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Post by dazed on Jun 14, 2018 7:42:36 GMT -5
I’m inclined to say that is a C44-9W. I can’t get a clear read on the numbers, but the rear radiator section doesn’t seem “significant” enough for it to be an ES44.
Sort of goes to my argument about having an H-II ES44 though....that general GE look holds up when you’re a scale football field away in Z-scale.
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Post by dazed on Jun 2, 2018 11:11:54 GMT -5
I don't like Lasercut (Animek) : it looks fine, but is it durable ? Just don't climb on it.
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Post by dazed on May 22, 2018 14:55:15 GMT -5
While GP 40 might or might not hit thee minimum production numbers. GP 60M a and b units would. Just look at fox valley. Two or three runs now. Three or four paint schemes. Just saying TT Actually, the GP40 would be a much bigger seller, and it wouldn't be close. The dealers I talk to say the n-scale GP60M and GP60B were not stellar from the sales perspective. They weren't terrible, but certainly nothing compared to what a GP40 would garner, with probably 20 or 30 times the number of legitimate roadnames from which to draw sales. While a little bit of an unfair comparison considering how long the GP40 has been on the market compared to the FVM 60's, the Atlas geep has easily outsold the FVM, likely by a factor of 100x or more. The GP60M/B's suffer from the limited pool of roadnames to apply. Any roadname you want as long as it's (BN)SF. Don't get me wrong, as a BNSF modeler I would personally much prefer to have GP60M's and GP60B's. But the GP40 would be the more commercially viable of the two.
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Post by dazed on May 21, 2018 7:44:52 GMT -5
The problem thosr cars by full throttle. Are carrying gravel not coal on BNSF as I type this out. And there are only two numbers. Not exactly a whole train like you would see now days... Just saying TT In addition to gravel/ballast, they also carry petroleum coke, which in Z would look very much like the "coal" loads these cars have. And while not common, it isn't impossible to see them still carry coal on occasion as well. But yes, I agree it would be nice to have an alternative as I use these for MOW service as well. Only two numbers... Well, first of all they have done (at least) three other sets that are two-packs of each respective color. SO, two 2-packs of black cars and one 2-pack of red cars. (that I know of) So there are 8 numbers. Are we really in a spot in Z to get that nit-picky over numbers? If you want a unit trains worth, with 8 unique numbers you would really have to have someone with (a) eagle eyes, (b) card-counting ability, and (c) the gall to call you out on the fact that you have dupes. And if the issue is photos, having 8 numbers *should* have you in pretty good shape....getting a photo with more than 8 numbers that would be in focus in Z would be quite a feat. Also, you are rarely going to see a unit train of *just* these cars. They are almost universally mated up with many other types of hoppers or coal gons. Now, don't get me wrong, I like having multiple unique numbers too, but I just don't feel like it is even in the top 50 of issues we have in Z-scale right now. I would certainly rather see more variety of roadnames than any additional numbers for this scheme. Just on the 100-ton car alone, I would love to see the BNSF Circle Logo, BN Rotary scheme (multiple), GATX, alternate Santa Fe schemes (multiple), HLMX, et al. I do wish that Full Throttle would use a different formula/method of decoration so that it was easier to remove the lettering without pulling off paint. Granted, I have not tried any of the newer releases, but any of the tricks I have for successfully removing lettering on other manufacturers' cars always results in paint failure with the older Pennzee/Full Throttle cars I've attempted it on.
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Post by dazed on May 18, 2018 17:20:37 GMT -5
Speaking of BNSF, here's another run just released of a popular car from Full Throttle in case you missed it...
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Post by dazed on May 18, 2018 12:21:27 GMT -5
I would rather you speed up plastic runs. Definitely need a plastic C44-9W for starters.
You have a nice little "critical mass" building with your plastic releases and starting to attract the attention of more and more model railroaders in other scales. That market is ripe and needs to have that momentum continue. Locomotives with four-figure price tags brings that momentum crashing down for that particular market.
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Post by dazed on May 17, 2018 16:04:33 GMT -5
Well, the answer is of course... "it depends". Your concern about resale value is warranted. But you said that you "may" ditch Z. So that has a lot to do with how you proceed...what is the likelihood that you do that? Personally, I buy some of MTL weathered cars--which have gotten quite good for the most part--and I've purchased a very few weathered cars off eBay. (BAZman, was that you that outbid me on that TTX gon!?! ) I also tend to weather my cars carefully (when I was in N, haven't done much with my Z....yet) and I agree the tendency to over-do it is both prevalent, and a huge turn-off for me. (and yes, I've been guilty of doing it too especially early on in the learning curve) TIPS - Practice Practice Practice - Make sure you have some test subjects, and these should be "dollar bin" HO or N cars even versus your $40 AZL prized possession. Use them to learn, for starters. Take your time, and really get comfortable doing the technique you intend to use. Also, do a practice run with these before going right at your target model to get the feel for the technique being utilized and make sure all of the tools are operating correctly. Keep a box of the test cars and use them every time...the small amount of paint needed to do a "proof of concept" swipe will pay for itself the first time you save yourself from making a mess. (i.e. a clogged airbrush puking paint spatter all over your nice MTL tank car)
- Use an Airbrush (Safely) and Wear Gloves - adhesive weathering powders are great, can be very effective, and are a integral part of anyone's weathering arsenal. But, having the capability to airbrush will get you from "good to great" and will let you do some things like fading that are hard to do otherwise. Make sure you have proper ventilation and wear a respirator and eye protection. Also, always wear rubber/latex gloves. The single leading cause of death for models being weathered is fingerprints.
- Consult prototype photos. Try to find photos of the car you are trying to weather--or very similar cars--and also that are aged similarly to what you are trying to convey. You don't have to try and copy it exactly (although you *can*) but just study it and note what weathering has taken place and then try to find techniques that emulate that effect. Try to have a plan of attack, as you might end up using multiple techniques and then you really have to be careful of going too heavy.
- Fade the paint. See nscaleaddiction.blogspot.com/2012/04/fade-coat-weathering-how-to.html or similar techniques. New paint does not last long in the harsh realities of railroading. This is another extremely subtle step, (or not) but can make a nice contrast to their non-faded brethren.
- Take Your Time & Layer - one of the biggest things I think makes a world of difference is to expect a multi-day and maybe even multi-week process for weathering. Do very light coats and avoid the trap of "it hardly looks like anything is happening". Give it time to dry and review the results using proper lighting and you'll probably see that it is doing more than you think. (and not heeding this advice is how "over-do" happens)
- Use Your Camera, Good lighting, and Magnification - Make sure you have good lighting in your work area, and if you have a layout make sure the temperature of the light matches. Related to "layering", use your digital camera to take photos (and in varying lighting conditions) as you go, and stop down for a minute to take the time to review them.
- Start with the Trucks - while all this learning and practicing and planning is going on, you can get a start toward actual progress by weathering the trucks. If you completely botch them (kinda hard to do) then at least you can replace the trucks for resale purposes later on. Remove the wheelsets and paint the wheelsets and truck frames separately. You'll be surprised at how much of a difference just having the trucks weathered (and perhaps a base dullcoat application as BAZman alluded to) makes without even having to do much to the rest of the car. Once you are confident with weathering the trucks, you can do them batch style by laying them all out and doing them (or at least a base coat) in bulk.
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Post by dazed on May 15, 2018 15:39:36 GMT -5
I have the list. Bought both of his CN GP9’s from his collection. Very nice man. By the way. Modeltrain stuff has a crazy sale son some azl stuff right now as well. This might be the under-rated post of the day! Checked their site and boom, there goes my train budget for the near future.
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Post by dazed on May 15, 2018 9:14:15 GMT -5
Nope, good riddance. Won't miss them one bit. Have fun paying $20-30 in shipping charges.
And Norm had the gall to say it was "actual shipping charges from the USPS". (I checked, it was not.)
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Post by dazed on May 12, 2018 22:49:17 GMT -5
Oh yeah, I'm sure he'll go the ES44 route...it would be silly not to. I had that exact plan in mind and had the initial bid and eventually another winning bid with less than 30m to go. But alas I didn't stay in as I figured it would hit 400 and then 600 before it was all over. I was surprised it didn't make it to 400.
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Post by dazed on May 9, 2018 17:18:42 GMT -5
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Post by dazed on May 7, 2018 10:02:41 GMT -5
It seems to me that you are describing what is effectively a fixed-value version of Momentum w/Braking.
I think you would just need to shorten the length of the deceleration "process" or curve. (If you can't do that, then perhaps your isolation section is too short.) It would take some practice but you should be able to get it to stop fairly precisely, assuming you are using the same or similar locomotives every time. (even the real engineers don't hit the same exact stopping point every time.) This is one of the advantages of DCC....being able to setup all the locomotives to perform similarly in these types of situations.
I can't recall what types of turnouts you are using, but obviously make sure you have sufficient feeders all around.
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Post by dazed on May 7, 2018 8:49:15 GMT -5
I, too, have an extensive collection of BNSF research materials. (and also BN, ATSF, MKT, UP, and a few shortline/regionals, too) Personally have taken more than 20,000 photos over the past 15-20 years or so of active railfanning, and I have amassed a large stockpile of photos and other research from the web as well. Plenty of BNSF books, ORER's, etc. as well.
So now you have (at least) two (more?) good sources of information! No need to keep guessing on road numbers for ATSF covered hoppers, BN bethgons, et al.
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Post by dazed on May 5, 2018 10:08:21 GMT -5
This industry is full of hobbyists that aren't good businesspersons. But until AZL has competition they can keep making all the mistakes they want and there's really nothing we can do about it. I do agree they are inviting it with short runs and $50 freight cars, so we'll see. Just like technology is helping with hobbyists, it can also help companies like Atlas get into other areas easier and with less risk. So I wouldn't be surprised if one of the big names jumps in sooner than later.
Regarding the coalporters, we're not to that point...yet. But it's getting very close to the point where that will easily be the better choice. As long as AZL can keep them at $25 street price then it's still more attractive to go that route, but I have a feeling they are just gonna keep shooting up their prices. Most Shapeways FUD/FXD models are not very robust so either that needs to improve or the resolution for some of the other materials like Nylon needs to bump up. Then the cost of cleaning, priming, sanding, painting, and decaling it has to be considered. The cost of custom decals is still pretty high as well...$500-1000 for a run (at least) and you're taking the risk that you're gonna have other modelers interested. SO all that being said the prices between Shapeways and AZL is still too close and as long as that situation remains AZL still is in the driver's seat. If they get some competition though, then we can actually maybe afford to run some unit trains.
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Post by dazed on May 4, 2018 10:25:10 GMT -5
I don't care *as much* about the proto-fidelity in Z-scale. Most of the stuff that I would consider bothersome can be fixed relatively easily if I choose to do so. I am a BNSF modeler and will do what is reasonable to improve the models to the best of my ability and allotted time on this Earth, but I'm gonna err on the side of "let it be..." ;-) I decided when dropping from N to Z that I wasn't gonna make decisions based on "someday when MR comes for the photo shoot for Great Model Railroads". :-) And, it's hard enough to fill out a reasonable roster in Z anyway, so dismissing anything really isn't an option in my mind. And this applies even moreso to freight cars...even the foobie BNSF Trincool reefers and bogus coil cars will eventually make my roster. (when they're cheap enough) One of the biggest problems for me is I model "mid-2000's" and need BNSF Heritage-II scheme GE diesels. Specifically C44-9W's would be ideal, but those aren't available in my budget stratosphere. Next in line of relevance would be an ES44DC in BNSF Heritage-II paint, and while those are not available the external differences between the ES44DC and the ES44AC are minor considering that (a) it's Z-scale, (b) Model Railroader hasn't called, and (c) "the three foot rule". So having an ES44AC in BNSF Heritage-II would have been a very wonderful stand-in for the ubiquitous BNSF Dash 9's that are still predominant even today. Even a few years into the Swoosh-era, the BNSF Heritage-II scheme was far and away more common. (right up until 2009-ish when the Great Recession started and locomotives began to be mothballed en masse.) But alas, we can't even get H-II ES44's either. I believe the estimate was something like 4 years from now. So, since we clearly cannot ASSUME that BNSF is under consideration for any model, here is my wishlist of current/pending/hopefully future tooling that I would like to see in BNSF: Current Tooling 1. ACF 3-Bay Hopper - Mineral Red BNSF Circle-Cross logo 2. ACF 3-Bay Hopper - Mineral Red BNSF Swoosh logo (Additional Run) 3. PS2-CD - Mineral Red BNSF Circle-Cross Logo 4. PS2-CD - Mineral Red BNSF Swoosh logo (Additional Run, maybe the smaller swoosh version for variety) 5. Bethgon Coalporter - BNSF "Cooper Block" 6. Bethgon Coalporter - BNSF Mineral Red Rotary End 7. Bethgon Coalporter - BNSF Mineral Red Rotary "Flag" 8. Bethgon Coalporter - BN Green/Silver (yes, not BNSF but needed badly for BNSF trains) 9. GP38-2 - BNSF Heritage-I (same scheme as done on the AZL GP30 10. ES44AC - Take a wild guess. (BNSF Heritage-II scheme) 11. 53ft Container - BNSF Circle Logo (full color) 12. 48ft Container - BNSF Circle Logo (full color) Pending 1. Maxi-I - BNSF Circle Logo 2. Maxi-I BNSF Swoosh Logo 3. ES44DC? - BNSF Heritage-II; Given how close the ES44AC and ES44DC are, I would assume that would be a natural progression and there has been at least some hints to that effect. 4. ES44DC? - BNSF Swoosh Hopefully Future 1.Trinity 5161cf Covered Hopper - BNSF Mineral Red Circle Logo 2. Trinity 5161cf Covered Hopper - BNSF Mineral Red Swoosh 3. Trinity 5161cf Covered Hopper - BNSF Heritage Schemes (BN, CB&Q, FW&D, C&S, Frisco, SP&S, etc.) 4. Maxi-IV 53ft 3-unit Doublestack Car - BNSF Circle Logo 5. Maxi-IV 53ft 3-unit Doublestack Car - BNSF Swoosh Logo 6. C44-9W - BNSF Heritage-II 7. C44-9W - BNSF Heritage-I 8. C44-9W - BNSF Silver Warbonnet (ATSF) Scheme 9. C44-9W - BNSF Swoosh 10. AC4400 - BNSF Heritage-II Scheme; AZL apparently got at least somewhere down the road with tooling for these, so I figure someday we'll see them. 11. SD40/SD40-2/GP50/GP60/GP60M/Dash8-40B&C(W)/B23-7/SDP40F/GP7/SD9/GP 7/Automax/Thrall Gon/etc/etc/etc....
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