Being bored and not wanting to start a large project I have been finishing up little projects like loads ect. I also fixed a facia problem where there was a seam next to my computer chair that was knocked quite often and was backed at the top with only foam. I dug out a little space behind it and clamped a small peice of very hard wood I had around with wood glue as adhesive, worked great and now started to do nessisary touchup to ground cover etc. So what are you doing, big or small?
I guess my days of working on big projects are a thing of the past. I'm stuck at my computer/workbench working on small stuff. I’m currently working on a Mel kitbash lounge car. I started out with a Athearn Heavyweight diner and a couple of donor shells. I cut out the smaller windows and added more large windows and now working on the frame.
I picked up a pair of new factory reject Athearn Diner car shells for $8 and pretty well chopped one up for this kitbach.
I plan on using the Athearn floor for the interior floor to keep the head room in proportion. I’m going to fill the hole in the floor with #8 Birdshot for a bit of added weight. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I need to prime and paint a backdrop and re-lay some track that I am not happy with. I don't feel like doing either.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Kitbashing an ore bridge for my steel mill. Since I am in N scale I am using parts from the Walthers HO scale ore bridge and scratch building the other needed parts from my N scale parts box. It will be seven inches tall (93'4") tall and eight inches (106'8") wide.
I haven't done a single thing related to the hobby since late February. Too many other things going on, and I like to have a clear slate of days before I return to fix something that needs it, or to embark on another chunk of the layout's completion. I miss running my trains, but my rule is I don't turn a wheel unless I'm in the train room working to advance the layout's development.
Between cleaning up the winter's mess, erecting a greenhouse kit whose instructions predict a typical completion time of '140 minutes' [.. ..], planting a gajillion seeds in flats, pulling weeds, spraying dormant sprays on apples, pruning shrubs and trees, hauling garden waste bags to the curb, painting our living room and arranging carpet replacement, ..oy. Oh, and we had our youngest visit for two weeks with her new infant son. She has been cooped up since March last year, delivered in June, and then returned to new-mother bliss and being cooped up again. She needed a break, and my wife needed to see them, so we bit the bullet.
No trains, not for another two or three weeks. Maybe after taxes.
I left a few projects out when I packed away my train stuff 14 months ago.
I only have two left... I need to get this house work done!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Adding a firebox LED to a brass 2-6-6-2 Mallet to mimic an open firebox during shoveling.
I soldered two 1206 warm-white SMD LEDs in parallel:
These will backlight the firebox to mimic flicker. To let the light through the firebox I drilled #80 holes in the brass backhead:
The LEDs received a double coat of 2:1 Tamiya X-26 clear orange & X-20A thinner. I tested it on a single 1206 SMD LED with a 1.5K resistor wired to a test Loksound 5 decoder and it emits a very similar hue of orange-yellow from color prototype footage I've been able to find on the internet of an open firebox in a steamer.
As you can see the firebox door is closed on the model. However, the tiny holes in the firebox should emit enough light through into the cab area to give the impression that the firebox is being open from time-to-time.
In order to mount the double LED to the backside of the backhead and center it over the drilled holes, I've had to mount the LED inside a 0.10 x 0.25" OD piece of styrene tubing. I'll use carpet tape to mount the tubing to the backhead. Once installed, I'll button everything up and setup the installed Loksound 5 decoder in the 2-6-6-2 Mallet boiler for firebox flicker.
After that it's figuring out how to best add a front headlight to the Mallet. A Mallet is trickier in that regard because the front set of drivers and headlight are a separate unit from the rear drivers, which are fixed to the frame. That means that the wires running from the decoder to the front headlight need to be "disconnect-able" in order to remove the boiler from the frame.
It was challenging enough to fit two speakers AND the decoder inside the brass boiler so that it would clear both gear towers and the large can motor. The front headlight may prove to be even a bigger challenge.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Hello All,
My modeling "season" is backward!
I am busiest with my work in the winter and have more free time in the summer.
To answer the question: EVERYTHING!
"That's All Folks!"
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
My basement.
The inspector is coming to sign off on the gas line we had put in for the kitchen, which we decided to do while there's no ceiling in the basement. Once that's good and done, I can get back to work on the renovation.
The demo is 99 percent of the way there. I still have about 20 old nails from the furring strips to remove. After that, the new circuit for the sump pump can go in and I can decommission and remove old circuit. There's also so remaining wiring left behind in chunks to pull out. In some places, there is wire stapled to a joist, but neither end connects to anything any more. Have to pull all that out.
You guys still have ambition. I'm just working on my first cold beer of the day.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Trying to recover from weekend back surgery.
What? Are these posts about actual model railroading projects? Did I stumble into the wrong forum?
On the workbench now are a set of Walthers Canadian bulkhead flats that are gaining weight using "Liquid Gravity." Tried to find the company that once produced custom weight sets for freight cars, but they are not to be found.
I'm working on coverting or modifying some passengers cars...some into different types and some into baggage and other head-end car types. I'll also be including at least three scratchbuilt postal cars, and a few fairly extreme changes for some Rivarossi coaches, which will become wooden baggage cars...this involves 17 or 18 cars, and will finish my passenger car modelling,
A few scratchbuilt freight cars may follow, or I might instead do steam locomotives. I have ten of those, six to detail to represent six different prototypes. There are also two brass locos that will get scratchbuilt tender bodies, as the stock ones are incorrect for the locos being represented. Of the remaining two, one is a simple upgrade of an old John English Pacific, while the other will be a scratchbuild of another particular prototype.
The start of the passenger car stuff can be seen HERE, but this particular "Challenge" will run to June 1st.
Wayne
Bill
"Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig"
Working on the Walthers Modern Lumber Transload kit...
https://www.walthers.com/modern-lumber-transload-kit
It happens to be a nice looking kit. However, it's made for code 83 track, not code 100. Looks like a little shim work will make this fit on the tracks just fine. I like the look...
Neal
In addition to struggling my way to the end of my second year in Architecture school, I've been finishing up work on a Kaslo Shops N Scale SD50F Kit, pretty much just have to get some decals, do some light weathering, get the windows in, and do some wiring work on the chassis I got with it. Also, on a bigger scale, with the NEB&W I'm FINALLY starting work on our competition piece for Walthers' National Model Railroad Build-Off this weekend! While we may still be separated from the majority of our railroad (it was dismantled as part of a move in Spring 2019 and hasn't been moved into our new space due to Covid and other issues), we at least are working again, so that's fun and exciting!
Check out the Balfour and Colucci Creek Southern Railroad, my proto-freelanced N scale model railroad, at bccsrailroad.weebly.com or on Youtube on my channel, N Scale Train Boy.
-Dennis
I built one of the Kaslo Shops SD50F kits. They are a little challenging, but with patience mine came out pretty well. Custom painted it for the BNSF in the H1 paint scheme.
Back in 2004-2005, when I first got into HO scale modeling, I bought most of my current locomotive roster, both steam and diesel, 41 locomotives in all.
I have just completed a project that I started in January of this year to fine tune the lighting on all 41 locomotives. When I first bought each locomotive, whatever the lighting functions were out of the box, I went with.
So, this current project included installation of LEDs to replace incandescent bulbs, proper functioning of headlights and Mars lights in forward and reverse directions, and documentation to indicate the proper F-keys on the throttle to control the light functions.
I am amazed at how screwed up the lighting functions were out of the box on my locomotive roster. But all is good now.
Rich
Alton Junction
caldreamer Custom painted it for the BNSF in the H1 paint scheme.
Custom painted it for the BNSF in the H1 paint scheme.
Nice. Mine's in a scheme I devised for my fictional B&CCS.
Just assembled and put primer on to an Intermountain PRR tool shed model and I just finished up putting together and doing the windows on three different vintage trucks to be used for my team track and fuel dealer scenes when I get those going.
Alvie
Wow, not a bad responce for a friday. Went to the dentist so all I got done was sanding the patch in facia. All I had done was perminate crow put in after taking out temp but temp stuck and they had to cut it out so still a bit sore. Might get to the zip texturing repair at seam if feel up to it.
Well, I don't currently have any modeling projects but I am working on a list of projects that will allow a lot of modeling projects:
Complete a bathroom remodel that includes replacing most of the plumbing that is above the new layout location - plumbing almost done.
Finish painting a 12' long, 8' high set of built in bookshelves I built in my office that will hold my train and architecture library.
Clear out more unwanted stuff from the layout space to allow benchwork construction to begin.
Run wiring to the model train workbench, moved from the old house. Install lighting for the model workshop area and hook up the paint booth.
The last one obviously will allow working on individual models to resume.
It is the weekend, progress will be made on these projects.
Sheldon
Don't know but I got nothing for the crown, the temp ussually just pops off but they are using a new glue that holds too well.
I am in the process of sorting out everything that is on my workbench and in the cabinets and shelves around it. Right now I have all of my non-DCC locomotives lined up on the bench so I can decide which ones to put sound decoders in. Eventually I will put sound in all of them but I'm not going to pop for 11 decoders all at once.
The next step will be to sort out all the box cars that are stacked along the back of the workbench. There are both kits and RTRs which I will sort into their respective tote boxes and move to the garage.
Then I will have a relatively clear workbench!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I have a bit of everything on the railroad (in no particular order):
I'm finishing sculpting some modest land forms with foamboard, painting my entire layout in a dirt-brownish color, and installing the last bits of cork roadbed. Tracks will come sometime this summer...., then wiring...., then model building.
Andy
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Milwaukee native modeling the Milwaukee Road in 1950's Milwaukee.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/196857529@N03/
Well I zip textured the small area I damaged. Workbench almost cleared. Have a depressed center flat car to deside on. I kinda screwed it up while building, for once following the instructions was a bad idea, second one came out great and awaiting final paint on the load I made for it (a moveable steam boiler on wheels from a kit).
Good morning
I had some catching up to do on this thread. A lot of neat projects going on here. I would like to comment on the ones with the pictures.
That's really a cool project you have going kitbashing the passengers cars Mel. Looks great!
Tom, that was a great idea you have with making the firebox flicker with the LEDs. I hope to see it when you are done.
The locomotive custom paint job sure looks like it's coming along well Dennis.
All the projects here sound like good ones.
I've been working on the foam formations of the removable mountains in the back corners of my layout. The two mountains will be connected together 70 scale feet above the rest of the layout with a horseshoe ore mining line. Scratch-built tipples will be made to load the ore cars. I'll post some pictures on WPF when I get to it later this weekend.
Thanks for the cool thread rrebell.
TF
Lastspikemike Use Code 83 and connect to Code 100 with transition joiners or Walthers transition 1/2 straights.
Use Code 83 and connect to Code 100 with transition joiners or Walthers transition 1/2 straights.
Appreciate the reply.
Trying to avoid ripping up code 100 track. It will look okay as I did a rest of the pieces in between the rails.
Walls all studded up, no place to cut insulation batts indoors, either too windy or 8" of snow making it hard to do outdoors. Have next week off, only one day tied up (so far), son coming home for two days next weekend. Will we be able to sheetrock? After that can do most of it myself, but summer haying is coming on fast.
Will have to move current layout out soon. Will miss the little thing.
Good luck to all,
Richard