Locos and rolling stock

Brass Climax Sound Conversion

I've installed sound decoders in something more than 25 brass steam locomotives.  In most cases, this also involved installing a can motor and frequently replacing the gearbox in some of the older locomotives.  So I've been around the block a time or two.

I've been asked to do a DCC/Sound conversion for a relatively small PFM Climax locomotive.  This appears to be quite a challenge. I have not yet started the project, and would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions (other than "don't do it!") on the following key steps in the process:

Vince P's picture

Needed P2K GP30 long hood

Does anyone have an extra from a damaged P2K GP30 long hood.

I ask as i'm looking to build a UP style GP30B for my freelance road.

Anyone that can help will be much appreciated.

kh25's picture

Atlas Trainman GP39-2

I have a couple Atlas Trainman Gp39-2s, how hard is it and what stuff do I need to add sound?
Thank you

DougL's picture

Please critique weathering - too much or not enough?

Could you please comment on the two weathering jobs?  I'm not fishing for compliments, I've been staring at them so long I can't tell if it looks decent. In your opinion do they look right, too much weathering, or too little?  How could I improve shadows on the grab irons and fittings? In each photo an untouched car is above the weathered unit.

One thing I discovered, it is difficult to light and photograph the model to approximate what your eye sees!

Algoma Ore Properties - Loading ore cars - volume variation

In thinking about the use of my Walthers ortner cars at the Wawa sinter mill, I came to the realization that various loads (coal, coke, iron fines, limestone, siderite ore, sintered ore, and blended sinter) might have quite different densities, and therefore the prototype would likely have different volumes of each material in the same car.  The Walthers car comes with a load, of course, but it's a 'full car' load, and is a neutral light gray - which I'm using as limestone.  After a google search was only partly successful, I posted a question to the Steel lis

railandsail's picture

Orient Express, HO model locomotives

How many different HO scale models exist of the steam engine that pulled the Orient Express?

I saw this one mentioned on the forums, as built by Roco,...

...Is actually a French Locomotive (Golden Arrow )

It made the connection of the Ferry Train from Great Britain: London - Calais - Paris... in less than 8 hours in 1950. The most Famous of them was the 'Chapelon' (Called after the famous French Steam Loco.Engineer) This 'Pacific' was produced in Ho by ROCO a few years ago.

Michael T.'s picture

Vape units for "smoke" or steam?

I didn't want to disrupt the thread on smoke units so I decided to start a separate thread. It gave me a crazy idea though. What about these vape pens that are so prevalent these days? Seems like a very compact unit. Maybe some enterprising modeler could adapt one to produce vapor for a steamer. It seems to me that I saw a video of a larger scale loco that used water vapor but it might be possible to get the guts of one of the smaller vape pens in  an HO loco.

kirkifer's picture

DA window glass for Athearn diesels

Okay Detailers...

What did I do wrong? I don't really like the way it looks. I glued the DA, made for Athearn SD diesel, windows in with Microscale Krsital Clear. The windows have a ridge on them, visible in the photos, that I thought was supposed to simulate window gasket. Did I put them in backwards?

Have you seen this type of stanchion at any detail site?

The photo below is a U shaped stanchion and handles for  an HO double stacker that I (obviously) need to replace.  There is no brand.

Have you seen this type of stanchion  at any detail site?

Is there a special name for this type of stanchion that I can use to search e bay for it?

First Weathering Adventure

Greetings all! First time poster, long time lurker. Attached is my first attempt a really weathering an N scale box car. I should have taken before photos but I was a little nervous about doing it so I forgot. Please let me know what you all think.


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