Weekend Photos - May 2024

[healey36]

Nice looking train!

The Suburban
Catalog No. 1162
Price, $5.75 *$6.25

I wonder what the asterisk price is about?

Thanks. Given its fifty-plus years stored in a damp Baltimore basement, it is in remarkably decent shape...just need to sort out the motor issue. Rob English suggested a loose wire connection on the commutator, but I'm pretty sure we checked that.

I believe the asterisk price was Flyer's MSRP for its western region.

[healey36]

This KP&L car has a lot of prices.
Catalog 2005 1st Edition Price: $59.95.
Trainz price: $59.83 (May 2024.)
Ebay prices: $89.98, $109.99, and $119.95, depending on the seller.

That looks like a fun car for the layout; I've never seen one of those.

[gregj410]

Another K line gem. They made so many great trains!



Still on my mad quest for the magic tree. Getting better with each try(I think).
This is the type of tree you see at a show and someone wants 90$ for it, you quickly understand why.
The over all shape needs some work but I did get the basic concept down.
This is an 18” tree and even though it’s closer in scale I think smaller would fit better on my layout. That makes less holes and less branches.




I’m going to try to get something closer to this on my next attempt.

[RBH29]

Your tree looks excellent! Is that asparagus fern you used?

[webenda]

Still on my mad quest for the magic tree. Getting better with each try(I think).

The tree you made is more beautiful than the prototype [opinion.] I would stop trying to improve on perfection.

Also, tall trees are the way to go [opinion again.] Real trees dwarf trains.

Time spent trying to improve at this point could be used to start building a forest of tall trees.

[webenda]

Digging deeper into the K-Line Meter Car... examining the meter.

[webenda]

It is an Iron Vane Meter.

[gregj410]

Thank you for the kind comments. RBH, this is a branch by branch type construction with beaded wire from Walmart pictured below. Cuts with sharp scissors. I poke holes in the trunk with a brad nail then dip them in ca glue and attach. They stay in really well. On this tree I’ve taken a pencil and slid down the attached wire against my finger to give it a curve. Sort of like you would do with scissors across a ribbon to make it curl. This tree is the same size but more airy and random. Next I’ll spray the wire branches with Krylon earth brown then start the flocking.

[healey36]

Oh, that’s some serious work making trees, Greg, but the results seem pretty extraordinary. The technique seems to yield a “tree” that’s a good representation of the lodge-pole, especially in height and density of foliage. What are you using for flock?

[RBH29]

Beading wire? How did you come up with that idea? I'm even more impressed and like Healey, I'm curious about how you do the flocking. Richard

[gregj410]

So if you look at the bottom of my post on page 1, I posted a YouTube link to a video of this type of tree being made.

As for the beading wire, it was kind of a crapshoot. The video shows the use of some sort of light gauge steel wire. I really didn’t like the idea of trying to shape it. I found the beading wire had a natural spring to it and thought once I put flock on there, it would weigh the branches some and be more natural looking.

As for the flocking material, I followed the video. I use 12 mm dark green static grass from Woodland. Scenics followed by blended turf green blend from Woodland scenic.

I first paint yellow glue on the branches, followed by hand sprinkling the 12 mm flocking material.
The video shows him using the static grass applicator, however I got the same results applying it by hand.

After that step, I used hairspray and hit all of the branches liberally and then applied the green blend blended turf.

The tree that’s made in the video is really incredible. The only difference is he applies snow. It’s really one of the best and most realistic trees I’ve seen in modeling.

Here is the tree with the 12mm flocking.

[HONDO74]

This KP&L car has a lot of prices.
Catalog 2005 1st Edition Price: $59.95.
Trainz price: $59.83 (May 2024.)
Ebay prices: $89.98, $109.99, and $119.95, depending on the seller.

EZ-Catch train shop is releasing a nice set of MTH 2024 Premier O Scale 40’ Steel Sided Power Meter Cars in six different schemes this Winter. This ALL-NEW car will be available in two different car numbers and is expected to begin shipping to M.T.H. Authorized Retailers in December 2024.

https://mthtrains.com/news/856

[gregj410]

Here the final application of blended turf is done. I like the airiness of this tree. Less branches is less work since that’s what takes so much time.

[RBH29]

Excellent work, Greg. Thanks for posting this.

[healey36]

Yes, thanks for picturing/describing your tree-making technique. While I’m unlikely to make trees for the tinplate layout, the method could be useful for one of my other vices, miniature wargaming. The Ardennes calls out to me