My kit bashed beep got a mini commander and a sound commander 2 upgrade this week.
Attachments
Images (3)
Videos (1)
@Darrell posted:My kit bashed beep got a mini commander and a sound commander 2 upgrade this week.
Another electronic engineer major at work.
Nice Darrell .
Like this thread so much. I'm contemplating kitbashing a failed k-line bash into a scale dimensioned prr B70a baggage car. So far I have (1) dismanteled the first kitbash, (2) sketched the dimensions of the B70a based on prr equipment diagrams and measuring dimensions of a ggd prr B70, (3) relocated the truck mounting holes on the first k-line baggage bash car frame to account for a scale length car and (4) started work on a scratch wood round roof. If I can get close to an excetable looking roof, I will continue with the project. I plan to the use one of the k-line baggage car ends and scratch build the unique large tall door for the other end and scratch build all of the side doors. I wish I could find a good scale model with the unique design elelments, but they are rare and expensive. Norm C with many talents has a great youtube of his acquisition. Cheers.
Finished the wiring in my F3 dummy shell last night. I'm in the home stretch on this project finally. Just need to install the harness between the two engines and test it out.
Bob
Attachments
Images (2)
FWIW, I typically test the lighting at this stage just connecting to individual wires. I hate to get something all together and find out I have to rip it all apart again. 
@gunrunnerjohn posted:FWIW, I typically test the lighting at this stage just connecting to individual wires. I hate to get something all together and find out I have to rip it all apart again.
Were you looking over my shoulder last night John? 
I tested everything before installing them in the shell. Wouldn't you know that when I tested everything again, the headlight didn't work. So now I have to figure out what happened.
@RSJB18 posted:Wouldn't you know that when I tested everything again, the headlight didn't work. So now I have to figure out what happened.
Yep, that happens sometimes as well. 
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Yep, that happens sometimes as well.
It's my own fault. The LED's came out of an old set of xmas lights. Not worth the time and effort to use old stuff. 😡
Doug.....Is the green Seat and switch insert original to your CV or something you sourced somewhere else? If original I could use your loco's 6- number so I could look it up. Nice conversion BTW.
Richard
Thanks Richard, My engine is the 6-18067. The cab wall is original to the engine.
Doug
Thanks's for the quick response.
Richard
Little more parts box rummaging and I've got a complete GS4 tender. Little trick to use a PS3 wireless drawbar tender frame with a metal drawbar is to rummage in your parts bin, find a scrap Rail King tender frame with a drawbar pin, cut the front of the frame off, drill two holes in it, and bolt it to the front of the PS3 tender frame. Take da, instant drawbar pin. I didn't hook up the tender truck chains yet as I'll be removing the trucks when I install boards/speaker/etc to drill mounting holes. It's cosmetically all together except for blackening the drivers. I'll do that when it gets cooler out in the fall, along with wiring and installing a PS3 kit.
Attachments
Images (5)
That's a great looking engine, Lou!
Darrell, Bob, nice work on the BEEPS.
Lou you've got some scrap box!
I stuck a 4 lobe cam in place of the factory 2 lobe cam on my TMCC Southern Pacific AC9. Much better sounding than the old 2 chuff cam, and an easy/cheap upgrade.
@coach joe posted:Lou you've got some scrap box!
It's nothing compared to some other people's scrap boxes. I go to their scrap box when mine doesn't have what I need.
@Lou1985 posted:I stuck a 4 lobe cam in place of the factory 2 lobe cam on my TMCC Southern Pacific AC9. Much better sounding than the old 2 chuff cam, and an easy/cheap upgrade.
For those of us who don't know any better, are those four lobe cams available to buy?
Also, does everything stay "in sync"?
Way cool. Thanks for sharing....again!
@Berkshire President posted:For those of us who don't know any better, are those four lobe cams available to buy?
Also, does everything stay "in sync"?
Way cool. Thanks for sharing....again!
Well not exactly. You have to make one or have someone make you one. It's basically a 11.5mm square with a 4mm hole in the middle. Everything stays in sync as the cam is secured to the axle.
@Lou1985 posted:It's nothing compared to some other people's scrap boxes. I go to their scrap box when mine doesn't have what I need.
I have scrap box envy....😬😬🤪🤪
@coach joe posted:Darrell, Bob, nice work on the BEEPS.
Lou you've got some scrap box!
Thanks Joe.
Thanks Joe, 2 of 3 done!
"What's on the workbench at the moment"...
Lots. But it's the wrong scale.
Andre
What's NOT on the workbench at the moment. On the way back soon but......
Ground up cleaning of my postwar steamers and tenders. A few before and after pics.
Attachments
Images (9)
@ChiTown Steve posted:Ground up cleaning of my postwar steamers and tenders. A few before and after pics.
Nice job Steve.
What did you use for the clean up on the amateur and outher parts ? 🤔
@Dallas Joseph posted:Nice job Steve.
What did you use for the clean up on the amateur and outher parts ? 🤔
Thanks. The internal part of the locomotive I started with mineral spirits and Q-Tips to get the easy grime/oil off. Let it dry over night. The hit it with a soft wire wheel on the dremel where ever I could. I mean every where too.
The shell got washed inside and out with dish washing soap.
Then I replaced the old cloth wires with new ones. It really helped make the whistle a lot stronger.
All oil and grease was removed from the gears. I replaced it with a Labelle bearing oil on the armature, light oil on the wheels and white lithium grease on the gears. Very light amounts in all cases.
All 6 engines and tenders are running great. Ready for another 70 years. Great engineering and build quality. 👍
ChiTown, nice job. I bet it will run as it did when it was assembled at the factory.
More progress on the Korber RH build
Attachments
Images (2)
I'll tell you what is NOT on my workbench at the moment, it is my Lionel radar tower. I started it in Oct of 2010 and it has been on my bench ever since. Well last week I finally worked on it and it is off the bench and on the layout. Just needs to be wired up. Not too bad - 12 years. Pretty darn quick if you ask me ! 
Attachments
Images (2)
@Bill Sherry posted:I'll tell you what is NOT on my workbench at the moment, it is my Lionel radar tower. I started it in Oct of 2010 and it has been on my bench ever since. Well last week I finally worked on it and it is off the bench and on the layout. Just needs to be wired up. Not too bad - 12 years. Pretty darn quick if you ask me !
I really love the base for the tower, what all did you use?
I was in a hobby shop and saw sheets of plastic about 14 in square with various things on them - windows of all kinds and also this one with stone blocks. I think you are to cut what you want to size and paint. I turned it over and filled it with plaster of paris and have been using it here and there on the layout. 
On this base I framed it with wood and then just glued the walls to it. Then added the stairs and lamp over the door. Put a few LEDs inside to light up the door panels.
Other uses - made the pour with the mold curved so I could use it on a curved wall.
A few more ...
Attachments
Images (5)
@Bill Sherry posted:I was in a hobby shop and saw sheets of plastic about 14 in square with various things on them - windows of all kinds and also this one with stone blocks. I think you are to cut what you want to size and paint. I turned it over and filled it with plaster of paris and have been using it here and there on the layout. 
On this base I framed it with wood and then just glued the walls to it. Then added the stairs and lamp over the door. Put a few LEDs inside to light up the door panels.
Other uses - made the pour with the mold curved so I could use it on a curved wall.
A few more ...
Ingenious use of the sheet of plastic cut stone.
@Bill Sherry posted:I was in a hobby shop and saw sheets of plastic about 14 in square with various things on them - windows of all kinds and also this one with stone blocks. I think you are to cut what you want to size and paint. I turned it over and filled it with plaster of paris and have been using it here and there on the layout. 
On this base I framed it with wood and then just glued the walls to it. Then added the stairs and lamp over the door. Put a few LEDs inside to light up the door panels.
Other uses - made the pour with the mold curved so I could use it on a curved wall.
A few more ...
Brilliant.
Thanks much for the comments !
@Alex M posted:More progress on the Korber RH build
Nice - even though I added a floor to tie everything together, I also drilled small holes into the tops and bottoms of each corner and inserted about a 1.5" long, glued-up small diameter steel rod in each hole to help add some rigidity to the structure. A little putty and some touch-up paint and you would never know.
Will you be adding a floor and/or wiring for lights ?
Attachments
Images (2)
Here's another little led project for lighting drumheads in passenger observation cars. It helps spread the light out across the drumhead and diminish the bright spot prevalent in most observation cars. (Click for larger images)
The pcb certainly wouldn't be limited to that single use, however. The leds are 0603 size and my source only had "white", not "warm white", the color I prefer. The pcb is GRJ designed, and also requires an 0805 size smt resistor to match input voltages to the led(~3-3.2vdc). The pcb design circuitry requires around 6vdc to light, using a 330ohm resistor. Adjust to a higher number for higher input voltage. Higher value resistance, the dimmer the light. Suit your taste.
A few items I would recommend when working with such small components are:
A very small tip for your soldering iron. I use a Hakko soldering station as has been much recommended here on the forum.
The tip size is a T18--C05. It really worked well and made soldering the small components much easier.
Next is some small diameter rosin flux solder. I used .020"(0.5mm)
Third would be a good magnifier. Your choice. I use a visor, double lenses for increased magnification, Harbor Freight special, but many use the large round lighted ones, and I know they like them a lot.
The pcb has markings on it as do the leds for determining polarity. Important when working with dc voltage leds. Different manufacturers use different markers, but in my limited experience, they will all have a marker toward the cathode or negative side.
My technique for placing and soldering the components is the same as many here on the forum. Put a dot of solder on one side pick and hold the component with tweezers and solder that side. On this pcb, I go ahead and place one side of all six leds at once, then reorient the pcb and finish the other side.
Because I didn't like the white color of the leds once installed in the drumhead, I used some Tamiya X26 clear orange paint to yellow out the look. I prefer an incandescent look on lighting if possible. YMMV
I found that with a few specialized tools working with small components isn't all that bad. Give this lighting effect a whirl, on your drumheads, or whatever. I think it's worth the effort. Now if I can persuade @AlanRail to print one of those beautiful railings/drumheads after I essentially destroyed it years ago in the initial lighting effort, I'll be golden. 
Attachments
Images (8)
Thanks for the details on the soldering equipment. I tried to do some very detailed stuff on some custom pcbs yesterday, and while it went okay I knew it should have been easier. A fine tip iron and small diameter solder should do the trick.
Took a short break from The Big Project, and and piddled with some cars that have arrived over the course of the past week.
Going through them and adding metal wheels, adjusting coupler heights, cutting off truck mounted couplers and installing Kadee boxes and couplers (on the gondolas), etc, etc...
Today it's back to The Big Project.
Andre
