I have 4 locomotives that I want detailed. The paint and graphic are fine to me except for 1. I just dont have the steady hands, time or know how of how to accurately detail a locomotive.
What I have is:
UP SD70M (4546 and 4527) Athearn Genesis’
UP AC4400 (6534) Athearn RTR
UP C44-9W (9820) Athearn BlueBox (the UP yellow is more like big bird yellow - So I want it heavily weathered and all the detail parts installed)
Check the classified advertising section of MR´s May issue. There are ads by people who do custom painting and detailing.
Not picking on you, but you really should give detailing your own a try. I have been in HO since late 1950’s, my hands are not as steady, my eyes are not as good as they were, but I still enjoy doing the detailing myself on equipment that requires it. I do have to say that the newer HO offerings for diesels and cars make a lot of super detailing unnecessary today, but I still like to do a little at times. If you are saying you are too old, I am 73 and still very active. It does take me longer, but that includes finding my glasses, finding the workbench, finding the tools, finding the car/engine/building, and then after all that, remembering what the heck I wanted to do to the car/engine/building in the first place.
Bob
I’m with pastorbob on this one. Give it another try. You can get the detail parts from companies like Details West and Detail Associates for a fraction of the cost it’s going to cost to have someone else purchase the detail parts and do it for you. Try using a micro mark optivisor to get up close and personal with those tiny parts. If you feel you’re getting shakey, take a break and put it down for awhile before continuing. I can assemble just about anything tiny with a good pair of tweezers, some jeweler’s files, a pin vise and pin vise bits, and some glue dabbled onto the part with a toothpick…chuck
Sorry but I have to respectively disagree with the last tow posters in if the o/p feels he doesn’t have what it takes to do fine detail work then why waste his time money and possibly a locomotive shell.
To quote Dirty Harry “A Mans got to know his limitations” one thing many of us have trouble realizing is that very very few people in the hobby can do everything so some times things are best left to those who have the ability and skill to do so. Can you paint better then I can, maybe or maybe not I’ve had an airbrush in my hand professionally for over 33 years so maybe I might be a little better at it then you are. Are you really good at craftsmen kits I know I sure as heck ain’t. So if I want a FSM kit or other equally detailed type kit do I spend hundreds of dollar try and assemble it and have a blob of ugly wood sitting on my layout that looks like a third grader built it.or do I pony up the money and have someone like Howard Zane build me a fantastic fine look one of a kind structure. For me it’s money better spent. It may take me a while to save up the money but it’s well worth it. i personally have no problem pointing out structures etc. on my layout that have been built by others.
I just got a check in the mail today form an out of state friend for materials for his new bench work, which he has contracted me to build. He is one heck of a fine model builder but admits it would be hard to build models and run trains with a few missing fingers. Model railroading is no different then lets say working on your house. If you don’t know what your doing when it comes to electrical work do you take it upon yourself to wire your house and possibly burn it to the ground.
Bottom line is there is nothing wrong with having others detail your locomotives, install sound decoders, wiring your signaling system or repair your PC if it;s not with in the scope of your capabilities.
True but there’s nothing wrong with encouraging people to give it another shot. Sometimes it’s just how you do things. If I have a problem with too much shaking I place a block next to the work and lean the needle nose pliers or tweezers against the block to stop the shake. Nothing says you have to suspend the small parts in mid air. I would suggest giving it a try with a piece of rolling stock. If there is a prized loco I’d send it out, but not to someone in the classifieds. I would do like the poster and ask on a site like like this for recommendations.
Check your inbox.
Quite okay to disa
Did any of you guys actually “read” his post???..I would never encourage someone to attempt something like that if 1. They fully admit to not having the time…2. They admit to having bad dexterity or "shaking. This hobby is what you yourself make of it. I have had someone myself put decoders in for since 1. Sometimes my time is limited. 2. I sometimes suck at it. You could be on here all day “encouraging” me to try it but no one should ever have to be questioned about “why” they didn’t try it or “why” they are having someone else do it. I make super detailed trees for many of my modeling friends who some of them can do it themselves and have the time…do I care??..Nope. It’s what “they” want…not me. Just my own [2c] Tim
Bob, actually no quite the opposite it’s an explanation or declaration of you will of how to save the modeler himself money. I’m one for quoting old sayings such as " The great one’s make it look easy" same can be said for model railroaders. Yes there are many extremely talented modelers who can do many things but very few who can do everything. I myself find bench work construction and electrical work such as soldering and electronics etc. a task that some cringe at. For me when it comes to super detailing well lets just say it isn’t one of my strong suits but I know what I can and can not do. So what I’m saying is unless your absolutely 100% confident in your modeling ability don’t jump into a project such as super detailing or re-painting a locomotive.which may have cost you several hundred dollar.
I have had many a fellow modeler as me how to weather with an airbrush, my first response is either go to your LHS or a Walmart or like store and buy some of the cheap toy or junk pieces of rolling stock. Then get out your how to book and have at it. If you master the techniques you can use the El Cheapo car on a siding or as a filler piece in a yard etc. and if you haven’t and it looks like a science experiment gone wrong worse case is your out a $1.00 give or take not a $39.00 Kadee car.
I know some guys who are even pretty fair painters/detailers in their own right who have sent pieces out to professionals, when asked why they have replied because thats a really nice or expensive piece and I want it to come out top shelf.
As much as I hate to say it I have seen it happen way too many times in this hobby as well as others guys go out and buy or build really nice hot-rods cars etc. and decide they own a compressor so they can paint a car and they wind up what used to be a nice car which now looks like a refugee from a junk yard. Same in model railroading, I saw what used to be a very nice Proto Heritage 2000 Y3 that the owner decided to paint and weather himself. It now looks
I agree that not everyone has the same talents in everything, but, someone who is starting in the hobby won’t know what they can or can’t do until they try. Yeah, they might ruin a few things, they may not do as well on some things to start, but, we all have to start somewhere. I installed all my decoders except for the few sound units I have, and I bought Atlas diesels for the sound units. The rest of my fleet is made up of Kato, Genesis and some P2K. I put all the motor decoders in them and programmed them , and I am at my worst with electronics. I didn’t pay someone to come in and install the NCE system I use, I learned to work with it myself, helped by the fact I had a pre-DCC system called Dynatrol for most of the 80’s and 90’s before goint to DCC. But I installed the Dynatrol by trial and error also. I learned to install, isolate, insulate, wire receivers myself, after a fellow modeler showed me how to do the first one. I would not want to be dependent on someone else for support on my layout and I have been fortunate to have “learned” on my own, and I demonstrated it, including scratch building track switches to get my MMR awards.
As far as the sound, I have only a few not because I don’t know how, but because I find too much sound annoying to the hearing aids I wear.
Let me conclude with this scenario. "glad you like my layout. No Joe Sniffles did all the installation of the DCC system, I’m all thumbs with electronics. Thanks, glad you like my scenery, Sam and George from the club did it, I don’t have an eye for scenery and colors. Oh, the structures are all custombuilt by Harry Buildum, I just don’t do buildings very well. The trackwork? You know Sam Mainliner? He built most of it. I just can’t solder. Operations, well I haven’t taken time to figure out timetables and train orders and all that stuff yet, so I just run one train
Oh joy. Everyone seems to be into verbal kung fu fighting here.[:-^]
I just think this whole thing is getting kind of irritating. The OP was only asking a simple question and ended up with several disquisitions about the evils of guys who work their magic on others layouts. I say that if the guy wants/needs something done let him. He is not going to ruin my day simply because he can’t do it as good as that guy[sigh]
I prefer doing things in my own–ahern—charming way[(-D]
I don’t see any verbal kung fu going on. Some of us suggest he might want to use the opportunity to explore and expand his own skills, some suggest that maybe he isn’t capable of doing it himself and should let the pros do it. Part of the hobby is learning new skills. No one’s day is being ruined except perhaps yours, and I don’t really know why you object, as you are also free to do what you want to do.
Sorry your chain is pulled and we will say no more so you can get back to your day. And I do appologize for ruining your day by expressing an opinion. Bed time.
Bob
Let me conclude with this scenario. “glad you like my layout. No Joe Sniffles did all the installation of the DCC system, I’m all thumbs with electronics. Thanks, glad you like my scenery, Sam and George from the club did it, I don’t have an eye for scenery and colors. Oh, the structures are all custombuilt by Harry Buildum, I just don’t do buildings very well. The trackwork? You know Sam Mainliner? He built most of it. I just can’t solder. Operations, well I haven’t taken time to figure out timetables and train orders and all that stuff yet, so I just run one train around the circle at a time.” And on and on. Dumb? Yes it is, but I have visited layouts and received those types of comments. I rest my case. That’s my story and I’m stickin to it.
Bob
Agreed, I see and understand your point completely, nothing more then friendly simple banter going on here a civil exchange of opinions and ideas isn’t that the purpose of the board, but as with he examples you just sited and one that comes to mind of a person known to me who s well lets just say financially very well off and because of his obligations in running his company he has little or no time to himself let alone enough time to build his own model railroad. So he is one of the fortunate few who can afford to pay folks to build his layout I am sure he has the ability to build it but there just ain’t enough hours in the day so is he any less of a model railroader then the rest of us? At what point to we expel these types of people from the hobby, is it when someone has their entire layout built, or they only buy built up structures or ready to run rolling stock or factory made trees, or having others detail our locomotives etc. etc. In my O/p they are no more or no less a model railroader then you or me. Just because one lacks the talent or manual dexterity doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be allowed to enjoy the hobby o