7mm US model dabblings

JasonD

Western Thunderer
Telford was fun, even if catching up with people you haven't seen since the last one takes time. Putting faces to names didn't start till Sunday and finding Dave wedged in was great, except his sound installs have made the hairs on the back of my neck HURT. Going down Mickoo's thread, I do admit I have an O-scale amassing problem. At 70 I find it easier to say "I've got a spare AtlasO undec PS2-CD. Of course it was (IS!) going to get a different D&H scheme. If EDM and the others have run out, I've got some new Kadees. Do we need some 'CrowdBuying' things from the US. I'm not a trader any more, but Kadees, InterMountain 33" wheels, etc are still easy enought to get and the post is a pain, but hey-ho....

U25B China drives were Weaver's first and I think I have a spare set. The design is indeed much the same as the other 3-rail versions, but things like drive gear diameter, so numbers of teeth, can vary depending on how fast they think their beast should go, etc. When Weaver switched from central motor to China drive, Weaver ignored the 4" wheelbase difference between Alco and Blomberg trucks. Not as bad as MTH's early Blombergs with a wheelbase scaling 100" to help stuff go round corners.

The stepwell handrails on your U25B finish on the bodyshell which says '3-rail' and the QSI box is probably a TMCC circuit. The motors in the frame shot have the idler shafts in place. I ordered spare trucks and motor assemblies separately once and never did get the darn shafts.

Your GE Dash 8-40B is doesn't have the nice prototype paint job that my Susie-Q does(!). The Susquehanna operated the D&H when Guilford screwed up, so I had to get one. Well OK, I will eventually get round to painting the USHobbies F45 to match. I'll be interested in your one-motor conversion. I kept a couple of Atlas D&H C424s one pow'd, one unpow'd to make into a set, but got a bit bored with the detail chassis differences and only have one running just yet. Thick cab walls respond to cutting individual clear plastic windows, even with black, etc markers round the edges as gaskets. First time I tried this on an old All-Nation NW2 I carelessly scored a window, but it looks just like broken glass:)

Liked Jim's post, freight cars are fun, just about all Atlas are good (given my modelling level), certain Lionel - certain - are superb, and some MTH are unexpectedly good. Apart from their often clunky trucks. Anyway getting 2-rail wheels and ride-height is often fixed by substituting Atlas trucks (eg: Lionel 89ft autoracks). Wish they'd get them back in stock, some (all?) the newer 2-rail versions are slimmer, not made too wide to take 3-rail wheels.

I got the resistance soldering gear out the other day and have a few things to do on it - like see if I can remember how to use it. Of course I will and the sacrifi..., er ..., next success with this excellent gear is a Pecos River MP/UP GP15 footsteps/handrail post case. Bit too far west for the D&H, so .... What's that? NS runs what was the south end of the D&H? Is that right??

Aaaah, American O-scale, model railroading's best kept secret. Have fun with that Telford box.
Jason
 

Overseer

Western Thunderer
A different type of modelling involving superglue. I recently bought a Canadian Pacific 'Minibox' boxcar kit from Jon Cagle at Southern Car and Foundry and have started putting it together. The kit is a fairly typical US polyurethane kit with a one piece body and separate roof and doors, plus a few bags of small details in polyurethane, styrene, etched brass and some wire. A few hours over the weekend has seen the brake rigging and plumbing mostly installed. It will also be mostly unseen. Now to fix the roof on and then stick on the body details.

cp mini 3.jpg
cp mini 2.jpg
cp mini 1.jpg
cp mini 4.jpg

I am still to decide on which trucks (bogies) to use for P48 so haven't fitted bolsters yet. The San Juan trucks are not readily available at present and I am not sure whether I want to spend the money on brass trucks but probably will.

I think the model will end up looking like it should which is a good thing. The patterns were made by Gene Deimling, it is good to see his work first hand. This may be the only US polyurethane kit I build as it is really a distraction but there is no reason not to buy more, apart from not needing them.

If anyone wants a CP minibox they will have to be quick as there was only one left a couple of weeks ago.
 

JasonD

Western Thunderer
If any UK P48ers are waiting for suitable freight-car trucks I have some original Roco/Atlas Bettendorf-style which look good and are made from polystyrene. The advantage here is that they can be cut and reglued so the truck width and bolster requirements can be changed easily. Mike Calvert at Gilmaur has a good supply of NWSL P48 wheels to use. Both of us plan to be at the Winchester Meet on Oct 14 or PM me.
Jason
 

Big Train James

Western Thunderer
P & D show some of the brown and black Bettendorf San Juan trucks in stock. I can verify when I'm up there next, which will be within a week or two. Although normally items are only on the website when in stock, and removed when out of stock.
 

Steph Dale

Western Thunderer
Fraser,

I'm certainly tempted to order one, but noting they're in Altamonte Springs, Florida, now may not be the best time to be trying to call them...

Steph
 

Overseer

Western Thunderer
P & D show some of the brown and black Bettendorf San Juan trucks in stock. I can verify when I'm up there next, which will be within a week or two. Although normally items are only on the website when in stock, and removed when out of stock.
Thanks James. I will trawl through their somewhat opaque website. It can get more expensive than planned when I work out what else they have in stock. Last time I looked they had the Glacier Park Models SP drop bottom gon kit which looks like a very nice kit - it would be good to convert to a sugar beet gon in a decrepit condition, although I have absolutely no need for rolling stock which only operated in California. Mickoo could do with 50 or so to put behind his cab forwards.

Fraser,

I'm certainly tempted to order one, but noting they're in Altamonte Springs, Florida, now may not be the best time to be trying to call them...

Steph
Yes, I have wondered how they are faring. Not sure if they need distractions at the moment but you could try an email.
 

Big Train James

Western Thunderer
Thanks James. I will trawl through their somewhat opaque website. It can get more expensive than planned when I work out what else they have in stock.
Ha! I always walk out with much more than I ever plan on when walking in :eek::rolleyes::oops::cool:.

I'm tentatively thinking about driving up there tomorrow. Or I will see Pat (and Des Plaines and many others) at the Indy show in a couple of weeks. I can always get pictures of things for you, or outright purchase things and forward them to you. Although I believe Pat is perfectly willing to ship internationally. The real advantage is if you want items from multiple US suppliers, which I can collect into one package for international shipping.
 

Overseer

Western Thunderer
Ha! I always walk out with much more than I ever plan on when walking in :eek::rolleyes::oops::cool:.

I'm tentatively thinking about driving up there tomorrow. Or I will see Pat (and Des Plaines and many others) at the Indy show in a couple of weeks. I can always get pictures of things for you, or outright purchase things and forward them to you. Although I believe Pat is perfectly willing to ship internationally. The real advantage is if you want items from multiple US suppliers, which I can collect into one package for international shipping.
Thanks for the offer, I have most of the things I need at the moment in the stash for the bits and pieces I am doing, apart from enough P48 freight trucks. I have had very good service from Des Plaines whenever I have ordered from them. It would be good to see their stock sometime, particularly the detail parts as it can be difficult working out what is suitable.
 

Big Train James

Western Thunderer
I went to P&D yesterday. It was a watershed event, where I actually bought less for myself than for others.

For Fraser, they do have the San Juan 50 Bettendorfs in stock. These are already assembled. (4) pairs in black, (2) pairs in brown. $18.00 each.

Also for Fraser, and everybody else as well, I had Pat make a copy of his Custom Finishing parts catalog O scale pages. The O scale part of the original Custom Finishing line was purchased by Des Plaines and is now marketed under the O Scale America (OSA) heading. However, the OSA line uses all the original Custom Finishing part numbers, but with an OSA prefix. The graphics in the catalog leave something to be desired, but they far outshine the rather useless enigma that is presented by the Des Plaines website.

The catalog pages are in pdf format. I will attempt to attach them here. I need somebody to let me know they are accessible via this method. If there is a hitch, I will most likely put them in a dropbox folder and post a link here.

Cheers,
Jim
 

Attachments

  • OSA parts list.pdf
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Steph Dale

Western Thunderer
Jim,

That's superb, Many thanks for posting the info and files. Only a couple of weeks ago Dave and I were discussing the Custom Finishing range and wondering what happened to it...

With that info and MBE I'm much more comfortable doing some Canadian P48.

Steph
 

Big Train James

Western Thunderer
The HO Custom Finishing line was purchased by an entity in Texas. It appears to still be in production under the Custom Finishing badge. The O scale line instead went to Des Plaines, after the passing of the original owner I think.

Good to see that the pdf worked fine. I wasn't sure if attachments other than photos would load.
 

Big Train James

Western Thunderer
I will be seeing Des Plaines at the Indianapolis O scale show the weekend after next. If orders are placed in time, I can check with Des Plaines to see if they will bring items to the show for pickup, thus saving postage from them to me. Unless of course you order directly from them. I will also be seeing Pat from P&D, so the same holds true for items from his stock. Remember that P&D also carries the Custom Finishing/OSA line of parts, at least when things are in stock.
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
I was trawling through t'interweb for some GP7 underframe photos I'd come across last month or so... however found this album on RailPictures.net

RailPictures.Net » Photo Search Result » Railroad, Train, Railway Photos, Pictures & News this is a scrapyard album with US (mainly) locomotives in various states of decommissioning. Useful detail shots.

There's another album on the site called Unseen Aspects - it has over 5,000 photos and it turned up this gem for the underframe detail.
showimage 10.php.jpg
 

Big Train James

Western Thunderer
I know of at least two people here with gp35 models, or at least the frames, in the wings. As an fyi, the Canadian Pacific Historical Association has a website called CPTracks.ca which has a small repository of EMD drawings available after signup. These drawings happen to include frame assembly drawings for the gp22 (really just an early designation for the gp30), gp30, and gp35. These frame assembly drawings will tell you most if not all you need to know to amend the Atlas frames. Other drawings include superstructure drawings for the gp30B, which some here might find intriguing :p. Access is free other than creating an account. The use license certainly includes anything non-commercial that any of us might undertake here.

Drawings for other locos are also available, but sadly there aren't any Alco drawings :mad::(, nor any for the gp9. I am however trying to get my hands on some gp9 frame assembly drawings, which would be good for the gp7, gp9, gp18, and gp20.

I also have a large number of gp35 photos which I have permission to share, but I would prefer not to post them online. Not that it would be practical anyway. I will create a Dropbox folder with the files. I'll email a link to those I presume are interested. If anybody else would like to see the drawings, send me a note or mention it here. I only ask that the files not get posted en masse. However, I'm sure a single image or screen grab to illustrate a point is fine.

Jim
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Good find, some really good stuff on there for basic or detailed measurements etc.

I'll have a good trawl later in the week :thumbs:

MD
 
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