Sweet!!! Just one other thing missing besides decals, the appropriate airhorn for the top. I need to cast more then send them to you and the other guys who got the first run shells from yesteryear! Good to hear that MicroGlaze works on the windows. I will need to look for some at my LHS. Hope they got it. Look forward to all the paint schemes Z scalers have planned for their SD70ACe shells. I already know of BNSF (mine), MRL, 3 of the UP Heritage and one across the pond. Don't want to give that one before the master modeler has time to paint and decal it and post some awesome photos!!! Hobo Tim p.s. BTW, the first set are in the mail. You know who you are getting them. Post photos of your progress. Thanks!
Hey John I noticed a Norfolk and Southern sd-40-2. Well, well, well... Heck if they had one the "whales" as the railroaders call them, or "high hoods" as us laymen call them, I'd get one. Lived too close for too long to their lines not to have a fondness in my heart for the "whales"..high hoods...
Cohutta Logging Railroad Fellow Z scalers! I took a short hiatus from making SD70ACe parts to taking a weekend trip with my son's ex-Boy Scout Troop. We trekked on over to the Cohutta Wilderness area in North Georgia where they commenced to showing me just how out of shape I am. Here it is Sunday evening and more than 17 miles of backpacking, 18 river crossings later, I come to you in extreme agony. I now move slower than Fred Sanford did in Sanford and Son!!!! Oh Elizabeth!!! Sore is a sour word with me!!! The only thing that gives me comfort is that 5 of the other adults feel the same as I do!! Yipee!!! Tomorrow, if I can work this soreness away for a few hours I will commence to casting and cleaning more shells!!! Wo is me!!! If a Boy Scout comes knocking on your door with a popcorn or other fundraiser, please support them. I encourage you to find out who your local BSA Troops are and visit them. Railroad Merit Badge is something almost every model railroader here in this Forum can instruct on. Check out your local BSA office and visit the Store there. Ask for a copy of the Railroad Merit Badge book. Only costs $4.95 I believe. Find out what they need to know, learn it and then go instruct those future model railroaders!!!! Trust me when I say they enjoy the class. Just last week had a parent come up to me wanting to know about the next Railroad Merit Badge class. One last thing, I forgot to mention above that while in the Cohutta's, I spotted, and photographed remnants of old logging railroad crossties left from the 30's next to the Jack's River. Matter of fact, near every crossing in the river had remnants of the steel cable they use to move logs to the points where they loaded them on the trains. Wonder if there was a Shay running on them tracks at one time!!! Wow!! Will post a photo later! Have a Grand Day! Hobo Tim
Cohutta Logging Railroad Remnants Here is the photo I mentioned in the above message. Was a surprise to walk up on this site. Would have been better if some old rails were still on them. Guess you had to be there! They may not look like ties, but in person you can see the spike holes and notably their size. Looks like railroad ties, taste like railroad ties, sounds like railroad ties, must be Chicken! LOL! Hobo Tim
Shouts of Great Joy!!! I am shouting so loud I am going deaf. Gonna bust my ear drums! Why Tim are you shouting!!! Because I have officially cast the last part of the shells to fill everyones orders(well, except mine). Here is the proof! Inside that container are castings to make 20+ shells. All I have to do now is remove the major cast flashing, ensure all parts are accounted for and then ship to you all who are so patiently waiting. Note: What you see in the photo above and what you get will not look the same due to all the flash that will be removed! I have heard from 2 fellow Z scalers already who have told me this project was made possible for Pennies when compared to the quality. Another fellow Z scaler was nearly drooling on his neighbors SD70ACe shells he had just gotten in the mail. If you are due to receive any of these shells, please take care as to not mess up any part of building them, especially when it comes to aligning/glueing the handrails on, especially the sides, for I have NO EXTRAS. I have just enough to make yours and mine. Please be careful as I will not give up what I make for myself. This might sound a bit selfish, but this project has taken alot out of me and cost me more than what I charged to include my sanity and my reputation and that is why I beg of you to test fit all parts before glueing them together. Think before you act! Thank you! Hobo Tim
Latest News Update Fellow Z Scalers!!! Once again, the company I have worked for, for nearly 10 years has placed that call with me. Actually my ex-boss/safety manager needed someone and called upon me, yours truly, to fill a position for Safety Dude!!! Yes, that's right, when I am not Hobo Tim I am Safety Dude!!!! Anyways, I am writing to you from a hotel room in St. Johns, AZ. Took 2+ days to drive here from my humble rental property in Georgia. Have no fear, Hobo Tim is here, and he did not forget all you who are still awaiting your SD70ACe packages. I brought everything I need to complete the kits and mail them to you. I've scouted St. Johns and the Post Office is about 1-2 blocks down the road. Being I will be only working 4 days a week till, whenever!, I will be able to send them on a Friday or Saturday!!! I brought everything, well, except the brass that was exposed to the UV Sun, awaiting etching. Those pieces are tucked away between the pages of a phone book to keep them dark. And dark is where they will stay till I return home. Have no fear Hobo Tim is here!!! I told you earlier in this message I brought everything with me and that includes my etching stuff. Only thing is now I need to clean and coat a new sheet of brass then expose it to the suns UV rays. Friday I see that happening as I will be working during the "Exposure" period of the days rays till Friday. Remember I will be working 4 days a week. Anyways, Have no fear, Hobo Tim is here!!!! This gives me time needed to finish cleaning castings and getting all stuff packaged except the brass etched sun shades. Whew!!!!! So, in recapping what was just said, Have no fear, Hobo Tim is here!!!! Have a nice week! Hobo Tim p.s. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I needed a job! Could be here 12 months! Ugh!!! 12 months of 4/10s!!! Not looking forward to it. But.......................
Tim, we have no fear, because we know you will get it done. I undestand you need a job, so no worries. By the way, the SD70 shell casting looks great, and I love to run the ACe on my layout.
Mail Address Confirmation For all you patiently waiting Z scalers, I will be shipping the SD70ACe shell kits this coming weekend. I just finished emailing everyone remaining on my list to confirm your mailing addresses. Please confirm and reply so I know your address is still good. Next, I got an email address bounce from Michael Wang nickname "mwangarch" here on Trainboard. Anyone know where he might be? Please let me know!!! Need to contact him for he has one shell. Michael, if you read this send me an email with your address. Thanks! Also, I know Eddie Sarber "BNSF DASH9" has not been a regular here lately. I sent him an email but not sure I will get a speedy response. Does anyone have a phone number for Eddie that can call him. Any help is much appreciated. [Reason for wait-Just finished etching enough Sun Shades to fill all orders. Tough living in low rate hotel and modelling. Just not my Shop at home.] Thanks!!! Hobo Tim p.s. Thank God in Heaven this project is nearly complete!!!!!
Eddie is in Washington State the last I heard late last year. He has not responded to an e-mail early this year and, I know he was usually financially strapped. Hope he gets back in soon, he's got some great talent. .
Sent Again! I just sent Eddie another message. Hope to get a response soon. I see, if he does not want the 3 then three of you guyZ have spoken for them. Just waiting on Eddie's response now!!! Hobo Tim
Terrible News!!! I have some terrible news!!! Terrible in the sense that those who were hoping Eddie was going to turn down the SD70ACe shells so they could get them, well, his reply was quick and short! "I'll take them! Send to:...." Sorry guyZ!! Now, if only I could get ahold of Michael Wang!!! I do have some good news!!!! With all the shells having been called for, it left me with 5 of them. I needed 6 to cover all the naked chassis' I have. I am down to 4 of them. With 5, I had made a decision to up one shell/chassis RTR on that auction site nobody likes. This would leave me with 4, but now I have 4 and none to entice fellow Z modelers on ebay. Well, I still might do-the-do thus leaving me with 3 SD70ACe's. The shell will be unpainted. The chassis runs very well. The light board had a bad LED on it so I cut those yellow LEDs off and replaced them with warm white SMD LEDs and now they shine great. I might need to raise the resistor as they are bright at full speed. Oh course this is for those non-DCC guyZ. By putting a RTR SD70ACe on ebay I am hoping to get back some of the funds that were lost in this project from having to use a professional etcher to make the handrails/side panels. I can't say this has been a fun project as 2 1/2 years is a long time, but when you see one of these shells, resting on its chassis, you will be amazed at the beauty. I am shocked AZL didn't do this shell. Special Thanks to David Freehling for his creative contribution. Without him this project would have never taken place. (maybe I should be cursing him!! LOL) Thanks David!!!! Feels good to be near finished with it. Will feel even better on Friday/Saturday when I am walking out of the Post Office with the receipt in hand from shipping all those shells out!!! A weight lifted from my shoulders!!!! Hobo Tim
Tim: you looking for me? Am still interested in getting the shell...drop me an e-mail! mwangarch@gmail.com
