Image Stacking a new structure

Recently I've been experimenting with a macro lens and image stacking.  Below are two images produced with Zerene Stacker and a 100mm Macro lens, each image was built from 7 exposures, each with slightly different focus.  In the close up you can just make out the switch controls inside the building, and the two operators standing at their levers.

The signal tower below is a Faller kit, part of my Christmas loot horde, which I doubtlessly will be gloating about in a future post. Santa was good to me, I have good friends who know me well.  Thanks!

Click for higher res

A bit of fun...

Inspired by the excellent videos on some of the other blogs I did a little one of my own.  Next time I'll use a proper camera and not my phone, and try to actually show something perhaps.  I hope this makes you smile nonetheless.

My German crocodile has arrived! The Fleischmann FL-739401 E94

The E94 with the new decoder installed.  I used an ESU LocPilot Micro 3.0 with a 6 pin plug on a wire harness.  Fitting a decoder with the plug mounted on the decoder body is impossible with this engine.   Even with the plug harness, it's a tight fit because of the length of the wires, but it works.  I could have trimmed them down and soldered them back onto the plug but carefully squishing it in there proved much easier.

It's a smooth runner though mechanically rather noisy.  Perhaps all those gears needed to drive 8 wheels on a three part articulated body? When running at speed there are vibration noises, as well as substantial gear noise.

Happily, all that noise seems to fit the engine, it being a 1930's electrical  behemoth!  Note the light weathering on the trucks and grills.  If you look at my images posted earlier you will see these were previously all black.  I like to dry brush some grey highlights and then spot some grimly black on the lower surfaces, nothing too extreme, but I like to bring out the details.

The trouble with weathering is once I start I tend to get carried away.  I have a brush in hand and just look for something else to paint! When you have a hammer every problem looks like a nail...  This poor little boxcar took the brunt of my creative enthusiasm. 

A Little Background

My first attempt with a background.  It's good from afar but sadly far from good.  I did a poor job and wound up with air bubbles and creases.  I found the wallpaper glue left me with very little working time, ah well.  On my next attempt I will probably just tack it in place.  Anyhow, despite the bubbles I think you will agree that it's an upgrade versus the bare walls:

Minitrix 12619: BR Class 58

This was a Christmas present from my wife in 2010.  It is a very smooth performer, one of my best running locomotives.   It starts very reliably and can crawl along with the best of them. The DCC install was a very simple plug and play job, once some small screws are located under the tender.  The headlights are under powered, it is hard to see the illumination, even in a dark environment.  The rear lights are very clear however.  I did contemplate opening this up and looking for trouble with the front lights but all the mechanism is in the boiler, (the tender houses the decoder only), so I decided not to press my luck.  The parts diagram makes clear that there's an awful lot going on in there. and this is no simple plastic shell diesel body.  If you look back a few posts you'll see a silly video I made in which this engine is featured prominently.  

The German class 58 was built in 1920, taken out of service in 1953.  It does not really belong on my Swiss layout, but it'f of the right period and region so it's not too far off either.  


The manufacturer says: Locomotive and tender made of diecast metal. High efficiency motor with flywheel. Close coupling between locomotive and tender. Motor and gear drive in the boiler. Digital connection in tender.  5 axles powered through side rods, 2 traction tires.

Fleischmann E94 DCC Blues: I chicken out! (FL-739401)

I got a new locomotive today!  I've really been holding back on new acquisitions for some time now but the lure of Black Friday prices and 1920's electrics won me over.  It is a Fleischmann E94, (model FL-739401).   

As pictured in the catalog

I happily unboxed and and took a quick picture or two with a macro lens to show the detail:

Thus far all is well, but now onto the tricky bit: the DCC install.   Opening this up was no problem, but look at the space for the decoder!

The weight lifts out and in fact you are obliged to remove it permanently with any decoder installed.  I'm not keen on that but I can live with it.  Given my inclines more tractive power is a good thing, but with 8 wheels driven I should be okay.  Bot look at the space provided!  That is space for a plug, not a decoder.   The decoder must be seted above, where the weight is.  This is not ideal.  I had a plan.  I had a nice ESU Lokpilot Micro ready and waiting.   I planned it!  

Not to be deterred, I popped it in just to run the locomotive about a bit and get a sense of how it runs (and it runs well, a proper review will follow).  

Well, this is not quite ideal...

Sadly, with that chip sticking out I didn't have clearance for my tunnels and I found myself worrying that I might glace away at a key moment and have it go smacking into stonework so it's run tonight was quite limited.
  

I contemplated snipping the DC placeholder plug in half and using it's terminals to solder wires that I could then solder to my decoder.  I considered my experience of doing similar surgery to a CE 6/8 and the hours of frustration that entailed.  While it all wored in the end, I had to conclude it was not worth the grief.  So, now it's $40 later and I've ordered a new decoder with a prewired plug, it should arrive next week and the install will be the trivial experience I had anticipated. 

What will become of my E94?  Click here to find out!

Here's what Fleischmann has to say about this model:

Electric loco of the DRG, class E 94 (2008 Limited Edition)

Overall length: 116 mm. Super-detailling, -livery and -lettering. Inset windows. Interior details in driver’s cab. Sprung pantographs. Current pick-up from the rails or overhead catenary. Cast metal chassis. Motor with flywheel. With standard NEM 651 socket for installation of a decoder. Drive on 8 wheels, of which 2 are fitted with traction tyres. Double headlights at each end, co-ordinated with the direction of travel. Automatic couplings at each end. Slot-guide mechanism at each end for true close coupling by using the PROFI-coupling 9545 (delivered with standard couplings). Standard NEM 355 coupling socket. Epoch II

Once I'm properly setup I'll post my thoughts on this.   So far, I'm impressed with the appearance and disappointed it did not accept the decoder I had on hand.