GEC's Layout Progress

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Hooray, stuff got done!

PRR B1 Switcher

I finally wrapped up my B1 switcher, which was something I was really nervous about. The locomotive had no easy way of being wired for DCC at first glance, since the frame was also important for holding the motor, and the motor passed the current through its own frame. The solution? Isolate a commutator brush and solder a motor control wire right to it. Thanks to Bruce at Sattler's hobby shop for that tip!

I packed a TCS T1-LED decoder into it, which was useful because the limiting resistors are built in, reducing the amount of wiring in the tiny boxcab. I also made copious use of shrink tubing to cover every exposed wire and solder joint, so that there was no chance of the components shorting by touching the frame or body shell anywhere. The LEDs are ULTRA bright, but look incandescent. A single LED acts like a flashlight in the dark, so I might have to dim these lights (how does Rule 17 work on a double ended locomotive?). This will definitely light up the night scene at the club's passenger station.

The only thing I could have done better was maybe put some black paper or something between the decoder wires and the side windows. In the future, if I can get some microscope cover slips, I may install glass windows. I wonder what inside the cab of a B1 looks like? I tried to take a peak at the RR Museum of PA (where the loan survivor is located) but I couldn't see. If it isn't to much trouble, a detailed cab might be interesting!







Posing with the last B1 at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. If only I were a little taller!



Ex-LV Conrail #7499

This one is also almost done. If I'm lucky, I'll get a decoder into it this week. I'm actually further along than the photos suggest. The windows, headlights and numberboards are installed, the paint is touched up, and all that remains to do is to install the windshield wipers (waiting for the paint to dry before I put them near the windows), add numbers to the number boards, and weather it appropriately. I might solvaset some of the Conrail decals, and seal it with dullcote, but I get nervous since painting is my weakspot. At the very least I better clean it before I seal any dust in!

Quick Question- Do i need to install resistors in old P2K models for the headlights? these are still bulbs, not LEDs.

In any event, I decided to paint the patches free hand. I figured with the decal strips on the model, it would be to risky, even if sealed, to try and mask them off. In the end though I think it worked out.

I used Tru-Color LV Cornell red as the base coat. This is a brighter red like in the LV's later years. I used Polly scale LV Cornell red for the patches. This is a duller, darker paint, which is very similar to the prototype's appearance. While I attempted to follow the photos, I took a little bit of license with the patches, letting more of the LV lettering bleed through than in the prototype.

In reality, its probably pretty difficult to perfectly match the bleed through on a patch, so I'm not gonna get to worked up over it. If rivet counting is bad, paint chip counting is beyond insanity.









Not the best shot, but I also dabbed Cornell Red on the rear logo to simulate the "chipping away" of the old LV diamond. I still need to paint the edgs of the patch so that there isn't any unpatched black, but I misplaced my finer tip brush.




Still close examinations of some photos reveal that you could still see the old roadnumber, 305, bleeding through the patch paint behind the Conrail numbers. To help it along, I carefully used an exacto blade to scrape away the dried paint so that the old number was a little more clear.



Broadside view. One important thing to do is ALWAYS check the photos. As it turns out, the "CR" patch on either side were positioned differently. On the engineer's side, the CR patch is under the rear dynamic brake blister, and is spaced out so that the C and the R are on different panels. On the other side, the CR patch is under the forward radiator grill, and more typically spaced.



From my slide collection




Ex-CNJ NJDOT #4105

My GP40P is also approaching completion. I didn't take any photos, but I added the rear warning stripes, and some EMD builder plate decals. I still need to add the cab and rear numberboards (these are open holes on the brass model), and do a few more things to it. The warning stripes were a paint, since it turned out they were not exactly right-angle chevrons, but they weren't 60 degree either. It really does seem like these engines all had different striping patterns. One wonders if the CNJ people just slapped on stencils any which way that looked right!

I also began wiring it for DCC, though I am having difficulty. The model is actually directly wired from the truck wipers to the motor, and does not appear to get any of its current through the frame. The motor is mounted onto the frame with for brass screws, and the motor supports are themselves brass but did not seem to electrically connect to the motor terminals. When I saw this, I figured DCC would be easy! the model ran just fine on DC, but then I haven't tested it again on DC since disassembling it for painting.

What seems to be happening, is that current is getting through the frame and getting into the motor. It is NOT enough to short the locomotive out. However, when the decoder (A TCS T1) is installed, it hums, it does not respond, and it reads back garbage. When the motor is removed from the frame, but still hooked up, it runs totally fine (no perceptible damage to the decoder). I tested the decoder in an Athearn GP35 to be safe, and all the lights and functions on the decoder still work.

The issue now is finding a way to isolate the motor. Ideally, I'd like to use plastic screws and washers, but the small screws that mount the motor don't seem like a standard size. A quick and dirty way of doing it may be to use a hot glue gun with some plastic pins, and glue it to the mounts so that they don't touch, but this seems messy and perhaps a tad unprofessional. On the other hand, it might help reduce the noise, but then this model doesn't run very loud to start with.

If I could get this locomotive running this week, I could run my Jersey Builder Consist for the NMRA open house and public open houses later this year, so I really feel under pressure to finish this one up! I haven't patched my Jersey Builder coached from NJ DOT yet (still have those GN goats!), but this won't be a problem for long.

Broadway Limited Diner

The NKP Car Co sides came in! Unfortunately, they lack the details of the original walthers ones. They are also a little short, but they still fit in close enough, so this shouldn't be noticeable. I might be able to add the vents to the bottom corners with some Train Station Products Budd Roof Vents, cut to size, but I am not sure how I would go about installing them.

The "best looking" choice would be to cut a square hole into the sides to install the vents, BUT these sides are nickel plated steel. I suspect this would be incredibly risky, since mistakes would not be easily concealed.

The "next best" choice would be to make the vents, but sand them down as thin as possible, and then cut grooves into them to fit over the slab sides. This would be a lot of work, but its relatively safer. I will probably go this route.

The only other disappointment, is that because the sides are steel, I cannot modify the Diner car to Amtrak Specifications. Amtrak made the two center windows (across from the waiter station) much smaller. On the Walthers model, this was easy to do with styrene and putty, but the steel sides do not lend themselves to easy modification. In particular, they have "etched' on window gaskets. I have no idea how I would remove this gasket without damaging the rest of the side. The only advantage here, is that this area would be covered by Amtrak Stripes, so it may be possible to CAREFULLY file away the gaskets and fill the area with styrene and putty, then polish smooth.

However, this leaves the issue of recreating the window gasket. In the past, I have repaired small sections of window gasket with Tamiya Two-Part putty. I would mix it together, then roll it between my fingers until it was the size of an eraser shaving, which was great for patching small flutes or gaskets, but I've never done half a window, and I've have to do that twice.

The question becomes, is it worth it? I already had issues with the original sides, and I got lucky with this "second chance". Maybe I should quit counting rivets and hope no one notices! I'll probably be happier with a close enough car, than two sets of damaged sides. I'll at least go for the corner vents, since making them and trying to fit them won't harm the sides at all. I can add them at any time.

In the prototype photo below, you can see the vent on the bottom right. Towards the center of the car, you can see the smaller windows. This was not the original PRR configuration (represented by both the Walthers and NKP Car co sides), but I don't know if Amtrak did this, or Penn Central. Unsurprisingly though, this was a variation not modeled by any manufacturer, as we all know PRR is king.




A flood of Blue Box and MDC

Through donations, I acquired a large number of Athearn and MDC kits. This included a few flat cars, condolas and hoppers, but a great deal of boxcars. Most only need metal wheels, a few need new couplers. Only one was too damaged to build (a reefer with extended coupler pockets broken off).

I'm glad to have these, as many are "Off" road names of shortlines and minor railroads. Most of my rolling stock is marked for north eastern "Class One" roads, which in its own way, gets very boring. While its fun to collect the specific prototype Conrail boxcars and hoppers, its nice to have some other colors to break up the monotony.

I only managed to photograph a few on the layout, the others were quick shots with my phone, which is still uploading. I'll have to take better pictures later!