This photo was taken on my home layout, and shows a Frisco GP-38 picking up a loaded hopper from the local elavator. |-|
Cool scene. Nice weathering too. And did you do the detailing? I noticed you missed the gyro light on the nose, but every thing else looks good.
I did the weathering, but I did not do the paint job or details on the locomotive. I received the shell as a gift from my wife and it was already painted and detailed. I purchased a drive unit and added the shell to it. All the scenery and weathering are my doing. |-|
Cutting in the gyro-light on the nose may be one of the most difficult projects that a diesel era modeler can attempt. There are only a few modelers on this forum that I know that have mastered it including Ken Wulfert (who has a post showing how he did it) and Bob Wintle who did mine. That is why most modelers just don't bother and why the new offerings from Athearn (SD45, SD40-2, and uipcoming GP15-1) are so nice. Having said that, Kermit you're modeling is outstanding!
Very nicely done. Your scene is very nice. The attention to detail of trees and bushes is some of the best I have seen.
Kermit - In particular, I like the vegitation along the right-of-way and the Butler bin. Well done. Ken
Bob - Thanks for the compliment on the nose gyralight addition. It's not really that difficult, but you need to take a deep breath and have a steady hand as you start! I've only done it twice - the first time on a Walthers GP15-1 that I also tried a number of other new techniques on. The thing turned out so well I still have it - though the gyralight job on it was only a C+ or B- in my book. But, I was happy with it as it was the first one I tried. From a few feet away, it looks terrific, get closer, or take a close pic of it, and you can see flaws. Too many flaws. But .... the old experience curve theory works - I did a second for a friend in Wisconsin, on an Athearn GP38-2, and it turned out MUCH better. I have yet to try another; I sold off all my -2 units, but I do have two Atlas GP38's here that need nose gyralights, so I still have my scalpel ready to go. Another frisco.org member who is really good at this is Tom Holly. If you will notice the pics he posts of his models, all the units that need gyralights in the nose have them. In my opinion, Tom is one of the best, and most prolific, diesel modelers in our group. He is now working on some steam projects. I really like his stuff! Tom and I talked briefly a while back of doing an article, or a posting or a clinic, on installing these gyralights. It would be interesting as we each have a totally different technique using different detail parts. Some day we will do that. There are others in the group who have put these things in as well, so we have some good expertise here. "El Bob Oh" is one. Ken
Trade Secret. I would tell you but then I would have to shoot ya! Seriously it isn't hard to do at all but it just takes patience. One must measure and remeasure the casting. The only casting left available is the one from Tomar. In my opinion they are not as easy to work with or look as nice as the one's that were available from Sunrise. I have sevearal of both of these. I would not even try to explain how to do one unless the person was at my side when doing one. I think there is an article on how to do this on the MCoR/NMRA Turkey Creek page on the internet. I will check and see. El Bob Oh
Bob - I use the Utah Pacific brass casting - their part NG-85, Walthers ID 755-85, cost is just $2.75. I think it has by far the best detail and depth. It is still available - Walthers shows it is in stock. Ken
Utah Pacific is now made by Tomar. They still use the UTah Pacific name but in my opinion the quality has gone down from the True UP days. El Bob Oh
Bob - Thanks. Didn't know about Tomar now doing Utah Pacific parts. I learn something new every day. I have an order going in to Walthers right now. I'll add a Utah Pacific 755-85 to it and compare it to the old UP part. I have two of the older ones here in my parts drawer. They are (were?) quite nice. If I ever need another good one, I'll tear it out of my Walthers GP15-1 and replace it with a Sunrise or the "Tomarized" UP. Ken
I too have been thinking of buying one for my Atlas trainman GP38-2. What about roof beacons, would these make a good candidate? http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/235-106 Would this have the orange lens like on the Frisco engines or the more yellow lens like on others?
The Details West RB-106 or 235-106 is what you want for the Rotary Beacon. For the Gyralight, I bought the Details West HL-115 or 235-115 and built the box out of styrene to mount it in the nose. The Utah Pacific 755-85 would make the job a little easier for sure. The Atlas GP38-2 that I am presently working on will have a working Rotary Beacon, working Class Lights and a working Pyle Gyralight. I am using the Miniatronics 1.2 mm diameter 30ma 1.5v bulbs for all just as I did for the Rotary and Class lights for my 911. I used a #55 drill bit to drill the holes for the bulbs and JZ Products Super Z RC56 polyvinyl acetate glue to mount the bulbs and stabilize the wires in the body shell.
Thanks Ken For the kind words, coming from such an accomplished modeler, that is quite a compliment, thanks. Until I joined this group, I had no idea Sunrise even made the Gyra-light casting, I knew they made N scale stuff but was not familiar with their HO line, I cannot find any Sunrise castings. I took Ken and some others advise a few months back and ordered a bunch of the UP/Tomar castings from Waaathers and I am pleased with them. Beats what I was using before, Keiths approach was what I used for years. I mixed in DA parts too. The DW 106 is what I prefer for the strato light. But I got more problems coming up with a non-DCC source to power these lights and effects.. Got a few loco's waiting on Richmond Controls kits, been waiting for 7 months now. Anyone have sources for non-DCC lighting kits that will work for later SLSF lighting package? Regards, Tom
The MCoR/NMRA homepage is currently offline. I will try to locate the article at a later time. Sunrise no longer makes their line of white metal castings. Bob Wintle
A few years ago - when the Atlas Frisco B30-7 came out, I bought a pack of the Sunrise H-109 flat plate white metal nose gyralights that are ideal for the Frisco B30-7. At the same time, for the heck of it, I also bought a pack of the Sunrise H-108 boxed nose gyralights for Frisco EMD units. As Bob indicated, they are also white metal castings. They are OK, but the Utah Pacific NG-85 is far superior (at least the pre-Tomar version is). Ken
