@165thspc , does that black paint have a green tinge?
No, I think that was just the lighting used. ~ Edit
Cancel that!
Here is a photo of the two locomotives taken together at the same time as the earlier shoot and the heavier Shay does seem to have a greenish cast. I have no explaination.
They were both lighly weathered using pastel chalks but again to my memory they were both treated equally with only the tones of the smoke box being intentionally different.
2 Likes
HI Fred,
Sorry it’s taken so long to reply! Thanks, and glad you like the build!, or should I say, part of my one-time railroad. Your assumption is about right - there are two MFH kits, including Schramm, (though I modified it quite a bit) the other, Dexter’s Dead End, and the building on the hillside is scratch built, with a sign from a Bar Mills kit (I think!). Funny thing, I really enjoy(ed) building these, but really was not much of a model railroader per se - I tried! But, when this became so densely packed with buildings, I couldn’t build more…well, went on to other things!
Cheers
Nick
1 Like
Hi Fred,
Sorry for another long overdo reply! This segment is about 18" wide - just the right size to have, but not too much…lol.
My protocol for “thinning the herd” is less exciting than yours, every few years, an unceremonious trip to the bin for old kits or dios - they just take up too much room - and when they’re done, well…they’re done!
I have kept a few for sentimental reasons - including one dio with a few figures made by Romain Baulesch (1stJaeger), who you might recall from Armorama - truly a master builder and very nice fellow, who inspired and encouraged me - a great guy.
OK, take care,
Nick
3 Likes
A memorial feature on Armorama for Romain Baulesch 1stJaeger
2 Likes
Not EXACTLY scale but some kit bash work done in S Scale/Gauge.
American Flyer; Frontiersmen “Shorty” Bullion/Baggage car:
Always thought this fairly well known passenger set needed a “shorty” baggage car. Found exact replacement decals and stickers on eBay and so got busy with the saw and the paint brush.
The starting point was the Flyer standard length double door baggage car:
As shown here below:
Just a little cutting was required; plus shortening the chassis AND the roof.
The chassis frame was easy but shortening the roof took a bit more effort. (Cutting then sanding, add filler, prime, then more sanding and more filler plus more primer.) Here is the finished shortened roof.
Oddly many of the AF baggage doors were cast in the open position. I thought a proper eight panel baggage door with windows was in order for what was to be my “strong box” Bullion Car.
So here again we have the finished product plus a photo of the entire restored and completed train.
(Note the addition of passenger silhouettes in the windows of all the cars to really fill out what was formally a very visually open and unattractive model train. ~ I also closed up all the baggage doors on all the cars for even more visual interest.) (IMHO)
Thanks All!
2 Likes
Very nice kit bash. The roof looks factory! Wow great job on that modification
1 Like
A rejuvenated American Flyer #302 locomotive.
(Got this loco Christmas of 1957 and have wanted to do some form of this upgrade all my life!)
.
Locomotive Number Posted Front and Rear, Rear Marker Lights & Jewels plus Pilot Coupler Lift Bar:
.
Rebuilt a new, taller tender slope sheet and extended the sides of the coal bunker
.
Spliced two tender shells to lengthen the plastic tender housing to fit the older, much longer “AF - Tin Tender” chassis:
.
New brass bell, whistle, steam generator and pop valves:
.
Added front pilot coupler:
.
And Other Small Details - Broom, Shovel, Tender Ladder:
.
Rear Ladder Safety Loop, Rear Marker Lights and Tender Brake Cylinder:
,
This loco now pulls my upgraded “Frontieersmen” Passenger Train:
5 Likes
Wow 
Well done
1 Like
K you are my greatest fan. Perhaps my only fan!
Haha, you consistently build within my primary interest area
1 Like
I almost forgot! . . . . .
The thing that first prompted my finally doing this upgrade was the discovery of this After Market cast metal trailing truck frame that retro-fits onto the existing AF 300 series rear wheels with just a simple screw driver install.
Order yours from Doug Peck at Port Lines Hobbies. But caution, he usually orders 75-100 frames per year and when they are sold out you may be stuck waiting for another year. However they ARE still listed in Doug’s online catalog. (LBR also carries them but their’s are bare white metal and not chemically blackened,)
.
Fills in all that open space under the firebox quite nicely!
Many of the Flyer Pacifics came with the cast metal trailing truck but because the #300 series Atlantics were considered Gilbert’s economy leader they never received this more expensive detail - So SAD!
But now we have the cure! Well, Port Lines has it . . . and you can get it!
Production AF Factory Pacific with cast trailing truck shown above.
(Did my usual revisions here of the bunker slope sheet, added a brass whistle and tail end marker lights plus jewels and finally some Italian Racing Red paint to those upper surfaces.)
BIG p.s.
If you happen to have one of the late production Flyer 4-6-2’s made WITHOUT the cast metal trailing truck then you are in luck, this after market offering will also fit them just fine as well!
2 Likes
Hey Ya’ll!
Please consider taking a quick (10 second) Armorama survey. We are trying to find out just how many viewers are interested in both Armor AND Railroad Modeling.
1 Like
Recent acquisition:
S Scale / S Gauge
Original American Flyer Santa Fe PA - A&B Units in Warbonnet Colors plus three very nice REAL Chrome (not Plastic) original passenger cars, all with link and pin couplers. A good friend of mine was nice enough to buff out and polish the metal cars and I did what I hope was a thorough cleaning of the plastic locomotive shells to again bring out their original sparkle. I have now repainted that scratched silver prow on the A Unit and new decals for both engines are also planned.
.
. . . . . . . . . . . Bottom right is B Unit before cleaning and top right is A Unit after.
Here below showing the now repainted lower silver skirting on my Flyer PA and that I have ALMOST succeeded in removing all the old decal by carefully using clear tape to pull off the old without disturbing the original red paint underneath.
3 Likes
Took the 10 seconds and did it
Thanks K - it’s a quickey!
First Ever Scratch Built Railcar - HO - circa 1975:
This one was built to scale plans published in “Model Railroader” Magazine years ago.
All Wood Construction,
Kadee Trucks & Couplers. Brake Rigging from Cal-Scale.
This was actually my second scratch built car. The first was a wood sheathed boxcar but built “by eye” (without plans). Let’s just say size wise if On30 had existed back then that car would have looked right in home! Now doing On30 today and kind’a wish I still had that one but Sky; my Black Labrador (Yes, that’s right. Her name was Sky Lab) anyway she took a liking to that wooden boxcar and it quickly was reduced to kindling.
3 Likes
As an old space fan who remembers watching Apollo 11 on TV as a 5-year-old I thoroughly approve of the dog’s name!
1 Like
Very nice! My first scratch build was from about the same time - an all wooden pickle car with wooden pickle vats. Had to scratch the turnbuckles as well. I think it was from a collection of Model Railroader scratch build projects in book form. It also had a drop flat car made from plexiglass, and a six domed tank (which I also built) among others. Anyone else remember that book?
Bravo ~ I would say you took on a extra tough one with those pickle vats.
At about that same time I also scratch built a wooden water tower with the tank formed around one of my Mom’s big Hair Spray caps. Was very pleased with it. Still have it somewhere stored in the "warehouse’.