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AlfaZagato

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  2. AlfaZagato

    56xx Progress 1

    By AlfaZagato,

    As promised, I've taken some pics of what I've done so far.
     
    Tonight was solely the 56xx. I've long had the body built, honestly to a mediocre standard.
     

     
    This will be my first locomotive kit, so on this build I'll stand the molded handrails, and the castings that came with the kit. Most of my work tonight was finishing the hole for the trailing axle.
     

     
    I think I managed to get the hole too high, though; the trailing wheels look to be a floating axle.
     

     
    The instructions were not entirely clear on the procedure, admittedly. The wheels do turn freely, though, and have a good amount of side-play. I have yet to test the chassis as modified, or with the Langley body mounted. Next stage will to be finess the fit between the chassis and the body; what I had thought was a good fit hadn't accounted for additional wheels.
     

  3. AlfaZagato
    Not much progress, really. Been a bit of a bum week for the workbench, errands and more pressing issues cutting into my limited worktime. Most, if not all of that time is recently, and for a while, given over to a Bolt Action army I've been trying to paint as a set. Not doing this again!
     

     
    Firstly, I've added the small parts to the 56xx. Needs some finessing, though. The rear sanders and front steps foul the rather large pins on the drivers for the rods. Based on space, I'm looking at either omitting the details, or trimming back the pins almost flush. I'm leaning towards the latter.
     

     
    Secondly, for something mildly different, I've fiddled a bit with my 'reduced' Airfix brake. The goal is to make a OO9 brake out of the kit. I've nicked the idea from Ted Polet, basing my idea on one of his older vans on the C&DR. This pic isn't the most up-to-date, though. I've since undone what I'd glued, pending sourcing a good set-square or such to set the angles right.
     

     
    Finally, and stretching the limits of relevance, the de Havilland Dragon Rapide I built to go on my club's layout. Terrible kit, and I didn't do any justice to it, but the Arctic Decals that I picked up for the Railway Air Services livery were awesome. I have a Westland Wessex trimotor airliner in resin as a follow-up, for GWR Air Services, but the kit absolutely frightens me.
  4. AlfaZagato

    'New' Coaches

    By AlfaZagato,


    Ready to Run
    I purchased a coach lot off that auction site.   Lot was listed as 'LMS Coaches,' and at a reasonable price.
     

     
     
    Here's the row.   I needed to have looked closer before committing.  I'm not certain on how much use any of these will be.  Reasoning there, I'm looking for coaches for a preordered Improved Precedent in LMS black.   I don't fancy buying more kits right now, either.
     

     
     
    Two Lima vans.   I'm pretty certain the CCT on the right does me no good.   I've read somewhere that something can be made of the bogie van on the left, though.   I think it was Railway Modeller earlier this year.
     

     
     
    Two Hornby items.   The TPO is a little goofy.   The BK, I don't know.   Looks an awful lot like a Mk. 1 to me.   Not much use either way here.
     

     
     
    Dapol here.   The composite looks reasonable.   Not a mainline coach, I don't think?   The brake, again, looks like a Mk. 1 to me.   Also, the brake would need new bogies.   Wheelsets won't stay in the existing bogies.
     

     
     
    I believe this was a Triang.   That roof is painful.   Just, really painful to my eyes.
     

     
     
    Mainline, here.   Coach on the right I'm pretty certain is what I was after - Mainline's Period 1.   Looks decent to me, too.   That other coach.   Such heavy lines on the roof...
     

     
     
    Finally, my mystery coach.   No make on undercarriage.   Looks like another Mk. 1. 
     
    So, is there anything else here that I could really use?
  5. AlfaZagato

    T-Trak Planning

    By AlfaZagato,

    For about two years now, I have been planning on a modest T-trak layout. If you are not aware, T-Trak is a system based around Kato's Unitrak system, taking advantage of the strength of the joiners used. The modules are also based largely on Unitrak's standard lengths, with the normal straight module being 2mm shorter in length than a Kato double crossover, the largest single piece of track in the Unitrak catalog.
     
    Part of my goal with this layout is to run...whatever I damn well please! Rule 1 and the like. Still, I do want to strive for some realism. Part of my idea, therefore, was to build the scenic modules as generic as possible. Green rolling hills, which I've seen evidence of in the US, UK, Japan, basically anywhere I could think except Australia. No obvious signaling, no roads, nothing obvious to place the layout save for the train running through.
     
    I run into a dilemma here. I also would like a nice, longish bridge as a centerpiece. Nothing too grand, as the T-Trak standards don't allow for much height or depth to the modules, but a triple or quad (928mm and 1238mm, respectively) cutaway module for a good length or several lengths of span. I question, though, the suitability of Kato's bridges they have made available for Unitrak. There is a through-truss, and a box girder. The only country I have not seen evidence of such bridges being used in is the UK.
     
    So I pose a question; Does anyone who might pay attention to these have any knowledge or evidence of either bridge supplied by Kato being similar to a real bridge in the UK? Particularly Wales? Please let me know!
  6. AlfaZagato
    Sorry I've been quiet. I've mostly been lazy lately, but I've had other business as well.
     
    Firstly, the 5600 was built and tested. Can't complete a circuit of the loop I have set up at work. Shame. I don't think I'll pursue it further; any money I saved buying the kit secondhand has been spent trying to get a decent 94XX donor.

     
    Secondly, found a couple of gentlemen with some bring-backs at the local model train show/swap meet. I picked up a Langley yard crane. A lot of flash, but the castings cleaned up well.

     
    I just before mentioned a loop I have set up at work. Our office is in a storefront, so for the Christmas season I set up some Kato and run as prototypical trains as I can. This also means that my locomotives are pulling long shifts, about four hours a day. I try to change out locomotives every other day or so, but I have had two casualties so far. My Dapol 14XX, which I bought second-hand, and a Dapol Terrier, which I found new. The 14XX just quit, but the Terrier started smoking at one point. I'll need to investigate at some point; if the Terrier is only afflicted with a fused wire, I may be able to fix it myself. I have a shot of the loop below;

     
    Finally, I picked up a nice Micro-Ace set of a Japanese DD51, a rake of side-dump ballast hoppers, and a Japanese brake van/caboose. I'm not sure if Japanese practice relied on the van for train braking, ala UK practice, or if it was more of a crew office, ala US practice.


  7. AlfaZagato

    More Painting

    By AlfaZagato,

    Just more spay painting.   The battle suits have taken multiple coats of primer to cover their existing paint.    All the drones are in black now, as are all the infantry.   I picked up the infantry already basecoated.   Saves some time.

     
    In keeping with trying to clean up stuff on my bench, I finally primed my Firefly after nearly a year.    I haven't needed it, so urgency was minimal.

     
    Tonight saw the suits under black for the first time.    I need to turn them, and I haven't figured a good way to mount them.   So, each layer needs to dry before I get the next angle.    I'll try to figure something better out for color.

     
    Speaking of color, That's next!   All these Tau are getting Soviet green.   I'll detail from there.   Damn space communists...
  8. AlfaZagato

    GWR Buffalo in N

    By AlfaZagato,

    A couple of months ago, I had what then seemed like a clever idea.    I would knock together a Bachman-Farish Gronk with a pannier body.   I was inspired by a picture of the Buffalo in a book I had bought second-hand.   I hadn't known any outside-framed tanks received pannier tanks, much less lasted until the timeframe I nominally collect.   Excellent, I thought.   I figured this would be a simple bash.  Nope.
     
    First, my inspiration https://www.philt.org.uk/Misc/Archive-Photos/i-ZPJSZ5t/
     
    So, what I started with.

    The gronk was had decently cheap from Hatton's.   I chafe at the cost of these 08's.   So many N and OO9 kits call for them as a donor, with good reason.    Finding one for less than $100 online is uncommon.   Graham-Farish N isn't exactly common at local shows, either.   The 57XX body was from Hatton's, as well.   I ordered it with a host of Dapol Easi-shunt kit, to be featured at a later date.   
     
    It took me quite a bit of fiddling to get the footplate off of the gronk, after I found the plate on the 57XX integral with the casting.   After much fiddling, I ended up with below;

     
    Yeah, my idea wasn't as straightforward as I thought it would be.   The 08's motor and gearbox are significantly tall.    You can see just how tall below;

     
    I also managed to mangle one side of the brake gear, which I had planned on reusing.   A shame, as it seemed perfectly reasonable to my ignorant local audience.   I'll have to see about a shorter motor and mount.   Are their other Farish drivetrains that might drop in clean?  I hope so, or if there is a another, cheaper option.   The Gronk frame is much too obviously wrong, as well.   I may try cutting frames from styrene instead.    So much for an easy project.
  9. AlfaZagato
    I bought an N20 motor a couple of weeks ago, along with a pair of 3D printed gears to fit 1/8" axles & the N20.   My original thought was to fit it to this small LNER tank I picked up at an estate sale;

     
    While the motor would probably fit, it won't fit between the frames.   Which means needs to angle into the boiler.   Which hasn't enough space. 
     
    Playing around with the brass chassis, I think it was made undersized.    The chassis will 'walk' on my test plank.   I need to see if I can spread the frames some.  Hopefully, if I can drop the motor into the frame, this'll all work.    I might use the N20 on another project, though.
  10. AlfaZagato

    5600 and Vans

    By AlfaZagato,

    Updates will be thin for a while. Well, thinner than normal. I have other, more pressing or older projects that do not involve model railways in the slightest. Still, a shortlist of relevancy.
     
    Firstly, I am officially abandoning the 56XX kitbuild. The Grafar chassis under it made a circuit and a half on my loop, and quite. I am already $150 into the build, and I do not fancy trying for another donor chassis. Also, I had just found the announcement from RevolutioN about their plans on producing a RTR 56XX, so I will hold off until that is available.
     
    Secondly, I just this morning received some second-hand N Gauge Society kits of the SR 12-ton vans. I always try to bid on any N Gauge Society kits or RTR that crosses eBay, having not joined yet and only recently being in any sort of position to join. I like their kits that I've had before. I hadn't realized when I was bidding that these kits will build two wagons each. Made the purchase a much better deal than I had originally thought. For the era I aim for, though, even the 2+2 plank option is questionable, much less the plywood option. I may try scribing the plywood sides with 6" planking, to try to eke a little more value out of the kit. I have need of Peco chassis kits for other projects anyways, and I try to settle on lots to maximise the value of shipping when I order new from the UK.
     
    I may build these vans sooner than I intend to, as these are simple, fun little kits. I just need transfers for them.
  11. AlfaZagato

    Surprise Finds

    By AlfaZagato,

    I found this line-up by absolute chance on Friday 9/30.  Actually, I suppose to most of this sites' userbase, the date was 30/9.    Either way, seeing an E-unit in the wild is incredibly rare.   I don't recognize the line, though.   Discussion with my one train club suggested a commuter line in Maryland.    Makes this find even more unusual.    I live outside Chicago, and found this on my way home from work.    Still, cool.
  12. AlfaZagato
    Handful of new acquisitions.   Firstly, I won a Hornby Dean Single & two clerestory coaches in a raffle through one of my clubs;

     
    This did not come in the original box, so I don't know how old it is.   Doesn't look half bad, though.    Open armature motor, but there was an 8-pin decoder socket.   Odd combo, in my mind.    Backhead was detail-painted, as well.   Runs fine, though she will creep with the throttle closed.   I don't think I'll pursue super-detailing, but the tender and the coaches will receive Kadees at some point.   I might add a crew, as well.   That cab is very open.
     
    I also received a pair of resin diesel bodies from Parkwood Models;

     
    The Armstrong-Whitworth 'Universal' 2-6-2 diesel prototype, and a GWR/LMS English-Electric switcher.   I thankfully already have a donor for the EE.   I mentioned in earlier blogs I had intended to use that example to approximate a rebuilt Buffalo.   I think the EE will be more straightforward.   The shell has a notable 'cock' to it, though.   I'll need to try to straighten that out.
    I do not have a donor for the AW yet.   Parkwood suggests an old Minitrix chassis; I'm curious if anyone has tried a newer, possibly cheaper donor?  We'll see.
  13. AlfaZagato
    I had picked up a Cooper Craft GWR diagram V5 'Mink' at my club's swap meet some time back.  Decided I would start on it, feeling on-trains but not interested in bringing the iron back out.   
     
    I didn't get too far in one evening.    I set the top-hat bearings in the W-irons, glued an end to the side.   I know I need to alter the bracketry on the solebars.   Sadly, apparently an accurate V5 isn't possible with just this kit.   Pertinent parts for the DCI or II brakes aren't present.   Only a Morton brake is supplied.   Shame, though I doubt many stateside would notice.   I also couldn't find my fishing weights I use as wagon weights, either.   I wanted to have the ballast set up before I needed the floor.   I'll have to look some other time.
  14. AlfaZagato

    8th Army 4

    By AlfaZagato,


    Kitbuilding
    Finally got around to painting the bases for my half-squad of Bolt Action 8th Army;

     
    Just the one coat.  Don't want bare plastic, but I also didn't want to spend two weeks layering color.   I mounted the figures and based them, too.   All done;

    I have no idea why the photos are so yellow.   Whatever.    Maybe a little glib with the sand.   If it bothers me, I can pick them clean.   Gets them off of my bench, though.     Airbrushing is on hold at this point, though.    I managed to damage the tip I was using.   My one spare tip did not match either needle I have.    I haven't encountered Paasche parts in-store in years, either.    I guess I'll need to order parts.   We'll see.
  15. AlfaZagato
    So, first off, I think after this entry, I'll switch to a workbench thread.    The blogs here seem to get very little traffic, and I'm an attention whore.   I do want commentary on what I can do better.
     
    We had a short break in the weather, with reasonable temps, so I took to the cardboard box that qualifies as my spray booth.
     
    The Heller/Airfix/Tasman de Havilland Dragon Rapide is almost finished.   Two small detail paint jobs, window frames, and reattaching the struts should do it.   Good thing, too, as my club's layout is showing on March 23rd, and I think it will be a wonderful piece for our airfield.    I will not be attempting rigging on this build.    I don't think I did well enough of a job to warrant it.

     
    Next, I have a Bandai Gundam kit I am working on, the High Grade 1/144 OZ-06MS Leo.    I don't normally build these smaller HG kits.   I much prefer the 1/100 kits, normally Master Grade, but this I built and modified for a contest in my local Gunpla club.   Aiming for a pirate theme, I used parts from the Crossbone Gundam and a cheap scenery tree, along with some brass rod.    I also played with damaging the parts with a soldering iron.   I wanted the suit to look underkempt and beaten.   Tonight I managed to get a coat of paint on everything,  Citadel Chaos Black;

    Which focused on the bottle of ClearFix, apparently.
     
    I also managed a coat of primer on the Infinity models.   I don't think I'll work on them too much more in the immediate future.    At this stage, the painting would be intensive, and I have other, older, less intensive projects that time could be given to instead.

     
    Finally, I laid a coat of color on the Beetle.    I had a can of Boyd Lime Pearl, so I thought I'd give it a try.

    I hope I can get the roof smooth without destroying too much of the pearl; the paint is OoP, and the can is small.
     
    Watch for the thread.
  16. AlfaZagato
    Sorry I didn't post last week.   Culmination of excuses led to no work done at all.   Shameful, but I suppose this is a hobby.   Modelling is neither my job nor my life.   Sometimes, I need to realize that.
     
    Anyways, I've started streaming!  I figured, should I be able to drum up enough interest, I might turn a buck or two doing what I do anyways.   So I started a Twitch.   New laptop for it and everything.  I'll link it below.
     
    With the energy I've found from having a reason, I pulled out another kit to build till prime.   An oddity I found at a flea market, a Union 1/24 Renault 8 Gordini.   I thought $6 was a good deal, as I've seen it listed for $50 or more on eBay.
     
    Not a good deal, terrible kit.   Just completely atrocious.

     
    The seats, pedals, and exhaust manifold are all soft vinyl.   Superglue seems to stick, but I can't trim or cut it cleanly for the life of me.    Quality is dodgy, too.   Mold lines everywhere.   The tires are especially bad.   Engraving and surface detail is pathetic.   Some weird, at least to my experience, engineering decisions, too.   Like those fenderwells being separate.   I don't know why.   Errors in the directions don't help.
     

     
    I can't say anything either way about the body tooling.   Lots of mold lines here, too.   Shape may or may not be ok.   Admittedly, I've never seen a Renault 8 in person.   Honestly, I think I've only seen three Renaults of any nature, two Dauphines and a 4CV.   All rotted severely.   Didn't buy the one Dauphine that was for sale.   Thankfully.
     
    So, yeah, the stream.   I tend to stream at 7pm CST Monday to Thursday as of now.   See here for the channel - https://www.twitch.tv/alfazagato/ - the schedule should adjust for your time zone.   I hope you'll join me.   If not, next week?
     
  17. AlfaZagato
    No fault on Jidenco, but man am I bad at this soldering thing.   Real happy I didn't dive straight into the 3F.
     
    So; 

     
    Old kit, methinks.   I have option B, the 12t 1-planker.  I also don't have wheels for it.
     
    I fussed with it some years ago, when I first picked up the $10 stick-iron from Radio Shack.   Back when there were Radio Shacks.

     
    The mess on the bottom is from back then.   Trying to tin the thing.   Never got it quite clean.
     
    I'm a little better equipped now, though I guess 180-grit sandpaper isn't enough.   This is what I ended up with at the end of the night;

     
    I also really don't have good clamps for this.   Smallest clamps I have with any grip are 2".   Ended up bending the body at one point.   I also couldn't get the solder to flow.   I may have been generous with the flux.   I was under the impression that was right, though.    I don't know.   I need to order one of those scratch-pens.    George Dent suggests such a thing in his guides, and I've found myself agreeing with his methods before.
  18. AlfaZagato
    Like it says on the tin.  Couple of pics from this year's show.
     
    First, British Train Society's T-Trak layout.  I believe with two of my locos, Earl of Dunraven & my 5600

     
    Next, my current pride & joy on.the European Train Enthusiasts layout, DSB E 991

     
    Finally, starting a Parkside Dundas L&B four-wheel open. Debating whether seeking brass bearings will be worth it.

     
    The open will get Dapol NEM pockets from the outset.  Have a pack of them.  Eventual goal is to fit all 9mm gauge stock with Easishunts.  Distant goal as of now, though.
  19. AlfaZagato

    Ruination

    By AlfaZagato,

    Two entries on two nights, and both poor showings.
     
    I've mentioned earlier in this blog that I had two locomotives fail during the Christmas season, my Terrier and 14xx.    Tonight, I attempted to take them apart to ascertain what failed, and what I could do to remedy the issues.
     
    First, I attempted the Terrier.   Completely mangled the thing.    One of the clips just would not let go, and by the time it did, I had bent one of the coupling rods, lost a coupling rod pin, and snapped every connection between the pickups and the motor.    And I still couldn't remove the body.    Squished the thing back together and wedged it back in the box.   Might use it as a mule later for N gauge weathering.
     
    Second, I tackled the 14xx.    I was actually quite able to separate the body from the chassis easily.    Only issue was I did not have a Philips-head screwdriver fine enough to fit down the chimney, so I used a flathead instead.    Opening the body didn't help, though.   The motor didn't respond to directly applied current.   Shame, too, as the 14xx is easily my favorite locomotive.   I'll have to wait until another run is done.   This'll likely become a test canvas as well.
  20. AlfaZagato
    I just received a Kato Portram I had ordered;

    Adorable little thing.  Somehow, when I bid on eBay for it, I hadn't noticed the adorable articulated cat motif.   I bid on this with the intention of using the bogies for RT Models Lister Autotrucks.   But, I just can't ruin such a charming little tram.   Oh well.   I'll need to keep an eye out for another on the low end of the market.   Shame they're out of print, from my knowledge.   I probably spent too much on it for breaking it, anyways.
     
    It runs, as well!
     
  21. AlfaZagato

    Done

    By AlfaZagato,

    Sorry I've been quiet.   Just haven't taken time to write here.
     
    Firstly, I finished the two cars I've been dragging out. The Volkswagen;

    Paint did not come out perfect, but still.   This has been sitting half-built in my backlog for over a decade now.   Lack-luster paint was less important than finishing the build.
     
    Next, the Alpine-Renault;

    Paint is markedly better, but the decals tweaked on me.   I've had bad luck repeatedly with Tamiya waterslides.   I'll still use them, though.   I don't really want to spend more money on these kits.
     
    Number three here is kind of a bonus;

    The car in the back is a Tamiya Mini Cooper I built a number of years ago.   I saw how the Lego one was marked, and I just had to grab it.    I'll let you all guess.
     
    You might remember I entered a Gundam build contest, to build a Leo.  Well, this;

    ...won me second place!   Not the picture, mind you.    This Leo looks better in person.
     
    I lost to this;

    I'm OK with that.   He started with the same kit I did.   Where I only cribbed weapons and a gimmick piece from other kits, he kitbashed his Leo with one of the trashy Tallgeese kits from the 90's.   I don't know if you in England had access to those kits, but don't feel like you missed out on much.  The winner did one hell of a job making Vesuvio from blight.   Kudos to him.
     
    The contest was last Sunday, but I finished the two cars and the Lego two weeks ago at least.    I haven't really done much else since.    Rain and a return of the chill shut down the paint shop.   We'll see how things go. 
  22. AlfaZagato

    VuGowe Nightmare

    By AlfaZagato,

    I finished the model for my local Gundam club's contest.   At least, I'm calling it done.   

     
    More work was had on the centaur.   I'm going to plan and finish the 'human' torso before I go farther with the 'horse.'  The paint guide I found for a palomino is about 90% pastels, so I want to minimize handling before clear.

     
    I also made treacle tart.   Went over well.

     
    Here's to the contest.
  23. AlfaZagato
    I need to do more work.
     
    Work was slow at work, so I had the bright idea to bring a Gundam to build at work.   Took me a day-and-a-half.   I do enjoy the Gundam kits, especially the Master Grade kits.   They are snap-fit but entirely rewarding.   Here is the F91;
    If any of you are Gunpla fans, this is the Ver. 1.0 of the MG F91, and an early run kit, too.    I have built the 'Harrison' version before, so missed out on the Rafflesia stand seen here.    Both stand and kit could use detail painting, but I'll burn that bridge when I get there.
     
    Speaking of paint, I finally had a dry day this evening.    Cue continuance of priming;

     
    The whole of the contest model is primed, now.   I may need to go back and fill in gaps and roughness, but I can't let myself get too stuck in.    The judging is in July, and Chicago is being flighty as all hell this year with weather.    I hate Chicago, by the way.
  24. AlfaZagato

    Not-a-lot

    By AlfaZagato,

    Not much this week.   Started working on a new contest model.   I haven't done much yet.   Mostly, I have started the conversion work.

     
    I have only a month yet.    Here's to a decent finish.
  25. AlfaZagato

    False Starts

    By AlfaZagato,

    I've managed to mangle two projects tonight.    I've taken no pictures, in absolute shame.
     
    Firstly, I had done a very rough cut of a baseboard for my shoebox layout.   General idea was that I could build the whole of the layout on the plywood, so that I could work on it without destroying the box.    Problem with my cutting the baseboard myself is I only have a ripsaw, triangle, and tape measure handy.   Nary a sawhorse in sight.   Also, the sheet I started with wasn't square in the first place, so I wasn't expecting a great result.    I didn't get a great result.   Ripsaw wandered horribly; I ended with not a single straight edge.   At first, I tried to rasp down the worst of the sides, but I grew impatient, and the rasp was following the curve of the piece, negating any benefit I might gain from the exercise.   Hence, I tried to cut the balance off with my miter saw.    That didn't work too well.    I'll need to start again, and go somewhere I can use better facilities.
     
    Secondly, I managed to further ruin a wagon detailing project I started.    I've long had one of the Farish Macaws, and a book I picked up recently had an image of three Macaw B's and four Macaw J's(?), carrying a load of large pipe sections.    I think I managed to mess up my measurements.    The caption lists the pipes as 5'7" diameter.   Bringing this down to British N, I come up with 0.45 inches.   The nearest equivalent tube size I've found is 7/16, or 0.43 inches.   But, two sections abreast leaves me no space for the bracing evident on the bolsters.    I'm confused.    I've also cut my lengths like absolute trash, so I'll likely pick up new tube.   I just need to figure out of I have done my math wrong.   Any help there?
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