Supaned Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I've got a Horizon coach car , so I'll be interested to see how you get on - I've been reading the various threads concerning cleaning of materials using toothpaste etc. Technically, the Kato trucks have the yaw damper arms moulded the wrong way round for a Horizon car , but , it's an acceptable compromise as the truck is otherwise correct. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 (edited) I've got a Horizon coach car , so I'll be interested to see how you get on - I've been reading the various threads concerning cleaning of materials using toothpaste etc. Technically, the Kato trucks have the yaw damper arms moulded the wrong way round for a Horizon car , but , it's an acceptable compromise as the truck is otherwise correct. If you go for body-mount couplers, that can be corrected by using them at the other ends. Adrian Edited July 12, 2013 by Adrian Wintle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted July 12, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 12, 2013 I have now ordered from Kato USA. Thanks for the info re the trucks. I will probably stick with the truck mounted couplings as the curves are fairly tight although the body mounted Microtrains on the brass Surfliners go round them. I might do a final scrub of the body with toothpaste just to make sure its clean. Regards Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Ian - I presume you've seen Spookshow's 'truck encyclopedia'? http://www.spookshow.net/trucks/trucks.php Adrian 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted July 12, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 12, 2013 Thanks Adrian. I had seen that site but had completely forgotten about it. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted July 13, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 13, 2013 (edited) Today I paid a visit to Gaugemaster to get some paint to do the Horizon coach which should now be clean enough to paint. The one thing I am not sure about is whether to spray it silver or grey as they are not the same finish as Amfleet coaches so my look more grey from a distance in N scale. The visit to Gaugemaster turned out a bit more expensive as they had a Kato Amtrak F40PH ex display with jo box for £35. The lighted number boards above the cab windows boxes are missing but there are spares that came with my other ones which can be renumbered to suit. So Santa Barbara has another one of these to go on the old San Diego push pull train. A sneaky photo taken on the window call of the pub that I have retreated into to keep cool. Edited August 12, 2013 by roundhouse 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted July 14, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 14, 2013 This morning the Horizon coach body got its first coat of silver. The sides are pretty smooth for FUD so only a light sanding will be required before respraying. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supaned Posted July 14, 2013 Share Posted July 14, 2013 Nice work - which phase paint will this be finished in? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted July 14, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 14, 2013 It will be in PaseIVb Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supaned Posted July 14, 2013 Share Posted July 14, 2013 Latest scheme then. Are you using a mix of Microscale decals - phase IV stripes and phase V lettering - that seems to be the only way I can see to recreate them as is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted July 14, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 14, 2013 I must admit that I havent looked ar what decals I have but think that there are enough sheets in my box to do it. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supaned Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 don't know if you're aware of this, but Amtrak are selling a Kato Pacific Parlor Car in their online store , announced yesterday - and after all your hard work. On that basis , hurry up and produce a rake of Horizon fleet cars.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted July 25, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 25, 2013 (edited) Thanks for that. Its always the way isnt it. I laso have the rest of the EL Capitan set going spare!! Luckily I do need another one for the Coast Starlight running in the other direction. I need another Horizon car or two so once I have done them someone will release a ready to run version. Regards Ian Edited July 25, 2013 by roundhouse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted July 25, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 25, 2013 (edited) Ordered two of them. Shipping was $40.00 though. Ian Edited July 25, 2013 by roundhouse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 Shipping costs either way between North America and the UK are verging on the ridiculous. It's the principle of the thing - I've virtually written off my idea for a former GER branch in 7mm..... Up to a couple of years ago the costs were quite reasonable. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supaned Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 don't get me started on customs charges..... The first batch of Pacific Parlours seems to have sold out literally within hours - I don't think they quite anticipated the demand for them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted July 27, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 27, 2013 I think I have two coming. Didn't expect the order going from 60 dollars for two to 100 then an email to say that they will tell me how much shipping will be on top after I confirm my address. Jo doubt I will be clobbered by import duty and the post office handling on top. Thought we were meant to be collaborating with the USA on trade! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted August 12, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 12, 2013 (edited) Just been to collect these Amtrak souvenirs. The parlour cars come in a rather nice Amtrak / Kato special box. They also come with a display length of track. Edited August 12, 2013 by roundhouse 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Goldfish Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 Finally found a Santa Barbara thread! I think i first saw this layout at somewhere like Illford or Colchester a couple of years ago, the kids were very taken by it and asked if they could have trains like it on their n-gauge. Every show we've both been at since you've Banbury with you...... Looking good Ian, hope to see it at a show again. This doesn't help my ability to resist American 'n' though, maybe i should let the kids change the location of their layout....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted August 12, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 12, 2013 Thanks It would have been Colchester a few years ago. Theres a couple more show this year, the first one being the Seaboard Southern show in Horsham, September. The final one this year will be Royston in November. Theres quite a few next year on the cards or booked. Ian 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted September 15, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 15, 2013 (edited) Today Santa Barbara was set up in my parents garage. It's a large garage. Wish I could move it to our house as the layoit fits inside with space to walk around the layout plus I could have another layout set up at the same time. At the last show we had the Surroundtraxx system working but there was an intermittent fault where the last sound zone didn't work at times. Today this fault occurred when the power was first applied. A little playing with a baseboard connector and the block detection circuit seems to have done the trick as the fault did not occur in the following few hours the layout was used to run in some new locos. Fingers crossed that this fault is now resolved. Also I managed to get the second grade crossing lights working for the first time. Next task will be to get the barriers working. Further wiring alterations were made to one of the separate bits of track in thr fiddleyard so that it can now be switched to a programming track. This will now allow any tweaking of the CV values to be carried out on the layout when there isn't space for the test track at shows. The layout is now back home ready for this Saturday's show in Horsham. Hopefully the 3D printed Horizon coach will be finished and running in time. Edited September 15, 2013 by roundhouse 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted September 17, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 17, 2013 This morning I managed to get Dullcote sprayed on the sides to hold the decals in place. I find applying Microscale decals to silver to be a bit of a challenge as often they tend to come off with handling i the fiddleyard. This time I put a gloss varnish on the ares just where the Amtrak stripes go. After applying the decal i then put plenty of Microsol on. Once dried it gets the Dullcote, so hopefully these will stay on when being handled. If it has dried by tonight, then the 3D printed glazing will be fitted and the under frame weathered. I have 2 Bachamann Amfleet coaches in the phase IV livery to go with this. I will order another Horizon coach to complete the set with one of my old Life Like F40ph's which will be converted to a cabbage car. There are a few other small tasks to do before the weekends show. Ian 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supaned Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Nice work on that Horizon car. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted September 18, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 18, 2013 (edited) Last night the glazing was installed into the Horizon coach. It is a very good fit. Glued in using canopy glue so it can be removed if needed.A spot of weathering on the under frame and it's done now.Here is a photo of it next to one of the Bachmann Amfleet coach which still needs Microtrains couplers and weathering. Edited September 18, 2013 by roundhouse 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted September 21, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 21, 2013 This morning we set up the layout at Seaboard Southern. The sound zone that was working last Sunday decided it wasn't going to this time so I spent some time under the layout trying to sort it. Eventually I connected that zone to the adjacent zone but that did put back our setting up. Also we had a lot of derailments to start with as rolling stock either hadn't been pit on the rails properly or in some case wheel sets were missing being on the stock box! Some cars managed to do a number of circuits without the wheel sets before derailing. This afternoon the layout was running fine and we rotated the locos from SP/ Rio Grande to more modern UP ones. We even had a few Norfolk Southern heritage ones running. The programming track added last week proved very useful as we didn't gave a lot of room behind the layout for the test track. The Horizon coach didn't get a run till towards the end of the show but it ran fine when it did. Anyway, here is a photo from today. Ian 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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