Model Train Journal

So I figured I’d pick up with my progress here. Plus Roger thinks it’s a good idea if I stay off the Covid thread . It maybe hard to resist.

One of the things I discovered when I began modeling is it takes a steady hand, for those willing I recommend a good brew. Rufus has a great thread with many good choices over at the club car lounge. I also discovered that tweezers and an exacto knife become your fingers when assembling so many little parts.

Good start,

I'm not sure my puttering would be considered modelling, but figured I'd add some of what I've been working on here. I'm looking forward to seeing what folks are working on for their 3-rail pikes.

A couple years ago I went through a number of flavored stouts, one in particular with a touch of peanut-butter. It was interesting for a while, but it became too much and I went back to straight up ales and stouts. My brother dropped off a case of Killian's Red a month or so ago, and I've been gradually drawing that down. I enjoy it out of a bottle, but can't drink it on tap...something in a Red draft tears my stomach up.

I went ahead and built the tool shed that Toy Trains included in the "cutouts" section of one of their early 1950s issues. At some point in the mid-1950s, Toy Trains was absorbed into Railroad Model Craftsman, and after a few issues it gradually disappeared. The "cutouts" section went with it. I think a tinplate history column remained for awhile, but then it too dropped off. Modelling in the prewar and early postwar eras I find to be pretty interesting. Reading about guys of my father's generation building stuff out of basswood and cereal boxes can be fascinating.

Anyway, here's the tool shed. I used the components pretty much as drawn, but made a couple of changes along the way. The door was intended to be cemented behind the opening, but I moved it outside on a "track" fashioned from a matchstick, leaving it partially open. I cemented in a matt-board threshold to compensate for the door now being a bit short, using a bit of Floquil "foundation" to give it a concrete look. Slapped on a few signs made using Excel, and that's about it.



Eventually I'll have to figure out what to do with the masonite bases. The tinplate layout is covered with a dark gray indoor/outdoor carpet, so I was thinking of using a dark gray ballast that might blend well with the carpet. Simply painting them dark gray is also an option, which would probably be more in line with a tinplate appearance.

The next project is definitely not a model, so I'll probably post it over in Weekend Photos. It's one I've been wanting to attempt for awhile.

Reading about guys of my father's generation building stuff out of basswood and cereal boxes can be fascinating.

Ok, should have read here first. A tinplate layout, very cool. Something to be said for creating a project out of raw materials around us that didn’t cost anything. That inspires creativity and nothing like knowing it didn’t cost anything or very little.

I have my dads PW trains and always wanted to build something period correct for that era. Like many of us I have to many irons in the fire right now. Maybe someday.

healey36 wrote:Reading about guys of my father's generation building stuff out of basswood and cereal boxes can be fascinating.

Some of best ideas and stuff I've built over the years was inspired by article in RMC in the 50's-60's back when actually building models was what the hobby was all about.

I'll see if I can dredge up some recent builds for this thread.

gregj410 wrote:A tinplate layout, very cool.

Yeah, after many years mucking around with N and S-gauge gear, got myself hooked on prewar tin. While the tin trains struck me as neat, it was all of the accessories and other peripherals that really intrigued me. Been thirty years and I still can’t shake it (although I’m not buying much anymore). I’ve been away from the layout for a few years now...time to get back on it.

I'll continue my MoW car builds over here......

Is that a kit or scratch built following a plan of some sort?

gregj410 wrote:Is that a kit or scratch built following a plan of some sort?

Scratch; plans are whatever I draw up after I'm done,

Small structure #1 from this year...

Suddenly my print-n-assemble paper tool shed looks terrible

That's actually not too far off the concept of a shed I want to build in my back garden. Really nice, especially that cabinet-on-legs on the left side.

healey36 wrote:Suddenly my print-n-assemble paper tool shed looks terrible

No, two very different things.

That's actually not to far off the concept of a shed I want to build in my back garden. Really nice, especially that cabinet-on-legs on the left side.

Thanks! Cabinet-on-legs was desperately needed to make this most visually interesting. Lot of bits used up making that and attaching it.

For sale! See the Buy/Sell part of the forum.

The brick and concrete columns/footers, whatever you call them, the building sits on, were those part of the kit or did you craft those yourself? For me, that really sets this apart from many structures I've seen.

I wish my skills were at such a level. I simply dyed and weathered the supplied brick pillars which appear to be made of hydro cal.

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:Small structure #1 from this year...

Very nice! The small side structure brings to mind a chicken coop which I also hope to model some day.