Latest purchase/project Latest purchase for me was a Undec Kato SD40 that I bought to be my first custom project loco. Wanted to paint it for use at my RR club during OP sessions. So I sat down...took a stab at it...and several hours later....you see what came of it. Like I said...this is my first custom loco. Thoughts?
I would have thought that a group like the "N Scale Enthusiast" which are mostly collectors would have gotten the demension for the Rocket Cover right, and it would be way more coll if it was made from two halfs and the bottom plate like the real thing, the halfs would not have been that hard to do as each half it the same, so it would have only taken two molds to get it right. But it better then a poke in the eye with a sharp stick......and really??? Yellow truck side frames??? also it would have been nice if they would have included the roller ramps that close the covers together. but they are so far the only thing out there in N-scale so its better then nothing. Some photo of the real cars....
Like I said, I didn't expect super detailing and 100% accuracy, but I really wish the load was the right size, the one part of the car that makes it unique and special and it's not right. I suppose there's some NMRA ninja or N-trak somebody some where who can't run this on there layout if it were oversized... it'll swap paint with a passing train or get hung up running through a giant redwood tree(saw that on a N-trak layout). As for the yellow truck frames, UP 50025 brand new: http://www.trainweb.org/mhrr/mhrreast/dep-flat/up50025w.jpg
Athearn LPG 33K tank car 23510. Only 2 of these left to find. They are quite and impressive car. dave t
Ordered a couple more motors and sent my wormgears to the motorman for fitting. Yup, that is the extent of purchases lately! End of next month trainshow time! Then we'll see what neat stuff shows up!
An Erie-Lackawanna Atlas U25 from the 'bay - wheels are dirtier than dirt itself, and just ordered an E-L PA1 (new), and a WScenic Store kit.
First purchase in a while- One of the recent MT cannery kits, which will be the centerpiece of a T-Trak module currently under way.
Snagged a Blue Pinstripe ATSF VO-1000 and a pair of Blue Pinstripe ATSF FM 16/44 Baby TrainMasters, all new old stock. Also picked up an Altas/Kato GP30 and a GP35 in the same scheme as well. It was a good haul! All of them run very well. Can't get enough of the non- ATSF F units. I have to say, I am F United out, so it is on to filling the other niches..........
Just got this Pikestuff kit... pretty fun little build... I opted for cream-colored walls over the blue
I picked up both of the four car Phase III Superliner sets today to go with the Pepsi Can dash 8 I got last week. The LHS has 20% off all month, not that I can afford to go back! Eventually will need the dorm/baggage, MHC, Roadrailers, and another loco...
Last week: -Woodland Scenics "Drive-n"Dine." -One of five C420s in British Colombia livery that was on eBay. -Three year renewal of MRR magazine.
These just arrived on my doorstep. Now I just need to get some Superliners. The availability of Kato in New Zealand is quite limited, and shipping from the States can be pretty steep unfortunately.
I mentioned a week or two ago I had snagged a new Bachmann Spectrum 4-8-2 heavy Mountain with DCC for $99. It arrived in the mail Saturday (my birthday), and I finally had a chance to test run it a couple nights later. All I can say is "Wow." It ran just about perfectly out of the box. After a few minutes of warmup, it was creeping around at ultra-slow speeds. I coupled it to the longest train I had on hand, and it walked off with the 22 cars (80% MTs, 20% Atlas, unweighted, stock wheels) without any sweat. I don't currently have any grades on the layout, but it had no trouble pulling the consist around 12.75"-radius curves on the level. And it looks pretty darn good, too! Made a nice-looking train, with a bunch of woodside reefers in tow. The 4-8-2 helped identify two problem spots on the layout, but neither was a surprise. I suspected there were kinks in both areas, but none of my other (smaller) engines were having trouble. I doubt if I'll ever run anything larger than a 4-8-4, so I'm glad these problems cropped up before I began ballasting. Should be a relatively quick fix. I know I'm late to the party on this one, since I picked up this 4-8-2 at closeout prices, but I can't say enough good things about it. I would consider it a good buy at close to twice the price I paid. Jim