Justin,
I wasn't aware that ALPs printers needed their own special decal paper, and from what I have read other decal?papers work fine with?ALPS machines. Although ALPS home printers haven't been made since 1990, I suspect they still?make specialty machines for industrial use (ALPS technology was developed to make stable bar?code labels). ALPS will factory-recondition old machines, and their tape cartridges appear to still be in production. I was surprised to learn that Kadee uses ALPS printers for their custom decal service.
I have been printing white HO decals on my HP 254dw with Ghost White laser toner and Tango Papa laser decal paper. I like the Tango Papa paper because it has a slightly darker backing than MicroMark or Microscale papers. That makes white lettering easier to see for cutting.
Sorry, but I don't do custom work, and not SN decals -- I can't do the arched?lettering. Most of my decals have been for my fictional Virginia Midland and Sacramento Belt Line railroads.
Yours Aye,
Garth Groff ???????? (Scotland forever!)
On Sat, Nov 23, 2024 at 11:28?PM Justin Rowe via <justingrowe= [email protected]> wrote:
The decals for the Sacramento Northern Baldwin steeple cab were made from Western Pacific?orange and green paint scheme, orange stripes by Micro Scale together with lettering that was custom made on an alp printer credit to?Ken Harstine. But I have since found another waterslide white?decal paper Sunnyscopa on Amazon?that doesn¡¯t require clear coat and isn¡¯t faded according to Fine Scale Modeling, if Alp paper is gone or too?old. It?works much better than the cheaper?waterslide blank white paper. You could get a larger scale Sacramento Northern boxcar or Baldwin decals?and print and reduce?the side of it on the decal paper?so the background was brown or Tuscan on the boxcar or black for the steeple cab?as a new?alternative to make decals. Usually you trim close and paint the edges to blend color variations. The decal is even thinner. Might have to rob from a model?some trolley pickup poles or make them?since the guy who made them in Canada doesn¡¯t have them.?
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The decals for the Sacramento Northern Baldwin steeple cab were made from Western Pacific?orange and green paint scheme, orange stripes by Micro Scale together with lettering that was custom made on an alp printer credit to?Ken Harstine. But I have since found another waterslide white?decal paper Sunnyscopa on Amazon?that doesn¡¯t require clear coat and isn¡¯t faded according to Fine Scale Modeling, if Alp paper is gone or too?old. It?works much better than the cheaper?waterslide blank white paper. You could get a larger scale Sacramento Northern boxcar or Baldwin decals?and print and reduce?the side of it on the decal paper?so the background was brown or Tuscan on the boxcar or black for the steeple cab?as a new?alternative to make decals. Usually you trim close and paint the edges to blend color variations. The decal is even thinner. Might have to rob from a model?some trolley pickup poles or make them?since the guy who made them in Canada doesn¡¯t have them.?
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One more steeple in the site as well as a GE
One more print here. Also if you ask the guy with a GE steeple on the site he might reduce it to N-Scale if you show him what eBay?chassis it needs to fit. But when I bought a shapeways N-Scale GE steeple cab, it really didn¡¯t have room for a motor. I have one as a dummy and the other, the print was modified wider and taller to fit if I remember. It still sat?about 1 scale foot or two higher than the train body should be. I don¡¯t mind much
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Here is a chassis you might want to send the 3D?printer to design the steeple an around?
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Baldwin steeple cab in multiple scales 3-D print
I found a 3-D print of a Baldwin?steeple cab in multiple scales. If he doesn¡¯t have NScale, I¡¯m sure he will add that in.
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https://youtube.com/watch?v=tdhH8sW_rZQ&feature=shared
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Sacramento Northern steeple cab
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https://youtube.com/watch?v=zEgzcpb4eLA&feature=shared
Rasch Studios always makes amazing custom N-Scale layouts for people
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Sacramento Northern in N-Scale
Great NScale steeple cab action somebody has. That looks like the old line to Oakland in the background.
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https://youtube.com/watch?v=P72t9YcsvUI&feature=shared
Somebody on the list must have done this great layout. Pretty nice?
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Zero clearance PROXXON saw insert
Somebody in the other group pointed out you may want the zero clearance saw insert that is also offered on eBay for the Proxxon tablesaw. It¡¯s only about 12 bucks but if you make NScale Trestles?it may be necessary for fine work. Expect about every third piece to be misshapen
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Mini table saw for N-Scale trestles, caternary
I posted about?this on N-Scale Traction.?Has anyone seen or used the PROXXON German designed mini?table saw? I think it cuts down to 1-22mm or .04-5/6 inch. The cost of hobby wood is sort of prohibitive for some of the caternary work but I just ordered this and I plan on cutting thin scrap?pieces that cabinet shops give away?on a big table saw before ripping on the PROXXON so it doesn¡¯t bog down. They have one for around $115?coming in?the mail but the $400 one has angle adjustment on the saw blade and a table extension for panels which I thought was overkill for N-Scale size pieces. People who build full size wooden boats need a lot of dowels and they do it on the cheap by using a metal plate with holes drilled in it that they drive square wooden stock or sticks?through, sometimes with the wood turning in the chuck of a drill to help shape it. I have seen it done with a hammer or a drill but for small scale you might just drive it through by hand. They sell mini dowel making metal plates on eBay but most are too large except for an English one that is $110, and it only has one 1:160 scale?dowel hole so better to make your own. You have to lubricate with oil when drilling metal and usually you want to start the hole by hammering with?a center punch or even a big nail to give the drill bit something to follow so it won¡¯t wobble.?Don¡¯t use stainless steel plates. It will wreck drill bits because it is too hard.?I bought an N-Scale trestle template so the idea is to build trestle pieces when?I am stuck away from town on business.?They sell in store only at some?Harbor Freights?a mini table saw for $30, but I have heard it doesn¡¯t track as well. ?PROXXON Bench Circular Saw KS 115, 37006 , Green?
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Scott,
In general in the diesel era SN paint followed WP standards, so what is usually called Zephyr Orange should work. I always considered Floquil reefer orange to be acceptable and used that on my?44-tonners. That doesn't help much since Floquil is no longer available.
Given that (a) real paint fades, (b) it gets filthified?with dirt and diesel exhaust (very WP-ish!), (c) lighting on every layout will be different, and (d) the models will probably be weathered, it doesn't matter too much. Just get it close.
Spraying orange paint was one reason I backdated my SN and WP roster to the tuxedo era. Black is much more forgiving. Because I have never had a paint shop, my two airbrushes have gone almost totally unused. I use rattle cans and set my models on a now very colorful cinder block in the backyard.
Yours Aye,
Garth Groff ???????? Scotland forever!
?
On Mon, Nov 11, 2024 at 11:34?AM Scott Wiesemann via <swiesemann52= [email protected]> wrote: Garth and Joel, Thanks so much for all the information on the Alco engines.? My next question is what would be the appropriate color of orange paint and from what model paint company.
Scott
On Mon, Nov 11, 2024 at 3:08?AM Garth Groff and Sally Sanford via <mallardlodge1000= [email protected]> wrote: Friends,
As promised, here are the black-and-white photos of SN's Alcos from my collection.
403: [West] Sacramento, 6/12/68. Will Whittaker photo, negative in my collection. Note the cab roof equipment: gumball beacon, firecracker ratio antenna and impressive horn array. IIRC, gumball lights were required by Chico's city fathers to operate over street trackage there.
404 (1st): West Sacramento, undated. Garth Groff photo.
404 (2nd): Stockton dead line, 4/22/73.?Will Whittaker photo, negative in my collection. The missing roof equipment suggests the locomotive has been stripped prior to sale for scrap on 8/15/73.
405: West Sacramento, undated. Photographer unknown, negative in my collection.
406: West Sacramento, 9/30/73. Henry Bender photo, negative in my collection via Will Whittaker. 406 was the only SN Alco with nose numberboards.
Last time the computer scrambled the order of my photos. Let's see if it works better this time.
Yours Aye,
Garth Groff ???????? Scotland forever!
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Garth and Joel, Thanks so much for all the information on the Alco engines.? My next question is what would be the appropriate color of orange paint and from what model paint company.
Scott
On Mon, Nov 11, 2024 at 3:08?AM Garth Groff and Sally Sanford via <mallardlodge1000= [email protected]> wrote:
Friends,
As promised, here are the black-and-white photos of SN's Alcos from my collection.
403: [West] Sacramento, 6/12/68. Will Whittaker photo, negative in my collection. Note the cab roof equipment: gumball beacon, firecracker ratio antenna and impressive horn array. IIRC, gumball lights were required by Chico's city fathers to operate over street trackage there.
404 (1st): West Sacramento, undated. Garth Groff photo.
404 (2nd): Stockton dead line, 4/22/73.?Will Whittaker photo, negative in my collection. The missing roof equipment suggests the locomotive has been stripped prior to sale for scrap on 8/15/73.
405: West Sacramento, undated. Photographer unknown, negative in my collection.
406: West Sacramento, 9/30/73. Henry Bender photo, negative in my collection via Will Whittaker. 406 was the only SN Alco with nose numberboards.
Last time the computer scrambled the order of my photos. Let's see if it works better this time.
Yours Aye,
Garth Groff ???????? Scotland forever!
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Friends,
As promised, here are the black-and-white photos of SN's Alcos from my collection.
403: [West] Sacramento, 6/12/68. Will Whittaker photo, negative in my collection. Note the cab roof equipment: gumball beacon, firecracker ratio antenna and impressive horn array. IIRC, gumball lights were required by Chico's city fathers to operate over street trackage there.
404 (1st): West Sacramento, undated. Garth Groff photo.
404 (2nd): Stockton dead line, 4/22/73.?Will Whittaker photo, negative in my collection. The missing roof equipment suggests the locomotive has been stripped prior to sale for scrap on 8/15/73.
405: West Sacramento, undated. Photographer unknown, negative in my collection.
406: West Sacramento, 9/30/73. Henry Bender photo, negative in my collection via Will Whittaker. 406 was the only SN Alco with nose numberboards.
Last time the computer scrambled the order of my photos. Let's see if it works better this time.
Yours Aye,
Garth Groff ???????? Scotland forever!
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Joel,
Nice photo, and great end views. Thanks for posting. This should be a big help to Scott.
Yours Aye,
Garth Groff ???????? Scotland forever!
Scott and Garth,
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I have this shot of 401, 403, and 404 in Sacramento, does this help?
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Purchased slide, unknown photographer, collection of Joel Kirk.
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Joel?
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Scott,
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Here are the 403 and 404 along with the 401 in Sacramento if this helps.
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Purchased slide, photographer unknown, collection of Joel Kirk.
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Joel Kirk
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Scott and Garth,
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I have this shot of 401, 403, and 404 in Sacramento, does this help?
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Purchased slide, unknown photographer, collection of Joel Kirk.
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Joel?
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For sale -- HO 44-tonners ...
Hi all,
I have for sale the following HO scale items from Rapido Trains:
44-tonner, Sacramento Northern road #142, with factory DCC
(LokSound) installed
44-tonner, Sacramento Northern road #146, with factory DCC
(LokSound) installed
Asking price US$325/ea, postage included if both purchased by same
buyer.
Kind regards,
Richard Main
Melbourne, Australia
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Friends,
Scott asked about other pictures of SN Alcos that were not used in SN Online. I pulled these five color shots from my collection. I have a few B&W views as well, but those will wait for another post.
So here is the rundown:
SN 403 (1), at the fuel track in West Sacramento; Glenn Groff photographer.
SN 403 (2), Sacramento, but location unknown; purchased photo, unknown photographer.
SN 405, probably West Sacramento; purchased photo, unknown photographer.
SN 406 (1), with VS 502 on the way to WRM, West Sac fuel track; Glenn Groff photographer.
SN 406 (2), Yuba City, Glenn Groff photographer.
I wish I had been able to see more of the SN during this era, but I was at college in Orange from fall 1969, and only returned to the Sacto area during the summers of 1970 and 1971 when I had summer jobs, and for a few holiday visits. I shot very few photos of any trains during those years. Following graduation in 1973, I stayed in Orange county until 1975 when I joined the Coast Guard. My first tour of duty was in Alameda where I became a Photojournalist (film and processing approved as "training" at government expense). I again was able to do some railfanning on the SN with my service buddy, the late Doug Ewen, but by then Perlman Green had descended over everything except WP F-units.
Yours Aye,
Garth Groff ????????
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Scott Wiesemann
