03-29-2010, 10:29 PM
Thanks for the kind words, guys. 
Tom, those valves came out of my "Brake Gear" parts drawer, but I don't recall their true origin, and, to be honest, I wasn't even sure if that's what they were.
You'll notice that one's black, the other red, so two different kits were involved. Each had a largish mounting lug on what is now the bottom, and the actuating handle was originally the same length as the exhaust pipe/vent. I can't think of any cars on the layout that they could have come from, as I had only the two - I was originally going to make them up using brass wire and some styrene rod, but stumbled across them while looking for something else. (It remains to be seen if I'll include this detail on the soon-to-be-started wooden caboose fleet, though - somehow, making twenty or so kinda sucks the enjoyment factor pretty dry.) 
As for plastic models, TrueLine offers this feature on their r-t-r cabooses, although I based mine on the Sylvan Models kit of the same car.
Of course, the TrueLine ones are an integral part of the Delrin one-piece end railing/ladder assembly, and the centre gate doesn't work, either.
The little pivot brackets for the gates were an afterthought, as my original intention was to just solder the gates to the right-hand railing assembly. I had a short piece of .010"x.018 brass bar that I tried to use when I first decided to make the gates work, but putting a .0145" hole through such a narrow strip didn't leave much material along the edges, and I had trouble keeping the drill bit centred on the strip. I finally opted for .010"x.030" strip, even though it's oversize, and I don't think that it looks too gross. I'm thinking of doing most of the ironwork in black, so it'll be even less noticeable.
Gary, casting those parts is not a bad idea, although I'm probably too cheap (and lazy) to do so. I mean, once those 10 or 12 cabooses are done, I'll have no need for more.
Kevin, it's nice to hear that the lacquer thinner is working well for you, too. Again, it was an effort to save modelling money that drove me to try it originally, and I discovered it to be a great (and cheap) thinner for Floquil and other similar paints, too. Your window shades look great - what originally prompted me to try the styrene ones was frustration trying to install paper ones in wood structures. Of course, in those days, acetate was the window material most readily available, and it's not noted for its longevity. I also got fed-up with using ca anywhere near windows, due to the fogging that often occurs. I've been building models long enough to have seen a lot of adhesives that were considered permanent come apart, so I'm always looking for ways to make construction more permanent and easier. Probably, with some creative painting, one could achieve enough of a light/shadow effect to simulate curtains on sheet styrene, too.
Wayne
Tom, those valves came out of my "Brake Gear" parts drawer, but I don't recall their true origin, and, to be honest, I wasn't even sure if that's what they were.
You'll notice that one's black, the other red, so two different kits were involved. Each had a largish mounting lug on what is now the bottom, and the actuating handle was originally the same length as the exhaust pipe/vent. I can't think of any cars on the layout that they could have come from, as I had only the two - I was originally going to make them up using brass wire and some styrene rod, but stumbled across them while looking for something else. (It remains to be seen if I'll include this detail on the soon-to-be-started wooden caboose fleet, though - somehow, making twenty or so kinda sucks the enjoyment factor pretty dry.) As for plastic models, TrueLine offers this feature on their r-t-r cabooses, although I based mine on the Sylvan Models kit of the same car.
Of course, the TrueLine ones are an integral part of the Delrin one-piece end railing/ladder assembly, and the centre gate doesn't work, either.
The little pivot brackets for the gates were an afterthought, as my original intention was to just solder the gates to the right-hand railing assembly. I had a short piece of .010"x.018 brass bar that I tried to use when I first decided to make the gates work, but putting a .0145" hole through such a narrow strip didn't leave much material along the edges, and I had trouble keeping the drill bit centred on the strip. I finally opted for .010"x.030" strip, even though it's oversize, and I don't think that it looks too gross. I'm thinking of doing most of the ironwork in black, so it'll be even less noticeable.
Gary, casting those parts is not a bad idea, although I'm probably too cheap (and lazy) to do so. I mean, once those 10 or 12 cabooses are done, I'll have no need for more.
Kevin, it's nice to hear that the lacquer thinner is working well for you, too. Again, it was an effort to save modelling money that drove me to try it originally, and I discovered it to be a great (and cheap) thinner for Floquil and other similar paints, too. Your window shades look great - what originally prompted me to try the styrene ones was frustration trying to install paper ones in wood structures. Of course, in those days, acetate was the window material most readily available, and it's not noted for its longevity. I also got fed-up with using ca anywhere near windows, due to the fogging that often occurs. I've been building models long enough to have seen a lot of adhesives that were considered permanent come apart, so I'm always looking for ways to make construction more permanent and easier. Probably, with some creative painting, one could achieve enough of a light/shadow effect to simulate curtains on sheet styrene, too.
Wayne