Subways

@Joe cardism posted:

Nice work! I've done alot of work cars I just finished an R12-R71 Rider car 

These look great!!

@Joe cardism posted:

Anyone ever model an Acid wash car...I did this R17 silver and blue ribbon car with the the silver chipping away and the Redrobin color starting to show from the previous color scheme it originally had. Hope everyone likes...enjoy ✌

This is neat too! I like the real life photo references. Just 1 thing.... why no graffiti????

@Dj'sOgaugetrains posted:

These look great!!

Thanx man I truly appreciate the love 👊✌

@Dj'sOgaugetrains posted:

This is neat too! I like the real life photo references. Just 1 thing.... why no graffiti????

Thanx again brotha and I actually did this car for someone who wanted it without graffiti. I'm in the process of one that I started before this one that is done inside and out graffiti and all 👍 The doors opened on the one side like it was sitting on a platform. Entire inside fully done with proper seat, wall and door colors. Advertisements as well 👌 stay tuned and stay safe...much love 👊✌

Here's another car I've done in the past. Scrapyard cars are my favorite cars to do. This car is straight out of 1982 🤣🤣🤣

Joe Cardism, how do you illuminate the interior of your car?  It seems very close to the actual lighting I remember in those cars.

Joe Cardism, those are works of art. How you you do your graffiti? Hand painted, decals? From photos? Or your own? 

@Joe cardism posted:

Here's another car I've done in the past. Scrapyard cars are my favorite cars to do. This car is straight out of 1982 🤣🤣🤣

Fantastic! And yeah.... how did you do your lights??? 

@West Side Joe posted:

Joe Cardism, how do you illuminate the interior of your car?  It seems very close to the actual lighting I remember in those cars.

Well funny you asked...the guy who wanted me to do this car for him sent me some kind of led lighting. He told me he uses them for his bar. I'm like ok.... so he sent me them and I ran the wiring threw out the car to be hidden from sight and I connected the open wire to the track to light the car. They do light up the car nicely I must say. I plan on doing all of my cars like this in the future but this is a whole new world to me...lol sorry I couldn't help with any real info brotha. Hope all is well stay safe ✌

@Will posted:

Joe Cardism, those are works of art. How you you do your graffiti? Hand painted, decals? From photos? Or your own? 

Hay what's up...I truly appreciate the love and I hand paint everything and these are all my own art. I despise graffiti decales! Nothen is recreated this is all my work. Thanx again brotha and hope all is well ✌

@Joe cardism posted:

Hay what's up...I truly appreciate the love and I hand paint everything and these are all my own art. I despise graffiti decales! Nothen is recreated this is all my work. Thanx again brotha and hope all is well ✌

Well that is even more amazing. You are an artist, bro.

@Will posted:

Well that is even more amazing. You are an artist, bro.

Thanx brotha and you are as well I see. That's cool. I'm going to check out your Instagram page 👍🙏👊✌

Trial and error to see what size hole best accommodates 2 1/2 foot dia scale manholes in my black foamboard street scape over my subway module.

Answer? 8 1/2 ring size! Never throw away anything, not even a 35-year old ring size gauge.

A bit of fun I had when building my subway module was figuring out how to illuminate subway signals.  I ended up using fiber optic lines fitted into Shapeways 3D-printed subway signal bodies, with colored bits of plastic over the lens, all powered by a 9-volt battery.

An unanticipated twist was that the light source (an LED) had a bluish tint to it, making it difficult to get reasonably accurate colors: green plastic looked yellowish, yellow plastic looked greenish, and red plastic looked purple.  So, orange became the new red, yellow became the new green, and green became the new yellow!

@Dj'sOgaugetrains posted:

Fantastic! And yeah.... how did you do your lights??? 

Thank you I appreciate the love and finished led light strip that the guy I dis this car for sent me to install. But I ran the wires down inside of the car then along the floor and threw the flatcar that he has a wall plug to plug in. The car sits in a glass case on his bar as a conversation piece...lol ✌

On top of the tunnel section of my subway module, I am adding a streetscape.  In the sidewalk are gratings that allow a view of the subway as it passes under the street.  Of course, in real life you can't actually see the subway as it passes, only hear it and feel the breeze.  But this isn't real life, is it?

@West Side Joe posted:

On top of the tunnel section of my subway module, I am adding a streetscape.  In the sidewalk are gratings that allow a view of the subway as it passes under the street.  Of course, in real life you can't actually see the subway as it passes, only hear it and feel the breeze.  But this isn't real life, is it?

West Side Joe

NICE Video !  And an excellent recreation and a novel, ingenious, imaginative  and interesting idea -- I am sure it can be used by other modelers ---- especially over subway stations also.   Well shot and composed ! I also like the Bus at the curb to give more depth and creativity.

Regards - Joe F

Thank you.  Another view.  Still a work in progress.

That's fantastic. And that bus is amazing! Where did you get it? Is the signage custom?

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but since it covers subways, I thought I'd ask this question here:  MTH Lo-V subways 30-2447-1. Is it common for all of the couplers on this set to randomly uncouple (due to a weak coupler spring)?  Not a problem on any of my Lionel freight cars, but frequent just on this set. Bought the set used , so no history.

@pdxtrains posted:

That's fantastic. And that bus is amazing! Where did you get it? Is the signage custom?

 

NYCTA buses were great. I rode the first 8800 series units with that new car rubber smell. https://steves3roscale.shutterfly.com/pictures/4953

@Gary Liebisch posted:

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but since it covers subways, I thought I'd ask this question here:  MTH Lo-V subways 30-2447-1. Is it common for all of the couplers on this set to randomly uncouple (due to a weak coupler spring)?  Not a problem on any of my Lionel freight cars, but frequent just on this set. Bought the set used , so no history.

Hello Gary --

NO, you are not hijacking this thread at all !   Well, I converted my MTH Low-V's (including motor trucks)  with scale sized insulated wheels for 2 rail operation.  Doing so I make new "unpowered" (ie: trailing) trucks using the MTH metal sideframes  (which I ground down and reshaped the bottom portions of,  on a large motorized grinding wheel to more scale dimensions) screwed to brass cross bolsters I fabricated to complete the truck.  This made my Low V "trailing" cars 75% lighter than original MTH bodies. In the conversion I created and used my own self-built type close coupling manual more scale sized couplers. I use ONE MTH Motor truck with steel scale sized 33" wheels, installed in the rear of the train's  first car. That car tows FOUR coupled trailing cars easily creating a 5 car train, and with no need for rubber "traction" tires either,  NOR two motor trucks in the first car !!   And running on scale profile and sized rail 2 rail track.

Those super heavy solid block metal steel truck chassis on the trailing cars create excessive weight.  Those same blocks used for the 2 power trucks used on the Motorized (ie: "locomotive") car are OK so to give tractive pulling effort weight but ARE NOT NEEDED on non-powered trailing cars.  If you are running 6 cars (5 cars towed by one power car) - that could be part of the problem...especially if you have up and down grades on your layout   That is a lot of weight on the couplers.... especially those on the first few cars of the train.  Especially if they have weak springs.   Notice that on any other (Lionel or MTH) passenger cars the trucks are made more conventional to prototype.  Same goers for freight cars.  And THOSE cars are lighter than MTH Subway cars.  Just my thoughts.

To understand,  MTH never used the same truck block from one of their small diesel locomotives 4 wheel powered trucks --  on their unpowered trailing mainline R.R. passenger cars !  But they did that on the subway unpowered trailing car sets.  Don't know WHY !!??

Either (1) - replace any coupler-hand springs,  (2) - get new couplers,  or (3) - glue the coupler hands in solid shut position (like a solid non operating coupler) so they will not open at all.

Here BELOW are photos of my MTH Low-V truck conversions from 3 rail to 2 rail scale

BELOW- Top View of reworked and converted MTH Low-V Truck (and not repainted yet)

BELOW- Bottom View of reworked and converted MTH Low-V Truck  (and not repainted yet) 

with a GOO applied 1/4" thick wood slab for stiffing the brass bolster plate

BELOW - Side view of completed, assembled 2 rail scale wheels truck with "trimmed down" MTH

Low V Sideframes to proper scale proportions - seen not yet repainted. Brass 3rd rail paddle shoes will be added

before painting

BELOW - at left, MTH Low-V with MTH Truck reworked and repainted,  and my own scale size working

"radial swing" body mounted coupler. Car sits lower and more prototype to rail heads.  Compare with

original factory-condition MTH Low-V Car and truck at right

BELOW - closeup of MTH fully reworked, repainted, scaled down to proper size-proportions,  to be an

IRT type Commonwealth Motor style Truck, with a scale brass  paddle-type 3rd rail shoe added

BELOW -- original MTH Low-V at left  and its massive heavy unpowered trailing type truck and

huge coupler, and at right, my scale sized wheels, 2 Rail converted MTH Truck at right and my

body-mounted radial swing manual coupling coupler. My Car sits at proper scale height from track rails .

regards - Joe F

I've resorted to gluing shut couplers on a few of my subway cars. This is a problem I've encountered, only I don't have the LoV set. Mine happened on the World's Fair set, and the P2 #1 train (white.)

@pdxtrains posted:

I've resorted to gluing shut couplers on a few of my subway cars. This is a problem I've encountered, only I don't have the LoV set. Mine happened on the World's Fair set, and the P2 #1 train (white.)

Hello PDX --

Heh -- I have a huge ( 39' x 15 x 39" x 15) HO Scale Mainline Railroad "modular wall shelves" Layout and run 12 to 16  car locomotive hauled passenger trains.  It surrounds my center-of-room huge O Scale NYC EL & Trolley Layout with aisles between the O Scale modular layout and the HO Scale wall layout.

Besides the usual HO Scale horn hook couplers -- a number of my cars have various brands-types of working HO Scale Knuckle couplers.  Some of these also tend to fail at times on certain cars -- more of an occasional nuisance than a very regular event. 

However, heh,  when your passenger train goes around the layout a number of times successfully, and then you don't notice that 4 or 5 tail end cars are suddenly missing from its rear --- and soon find them being PUSHED by the locomotive at the head end of the same train doing the entire route-loop -- that IS ANNOYING !!!   And a P I T A  !!  Sometimes causes a derailment additionally. 

So those affected cars knuckle couplers get GLUED and locked shut.  NO MORE PROBLEMS !!  Many of my long distance HO passenger trains remain the same car-consists.  It's no issue to me to lift a car-end up slightly to uncouple or couple-add an additional car.  Worth the tiny effort to NOT have any more mid train uncouplings "on the run.."

Regards - Joe F

@pdxtrains posted:

I've resorted to gluing shut couplers on a few of my subway cars. This is a problem I've encountered, only I don't have the LoV set. Mine happened on the World's Fair set, and the P2 #1 train (white.)

PDX, is that worlds fair set you referred to the R-36 one or the Q car Worlds fair set?  My r-36 Worlds fair set set is a ps-2 versión and has never had a problem. However, I’m thinking about buying the Q car worlds fair set from the current catalog and was wondering if this was an issue. Thanks in advance. 

@pdxtrains posted:

That's fantastic. And that bus is amazing! Where did you get it? Is the signage custom?

 

The bus is a Hachette product, made of resin, plastic and metal, easily disassembled to enable adding figures. The signage is part of the model. Search on Hachette 1/43 "Fishbowl" bus on Ebay and you will find various versions.

I've solved the uncoupling problem by switching to these, heh, heh. No more random uncoupling. There are some upsides operationally to moving my toy train interest back in time.

Well, thank you for the feedback on random uncoupling. As I have only ONE subway set, I was wondering how common the problem is and whether there was a "manufacturer" fix.  For me, I have resorted to small rubber bands around the coupling shaft to keep the locking pin in the hole.  I like that better than the prospect of permanently glueing them. And depending on the rubber band used, it may be possible to still uncouple with the center rail electromagnet, if it can overcome the rubber band tension. However, in practical operation, my cars are always run in the same coupled state.

Nearing completion of the first subway module. Applied lane markings today. Remaining items include some figures coming in the mail for the streetscape, installation of manhole covers in the pavement, and an acrylic dust cover for the module. Then it's on to the next module, Times Square station.

@West Side Joe posted:

On top of the tunnel section of my subway module, I am adding a streetscape.  In the sidewalk are gratings that allow a view of the subway as it passes under the street.  Of course, in real life you can't actually see the subway as it passes, only hear it and feel the breeze.  But this isn't real life, is it?

Absolutely fantastic.  Gives me ideas, and I'm sure others too.

@Amfleet25124 posted:

Absolutely fantastic.  Gives me ideas, and I'm sure others too.

Thank you. Seeing what others in this forum have done inspired me in building this module, and I'm only too glad to return the favor. 😊

A shout-out to Marty at scalecitydesigns.com for the cool custom engraved utility access hole covers he offers. He'll engrave a set of 6 with whatever you want (all the items in each set must be the same lettering). A nice detail for my NYC streetscape over my subway tunnel module. Naturally, I asked for Con Edison, Bell Telephone, and NYC Sewer. They could also be located on underground subway station platforms. You can download the whole 20 page catalog for free from his site. 

Cool birthday present from my family knowing about my subway layout project. From 1954.

Tracklaying begins on the second of my subway modules, Times Square station.

@West Side Joe posted:

On top of the tunnel section of my subway module, I am adding a streetscape.  In the sidewalk are gratings that allow a view of the subway as it passes under the street.  Of course, in real life you can't actually see the subway as it passes, only hear it and feel the breeze.  But this isn't real life, is it?

Weeeeeelllll...on three-track portions of the IRT Broadway line (above 103 street), the center track (and thus trains passing by on it) is actually visible through the grates on the center median where they intersect some crosswalks. Peek at Broadway & 110st on Google Maps' satellite view for one such example. 

---PCJ

So true.  That's my old neighborhood.  Thanks for reminding me!

@SIRT posted:

Steve, I've been admiring your subway module where the line emerges from tunnel into open cut. I especially like how well you captured the cement wall with that funny inward-leaning curve at the top.

I plan a similar tunnel - open cut module. Do you have any info to share on how you shaped and colored the wall and the tunnel portal? Thanks.

Here's the one I'm talking about.

Thanks

NYC SUBWAYS – Actually the cement wall and tunnel entrance were copied from BMT Brighton Line. https://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/Main_Page

I cut 1x2 sticks, bent Masonite on the curve, applied Styrofoam with liquid nails and sanded. All cement is painted with linen. Added utility lines, signals, graffiti, and overgrown bushes. Added a power sub-station building on top of the entrance between modules. Below is the inverse from the photo you posted.

Looks like you are doing some nice modeling on the subway scenes.

Thank you but what I've done doesn't hold a candle to your work. I've enjoyed going through your subway albums and will revisit them as I progress my modules.