AlfaZagato

Just received this lug in the mail from TMC. If anyone remembers, I have a penchant for ugly locos. I lucked out, though. Built, running, painted not only in the right color for my collection, but numbered correctly as well. About the only disappointment is the builder made absolutely zero provision for a rear coupling. I have ideas. Main problem is that there is no substructure behind the rear tender axle. Nothing to drill into, nothing really to glue to. My first thought was to add a block. I've had bad luck with such arrangements before. Even 5-minute epoxy doesn't quite grab well enough against a train. Second thought is an L-bracket, soldered at multiple points. That then brings the issue of my lack of talent at soldering. Third thought is running a long bolt up through the footplate. Probably the best cross between strength and simplicity. Problem there is how to disguise the top of the bolt. I thought of fabricating a toolbox to cover it. I've seen no evidence from what few pics I can find that such a toolbox was ever carried by the class. She runs OK on the test plank. Won't have access to a layout until next month for a good run, though.

If I'm reading the blueprint correctly, vs. how you have it staged, you plan to mount the motor under/in the cab? What would your goal be for that? Does it offer more space for sound/keep-alive?

Resin still scares a lot of modelers. There's also safety concerns with its working. Resin would make sense for producing a 3D design, though. Print the prototype, then cast from there.

If you want a challenge, you could try the 'Flying Bufferbeam.'

I wasn't aware there was a distinction. I've only seen 'N20' mentioned in regards to the ones with the gearboxes.

Should be fine. I think some on here have done sizable 7mm with N20s.

How's the weight on that thing so far? I suppose difficult to judge against a normal wagon.

Probably cheaper than either of my sound-fitted models. That little Lkw was $200!

Yeah, an Iron wagon would have been turn of the century AFAIK.

Those are charming beasts. Good to know these flashy little dock shunters have some basis.

Somehow I missed you were doing a long Mink. Neat wagons. Were they the sort of thing that would have gone behind 'Night Owls' on express freight? Seem rarely photographed.

If you've done this, shouldn't be much of a work to lock the axle and swap the wheels.

Second-fiddle to Bistromath for a minute.

I figured.

My thought had been that, to my knowledge, turbines offer negligible hammer-blow, and that hammer blow had been part of the 'rough and tumble' life of a railway.

Funny, doesn't look like a Buick to me. (So many layers to that joke) Unrelated, a thought I've had recently that may have already been brokered here. Would have combining a high-pressure boiler, like the Yarrow on 'Hush-Hush,' with a turbine-drive arrangement as on Turbomotive have improved the performance of either?

I fell off this thread early on. Are newer batches of the Hush-Hush decent runners?

Fruit D's were absolutely 'brown' stock. Though I wouldn't doubt there being an almost-matching Mink that would have been gray.

Reminds me I need to check the Kadee on my J70 against the gauge. I fitted a short at a show on Saturday. Had no problems, though I had preemptively bent the hose damn near in half.

Unrelated, but I think that is the first time I've seen a Barclay next to anything else I can scale. I didn't realize it was so small.

There's a method from the car modelers. You replace the to-be damaged panels with double layers of foil. Nothing crumples like metal. Have to use foil, though. Photoetch tends to be too rigid and thick at this scale.

In re internal planking, if the wagon is to be loaded, maybe only scribe the top plank or two?

Didn't these tend to bulge at the base? Looks good so far.

As long as you're clear in your listing, don't worry about it.

I'm perfectly OK if we see an increase, even a doubling in price, if we're getting a match truck. Especially if it's Midland-style.