WHAT’S ON THE WORKBENCH AT THE MOMENT

I realize postwar used the 2 jack panel. Why can't one add the 3jack panel  could be magic electrol or just a 3rd rail jumper....part number should be 201-xx or 1663-xx.  Try Len Carparelli for the magic electrol relay good for both magic electrol and teletype couplers

Had trouble with certain engines coupling with cars on straight sections AND curves .

I began replacing MTH, Lionel and Williams fixed couplers with the MTH articulated couplers .......END of troubles.

This was the last one at the time that I had done sometime ago.  It was a Lionel gondola scrap car.  I had to insert washers with the screws to limit movement of the screws in the trucks . I applied some Locktite Blue to limit screw movement on the washers.

Have a great weekend at the WORKBENCH.  God speed.

@Trussman posted:

Did a little more detailing and lettering on my mow car. Might consider painting the window trim.

Love it Trussman .

Doing these are a lot of fun.

I  bought a cheap spotlight car on the Bay. .......disappointed  ......but I used it for parts on my old one.       I attached magnets on the bottom of this one and decided to have some fun with it.  I added pieces to it and I added a shack instead of removing material as you did .     You have some really neat and looking pieces  on yours. 

Not sure how this will play out but I know I have to get some decals for a road name .

HAVE A BALL sir......God bless.

I'm thrilled to say, nothing!

@ToledoEd posted:

I'm thrilled to say, nothing!

WHAT  !   

@Dallas Joseph posted:

WHAT  !   

I know, hard to believe. But it’s true.  However, the fun will begin as soon as the chips arrive from China.

Couple of things over the past several days. . .

Restored/cleaned/rewired an AMT Santa Fe dome car.  Gave it a a new name because it's my 2nd dome, "Toroperro" (Bulldog).

Building a new coal bunker for a Lionel switcher tender.  This will give me a nicer tender for my 2046 and 2056 Hudsons.

A great looking tender for a Baby Hudson 2046 2056 646 is take a pre-war 2224W  and put a set of postwar 6 wheel trucks under it.  Make wure it has a cast metal whistle in it.  It has applied steps, 6 wheel trucks and the good whistle

@ToledoEd posted:

I know, hard to believe. But it’s true.  However, the fun will begin as soon as the chips arrive from China.

Is that a SLOW  BOAT  FROM  CHINA  Ed ?

@Ed Samsen posted:

A great looking tender for a Baby Hudson 2046 2056 646 is take a pre-war 2224W  and put a set of postwar 6 wheel trucks under it.  Make sure it has a cast metal whistle in it.  It has applied steps, 6 wheel trucks and the good whistle

I've taken a 2226W tender and put a postwar drawbar on it.  That gives me a tender that'll allow Hudsons and Berkshires to haul 2800 series freight cars and prewar passenger cars.

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Is that a SLOW  BOAT  FROM  CHINA  Ed ?

I've never seen a fast one!

Just got this one off the bench (actually a TV tray I use while I'm still trying to put my garage together). I have a UP Excursion set that I bought specifically to use with my Heritage Units and Big Boy -- all of which have scale wheels and Kadees. Eventually I'd like to convert all ten cars to scale wheels and Kadees, but the Station Sounds Diner and the generator car may be problematic because they have sensors, so converting the Generator Car to a transition car was the path of least resistance for now.

I have to give Lionel some credit on how they did these cars as it wasn't hard to get this one apart. The kinematic coupler plate is easily removed using the four mounting screws, though getting the spring off the truck was interesting. The Kadee mounting holes are apparently tapped for 2-56 screws, but I used silicone cement to hold a 2-56x1/2" screw in the center to better stabilize the shims. I needed to use a total of seven Micro-Mark shims to get the height right (one cut down to fill a gap between the chassis and the car's end sill. I'm pretty sure  that at least four shims would be required if you used 36" scale wheels in the conversion. Use Kadee #746 Long-Shank Center set couplers.

Kadee End.

In the opening in the truck, you can just make out the pivot Lionel uses for their passenger cars. It causes the car to shift toward the inside of the curve on sharper (O-72 and O-54) curves. The long-shank coupler should give it enough swing to get through the O-81 curves at P&P.

Hi-Rail End

@ToledoEd posted:

I've never seen a fast one!

Roger that Ed.

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Love it Trussman .

Doing these are a lot of fun.

I  bought a cheap spotlight car on the Bay. .......disappointed  ......but I used it for parts on my old one.       I attached magnets on the bottom of this one and decided to have some fun with it.  I added pieces to it and I added a shack instead of removing material as you did .     You have some really neat and looking pieces  on yours.

Not sure how this will play out but I know I have to get some decals for a road name .

HAVE A BALL sir......God bless.

Looks good, alot going on for what can be used for track repair.

I used Woodlands Scenics  white roman dry transfer letters for the road name on my mow..

@Trussman posted:

Looks good, alot going on for what can be used for track repair.

I used Woodlands Scenics  white roman dry transfer letters for the road name on my mow..

I ende up with a couple Bs , &s and Os. from my Microscale envelope.        I never had good luck with dry transfers.

After gathering up parts I finally started on my Rutland 4-8-2. Settling for a few basic trademark details to make it look a little more like the prototype. Starting with a NH Mountain from the early 2000’s. Engine features a Pittman so it will be a good runner. I made a cover out of brass that covers up some detailed piping on the factory model. I removed the air pump that resided between the running boards and filled that in with some brass stock. I added 2 long grab irons just above the cab windows. The engine was one of my early weathering projects. Paint will be all touched up and white striping will be added on the running boards edge.
I needed a pilot that featured air pumps. I cut and made up a bracket to mount one from a Berkshire. Some brass screening was added between the 2 shields. A trailing truck from a Blue Comet was also added.

Just wrapped up this PS/3 upgrade, this has been sitting on my shelf for several years, I thought I should get it in a position that I could run it.

Very nice indeed, John!

Thanks Mark, it's my biggest steamer!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Just wrapped up this PS/3 upgrade, this has been sitting on my shelf for several years, I thought I should get it in a position that I could run it.

Really great you have those large curves John.  That thing is huge.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Just wrapped up this PS/3 upgrade, this has been sitting on my shelf for several years, I thought I should get it in a position that I could run it.

John,

That is one impressive engine! Awesome job.

Thanks guys, I do love the big iron, and when I first saw this one I knew I had to have it.   I finally got tired of seeing it on the shelf.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Thanks guys, I do love the big iron, and when I first saw this one I knew I had to have it.   I finally got tired of seeing it on the shelf.

Much better on the rails John. Looks and sounds great.

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

Much better on the rails John. Looks and sounds great.

Bob

And I wonder how John got it to smoke so well!  😆😆

@Mark Boyce posted:

And I wonder how John got it to smoke so well!  😆😆

Easy Mark, I wished it was a good smoker.

Caboose completed.

One more hopper to go.

This was a pretty easy project.  I bought a Lionel 17302 Boxcar with an ETD.  I was unimpressed with the plastic collector assembly, and the ETD light was a weird color (IMHO).  The cheap plastic collector didn't really hold the center rail well, so the light was flickering a lot.  I took the thing apart and rebuilt the innards.  The purple box shows the wires coming out of the collector and ground.  I replaced the original wires with some Kynar wire, and tried to make the collector a little more responsive.  The green box shows the output terminals for a small on/off switch I put in, and is easily activated from the underside.  The yellow box shows some weights I added to make the car a bit heavier.  The red box shows the LED lighting regulator I bought from Hennings.  That is the key to making the light less 'flickery'.  It is sitting in the modified housing that held a small PCB to make the factory installed LED blink.  I ran the Evans blinking red LED (grey box) from the lighting regulator through the ETD hole.  The ETD (white box) was removed and I have it sitting on the roof.  I drilled out the factory light that was in it, and will use CA to glue in the red LED.  It is super bright.  I will reattach the ETD to the shell, put the shell back on, and chalk up another successful project!

UPDATE:

After putting the ETD back, I noticed there was some light bleed around the back.  I filled the space inside the ETD, around the LED bulb, with some cotton swabs and painted the fluff that was exposed black, to match the unit.  Also, I had to do a lot more work on the poorly designed collector assembly so that it made better contact with the center rail.  I will never buy another car with this type of collector.

I have the models (with a less than perfect paint match).

I found the decals in 1:48 scale. Four sets of discontinued decals.

I found a paint match.

If I only could find the time...

Started on a Labelle Open Platform Observation. This will be heading to the Strasburg when completed.

Pete

Pete, looking forward to the LaBelle build. I have a combine to do at some point. I built a baggage car first. A lot simpler build just to practice on. The hard part is understanding the instructions and sorting out the parts.

Agreed Dave on the instructions. I have a combine to build as well. This will take a while as I don’t spend a lot of time with trains this time of year.

Pete

I've had a beater 2328 Burlington GP7 since I was a kid. I think I paid $45 for it at a show in the late 1990s. I repainted it to Santa Fe zebra stripes when I was about 11 years old. It's been kicking around so I decided to give it a make over. I repainted/decaled it, swapped out the postwar plastic fuel tank for a larger modern diecast tank, installed an ERR AC Commander, Railsounds Commander, and all LED lighting. Way over upgraded, but what the ****. I've had it probably close to 25 years.

Lou....Very nice work. Thanks for showing us.

Richard

@Lou1985 posted:

I've had a beater 2328 Burlington GP7 since I was a kid. I think I paid $45 for it at a show in the late 1990s. I repainted it to Santa Fe zebra stripes when I was about 11 years old. It's been kicking around so I decided to give it a make over. I repainted/decaled it, swapped out the postwar plastic fuel tank for a larger modern diecast tank, installed an ERR AC Commander, Railsounds Commander, and all LED lighting. Way over upgraded, but what the ****. I've had it probably close to 25 years.

Worth the investment IMHO.

Nice work Lou.

Bob

That’s a dandy job, Lou!!

@RSJB18 posted:

Worth the investment IMHO.

Nice work Lou.

Bob

If I didn't already have the model and the electronics I probably wouldn't have done the project. The cost is probably close to buying an already done modern locomotive, if buying everything now.

Fantastic rescue of a beater giving you the road name and color scheme .  Adding the modern electronics is gravy.   Now take a MPC era dummy unit and make a match to go with it possibly adding electronics to that too

Getting near the end of my Std Gauge Glenn FA engine.

STEVE  Your standard gauge FA looks really good. Once it's completed could uou post a picture of it beside some common SG locomotive like a 318 or a 380?   I'm  curious how the Glenn toys items.compare.size wise.

@Pete in Kansas posted:

STEVE  Your standard gauge FA looks really good. Once it's completed could uou post a picture of it beside some common SG locomotive like a 318 or a 380?   I'm  curious how the Glenn toys items.compare.size wise.

Here it is with a 384.

Steve