Paint Shop

[sarge]

...and the redetailing and soldering is about where I decide, "Good 'nuff".

So, we move on to colour, which is when I discover my supply of Scalecoat PC Green has gone off, so had to mix my own in Floquil, about 70% NYC Jade, 20% Coach Green, and 10% Roof Brown. Odd mix I know but it was a grab, pour, shake-it, guess some, add something else, paint alchemy...

n5_4.jpg

Butch:

Like so many things about Pennsy, "The Standard Railroad of the World" (by their own admission), the Trainphone system was unique to them; can't think of anyone else that used it except for one of the smaller roads (can't remember which) tried it.

PRR were not the first to use radio, but trainphone was a early attempt at commo before radio was universal. This is all off the top of my head, but I believe the first installations were pre-war, pretty much done with installation by war's end, and the antenna can be seen on cabooses and almost any style of motive power eccept electrics. This was not radio, but an induction system that used the rail, telegraph wire, whatever was parallel to the line between transmitter and receiver. Obviously it didn't work in the electrified zones.

[E7]

Why do Pennsy cab units and some cabooses have radio antenna on the roof? Obviously for communication, but did Pennsy pioneer this idea? Did it have to do with road congestion? I'm sure there are other roads that used this, but don't know which ones. BH

Butch:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trainphone

Rich

PS: I've always liked the distinctive look, but like in the real world, there is a disadvantage in the model world, that being they bend easily if handled carelessly. I could live with a little thicker wire on the models (mainly on the engines) to help avoid this, but the horse left the barn long ago! Looking at the prototypes, the antennae look a lot "beefier" than the models, but that is only my perception, which very well may be errant.

[sarge]

Robert:

Very much liking your car; well done.

Its quite fun we are working on the same thing, especially as they represent different eras...

[Robert]

Your model definitely has the eye catch factor...you must have been up all night to get so much done since last photo was posted...lots of experience on your side. Looks very appealing indeed.

I sprayed my favorite Scalecoat Satin to both seal the transfers, and make that dead flat Tuscan pop a little. Still contemplating if any black is going to be applied...certainly your roof treatment makes me think hard about it. However masking is my least favorite paint related task so.....

Next step is adding those tiny bits of data to the tail beams...didn't want to use the transfers as for me that's a sure remedy for a screw-up. I believe a leftover Champ set will have them, and should slide on pretty easily.

Robert

IMG_6177.JPG

[sarge]

Robert:

I have been known to take small dry-transfer groupings and put them on decal paper, I always saved the remains from a Champ set for this, then seal them with Glosscoat. Let them cure, then trim 'em out and use them like regular decals.

I use scraps from decal sheets made by companies who print decals that are not pretrimmed. Micro pretrims theirs, for example, and Champ did not; the entire sheet was one big decal. If you look closely at the various sheets, you can tell as the clear will show a border if pretrimmed.

[sarge]

Robert

My previous might be a bit vague, so let me explain a bit clearer:

Take the dry transfer and apply it (like you would on a model) to either a scrap bit of Champ paper or order up some decal paper from Micromark.

Seal it in place with clear gloss lacquer such as Glosscoat.

Let it dry for a couple days.

Cut it out and use it like a decal, set it with decal setting solution, the usual bit, then seal it like you would any decal.

Its an easy way to get those little data bits from dry transfers on a model in little corners and around details without buggering them up.

[Robert]

Robert

Its an easy way to get those little data bits from dry transfers on a model in little corners and around details without buggering them up.

I understood but unfortunately the buggering process had already happened. So as an alternative I had planned to use some similar data from a Champ set...well low and behold Champ didn't consider such data worthwhile apparently. So as it stands now I wait for them to materialize in the uncertain future.

I held my breath and painted some chrome yellow hand grabs, added acetate windows, Painted Neo Lube on the smoke stack. Put it together and added a real nice set of Yoder Caboose trucks to it...but still planning an early set of single coil spring trucks as more in keeping with it's vintage...will see.

Thank you for the decal/transfer info Sarge.

Robert

IMG_6182.JPG

[sarge]

Looks grand, Robert

I have a set of the single coils coming from American Scale. The coil trucks lasted for a long time on many N5s; as I understand it on PC the cupola colour was supposed to be coded to truck type, black for coils and green for the leafspring trucks.

Meanwhile, the mechanics on mine are done and it sits on shop-trucks until the coils arrive. Gloss clear shot over the colour. It's pretty much caught up with the NYC baywindow, so now we let the paint cure. I'll start my lettering in a couple days time on both cars.

n5_5.jpg

[Robert]

Thanks Sarge...yours as well! I used a set of those American Scale trucks on another cabin project...there quite nice. Once I dress up my coil spring trucks with some flat black paint they will go on my N5...somehow these Yoder trucks look a bit over powering on this skimpy little N5...may just be a Yankee perception issue. I'm still assessing the black roof...but I believe it's going to happen.

Robert

[sarge]

Here are both cars, progressing now in parallel. The baywindow has some streaking left to do for the last bit of weather, but must wait until cured to do it. Both must sit and cure now after lettering, seal, and the airbrush weathering. Then we tear 'em down one more time for glazing, which I like to do after clearcoats and weather.

So, they pause again.

baywindow_2.jpg

[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[sarge]

Probably acetate secured with PVA.

I've done both cars before, the bay-window in original red for transition era and the N5 as a B&M car a couple times. Most of the windows would be clear enough for cover-slip glass, and the assembly is clear of excess solder that gets in the way of glasing (as is typical of KTM in that era) but the bay window and the cupola both work out better with acetate since you can shave to fit. The bay windows especially can be fussy.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

.

[rex desilets]

https://www.amazon.com/American-Educati ... over+glass

and, practice, practice, practice

[sarge]

I have quite a few if you need one, Ruf.