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Model Railroading >Date: 10/12/07 19:22 Author: CNW This week, I was able to finish my C425 slug set. The MU cables and hoses between the units proved to be very challenging, much more than I expected. The hoses and cables also present a problem because the three units are now connected together, and must be carefully moved as one assembly. I need to find a way to lock the Kadee couplers together so they don’t separate and rip apart the hoses and cables. I haven’t had any problems running them around the layout so far. To light the class lights, I used the Fiber Optic marker Lights Tutorial, previously posted by “mgwsy1978”.
Previous TO posts about this project: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,1473479,1473479#msg-1473479 http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,1489785,1489785#msg-1489785 http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,1500828,1500828#msg-1500828 Dennis    Date: 10/12/07 19:25 Author: CNW More pictures….
1.)Close-up of the MU connections. In addition to the normal 27-point MU connection and air hoses, there were 2 heavy cables for the traction motor connections, plus a cable for auxiliary power to operate the traction motor blowers. 2.)An action shot during the first trip over the layout. I had the time machine set for 1976 again. The rail fan was out for a drive with his new 76 Pinto! Dennis   Date: 10/12/07 19:31 Author: SPSF_luvr !SWEET!
you know i was reading a old train mag and it has a step by step tutorrial on how to create "MU" hoses that serve as power transfer cables for lights sound and other things. it was really neat, if anyone is interested i will scan the pages in to trainorders for yall it would be a really neat prject. and they could seperate almost like the real thing to a certaint point. SPSF_luvr BTW:NICE JOB Date: 10/12/07 19:32 Author: ATSF-Freak All I can say is WOW!
da' freak Date: 10/12/07 20:15 Author: fjc The work on just the MU connects deserves a big WOW, but overall the work is just top notch, thanks for sharing.
What's up yer sleeve for your next project? Date: 10/12/07 20:33 Author: tracktime In shock.. In awe.. Incredible! Those MU connections are insane! Great stuff!
Cheers, Harry Date: 10/12/07 20:51 Author: SPSF_luvr just but some kadee dummy couplers and paint them and put them on the sides of the locos with conected mu's
Date: 10/12/07 21:58 Author: kodachrome9319 tracktime Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > In shock.. In awe.. Incredible! Those MU > connections are insane! Great stuff! > > Cheers, > Harry I agree with Mr. Harry here... Awesome work! My jaw is on the floor! Date: 10/13/07 01:53 Author: fbe You could just cheat and glue a coule of pairs of KD 58s together for this set of power. After all, if you are going to separate them you are going to have to disconnect all the MU apparatus so what is a couple of draft gear covers to remove to disconnect what will be just a detailed drawbar. That would insure no slip bys over rough tracks and grade crossings.
Date: 10/13/07 02:30 Author: MrMRL As an old member of my club always says, "Fantastic!" I love the MU connections and the chains between the locos, and thanks for trimming of the coupler trip pins. Very professional quality work.
Mr. MRL Date: 10/13/07 06:48 Author: antlorch Maybe you should look at the Sergent Engineering web page and get some of those dummy scale couplers,they will not come apart and they are super close to scale and not expensive.
http://www.sergentengineering.com/ Date: 10/13/07 13:01 Author: sooman1 As others have stated WOW and more WOW and I sincerely mean that.. Not to detract from your models, your layout looks pretty awesome.. how about some pics of it..
bob in smiths falls Date: 10/14/07 13:17 Author: CNW Thanks everyone, for all the positive comments about my models!
Harry, your comments are very appropriate about the MU connections, I came close to insanity working on those things. Moving the trio on and off the layout is an even greater challenge. I will be taking the slug set to the Naperville show later this month, and I’m currently building a box to contain them without damage to the MU connections. I’ll post a couple of photos of it on this thread later tonight. In regard to Kadee trip pins, I agree they make a model look too much like a model at first glance. I’ve been reluctant to snip them off on my fleet of rolling stock since I have operating sessions on the layout and there are car spots in places an 0-5-0 switcher can’t reach. On the gang-way chains between the units, I first tried using A-line 40-link per inch chain but it looked too big and clunky. I ended up using black sewing thread, since it has a “bumpy” texture and creates the illusion of chain. I wasn’t sure how it would look. Here is a link to some photos of my layout, which are a few years old: http://www.yardoffice.com/RR/Modeling/Photos/ModelRailfan/ The model of engine 402 on the web site show a 402 I built about 25 years ago. It will be going to the grit blaster and become 403. Dennis Date: 10/14/07 17:25 Author: CNW Here is what I came up with to handle the three coupled units. I made a 26” long by 2” wide display platform from 1/8” thick opaque white acrylic sheet. The platform has 2 sticks of code 55 rail glued to it using ACC. Since I connected the three units, they have been either on the layout or on the platform. To move the units on and off the platform, I made a ramp out of brass angle and PC board material. The slope is gradual enough to minimize coupler height differences and separation of the units. To transport the models away from home, I made a base out of 1 x 4 pine, which the platform sets on. Using six 8-32 x 4” flat head machine screws and three 2” x 3” aluminum plates, I made 3 clamps to hold the units in place. A wooden cover is then screwed onto the base to completely enclose the models.
Dennis    |