GP40 Update Progress has hit a large roadblock. I double ordered the MU Boxes which is fine. One MU box comes with 4 in a pack and a wire to run between. First minor issue involves them. On the GP40 Model there's a metal bar that runs across the top, just above the coupler cut lever. I have to mount my MU Boxes in mock up, cut the bar appropriately, glue it to said MU box, and find a way to fabricate a 1:29 MU Hose holder involving a chain. Now lets move on to the horns, Nathan K-3 Horns. I don't know how to remove the stock ones. The Ozark Miniatures Horns need to be assembled. After hand painting them too. A lot of tiny holes have to be drilled. That dremel of mine is getting antsy. Speed recorder cable is easier, I have to trip the mounting tab off a bit and there's a hole inside the trucks over the wheel. If this is the ventilation port, I need to go make sure so I don't burn the trucks out. The snowplow. It's labeled as ATSF Style but it resembles a generic one. The front footboards are off. The plow is mocked up. The MU Hoses are wrong. No Valve handle on them, their mispositioned, and I need a USA Trains GP38-2 replacement as that's as close as I can get. I know why the lack of detail on the hoses though. Their in a coupler pocket on the footboards like the prototype and this was common. IRL They were sporting valves, on a model where you don't see it and that's half the deal, they were rounded plastic. No complaints on that, just on the spacking and placement. Thankfully USA Trains has replacement parts that will work out fine. But the biggest headache is the different mounting of the aristocraft coupler. It's setup different and makes mounting the needed Kadee Couplers a bear. Along with the brake hose. Other work to be done: -Nose top and handrail and sand hatch must be painted black. Nice screw up Aristocraft... as usual. Next time LOOK at a BN Prototype. Green Noses are only for the Whiteface or the Logo nose -Walkways need to be painted black as per BN Prototyping. Again, good job Aristo, so many photos to look at and you half-arsed it. -Winterization Hatch to be on the first 2 exhaust fans. Not a BN Prototype, but I saw it on a SOO Line GP40 behind a BN GP40 and thought "Okay." -Battery Connector Cable removal and mount underneath frame. Sorry AC, I don't do battery. -Top section of nose chopped out and red Gyrolight installed as per Ex-Frisco BN Prototype. I just think this brings the model to life -Ditch Lights. USA Trains style, to be mounted next to the top platform stock MU Box and opposite side. These details are for 3022 only. The other 3 units will have different lighting configurations, one will have the stock footboards (3007 as her prototype never had a plow), and the others will have plows. I have a goal here, detail a locomotive for under 100 dollars. So far we're coming along nicely. But I haven't bought the additional parts I need. Back to the drawing board. I'll try to keep things updated but I doubt I'll remember. So til the next GP40 update.
EDIT: The SD70 Ditch Lights are the wrong type. AristoCraft's Dash-9 Ditch Lights are the closest I can get. I'll be ordering those next sunday.
Everything has come down to the collet. I have the wrong size collet for the Dremel so I cannot drill holes in anything. The projects that require holes drilled: Station Orders Board MU Hose Boxes Top Of The Nathan K3 Horns Base Holes For The Station Lamp (Which Ironically Requires The Station Lamp For Mock Up) Tomorrow I'll go get the collet and start work again. Now comes the part that is seriously aggrovating me. Aristo's Weird Paint Codes. Nothing I have bought from PollyScale or Model Master matches. The closest I get is subtle but still shows and that's PollyScale Steam Power Black. This is very Frustrating. Mostly because I pried the Aristocraft M5 Horns off (Wrong prototype, sorry) to mock up the K3 Horns. I painted over the glue bit several times and nothing matched. But The new horns look good. I need a USA Trains Strobe to place on a mount behind the horns and an Ozark Miniatures Motorola Firecracker Antenna. After the Train Show, when I place the order for my Norfolk Southern Dash-9 Ditch Lights, lenses, and bulb/wires, I'll place the order for my GP38-2 Air hoses. Overall the station is done. Paint wise. I need the station Lamp to mock up the holes and then I have to order a few more. I ordered from our favorite (and I use that term loosely) a TV Roof Antenna. Free Shipping is awesome. That and my new bucks from said site. I WILL have at least the station done by Christmas at the latest. If I go down to Arkansas for Thanksgiving, I will have to go by Amtrak or drive because Airport security apparently won't let me transport my model paint or glue with carry-on and after having my FB-1 Broken in checked baggage, I won't go that route again. Specially since my Station and/or GP40 will have to come with, along with a circle of track to test. Now the MU Hose Boxes have the connector molded in. I have to pick up a small detail paint brush to paint it silver and then paint around it in black. Model Master manufactures some fine paint brushes. I also will be using PollyScale Santa Fe Silver. As for the Ditch Lights, my local hobby shop will install that. I'm not that good with wiring to be honest. And it will be when the Train Engineer Revolution Recievers get installed in the units. Now, I've been up too long and I need sleep. Some pictures to follow tomorrow. EDIT: What's the one thing you see at most train stations but is overlooked in any scale? Parking Meters. I'm adding some to the parking lot that will be in the "Rear" of the station in front of a parking lot I'm going to model. I'm a detailed person. I want things to be as "detailed" as possible.
I know I promised GP40 Updates. But I'm putting that on the back burner temporarily. As I was cruising our local auction site online, trying to find the USA Trains Air Hoses, I found something my Stainz needs. The walkway plate for the Stainz and the Motorized Tender. I'm dedicating the rest of my "Mod a locomotive under a 100 dollars" funds to get this item as it's a rare out of production part. I need this tender platform. This will then reduce the parts needed to the Stainz Headlight Lens, The Tender's Head lamp and lens, the jumper cables, and the tender's loop coupler. I will provide station updates as promised before I disappear for the month.
Photo Time Again I'm going to start this off slow. I have plenty of time to get working on projects. Somehow, and it's not known to my doctor, I caught conjunctivitis. They think it's Sub. Sub is where a broken blood vessel occurs to high amounts of coughing which i have been. But they aren't sure. So I have eye drops just in case. My boss decided it's not a good risk for me to be in the shop, not because of potential contageousness but because I work with fiberglass, metal, paint, thinner, etc. Bad for my eye. So I'm staying home. I'm starting with the potential Paint Lists (All Paint Mentioned Is PollyScale Railroad Colors): Train Order Board: Lantern and hanging parts - Engine Black Double Square Board - Reefer White Figure 8 Board - Signal Red Station Clock: Styerene Backing - Steam Engine Black Station Trim: Remaining Window Frame - Vermont Green Plywood* - D&RGW Building Brown Base w/ Sand on top Circular Window Trim - D&RGW Building Brown GP40 Details: MU Box - ATSF Silver Connector; Base Box Steam Power Black Nathan K3 Horns/Base - Steam Power Black Speed Recorder Cable - Steam Power Black Now onto the photos. We're starting with Wolfcreek. My Dremel Press Station has been fun. The station lamp I ordered from a seller on eBay (since we have a search bar on the forums) showed up. PM me if you wish to know who as I will not list them here. It came Rust Brown with 2 wires and a mounting washer on the lantern. The pole was too long obviously, but I was told this is because many different users have different length needs. So I drilled a base hole. Too Small. Change Bit, still too small. But I'm getting the hang of this drill. I already tested it on the Orders Board, but I'll explain in a minute. Next bit size up, perfect. Like a screw into a hole, I got it in at the correct length. The washer was glued with my modelling cement. Then I plugged it into my LGB Transformer. She lit up perfectly. Now the goal was to mount dead center of the phone booth. But my measurements were off. Funny how they aren't with a customer's car. But anyways. When she lit up, I lost the doubt in the back of my head. She was perfect. And I'm pleased with how it came out. I need 2 or 3 more (thinking of a double lantern in the rear, but we'll see) to finish off mounting holes. So here's the pics of the wall, lit and unlit: The Train Orders Board. My theme is 1970 to 1995 but the overall appearance is Burlington Northern in the 80s. Well 1987 to 1995, the years I was old enough to remember even those great E9's rumbling down the Chicago-Aurora Racetrack. So I wanted something that said "The Empire Builder used to run these lines back in the heyday, but not so much anymore." With the transition of modern radio communications, the decline of order boards and train orders and the Caboose a couple years from the axe, I wanted the orders board to be apart of the station. You see, in my world, when the Wolfcreek Station received county funds to rennovate, the Orders Board was land marked and required to be fixed up. So she was. And to this day, she only operates on special occassions. This is where mounting Issues with the station clock occur. If you search "Piko Rosenbach" you'll see one end of the station moves outwards. That's the part holding the Orders Board. If you see the indented section, that's the end that will have the Station Clock. Now I said the station orders board was the first to use the drill. See I needed to drill a path hold for the mounting arm. Sadly dicast is hard to hold steady and drill on flimsy pieces like the one I had. That's not saying it's not high quality. Quite the contrary. I'm sure others didn't have the bend issues I had. But I need a drill press to make up for my lack of a steady hand. And it bent itself back in place. A few minor bends to make it look more real. Paint will be the project for the rest of the station now. I promised at least by christmas it would be done and I'm going to do it. I know my girlfriend wanted to help paint, but honestly, I need to finish a project on my own. Pictures of the GP40 Nathan K3 Horn Base mocked up. Round peg in a Square Hole for once. Finally misc information. Yes I'm mocking a styrene backing for my lighted station clock which needs a new bulb. I would pay the same price for it if I looked elsewhere. Second no more styrene Plywood. I'm going to make scale plywood. My bathroom is being finished up and I have scrap wood to use. Oh and before people ask, I have a relative doing the work and charging me half of what he normally wood. I do appreciate his time. Layout status is being called into question not only by this board, but by me, my g/f and my local hobby shop(s). I don't know if it will get done to be honest. I just don't know. We'll ride the winter out and see. But I need help, specifically with track planning. People like Dave Winters, Keith, DMiller and Phantom. I'm going to draw up some plans of my backyard, and see if you guys can help me figure this out. Or at least give me some advice. That will come next year though as I have enough on my plate to finish up. The Stainz. My starter set. My childhood. My.... most important locomotive set I own. How long it took me to get that tender. How long it takes me to modify and repair them. This walkway plate is a major priority and so far I'm going to get it, but I'm expecting a bid war at the end. As for sections where my cutting wheel slipped, I found an answer. Ozark Miniatures manufactures a diecast "Welded Patch" part. It's designed to look like a rusted section was patched up. But again those parts wait for now. Needed Parts Include: LGB 4-Axle Motorized Tender Lantern/Lens LGB Stains Lantern Lens/Light Housing LGB Stainz/Tender Jumper Cables LGB 4-Axle Motorized Tender Loop Coupler LGB Stainz Whistle (Ozark Miniatures Replacement Part) LGB 4-Axle Motorized Tender Kadee Couplers Coupler. Ozark Miniatures 11pc Toolset To replace The Plastic Ones Removed From Tender Train Show next sunday, not this sunday. Usual parts list, Switches, track, out of production aristocraft/usa trains, figures, etc. I'm going to be busy for a long while, so until I get a break on station work, I'll be back after the train show. Later.
Stainz Parts Update Walkway Platform is on it's way. I got it for a relatively okay price. A couple others did jump into the fray but it didn't go out of control. So one more part removed from the repair list. Soon very, soon my Stainz will be ready for a debut run. I spent 48 hours in a proverbial 'sniper' nest and it paid off this time. EDIT: I just saw a picture of a Stainz/Tender set; American style that changed up the game plan a bit. It had a European Stainz Headlamp and Smoke Stack. I rather do like how it looked. It didn't scream "European!" to me but in the same way said "Unique and Different." So that's the route I'm going to go with that.
Update for Stainz: Platform is mailed and on the way. The same person I bought that from just listed a 6-day auction for a European style Engineer that looks like a fireman. Going to attempt to get that as well. I want to keep the european style figures because I feel they belong on a european version of an american steamer. Winter Layout Project: I'm going to build one of those kits LGB Sold. You know the platform benchwork kit with the oval, siding and station expansion? LGB Wanted too much because it was the entire kit back in the day. I'm going to build my own version. I was inspired by a few small scale modelers on this forum. Time for me to step up and practice the carpentry skills. I can measure and mark and cut. So why not just do it? I have the basic skill set right? I have spare lumber from the shed coming down in the backyard. The 2x4's are in great shape. Which is actually Ironic. I have spare plywood sheets in the garage too. The plan is to do an oval with a station siding, then on the opposite site do a siding track with a second one and put the engine shed there. It's a small project to incorporate my new station. It will be an operational layout, small but worth it to me. No further updates. Station progress haulted temporarily. All other paint projects haulted until the GP40's new horns are painted and installed. EDIT: I didn't realize the seller shipped my platform on 2 day shipping. Here it is in place:
