Search found 53 matches

by mec_alf
Wed Nov 19, 2014 7:13 pm
Forum: Loco & Rolling Stock
Topic: The Great Pumpkin - aka MEC 232
Replies: 2
Views: 12756

Re: The Great Pumpkin - aka MEC 232

It's had another coat of Pumpkin, which has covered up the embarrassing runs at the bottom of the shell. I'm going to check it over and either give it a coat of Klear or tidy it up properly and give it a final, light coat then spray the horizontal section of the short hood. Once that's done it'll re...
by mec_alf
Tue Nov 11, 2014 5:19 pm
Forum: Loco & Rolling Stock
Topic: The Great Pumpkin - aka MEC 232
Replies: 2
Views: 12756

The Great Pumpkin - aka MEC 232

With 7 Stewart U25Bs either painted and lettered or earmarked for the Maine Central I had to do one as 232, the "Great Pumpkin" for its overall Harvest Gold paint scheme. With my supply of Harvest Gold either elderly or enamel and my not having suitable thinners to hand I opted for docraft...
by mec_alf
Sat Nov 08, 2014 3:39 pm
Forum: Painting, Decalling and Weathering
Topic: No more Floquil and Polyscale paints
Replies: 3
Views: 16630

Re: No more Floquil and Polyscale paints

There's a useful website that will compare the colours on an (uploaded) image to offer a selection of alternative. You can find it here:

http://scalemodeldb.com/paint

I've tried it for an EsPee GP40 that I saw at Truckee and it offered a series of choices for both the grey and the scarlet.
by mec_alf
Sat Nov 08, 2014 3:25 pm
Forum: Painting, Decalling and Weathering
Topic: Making decals
Replies: 15
Views: 54114

Re: Making decals - ALPS printers

Making Your Own Decals Years ago there was an ink jet printer called ALPS, which could be used for making decals because it used white ink, as well as black and colours. These are occasionally available second hand, for example on e-Bay. Martin B The ALPS printers aren't ink-jet but dye-sublimation...
by mec_alf
Sun Nov 02, 2014 5:48 pm
Forum: Loco & Rolling Stock
Topic: Westside SP Atlantic 4-4-2
Replies: 6
Views: 16509

Re: Westside SP Atlantic 4-4-2

Lubrication of the worm and motor bearing has had the desired effect, the model runs really smoothly through the range now. It wasn't without its fraught moments, one of the tiny screws flew off into the Bermuda triangle which sits in my workshop, happily I have a wide selection of small sized scre...
by mec_alf
Wed Oct 29, 2014 7:17 pm
Forum: Events - Past
Topic: Calder Northern Fallen Flags Meet
Replies: 0
Views: 6744

Calder Northern Fallen Flags Meet

All going well, the following links SHOULD take you to some (rather shaky) footage of my Benson Lumber Shay pressed into switching duties: https://plus.google.com/u/0/101829256724655578661/videos an experimental run of two Centipedes and U-Boat, and a Bachmann Shay (marked up in British Railways liv...
by mec_alf
Wed Oct 29, 2014 5:12 pm
Forum: Loco & Rolling Stock
Topic: Westside SP Atlantic 4-4-2
Replies: 6
Views: 16509

Re: Westside SP Atlantic 4-4-2

Almost certainly there's a screw under the smoke-box, obscured by the pony truck; certainly that's beenthe case with all my brass steam locos.
by mec_alf
Fri Oct 10, 2014 6:28 pm
Forum: General modelling topics
Topic: What was your early inspiration?
Replies: 13
Views: 20844

Identity crisis resolved

Having loitered as "maineu18b" since signing up to the forum I have finally identified myself - it turns out that I am actually Alf Milliken, and hae amended my signature to more accurately identify both myself and my interests.
by mec_alf
Fri Oct 10, 2014 6:17 pm
Forum: Loco & Rolling Stock
Topic: Balboa Drive Train Headache
Replies: 2
Views: 7433

Re: Balboa Drive Train Headache

Thanks Rai, I've installed a short length of brass tubing into the silcon tubing and that seems to have resolved the power-transmission problem. I've just got to repair the trailing truck, after which the loco will be tested on a club layout. If all goes properly then it gets chipped; otherwise it'l...
by mec_alf
Fri Oct 10, 2014 6:10 pm
Forum: DCC Topics
Topic: Athearn Genesis Mike with a problem
Replies: 4
Views: 17938

Re: Athearn Genesis Mike with a problem

Upon much closer inspection I found that the screw securing the red wire to the chassis wasn't screwed fully home, permitting the tag to "float". A quick tightening up resolved the problem.

Sometimes the obvious solution isn't the correct one.
by mec_alf
Fri Oct 03, 2014 10:35 am
Forum: DCC Topics
Topic: Athearn Genesis Mike with a problem
Replies: 4
Views: 17938

Re: Athearn Genesis Mike with a problem

Hello Koos, That's possible, and I'll try it with my elderly ROCO Multi-maus once I've found its instruction manual. I've got several other locos running the NCE decoder, all programmed on the Gaugemaster set, which reduces the likelihood that the two are incompatible. Thanks Maineu18b - as I commen...
by mec_alf
Wed Oct 01, 2014 12:36 pm
Forum: DCC Topics
Topic: Athearn Genesis Mike with a problem
Replies: 4
Views: 17938

Athearn Genesis Mike with a problem

I've got an Athearn Mike that has turned into a chip frier - literally. The problem started with the red power wire coming adrift from its solder tag - so no propulsion. After dismantling the loco I was able to resolder the wire and checked it on DC power where it was quite happy. I then re-installe...
by mec_alf
Sun Aug 31, 2014 6:32 pm
Forum: General modelling topics
Topic: What was your early inspiration?
Replies: 13
Views: 20844

Re: What was your early inspiration?

BrianMoore wrote:Hello, maineu18b,

Thanks for that.

It would be good to know who you really are, too!
When I find out who I am, I'll identfy myself :)
by mec_alf
Sat Aug 30, 2014 6:33 pm
Forum: General modelling topics
Topic: What was your early inspiration?
Replies: 13
Views: 20844

Re: What was your early inspiration?

A Tri-ang train set, with a Jinty, 2 wagons and a brake van as my combined Christmas and birthday present as a child, then a Tri-ang CKD Princess Elizabeth the next year, set up on a 6'by4' chipboard base with no buildings started it off. Fast forward the video of life several decades now. My younge...
by mec_alf
Sat Aug 30, 2014 6:24 pm
Forum: Loco & Rolling Stock
Topic: Balboa Drive Train Headache
Replies: 2
Views: 7433

Balboa Drive Train Headache

Currently driving me up the wall, metaphorically speaking, is a Balboa B-1 Berkshire. :( The problem is that I can't get the motor and gearbox to work together. I've tried 2mm flexible silicon tubing but it wraps itself into a 3-D Mobius strip - pretty but it does nothing for operating. The motor sh...