Looking good, Mike!
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Good idea
The other day I started on assembling the trucks. I found it best to add the brake linkage first and let them fully set before adding the brake shoes.
This evening I added the bits and pieces to the one side and end of the rail car.
Time permitting, I’ll do the other side and end. That’ll end up with everything ready for the (new) paint booth.
Mike
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Primed the SSy the other day and because I still haven’t found my Vallejo/Mig/AK paints, I used the Tamiya rattle can Panzer Gray for the main color.
Mike
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Found my paints!!!
And painted the wheels on the trucks.
My intent is to use Mission Models “Cold Rolled Steel” (love this color!) on the wheel portions that would be running on/against the rails.
Mike
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Question about color for the thing the arrow is pointing at. That “thing” I assume is the linkage between two railcars. Not sure if its air or hydraulic or something else.
Real photos are black and white and hardly any show the connections between cars. All the photos of built kits seem to show it painted gray - the same color as the rest of the rail car.
So, shouldn’t that “hose” be black with either steel or brass fittings??
Thoughts? Pretty sure I’m going to paint them satin black with brass fittings…
Mike
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Hi Mike,
That is the air hose coupling for the brake system.
I stumbled upon this 2018 armorama post about the same questions with lots of photos from Robin.
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I’ve begun the process of painting the deck. The lighter three “boards” will simulate replace lumber at some point in the rail car’s recent past. Light now, but with some diluted paints, it’ll look “right.”
This was painted by brush - the gray speckles (primer) will disappear before long. 
Mike
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Something else I like to do within the modeling realm. 1/16 R/C vehicles, mostly tanks.
I get them, test them out to make sure everything works as it’s supposed to, then I strip them down and repaint and decal them. Quite often, I’ll find things for 1/16 static models that I’ll add to my R/C vehicles. I’ll also upgrade them as funds permit (assuming I didn’t get them upgraded - road wheels, return rollers, idlers, drive sprockets, and suspension - in metal).
In this case, I purchased metal tracks (I’ve had the sprockets and idlers for quite some time). The set, as it came, was way too tight so I asked the seller if I could get some extra links. Those arrived yesterday and this morning I added the links. In a bit, I’ll install all that and see how it runs before the “strip down” process starts.
Depending on how the wife wants her garden set up at this new home, I may be able to set up an area within for running my tanks.
Mike
P.S. I thought there was a sub-group within Kitmaker for large scale tanks?? IIRC, it was for 1/6th scale R/C…thought 1/16th may well fit better there than Armorama? I dunno…
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The rail car’s deck is done as far as painting. Next up is to gloss for the decals. The different colors of deck “wood” is a bit more than I wanted so it is my hope that that will become more subtle with gloss, weathering and flat.
Mike
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I think the varied colour looks fantastic Michael. Adds a lot of character to what could have been a big monotone slab.
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Thank you, Peter. I feel better about it now. 
Mike
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I agree with what @petbat said and the weathering that you describe still to come will also subdue the colors more as well.
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Hi Mike, I think 1/16 is appropriate for Armorama, considering that number of new kis in that scale that are coming out.
Good sir, you are absolutely correct that there was a large scale sub group on the original Armorama. I went back to the old side archives and found this:
Loving your flat car.
Fred
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Bad news. I’ve managed to lose the decals for the SSy. 
Peddinghaus (of which I do NOT like) has a set for an SSys that may work, sort of. I’m going to dig around in my decal spares box and might find an older set (or even the one I lost?).
Finally going to get off my backside and do some decaling, and low and behold…
Mike
p.s. Found where I can get a set of Archer for an SSys…
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Hi Mike,
Where? I may need some this year.
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Fred, eBay - BNA Model World (eBay ID a-modeler).
Mike
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Okay, it’s been a long time. The decals are here (actually have been for a while now 
).
My bench is “covered” with PE, resin, and plastic for an M151A2 and trailer I’m building for another campaign. As soon as I can get the jeep ready for primer, I can clear the bench some and start on the railcar’s decals.
Mike
1 Like