The Third Rail

The Third Rail Trains, trains, trains!!! We are one of the few local shops that actually carry a lot of stock. Advice, free. Friendship, free.

Now it’s coming alive!!!!!! This is as far as I will take the weathering on this one. Now its just wipers, airpipes and ...
03/07/2025

Now it’s coming alive!!!!!! This is as far as I will take the weathering on this one. Now its just wipers, airpipes and rearview mirrors. Got the side window mesh on. They came out lekker.

Like I mentioned in last night’s video, I finally got my friend, tutor, mentor and critic to build me two of his models....
02/07/2025

Like I mentioned in last night’s video, I finally got my friend, tutor, mentor and critic to build me two of his models. Leon de Klerk.

I fell in love with the wine cellar he did for an overseas client. It is known that I have no qualms to shoot down an inferior model. But it goes the other way too. If a modeller is exceptional, I am the first to say so. And where I can, I support them.

He is painting and weathering it for me as well. Trick will be to do them justice by building a decent scene around it.

I cannot wait! I get little titbits as he progresses. It is going to be spectacular.

A bit of a Mike Tyson isn’t it? Look, jury is out. It needs to out-pull the 8E as that is currently the champion. It sho...
01/07/2025

A bit of a Mike Tyson isn’t it? Look, jury is out. It needs to out-pull the 8E as that is currently the champion. It should. I stalled it on the Lokprogrammer last night and it has formidable traction.

The coreless motor is hard to get smooth with DCC as the back EMF needs to be perfect. But when its dialled in, they have a lot of power.

We will test soon!

As a sidenote, this loco, over all the groups I manage, have surpassed the 8E in views. 25000!!!!! So it wins that round. Weirdly enough, the class 36GE runs a distant third. The class 33-200s are currently joint 5th with the 5E and 6E in fourth with the 35GE in sixth place. I thought the 33GE would’ve done better.

Another thing that tickles me, a lot of younger guys are interested in the 44. It is stirring them. That is a good thing.

01/07/2025

Slow and tedious but very satisfying in a way. This is the kak work. Once all of this is done and we get to scenery, then things will be way easier.

I get a lot of guys asking me how one goes about to build a locomotive. I also get a helluva lot of guys sending me pict...
01/07/2025

I get a lot of guys asking me how one goes about to build a locomotive.

I also get a helluva lot of guys sending me pictures of locos, parts for locos, detail parts and so forth, asking me if I can print it.

Here is how it works. A 3d printer can only print what you give it to print. So everything that comes out that machine needs to be designed.

To design something, there is a cheap way and the right way. A designer can visit Google and download a couple of pictures of a model and start drawing away. I built many of the big ones like that in the beginning.

Then there is the right way. Engineering drawings. These cost money. They are way more intricate and detailed than any photo could ever be. They need a designer that gets paid by the hour. Someone that understands the model.

Then photos can be used to see what was modified in real life and what was left alone. Trust me, with South African rolling stock and locos, NOTHING was left alone. There was a lot of modifications.

Long story short, to get a model to the standard that Sarmodel supplies them, needs an expert. It needs infrastructure. It needs files full of references. You cannot suck it out your thumb. It needs TIME.

This is also a point I want to touch quickly. I have over 50 locos on order. Hundreds of wagons. It takes time boys. Your patience will be rewarded. I get updates every morning from Frank at Sarmodel. Stuff he has made better from my feedback. It might be a simple thing like the routing of a wire. Or a body clip. Or a gearbox cover.

To sum up, to build a model to be a scale replica of the prototype cannot be done from your scratchbuilt box. It cannot be done using donors.

It needs patience. It needs custom work. And that is why you pay me to do it. I also had guys asking me for display models. Keep in mind, to build a dummy takes just as much time as a driven one. Same paint, same detail. They cannot magically cost R2k.

And, I also had guys asking me why I do not do everything inhouse. I have the space to build a printer room. I can draw.

I am not an engineer though. It takes a lifetime to build up resources to be able to create models correctly. It takes an engineer to design mechanisms that run like these do. It takes a sh*tload of money. It takes experience.

So my answer to the very first question…. let me build it for you. I know how. It will be right. To the rivet. Just swipe your card. It cannot be done cheaply.

Lekker julle!!

25/06/2025

70% there. Lekker julle!

Such a challenging build. I have made jigs……and remade them…… and remade them…. and then mirrored them and remade them. ...
23/06/2025

Such a challenging build. I have made jigs……and remade them…… and remade them…. and then mirrored them and remade them. The fooking handrails are driving me crazy. Stantions are 1mm uprights and 0.4mm brass rod across. Mountings are 0.3mm brass rod. Then you aim and drill the holes in your model. Then you fine tune. Resolder, move, bend, resolder……

They are not glued yet but LHS is done. RHS is still in the bending and aiming fase.🤮😒

I had jigs printed for the front channel stanchions. You need to cut 0.3mm brass sheet in EXACTLY 1.4mm strips. Then moer it with a metal ruler into your block. And viola……. channel.

But even unfinished, this loco can make brutal pictures. And it does things to me that it should really not do. This is what I want. As nostalgic and patriotic as I can be, this is what I want. This ticks all my boxes.

Now to chat Frank up to design me a class 39-200…….

I have not touched the handrails yet.😞 I am scared of them. But I have done the decals. All 60 of them. This model is a ...
22/06/2025

I have not touched the handrails yet.😞 I am scared of them. But I have done the decals. All 60 of them.

This model is a challenging build. I swear, it scares me.

Masking is not something I like doing. My first ever go at a TFR livery. Not for the faint hearted. Luckily this one sta...
20/06/2025

Masking is not something I like doing. My first ever go at a TFR livery. Not for the faint hearted. Luckily this one stays with me. The other one I am going to do without primer.

You can see by the crispness on the top of the doors and how the detail fades on the yellow below the door. Too much paint.

But this loco makes an excellent case for why everything under the catwalk must be right. Without the correct chassis, it loses all its effect.

It simply remains one of the best, most detailed designs Frank Collingwood has ever done. Astonishing detail. The scale vernier perfect.

Such a massive loco. Today I will start with the stanchions. That is going to be a job and a half.

Well, I have started the class44 with a first coat of TFR red. My paint arrived so I have the TFR correct mix now in sto...
16/06/2025

Well, I have started the class44 with a first coat of TFR red. My paint arrived so I have the TFR correct mix now in stock. I haven’t done rattle cans this time. They are a bit harsh on HO scale.

I have done two coats very thin on the 44 as keeping the detail crisp on this thing is important. The masking is going to be a nightmare. As will be the handrails and stantions.

Whichever way, this thing will nudge R12k full house with sound. But mark my words…… like the real one, it will make a statement. Frank is busy with the weight plugs and stuff. I think this will be a nice and heavy machine.

Lekker julle!!!!

Can anybody tell me what the L9 and W9 stand for?
13/06/2025

Can anybody tell me what the L9 and W9 stand for?

This is straight from the printer. Before priming or cleaning anything up. The Sarmodel sugar wagons now have all the de...
12/06/2025

This is straight from the printer. Before priming or cleaning anything up.

The Sarmodel sugar wagons now have all the detail a beautiful design like this deserves. They are gorgeous. Look at the piping and even the handbrake chain.

This is next level printing. I have not seen anything like it. Ever.

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