WHAT’S ON THE WORKBENCH AT THE MOMENT

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

And I thought some of my projects were slow!

Yea- In actual man-hours it was probably around 12. If life didn't keep getting in the way I could get a lot more done on the trains.

At least I made some room on my bench for the next four or five......

Bob

I had a postwar 6517 bay caboose in a big ol' parts box that was looking poorly with some cleaning/chemicals that had spoiled the finish. (I should have taken a 'before' picture) After a bit of cleaning and light sanding - it received a fresh rattle-can coat of red and some k4 waterslide decals to give it another turn around the table as a Wabash caboose

I'm waiting for a replacement stack in the mail.

- i kinda wish I had left the yellow ladders and rails alone. the rattle-can yellow didn't stick or perform as nicely on the raw plastic as the red did on body.

Nice work on that caboose woodsy!!

Fabricated an interior for the LIRR switcher. Just some styrene sheet but it will cover the board, motor, and all the wiring from view.

The engineer was laying down on the job so the foreman had to show him who's boss.....

Bob

*Link to my build thread below my signature.

Just came off the workbench. . .added an e unit lock out switch to a Marx Western Pacific (green) E7A.  I already put a Lionel coupler on the front of the dummy A.  That way I can use it to pull Lionel consists.  Marx locomotives have a 2 position E unit with no lock out.  If you have dirty track you can get an unexpected reverse.

Last November I was given an MTH Lehigh Valley "big hook" crane car in exchange for the promise to repaint his Lionel Santa Fe tugboat to the DM&IR’s Edna G. Had so much fun repainting the LV crane that I decided to do a MTH RailKing American crane car that I found on eBay for a good price.    Actually I’m more impressed with the detail of this model than the other.    The Boom Car I made to pair with the "Big Hook X-7" was more suited for the American crane, thus the need for the buy.  It has been awhile since I dissembled the Erie Crane so today I had some frustrating moments trying to get it back together - finally got the cab assembled properly.  The next challenge was to undo the tangle mess of the boom cables.  The model did come with an instruction book which was very helpful. It’s now back in good working condition but still needing additional decal markings. Now I’m on the lookout for another 50’ flat car to make the proper Boom Car for the “Big Hook”.

A few pictures of the repaint:

Happy New Year to all!

Cheers, Dave

Big hook looks great, Dave!

Morning guys, I know it's most likely my fault for being so far behind, but yawl need to slow down and pace yourselves! It takes some work to get caught up to everyone's wonderful work!

@Steve Tyler Steve Man when you get started on a project you just go hog wild! LOL looks great!

@Mike D Mike get a bigger work bench and it would look so bad for a while! LOL

@RSJB18 Bob great looking engine! I am glad you were able to get everything worked out! As for the LIRR switcher it sure looks like the engineer was tossing back a cold one, the foreman looks better prepared! But I do have to say if you look close, they could be twins! LOL

@woodsyT The yellow might not have stuck like you wanted, but I think you did an OUTSTANDING job!

@darlander Dave Great work! I probably have a flatcar, but it wont help as everything is packed up till the move and we get re settled!

I hope you all have a great New Years and cant wait to see what projects you have coming up next!

@mike g. posted:

@Steve Tyler Steve Man when you get started on a project you just go hog wild! LOL looks great!

Thanks, Mike! I've been slowed up a bit by the holiday season, but I finally got around to shooting and editing a bit of video to mark progress so far on the planned animation showcase:

In addition to recessing the animation piece bases into the foam top layer and wiring everything up, I had to figure out where the roads needed to go, cut them out of tar paper, and fit them in place, as well as trim the edges of the recesses. There's still a lot left for me to do to repair and upgrade some of the animation pieces, and a *whole* lot of landscaping, vehicles and people to add, but all in good time!

@Steve Tyler posted:

Thanks, Mike! I've been slowed up a bit by the holiday season, but I finally got around to shooting and editing a bit of video to mark progress so far on the planned animation showcase:

Steve everything is looking great! One day I am going to have to find me a McD's!

Looks like you're off to a great start Pup!

Lionel’s 2017 run of NW2s suffered loose truck screws from the factory. My newly purchased PRR unit was no exception. The trucks were hanging low and only by a few threads.

In order to tighten the screws, you must remove the shell. Screw 1 is under the cab/ speaker and screw 2 is under a circuit board. Not convenient but it was well worth the effort. The trucks are much more secure now. Shout out to everyone who posted how-tos in past threads.

It was a tight loco to work on, but taking photos along the way helped. It was a good reminder for keeping wiring exactly how it was originally routed. A lot of care is needed to avoid pinched wires. There’s not much tolerance in this thing!

Here’s the loco patched up and ready for action:

Hey Alex - do you put any Purple Loctite on screws/bolts in situations like that?

@Berkshire President posted:

Hey Alex - do you put any Purple Loctite on screws/bolts in situations like that?

I did not use loctite as the screw felt tight enough when adjusted. That said, I’m not a repair expert by any means. I’ll have to give it some time to see if they loosen up again.

Took one of my MTH 0-4-0t's off the shelf today to give it some run time. Anyone who has one knows about the scored drive wheels that MTH did on these models (no tires). The scoring generates a lot of noise, like a coffee grinder running on the layout. I also noticed that one set of drive rods were bent and scraping on the wheels. So since it was heading to the shop, I decided to grind the wheels down to remove the score marks. These engines have cast bodies and are heavy for their size so no worries about traction.

Here's the results.

Bob

Finishing up my Weaver Brass Caboose project. Had a hard life before arriving here. This will be a stand in until an actual Erie caboose arrives.

Before.

After.

Pete

Funny how someone would spend the money on a nice brass caboose.....and then let it get beat up like that.

Then again, life happens......I suppose.

The Lemax Christmas Carousel we had this year on the Polar Express part of the Christmas layout was lacking  ( what I thought )  a connection to the PE..........so rectifying that and getting a head start for next Christmas I jumped to the workbench .Some paintto convert ' sitting passengers ' to imitate elves.......and glue.

Maybe add more of Santa's elves  ???  .

Have a great weekend  .God speed all. 

@Dallas Joseph posted:

The Lemax Christmas Carousel we had this year on the Polar Express part of the Christmas layout was lacking ( what I thought )  a connection to the PE..........so rectifying that and getting a head start for next Christmas I jumped to the workbench .Some paintto convert ' sitting passengers ' to imitate elves.......and glue.

Maybe add more of Santa's elves  ???  .

Have a great weekend  .God speed all. 

Great idea Dallas! The elves look right at home.

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

Great idea Dallas! The elves look right at home.

Bob

Thanks Bob.

Got the chance to replace some of my plastic Frisco Meteor cars with nicer aluminum cars. The plastic cars were shadowlined while these aluminum cars are actually fluted.  This Lionel Pullman was originally part of a 2 car Texas Special add-on.  It has received better lighting, new decals, and better diaphragms. The continuous strip of plastic which made the windows will be replaced with microscope slide glass. The new windows will then get blinds decals from Circus City.

Technically, this is just OFF the workbench.  About a year ago I got an unrun Lionel 41 switcher from Stout Auctions.  I never had one, so I was surprised that it had no lighting.  I installed an LED for the headlamp, and a blinking red LED for the taillight, and then put a little person inside the cab.  After that work i put it in the closet for a half year or so, but got it out last week when my brand new Lionel Legacy Cotton Belt GP20 wouldn't move, and I had to have something that pulled some culvert cars slowly into the TMCC Culvert Loader and Culvert Unloader stations to show my grandkid.

After the show and tell, I looked at the switcher and realized I could do more.  I installed clear glass all around the cab, added a second person inside the cab, and then put lighting in there so they could see.

@Rob Leese, do you cut down the slides to fit individual windows, does one slide span multiple windows?

@coach joe

I purchased a box of 24x50mm slide covers and had to cut approx 1/8” off each cover to treat one window. Leaving them full length was not going to work.
Using slide covers is a good technique, but they are very fragile and trimming them is a hazardous skill. I held them down in a 55 gallon trash barrel so it would catch flying shards. ***I have to work with ranch tools rather than fine instruments***

@Dallas Joseph posted:

The Lemax Christmas Carousel we had this year on the Polar Express part of the Christmas layout was lacking ( what I thought )  a connection to the PE..........so rectifying that and getting a head start for next Christmas I jumped to the workbench .Some paintto convert ' sitting passengers ' to imitate elves.......and glue.

Maybe add more of Santa's elves  ???  .

Have a great weekend  .God speed all. 

That is a unique idea Dallas. I’m moving in that direction(Lemax and Dept 56) for the second level of my layout. I will be incorporating this approach. Thank you.

Jay

I've got to hand it to you Rob.  I have enough trouble trying to cut 1/8" off anything let alone a sliver of glass like a slide cover.

@Rob Leese posted:

@coach joe

I purchased a box of 24x50mm slide covers and had to cut approx 1/8” off each cover to treat one window. Leaving them full length was not going to work.
Using slide covers is a good technique, but they are very fragile and trimming them is a hazardous skill. I held them down in a 55 gallon trash barrel so it would catch flying shards. ***I have to work with ranch tools rather than fine instruments***

Rob, what did you use as a cutter? I have done this with mixed success using a carbide scribe but its not ideal.

Pete

@Norton

my method is less than ideal but it does work.  My needlenose pliers have a smooth area near the pivot point. I hold the amount of slide cover to remove inside that area of the pliers.  An index finger applying pressure up against the remainder will easily snap the cover. This will produce a jagged but suitable cut and also small flying shards, so that is why I do this process with my hands down in a large trash can.
This should have all the fine modelers on this forum shaking their heads, and rightly so.  I have always openly described myself as a somewhat crude modeler so this should not come as a surprise.  The outside appearence looks okay. A person would have to peer closely inside a car window to see the roughness within.
So don’t do that. :-P

I think I only tried to install the glass inside the frames maybe one time, this over 50 years ago. The scribe was nearly new and sharp. After it dulls down you end up wasting a lot of glass. I used to install auto glass many years ago and we had a wet belt sander to smooth the edges. Wet carbide paper is effective.

Pere

@RSJB18 posted:

Took one of my MTH 0-4-0t's off the shelf today to give it some run time. Anyone who has one knows about the scored drive wheels that MTH did on these models (no tires). The scoring generates a lot of noise, like a coffee grinder running on the layout. I also noticed that one set of drive rods were bent and scraping on the wheels. So since it was heading to the shop, I decided to grind the wheels down to remove the score marks. These engines have cast bodies and are heavy for their size so no worries about traction.

Here's the results.

Bob

I did that with the one I recently converted to a cab-forward. Your's look a bit smoother than mine, but the g-r-r-r is indeed gone.

@Rob Leese posted:

@Norton

my method is less than ideal but it does work.  My needlenose pliers have a smooth area near the pivot point. I hold the amount of slide cover to remove inside that area of the pliers.  An index finger applying pressure up against the remainder will easily snap the cover. This will produce a jagged but suitable cut and also small flying shards, so that is why I do this process with my hands down in a large trash can.
This should have all the fine modelers on this forum shaking their heads, and rightly so.  I have always openly described myself as a somewhat crude modeler so this should not come as a surprise.  The outside appearence looks okay. A person would have to peer closely inside a car window to see the roughness within.
So don’t do that. :-P

@Norton posted:

I think I only tried to install the glass inside the frames maybe one time, this over 50 years ago. The scribe was nearly new and sharp. After it dulls down you end up wasting a lot of glass. I used to install auto glass many years ago and we had a wet belt sander to smooth the edges. Wet carbide paper is effective.

Pere

FWIW- I use the hard plastic clamshells from battery packages. Not crystal clear but not bad either.

Bob

@D500 posted:

I did that with the one I recently converted to a cab-forward. Your's look a bit smoother than mine, but the g-r-r-r is indeed gone.

That's a neat project.

I have 2 more to do one day......

I want to go over the wheels one more time with a finer grinding wheel to smooth the wheels out a little more.

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

FWIW- I use the hard plastic clamshells from battery packages. Not crystal clear but not bad either.

Bob

I have plastic cover slips too. They are very flat and distortion free but rarely try to fit either plastic or glass inside the frame. More likely just glue them on the inside like all the manufacturers do.

Pete

Building another caboose, this one for my C&O Allegheny. Thanks to a couple of forum members, one for the kit, both for the inspiration I am trying to get this as close to a prototype which I can’t show here.

Just finished the awnings and rather than using the wood provided decided to use brass. I had some .020” sheet which is the same dimension as the kit provided.

Cupola supports were cut at 60 degrees and body supports at 45 degrees.

Roof will remain removable for interior detailing.

Pete

Pete, that is a wonderful looking scratch building project!

The weather was adequate enough to prime the detail parts on my shop switcher today.

Link to the build below my signature.

Bob

A mess on my workbench. My wife had both Carpal Tunnel and Pinched Nerve Relocation Surgery in her elbow about 2½ weeks ago on her right dominant hand and arm. She's in a sling so I haven't have a chance to do anything with either the layout or the workbench. Getting her feeling better and trying to keep the house going has been a full time job and higher priority. Your loved ones have to come first.❤️

@Gary P posted:

A mess on my workbench. My wife had both Carpal Tunnel and Pinched Nerve Relocation Surgery in her elbow about 2½ weeks ago on her right dominant hand and arm. She's in a sling so I haven't have a chance to do anything with either the layout or the workbench. Getting her feeling better and trying to keep the house going has been a full time job and higher HAVE. Your loved ones have to come first.❤️

Hope the little lady heals well Gary.

Judy just had a procedure for tendonitis in her wrist and doing really well.    I have a hard time keeping her slowed down.  If she persists I'm going to have her move a bunch of my heavy o scale steamers.

@Tranquil Hollow RR

That is a unique idea Dallas. I’m moving in that direction(Lemax and Dept 56) for the second level of my layout. I will be incorporating this approach. Thank you.

Jay

Thanks Jay.

The carousel had large PE size figures so the regular o scale size figures worked well as elves.             On the North Pole toy factory entrance yarn building that Judy made for the Christmas PE I had to modify ( I had to cut thelegs off the figures ugh. ) the O scale figures to look right.   

I had to make 100 elves.

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Hope the little lady heals well Gary.

Judy just had a procedure for tendonitis in her wrist and doing really well.    I have a hard time keeping her slowed down.  If she persists I'm going to have her move a bunch of my heavy o scale steamers.

Moving one or more of those fish fry deals ought to slow her down some.  Then again that could trigger some more tendinitis.