bluestag

Is the boiler resin, or 3D printed plastic?

Oh, I did not know the tortoises did not draw power at the limits, while driven by dcc. The decoders don't draw ANY power? My tortoises are driven by half wave DC, this being the mode with the least wire, as far as I can see. They make a faint noise when moving, but are silent when stopped. Perhaps it is a factor of my layout construction: L girders and a thick baseboard top of 3/4" ply with 1/2" fiber board on top? It might be hard to excite the mass to make noise. Anyway, the OP wanted to run a plank with a 3 amp controller, and I say that will be ample if it is only running trains. Apparently some turnouts on the buss won't overload it. I also prefer as analog a control system as I can rig. My brain seems to understand analog without difficulty, but I find digital confounding at times. Luckily one of my chums in the operating group is a wiz at it, and he tunes my locos for me.

OK, I'd expect on a plank layout to see no more than five turnouts. The tortoises draw power all the time. But not much. I like having a lever frame with a signal man and loco drivers. The loco drivers will only throw a few turnouts, on a ground frame, that are too far from the signal box to drive mechanically. (This is 1900). And the loco drivers do not have access to the turnouts thru their throttle. This is just me being finicky. I like the prototypical division of labor and responsibilities.

My point was that the 3 amp unit is more than sufficient for your current needs. The future can be handled by adding a booster. As I say, I have five or six decoder fitted locos on the track, with two or three running, on my 3 amp center unit. I don't expect to ever need more. Especially as I don't power turnouts with it. I'd suggest you buy the one you described.

My 7mm double track branch, 17' along one wall, 22' along the other, with room to run three locos readily, runs on a Digitrax Zephyr, which is limited to three amps and puts out about 14v. During operating sessions my chums bring all sort of locos to run. We have never tripped the circuit breaker on the unit with too many locos. Of course, I have no digital accessories. The points are driven by tortoises, which are switched in an analog fashion, and the power comes from an old toy train transformer. I think three amp should be ample for whatever you are going to run on a 5' x 2' plank. Don't over spend.

I hear that George Watt has retired, and sold off his business. Any word? I hope that it returns soon, for the good of the hobby. I expect the price to jump substantially, brace your self.

To refresh this conversation. I found a tin of Cherry Paints plum that I squirreled away years ago. Decades, actually. It is a very dark purple. I had thought that Mr. Color Hull Red was a good match, but not close. I have also purchased a finished coach, and the paint is a bit browner than dark purple. It certainly has a hint of purple. In the Mr. Color range there is a "Russian Aircraft Blue" which is about as dark a blue as the Cherry plum is purple. A bit of pure red brings it purple, to the point I am nearly matched to the Cherry Paints. Pity is it is satin. I'll need to top coat it with gloss.

Got the primer, grey self etch from a spray bomb, covered with red oxide, also a spray bomb. I am surprised by how well the paint laid down, not at all grainy or orange peely. It is raining just now, so a few days for the primer to cure, and I'll attempt the plum.

Yes, I don't think it has anything to do with my airbrush. I just can't get the dilution right. Either it is too far away or too dry, as I get a grainy surface.

I have two miles from home one of America's best stocked (in paints especially) hobby shops. Yes, it is Mr Hobby solvent based lacquers that I use. They also make a water based lacquer, although I have not experience of that. They offer no railway colors, surprise surprise, and only some if it is gloss. There is a lot of military colors. There is gloss that one can add to satin or flat colors, but that tends to make the color translucent. I am going to paint my LNWR coaches in a plum (purple brown) made up of gloss purple and satin red-brown, with a dosh of gloss. They are primered in red oxide, which the plum should cover reasonably well. But I am ready to apply two coats to get a dense enough coverage. The white panels will be painted with old Cherry paint I have from 25 years ago. It has aged just fine. With a brush. Again, I'm prepared to apply two coats. Nobody said painting coaches was easy We don't have cellulose over here, at least not in California.

Not acrylics. Lacquers. My understanding is that they behave a lot like cellulose. They certainly dry quickly. And they lay down well. I do not have orange peel or grain when I spray with them. I get a very smooth finish.

Back to the topic at hand: I recently purchased https://spraygunner.com/holiday-gift-ideas/gifts-for-kids/gsi-creos-mr-airbrush-procon-boy-ps-290/ Apparently it is built in the same factory as the Iwata. I like the trigger. I will likely buy a larger cup for it. I'll see, as I try to paint my 7mm six wheel coaches. I have failed to get enamels to work in either my Iwata or Mr Airbrush. I have successfully sprayed lacquer with a smooth finish. For $100 I think I did well.

Thanks for the sarcasm. I DID google it, did not find it.

What's the title to that book?

Hey guys, Thanks, I've been away. But I got hold of the ultrasonic cleaner. It shook off the little bit of residue of the bar keeper's friend that persisted in some corners, and I assume whatever I could not see on the sides. It was heated to 35 centigrade. Two castings came loose from two coaches, which had been applied with too little epoxy. Happily I caught them before they disappeared. I read the instructions on the self etch primer (!) and it says to wash the surfaces with mineral spirits to clean off any grease or oil. A tentative application did not seem to disturb any superglued details. A further report as I steel myself and actually get some paint on the coaches. I'm spraying in lacquer because I am getting good results, with enamels I was making a mess of it. K