Hello,

this time a link to a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02DoB1AUzno
A cab ride on board a electric locomotive through the Rhine Valley, Germany's Grand Canyon. The real fun starts at about 45:00 when the train departs Bingen Hauptbahnhof. A lot of medival castles and small towns to be seen. Most of the castles in ruins, but some rebuilt to old glory and other stuff like the famous Loreley Rock can be seen too. If you like and have one hour time to spend, watch that video. 
Enjoy

Lutz

So far everything in the photo is 3d printed thru Shapeways with the exception of a few bits of brass wire and rod.

My goal is to 3d print nearly everything except motor, axles, some brass wire, and wheels.

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I'm building a small steam locomotive - from scratch - and need 6 handrail stanchions.  My goal is to buy as few commercial parts for this locomotive - either make it or use what I have on hand.  Anyone ever make a handrail stanchion?

Some years ago, I had trouble finding a good caboose kit for the CNR Wood Caboose.  I then thought about buying a Juneco Wood kit I had found on ebay.  Some wise modeller told me it was not worth the effort.

At the beginning of 2020, a friend of mine asked me to help him start such a kit he had bought cheap in a train show.  I told him to bring it home and we started the project. When he left, he left the kit on my bench for the glue to set.  I was supposed to bring it back to him the next week while visiting his layout for an operation session.  Then the COVID-19 struck and we where isolated from each other for much too long and had plenty of time for modelling.  So I finished the kit for him.

This was a completely new modelling experience.  I had to plan the assembly sequence differently.  Applying the decals was a nightmare as they adhered to the wood almost immediately.



Here is the result.

   

   

The wise modeler was right.  I will never do a wood kit again.

Staying home tonight---a good way to start this week's photo fun---enjoy everyone

   

P1440130 (4) by Ed Creechan, on Flickr

Looks like WPMA-17 is going to have an easy day, as it leaves the yard with only two cars.

Bruce

   

When are details too much? This is a question that has been bouncing around my head for a while now. I like details. Grab irons, ladders, brake lines, etc. do make cars look great. However, at what point to they become an impediment to operating the car or locomotive.

My models are meant to be run. That is why I have a layout. I want to see trains running. As a result, my equipment will be handled. I will admit at times I can be a member of the Big Clumsy Finger Club. Perhaps that is why most of my fleet of cars are Athearn, Roundhouse, Accurail, and Atlas. There are some others such as Intermountain, Red Caboose, and Proto2000. 

The Athearn, Roundhouse, Accurail, and the majority of the Atlas cars are rock solid. Granted they may lack details but I can usually operate and handle them with little worries of something being damaged or fall. The only exception is some of the Atlas Master Line cars particularly the tank cars. Some of the parts on them are so delicate they break when touched. The couplers on the last batch I got were terrible. They were I think McHenry and the type used on tank cars that prevent uncoupling in the real world (I can’t remember what they are called). Every car had at least one coupler fail/break when the car was being used. I finally had to replace all the couplers with Kadee #5’s which was a chore. Access to the coupler pocket was restricted by delicate details and just figuring out how to hold the car so the work could be done was a challenge. Needless to say many detail parts had to be repaired.

Intermountain and Proto2000 cars are better. They have the details, but I have few problems with them. Granted I only have covered hoppers, boxcars, and gondolas. I have been able to weather them and run them with very few problems. I don’t think I have had to repair any details on the Intermountain and the few I have done on the Proto2000 cars were the results of clumsiness.

This brings me to Red Caboose. Their ready to run cars are beautiful with a plethora of details. However, they are delicate as China dolls in my opinion. Every time I take one out or run it something falls off or breaks it seems. In addition, for all the high-end details they use McHenry couplers! Changing the couplers is an exercise in frustration and patience as you have to navigate several delicate details to access the coupler pockets. While I like the look of the cars I do not think I will buy any more due to the delicate nature of the cars.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

Hello,

it was in January 2021, an age of strictliest and darkest lockdown here.








When i found an unforeseeable offer. I puchased this little loco and it was like just a kind of late x-mas gift for me.


Lutz

A CN consist is climbing ist' way throgh the Rockies.


Lutz