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Modeler’s Spotlight Video – Inside Cody’s Office for July 2015
Another awesome show Cody! The Fox Valley Models GP60M is also available in Norfolk Southern Horsehead (3 road #) & NS “Operation Lifesaver” (#7140) paint schemes. Both as DC & DCC sound fitted. Keep up the great work.
Great Episode Cody, If printing Tack board signs from a PC could you not print these on something like an avery address label then it would be easier to remove than gluing paper to the car.
Cody, for the tack board idea, Scotch makes a “restickable” glue stick that in essence turns any piece of paper into a Post-It Note. There may be other brands that do the same thing. It would be laborious but you could take a prototype printed tackboard sign (such as Unload Other Side, Do Not Hump, Hide Service Only, and such – sometimes seen at swap meets and sometimes found trackside) and repeatedly reduce it on an office copier, then use the restickable glue stick to put a scale sized sign on a model’s tack board. But MR would also be doing us all a favor if it printed a variety of such signs in the various scale sizes.
Cody I have a couple old Atlas switching engines, sw1200 rounded roof, not sure when they were released but they are in the original white yellow black and blue boxes, kind of old yet the quality and reliability is consistent, I would like to update/modify the engines, I would like to replace the wheels because the flanges believe it or not have worn and every once in awhile even when clean they jump off the rails around my tight radius not sure of whats out there that would fit etc…also I would like to modernize the cab if something out there that would fit as a replacement…(maybe the sw1500 cab not sure??) could you possibly do a segment on these topics?? thank you much.
You have several 3D videos of track plans on your site. Can you tell us which software was used to create these 3D videos??
Great segment Cody, especially the tack board on freight cars. Promise us that you’ll show us how you built that great engine house for the MR&T, very nice. Thanks.
Cody-
Another 5-star installment!! I just had a handy trick to share with you. One day, I ran out of Sculptamold while I was mid way through a desert scene that needed something under it to blend in the terrain with the foam board underneath. The only thing closest to Sculptamold I had was a tube of Dap Dynaflex Alex-Fast-Dry white colored calk. It turned out that this stuff actually worked just as good, if not better, than the actual Sculptamold. It dried to just about the same consistancy, and was very easy to airbrush or brush-paint. It also spread a lot eaiser than Sculptamold. I would reccomend to try using this sometime just to expirement because it works so well.
For me, “Go Red Sox!!” For you, “Go Twins!!” (Did you see Brian Dozier’s walk off HR on 7/7/15??)
-Owen Toal, Amherst Railway Society
Cody, you are working on a MR&T loco roster. When will the MR&T get some modern, hi-tech diesels like SD70ACe’s?
Could you do a project layout on the East Broad Top?
What was the brown Earth-colored paint that was used on the Red Oak Project Railroad?
Great job as usual Cody. I look forward to the new “Cody’s Office” each month. Regarding a way to stick a paper tack board on a car, couldn’t it be attached using rubber cement? It would be easier to remove that way but I do not know how rubber cement would react to the car’s paint. Thanks.
Rubber cement is an excellent choice for tackboards. Very friendly to the paint. Another placard for tackboards are “Bad Order” tags (usually orange or something highly visible). The reason that they are wood is so you can use a staple gun for adhering the placard. ROOOF? That is just that Minnesota verbiage coming out, don’t chya know?
To add, if you used your horn inside the Engine House, your Roundhouse Foreman would beat you with a stick.
For your Modeling Hints segment, how about trying the Andy Renshaw (MR June 15) method of using a ‘thin layer of white glue’ to reduce silvering under his decals. I am suspicious about exactly how this is done and figure that you can reach the author if it doesn’t work too well. And I don’t want to ruin any of my projects but I know you must have plenty of items to practice on.
I’d like to offer a tip for replicating tack boards. I have used Microsoft Word and Post-It notes to print striping for a steam decal project I am working on to physically see how long the stripes will be when printed. I can then cut the stripes from the Post-It and place them on the model without tape or other adhesive. When using Word, I set my margins at half an inch and place the sticky portion of the Post-It on a blank sheet of paper along the top and side margins. I will use a ruler to lightly draw the two margin lines so I can accurately place the note. This method will work with making removable tack boards as well.
Adhesive Transfer Tape from 3M was featured in the August 2015 issue. This would be an excellent way to attach tackboards.
Cody I visited the M R & T in April. I recommend calling in advance say the day before and you will get a guided tour of Kalmbach.
Paul Newman from Michigan: Great episode!!! I have been looking for the name given to the extra rails seen on bridges and trestles?. Is there a purpose beyond stabilizing the track ties and thus the main rails?
I am attempting to model a short line in Greenville,SC in HO painting and placarding a GP9. How do I get a placard to fit the grab irons , on the front of the locomotive?