How did you improve your rolling stock?

[Madsing]

I have used .55mm chains meant for 1:700 scale ships before. I got them from AliExpress and they are not expensive at all. This is the link:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002942018738.html
Check the photos in the post below, but I think that they look good at N scale.

Marc

 

 

[Kamome]

Thanks @Madsing I actually was perusing my local hobby shop yesterday to see if anything would be suitable. I did pick up some of the finest (as in small rather than quality) 1/700 ship model anchor chain which was very inexpensive. The actual loads use a cable and ratchet mechanism, which is ideally want I want to recreate.

 

I am slightly swaying towards the metal etched 1/12 motorcycle chain parts as the size and rough shape is pretty close to the tensioning equipment and glueing it on to some brass or steel wire.  

 

The pack comes with upgrade parts for the drivetrain for their Honda RC166 model, which for someone not into bikes, looks pretty awesome. It’s only the chain plates I’d need but I believe it also comes with a jig to assist in putting tiny pins and plates together. 

 

https://www.tamiya.com/japan/products/12633/index.html

 

I will probably utilise the ship chain by replacing the plastic moulded one of my HO DE10, DD51s and DF50 or attaching to the air hoses to add some extra realism

[Nick_Burman]

Haven't touched my JP stuff for awhile, however...

 

 

Being the owner of two 3D printers I decided to crank a couple of pilots for some Tetsudo Collection cars.

 

Cheers Nicholas

[JR 500系]

Not mine, but this does seem like an excellent idea!

 

 

[cteno4]

Very cool!

 

jeff

[Kamome]

Just a quick update on my ongoing military equipment train. Have now finally finished all of the painting on the loads themselves and will still contemplate a number of securing detail options. 

 

Decided to bite the bullet and emptied my local shop of Tomix blackened wheels. Not sure why they’re sold in packs of 4 so needed 10 boxes but they look way better than the silver and especially the painted ones, which if slightly chipped, had the metal shining through. 

There’s also no way they’ll go back into their relevant boxes so will need to procure a storage bookcase to house them.  They will have a place along the shelf until then.

 

Edited June 4 by Kamome

[disturbman]

Busy train weekend, during which I managed to detail the Tomix GV-E400 I recently received.

 

The whole process felt a bit stupid. Tomix made the node so one has to remove the light units to drill the holes to fit the satellite radios and place the destination stickers. The holes are drilled from inside, without guide. Unlike any other Tomix set I ever owned.

 

Which incidentally helped placing the running numbers on the front windows, since the angle between the window panel and the door makes it impossible to correctly place the rub-on sheet to transfer the running number onto the window.

 

In the end, the solution was to remove the whole front of the train; which is made of two pieces, the top one for the windows and the bottom one for the door. Once removed, the piece with the windows can be placed almost perfectly flat under the transfer sheet for an easy transfer.

 

 

I have no idea how Tomix expected us to place those rub-ons, but it was, from my perspective, the simplest solution.

[disturbman]

More upgrades, this time on a Tomytec Kobe Railway. The train received a fresh motor as well as pantographs, TN couplers, antennas and gangways. The gangways really do a lot to make the model look more finished.

 

[disturbman]

With the holidays looming, I had too much free time and decided to waste a few hours on a slow and probably unnecessary task.

 

 

 

[Kamome]

The ongoing saga of the military train. The recon vehicles have had securing cables fitted. I will use finer wire for the howitzers as they’re a little chunky when you see them close up on camera but not too bad when running. The tensioners were made using Tamiya 1/24 photo etched motocycle chain parts. They are actually spare so you could still make the motorcycle chain if you wished. 

[cteno4]

Very nice! The chain link works as a come-along quite nicely.

 

a 1/144 miniaturist friend recently got some 1/350 etched brass chain that she said looked very good but forgot to bring to our last lunch. Even though still a tad over scale for a tie down but she said it was very light looking so didn’t feel big. I’ll check it out next lunch!

 

jeff

[Kamome]

I found some 1/700 ship model chain, I assume for anchor chains etc.. It came pre blackened but the paint or coating comes off relatively easily but could be touched up again. 

 

It could probably be used on larger loads for n scale. I used on the HO gauge axle loads.