a piece of wet paper towel until the decal film was slippery enough. Next I painted the carside with Microscale Microset setting solution (the vinegar smelling stuff), then slid the paper out from under the decal while holding the film to the edge of the car with my finger. I used the paintbrush to slather more setting solution over the decal, and also to work out any bubbles from underneath.
Then test fit a set of AZL roller bearing trucks with metal wheels and set it on my test track to see how it looks. It needs overcoating tomorrow after the decals have dried and stretched a bit. This photo next to an unmodified hopper shows the lower slung look, and overall height difference. Now I just have to decide if I want to finish the model with gloss or flat finish? I'll sleep on it.
I gotta ask Robert, how many times in the course of a project like this do you just make a mistake and curse the daylights out of the trains? I find anynore every project I work one makes me curse walk away and then get it done. Here I see you knock this out in one day and I am just totally impressed with the quality of work in such a short time! Amazing...
haha! I make all kinds of mistakes, but I just blow them off, and continue. I broke some of the rails off the ends of these cars, ground through to the inside of the car, over etched all the shells with ELO, while trying to get the blue paint off the Arco car, that the shells got real fragile and cracked in places, I traced over the prototype paint scheme and included the exclamation at the n in saskatchewan, and the picture Hemi posted don't have it, bit it's part of the decal now. Lots of mistakes, but I just keep going till it's done, and live with it. Sometimes I play London Bridges Falling Down, and stomp on a model while saying "My Fair Lady", as I seen it in a funny movie, and it is so satisfying!
Robert, Will we see these in Anaheim this weekend on the Zo Cal layout, huh, huh, huh ! ! ! Do you know the name of the hobby shop in Canada that is licensed to produce them. I was thinking if enough Z scalers sent them an email, that might produce some if enough requests. Robert Hemet, Zo Cal In the Land of Tweezer Trains
Those trucks make a huge difference and bring to light the short wheelbase of MT trucks. Please don't step on it...
Which wheelbase is right? Or better: closer to reality? BTW Robert: Great paint and especially decal job! You are absolutley right, it's good to be the first!
Robert- The trucks look like AZL's with black metal wheels! Those are one of a kind!!!! Those rool very nice I bet!!
Ahhh, that is what I like to hear...1/2 the joy from theis scale must be 1/2 the fustration in getting things to look and do what you want!
I printed out this whole thread, and gave it to my grandfather today, along with the first car. He read the whole thing, 33 printed pages of it, then opened the box, and it was a very happy moment for me. I am very lucky to still have a grandfather, and that in his late 90's he is still modeling, and in Z Scale no less.
So you have skipped Christmas al together Robert, and gone straight to work in your manufacturing workshop this year. Some truly great work you are showing us. -
Rob, That is cool, having the ability to build what ever you want just with a picture. I just came back from a long vacation without computers and the best part is the amount of stuff that happened here. Now I can take my time and enjoy reading all the posts to complete my vacation. Kim
