Soon will start a long drawn out blog of building these kits in O and S gauges.

There are 6 kits some box cars some reefer cars, 4 flat cars and 2 sets of sides of box cars. Following pics show some of what is planned for working on in between older projects already started.

   

   

   

This was the first time I ever saw anything but lumber being unloaded at this location. Thought in might be of value to some of the modelers on here. Those are onions laying on the ground at the end of the dock.

Bruce

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Just found this in my photo folders

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For anyone thinking about a double-deck layout, one of the drawbacks can be the limitations for on-layout photography.

For example, this nondescript view at Elfrida is made even worse by the threatening sky...



...as is this one at Lowbanks:



Photoshop, which I don't have, might improve them, but my alternative is to crop-out the stuff which doesn't belong, leaving...well, a picture, but not really something all that worthwhile:





Some views are beyond redemption, though:





This lower level photo is as-taken, but the scene is very near the edge of the layout:



The upper level, barely started, at least offers opportunities for Barney to take to the skies, as seen here, but I suspect that the ceiling and overhead lights will intrude on any ground-level photos.
This is the upper (North) staging yard. It's fully operational, but not connected by track to the rest of the layout.



Working this yard requires that the liftout at the room's entrance be in place, not really a big deal.

Wayne

Here's the westbound morning mixed as it pulls into Lowbanks. With only two loads, an empty gon, and the combine, the two locos weren't really necessary, as most of the trip was downhill. This train terminates here, but both locos will be needed on the eastbound counterpart this afternoon, even if that train is no longer than this one.









Wayne

Hello!
Some weeks ago someone asked me to built a crane for his layout, especially to to the soldering work.
I was warned by a couple of friends, that this kit is nearly unbuiltable never will fit right. I saw the word "nearly" and decided to make a try.

Prototype information:
These are pictures to show the actual prototype whist still exists today:
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In earlier times this crane was used for coaling steam locomotives.

The 1:87 crane was a kit of KHK Modellbau and is notorious for it's difficulties to built. The whole kit came in an flat envelope containing mostly etched brass parts out of 0.3mm brass sheet. And in some etched areas the thickness was only 0.1mm. A very thin and fragile construction and the main challenge was creating out of a pile of flimsy "flat wires" a stable 3-dimensional structure.
Engine house and driver's cabin were made out of thin lasercut ply wood and paper. That was not my task to built, only the soldering work.


The first start was building the base platform, visible right above. The kit instructions were not very helpful because it contained a lot of misttakes and vagues. And to make things worse bout noting fitted here. Nearly all of the parts had to be reworked, e.g. the crossmembers onto the underside of the platform were all a little bit too long, so that they did'nt fit as etched. All of them had to be shortened a little bit to fit in the right place and in the right angle.
Right of the main platform ist the platform für the driver's cab.
Below a tool chest.
And in this little clear plastic box the rope dics and the wheels on which the main platform should rotate.
In the middle the door an steps leading from the main platform to the cab platform. All was in pieces and was solderd together.
Left bottom the right side trusswork of the jib.
Middle the left side trussword of the jib with some crossmembers mounted.
Above the railings for the ladder (see prototype photos)


A nearer look to the right side of the jib. The trusswork of the bottom side is mounted and some of the crossmember trussworks.
The structure is still flimsy and has to be handled extreme carfully.


The structure was turned 180° to show the outer side.
Here onto the side of the ladder the railing have to be soldered.

All the soldering waas done with my 25W electric iron.

To be continued

Lutz

I have a many Trainman GP38-2 and GP39-2 engines and some of the drives have been used to power Athearn GP38-2 RTR etc. I love those drives because of their outstanding silent and smooth operation.
I got three more Trainman HO GP38-2 over the last weeks and all are a big disappointment. The outstanding quality is gone and the drives run average at best.
The reason is a changed motor and drive shaft. The old world class motor part #920100. The new one is #921100. The old drive shaft is made of 5 parts the new one is one part only. It looks very cheap.
You should have a look at the parts drawing prior purchase and make sure you get an "old" drive if you need the smooth drive. The part numbers and the one part only drive shaft are easy to identify on the drawing.



My "new" unsatisfactory drives are found in UP 579 and UP 586 as well in a new CR 8214 with the Q paint scheme.

I wrote a letter to Atlas complain about the quality reduction. A Trainman engine wit a downgrade drive is endangered by a similar Bachmann engine with the newer upgrade Bachmann drives. Something I did never expect.

Don't forget the Railroad naming challenge only has a week or so left!!!
Guidelines:
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Posts:
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Take a look and think up a good entry!!!

We've been warning everyone that our gallery is unstable and subject to being removed. Over the past few months, we've reduced the number of photos there by over 80%, but we still have almost 750 images still in there. Our webmaster, Packey, tells us that we are overdue for a software update, and when he does that, it will be too difficult to be able to keep our current gallery. Once that happens, everything that is left in our gallery will be lost. We are asking once again that anyone that has anything in the gallery that they need to save, that they download it to their computer. If they have a post that links to an image in the gallery that should be saved, you need to let us know and we will help you attach that photo rather than link to it. We also recommend using Photobuckets or another photo-sharing site to store your albums in if you need to store them somewhere other than your computer.

We may in the future implement a new gallery that we know will not cause problems like the current one has. We will not do that unless we are assured that it will be able to be updated easily and won't cause our forum to crash, or shut down like the current one has in the past.

I suggest that you save any photos in that gallery that you need to, and let me know if you need some time or help. Otherwise we will begin to take down the gallery sometime before we do the next software update.

We apologize for this, we were not aware of the difficulties this would present and it boggles our mind to think of how difficult someone made it to update the current gallery or that it could cause the problems that it has. Our webmasters should be commended for keeping things running right because of this. Ngauger and I sincerely hope that we find something to replace it soon. We will keep you posted....

I picked up a Monster Model Works Triple J Repair laser cut building. This was the first Monster Models Works kit I have tried and I am very pleased with it so far. The wood is engraved to represent cinder block with laser cut doors and windows. The design of the kit is a small repair shop, which I really did not have any need for. I went ahead and put the main walls together before I really had plan for what I wanted to do with it.



After building the main part I decided that I was going to change it into a chainsaw repair shop. After doing a little research I found Had's McCulloch Chainsaw Shop, specializing in Sales, Repair, and Rental. I decided to add a front wall and a bathroom section.



I also plan on adding a full detailed interior with lighting.



I still have a lot to do, but seem to be moving along at a good pace.