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Post by dazed on Mar 12, 2018 11:03:28 GMT -5
I find that if I'm pondering excess, I will go through an exercise of "what if I had to do a mandatory 10-20% reduction" and see where I am after that. Most of the time, I feel good about getting rid of most or all of that 20% after seeing that I still have a ton left. Bonus is you get some extra funds for maybe a few new/different things, or just saving for a rainy day.
I mean, if you have 6 GP35's it's fine to show them off in a dead-line on the layout, but 4 or 5 versus 6 would likely have the same look and frees up some capital.
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Post by dazed on Mar 6, 2018 9:12:08 GMT -5
This is probably not going to be a popular opinion, but my take is....why? Building a model railroad is a lot of work...a daunting task. Getting one that runs well is even harder. And that is when the track is in good condition. Why sabotage yourself from the git-go with used track that is most likely going to be problematic from the start? In addition to the rail problems, you are likely to have plastic ties that have achieved some level of brittle, which can lead to gauge issues, popped rails, etc. I understand being frugal, but to me the microscopic room for error we have in Z means you want to have the best possible "infrastructure" in place. Just my two cents. And no, I don't own stock in any model railroad track companies.
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Post by dazed on Feb 28, 2018 1:51:13 GMT -5
It seems the recent AZL corn syrup tank cars meet most of your criteria. About the only difference is 40ft vs 30ft, but still plenty short to negotiate tight curves on small layouts. Of course the price is pretty up there too, but don't see that changing any time soon. You just have to be willing to wait them out and hope they don't sell out before a good price can be had.
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Post by dazed on Feb 26, 2018 22:39:31 GMT -5
And while not AZL, here's one of my favorite KCS cars, done by Micro-Trains a few months back... It's not quite as garish on the other side, and overall is a nice looking car. They're still available I think but don't wait around.
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Post by dazed on Feb 26, 2018 9:50:02 GMT -5
Good morning Oskar, You have a good amount of space to build a layout, especially in Z-scale. I would caution that you start with a smaller layout like 30" x 60" or so. It will still allow for nice wide curves but not be so big that it never gets finished. If you want to use track with roadbed attached, I would definitely use the Rokuhan track. They make versions with wood ties or concrete ties. In a 30" wide layout, you can use the 270mm curves. For power, I highly recommend the Rokuhan controllers. I especially like the RC-02. It is very compact and can either use batteries or there is an AC adapter available. For locomotives, AZL makes a KCD de Mexico in both the SD70ACe and the ES44AC and also a Ferromex SD70ACe. As others have said, keep asking questions as there are a lot of nice folks here willing to help. And don't forget the GP38-2's released recently. Beautiful locos. I echo the recommendation for Rokuhan track. I would buy some Rokuhan track (or the AZL starter set...and ask them to substitute the KCS GP38-2 loco as they have been known to do such things if you ask.) plus the GP38-2 and a handful of freight cars and see how things go. The Rokuhan controllers seem to get the nod also, or if you have a DCC system from your HO/N exploits then just pop in a decoder.
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Post by dazed on Feb 12, 2018 15:44:54 GMT -5
Man, that sounds great! Not a bad looker either.
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Post by dazed on Feb 11, 2018 11:39:25 GMT -5
And not a significant delay either. We do not have an estimated release date yet. Late 2018 / early 2019 was simply a guess on my part. We announced the Maxi-I cars when we commissioned the product. Normal product development time is 12 to 36 months depending on the complexity of the product. Fair enough. I was just going by an early guess of "Maxi Stack I´s probably before next Summer" by Hans back in August of last year. I think some of us were bracing for these to hit at any time over the next few months. Sounds like we easily have another 6-9 months past "pre-summer 2018".
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Post by dazed on Feb 10, 2018 23:37:16 GMT -5
Oh, so significant delay....that helps I guess. Any more info....roadnames, etc.?
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Post by dazed on Feb 10, 2018 13:51:21 GMT -5
And I'll ask again, (in the right topic this time) any update on the release date and pricing for the Maxi-I's?
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Post by dazed on Feb 10, 2018 13:50:09 GMT -5
I too, am excited for the Maxi-I’s and have been anticipating them since they were announced. Could you tell us the length of one from coupler to coupler? I’m thinking about how they might fit onto a siding I have in mind, since they are so long. From Brian Solomon's "Intermodal Railroading" book, page 120: "Based on Greenbriar's [Gunderson] published specifications, the Maxi-I cars in five-unit articulated sets measure 265ft 3-1/2in long over coupler faces." This translates to 368.3 mm or a little less than 14-1/2 inches in Z-scale. Given the unprototypical length of most model train couplers, that figure is probably a good one to use to be on the safe side.
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Post by dazed on Feb 9, 2018 22:01:43 GMT -5
They wish. It’s the difference between me buying 1 or 2 and me buying 5 or 6.
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Post by dazed on Feb 8, 2018 21:04:12 GMT -5
You can ask this question of 1,000 modelers and get 1,000 answers, but here's my two cents...
I personally like to take a lot of time on this step, painting ties and rails different colors and involving a lot of masking to keep the paint from getting *too* thick. It's not as critical for track versus, say, rolling stock, but it is something to be mindful of since you don't have an airbrush. Color depends on the prototype I'm modeling.
You can get decent results with a single color, and it is MUCH MUCH easier. If you want me to pick one, I'd use the brown from the Krylon Camo series...I'm a fan, and it seems to be popular among the forums lately.
I would paint a smallish section, stop, immediately rub the tops of the rail with the soft edge of some masonite so the paint doesn't hurt conductivity, and then continue. Make sure you get the inside edge and try to leave the outside edge alone as the wheels (hopefully) will never see that edge. You can also selectively wipe off random ties to signify replaced ties. (this works better with the black ties that Atlas used to use, but it still is a good effect on the C55.)
Then I would go back and drybrush (or use chalk) a reddish/rust color onto the sides of the rails and the "tie plates". Use an index card or scrap styrene to mask the ties as you go. Again, the color would be dependent on your proto....use a color that looks right for what you want to model.
Ballast...well I would just follow the bajillion "how-to" videos online. One tip I like to do though is cut out a ballast profile using a card or styrene that you use to make a good smooth ballast profile along the roadbed. (and for roadbed I would just use Midwest N cork. Get some cheap caulk to edge the back side of the cork to get the same profile as the precut bevel. Again, use a notecard cut to that profile to smooth it out.)
Doug
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Post by dazed on Feb 8, 2018 17:55:59 GMT -5
CZ update. Looks like sets will be delivered before Summer. And no surprise, we have made CZ matching F3s for all railroads. While we're revisiting the NTS thread, any word on the arrival date of the Maxi-I's? Hopefully they got cheaper.
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Post by dazed on Feb 7, 2018 19:38:34 GMT -5
Are these available sans flat cars? 6 wheel For the smaller vehicles, there are probably gonna be more than two per flat. For the larger vehicles, they would do "bad things" to a typical 89ft flat car. Either way, having the vehicles available separately would be nice. Yes please make them available separately, also the 6 wheel flat sould be also in the plans ? Ray According to another post, they have considered the HD flat but it hasn't made the cut. I'm working with Stony Smith to have one available on Shapeways. It's actually available now I think but I'm working on some possible changes and trying to figure out how to attach trucks to it. (and how to get some remotely close to correct trucks)
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Post by dazed on Feb 7, 2018 19:36:42 GMT -5
Are these available sans flat cars? For the smaller vehicles, there are probably gonna be more than two per flat. For the larger vehicles, they would do "bad things" to a typical 89ft flat car. Either way, having the vehicles available separately would be nice. I'll answer my own question....they DO appear to be offered as separate loads, or at least some of them. I've noticed them on Z-Scale Monster's page. Obviously pricey so I could never use them to make the train that I want to model....would cost several thousand dollars just for the loads. I'll have to settle for a possibly less detailed version from Shapeways or some other option. But still, nice to know they're available.
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