A few years ago, I bought a Walthers ADM Grain Elevator on sale (Walthers flyer). I have read many times on line how much of a pain the silos are, and I have to agree. It was easier to start with an end and a side that it was to start with two side peaces. As many have said in the past, plan to go back with body filler and then repaint. I decided to test fit the elevator on the layout without the dump area for trucks to drive through, and I am also going to come back and add the details and roof. Here are a few pictures to show how it will fit. I also included 4 Atlas hoppers that need to be converted to Micro-Trains couplers (most likely M-T trucks as well). The Atlas hoppers are now part of the Trainman line, but mine have old Unimate couplers. They are great for an N-Trak layout with a 100 car freight drag, but on a little switching layout…. Please excuse the rubber bands
I have/had one of these, too. Yes, they are a pain and when I built mine, I didn't know about putty. I think if I were to build one now, I'd replace the kit silos with PVC pipe. The rest of the kit isn't bad, really.
All modelers need to have a “junk” box, a place to store old model kits or parts that you have no use for. About 10 years ago I bought a Micro Engineering mine kit. Today, I have no use for it, but a small storage shack is a good use for it…add in OLD Floquil paints that never go bad (unlike the Testors stuff), and I had a simple, quick project. Today I dug out a few locos and staged an accidental meet as the local is trying to clear the switch….
Out of curiosity, what makes the kit such a pain to build? It looks like it'd be really straight forward.
one word...SILOS! They are simply curved styrene, they have no good surface to connect the sides to, they really are poorly designed
Don't take this the wrong way, but isn't using stuff you have "lying around" considered cheating on the challenge? I mean even though you didn't pay anything for it since you started the project, you still paid SOMETHING for it. I think it should be included in the total for the challenge? I hope I'm not coming off as sarcastic, I just want to see if you can actually build this layout without busting the budget.
I was thinking about heading down to the main line today and collecting some real, Southern Pacific dirt, sifting it, baking it, then using a magnet to make sure that there is no metal in it....it's raining. Not the typical rain for 10-30 minute, this is rain. Most of my back yard is under 1/2 inch of water.....finally getting a nice, cool day to model, and I get rain.... oh well, here is the new car
Hey B , we are supposed to get your rail tomorrow and through the week and I need to put decking on the new shed. Dang!!!! Oh well we need it. Mike PS nice looking car.
rail? I have plenty of extra track, what I need is trucks and couplers to convert old Atlas ACF 2 bay hoppers, a group of Kato built Con-Cor box cars (my 8 year old said that she wanted to run them) and a pair of OLD Atlas 33,000 gallon tank cars. I also need a couple of buildings, but RAIL is not needed.... I have a pair of these, and I still think that they look good. http://www.spookshow.net/freight/atlasrocojumbotank.html What MTL trucks with couplers would look the best on these?
you think that is bad, be glad you did not do that in a database for a customer's website....not a fun thing, trust me! Any ways, do you know any site that shows real life differences between the MTL short, medium and long shanks on Roller Bearing trucks?
With only $500 to spend, I guess the RR can't afford to let a boxcar sit around unused for very long...
So you're the ones who swiped our wet weather. Hmmm. Please send it back! That crunchy brown stuff in our front yard we used to refer to as a "lawn" really needs it!
Boxcab, we finally got a decent storm out here....go turn on your hose and water your lawn...my rocks are now clean
