Re: What's everybody working on??
Thanks for the tips Ray. The pilot on
the K4 is artfully done. Was the heat source iron, torch or
tweezers? When I've done Caboose ground throws and ballast in
general in the vicinity of switches, I tend to go easy on the
ballast and whatever glue. I prefer just a dilute white glue and
water w/ drop of detergent, but have used the alcohol method with
good results, though I don't use alcohol at switches. Oiling does
seem to help break loose any mechanisms if they do happen to get
migrating adhesive. The tape idea is a good one. We'll see how
these integrated throw+contacts throws work out. Right now, they
work well.
On a previous post there was discussion I think about DCC and
Athearn factory motors. I have one unit running this way (gold
motor) with Tsunami and it runs poorly at low speeds, then about
10-15MPH runs okay, this using the momentum functions. The unit, a
Varney custom shell on a late Athearn blue box chassis ran well as
a DC engine before conversion. Next time the unit hits the bench I
will change the motor to a Sagami. I'm pretty sure this will fix
that problem, and if it does, seems to support the idea that
Athearn motors don't do well on DCC. That said, it is a "sample of
one". I have not done any other open frame motors with a DCC
controller, because their intrinsic thirst for current and the
limits of the outputs of common DCC modules don't seem
agreeable....why tempt fate?
Tom Knowles
NOTE NEW ADDRESS: tomk@...
On 8/5/2013 10:52 PM, Ray Marinaccio wrote:
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Show quoted text
?
Thanks Tom,
?I made a crude jig form a small piece of wood and
used alligator clips to hold the slats and braces in
place to solder them in place all at once.
?It took a bit of fiddling around to get everything
held in place in the jig all at once.
?The pilot steps where soldered on after everything
else was soldered and still clamped in the jig.
?
?I?have ballasted around Caboose ground throws
without getting them clogged with ballast and glue. I
put masking tape around the ground throw then carefully
ballasted? around them and the turn out. Then ballasted
the rest of the track after the ballast around the
turnout had dried.
?Lubing the ground throw before ballasting may work.
?
?Ray
__
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Need Mantua Parts for A Friend
Hi, everybody!
A friend has purchased an incomplete Mantua Pacific...I date it at about 1948.
He is missing the main crank pins(and bushings), the main rods and all the valve gear(including crossheads, crosshead guide, hangers, eccentric, etc - the whole shot. He also needs a leading truck, and the wheelset for the trailing truck.
If not too expensive, I'd like to make him a gift of the missing parts.
Thanks in advance !
Fred Hultberg
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Re: What's everybody working on??
Thanks Tom,
?I made a crude jig form a small piece of wood and used alligator clips to hold the slats and braces in place to solder them in place all at once.
?It took a bit of fiddling around to get everything held in place in the jig all at once.
?The pilot steps where soldered on after everything else was soldered and still clamped in the jig.
?
?I?have ballasted around Caboose ground throws without getting them clogged with ballast and glue. I put masking tape around the ground throw then carefully ballasted? around them and the turn out. Then ballasted the rest of the track after the ballast around the turnout had dried.
?Lubing the ground throw before ballasting may work.
?
?Ray
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Welcome our newest member ..
Welcome dads@... to the group . Many members have Varney locos , Dan at Yardbird Classic Trains on line has parts as well . Again welcome to the group . Henry H. moderator
|
What's everybody working on
Jeff, Thanks for your comments re my efforts with the old MDC/Roundhouse kits. I have one of the old MDC Moguls all have been talking about, Bought it in 1959 in Korea, along with a Mike, at the Kunsan AB hobby shop. Both were missing a few parts, which I was able to get at a hobby shop in San Bernardino, CA. on my return to states. I was in the USAF (retired now) at the time. Did not add any details to them, kept as from the box. I have another MDC Mikado that I converted to an Omaha road engine using George Mellor kit and various other details. All run good. Al E._______________________________________________________________________
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3a. Re: What's Everybody Working On
Posted by: "Jeff Pellas" jppellas@... jppellas
Date: Sat Aug 3, 2013 9:03 pm ((PDT))
Al,
Thanks for sharing. I definitely have a love for Roundhouse metal rolling stock as well! I know the main aim of this forum has been and will continue to be locomotives but I get just as much satisfaction breathing life into an older rolling stock piece. Finding out what my railroad, set in 1944, needs to look authentic, be it locos or rolling stock, then tracking down and either building from a kit or rebuilding an existing model into what I need AND doing it all with "vintage" trains gives me several angles to consider with every piece I collect. Rebuilding an old car, like your caboose or my Wabash Auto Box, can be just as involved as some loco projects and it often requires some creative thinking. Fortunately we all have many more types of materials to utilize than modelers did when those trains were originally conceived.
Jeff
jppellas@...
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Henry, ?I need to get gearboxes for it before I start,I beleive I have a motor that will work,I have several locos under construction at moment I need to complete some of them before starting a new project.Will definetly post progress on this one,I saw one of these years ago and have always wanted one. ?Alan
From: Henry
To: yardbirdtrains@...
Sent: Saturday, August 3, 2013 7:38 AM
Subject: [yardbirdtrains] Re: detail questions
?
Hi Alan ! Please keep me up to speed on this one . I've ALWAYS wanted that Baby Mallet kit , and to power it ? Henry
--- In yardbirdtrains@..., "Alan" wrote:
>
> Have you motorized this or is it still the static model,I got one of these kits a few weeks back that I plan to motorize using article from RMC as the basis for making operating model.
> Alan
>
> --- In yardbirdtrains@..., "nvrr49@" wrote:
> >
> > I am not a steam guy, so I lurk here to learn and ask questions.? I started this project a long time ago, and thought I had asked this quesetion before, but could not find the answer in my search.? Given the stack on the attached, what type of fuel would this engine use...wood as I recall?? If so, then should I stack some wood on the back for fuel.? All direction appreciated.? Thank you,
> >
> >
> > Kent Hurley
> > Kansas City, MO
> > Check out my blog at :
> >
>
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Re: A Mantua engine in MR?
Watching that video on the sound and
keep-alive equipped Shifter with valve gear and B&O lettering
was a bit mesmerizing. The layout its running on is quite nice,
too. The sound quality was pretty darn good, I thought. The only
thing that caught my attention was the lack of chuff intensity
change, which is easily programmed in all Tsunamis that I know of,
so when the throttle is reduced, the engine goes quiet except for
rod clank and other noises like air-pump, as she drifts to a stop.
I don't know if the "mini Tsunami" in this engine has that
desirable programable feature or not. I'm pretty excited about the
idea of doing this to my Big Six since she runs so beautifully
(With a helix humper) but for sure want to have throttle and load
response to the chuff....
Tom Knowles
NOTE NEW ADDRESS: tomk@...
On 7/23/2013 7:28 AM, Victor Bitleris wrote:
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???
Now that sounds like a timely article. ???If
the write up turns out at my expectations, it should
breathe new life into MR. ???I think there are LOTS of
articles such as this one waiting to get written/published
now with the advent of better motors DCC, Sound, etc.
Regards,???
Vic Bitleris
Raleigh, NC
To:
yardbirdtrains@...
From: kbkchooch@...
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 01:18:56 +0000
Subject: [yardbirdtrains] A Mantua engine in MR?
???
Yes, its true! The
September issue will have an article with a
lowly Mantua 0-4-0 sporting a DCC sound decoder,
a TCS "keep alive" circuit piggybacked to the
decoder, and what little engine would be
complete without one of Dan's(Yardbirds)can
motors.
No other modifications of any kind were done to
the electrical pickup system on the engine, yet
it traverses dead frogs with ease, even a 6 inch
section of track with tape over it!
Here's a sneak peek!
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Re: What's everybody working on??
Yes, I agree the boiler and especially
the pilot are VERY nice. You must have also had some sort of
fixture to hold all those pieces in place while the heat was
applied! Tweezers?
All I've been doing this summer (besides the Museum) is
accumulating more projects and once a week a spen all day with a
freind nearby who is constructing a good replica of the Cowan
Pusher District (from north Cowan to the North face of the tunnel)
and the branchline to Tract City, Tn in a very large upstairs
room. The track is laid, scaled down a bit but captures the
essence of operation on both roads in the so-called transition
era. It is going to require a great number of scratch built
structures which I have mocked up. The owner is an "overkill" but
careful 1:87 civil and mechanical engineer. He wants ultimate
reliablility, especially at the switches. Can't blame him for
that, using DCC he wants no drop-outs. Needs to investigate
Keep-alives! Its particularly fussy installing all the ground
throws and getting them wired in...he's using the Caboose Hobbies
throws with through-the-table contacts. Looks good going in, and
we have a rhythm about it, but they are a bit delicate and I worry
about how well they'll work when ballast is applied and glued
down. I think I'll flood em with oil before ballasting....
I got a couple of people in trouble here in Cowan about missing
items from the depot. Funny how word got around, suddenly things
long missing came home mysteriously. One was a Rivarossi Y6b that
had been a stand-in for the M-1 Pushers used here till '45. A
previous "repairman" had "lost" it in his bench stuff (for three
years) and brought it back missing the front cylinders and porch.
He has "no idea where they might might be". Anyone have an extra
low pressure cylinder and porch set for a Riv. Y6?
Tom Knowles
NOTE NEW ADDRESS: tomk@...
On 8/1/2013 12:56 PM, Ray Marinaccio wrote:
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?
Thanks John.
?I had some issues with getting the boiler straight
while soldering the rolled sheet metal sections
together. Some kind of jig may of helped.  ?Building the pilot was an adventure in its self. I
am happy with how it turned out.
?
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Re: What's Everybody Working On
I've been working on a Kemtron cab forward conversion of a Dockside. It's a fun project. I lucked upon the parts from an estate. I don't have the shorty Vanderbilt tender the instructions suggest, so I'll have to make do with an alternate. Lots of fun.
Al
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Re: What's Everybody Working On
Al,
? ? ?Thanks for sharing. I definitely have a love for Roundhouse metal rolling stock as well! I know the main aim of this forum has been and will continue to be locomotives but I get just as much satisfaction breathing life into an older rolling stock piece. Finding out what my railroad, set in 1944, needs to look authentic, be it locos or rolling stock, then tracking down and either building from a kit or rebuilding an existing model into what I need AND doing it all with "vintage" trains gives me several angles to consider with every piece I collect. Rebuilding an old car, like your caboose or my Wabash Auto Box, can be just as involved as some loco projects and it often requires some creative thinking. Fortunately we all have many more types of materials to utilize than modelers did when those trains were originally conceived. ?
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-----Original Message-----
From: oklacnw
To: No Reply
Cc: yardbirdtrains
Sent: Fri, Aug 2, 2013 5:38 pm
Subject: [yardbirdtrains] Re:What's Everybody Working On
?
Well, I finished getting the Bowser drive in the Bachman 4449 after putting it off for several years. Also, put together four old MDC all metal kits from the early '50s- Rock Island caboose, CNW & GN ore cars, and a IC gondola. Lots of fun with the caboose as the end pieces were in pieces. I was able to piece together using ca and thin pieces of plastic for support, one of the sides was cracked, only silver paint holding together. Also, one of the caboose trucks was missing the spring-a friend had one that he gave me. All in all, lots of fun working the old kits. Now, I have a Bowser RS engine to put together. Will use a can motor for it.
Al E.
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Hi Alan ! Please keep me up to speed on this one . I've ALWAYS wanted that Baby Mallet kit , and to power it ? Henry
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
--- In yardbirdtrains@..., "Alan" <albyrno@...> wrote:
Have you motorized this or is it still the static model,I got one of these kits a few weeks back that I plan to motorize using article from RMC as the basis for making operating model.
Alan
--- In yardbirdtrains@..., "nvrr49@" <nvrr49@> wrote:
I am not a steam guy, so I lurk here to learn and ask questions.? I started this project a long time ago, and thought I had asked this quesetion before, but could not find the answer in my search.? Given the stack on the attached, what type of fuel would this engine use...wood as I recall?? If so, then should I stack some wood on the back for fuel.? All direction appreciated.? Thank you,
Kent Hurley
Kansas City, MO
Check out my blog at :
|
Welcome our newest member ..
Please welcome cnadianflyer@... to our group . Most of our focus is on older era modeling but ask your questions ans watch the fun ? Again welcome . Henry H. moderator
|
Re: What's Everybody Working On
Well, I finished getting the Bowser drive in the Bachman 4449 after putting it off for several years. Also, put together four old MDC all metal kits from the early '50s- Rock Island caboose, CNW & GN ore cars, and a IC gondola. Lots of fun with the caboose as the end pieces were in pieces. I was able to piece together using ca and thin pieces of plastic for support, one of the sides was cracked, only silver paint holding together. Also, one of the caboose trucks was missing the spring-a friend had one that he gave me. All in all, lots of fun working the old kits. Now, I have a Bowser RS engine to put together. Will use a can motor for it.
Al E.
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Re: What's everybody working on??
Still working on vintage rolling stock. Current project is a "Comet" Wabash Auto Box. The original model dates from the late 1930s. After doing some research, I found that the Comet model was correctly lettered and numbered and that the real Wabash car had grabs instead of ladders. A note in the instructions said, if my particular model had grabs, I could send a SSE to Comet and they'd send a set of grabs (staples) to me. Obviously there is no way to order the original parts today but Tichy grabs will do nicely. I also found that, although embossed paper is not the material of choice for today's modelers, never the less, all the details were all correct and nicely done except the outside braces and the dreadnought ends were much flatter than on today's models... so I am in the process of bringing the old model up to more modern standards of detail.?
? ? ?I've seen many card stock models where the modeler tried to add detail and/or paint after affixing the card stock. But if you make a mistake, the car is ruined because you can't remove dried paint or glue from card stock without ruining what is printed on it. With this in mind, when I added new side bracing using pieces of styrene, I glued the braces on first and I am planning on painting the entire car a color that is as close as possible to the printed sides, then, using an exacto knife, cut out each section of the card stock sides that goes between the braces and gluing them in place one and a time. Haven't got there yet.
? ? ?For the ends, I needed 3-3-3 dreadnought ends which, I discovered, are not made by anyone anywhere as a separate detail part. But I found that 1970s era Tyco plug door 50' boxcars do have the correct ends. I bought one on eBay, cut off the ends and had a heck of a time sanding and filing off the cast-on details to get usable ends. I lost some of the finer detail in the process but the major goal of getting more 3-D ends was accomplished. Once again I plan to carefully cut the needed details and lettering from the Comet card stock and gluing them to the ends after detailing and painting.?
? ? ?I am currently working on the roof. The Comet kit was meant to build a peaked roof car however the Wabash car that my kit was based on actually had a radial roof. To get a radial roof, I glued extra pieces of wood to the kit's roof and then sanded and filed it into a radial shape. I made some sanding errors so I currently have some wood filler on the roof which, when dry, I will attempt to sand into the right shape.?
? ? ?The kit comes with simple balsa strip to make the roof ribs however I decided that the stamped brass ribs that were common on many other models would be perfect for my car. I went the eBay route again. I bought a basket case Varney card stock car and cannibalized it for the roof ribs which will go on as soon as I finish sanding.
? ? ?Lastly, the bottom needs a little work. The original car was based closely on the USRA SS boxcar and shared the fishbelly frame with it. I'll use the Silver Streak USRA frame pieces that I found attached to the Ulrich car I rebuilt last year.
? ? ?If anyone is interested, I posted a couple of pics in Jeff's Rolling Stock that show the Tyco boxcar before I cut it up and then the Comet Wabash cardstock sides and the new ends for comparison. More pics to follow.
?
? ? ?Funaro makes a resin version of a very similar car. Here is a link to it: ?
-- Jeff
? ? ??
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Re: What's everybody working on?? [3 Attachments]
I just finished the gathering phase for a project.
I had got two sets of the original Mantua Talgo streamliner car sets and a couple of the engine shells. I had planned to strip a set of the cars to bare shells. But just couldn't bring myself to force open the cars and tear the chassis's free.
A couple of weeks ago I got lucky once more and found my way to a set of largely the shells of the cars and a locomotive.
Now I can mod the cars to be mid-train sets and an end-train set with no lingering guilt. This is a RTV and casting resin project to make some ten car or so sets instead of the original quite short four-car set. I think that means 12 and 16 car train sets for operation on the local Mega-layout RR club.
Nothing assembled yet. But with whats on hand for supplies, I think I can have the molds ready in about three weeks from re-mastered cars for the mid-train sets. and a slew of new shells lying about in perhaps a month from now.
I want them to be Talgo sets with LED lighting inside and out.
She's more of a dream with parts and supplies on hand. But a fun project that I dreamed about when I first saw pictures of this elusive Mantua product I only saw in a book when I entered this hobby.
I think I'll make them turbine-sound powered when they are about ready to go into operation. That won't be an expensive add-on. I've got some sound equipped toy jets that sell for about $7 with some nicely rather small, effects circuit boards in them.
They look like they should be turbine powered streamliners........ And with Alclad gleaming stainless paint over most of the cars.
Yeah...... Fun .....
Best to ya...
Mike Bauers
Milwaukee, Wi, USA
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Re: What's everybody working on?? [3 Attachments]
Look great to me Ray!
KarlB
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--- In yardbirdtrains@..., Ray Marinaccio <raymarinaccio@...> wrote:
Thanks John.
?I had some issues with getting the boiler straight while soldering the rolled sheet metal sections together. Some kind of jig may of helped.
?Building the pilot was an adventure in its self. I am happy with how it turned out.
|
Re: What's everybody working on?? [3 Attachments]
Thanks John.
?I had some issues with getting the boiler straight while soldering the rolled sheet metal sections together. Some kind of jig may of helped. ?Building the pilot was an adventure in its self. I am happy with how it turned out.
?
|
Re: Looking for a smoke box door
Knowing the diameter of the smokebox would make it easier to be helpful.
Chuck Peck
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--- In yardbirdtrains@..., "rxensen" <rxensen@...> wrote:
I'm looking for a brass smoke box door for a pacific, original locomotive manufacture unknown. If you have any thing like this i can get more details
Ron Christensen
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Looking for a smoke box door
I'm looking for a brass smoke box door for a pacific, original locomotive manufacture unknown. If you have any thing like this i can get more details
Ron Christensen
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I'm helping clear out things from an estate.
Here is a list of kits, We want $10 each, with $5 for mailing (US). cash or
money order only.
A deal can be made for the complete group and pictures can be taken.
Northeastern wood kits
2-- HC-1 GN caboose
1-- HB-3 SP 50' auto box
1-- HR-1 GN refrigerator car
Ambroid
1-- H-19 Lehigh & Hudson River Flanger
1-- 1 in 5000 #7 Cushion Coil Car
1-- H-23 Golden Loaf Flour air slid covered hopper
All are new, boxes are open, but nothing is put together.
Ron Christensen
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Jeff Pellas
ron christensen