7mm Richards P48 US Thread

[richard carr]

Hi Jordan

Yes I have some of those, I also have some small brass fishplates which are described for both code 100 and 125.

I now need to build a code 100 switch.

Richard

 

[richard carr]

I got back early yesterday morning and to help get over the jet lag you need to keep yourself busy all day.

So plenty of dog walking, food shopping and watching qualifying for the GP although I almost fell asleep !

I also managed to do this.






Microscale were reluctant to sell me the decals as they said they were so old. Everything went just fine though, I soaked them in warm water for quite a while and painted plenty of micro sol on to the loco before applying the decals.

 

[Scale7JB]

Lovely paint job. Give you a shout tomorrow, although I guess we are meeting tomorrow eve?

JB.

 

[richard carr]

Hi JB

Yes we are all good for this evening.

I see Des plaines Hobbies is having a one day 25% off sale.

Richard

 

[richard carr]

What I hope is the last iteration of the airtanks for the Sunset SD40s arrived this evening, thank you Robin.



They are quite bit bigger diameter wise



The block on the side is to correctly space the tanks when you put them on the model, it also helps prevent them warping.

These are the original tanks, almost hidden away



and the new ones





I just need to paint them and add the pipe work.

 

[Big Train James]

Don't forget to slope them by 1" over their length, to be truly prototypical.....

 

[richard carr]

Jim

Is that length wise or height wise ?

 

[Dog Star]

Is there an automatic drain valve at the bottom of the slope?

 

[mickoo]

Jim

Is that length wise or height wise ?

It'll be height, it's to allow any condensate to fall to one end and drain away, kind of academic on an engine as the slope only works if the engine is dead level, which probably isn't often.

 

[richard carr]

I think we are both having a bit of joke Mick.

Richard

 

[Big Train James]

Is there an automatic drain valve at the bottom of the slope?

Yes, there is a valve at the low end of each tank. I'll post a photo later unless somebody beats me to it.

Mick, definitely joking around. There isn't enough room to slope them on any mass produced models, the walkways are always overly thick. Plus only excessively compulsive people (cough cough, ahem, cough ) would do something like that anyway. Right?

 

[Big Train James]

 

[richard carr]

I'm guessing a bit at the dimensions of the valve but if its 4 inches long by 3 high then that scales down to 2mm long and 1.6 high.
It would probably look more like a rectangular blob that a valve, if you tried to print it. So I won't be adding it.

Richard

 

[Big Train James]

It would probably look more like a rectangular blob that a valve, if you tried to print it.

Oh, I don't know......


There's no way the drain valve or the mounting brackets will survive in resin, so the intent ultimately is to cast them in brass. What I may attempt is to cast the reservoir bell end with associated hardware, leaving a rabbet on the inboard end where the prototype weld would be, to fit into a 5/16" diameter brass tube. Then the entire assembly would get soldered to the underframe.

 

[mickoo]

Oh, I don't know......
View attachment 223144View attachment 223145

There's no way the drain valve or the mounting brackets will survive in resin, so the intent ultimately is to cast them in brass. What I may attempt is to cast the reservoir bell end with associated hardware, leaving a rabbet on the inboard end where the prototype weld would be, to fit into a 5/16" diameter brass tube. Then the entire assembly would get soldered to the underframe.

If anyone was going to do it........

 

[richard carr]

I'm not surprised that you did it Jim, but as you say it isn't going to survive in resin.
As for getting it cast in brass, that is just too much hassle for me

Here's the painted tanks glued to the loco. I haven't painted the pipework partly so you can see it.







The next thing to tackle are the missing frames

 

[Big Train James]

If anyone was going to do it........

Lol, very true. Now if I could just find some chairs around here that need pushing back in.......

 

[mickoo]

Lol, very true. Now if I could just find some chairs around here that need pushing back in.......

Stop it!

 

[richard carr]

You might remember that I bought an NS SD70ACe, I converted it to P48 a while back but since I did it has developed an intermittent short.

As it appeared after I had done the conversion, I thought it must something from that, probably the side frames touching a wheel. No I checked every thing, filed back all the bits that could possibly touch and it still happened.

So the only conclusion was that there was something faulty inside that I would have to fix, I couldn't exactly send it back now I had converted it to P48 !



SO I opened it up, which thankfully was fairly easy just 8 screws to remove and the body comes off, and I found this.



This is the connection to the front ditch lights, it looks like they have been crushed when the body was put on the chassis.
Fortunately it was an easy fix with a long piece of heat shrink sleeving and everything runs fine now.

 

[richard carr]

I've also been busy with adding air tanks to the MP SD40 and weathering boxcars.

Before, you can barely see the tanks



And after






I've been experimenting with using acrylics for weathering, this time various colours from Vallejo
The main mix was black, smoke and a couple of browns





The rust is from some Model Mates acrylics but I think those are not available anymore.