Latest Project?

My latest project involves assembling an Amtrak Auto-Train in 'O' Gauge. I have 13 Superliners and 15 autoracks (MTH made the now-retired CN-style enclosed 'racks) plus custom-painted 'wave scheme' Genesis diesels. I was able to get 9 coaches and 12 autoracks onto my test track. On it's maiden run however, the Superliners' lights were drawing too much power (8 amps at almost 20 volts) with no movement from the locos. So I'm converting the coaches to LED lighting, which should drop their consumption from a half-amp each to around 20ma.

I've taken a crash course in building voltage/current regulator modules, and with a supply of electronic parts, I'm working on the first coach, mounting the LED strips and hooking them into the regulator and in turn, the cars' power system. The last piece of the puzzle, two-pin connectors for joining the upper and lower level wiring, just arrived yesterday, so hopefully the first upgraded coach should emerge this weekend, if not sooner.

---PCJ

RailRide wrote:My latest project involves assembling an Amtrak Auto-Train in 'O' Gauge. I have 13 Superliners and 15 autoracks (MTH made the now-retired CN-style enclosed 'racks) plus custom-painted 'wave scheme' Genesis diesels. I was able to get 9 coaches and 12 autoracks onto my test track. On it's maiden run however, the Superliners' lights were drawing too much power (8 amps at almost 20 volts) with no movement from the locos. So I'm converting the coaches to LED lighting, which should drop their consumption from a half-amp each to around 20ma.

I've taken a crash course in building voltage/current regulator modules, and with a supply of electronic parts, I'm working on the first coach, mounting the LED strips and hooking them into the cars' power system. The last piece of the puzzle, two-pin connectors for joining the upper and lower level wiring, just arrived yesterday, so hopefully the first upgraded coach should emerge this weekend, if not sooner.

---PCJ

Cant wait to see pics on that!

Gonna try to add alclad to my new arrow.

The paint isn't bad, but All my other Silverliners and Arrows are alclad painted, so I figure i'll just mask the ends and "flat" areas, then add alclad to the fluted regions. That ought make them look close enough. then I can decal them, and if I'm feeling brave, add lights. Also gonna have to add grab irons and chains, but i have several Arrow/Silverliner grab iron jigs from my Arrow III kits.

Kitbashed, added the dynamic brake housing on this GP60 to look like a GP50 and derate it to a GP38-3

what are those supports under the train?

Steve F45 wrote:what are those supports under the train?

Those were spare supports that came for a tugboat kit (to display it, didn't need them though)

I just had reattached the plow and did some paint to the bottom of the fuel tank. was just letting it dry.

OK, well.... it's been a couple months now, so let's drop in on my dad's basement and see how the Back Bay/Fort Point Chanel project is doing... shall we?

Tracks are down now in Back Bay, and more importantly,...


The old 4x8 (South Boston, or formerly "Providence" in years past) is now reconnected!


My dad at work on the reversing loop...


Close up of the location of the future FPC Draw bridges...


The approach and yard throat for S. Station...


The Fort Point Chanel bridges...











Son I expect I'll be posting more in the "Action Photos" thread than here.

UPgrading GP38-2s from left to right

First is my NY&A 271 engine, im finally detailing it as closely to match the prototype in it's 9/11 scheme

Second is New York Container Terminal GP38-2 GMTX 2109, got it off Ebay recently looks good. I'm going to add ditch lights & MU stands and give it an Athearn Genesis motor I have lying around

That SBTR GP9 is just sitting there, needs decals.

The black GP38-2 is going to become a genset. BL20CG

Working on an athearn rtr tunnel motor. Was formerly painted in KCS and will be painted in NYSW and numbered 3014. I added the appropriate detail parts to make it as accurate as possible while removing what was taken off after rebuilding in 2007.

These pics show the A/C blank out on the cab roof and antenna tubing that i added along with the lift rings.

Sunrise enterprises SP light cluster with blankouts


I'de have more pics posted but the site is telling me they can't determine the image size and want post the links.

What have I been working on? Oh.... Nothing......







Catenary? What Catenary? Well, I suppose I'm just getting my Arrow III kits in order...





Added grab irons to this RTR Arrow III



My Arrow III fleet is 16 strong, and I have 8 Arrow IIs on the way.

These 5 shells were the last that needed to be cleaned out and prepared for assembly. I'll probably do all the underbodies next in an assembly line fashion. The big challenge will be lighting, and eventually powering these cars.

NICE catenary!!

jwhite07 wrote:NICE catenary!!

Agreed! And the Arrows look great too, nice job on them! Are they IMW or IHP?

acelaphillies wrote:

jwhite07 wrote:NICE catenary!!

Agreed! And the Arrows look great too, nice job on them! Are they IMW or IHP?

IHP. The IMW Arrows are patterned after the 1992 rebuilds, the IHP ones match their "as delivered" configuration, which is what I model.

green_elite_cab wrote:

acelaphillies wrote:

jwhite07 wrote:NICE catenary!!

Agreed! And the Arrows look great too, nice job on them! Are they IMW or IHP?

IHP. The IMW Arrows are patterned after the 1992 rebuilds, the IHP ones match their "as delivered" configuration, which is what I model.

Okay. Everything looks great! If you have the chance sometime please post more pictures.

acelaphillies wrote:

green_elite_cab wrote:

acelaphillies wrote:

jwhite07 wrote:NICE catenary!!

Agreed! And the Arrows look great too, nice job on them! Are they IMW or IHP?

IHP. The IMW Arrows are patterned after the 1992 rebuilds, the IHP ones match their "as delivered" configuration, which is what I model.

Okay. Everything looks great! If you have the chance sometime please post more pictures.

Actually, I was thinking about making a separate Arrow III build thread, and then photograph each step. I figure at the very least, even if you can't get Arrow III kits anymore, the techniques might be useful for those building resin kits in general. Also, its that much more impressive when you have several being built at once.