My narrow gauge RS-3 kitbash is finally finished, after more than three months! It started out as a stock, 1/29th scale Aristocraft RS-3:
Here’s what it looks like now:
Here’s a YouTube video showing it in action on my In-ko-pah Railroad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJvAk3onISY And here are some more photos:
In addition to changing its appearance, I also installed an Aristocraft “Revolution” r/c receiver, a Phoenix PB9 sound board, and custom headlights. This project took a LOT longer than I’d expected but it was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot along the way. Now that’s it’s finished I feel much more confidant about my modeling abilities. There are a couple things I should have done differently. For instance, I didn’t realize until too late, that the headlights are only slightly higher than the top of the handrails. I should have made the hood a little taller, and maybe made the handrails a wee bit shorter. Also, the weathering was originally intended to be a bit more subtle, but I had trouble achieving a “slightly dusty/sooty” look using thin washes of acrylic paints. An airbrush would have been more effective. But the final, heavier weathering was easier to achieve, and turned out reasonably well. Many, many thanks to the folks on various forums who offered advice and tips, especially when it came to the electronics – an area where I am typically in over my head. (Step-by-step details of this project can be seen in this forum.) .
