Large Scale Central

butt modeling

General Discussion
#61

Today I started early getting the gons painted. First I ran a strip of blue painters tape… (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)blue painters tape is my friend (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-yell.gif)…

Sorry, long story.

Anyway, I ran a strip of that tape along the top of the gons.

Then I pressed newspaper to the tape. This is to prevent over-spray on the outside of the cars.

Then I spray painted the inside of the cars with Krylon flat black.

And here is one that has been painted with one that has yet to be painted.

Then I took a break for brunch.

After brunch, I started brush painting the outsides of the cars with Cardinal Red, Delta Ceramcote craft paint.

I like the craft paint because its cheap, I like cheap, it comes in a wide assortment of colours, and is available, or was, at many different stores. I say “was”, because a lot of the craft stores have stopped carrying the Delta Ceramcoate. But other brands are still available. It looks like it may take 3 coats to cover the cars well, 2 of them have 2 coats of paint on them, and they are still not quite a solid colour. I should have primed the cars with oxide red primer instead of gray primer. Oh well.

I would have got more done, but partway through I took a break from the heat, came inside the house and took a nap. Then I ate dinner before I got back to painting the cars. When it got dark I quit for the night.

#62

So the cars all now have 3 coats of paint on them. Tomorrow, in full sun, I will see how they look.

#63

you look a little “thin” in the last picture David, you may need more butt time.

Oh and where is the explanation of the smashed foot? ther emust be something all the rest of us Butt modelers can laugh at or with you on it.

#64

Pete, that “me” is my jacket hanging on a chair. And I smashed my foot coming around the corner into my dining room. I took the turn wrong and smashed my foot into the leg of a different chair. The leg went between 2 of my toes and the full force of my foot coming forward against the chair leg went into my foot between the toes. I thought that I might have broken one of my toes, but it was just a nasty bruise. My foot is still tender, but its getting better. It was my own stupid fault. That chair has been sitting there for years.

#65

… that is one of the reasons, why elder people take shorter steps at lower speed…

#66

Korm, I though it was just because they weren’t so energetic.

If I were to actually wear shoes, I might save myself a lot of pain. But I don’t like wearing shoes unless I have to, like to go to work, to go outside into the snow, stuff like that.

#67

Well, after 2 days of rain, I finally got to see the cars in full sun, and they didn’t look too good. So, today, they got a fourth coat of paint, I really should have used the ruddy brown primer, and the stirrup steps, brake wheels and grab irons got a coat of stem era black.

While I was painting up the last one, I tagged the other three behind a Porter, and let them run around the railroad for a good hour. The 4 coats of craft paint haven’t hurt them none, they still run just fine. If I can find the time tomorrow, I may start working out the lettering for these cars.

#68

Great job on these. That makes a nice train of gondolas. Going to make any loads for them? Looking forward to seeing the lettering.

#69

Well, since the P&CS started using steel hopper cars, gondolas aren’t used for coal traffic anymore. So I don’t know what kind of loads I might make for them.

I look forward to seeing them lettered too.

#70

David Maynard said:

Pete, that “me” is my jacket hanging on a chair. And I smashed my foot coming around the corner into my dining room. I took the turn wrong and smashed my foot into the leg of a different chair. The leg went between 2 of my toes and the full force of my foot coming forward against the chair leg went into my foot between the toes. I thought that I might have broken one of my toes, but it was just a nasty bruise. My foot is still tender, but its getting better. It was my own stupid fault. That chair has been sitting there for years.

The ‘ring’ toe on my left is a quarter inch shorter than it’s counter part. Broke it twice on a coffee table in a month. The table is no more.

You know Mik would have been done with one coat. The P and CS must be flush to repaint bumped gondolas!

Looks like the V and TW RR will be getting some Hartland stock, a tad short, but way better than too long.

John

#71

John, the P&CS has been in receivership for years. Now that the P&CS is back into black ink territory, its time to rebuild the fleet. The flat cars were first, and a caboose, and now these 4 gondolas. The lettering shop is behind in getting everything lettered for the P&CS, but they are working on it.

Management has also redesigned the logo, to go with the current rebuild of the fleet, and hopefully the railroad’s image.

The Heartland gondolas scale out to about 29 feet in 1:24th scale. So they are a bit short, but they are well made, solid buggers. The P&CS sold off all of the longer Bachmann/Buddy L high side gons, because they were a tad too large.

#72

Today I had a project that I really should have done. Instead, I ran my USA F3 around the yard with about a dozen cars in tow. I took pictures of some of my scale automobiles and I fixed a log car. I have this log car, and the one truck kept falling off, because the screw hole was stripped out. So, today seamed like as good a day as any to fix it.

Since the frame also wasn’t staying together, I called on my friend, JB. No, not that JB, I called on JB quick.

I put some in the screw hole, making sure to get a good coating on the sides, but not so much as to close the hole off completely. I also put some between the frame members and clamped them together.

Since the clamps could not reach into the frame with the cast on log load, I used a paint stirrer that was just laying around, to bridge the gap.

Once the JB had set up, the frame was solid again.

Then I just screwed the truck back on. Since the screw is a self threading screw, and since I didn’t completely plug up the hole, it went in with a little effort.

Now she is ready to run the rails again.

#73

That would look great on the micro

#74

Devon, I only have one, and I have never seen any others for sale. I would like to get a set of them, without breaking the bank.

The car frame and logs are resin, and the chains have a spring under the car to keep the chains taught. Its a nice little car.

#75

This Saturday I was able to get some track-work done. Thanks in large part to the VP of Operations, of the Pittsburgh Division of the EBT, loaning me a tool to complete the work. Thanks Randy.

First I rebent the rails on the Library curve, they had some weird bends in them that caused the track to alternate from undergauge to overgauge.

Then I took a new Aristo switch and installed a Bachmann throw on it.

Then I cut in the switch on the backside of the Gastonville Go Round (loop).

I forgot what a pain it is to cut stainless steel track.

The new spur connects to the abandon track that used to be the mainline.

The space between the mainline and the new/old spur is where the oil well, built for the Mik Challenge, will go. I need to weed that area a bit, and I am not too concerned with the old track, no locomotives will go back there, they will just push a tank car back there to ship out whatever crude product come out of Jessie’s big Schmitt.

#76

Nice work

#77

Thanks Devon. Not too shabby for a “Butt Modeler”, eh?

#78

Regarding that pain to cut SS track, I cut in a switch today and I found a good way!

The past saw; hack saws, a roto-zip saw blade and a fibre cut-off wheel, even a supposed bi metal band saw blade. But today I set up my 3" vise and clamped a rail in place. Using the top of the jaw as a guide I used my reciprocating saw with a 9" general purpose metal and wood with nails blade, like butter it was!

I had gotten a Costco bargain pack of Diablos the high priced blade (4x as good) and on a whim tried some of the next grade down, cheaper blade AvantiPro (only 2x as good as ordinaries). I like them better! The blades are thinner, but last longer!

John

#79

John, I would have cut the rail in my shop, except the rails were already installed. When I built the railroad, I only cut the rails at the switches, so almost all of the joints are staggered. I also installed the power feeds to the underside of the rails, using the Aristo track tie screws. So removing a whole section of rail can be a real undertaking. And then, once I finally horse it out, how would I know exactly where to make the cut? So in some senses, its easier to cut the track in place, and in some senses, not so much.

Today I took my new LGB Olomana, and made her ready to earn her keep. I removed the skates (A.K.A. brakes), and added an LGB link and pin coupler to her. Then I dug the 3 cars I had for her out of storage, swapped out the plastic wheels for metal wheels, and put the LGB link and pin couplers on the cars. Adding the couplers required me to cut off the buffer castings, so the pin would not foul on the casting. Then I ran her for an hour or so.

After dinner I ran the LGB Mogul that didn’t like the Library curve, and she played tag with my Aristo C16 for over an hour and half, with no derailments. So the track department is declaring the curve fixed.

#80

David, I know you know, but for those who don’t:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_6?url=search-alias%3Dtools&field-keywords=abrasive+chop+saw&sprefix=ab+saw%2Ctools%2C163&rh=n%3A228013%2Ck%3Aabrasive+chop+saw

Amazon has some little 7" abrasive cut off saws. If you have much SS rail to cut, I strongly suggest get one. My 7" saw will cut both rails and I guess this one will too. If you get one, you’ll never want to cut SS rail any other way again. Not meaning to get the thread off topic, but it has already drifted onto sawing rail.