Jonathon

A good article on rock painting is in MRR "How To Build Realistic Scenery", July 2010, P 20 ("Cast Plaster Rocks In Place")( and paint them). P60 is "Remake a Shoreline Scene"  where it describes using the Cripplebush molded rubber rocks for a rock cut. I like the latter for my set, but the former is what you are up to in this project.

These cites are from the paper magazine issue. Some great articles on lighting too. I am using all of the above on our layout.

Chris

Sorry. "Nine" and "Mine" are interchangeable, per spell check.

Chris

Jonathon, that is a really beautiful job! I have been using sculptamold for the interstices, don't know how the spackle takes paint. I just finished my waterfall and creek, with a cliff line of carved foam forming one side of the creek for about 4 feet. Used the same painting technique as suggested, but our coastal (Oregon Coast) rocks are more grays and blacks, less earth tones, so nine is darker than your existing color scheme.

Some talus accumulated at the base of the crevices will look great, but you want to color it separately, then glue it down after the rocks are painted.

Chris

Jonathon

You are right about the order of color application. Light tan base, then thinned earth tones to match your ideal, followed by black wash to bring out cracks and crevices, then light or white drybrush along tops and edges of rock protrusions for the finish. I have found that talus of two or three sizes piled along the base  improves realism 100 percent. You can "drool" some realistic water down your rock face crevices for seepage, too. Have fun!

Chris

Jonathon

I make some of my own rocks too, but your existing photos show a cut rock wall. I have five of these made by Cripplebush which are rubber molded, about 3 feet long, 7" high. They would be ideal for the situation your photos show. Check out their site, look at "shale 18"  They are perfect for that location, though a bit spendy. More detail than your existing wall, and already colored. MRR had an article about them a year or so ago,

Chris

Well, gents, Walthers has discontinued its 2 10 2 manufacture, and does not have parts available. Their site says not in stock.

I am taking Jerry B's advice, and buying one of the two I can find on the internet from a supplier who says they arrived in 08 per his databank.

I think we are going to have this problem with reserve orders from now on; they are going to be hard to get serviced after they are discontinued.

Except, of course, our revered Bachmann, which has been wonderful with replacing locos under their lifetime guarantee.

Thank you for your thoughts and help.   Chris

The loco is a proto heritage 2000 2-10-2. The gear is at the local (200 miles away) hobby shop w/ both my identical locos. They cannot find one, so they are sending it back to me. I asked the question generally, out of respect for our host. However, the guys on this site are my heroes, so I had to ask

Thanks. Tried NWSL. Need someone who can make a gear, apparently.

Chris

It is HO.  I have done a thorough search, and the part is not available. It has to be made.

Chris

I have a locomotive that is older and no one has parts. Ebay is no use. A gear has lost some teeth and it needs to be replaced.

I have a second, identical locomotive, and its gear can be used as a template to make a new gear for the first.

Does anyone out there make parts from scratch to whom I may be referred?

This loco is a 2-10-2 and works real well as the big steam on my layout. I really would like to fix it.

Chris

Thanks all, for your replies. I will try loosening the bottom plates a bit.

I was wondering if lubricating the axles was possible and recommended? If so, I assume it should be with light, non-conductive oil but I would like that confirmed by someone who knows?.

Yes, I am sure they are number six turnouts. I do not think it is the installation of the turnouts; they were laid first, and the track was built off that starting point. And the location of the step-offs is not consistent nor confined to the turnouts. The step offs do not seem to be in any pattern or regularity. A loco can pass a given point six times with no pattern, and step off the track at that point on the seventh go-round.

I have noticed that the drivers on the Hudson are very rigid with almost no play, and with the GS4 and J class it is usually the first driver that is the problem child.


Does anybody lubricate their driver axles to increase the amount of play available for curves?

Chris

I have, in the past two years, bought quite a few steam locos. There have been a variety of brands (including a bunch of Bachmanns). I have lots of 22" flextrack curves on the set, walthers DCC friendly #6 turnouts.

The locos with large drivers e.g. a GS4 and a J class (both Bachmanns), even a Hudson J1e (BLI), are having trouble staying on the curves and on turnouts. They do not step off the tracks at any consistent place, but rather randomly. It is not necessarily the wheelbase length, as I have a couple of fancy 2-10-2's (Heritage 2000s) that do fine. Bachmann Connies do fine with 4 drivers, but the Hudson with three is tempermental. Hence my suspicion of large drivers.

Does the play in the drivers loosen up with time and use? Is there anything I can do to accelerate the process? I have checked track and wheel gauges per NMRA gauge, nothing wrong there. I have also added weight to the pilot wheels of the Northerns, which helps the pilots but not the drivers.

A bit frustrating, as I don't want to scenic until I don't have to worry about derailments.

Help please


Chris

Thanks, all, for your replies. I have done a combination of all your suggestions, but stuff still happens occasionally. Chris

Does anyone know of an HO rerailer that (1) does not look like a road crossing (2) is or can be located inside the track, and (3) can be located on a curve? I'd like to insert such an item within some curves and not have them be too obvious.

Kind of like guard rail, but something that actually rereails cars that step off the tracks before it is too late?

Chris

This book just showed up at my local bookstore. It is packed with locomotive mechanical details, in question and answer form. It is about an inch thick, and has foldouts of technical diagrams, including one of "the worlds fastest locomotive" (a 4-4-0!
The original edition was in 1896, and this edition is a 1902. It does not appear ever to have been opened and is in mint condition.

Anyone know anything about this book, how common it was in use, or for whom it was designed to be used?

Chris Keusink