https://bigbluetrains.com/ Sat, 25 Apr 2026 23:14:35 +0000 MyBB https://bigbluetrains.com/showthread.php?tid=5058 Wed, 09 May 2012 23:31:55 +0000 doctorwayne]]> https://bigbluetrains.com/showthread.php?tid=5058
Not long after his passing, I decided that I wanted to create something on my layout in way of remembrance. Eventually, he'll have an industry named for him, but my first thought was to letter a piece of rolling stock for his Lehigh, Susquehanna & Western. It occurred to me that there may be others to whom this might be of interest, and I thought that such interest might be sufficient to have Accurail do a run of custom-lettered LS&W cars. For this, the minimum order is 48 cars, perhaps a manageable number. However, the drawback is that biL was modelling, like me, the '30s, so a car would need to fit into that era, at least if I were to be footing the initial bill.
BiL's daughter had promised to send me the artwork for her Dad's LS&W herald, plus, if she could find it, his numbering system for freight cars (I had the latter in an e-mail, but accidentally deleted it, along with a lot of other stuff). To date, there's been no further word on this.
However, I can work with biL's avatar from Big Blue, if necessary:



My good friend Ed (cn nutbar) suggested that perhaps custom lettering might be a better option, as modellers could apply it to their choice of rolling stock, regardless of their modelling era. I contacted Rail Graphics, and it appears that a sheet of decals sufficient to letter two cars with heralds, reporting marks and numbers would run about $4.00 U.S. if I supply the camera-ready artwork. The individual modeller would need to supply the dimensional data, as that's quite era-specific. The minimum order would be for 25 sets and they indicate that an order can be done in both white and black, with the optional colour available in increments of five: for example, 25 sets, with 15 in white and 10 in black. My thought is that the decals will be intended for HO scale, unless there's sufficient interest (at least 25 sets-worth ) in other scales.
If there's sufficient interest, I'll do the artwork, fund the project, and mail out the finished decals to interested parties, who will pay (I hope ) only for the actual cost plus my shipping (which would be postage for a letter, unless you want a crateload of decals.)

Right now, I'd like to find out if enough people are interested, so post the number of sets you think you'd like, and the colour - black or white - you'd prefer. If you're interested in a scale other than HO, don't forget to mention so, and if you have any comments or suggestions, please include them. Keep in mind, too, that each decal set will do two cars.

I've also included a Poll, which gives you multiple choices for colour and scale, and allows you to indicate the number of sets you'd like. Click on whichever ones or combinations that suit your preferences. If you want more than five sets, simply click on the choices which will give you the correct total: for instance, to indicate that you'd be interested in nine HO scale sets in white, click on the appropriate 5, 3, and 1 options. Bear in mind that one set will letter two cars.

The poll will close in 30 days, at which time I'll evaluate the results and post my conclusions.

Wayne]]>
Not long after his passing, I decided that I wanted to create something on my layout in way of remembrance. Eventually, he'll have an industry named for him, but my first thought was to letter a piece of rolling stock for his Lehigh, Susquehanna & Western. It occurred to me that there may be others to whom this might be of interest, and I thought that such interest might be sufficient to have Accurail do a run of custom-lettered LS&W cars. For this, the minimum order is 48 cars, perhaps a manageable number. However, the drawback is that biL was modelling, like me, the '30s, so a car would need to fit into that era, at least if I were to be footing the initial bill.
BiL's daughter had promised to send me the artwork for her Dad's LS&W herald, plus, if she could find it, his numbering system for freight cars (I had the latter in an e-mail, but accidentally deleted it, along with a lot of other stuff). To date, there's been no further word on this.
However, I can work with biL's avatar from Big Blue, if necessary:



My good friend Ed (cn nutbar) suggested that perhaps custom lettering might be a better option, as modellers could apply it to their choice of rolling stock, regardless of their modelling era. I contacted Rail Graphics, and it appears that a sheet of decals sufficient to letter two cars with heralds, reporting marks and numbers would run about $4.00 U.S. if I supply the camera-ready artwork. The individual modeller would need to supply the dimensional data, as that's quite era-specific. The minimum order would be for 25 sets and they indicate that an order can be done in both white and black, with the optional colour available in increments of five: for example, 25 sets, with 15 in white and 10 in black. My thought is that the decals will be intended for HO scale, unless there's sufficient interest (at least 25 sets-worth ) in other scales.
If there's sufficient interest, I'll do the artwork, fund the project, and mail out the finished decals to interested parties, who will pay (I hope ) only for the actual cost plus my shipping (which would be postage for a letter, unless you want a crateload of decals.)

Right now, I'd like to find out if enough people are interested, so post the number of sets you think you'd like, and the colour - black or white - you'd prefer. If you're interested in a scale other than HO, don't forget to mention so, and if you have any comments or suggestions, please include them. Keep in mind, too, that each decal set will do two cars.

I've also included a Poll, which gives you multiple choices for colour and scale, and allows you to indicate the number of sets you'd like. Click on whichever ones or combinations that suit your preferences. If you want more than five sets, simply click on the choices which will give you the correct total: for instance, to indicate that you'd be interested in nine HO scale sets in white, click on the appropriate 5, 3, and 1 options. Bear in mind that one set will letter two cars.

The poll will close in 30 days, at which time I'll evaluate the results and post my conclusions.

Wayne]]> https://bigbluetrains.com/showthread.php?tid=3937 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 01:18:55 +0000 P5se Camelback]]> https://bigbluetrains.com/showthread.php?tid=3937
To refresh my memory (and probably yours, too,) I reviewed the parts and plans that I was initially given by the “project manager” at the Scale Rails of Southwest Florida model railroad club.


  #16 PerfectFitTimesTwo.jpg (Size: 17.75 KB / Downloads: 2853)

I next measured and cut all the walls, and laid out the window and door openings. I took them with me to the club to use the drill press in the little shop area there. (Hey, I drilled 1/8” holes all around the opening of the two windows and the door of the garage using a pin vise … there’s no way I was going to do that for nine windows and two doors!)


  #15 AlmostHome.jpg (Size: 13.75 KB / Downloads: 2886)

Using a very small set of end-cutters, I removed the un-needed material and used the Dremel with a fine carbide cutting bit to remove material to "close" to my scribed layout lines …


  #14 StepFour-Squish.jpg (Size: 14.79 KB / Downloads: 2891)

Next using a “rough cut” jewelers’ file, I removed additional material down to "very close" to the scribed line.


  #13 StepThree-WaitForittoSoften.jpg (Size: 24.84 KB / Downloads: 2892)


  #12 StepTwooftheRepair.jpg (Size: 24.73 KB / Downloads: 2843)

There were a few spots where I was a little careless about where the center of the drill bit was when using the drill press (hey, I haven’t used one of those beasts in over thirty years! I forgot a few things! :oops The result was “drilling outside the lines” ...


  #11 StepOneoftheRepair.jpg (Size: 21.07 KB / Downloads: 2907)

Since I did this more than once (and you may make a similar mistake at sometime, too,) I’ll show you my method of “recovery.”
The procedure is always the same, but the thickness of the repair material depends upon the severity of the miscue.

Here, I used short piece of 0.020” x 0.080” styrene strip and a generous amount of Plastruct Plastic Weld …


  #10 OOPSOverlyZealousFileWork.jpg (Size: 12.7 KB / Downloads: 2876)


  #9 WithPaintYoullNeverSeeIt.jpg (Size: 25.57 KB / Downloads: 2901)

Once it’s been filed back to flat it looks pretty good …


  #8 AnotherLookatthe0020x0080Patch.jpg (Size: 2.72 KB / Downloads: 2873)

… with a little paint, no one will ever know that I had fouled up!

Of course, that has not been the only place where I have lost control (and here is an example of why I don’t use files that really remove “mass quantities of material!” There were a couple places where I got a little overly zealous with the “rough cut jewelers’ file!


  #7 An0020x0080PatchWeldedintotheDip.jpg (Size: 3 KB / Downloads: 2897)

The repair was carried out in similar fashion to the other, just bigger pieces …

Step One, solvent on the window opening …


  #6 RoughOpening-OneSlipoftheCutter.jpg (Size: 21.36 KB / Downloads: 2876)

Step Two, solvent on the filler piece (0.010” x 0.080” strip) …


  #5 MostOpeningsCompleted.jpg (Size: 35.55 KB / Downloads: 2903)

Step Three, wait for the two pieces to soften …


  #4 UsingaRoughCutJewelersFile.jpg (Size: 30.59 KB / Downloads: 2868)

Step Four, Squish with pressure …


  #3 PreparingtoCleanUptheOpenings.jpg (Size: 31.35 KB / Downloads: 2881)

(Yes ... this is a separate window ... one that required repairs to TWO sides of the opening.)

After allowing the area to harden overnight, a little trimming and some careful filing with a fine cut jewelers’ file and we’re almost there …


  #2 FirstStepRemoveUnwantedMaterial.jpg (Size: 35.02 KB / Downloads: 2887)

After a few more swipes with the file, the molded windows are a slip-fit ... Just as masonry windows should be.


  #1 PlansPartsProvided.jpg (Size: 43.82 KB / Downloads: 2881)

More to follow … after I crop, resize and upload the next group of photos to Photobucket. :mrgreen:]]>
To refresh my memory (and probably yours, too,) I reviewed the parts and plans that I was initially given by the “project manager” at the Scale Rails of Southwest Florida model railroad club.


  #16 PerfectFitTimesTwo.jpg (Size: 17.75 KB / Downloads: 2853)

I next measured and cut all the walls, and laid out the window and door openings. I took them with me to the club to use the drill press in the little shop area there. (Hey, I drilled 1/8” holes all around the opening of the two windows and the door of the garage using a pin vise … there’s no way I was going to do that for nine windows and two doors!)


  #15 AlmostHome.jpg (Size: 13.75 KB / Downloads: 2886)

Using a very small set of end-cutters, I removed the un-needed material and used the Dremel with a fine carbide cutting bit to remove material to "close" to my scribed layout lines …


  #14 StepFour-Squish.jpg (Size: 14.79 KB / Downloads: 2891)

Next using a “rough cut” jewelers’ file, I removed additional material down to "very close" to the scribed line.


  #13 StepThree-WaitForittoSoften.jpg (Size: 24.84 KB / Downloads: 2892)


  #12 StepTwooftheRepair.jpg (Size: 24.73 KB / Downloads: 2843)

There were a few spots where I was a little careless about where the center of the drill bit was when using the drill press (hey, I haven’t used one of those beasts in over thirty years! I forgot a few things! :oops The result was “drilling outside the lines” ...


  #11 StepOneoftheRepair.jpg (Size: 21.07 KB / Downloads: 2907)

Since I did this more than once (and you may make a similar mistake at sometime, too,) I’ll show you my method of “recovery.”
The procedure is always the same, but the thickness of the repair material depends upon the severity of the miscue.

Here, I used short piece of 0.020” x 0.080” styrene strip and a generous amount of Plastruct Plastic Weld …


  #10 OOPSOverlyZealousFileWork.jpg (Size: 12.7 KB / Downloads: 2876)


  #9 WithPaintYoullNeverSeeIt.jpg (Size: 25.57 KB / Downloads: 2901)

Once it’s been filed back to flat it looks pretty good …


  #8 AnotherLookatthe0020x0080Patch.jpg (Size: 2.72 KB / Downloads: 2873)

… with a little paint, no one will ever know that I had fouled up!

Of course, that has not been the only place where I have lost control (and here is an example of why I don’t use files that really remove “mass quantities of material!” There were a couple places where I got a little overly zealous with the “rough cut jewelers’ file!


  #7 An0020x0080PatchWeldedintotheDip.jpg (Size: 3 KB / Downloads: 2897)

The repair was carried out in similar fashion to the other, just bigger pieces …

Step One, solvent on the window opening …


  #6 RoughOpening-OneSlipoftheCutter.jpg (Size: 21.36 KB / Downloads: 2876)

Step Two, solvent on the filler piece (0.010” x 0.080” strip) …


  #5 MostOpeningsCompleted.jpg (Size: 35.55 KB / Downloads: 2903)

Step Three, wait for the two pieces to soften …


  #4 UsingaRoughCutJewelersFile.jpg (Size: 30.59 KB / Downloads: 2868)

Step Four, Squish with pressure …


  #3 PreparingtoCleanUptheOpenings.jpg (Size: 31.35 KB / Downloads: 2881)

(Yes ... this is a separate window ... one that required repairs to TWO sides of the opening.)

After allowing the area to harden overnight, a little trimming and some careful filing with a fine cut jewelers’ file and we’re almost there …


  #2 FirstStepRemoveUnwantedMaterial.jpg (Size: 35.02 KB / Downloads: 2887)

After a few more swipes with the file, the molded windows are a slip-fit ... Just as masonry windows should be.


  #1 PlansPartsProvided.jpg (Size: 43.82 KB / Downloads: 2881)

More to follow … after I crop, resize and upload the next group of photos to Photobucket. :mrgreen:]]> https://bigbluetrains.com/showthread.php?tid=2117 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:38:23 +0000 Gary S]]> https://bigbluetrains.com/showthread.php?tid=2117
Well, the weatherman is predicting NO RAIN for the next four days. So, my plan is to spend Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday getting in as much progress as I can. I want to have the walls up and roof tar-papered before it starts raining again.

I think I have all the lumber I need for the framing. Will have to get around 70 sheets of plywood for the wall sheathing and roof decking though. That's 3 trips to the HD right there.

Anyway, wish me luck!

Oh... anyone on here live in Houston? Wanna come help?

EDIT: Added some photos of the slab installation. This work wasdone in November 2009.









]]>
Well, the weatherman is predicting NO RAIN for the next four days. So, my plan is to spend Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday getting in as much progress as I can. I want to have the walls up and roof tar-papered before it starts raining again.

I think I have all the lumber I need for the framing. Will have to get around 70 sheets of plywood for the wall sheathing and roof decking though. That's 3 trips to the HD right there.

Anyway, wish me luck!

Oh... anyone on here live in Houston? Wanna come help?

EDIT: Added some photos of the slab installation. This work wasdone in November 2009.









]]>