Ho scale hood sides

[railflyermodel]

Will do on the applicability request.

3 GP sheets are done on the back. 2 SD are done too. As orders come in, the tops will be done to match demand.

CJH

 

[NYSW F45]

Chris, what have you done with the first trial pieces for the hood sideS?

 

[railflyermodel]

I only did two to save time setting up. I am picking up plastic today for the production of all versions. I have been waiting for a replacement 0.5mm flat to arrive so I can start the top sides. The set up of the new fuel tanks and hoods was hard on the cutters.

I have had the DP 6244 Weed Cutter Plow running since Monday. 296 will be in stock.

I am running the DP 6240 CN Plow Next. The plastic I am picking up today will do some details I am moving over to plastic, the hoods, decks, and rear hoods.

Production on the hoods will be done when that cutter arrives, everything else is here.

I have all versions on the website programmed and ready to cut for the hoods.

CJH

 

[railflyermodel]

In 2 - 3 weeks you should be able to see most of our new loco and detail product revisions, I am moving everything over to a machined, injection moulded plastic, and machined, laser cut format with everything made on-site so I don't have the headaches the past few years of using China for tooling and machining. PE is also expensive to set up and has 3 - 6 month lead times so the laser will replace what the Datron can't.

 

[PApat]

thanks for the update, Chris. Please keep us posted on progress. Best of luck getting things up and running...

-bill

 

[railflyermodel]

Guys,

Here are some updates:

DP 6244 Weed Cutter Snow Plow - this has been running all week, right now the rear will be done tonight, as of this morning the CNC passed 1.29 million lines of code out of 1.56 million required to do the rear final pass. I was in a catch 22 here, the faster tool path's would omit some detail so I stuck with the "hybrid" which enables all of the features to be formed correctly. The rear is not fast because the cutter has to go around all of the surface detail that forms the mount for the plow. The next plow will be next DP 6240 CN Snow Plow. I am waiting on a 0.5MM flat from Hitachi to restart the hood sides. If the weed cutter file is finished before it arrives, the second plow file will be started.

Hood Sides - all of the dash two versions are programmed. I have material now in hand for 25 sheets. Yield is 9 kits per sheet. After the Weed Cutter Snow Plow and the 0.5MM Flat arrives, I will start running production. Will be sometime this week.

In the mean-time, get the orders in. Here are some images with a sample and Cannon components installed. This will easily beat anything including the new "Genesis" units coming out of China. I managed to see a new Athearn GP38-2W up close this week, all I can say is the only way to get an accurate model is to use our products. You can also see the DP 6209 SD D2 Walkway Duct in these images. Just a reminder, the file has been corrected so the walkway light behind the walkway duct will be machined down to show the lip around the hole, and bolt detail.

In addition to the hoods, I am working on files for the rear hood. Though the Cannon parts will work, the detail on the bottom around the access doors in our product will be a better representation for the prototype. It will also be drilled for grab locations, you can use our scale grab irons and the walkway light will be cut so you can light up the rear deck.

The next project I am starting to set up is to replace two lost moulds, the stanchions. The new version will be micro-machined metal. I will be able to run a test for them this week and start production next week.

The new fuel tanks will be programmed for production. Here is the sample for the SD40-2W.

So to recap:

DP 6244 Weed Cutter Snow Plows - In production.
Dash 2 Hood Sides - Will start production this week.
Stanchions - Testing this week.
DP 6240 CN Snow Plow - Production either this week or after the hood sides.
Rear Hoods - Fixture and part designed for testing, production afterwards.

I also have material for the decks and a frame test.

The locomotive kits right now are:

New Hood Sides - done in 1 - 2 weeks
Rear Hood - done in 1 - 2 weeks
New Frames - done in 2 - 4 weeks
New Fuel Tanks - done in 2 - 3 weeks
New Decks - done in 2 - 4 weeks
New Pilots/Step Wells, Bolster Plates, Hood Weights - testing over the next two weeks
New Stanchions - done in 2 - 4 weeks, handrails for the "Wide Cabs" are done and in stock

The next batch of parts will be the trucks and drive. Along with some injection mould tooling.

The DCC/dWiDCC is less than $500 away from starting programming.

That's about it for now. Also going to test a new tread plate product that is made from machined styrene.

Christopher Howard, Railflyer Model Prototypes Inc.
www.railflyermodel.com

 

[railflyermodel]

Guys,

The rear of the DP 6244 Weed Cutter Plow's will be done tonight, this image was taken about two hours ago.

This image was from a test I did before the CNC went dead this fall.

This is a test I did this past fall with the DP 6240 CN Snow Plow's.

So once the Weed Cutter front is done, if the new flat end mills required to do the hood sides arrive, I will start pumping out hood sides next. If not when the DP 6244 parts are done, then I will go into the DP 6240 CN Snow Plows and get them running.

All the best,

Christopher Howard, Railflyer Model Prototypes Inc.
www.railflyermodel.com