Weekly Photo Fun 1/3 - 1/9/14

[sailormatlac]

Bernhard, it has already been said, but that's dedicated work you are doing here. I must admit I don't personnaly go nuts about underframes, but the reworked wood frames really add a lot of realism and finess to the car.

The working door hardware is puzzling!

When you say there roof lettering, what do you exactly means? Billboard advertisement or more technical data?

Matt

[doctorwayne]

The painted lettering on the roof was for the icehouse workers. It allowed them to identify the car so that it could be iced to the specifications required by the shipper. Most roads, I think, had only the reporting marks and car number located on or near the ice hatches.

Wayne

[modelsof1900]

Matt, here's a picture with the 'roof lettering', unusual, but interesting!



Wayne, thank you very much for this explanation.
I had been of the opinion that this was just an advertising gimmick. So far, I did not know the real background for this label on the roof. But this explanation gives a sense!

[doctorwayne]

Hmmm. I'd guess that most, if not all, of Decker's reefers would be iced with a salt/ice mix, but if that's not the case, perhaps my answer is in error. I was recently looking for info on SFRD reefers, and came across some photos showing the reporting marks and car numbers stencilled on the ice hatches. Depending on what commodity is in a car, the icing will vary, both as far as the particular mix and the amount of ice. The workers on the icing docks would likely have a list of cars and their particular requirements, and the roof-top data would make the job of identifying each car easier.

The Decker name on the roof does appear to be mainly an advertising gimmick, though. I can't imagine a lot of air travellers in that time period, but it might catch the eye of people in tall buildings or on bridges or hilltops.

Wayne

[modelsof1900]

Wayne, thanks!
Here is yet a Tim Warris' Video Working the Bronx, where I have seen first time this deccker reefer - min 4 and min 5 follow. From this time I "must" have such a Decker reefer and I was short before to build them from scratch. But second batch of the Atlas model was delivered faster.

[Sumpter250]

modelsof1900 wrote "Sumpter, thanks! But this too many of honour.
I try to make it 'good' and I need a lot of time in most cases. I'm lucky if I have reached what I hoped. I think also that we all here will reach a better quality than before building the next model and so we all will have our personal success.
In this sense, success and enjoy with a new start of next model!
Thanks again!"

Bernhard, The model here, is a Model Shipways, New York Pilot Schooner "Phantom". It's 1:96 scale, and close enough to HO scale. It's being built as a gift, and I have a second kit, that will get built for the modules, probably with a detachable "below waterline hull", so it can be displayed "in the water", and also hauled out on the marine railway. For the modules, it will also be built as a "luxury Yacht ", instead of a working schooner.
This is one of the reasons I'm working to improve my skills with scale "ironwork"
   
here is a "close up" ( well as close as I can get with this camera ) of the ironwork at the mast heads.
   

[modelsof1900]

Sumpter, I think that there the details will be a bit finer yet than these from me. And I think they are very good!
Here are two pictures for comparison. (Details of my depressed center flatcar with a ship propeller as load.)





Smaller does not (good) work!
All wire that I used here is 0.3 mm/0.012' or 1 inch thick in reality. That is already a too heavy material for many small items. In seldom cases I use also wire of 0,008' and 0.010' but only in very seldom cases I bent shackles from 0.10' wire. Too fine and too many attempts for good results! However maybe I will have more success in next time - and before I'm an 80 ager.

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Metroliner Coaches! I took these the other day. My cafe and club car came later



The details are great, but the springs on the pantographs are a bit strong. While the pantographs are available as spare parts, the details are not, which is unfortunate! I could use many of these details for my other MU cars. I'm definitely gonna put in a large order for these pantographs, which belong on my Jersey Arrow I and III types. The Snack Bar coach and club car have the faively type, a few of which I might grab for my Arrow IIs and Silverliners.



Here is the whole trainset. I am somewhat frustrated that they only sold these in Amtrak and PRR, and left out the Penn Central paintjob. Most of the Metroliners spent most of their lives in Penn Central markings. In fact, only one of the club cars, 884, was in Amtrak paint prior to the 1979 rebuilding. Fortunately, Walthers offers that roadnumber, and thats the club car I have. In reality, it would be very unusual to see this many Amtrak cars together. Normally, you might see one or two Amtrak cars in a consist of 4-6 cars. I have only seen two photos where there are three Amtrak cars in a 4 car set.

The combination could have happened, so i'm letting it slide for now.

[Sumpter250]

Sumpter, I think that there the details will be a bit finer yet than these from me. And I think they are very good! Here are two pictures for comparison. (Details of my depressed center flatcar with a ship propeller as load.)
All wire that I used here is 0.3 mm/0.012' or 1 inch thick in reality. That is already a too heavy material for many small items. In seldom cases I use also wire of 0,008' and 0.010' but only in very seldom cases I bent shackles from 0.10' wire. Too fine and too many attempts for good results! However maybe I will have more success in next time - and before I'm an 80 ager.

The shackles I use for ship rigging, are almost exactly the same size as those in your photos. I use a single strand of "picture hanging wire". I am thinking that I need to modify some tools for the specific purpose of making eyebolts, shackles, and shackle pins, but even then I have to wonder if "smaller" is really possible. :o

[sailormatlac]

@GEC: Now, that's what I call a bridge! Nice Metroliner by the way. Seems your fleet is continously growing!

@Wayne-Bernhard: Interesting story behind those cars. I suspect the visibility of Decker's lettering was probably shortlived by weathering, repairs and sooth.

@Bernhard: Fine craftmanship again! I'm happy to learn you mess a few during the process. Makes it more human, thus achievable. I'm always thrashing a lot of pieces when dealing with bend wire.

Matt

[Green_Elite_Cab]

@GEC: Now, that's what I call a bridge! Nice Metroliner by the way. Seems your fleet is continously growing!
Matt

That bridge isn't bad, but it is actually a temporary covering over the plywood base there. I was originally in favor of making that a PRR style stone arch viaduct, and the talk seems to be in favor of that happening when the area gets rebuilt (though I'm still assigned to the city).

As for my fleet, The Metroliners are new, but most of my expansion is just me taking all the old kits I have and finishing them (and some christmas stuff).

I remember when I was younger, my sister's friend's dad had a model layout he was showing me. He had kits ALL OVER. I told myself I'd never let myself get such a back log.

Boy was a I wrong!

Its good to get some of these cars rolling for the first time rather than just sitting in boxes.

[JaBear]

I told myself I'd never let myself get such a back log.

And here I thought it was a case of forward planning amd putting stuff away for a rainy day. :?
Cheers, the Bear.

[modelsof1900]

...
@Bernhard: Fine craftmanship again! I'm happy to learn you mess a few during the process. Makes it more human, thus achievable. I'm always thrashing a lot of pieces when dealing with bend wire.

Matt, my idea.
Do not use too soft wire. A bent wire must hold its shape even during a more heavy fixing for next steps.
I prefer to use medium-hard nickelsilver in most cases or alternatively phosphor-bronce offered by Tichy as a very good material.

And a picture more of a mistake while building a brake gear for my Decker reefers.



One should not try to change the position permanently mounted parts with heavy pressure.

[jwb]

GEC, I don't know if it's the photo angle or what, but the Metroliners look better on your home layout than the club, another reason for keeping that thing and upgrading it! (And I know the Metroliners either won't negotiate the curves or barely will on the home layout; run them on the club, but you have something going on that home layout!)

[Green_Elite_Cab]

GEC, I don't know if it's the photo angle or what, but the Metroliners look better on your home layout than the club, another reason for keeping that thing and upgrading it! (And I know the Metroliners either won't negotiate the curves or barely will on the home layout; run them on the club, but you have something going on that home layout!)

Its definitely the lighting, and probably the lack of even a little bit of catenary at the club. The "Show" lights are a lot better for photography, but we tend to leave them off unless a show is in progress, as they burn a lot of electricity.

Interestingly, those cars seem to fit onto the 22" curves as long as they are hooked up "elephant" style. I might need to investigate the underbody and see if there is any way to open up the truck area and let them handle tighter curves.

I had a similar issue with the Walthers Comet II (Horizon) cars. The back corner of an equipment box tended to protrude ever so slightly into the range of the inner truck wheel. It would act like a brake whenever the train went through a curve, and so I just filed the back corner of that box just a little, and now there is no problem!