Sierra cars,making a start,now finished!!!

[Riograndad]

Re: Sierra cars,Getting there

Yes Dan agree about the roof line,one thing i have found is that the Sierra cars run higher than the Bachmanns,in one respect no problem as 3 steps on the sierras compared to 2 on the baccys,so compensates,therefore i have used the rubber ruler and dropped the hieght of the handrails(albeit slightly)to match the Bachmanns,the end doors are not too bad so can get away with those,when i first made the rails up to the same size and put them together they just did`nt look "right"now at least they can run together and look reasonable if required.but thinking about it im messing about with scales so rule 8 and a rubber ruler is the order of the day! :-XPlan is to run them behind my USA Stainz /Otto and behind those roofline is fine

 

[Riograndad]

Little more done  ,made up the 3v LED lighting kits I got from Glendale last week,pleased with the amber "old time"effect,think the white would have been too bright!set in with selotape for now until roof spaces are sorted out,great thing is can cut the LED STRIP to length required,combine has only seating end lit(may be able to use the cut off length in a caboose???),switches will be dummy vent with the toplight blanked off,seems to work,as per pic,not sure how battery holder will fit in yet,may use car no plate double sided tabs,maybe on the roof upright panel over the end doors,battery change then easy,4 roof screws only when needed and while I was at it,cut the glazing out for the windows and tried them in position between the car sides and interior panels,perfect fit (picture of kit here too) Have still got the interiors to finish,seats etc to fit,and of course all the paying passengers to sort out too.

 

[trammayo]

Re: Sierra cars,making a start,

That's quite a strip of lights - makes me wonder if my intention to cut up some decorative lights will be any way near as good!

 

[Madman]

Re: Sierra cars,making a start,

That's quite a strip of lights - makes me wonder if my intention to cut up some decorative lights will be any way near as good!

I find that these self adhesive strips are great for lighting passenger cars as well as buildings. They're relatively inexpensive on Evilbay.

 

[Riograndad]

Nearly there now, the interior roof space detailing now completed together with the lighting base strips to take the adhesive strips,I have stuck the battery  boxes in with some masking tape for now in the end sections of the roof spaces,on my next visit to the model shop i will buy some velcro strip to replace that,as i fit batteries in my R/C boats, I have left the wires a little too long as experience in the past tells me that the wires WILL break at the joints in the future,so left a little spare  the passengers in the pic sitting on the roll of masking tape now ready for sitting in the seats after their leg mods to fit the Bachmann seating(some female figures needed) and the conductor now has his 9ct gold watch chain,as do all my conductors a before and after pic,together with a "lights on" as the light was fading,all my locos away last evening,so pics were an afterthought!!!

 

[beavercreek]

Re: Sierra cars,making a start,now almost there!!!

Excellent Neil. They look just dandy. What an improvement!

Where have you put the switch for the battery box?
I also do have some battery operated interior strips (some of them altered Bachmann or LGB passenger cars) but I tend to forget to turn off the batteries!!

I mainly now, for interiors of rolling stock, use the 5m roll of warm white self adhesive leds 5-20v from Fleabay (about a fiver). Cut it to length and then add a rectifier so that it can be powered from the track and add a capacitor to stop the flickering over gaps or dirty track.

If the warm white adhesive led strip is still a little too bright it is easy to it tone down with a brown spirit marker and it makes it 'just right'

I also use this strip for 'modern' flourescent lighting on things like the Movie house, new diners etc without the 'tone down'.

For individual 'tungsten' lighting I use the individual E5,5 sized led screw bulbs in place of the Pola/LGB ones. They are nice and tungsten in colour and they are also not polarity sensitive.

 

[Riograndad]

Re: Sierra cars,making a start,now almost there!!!

Thanks Mike,interesting notes there on lighting,in my case though i very rarely run at night,maybe a family get together for a birthday say,so simple for me is best,however i may just try some of your hints,,,,,,if I start using words like rectifier and capacitor some members of the family(and friends) would think i was doing a degree or something seriously will give that some thought but must admit that electrical circuits and me dont normally get on well :'( :'(,as for the switches,I drilled a hole for those in the toplight in the roof over the toilet,added a couple of bolthead mouldings,then painted out the window to match the car exterior,same on the inside to match interior trim,in effect doing away with the window,the toggle of the switch protrudes through the toplight so can be activated with ease,,,,,and the switch appears as a small "vent"over the WC,if you check out the pics on last post and you know where they are,can just see them

 

[Riograndad]

Actually had the cars running today behind the Stainz before the weather set in(yet again),the seating,passengers and conductor now in together with the stoves i knocked up with some old playmobile oil drums and some plastic tube,may be a little big but will do for me just a few girls to get as passengers,batteries to secure,wheels and couplings to fit,but can do those at anytime,i have some knuckles in a box of bits,,,,but no cant find the box,always the way :`(

 

[Riograndad]

Didn`t start a new thread as same as first build(well almost)Pleased with the results with the build of the first pair I put finishing them off completly,whilst thinking if I should do the others? I have decided to sort them out if only to match,the internal lights were removed,same battery light strip to be used,although working track power marker lights and smoke stacks retained together with the glazing,seating is original but painted,so far only changes to exterior are the candy cane valance on the observation car and removal of the painted on curtains,a little white spirit and a paper towel dealt with those,spirit then washed off with a little soapy water,rinsed,then dryed with a paper towel,little elbow grease needed but off they came ,plan is to keep the yellow D&RGW livery. internal panelling roughly the same to hide the rough car sides,end platforms,handrails,brakewheels etc will end up as per the other cars,lots to do and the plan is to finish all four cars at the same time

 

[Riograndad]

Finally got these sorted,interior lights in,(3v strip battery LED`s  as the maroon cars) end platforms done,I had to match the exterior colour as just could not find the correct one or even close!,,,passengers in,a little weathering.ready for service,was hoping to run last evening and get some "LIT UP" pics but toooo windy,oh well :`( :`(

 

[Riograndad]

Something wasn`t right wih these yellow cars,I just didn`t like them, :`(the finished maroon cars looked smarter(IMHO)so I decided to send them to the paint shops to see what they could do?Bearing in mind they were done and assembled,painting was at least a pig of a job but we got there in the end,new wine exteriors (to match)also "debrassed" to make them more narrow gauge looking,but I kept the RIO GRANDE on the letterboards after painting out the Denver,the &,and the Western,few gold numbers added,then satin varnished all over.Another aspect of painting them was to look better behind the baggage car,yesterday saw some good weather(at last)so track work attended to in the morning and some running in the afternoon and took a few pics of the cars and baggage while final track testing,must say I`m glad they are out of the way Damm,one more job,,,,new jar of thinners required,some old weatherin dust on couple of windows,soon get that off with a soft paintbrush,BUT THEY DONE N DUSTED