Today I received my P2k Southern 0-8-0 switcher with dcc and sound, and you know how it is when the new baby comes home. Out comes the camera. These are fairly large pictures for those on dial up but I hope you’ll bear with me.
I tried to count the rivets but was going cross eyed doing it so I gave up…
Gee Mom, you can see right through there!
I don’t think I can bring myself to weather it…
All in all it is a very nice model that seems to run very well. Nice sound too with the double speakers.
JaRRell
Boy that is a nice looking engine.
That it is, Tim. Sorry for the large photos but in little ones you just can’t see detail all that well.
Jarrell
Do you know if they have made any improvements to the exterior of the model? I know they used the 0-6-0 tender wheel power pick up. But I don’t see any exterior changes.
How much did that beauty set you abck?
Matthew
Not only a nice model, but look how crisp and clear those photos are! Whew! Jarrell, along with answering what that set you back, can you enlighten us on what camera you use? Or has that already been discussed?
Darrin
That is a SWEET locomotive, Jarrell! [^] [tup] I’ve had my eye on that particular one for a while now. I like the improvements they’ve made to the detailing, as well as the new sound and the extra pickups in the tender.
Jarrell, how is the sound quality?..[sigh]…One of these days.
Tom
Sorry Tex, I don’t know. I have a friend that has had one for a while now but I never looked at it closely (it’s usually in the engine house!), but I will the next time I’m over there.
Jarrell
Matt, it was $229 from FirstHobby.com. I decided when I got into this hobby this year that I’d rather have dcc and sound and if possible fairly nice engines. I know they’re not brass, but I sure can’t afford those… [:)]
Jarrell
Darrin, the camera used for these was a Nikon D100 digital camera. The standard Nikon 50mm lens was used along with a large studio type strobe that has a ‘softbox’ mounted on it. Here is a picture of some of my studio gear set up in what is now the train room…
For most pictures of smaller objects, like this locomotive, you need a lot of light… very powerful flash units… so that you can shoot at small lens openings in order to get maximum depth of field (area in a picture that is in focus). Also, I’ve noticed that many people post pictures of their equipment here that are pretty good, but simply not ‘post processed’ very well. One secret to getting sharp pictures on the web is to sharpen the image, then resize it for web viewing, and then sharpen it slightly again. If they did that there would be a big improvement in their photos.
Thanks,
Jarrell
Tom, the QSI sound is very good. Not quite as deep and throaty as that on my BLI Class A but they’re two totally different engines… [:)]
Jarrell
Nice go’n Jarrell,when is the shay comming??The detail is real good on that engine,You do good work!!!
JIM
When is a goat beautiful?? I dont know…bout three in the mornin when all the girls have left???
ON30shay, you also have to be a little drunk…or high…or a combination of the two. No, I am not speaking from experience.
How much did that photo setup cost? You must have a pretty good job.
Matthew
Jarrell;
You can actually make a good case for not weathering it. Although steamers were notoriously dirty, sooty machines, back in the day when locos were assigned to a crew and that crew alone, they took a lot of pride in their machines. Back when my Dad fired for the SRR, he would tell me that even though his train wasn’t scheduled to leave the station til 9:00, he, the engineer and head brakie would be at work at 5:00 to poli***he loco before the run. Never mind that by 11:30 the loco looked as if it needed a bath, it was clean when the passengers saw it as they got on the train.
If you can get , borrow, buy a copy of R.Prince’s book on the SRR, you’ll see a picture of a very similar 0-8-0 loco belonging to a crew with a lot of pride. They had it decked out with a big Masonic emblem on the front above the headlight, candlesticks on each side of the headlight. The bell was highly polished brass, with a painted interior. They even went through the trouble of applying passenger loco striping onto the tender and cab with another set of candlesticks by the rear headlight. They kept the loco clean AND shiny. A lot of work, but worth it to them.
Hey there Jim! I gotta lay off the buying for a while… I’m goin broke down here! [:D]
Jarrell
Matt, I used to be in the wedding photography business and also did some portrait work. I collected this equipment over several years.
Jarrell
Well I’ll be darned… thanks Carey. That was interesting and I WILL keep my eye out for the book.
Jarrell
very very nice engine. if i had one there is no way i could weather it. yep the crew just cleaned her. thats the ticket
i know who to bug with picture taking questions now too.
best regards, john
John, I’ll be glad to help you any time!
And yes, you got the right idea on weatherin’… thats the ticket!
JaRRell