This clinic will focus on realistic weathering for those you can't or don't have the time to spend many hours per car when it comes to weathering a freight car fleet. I will be showing time-saving techniques for achieving good looking, realistic results using a variety of mediums. Some highlights to include weathering an entire 18-car, HO scale unit coal train in a handful of hours. Paint fading without an airbrush. Underbody weathering and many other miscellaneous time-saving tips.
Introducing the new Canpotex 4300 cu. ft. 3-bay hopper, decorated for PDX 2015. The release of
this car is timed to coincide with the opening of the new Portland Canpotex potash facility.
Don and Dan Huberman of North American Railcar will will share with you the details of how
the Canpotex hopper is manufactured.
This is a hands on make and take clinic where James will demonstrate making flat car and gondola loads from readily available everyday items. Supplies will be provided so that each participate will be able to make and take their own lumber, pipe or railroad tie load.
You have observed the diamond shaped signs on rail cars. You may understand that they are there to warn of the possible hazards of the materials in that rail car. What you probably want to know is what are the correct markings or signs should be on the rail cars on my layout. With this clinic I will share with you a little history of the warning signs, now known as placards on railroad equipment. We will see what the correct placards are for what commodity in which era. We will start with the 1906 American Railway Association Regulations for the Transportation of Inflammable Articles and Acids and review the changes up to the current DOT regulations
Craig Bisgeier, proprietor of AmesvilleShops.com, designs freight car kits on his home computer and has them laser-cut by a third party. He is able to create cars and structures he needs for his own layout, and sells extra copies to other modelers to help pay for his hobby expenses. And he wants to show you how you can do it too. We will go through the basics of the software, how to use it, and basic kit design. Then he will discuss available materials to work with, how to prepare a set of drawings for a commercial cutter that will save you time and money. He will show several examples of his work, including several car kits he's made as well as structures which would be nearly impossible to model by hand. Finally he will do a visual walk-through of how an average laser-cut car kit is assembled. By the time you leave you will have a good idea of how to get set up and start creating your own kits!