Workshop Wednesday

Discussion in 'General' started by yardmaster, Nov 15, 2017.

  1. rjthomas909

    rjthomas909 Member Frisco.org Supporter

    That should keep you busy for a while, Steve. I need to get my weathering assembly line back up and going......

    -Bob T.
     
  2. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    DONE!

    All the rolling stock has gone through the workbench and checked/adjusted as needed: Wheel gauge, truck mobility, and COUPLER HEIGHT.

    Off to another project!

    Up next on the workbench to piddle with when the mood hits is a Stewart AS16. A donor engine is in transit. The donor engine is going to donate its Kato drive to this one. (This one was originally powered with Athearn motor/flywheel/trucks.)


    121720a.jpg

    All fer now.
     
  3. frisco1522

    frisco1522 Staff Member Staff Member

    How do you work in that space? I could start out like this and in an hour would have a 8" sq. space to work in. I even make myself mad.
     
  4. Don you are not alone.
     
  5. Sirfoldalot

    Sirfoldalot Frisco.org Supporter Frisco.org Supporter

    Some guys just like to show off!
     
  6. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    I had just cleaned/organized my workbench after passing 180-190 cars over my workbench for their "Standards" check-up as well as my car/load weighting program. THEN I shot the photo!!

    :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
     
  7. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Too clean,, sick

    Man that is one well used locomotive huh? Looks lake a bunch of stuff on it was an after thought. Those number boards are interesting looking maybe off a F unit? And that hand brake in front of the window is new location for me. I admittedly know very little about these locos. Even the class lights are interesting. I also see the long hood handrails are bent outwards a few inches before they go upwards. A very interesting project.
     
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  8. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    It won't stay that way for long! I do like to keep my tools organized over to the right, but typically the work area itself gathers some clutter.

    Yes, I love that old sled. HOWEVER... mine won't be the exact same "phase" of AS16 as that one. Like you, I didn't know much at all about Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton road switchers. I just knew that I really liked that engine when I first saw a couple pics of it.

    I'm now learning about "things Baldwin". Alas, I've learned that what you see above is the "late" phase of AS16 which has higher hoods than earlier phases. (Higher hoods begin in 1953.) Unfortunately there is NO model of the "high hood" phase available, brass or otherwise. The commonly available Stewart/Bowser is the low hood version that Baldwin phased-out beginning sometime in '53. Also the cab of the Stewart model is said to be "wonky" according to true Baldwin fanatics.

    Anyway, to raise the hood would be a major undertaking (the added height is at the top, which would be more difficult to add than if it was the bottom), and bashing a "more correct" (still not perfect) cab requires two cabs from some model, blah, blah, blah.

    SO... the KC&G's will likely use a near-stock Stewart shell with added details. However, I DO like some of the weirdness of the Mop engine, such as that handbrake location, so I hope to incorporate what I can into my KC&G version. As for spotting features for this class of Mop AS16:

    * Apparently Mop modified the side rails. They were originally top mount as per typical Baldwin, and not full length.

    * Those weird number boards came from the factory.

    * According to a Mop shop diagram I have for that class of AS16, sometime in their lifespan they were apparently converted to dual controls. I note in this builders photo of that class of Mop AS16, that long hood was forward from the factory.


    BLW_MP_AS16.jpg

    SO... as is typical... this project is not going to be the "quick n' easy" project I thought at the first. I'm now facing several decisions concerning time consuming modifications/alterations/issue fixing.

    However, that sounds about right for model railroading, doesn't it?
     
  9. 82C35264-661A-4A3B-B21C-1CDD203F5FA8.jpeg B6D10F01-CD98-4695-9719-59F6EE475573.jpeg Here’s a couple shots of the Alcos on the owners layout.
    Steve
     
  10. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    That is EXCELLENT, Steve.

    You just keep getting better and better.
     
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  11. Thanks Andre. I am pretty tempted to get a Baldwin after your Mopac pic the other day. What a beauty!!!!! Glad to see the wind is behind your sails again and you are having fun.
     
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  12. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    That Baldwin reminds me of one of the Minions from Despicable Me!
     
  13. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    Those bug boards look like goggles!

    Those are a prominent "spotting" feature of the Mop unit and certainly add to its character.

    Alas, with the stock Stewart/Bowser model (lower hoods), there's not enough room above the class lights to add such boards and it not end up looking like an RS-3 w/added bug boards. (Like a goggle-eyed frog instead of wearing goggles.) To wit:


    MP_RS3_4511_NoLR_071061.jpg


    (Sigh) Still cogitatin' on whether or not to raise the roof on the Stewart model I have.
     
  14. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    Making like a herd of turtles, I've made a bit of progress on my KC&G AS16 project.

    First up was chisel off the extra door that was cast onto the "rear" of the cab, and sand smooth. I then filed the window a bit larger to represent a wall window and not a tiny door window.

    A day or so ago, I decided that my best option on end rails with electrical MU receptacles and drop steps would be to use some leftover Kato RS-2 end rails like that, modified so they don't look like Alco end rails. That decided, the past day or so, I've been pondering how to proceed with the end rails, namely, how I needed to modify and mount the Kato RS-2 end rails w/electrical MU connections. I settled on a brass pin on the walk way that inserts into a hole I drilled at the base of the drop step to receive same. I would then have to very precisely locate and drill the holes on the pilot face for the mount pins on the ends of the rails so they'd be a press fit because these will hold the entire assembly in place, AND I wanted everything to be square and parallel. A lot was going to depend on the hole locations and fit of the lower mount pins.

    I'm happy to report that the above is accomplished and I now have end rails installed that have electrical MU receptacles and much smaller diameter hand rails! (Smaller in diameter than the rails on the end rail assembly that came with the model.) Plus, the rails are acceptably square and parallel where they need to be.

    Here's a pic:

    122020a.jpg



    This next pic illustrates a comparison of the supplied end rail and the modified and installed Kato end rail w/MU's. Also visible is the modified cab end and enlarged window:

    122020b.jpg

    Next up was start making decisions on which end is "forward", what type of horn(s) and where to mount, where to mount the bell, etc, etc. The bell location is sort of being decided for me by Stewart. Stewart cast these shells with a notch on the end of the long hood that the supplied bell fits into. To change that would mean I will have to deal with the notch on the end of the hood (plug, file, fill, smooth). SO, it's looking like I may have an end mounted bell!

    I'm still deliberating what type of horn(s) to use and where to locate. Plus, I think I'm staying with long hood forward. The KC&G's RS-1's, RS-2's, and RS-3's are all long hood forward, so the crews are used to handling engines that run long hood forward.

    By this time I was ready to see how the engine was going to shape up, so I cleaned up the flash/etc off the rest of the Stewart-supplied handrails and attached them, then used a dab of "Tacky Tack" to temporarily hold the bell in place. The end result: I think the model is going to be pretty nifty.

    122020c.jpg

    So, there you have it! All caught up on the latest!

    Andre
     
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  15. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    Okay, so it's not Wednesday, so sue me. :ROFLMAO:

    BUT... Wednesday or not, I wanted to post, so here goes...

    As I wait for the various items needed to complete my AS16 project (in the background) to arrive via USPS, I decided to go through my inventory of backlogged engine projects and compile a listing from easiest-to-finish on down. At top of the list ended up being an Atlas/Kato RS-3 project that only needed end grabs and MU's and it would be ready to ship off to the Whiz Kid.

    SO... onto the workbench it went.

    After a couple hours or so of modifying pre-formed grabs to fit the curved corners, making some custom rails, etc, I had the unit ready for it's turn to Whiz. Here's the result:

    Front...

    122520a.jpg

    The rear end...

    122520b.jpg
    Sharp eyes will note this one is one of the last RS-3's to still have a functioning steam generator in place. Thus, it can be used in the psgr power pool for what's left of psgr service on the 1964 era KC&G.

    At that point it was time to sit an Engineer in the seat.

    The Trainmaster that interviewed this laid-off Engineer from the Santa Fe should have known he would not be a good fit on the KC&G. However, after a few adjustments (offending parts visible on the right) , he fit right in...

    122520c.jpg
    :LOL:

    SO... readying the above RS-3 makes two engines ready to make the trek to Whiz once I receive the two that are there now. Next will be to revisit my engine list and see what will be the next quickest to get ready for sound.

    I've sort of set the loose goal of preparing as many engines for sound as I quickly can and forward them in pairs to Whiz Kid. Eventually, once I have received enough engines back from him, I can start taking one or two units at a time out of service and place then on the workbench for painting, decaling, and weathering, yet still have enough engines to cover operating sessions. At least, that's my story for now!

    All fer this 'un!
     
  16. gstout

    gstout Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Quite a project, and compliments on your patience and determination. Back when I assembled my motive power fleet (now about 36 powered units plus a few dummies), except for removing inappropriate dynamic brake blisters (and a complete makeover for a MoPac E7), I pretty much did all my customizing with an airbrush. Paint 'em in the desired livery, set 'em on the tracks and yank the throttle.

    GS
     
  17. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    Hi Greg!

    Thanks for the words of encouragement, but I'll be the first to admit that I have "sticktoit" issues. I can make progress when motivated... but I can't seem to sustain motivation... so I work on things as I have the fever to do so. Right now it's a "motive power" fever... because I truly need more power up and going with sound. BUT... the most needed thing is PAINTED units w/sound on the layout. I have a measly eight painted KC&G units (and one of those is at Whiz Kid's!) and a handful of painted "loaner" power: A Rock Island GP7, a Rock Island RS-3 (also at Whiz Kid's), and my recent purchase of Frisco GP7 #594 w/TSU2 sound.

    Also ashamed to admit it, but I haven't painted/decaled/weathered a KC&G engine since back in the late 1990's! Time to fix that. However, in order to do so, I need enough engines w/sound, painted or not, up and going so I can pull one or two at a time off the layout and get them into KC&G paint. It will be a long process.

    Details:

    I've dialed back on details compared to what I used to do many years ago. Fragile details just don't survive in operational environs. Try as you may, you'll break/bend things that are not durable enough to withstand the rigors of operations. Also, there's the time issue. Even retired, I don't have the time/energy to modify/detail engines to contest quality and still have any hope of having the layout operational with enough detailed/painted units to be meaningful. (i.e. NO undec units to be seen during a multi operator session.) SO... I don't add a lot of details and what details I do add are durable. (Brass horns, fabricated brass or soft wire MU's, retain the delrin hand rails if possible, etc, etc.)

    This hobby is filled with compromise points, so I've made peace with my compromises in order to enjoy the things I enjoy most: Structured operation with decent looking engines (and eventually rolling stock).

    All fer now!
     
  18. geep07

    geep07 Member

    Andre,
    I agree whole heartedly on "Details". As A layout owner/operator I am constantly finding more details of cars such as stirrups steps brake wheels, uncoupling bars, hand grabs, especially in the yards. These details really stand out on cars that are standing still at a siding. Compare this same car to a Blue Box type cars while the train is rolling you can't tell a difference. Locomotives not so much, mostly the delrin hand rails and stanchions take a hit.
    The operators who come to operate really are careful about using uncoupling picks and reaching to make sure nothing gets disturbed, but I get it, I find myself in their shoes when I operate on their layouts as well. I spend a great deal of time putting details back on the rolling stock and you have to say to yourself is it worth it to have these mega bucks cars on a operating layout.
     
  19. gstout

    gstout Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Comes back to the question, are you a model railroader or a railroad modeler?

    GS
     
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  20. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    Replies...

    John said:

    "As A layout owner/operator I am constantly finding more details of cars such as stirrups steps brake wheels, uncoupling bars, hand grabs, especially in the yards."

    Wow, John, sounds like you've taken modeling the prototype to a new level! :LOL:

    All of us railroaders that have worked the ground in yards know that "yard clutter" (some of it being car parts) is part of it! In fact, as you walk along between the tracks, it becomes habit to pick up a chunk of tie end, brake shoe, or whatever, and toss it between the gauge of a nearby track so as to eliminate it as a tripping hazzard. So, maybe you can just leave your clutter there as most MOW departments did when I was working the ground? :ROFLMAO:

    Seriously: You fully see where I'm coming from. In fact, I really don't have any "super detailed" rolling stock on the layout... and probably won't have. Instead you'll find Accurail, Blue Box, MDC, Branchline, that sort of of car. Shucks, I've even got vintage Varney, Lindberg Lines, and the like, plying the rails of the Ozark Sub. (Because I like the nostalgia of them, too.)

    Greg:

    That's a very interesting question. Looking back at my early years in HO, I think building the needed models (be it a piece of rolling stock or a simplistic structure) was a means to an end and not the end itself. SO, I don't think I'm a "serious" model builder. What has always been my greatest fascination with trains has been their movement. From very early on, I tried to simulate the movements of the trains. That is, after the advent of my Lindberg Lines set for Christmas of 1962 (I was 10 years old at the time), if I was riding along with my dad and/or mom in the family auto and happened to see train action... it was not unusual for me to come home and try to replicate what I saw. (i.e. A switching move, or a run-by, etc.) However, I also loved the railroad "scene" (such as yard scenes, service areas, crossing scenes, industry spurs/etc)... but at the time didn't have the needed skills to reflect same on my meager beginnings of layouts at the time.

    However, on the other side of the coin, I DO enjoy the end result of a detailed (and for sure a completed) engine or structure, etc. Further, I typically enjoy the process needed to produce such a model. So, I guess I am a "model builder" in a sense... but not one as the term should mean.

    I reckon that makes me a railroad modeler? That is, one that gets his jollies from replicating train movement more so than model building?

    Historically, this has been my downfall with my layouts: I get the layout up and 1oo% functional (as is the case with my current layout), and the trains start getting operated and the fun begins... and the scenery falls by the way side. That has happened on every "serious" layout I've had since 1974. Oh well. As has been my saying for a long time now: "Fun is where you find it!"

    Thus, I guess I'm a railroad modeler that does what it takes as a model railroader to accomplish the desired goal.

    Now, having said all that, the greatest need I see for now is still: I need to get some undecorated KC&G engines into KC&G paint and fully finished!

    :D
     
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