Thanks all for the very helpful information on 'sanding sealer'. The advice is great.

Rich R., I don't agree with your comment: "Sorry to go on so long. I know, Too much information"  :-)  It's not "too much information" ... all of it and all that has been posted in answer to my question is very helfpul advice. Thanks all!

I will post a photo when I get the commuter car done ... I'm creating a Metra train for my son who used to live North of Chicago and often commuted to downtown work on the Metra. These are the last two cars that I need for the six car set pulled by a Spec. F40PH. The "Three Brothers" kits were evidently bought from 'Holgate & Reynolds' when they stopped producing kits ... but I don't think "3 Brotehrs" is in business anymore, either.

Anyway, the extruded aluminum shell is very nice, the white metal detail castings are 'so-so' as is probably pretty common with white metal castings. The kit does have Intermountain metal wheel sets for its delrin trucks ... a plus. And all of it sits on or is attached to the bass wood base. I used to build Ambroid and Quality Craft, etc, HO wood kits years ago and this kit's materials kind of reminds me of those.

Again, thanks all for very helpful information.

lanny nicolet

Hi Al,

This won't be much help ... others will be able to give you some step by step instructions. But when I took my Spec doodlebug apart, about a year + ago, to paint it and add people inside, I remember it was quite difficult.

Someone then suggested, if I remember correctly:

(1) making sure all the correct screws, couplers (I am guessing here, not having my doodlebug at the computer to look at), etc. are removed.

(2) gently, with a very thin edge tool (like a small jewler's screw driver) pry the body open just a little in one place, and then insert a 'flact' style toothpick.

(3) watch for plastice tabs that lock the body to the under carriage (so you don't snap them off). If you see any, pry them gently loose to release the body from the under carriage and again, add a flat toothpick in that place.

I think, with patience,  little by little,  you should be able to get the doodlebug shell seperated from the body. It can be done for sure, because I did it, painted the shell and added people and weight over the rear truck (inside) and got all back together.

Best wishes in your efforts!

lanny nicolet

Scot,

Your explanation of the difference in white and green Squadron Putty is very helpful to me. Thanks! (think I'll just keep using the green, since I am now building a lot of 'white' resin' kits  :-)

lanny nicolet

Hello all,

I am in the process of putting an 'older rolling stock kit' together. It is comprised of white metal detail parts, extruded aluminum shell (it's an old Holgate & Reynolds ('Three Brothers') bi-level commuter car) which has a wood base/underbody ('basswood', I am pretty sure).

I need to use 'sanding sealer' on the wood in order to get a smooth metal finish to the underbody. The LHS did not have any when I went there yesterday. Any suggestions for something that would be a good substitute? I need to seal the wood and sand it a couple of times to get a good, metallic look.

Thanks for any advice!

lanny nicolet

Bob,

I really like the way you have mixed colors to get a nice, realistic effect in the siding as opposed to the mainline. Nice work.

And nice to see all the different layouts.

lanny nicolet

Ray or Stephen (or other ICRR steam experts) on the forum can judge if what I am writing is correct. But it seems to me from pdlethbridge's (Paul?) three photos, the first two have that 'highly desired' straight boiler and the cab on the first photo really reminds me of a Harriman cab. Both of them definitely remind me of ICRR Pacifics.

The third, however, is just too 'USRA' for me ... that all too familar 'hump' in the boiler  :-)

Anyway ... if a mfg (maybe Bachmann Spectrum! :-)  would use one of those two as a basic design, I could be happy... it wouldn't take too much, from the photo appearances, to turn them into ICRR Pacifics.

lanny nicolet

Jim,

I'm still 'rolling on the floor laughing' ... your 'wickipedia explanation' about the Storm brothers is just too good! In fact, maybe it should go in 'wickipedia'  :-)

Thanks! Ever thought of being a 'humor writer' as a side line when you're not busy with model railroading!

lanny nicolet

Here's a nice Pacific coming out of St. Louis. This would be a nice one for Bachmann to mfg.  :-)



lanny

Hi all,

Personally, like Brad, I always use 'Green Squadron Putty' ... it is really fast drying, very easy to work with, and sands/smooths wonderfully well. It will accept 'wet sanding' with very fine grit emery paper which really gives a beautiful surface.

When I purchased a tube at the LHS, the guy didn't know what the difference between the green and the white was. I think Rich R. is probably 'right on' in the reason for the color difference.

Again, I want to emphasize the tremendous ease of smoothing, sanding and contouring using Green Squadron putty. I am finishing up an very old, vintage,Bowser white cast metal (not the new zinc boiler) boiler. Squadron putty is recommended on the surface to cover blemishes in the metal and then final wet sanding for a really nice, smooth surface.

It works not only well on plastic, but on metal too (soft, heavy, whie metal casting type metal), though there may be some metals it will not adhere well to.

lanny nicolet

Remounting the headlight from the outside is pretty straightforward. I've already done that for my ICRR kit bashed conso (basically just installing a more prototypical IC headlight).

I would suggest that your main concern in moving the headlight to the top of the boiler is what is 'inside'. Will the light connection inside move to the new postion. Changing headlights and keeping the same position as I did is pretty easy ... you may run into a few more problems when you change the position ... but I doubt it will be an 'impossible' task.

best wishes on getting it done!

lanny nicolet

Akakrat,

I clearly remember back in the early 70s when CNW was running a branchline passenger from its mainline trackage through Iowa, to Des Moines. It was pulled by an 'E' unit, but I do not know which 'E' unit. I also know a former engineer of the CNW who has a layout that represents central Iowa. He runs an 'F' unit hauling one old style, heavy weight passenger car. And he is very prototypical in his layout. So maybe either one would work.

lanny nicolet

Just one more quick note regarding Jim B's last post on this topic. The difference between a true 'walk around' throttle as opposed to 'tethered' throttles.

By Jim's definition, which I completely agree with, my Control Master 20 which is advertised as having a 'walk around throttle', really doesn't. I can set the speed/ momentum, etc.  that I wish the locomotive/train to run at from point 'A', then unplug the MRC throttle. The train will continue running at those settings.

But to change anything, I have to 'plug' the throttle back in at point 'B' or back at point 'A'. So it is still, for control purposes a 'tethered throttle'. The plug-ins are standard phone jacks, so it would be easy to have several different plug ins on my layout.

Thanks for making that clarification, Jim. I suspect that a true 'walk around throttle' is probably not something that is available for the MRC DC/Analog power pak I use.

Or is it? :-)

lanny nicolet

Well, I suppose this comes as no surprise but here are two of my favorite locomotives!


An ICRR 'heavy Mountain' ... nicknamed by the ICRR as "Big Berthas" (#2600 series).


An ICRR 'heavy 2-10-2. The largest of this locomotive, the #2800 series.


lanny nicolet

Thanks for the ICRR info, Stephen.

Maybe that Bachmann water tender I have will go on eBay :-). It shouldn't be hard to bash a water car from an old tender!

lanny nicolet

Thanks for adding the note on the screws NOT to be removed, GG!

I have, at times, done just that ... removed screws thinking that would make a shell come off more easily, only to find that I loosened the motor or some other frusrtatingly difficult item to get back in to original condition!

lanny nicolet