What’s on your Workbench?

[J. S. Bach]

...snip... just wondering if one or two of us are the only ones with anything to add. If that is so, then the question was solely intended to get input as to whether others found value in its continuation. ...snip...

I no longer have the manual dexterity to build anything (an Athearn "blue box" kit would give me problems now) so I now just enjoy reading and seeing what others are doing.

Yes of course.
I will add some stuff - all I am doing lately is adding injectors and check valves, but I shall share. I promise I read every word on this forum and do not remember anyone ever disparaging your work or Martin's, or mine, for that matter. ...snip...

So do I but rather than adding to the ambient noise level, I rarely comment on your (or anyone else's for that matter) posts; well, an exception might be those "B-17" nosed diesels, I really like the looks of them!

[bob turner]

Okay. Current projects include the U50 monstrosity, a converted AN Atlantic, a couple ten wheelers involving a live steam donor piece, a GS-1, and soon a 2-railing project for an MTH ten-wheeler. I will post a few photos, then outline the progress. I think tonight is check valves and injectors for the AN project, which is a bit further along than the photo would indicate.



This was an Atlantic, of the Babbitt persuasion, where they stripped the running boards off. I already have an Atlantic, and am not really wild about the model, except that Ed Bommer has done a really good one and I may try to copy it. But for this one I quickly drilled the frame for the third driver, cut off the firebox, modified the steam dome, and in general screwed it up pretty good. It will look ok, and will be unpowered. If I started today and ran each powered model I own, you would not hear from me until August.

[sarge]

I like the proportions. It captures a catalogue engine quite nicely. Are you doing this to specific prototype?

Mythology says all steam design was railroad specific and there was no standardisation other than perhaps the USRA designs, a complete load of tripe.

At the turn of the 20th century for example, Alco catalogued a basic 4-4-0, 4-6-0, 4-4-2, later a 4-6-2. Also a Mogul, a Consol, and switchers. The railroad ordered from the catalogue, then specified their choice of appliances and valve gear. Baldwin did the same thing. USRA just followed suit but across the industry rather than builder by builder. Those designs often became catalogue engines through the next several decades themselves. At Lima, the Berks and 2-10-4s were offered as catalogue engines.

It wasn't too say the big deep-pocket railroads didn't buy custom, and perhaps because those are the railroads modellers follow, like PRR, UP, SP, the "everything was custom" banality gained traction. But the thrifty and arguably conservative roads like L&N for example bought out of the catalogue.

I'm glad this really is the case, or a lot of my brass-bashes over the years would have had to have been complete scratchbuilds. Grin!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[bob turner]

It is unrelated to reality. I just figured that it might be closer than the Atlantic. 70" drivers are high for a ten-wheeler (PRR had 69" and SP had a few 72") and that AN cab doesn't appear often in protoype photos - but it was here, and I always have something on the workbench.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[bob turner]

Here is another project - almost finished. The caboose is just to drive Dave a little toward fruitbasket. I got it for spare parts, and may yet restore it.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[De Bruin]

My queue; downtown club is experiencing a motive power shortage so I’m doing repairs to an Atlas F9 set in GARR and A&WP silver and blue needing new truck frames. Ditto a USH GN SD-45 with a clattering tank drive. I’m custom painting some S scale FP-7 shells also in West Point Group colors for a customer, a USH SD-45 in O in that Reading “Bee Line” scheme too. I’m also building interiors for the HW cars in my Chicago Great Western “Mill Cities Ltd. Project. . I’m also still refurbishing club donations for resale on Ebay, will likely start on the box of ScaleCraft and other assorted reefers next.

[sarge]

I can assure that they exist...

Point them out, then.

I must admit my interest is in O, of course, and if O scale is still the craftsman's scale it was 20 years ago one would think a forum or two in O would be easy to find. They used to be pretty plentiful; Gibbs' and Ruetling's groups on Yahoo just to name a couple. Now it looks like you have to sell your soul and privacy to Faecesbook to get in the one, or lurk the P48 one also on Faecesbook; pretty much it. Hence, the experiment here.

Meanwhile, the components for the S-4 rebuild are complete, the detail changes made, repairs done, so it's on with colour, lettering, &c.


Everyone's projects look intriguing!

[bob turner]

So are you going to stay here, instead of starting an e-mail group?

The caboose is Thomas, all die cast with wood planks simulated. Screwed together, but I back that up with JB Weld.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[sarge]

So are you going to stay here, instead of starting an e-mail group?

If it looks like there are enough folks building things to see and learn from, sure. Perhaps the word can get out that more would be welcome and some of the folks who bailed (or are here but don't put their stuff up like Ruf) can feel like there is worth to it after all.