Erie-Built

Discuss All Facets of 2-Rail, 1/48 Scale, Model Railroading
bob turner
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Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2007 7:57 pm

Re: Erie-Built

Postby bob turner » Fri Nov 26, 2021 11:49 pm

Still a lot of phpbb running around, but I note that photos are appearing in some places. For now, I will duplicate this on OGR. Jim's nose showed up today - will get before and after photos. I had to machine the sides down to get the nose on those two brass beams. That is done, and the next step will be shaving 1/8" off behind the cab door. It will lose its rooftop snow plow, but hey - if I didn't commit this blasphemy there would be a nose-less PA and a wandering, not-very-accurate Erie-built nose sans body.

up148
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Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 10:52 am

Re: Erie-Built

Postby up148 » Sat Nov 27, 2021 10:33 am

Well, at least we can post again. I had to log in, which I haven't done in years, but all seems to be working okay.

bob turner
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Re: Erie-Built

Postby bob turner » Tue Nov 30, 2021 12:14 pm

Looks fixed. Give me a few minutes to catch you up on this latest whimsy. It will get fuel tank skirts this AM, and some photos transferred to Shuttleworth and then here.

bob turner
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Re: Erie-Built

Postby bob turner » Tue Nov 30, 2021 2:51 pm

This is going to be arcane at best, and maybe boring. It is of interest to maybe three people in the whole world, so feel free to skip to my photos, which are ready to be processed, with fuel tank skirts semi-installed.

Long-time forumite will recall I get moderately obsessed with small things, like PA windshields and nose tapers. I never realized anything was wrong until Bob Stivers pointed out the windshield error in the CLW etched PA kit. Once I saw it I reacted almost irrationally - after all, it was OK as long as I did not look very closely. The ALCO drawings were incorrect, and almost led Key into a boot-nose version.

That is something that I have extensively covered on fora - so no more here today.

But now comes the Erie-Built nose. Wow! there are so many model versions it is difficult to keep track. This evening I shall discuss, with photos, the B-17 window arrangement, and maybe the nose taper. I believe that Atlas and others got the windshield more or less correct, but now I am not so sure Overland got it right. Difficult to tell - one could use sophisticated math on available photos and maybe get an absolutely correct angle. Maroon has sent a good photo of Max Gray's effort.

The nose taper - it is clear from photos that it starts just ahead of the windshield posts, and comes darn near to a point. I personally believe that it is somewhere between the Atlas/MG nose and the sand cast doorstop that now adorns my berift PA body.

Off to the airport, where the excitement of the d

bob turner
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Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2007 7:57 pm

Re: Erie-Built

Postby bob turner » Tue Nov 30, 2021 2:53 pm

Kicked me off. Had to re-log in. Almost lost all of that. Oh - airport! New Cub is flying - number eight for our airport. I did the test flights yesterday.
Taylorcraft L2 is getting fuselage fabric this afternoon. Selling a Decathlon. Plenty busy, but welcome back to all of us. Somebody tell Lee thanks!

J. S. Bach
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Joined: Wed May 16, 2007 8:30 pm

Re: Erie-Built

Postby J. S. Bach » Tue Nov 30, 2021 4:10 pm

bob turner wrote: ...snip... This evening I shall discuss, with photos, the B-17 window arrangement ...snip...

Definitely awaiting that, the B-17 nose version is one of my would-like-to-haves if I could ever find one at price that I could handle. :(

bob turner
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Re: Erie-Built

Postby bob turner » Tue Nov 30, 2021 9:12 pm

Right-clicking an image at OGR and copying its address:

Image

bob turner
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Re: Erie-Built

Postby bob turner » Tue Nov 30, 2021 9:15 pm

Hot digs! I heard that works, but had not tried it yet. Let me point out the obvious - the extremely pointed windshield and the seriously tapered nose on the sand cast model. The one next to it is my lost-wax nose (thanks, Jay) done with permission of the Atlas folks.

Next photo will be my newly reduced "vee" on the sand cast nose - let me go get it:

Image

See the difference? Since then I have soldered in the center post and cleaned up the casting a bit.

Now I am thinking about nose taper. I believe the Atlas nose is slightly more blunt than the real thing, although it does follow the contours of available drawings. It may be that the sand cast taper is too extreme, but note that it starts at the windshield post, just like the real ones apparently do, given available photos (I have the Sweetland book, which may be the definitive source).

Opinions are of course always welcome.

sleepmac
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Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 4:10 pm

Re: Erie-Built

Postby sleepmac » Wed Dec 01, 2021 11:18 am

Bob, thank you. Quite a documentary of your skills and interest!

Dan Weinhold

bob turner
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Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2007 7:57 pm

Re: Erie-Built

Postby bob turner » Wed Dec 01, 2021 1:51 pm

So I can bypass Shutterfly. I posted this on OGR a minute ago, and then right-clicked the image. Dropped down to "copy image address" and hit that.
All I have to do here is click the "Img" button above, and then "Control V" (your computer may have a different "paste" code). Those of you without a photo hosting service - this is actually easier!

Note that the arched opening behind the cab door is now incongruously large. I will plate it over with smooth brass tonight. Also again note that the cab is bolted on, not soldered, making it trivial to convert back if a PA nose ever surfaces. Not the ugly one-piece CLW nose, but the far more accurate sand cast nose that comes in two halves - too bad Bob didn't just convert that to lost wax.

Here, stolen from OGR:

Image

E7
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Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:35 am

Re: Erie-Built

Postby E7 » Wed Dec 01, 2021 3:17 pm

That pointy nose job is science fiction. Here's a link to one of Jay's posts showing what they really looked like:

search.php?keywords=Erie&terms=all&author=Jay+Criswell&fid%5B%5D=10&sc=1&sf=all&sr=posts&sk=t&sd=d&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

You need to scroll down the page quite a bit but the Pic is there.

Engine is numbered 50-M-2

bob turner
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Re: Erie-Built

Postby bob turner » Wed Dec 01, 2021 8:20 pm

Yes. jay posted a photo of the real UP unit with B-17 windows. You can see rhe difference between that and the Overlands.

We often make the mistake of thinking our models are more accurate than the real thing.

bob turner
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Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2007 7:57 pm

Re: Erie-Built

Postby bob turner » Sun Dec 05, 2021 1:40 pm

Nose is completely fitted and polished. I have only to consider what to do about slight roof mis-matches. Maybe nothing; maybe a light coat of JB Weld.
I am pleased with how it went together, and how it can easily be converted back. It will ultimately wind up in Maroon’s collection, which is appropriate, because it is getting Milwaukee paint. Jury is out on the stainless corrugations, but I may do it. If I remember how . . .
Only adding this so our newly adjusted forum has “activity.” Went over to the Clubhouse and saw so much hatred I bounced outta there. Yow! Maybe I should look at the 3-rail . . .nah.

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ScaleCraft
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Location: Floe Ice, Auntarctica

Re: Erie-Built

Postby ScaleCraft » Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:58 pm

bob turner wrote: Went over to the Clubhouse and saw so much hatred I bounced outta there. Yow! Maybe I should look at the 3-rail . . .nah.


What, there are left-wing activists there?
Seriously, I click "Board Index", if my cursor gets anywhere near to the Clubhouse the edge of my monitor screen starts to melt.

I look in about every 2-6 months just to see what they're up to.
Dave....collector, restorer, and operator of the finest doorstops

E7
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Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:35 am

Re: Erie-Built

Postby E7 » Sun Dec 05, 2021 6:19 pm

bob turner wrote:Yes. jay posted a photo of the real UP unit with B-17 windows. You can see rhe difference between that and the Overlands.

We often make the mistake of thinking our models are more accurate than the real thing.


Correct, the black and white photo is what I was referring to. Looks like the hood is a nice smooth parabola with NO point. Can't say that I'm all that in love with the B-17 windows, but be my guest as I never expect to have a model of one. I'm more curious of how accurate the newer window style is. Interesting that the sand caster and OMI made the same error with the exaggerated V windshield...pretty slick work there fixing that mess.

I have no delusion ANY model is totally accurate, while the prototype cannot be in error by default, no matter how much of a "train wreck" it is! My models only have to please my eyes. (not all that easy sometimes) Call it the close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and thermonuclear weapons, and models principle.


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