Here is a shot of the; “new & improved camera ‘Truckee’ …for now”
Yep, it got a raise! and more weight, via a block of 5/8" (strong) thick by 1" cold rolled steel bar stock!! It gave the essential mass to the unit, & elevated the camera lens to hood level of the other locomotives. This was a major improvement over what was seen before. I believe this picture shows the orientation of the unit very well. Issues still exist; the test videos show that the unit is still canted & cockeyed badly. I believe the CCD lens is not square to the case, & therefore I will give it some booster wedges & fix that, so we will not have “Taco Head” tilt when watching these videos. The other issue is; now that it has much more mass, it recoils & lurches much more vigorously than before, she be mighty bouncy! My apologies!
I think the new video will be a forward progression over the initial one & it is progress! Still learning & building on it!
I am no expert on video cameras but it seems to me that your camera would be much more stable if it was mounted on the front end of a much longer platform with appropriate weight over the rear truck to even the load on the trucks. In its current configuration it would seem to be vulnerable to even the slightest variations in track as well as changes in torque from the locomotive.
Like I said, I am no expert but there is still a trace of logic in my limited mind.[swg]
Since you are a Critter fella, you are familliar with the perils of a short wheelbase!
I too am trying to ‘optimize’ this little guy, to track well & be stable, all at the same time…
Yes, it is quite a challenge, but it is working fairly well for me.
Although it is posed with those challenges, ‘I am’ surprised with the favorable results I am getting! I believe it is mostly due to the significant weight I have planted in this guy, & the new Steel Bar Stock only helps it. I am also cheating a bit, by using a switch ladder that is affixed directly on sanded flat & loud plywood. Only junk in the glue & my poor soldering can make that track uneven or rough, so it is an unusual set of circumstanstances that leads to these results.
Please see the above mentioned thread later today for a new update video, I am hoping it will be as least as good as my trial runs without daylight… (these cameras need a lot of ambient light to work well)…
Dave, I enjoy your models & work, please keep it up, & show us some more projects, Take care!
I have installed LED headlights in a few vehicles. Those vehicles with clear headlights make this fairly easy to do. Here is my first attempt - a Mark 10 Jag:
I am using warm white 0603 SMD LEDs epoxied to the back of the headlights. The LEDs were purchased on eBay. They are a little green in hue but I find them acceptable. Edit: The next step will be to buy some SMD red LEDs and some fibre optic cable to illuminate the tail lights. Fussy, but quite doable.
The biggest challenge when gluing the LEDs in place behind the headlights is figuring out how to hold them in place while the epoxy sets. The LEDs have to be perfectly aligned with the stem on the headlight or they will be rather dim. I have been using small spring clamps but once the clamp is in place it can be very hard to check the alignment of the LED. In order to deal with a misplaced LED I remove the clamp as soon as the epoxy is reasonably solid and apply power to check the position of the LED. Since the epoxy has not fully cured it is fairly easy to pull the LED out and clean off the epoxy and try again. I have repositioned one headlight on my Simpsons delivery truck 4 times[banghead]. I had it right on the second attempt but I foolishly pulled on the wire and it came off the LED. Oh well - I haven’t got any better use for my time!
After being sick last week I finally finished these cars, also doing rib-sided cars takes a lot longer than a smooth side car.
This is the second Morrison-Knudson Covered Hopper, that I did out of their fleet of 274 cars. Atlas PS2 2003 CF Covered Hopper painted Armour Yellow and lettered with Herald King Decals.
This is a McKeen Models ACF Exterior Post Boxcar that I am using to stand in for a Major-Freuhauf X74 Boxcar. Substituted a X-Panel Roof from a Branchline Berwick kit to replicate the difference between the X71 and X74 Boxcars. All were used for clean lading products, mostly paper loading. Floquil PC Green paint and lettered with Microscale Decals.
This is an Eel River Models, 62’ PC&F RBL used for hauling Coors Beer from Golden Co. Assembled the flat kit and painted with Scalecoat Aluminum and Armour Yellow and lettered with Microscale Decals.
A few years ago, one of our group members at Boothbay RR Village loaned us a small video camera that we mounted in a 40’ gondola with a styrene crate to hide the guts of the thing. It was quite stable. I can not tell from your photo, but having a 2 truck flatcar that is weighted just to NMRA standards should be an acceptable platform. You could be overdoing it with that big steel block. Also tightening one truck so that it does not wobble, and having the other one a bit loose so it absorbs variations in track elevations shold also help.
George,
Thanks for the thoughts, I am just having fun with this, & I realized it is fun & I am enjoying it. I wanted to experiment with the ‘truckee’ to see how it would track, & I think it does pretty well. The steel block could easily be replaced with a wood one, but it gives me the weight I like, was handy, & now it is at the right ride height.
I am just goofing around with this, & having fun with the noise makers. I just added today’s video in the other thread.
Now, I really want to have much more than just a 2’ x 6’ switch ladder! I would love to run this on a really nice Layout like many of you guys have!!!
Thanks & take care, Happy Easter!
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