How do you install the scenery such as the fence - so there are no wiggles in the wire ..or the grass so that it so realistic ..or the rock / stones along the track so that they seem realistic with smaller stone about and on the larger stone. Do you install these one at a time? ..or the fine details in the old concrete road. The layout just looks exactly like the real world that just got shrunk to Z - although if you didn't know the photos were of Z it looks as if it could be the real world. Have you considered making up a book of all your scenic making methods? These are just spectacular!! ...don
Don! WHAT?!?! I thought these were photos taken from a helicopter. Now, you are telling me these are photos of Z-scale. Seriously... I've been staring at these two photos for at least a hour. The road is just amazing... along with the fence and the telephone wires. ALL HAIL TORSJA! I feel I'm not worthy of even attempting to build a layout.
Great Northern SW1 Another candidate, this time for John Lundy. No credits for myself for assembly, John provided me with an unpainted RTR from Lajos. So my work was limited to details at the front and at the back, decals und paintjob. The bell is a gauge N Finescale brass part. Something unusual for me: no weathering....Hopefully the loco arrives in time for John's next trainshow.
Gerd, do you have an album with all your loco mods in one place for a person to see? You have been nothing but prolific as of late and what amazes me is the range of loco's you have done. High hoods, F units, switchers..., you really have a talent!
Gerd, Wow, that looks fantastic!! If it makes here in time for the show it will have its own little place on our layout and a sign acknowledging your skills. Thanks so much, John
Hi Joe, I have a own homepage, but not enough time to maintain it... So there a plenty of photos of my later stuff at zcentralstation's gallery -> general Z -> engines I have a lot of stuff at imageshack, but absolutley no idea how this can be made public in form of a gallery....
I'm working on a project of SW1 and SW9 in etched Nickel-Silver and lost wast castings. They will be powered by MTL parts (motor, gears and wheelsets). The drawings of etched plates are now finished. I'll post photos of the result as soon as possible ... if this can interest someone here ... Sorry for my english ... I'm french.
SuperGG, Yes, please show us your results! Where do you get your nickel silver photo sensitive sheet metal from? uh, there is nothing wrong with your English. Salut, Frank
I don't make tehe etchings by myself, only the drawings (Illustrator). As I'm a model maker (very small company ....) I work with a specialised industrial company for etchings and castings (both in Romania). They produce the finest etching work I have ever seen. All my models are in HO (I'm specialist in french Proto87 and 0 scale / you can see that at http://www.huet-trains.com ). But for my personnal pleasure I had idea to change and to built a small US layout in ProtoZ. The SW1 is an interested challenge for me.
your work is fantastic! we will be most anxious to see what you can do with an SW1 or SW9. you will find may supporters and customers here if you should decide to produce any kits. welcome. dave f.
My policy has always be : no kits for engine models, only ready to run. I produce kits only for wagons. I think that it would be very difficult for modellers to built this model in Z scale : pieces are very very fine (etched in 0,15 mm nickel-silver) and all the chassis and the bogies have to be assemblied ... and the assembly of the bogie is not possible for a modeller without the necessary jigs. If the finished models are good enough for me, they would be produced ready to run , but I actually have so much work !!!
WOW.......and again I say WOW. Um Um Um.... This is some goooooood stuff. Just when you think you may have done something good, you see someone else's work and then you know you are just a small pebble in a great big ocean of super talented folks. Congratulations on par excellence. Looking forward to updates on your project. Loren
Wow, your work is very impressive. Looking forward. I'm very interested in SW9 and SW1 as the supply from Zthek for kits seems to dry out... In terms of you being busy: If you browse around in this forum there are a couple of folks here with quiet some soldering skills and experience in assembly of etched kits. Might be interesting for you to sub-contract one or the other. Keep us updated!
The conception for a kit is very different than the conception for a factory built model. The SW1/SW9 are drawn to be built with a lot of "jigs" and special tools, and will be impossible to built by a modeller. This require less work for the drawings (half of the time as a kit drawings) and no "instructions booklet" (many hours of work !!!). I hope that a small Z engine will take less time to built than a Proto87 old timer steam engine ... A "quick" drawing of the SW9, quickly drawn just to have an idea of the general arrangement
