This weekend's work

[RCH]

Well, for not even thinking I was going to get a chance at working on models this weekend, I ended up being fairly productive.

Lately, I've been revisiting this caboose. It started out as a Cotton Belt Wide Vision caboose from the first Atlas release. I added the Moloco standard cupola conversion kit, scratchbuilt an interior, painted and decaled it, then began weathering. It still needs the Plano etched walkway added to it, but first I needed to paint up the primer/silver/rust roof. Once the red roofwalk is added, I'll hit some small spots on the roof with a little red overspray. Then I'll add the cut levers, rooftop grabs, glazing/window frames, and little seats in the cupola. My little girls have recently become fascinated with cabooses and point them out every opportunity they get. Sadly, I find them in McDonald's Playland more often than on rails...

Anyway, here's that caboose:




Next is a Norfolk Southern GP38-2 I've been working on forever. I still need to add sanding lines, glazing, NWSL wheels, cut levers, lights and replace a broken firecracker antenna. This is one of a pair of GP38-2s that I've been trying out virtually every weathering technique on. I've used artist's oils, airbrushed enamels, drybrushed chalk/alcohol sludge, mineral spirits brushed in a downward motion to give a rain streaked effect and finally brushed dry powdered chalk. One day I'll learn how to take photos of black locomotives. Until then, here's the photo:




Here's its sister unit:




Anyway, these are in-progress photos. It will probably be another year before I'm able to finish. That's due in part to the fact that I keep a number of models in progress at once and try to keep my weathering sessions spread out to avoid giving the models a uniform look.

Here's the other stuff cluttering my workbench:









I hope you enjoyed the models (and tolerated the photos )

[SDP45]

I REALLY like the BN one. More photos please!

[CBCNSfan]

Well, it's not perfect, and I'm not a great craftsman, the plastic handrails are too big, but it was the best I could do at the time. I learned a lot from this project, there's a few mistakes like the handrails that I won't make on the next one. So here's my MLW RS18 from an old LifeLike RS11 shell and an Athearn GP7 drive and chassis. It's almost finished. I have to put the hoses, headlight lenses and some black and some rust paint coloring for the wheels and trucks, maybe this evening I'll get it finished. After that it's he GP18. Just click on the thumbnails for the big picture.

Cheers Willis

[RCH]

Originally Posted by SDP45

I REALLY like the BN one. More photos please!

Ask and ye shall receive....

These are photos a little farther back in the process of weathering. Like I said, I spread the weathering phase out over a few weeks, sometimes months.

http://www.geocities.com/norfolksout...mDiesels5.html

And for the train that follows these two locomotives:

http://www.geocities.com/norfolksout...ose/Botno.html

[RCH]

Willis, I think you could bend your own handrails for that RS18. Using some fine wire and keeping the stanchions (drilling them out) would go a long way toward making the model look really good. As it is now, it looks great, as do all your other models, but the thickness of the handrails does take away from the model. I can't believe you have an Athearn GP9 drive under that thing! Genius!

[CBCNSfan]

I can't believe you have an Athearn GP9 drive under that thing!

LOL it sure won't fit an Athearn shell again. Genius NO! if I was I wouldn't have started on it, bull headed or determined more like it. After a bit of grinding I had no choice but to totally ruin the Athearn frame or make something of it. I will build the second one though, using the Athearn stanchions and brass wire for rails. The filters will also be somewhat different.
Thanks for the compliments, and I'd like to add my complements for your above photos.
some day I'll bite the bullet and do some weathering.

Cheers Willis

[B_Kosanda]

Nice work RC. Hey, if you really want to show off your work, build a small diorama consisting of a few feet of track and take it outside and photograph that caboose in natural sunlight. It makes a tremendous difference.

Bill

[MKTMIKE]

Really nice work Rich. Still looking for your BN caboose "With Luck Hopefully".

Mike Chapmon
MKTMIKE

[modelbob]

Duplicate attachment so this thread can be one of the "featured discussions"

[CBCNSfan]

Hi Bob, I believe that would be a excellent idea keeping this thread to the fore front as a featured discussion.