Shiny brass loco that needs

Shiny brass loco that needs weathering.

https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/43972

Pink Foam

I'm working on some mountains and tunnels on the layout.

weathering victims

The recent arrival of the Rapido GP20 20,000 gallon Procor tank car has prompted me to start weathering my tank car fleet.  10 cars are done-ish, these are the next round of victims.

Marc,Those tank cars are

Marc,

Those tank cars are going to be winners after you're done with them.

Follow

Following

MMW Background Kit

Calling this one done; background kit from Monster Model Works.

Lou Nigro

Working on a Replica of Drake's Well

After I scratchbuilt my models of the original Densmore oil tank cars, I decided I really needed a place to park them. What better than by Drake's Well? It's been very slow, painstaking work but it's coming along. I look forward to creating a small diorama for it that will include some track and those Densmores.  All best, Alex

Diamond Scale 105' foot turntable

Need this for my roundhouse, your looking at the bottom of my 105' foot turntable bridge that's currently under construction.

 Greg

Southside Hotel

Just finished putting together the ITLA shallow relief hotel, next is the street scene that will be in the foreground.

Greg, That brings back

Greg, 

That brings back memories. I put together a Diamond Scale TT decades ago for an old layout I used to have. This is the only photo I have of it.

Hey Luke!

Looks like your going into city modeling in a big way! Very, very nice. I've never seen that kit.........gonna have to check it out.

 best regards,

 Rick

Tank Cars

Building a small tank car fleet of these US Army type 27  cars.  All have Kadee trucks & couplers.

The type 103W car

             The consist..

nice, but need weathering?

Jerry: I like it. A great idea for a small fleet. Maybe some light weathering to make them individuals?

@ Morgan

Yes, I agree, I just haven't got there yet. I've seen some of the weathering vids here on Trainmasters TV with Gary Christensen & Mike Confalone. Need to make the plunge!

pan pastels

Or chalk. Seems to be the way to do weathering. I've not tried it. I'm frugal. So, the only slight weathering I've done is to burn incense and save those ashes. I brush them on. Press a bit with fingers where necessary and blow off the excess. I also try very hard to never touch my equipment that can smudge anything. When totally satisfied with my results, then and only then, spray Dullcote to fix in place. But I think the colored chalks or pan pastels might be better. I just wasn't ready to spend that money. The incense is, or course, what the wife likes and uses, so I don't consider that MR cost. (Just keep them burning outside the RR room. I hate the way it irritates the nose.) LOL

Southside Hotel

Wow, Luke!

Is that a little or maybe, big hint of a future diorama build video hitting YouTube real soon?

If so, looking forward to it.

Sizing up staging tracks …

To be placed in a windowed Foam-board box that will support the high-line on the B&H.  This grid-lined cutting mat is turning out to be very useful for keeping thins parallel.  I’m aiming to keep the width down to 3 1/4”.  In this view, these tracks are 1 3/4” center to center.  The staging tracks will be dead straight. 

I'm starting to twitch a bit...

I'm still working on an Athearn MP15AC.... I got a TCS KA2 that I believe will fit nicely in it, and mechanically it appears to be good.

I also decided to swap out all the little grain of rice bulbs for LEDs. SMD LEDs with wires attached. Lots of SMD LEDs with wires attached... and then I added ditch lights.

It's going to be an adventure soldering all of these wires, even with the Decoder Buddy's layout to help...

You might note the smaller locomotive on the workbench below the shell of the MP15AC. It's a Z scale Micro-Trains GP35. I just put a DZ123 decoder in it... and the fit wasn't great. But a little judicious filing made it fit. But Decoder Pro doesn't see a locomotive there, so I assume the decoder is bricked somehow. Sigh.

Can’t wait to see the blinding light show Jeff!

Who knew you could fit decoders in Z Scale!  You are a true masochist!

Nice brickwork Lou

Nice brickwork Lou

Adding some Longhorns to the herd

Using some sharpened brass wire (a few quick passes across the face of a Dremel cut off disc) to add some longhorns to my herd of cattle that I'd previously painted 

Couple of photos below show some completed after painting the longhorns horns and a few I worked on last night when I had a spare 20mins of precious modelling time available. Always good to have a small project like this handy that can be worked on with minimal prep time 

RGZ passengers

Although rather a tedious job, one that I think is well worth the effort, have been adding passengers to all my BLI Rio Grande Zephyr cars with particular attention to the dome cars as they were the most popular. 

1 - I buy the el cheapo (50-100) figures from eBay usually painted horribly from China.

2 - Then chop the legs off to get them at the correct height.

3 - I give them all a light misting of a neutral colour (in this case Vallejo Olive) as once their in their seats and rolling past its really only the outline of each figure that is visible anyway 

4 - I then glue them using contact adhesive into the coach seating usually concentrating on the window seats. 

Some degree of trial & error needed as the heights of the passengers in the dome cars can prevent refitting of the car body but better than the alternative of running passenger less passenger equipment 

Weathering the fleet. A

Weathering the fleet.

 
A little graffiti with decals.

 
Tank cars in progress.

 
Painting couplers.

 
Some patch out work.

 
Patched our car.

Thanks Steve, fun little kit

Thanks Steve, fun little kit to put together. I used Vallejo Model Colors in the airbrush and Durham's Water Putty for the mortar.

Lou