Do you really want to scratchbuild?

Or do you want to kitbash?  My thinking here is that there are a lot of really good locos out there, that you can modify and detail to match a lot of prototypes.  Your NW2 actually existis in HO (and N as I recall) and so all you'd really need to do i smodify it for you chosen prototype.

Do that several times, with increasingly difficult prototypes as you go, and you may find it just as reqarding.   Plus it could use up some of the locos you were asking about in a different thread.

I am already doing something like that

     Yes, I'm already doing that with undecorated models (I assume that you saw the thred) but, I would like to give it a shot with just building from the ground up (Just adding details is not helping my need to build. It just doesn't last long enough).

Mabe I'll take an old Athern Chassis (needing new gears and electronics) and build a shell around it. and then I would like to build a locomotive from the ground-up (just trucks and a motor being "commertial" products)

I will start out with styrene, so I can get my feet wet by "cheeting" and using a Cannon&Co. cab, and then I may move on to sheet metal, Most likely not brass, mabe some sheet metal I could buy in bulk from the hardware store.

I'm not sure why, but the prospect of building from the ground-up, although more laborous and time-consuming, has appealed to me more than just buying a model and modifying it to match the prototype. I do enjoy undecorated models a lot, though, as they can let me do more than the "wether and place on tracks" work needed for most "RTR" models.I can't stand RTR models. I guess I'm becoming a "rivet-counter."

  Scratch building is making

Scratch building is making something from parts and loads of fabricating. Re detailing is like taking an already built loco and making it like a prototype and more realistic looking. Shaving off molded grabs and details and bending wire and drilling holes for them is just a few things that make a loco look better. Painting and decaling.

Pete

You're entering the danger zone!

Hi CSX.

I know what you're saying about your "need to build".  I have outright scratchbuilt and heavily kitbashed many freight cars, and two locos, so I'll try to coach you up.  First I suggest you build a relatively straightforward freight car from scratch.  This will help you hone your skills a little.  My first scratchbuilt freightcar was an SP woodchip gon from an article detailing how to do it in MR years back.  Once you've cut your teeth on a freight car or two, then dive in to the loco.

Building a loco from the chassis on up is not as difficult as it seems.  I would stick to styrene and eschew sheet metal, though there is some use for brass.  The build will be tedious at times, but if you plug away, you'll end up with a work of art.  Before you start, lets cover some basics. First: tools.  Here is my must have tool list for modeling rr equipment: steel scale ruler (also handy as a straightedge), Xacto or similar knife (get at least two so you don't have to swap blades as often).  Xacto #11 and #17 blades (a must),  regular razor blades (I use these even more than Xacto's), several pin vises (don't have to change bits as often),  A complete micro drill index with extra backups of sizes 76-80, a razor hobby saw (get the fine tooth ones), a collection of jewlers files, riffler files, and jewlers screwdrivers, a touch and flow applicator such as walthers #232-711 (for tenax 7r or mek), a CA applicator tool (walthers 232-805 or make your own by grinding the top of a sewing needle eye so it makes a "Y" shape instead of an "O"), and some sandpaper and sanding sticks. 

Here's some almost as important tools:  A NWSL Chopper II, a NWSL true sander, a didgital caliper, a self-healing mat, a dremel tool & bits, magnifying visor.  These are my suggestions, I'm sure others have their own opinions.  I would also encourage you to begin to build an inventory of basic materials.  Nothing sucks worse than to not have the size of styrene or brass you need when you're in the middle of something after hours.  I have nearly complete collection of Evergreen styrene strips and shapes on hand.  Every now and then I take an inventory and order to restock.

There are plenty of websites that show the process of scratchbuilding locos.  To be inspired by a master, go check out http://www.6axlepwr.com. Don't expect those kind of results immediately!  I tried to keep this somewhat brief, I could go on about some of this stuff forever.

Mike

Thanks for the tips

Thanks for the tips and the link, Mike.

  I don't think theyre are many prototype railcars I would like to scratch-build ( but I wouldn't count out some fictional cars based on real cars) but I'll take your advice, and start out with some railcars. Mabe it will allow me to build that model of Tallulah Falls flatcar #107 ( It's a long story for such a short rail-line. I'll tell it in a blog.)

   I already have some of the tools mentioned, but I think I'll go ahead and "semi-retire" them, and start anew (my friend, who I got started in this same hobby, and is also a subscriber, needs some tools. He has the money to get some of them, but I figure I'll help him out) The tools are well used, but still good. I still need to start an inventory (right now, I'm at 1 unused piece of Evergreen styrene, the metal roofing stuff, and multiple seccond-hand parts from other kits) so I could use that as an excuse for going to the hobby shop (big, cheesy grin from me)

I really like that http://www.6axlepwr.com website (Admittedly, I'm flipping between webpages while I wait for this site, a research site, and the website to load) It's amazing what some people can do. I'm still reading (and drooling over) the article on the NREX 9402 SD40-2.

I'll go ahead and start drawing up some ideas for a set of free-lanced MOW flatcars to get started.

Sounds like an offer Joe

Joe - Sounds like Mike is just going to skip the MRH article and go straight for his own column!!!

Seriously Mike, time for an article.

Steve

Insperation from NREX 9402

 O.K., I just finnished reading (and mopping up the drool from reading) about NREX 9402, and I found something that interested me greatly: the well-done interior. I went to BLI's moving sale ( when they moved to Ormond Beach, FL) and I got 3 GP 38-2s (Walthers Proto 2000, on sale for $20.00/each) and 10 cab interiors ($0.50, or a nickel a piece). 

         I  finally got sort of an idea for at least 3 of the interiors now (Guess what it is?) I guess I can modify the interiors enough to be able to fit them into the units, and still look good through the windows. I don't plan on a huge thing, just enough to make it look O.K. (and mabe 'll add some extras, like a fire-extinguisher made from an extra piece of sprue)  I'll go ahead and start planning my attack to get it done. Hey, even though it may be like sticking needles in your eye, what could be easier for a start at scratchbuilding than some simple interior details for a locomotive cab?

Now which one is first? That ex-ROCK unit switching the run-down industrial park, the UP GP 38-2 that has (modeled) fire damage, or the rusty CSX GP 38-2 that operates the local?

Let it rip CSX!  Just post

Let it rip CSX!  Just post some pics as you go -- we're all curious. 

Have no fear Steve,  I've got something cooking.

Mike

Already (sort of) ahead of you

  I finished the cab interior as good as I can get it (I had to get rid of the cab's back wall, so the Walther's weaght is a stand-in untill I make it) and I have built myself a fire extimguisher, and painted the interior. I'm currently installing it into the locomotive right now (waiting for the glue to dry as I type)  I do have photos in my camera, but I'm not sure if I can post them (I tried to on another forum, but I just got the little red "X" in a big white square)  If all else fails, I'll make a page on my personal website, post the photos there, and place a link on a posting here. 

Posting Photos

Posting photos at MRH is easy.  There are two ways.

1.  Use the image button on the toolbar in the post reply editor window.  Place the `cursor where you want your image, click the insert/edit image button on the toolbar, (looks like mountains with a red sun over them) paste the image url from your personal website into the url field and choose OK.

2. Do the same steps as in the first example, except when the insert/edit window opens, click the browse server button.  This will take you to your free 64mb of image storage on MRH.  Choose upload, click the browse button, find the image on your computer, select it and click open.  you will be back to your file browser on MRH.  Click Upload to transfer the file to your drive space on MRH.  When it is finished uploading, your image will show in the small preview window.

Here's a tutorial from HowToBlog on adding photos to posts and MRH blogs.

Here's a test (also reveals the lucky canidate for a cab)

   Thanks for the info on posting a picture here, Blue.

  I'll go ahead and try it with this post (and, in the process, reveal the lucky locomotive that got the first cab up-grade)

 Now, without further delay, I'll try to get the photo up.

  (No such luck. Methood #1 won't work, period. Seccond methood won't let me up-load to the free 64MB space. It says the immage is .25 or so MB too big for allowed immage space)  [failure music]

  Well, here's the link (the locomotive is the CSX GP 38-2, on the top) 

http://neflarailmodelbuilder.yolasite.com/weathered-models.php

Since you will be going to the website,anyway, feel free to explore the rest of it ( It's not a lot, but it's the best I can do. Will be doing updates today)

 Don't worry about my difficulty of posting the photo, I'm 99.9% computer dumb. (The fact that my computer plays jokes on me doesn't help. The other week, it deleted my school work)

Moderator Edit: I used method #1 to insert the images for you.  I went to your page, right-clicked on the first image, and chose copy image location.  Then in the post editor window I placed the cursor where the photo would go and clicked the image button.  I pasted the copied image location into the url field and set the width at 720 for best forum formatting.  Then I made the image a link too by pasting the image location into the url field on the link tab of the image editor window.

Nice weathering on your

Nice weathering on your locos.  It's pretty extreme, but well done.  Keep trying stuff in regards to scratchbuilding, etc.  I was going through my freightcars the other day and found three SP boxcars that I scratchbuilt about 7 years ago.  They are pretty lame looking by my current standards, but I was able to see the progress I've made too.  As with all things, you learn by doing, more than by studying, etc.

Mike

That's locomotives in FL

 Well, the wethering has to be extreme, the CSX and ROCK units will serve in my fictional CSX industrial branch, and if I know my history right, CSX tends to run older units and units from mergers in the South (mainly in Florida) so wethering may be extreme. (Even I'll admit, the wethering on the CSX unit looks too intense, but I swear, I saw a GP 38-2 that looked almost like that)

  For scratch-building, I have the cab interior done, just need to up-load photos to my website. The fire-extinguisher looks exelent, for less than 1/4" of sprue form a KV-1 model, with some floral wire,But that's my first attempt at scratchbuilding. I plan to do a story on the extenguisher for my website soon.

Thank you, moderator

Thank you for posting the photos, Moderator.

I didn't notice your edit earlier, and I thought the computer was playing a joke on me again, when I saw the photos up.  I'll save your information to a blank E-mail, so I can refer back to it. Amazing how I let the details of postings here slip by (even in my own postings).

Again, Thank you.

Photos from inside the (model) cab

 I got the photos up on my website, let's see if I can post them.

Well, I tried what was suggested by the Moderator, but my operating system won't bring up the Copy Immage Location button when I right-clicked. I think I'll just stick to the tried-and-true methood of just placing a link.

http://neflarailmodelbuilder.yolasite.com/locomotive-interiors.php

(Note to the Moderators and/or webmasters: Do not worry about my inability to post photos. I'm not good with computers, and can barely use the internet as it is. I'll just post links to my website pages containing the photos. Your posting of the photos for me, although generaus on your part, are not required, nor expected by me.)

CSX in Florida

I have noticed that the CSX Motors on the west coast of Florida are more "beaten" up than on the east coast. Here on the east coast they are pretty clean and maintained. The one I have seen in the Tampa area are just like in the photo !!!! No if's and's or but's.

Good job, Buddy !!!!

CSX locos in Pensacola

When I was in college (circa mid 1990's) in Pensacola, FL, the CSX locos I observed didn't seem especially beaten up.  Most of what I was seeing were mainline freights though.  Never saw many locals, but I wasn't paying much attention in those days.  I did notice that the occasional BN train that came to town was pretty rangy and mangy though.  I think Pensacola was the terminus of their line, which was the old Frisco.

Mike

interior photos, Part II

I think I have some back-door way to get photos posted. I have noticed, that if you have a photo on an E-mail, you can copy and paste it almost everywhere, so I have started sending myself E-mails with X-photo(s) attached, so I could post them.  This is the first forum posting using this methood. Let's see if it works...

Photo 1: cab interior installed before replacing the cab:

MODERATOR NOTE: CSX, unfortunately, those photos are behind a log in, so only you can see them. For the rest of us, we just get a big blank spot in the post - so NO this isn't the way to post photos on here. The photos need to be at a URL that doesn't take a log in to see them. In other words, the locations needs to be PUBLIC. You can also post them here on our site if you're willing to click the "browse server" button and then click "upload" to select the photo from your computer's disk.

Not a success....

CSX Railfan - you can see the photos because they are on your computer. We can't.

Try this instead: https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/adding-a-photo-to-an-mrh-blog-entry-12184711

I KNEW IT!

Darn, and I thought I had a winner....

 I'll try to find another way to do it ( I swear, it worked on 4 or 5 other forums with other photos. It really did.)

O.K., time to use some other means of going about buisness.

Let's try this again...

O.K., Jeff, I got the page you refered to up, let's see if the addition of illistrations will help my overly simple (or overly complex) mind work in a different gear:

Oh, um ... it's not letting the photos upload. Mabe you can help me:

When the loading stops, the little log-thing about the actions performed tells me this (copied and pasted as-is):

Edit: should I be alarmed over the huge red box? (see above)

and again... with photobucket

Let's try this with photobucket.... (I doubt it will work, because it only bought up a link on another forum, but hey, I got nothing too loose with these photos,now. Why not experiment?)

First (again) The pre-instalation of the modified cab:

(big, white box, with little, red "X" it's a start)

Now, (again) before placing the cab over the completed interior:

(this time, a small white box, and a big, red "X" the size of the box. I got a feeling that technology is out to get me...)

 I still don't know how to up-load to MRH's free photo folder (see my earlier post) so I'm stuck in "White box with Red "X" world"  Don't you love computers?

MODERATOR NOTE: Go to photobucket, right click the image and select copy image location in Firefox. Come here and paste in the image URL in the image dialog box and set the image size to 600 x 450. Then click OK. Voila! There's your images.

Oh, there's my problem...

Thank you again Moderator,

That's where I was messing up: I don't have Fire-fox, and I was setting the immage size to 200X200

Let me take another photo of a different locomotive, and I'll be back later to try the new methood.

Thank you