We're moving

As things change, we have to adapt and make decisions that effect how business is done. I have decided to move from the free hosted blogger website to a more robust website. The website home page will be the landing page for both my professional and personal modeling endeavors, and I hope that you enjoy it. You can find the website here: at Marshcreekmini.com The driving factor behind the move is that marshcreekmini.com will have a more traditional storefront page where customers can browse and shop our models. The design engine for the hosting service is much more intuitive than using code to try and add PayPal buttons on a blog. It works, but I feel that marshcreekmini.com needs to be more professional and polished.

I haven't decided how I want to handle this blog, if I want to shut it down completely, or use it as an "archive" of most of 2014. Either way, I will still update it in the short term, and be sure to check us out at marshcreekmini.com

Thank you for your patience, and God Bless.

Rich.

Indian River & Northern Railway #2

As you can see, IR&NR #2 is complete. It was an absolute joy to build, using the Toma Models kit. I believe that even without the addition of the kit, the Minitrains F&C locomotive could easily be detailed and weathered into a hard working little workhorse for your narrow gauge pike. 

Go build something awesome. 

Surgeon General's Warning

Minitrains Fiddletown & Copperopolis Locomotive

About a year ago, the deep dark caverns of web geekdom where most dare not go were beside themselves with joy and anticipation when Minitrains announced that it would be making an "American" locomotive in HOn30.  Leaked photos confirmed that unlike their European releases, Minitrains was diving headlong into the American market. At that time, I was just beginning to entertain the idea of getting involved in HOn30, and I was intrigued by this little teakettle, but I decided to wait until I had heard more about it before I sank the money into something I had no experience in.

Fast forward to this afternoon, when the mailman dropped a small box packed with foam peanuts protecting an even smaller box. I opened it up, and was immediately impressed with the quality.  I raced into the basement to put it on the track, and see how it ran.  I couldn't believe how nicely it ran on my horrendously awful track. Almost as nice as a modern N scale diesel. There was no need to push start it, and it ran at scale speeds very nicely. It didn't crawl along the track, but it started fairly well, and moved about Buzzard's Cove effortlessly, and without sounding like a milk jug in a blender to boot!

I'm going to need a handful more of these little guys.  Seriously.  In fact, I'm so thrilled by this little bugger that I'm considering liquidating all of my On30 gear that will never get run to finance more Minitrains locos.  I'm hooked, and it's bad.

Surgeon General's Warning: Minitrains are highly habit forming, and could lead to foaming at the mouth.

Go build something awesome!

Moose-stake?

Among other various projects, it's about time I use the 3D printer to build a model. 

The image on the left is my rendition of the image on the right. It's Moose Peak Light Station on Mistake Island in Maine. I  only had two dimensions to work with, and photos online, so close enough is good enough for my application, considering there aren't many good lighthouse kits available. My plan is to print the major components in ABS plastic on my desktop 3D printer, and scratchbuild the rest of the details. I may use it to master a kit, either in resin, or a multimedia kit in resin and hydrocal. 

It may be something interesting to try with resin foam to keep the weight down.  We'll see.

Go build something awesome.

Losing good things

From RMC's Facebook page, Friday August  22, 2014

It's amazing how fast things go from terrible rumor to the truth. Earlier in the week, someone on Facebook had said that they had heard that Carstens was going to be selling RMC and Railfan and Railroad and just a few short days later, this pops up on my news feed. It's always a shame when good things come to an end, and some people take it harder than others. I subscribed to RMC a few years ago, for about 3 or 4 years. I enjoyed the articles, particularly anything to do with scratchbuilding and kitbashing, even if the models were not of interest to me. It was nice to read about how modeler's coped with not having something readily available, and the skills and techniques used to produce magazine quality models.

The news of Carstens shuttering operations came yesterday.  This morning, I woke to gloomy skies, and scattered showers.  Normally, I don't mind dreary days, because it gives me an excuse to sit at the workbench.  Today however, we move my Stepson into his dorm, for his freshmen year of college. I'm not particularly happy about the weather, although I don't mind getting wet (years of the Army will numb you to being miserable) the dreary skies won't help my mood.  . He's become one of my own, and after having someone around for a decade, you get used to them being there. I'll admit that I'm sad to see him go, and I'll also admit that we have plans for his room...but that doesn't make sending off a kid any less difficult. I'll be grumpy, and look to find ways to keep my mind off of it, which probably means workbench, and a stiff drink tonight.  Luckily, my wife's best friend is coming down for a visit to cheer her up, which will help me out quite a bit.

 I guess I'll have my models, some music, and some whisky, I won't have RMC, but I did finally subscribe to the Gazette...yesterday.

Wish him the best of luck, and pray that he paid attention to all the crap I used to say to him, so that he doesn't learn the hard way.

 Building awesome things always cheers me up, so I'm going to go do that. You should too.

What's in a name?

I don't do prototype fidelity.  Some modelers are obsessive-compulsive about getting things exactly right for a particular railroad, and I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, it's just not my thing. I like building and detailing models, and scenes, and I am not overly concerned that a particular detail is out of place, that's why I don't really care to follow a particular prototype.

Image from http://www.mainenarrowgauge.org/history/maine-two-foot-railroads/

When I started Buzzard's Cove, I wanted to model a waterfront in 2' gauge. I wasn't trying to replicate the Wiscasset Waterville and Farmington, or any other of the Maine two footers. I wanted "Maine-ish".  Also, at the time, I was (and still am) interested in On30, logging and mining railroads, and my heart still belongs to Pennsylvania logging lines from 1880-1940. I have a thing for geared locomotives, and apparently (which I was unaware of) a penchant for diminutive Forneys.

I'll admit that I have no idea what I'm doing, when I have no idea what I'm doing.  Right now, I have no idea what I'm doing!  If you have noticed, I have not lettered any of my models in HOn30. The reason that I haven't broken out the solvaset is because I don't know what to call my fictional Maine 2 footer.  I could go the easy route, and buy sets for WW&F, or SR&RL, but even though I am not concerned with prototype, that doesn't feel right to me. I could also order some custom decals that just say Marsh Creek, but that doesn't feel right either, because Marsh Creek (MY Marsh Creek) is in North Central Pennsylvania, which is where the family farm is, and I was hoping to keep that name reserved for whatever logging line I might create.

Buzzard's Cove is an actual place in Massachusetts that I found by doing a Google Maps search. I just love the name. Dad and I used to fly R/C Airplanes at "Buzzard's Field" which coincidentally was not too far away from Marsh Creek.

What is all this blathering about Rich?  Well, I need a name. I searched last night for rivers in Maine, and panned around Google maps to find something that struck me, and somehow I ended up on Bear River, which I liked because it's the name of my dearly deceased Boo Bear, the lovable and dumb black lab who used to catch Jello eggs after my sister would spit them out of her mouth. (gross right?)

I also found Mad River (which isn't really a river, more of a runoff stream) that's in New Hampshire, where my Mom's side of the family is from. If I used Acadia (National Park) and Mad River RR I would probably confuse the heck out of some California logging modelers. (Arcata & Mad River).

If I took the semi-prototypical route, modeling something that could have been, I'm not really sure where to begin. I have plans to kitbash an Atlas Shay into an HOn30 model, so I want to include logging somehow, and of course, there needs to be a seedy waterfront. 

Image from http://www.maineboats.com/online/harbor-features/maine-eastern-railroad-route

I'm open to suggestions. I like "cool" sounding place names (Bear River, Mad River) and American Indian names (lots in Pennsylvania) and I also enjoy tongue in cheek (Gorre & Dapheited).  If you have some ideas, please post a comment to the blog, or comment on this post where you see it.

Go Build something Awesome.

HOn30 Headaches, Part deux.

Or..... Keep on truckin....

Continuing on with the theme of not being able to find things easily, HOn30 trucks are a bear.  It seems like many modelers just use Micro Trains Archbar trucks and couplers, because they can be found just about anywhere that stocks a decent amount of N scale gear.  As a convert from N scale, I have a handful of these as well, but as far as the trucks go, I'm really not pleased with their appearance, so I started looking elsewhere.

Doing a internet search for "HOn30 Trucks" resulted in a quick review of various truck options that I found here. Grandt Line Trucks and NWSL wheels looked like a clear winner until that I realized I would be paying $17 PER CAR to outfit them all.  Maybe when I'm independently wealthy, I can afford doubling the cost of my rolling stock collection, but for now, I'm cheap Charlie. 

If you're not familiar with Shapeways, you better get on the ball. 3D printing is the future, and Shapeways allows designers to upload their 3D models, designed in various CAD software programs, and print them out for a reasonable price. I found these trucks and decided to give them a try, because they work with MicroTrains wheels. I decided to order the 3D printed trucks as a test, along with some Grandt Line SR&RL trucks, and NWSL wheels, just to do a comparison. So far, I haven't yet received the Grandt Line trucks, but I have the wheelsets.

Yesterday, the parts from Shapeways arrived, so I took a little time to put them together.

L to R: Printed truck with 20" HO wheels, Printed with 33" N wheels, MicroTrains Archbar with 33" wheels.

As you can see, they are white, and they look a little clunky. I was a little worried at first, especially when I put a set on the Mount Blue Model Company car I am building.

Mount Blue Model Co. Dyer built 24' car

Not being the kind of guy to shy away from a challenge, I painted the trucks Engine Black, then hit some highlights with Grimy Black, and then washed the assemblies in a slurry of 91% isopropyl alcohol, mixed with Bragdon Enterprises weathering powders.



Final results

I think the results are very good. Not model contest perfect, but good enough for layout use given their cost, and the ability to actually get them in any quantity.  The next step is to tune them some, because they aren't as free rolling as other trucks. I am planning on ordering some Fox Valley Models 36" N scale brass wheelsets to use, the idea being that the heavier wheels will help the cars track better, and possibly roll more freely. They aren't cheap, but they are roughly 66% less expensive than NWSL wheels. With the Shapeways trucks, and FVM wheels, the cost to outfit a car will be about $6.

If you were hesitant about trying 3D printing, I suggest you give it a try, certain models will be better than others, based on the material used to print, and the design, but there is no reason to fear the future. I think the 21st century parts blend nicely with the wooden kit.

Go build something awesome!

King of seasons

The summer is soon over, kids will be going back to school, jackets and sweaters will be coming out of storage, and modelers will be heading back to workbenches. I got an early start this year on modeling season, in the hopes that I will get some projects cleaned up and finished.  I believe that Autumn is king of seasons, and living in the Northeast, I am blessed with watching the Appalachians turn from green to a cornucopia of blazing colors in nature's annual ritual.  

I decided that since I love fall so much, I should model it, that way I will always have a reminder that cooler temperatures are always coming, and bringing with them harvests, Halloween and hunting season. 

I took advantage of a back to school sale to buy some artist acrylics. I found the cheapest tube acrylics at the store, and got enough of a variety of colors to do simple backdrops ala Bob Ross.  Happy little red orange and yellow trees jumped off my brush and onto the Masonite. I'm a detail oriented guy, but for this, general colors, textures and shadows will do, because a lot of my work will be covered by trees, structures and details.  The idea  is to fool the viewer into believing that there is something behind the meager 12" deep shelf layout, rather than painting an Italian chapel ceiling. 

I am pleased with the results, and hope you are too. 

Go build something awesome.

HOn30 Headaches, Part 1.

Five79 Forney prepped for paint

On my kick of cleaning up started projects, I picked back up on the HOn30 Forney from Five79.  If you are a glutton for punishment like I am, HOn30 is a good scale to start with. There is no one stop shop for all of your needs, and no manufacturers really support the scale, except Minitrains, which produce a limited (but growing) line of locomotives and rolling stock, but only import into the US through a small hobby shop in California, that doesn't exactly have a "buy now" or shopping cart feature.  Sometimes I feel like Indiana Jones searching for the Holy Grail. "The penitent man will pass"....

This particular model I'm building is a a fine kit by any scale standards, and at roughly $65, not terribly expensive, until you realize everything you need to add on your own. Unfortunately, that $65 is variable, because it's converted from British Pounds, because the only dealer on planet earth for a Maine (USA) prototype locomotive is a shop in Scotland. Parkside Dundas is the shop, and you can find the kit here.  The rest of the story, as it is said are the other items listed here:

N scale Bachmann 0-4-0 mechanism.  You won't find this at any hobby shop, or online store. The old model has been discontinued quite some time, but because they run like garbage, people are always selling them on eBay and at shows.  Yes, I did say that they run like garbage. On anything other than perfectly clean and level track with no turnouts, the 0-4-0 will fail to run. They have horribly poor electrical pickup and transmission, and they tend to wobble a lot because they were assembled hastily in Chinese factories, and there is not enough weight to keep those 4 wheels in constant contact with the track. By adding electrical pickup with a trailing truck (see below) and piling on as much white metal as possible (the Five79 kit), the mechanism can be salvaged.

N scale trailing truck.  I'm using a Bachmann Spectrum Tender truck, because it has 4 wheel pick up to improve electrical contact. In the picture below you can see that I have filed off all of the molded on detail to be replaced with an archbar truck side frame. There are two contact pads that the wheels ride in, which transmits electricity from the track, to the wheel, through the truck, and eventually to the motor. This doubles the amount of electrical contacts the locomotive has, which, in theory, should dramatically improve performance.

Modifying the Bachmann Truck

N scale handrail stanchions. I used an old Gold Medal Models set. 

N scale pilot wheels and axle.  I used a metal one from an older Atlas car, and ground down the axle points with a dremel.

Of course, you need a variety of modeling tools, and not a small bit of skill. I told you that you need to be a punishment glutton didn't I? 

This is part 1 of a two part series. In the next installment, I'll discuss finding decent trucks and wheels for your freight cars.

Unfinished Business

It's exciting to see progress even if it's just 5 parts coming together over the course of 2 evenings. I was able to get the second (and final) gable dormer assembled and placed on the mine roof. For whatever reason, I put this on long term hold while I worked on other projects. I usually do things like that when I am faced with a challenging bit of construction, or when I don't know how to proceed. In this case, I think I just really didn't feel like fighting with geometry!

Whatever my reasons were, now that I have this part behind me, I know that shelving the project was foolish. It looks good in my opinion, and even if it isn't as perfect as I would like it to be, it looks better than an unfinished structure.

I guess my point in all this rambling is that while your models might have some flaws, finishing them is more important and rewarding than having a shelf full of unfinished or even worse, unstarted kits.

Go build something awesome.

Summer blues

Yesterday I was able to sit down and glue 6 boards onto a piece of cardboard. I know this sounds like a lot of work, and many of you are thinking that I should slow down before I burn out, but I am committed to push forward! (Maybe I should just be committed?) Summer is a terrible time for modeling for me. There never seems to be an end to the list of things that need attention outside, and I'm not a happy guy when I am sweating all over everything. Last night though, those 6 boards meant a lot. We're having a weird cool spell in Pennsylvania, where it is dropping to below 60 at night, and something about the weather cooling down gets me excited. Most people are losing their minds waiting for the NFL season to start, and I could care less. MODELING SEASON is coming up, as well as The holiest of holies in Pennsylvania, HUNTING season. Yes, kids get off of school on the first day of buck season here. I think it's more practical than anything, because hardly any boys age 12 and up would show up to class even if they were scheduled. Autumn is the king of seasons, and I can't wait for it. I'm thinking that tonight I'll steal another 20 minutes at the bench... Go build something awesome!

Quick update

It's been a while, I admit. When the weather breaks in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvanians go outside. I have been busy with 1:1 scale projects in the back yard, and continuing to rock a 4.0 GPA at school, along with all the Mr Mom tasks that round out the day. 

The most exciting thing to happen this year is the shop now has a dual extrusion  3D printer! ( see minion above) I have lots of ideas on how to incorporate the printer  into the models, so many more ideas than I actually have time for! One of the coolest ideas is how to use this tool to make MORE tools! I plan to build an x,y,z milling machine powered by my dremel, and a micro lathe, also for the dremel. 

Of course, the 3d printer will make quick work of complex masters for kits and conversions.  I have a two week summer break coming up from school, so I plan to get some modeling done during the hottest part of the day, so stay tuned...

Go Build something Awesome!

On30 Flat Car kit now available!

Flat car kits are available!!!

Price is $13.00, not including shipping. These are fantastic bare bones kits that can easily be used as a basis for all kinds of other cars. Super simple to assemble (two parts), and chocked full of subtle wood grain texture, they will look great on your layout. Minimum radius on this guy is about 10", so it will work well on small and micro layouts.

Look for a Gondola version of this car soon!

May the fourth be with you!

It has been a while since my last update. With better weather, many things around the house need work, so basement time gets scarce. 

There is some news on the kit release front, in the picture above, you see the prototype for the shorty flat car. I goofed on the coupler height, so it will require underset shank couplers. I have some Kadee 147s on order, but I might be able to correct the issue before production begins in earnest. 

There is also some major news coming soon, that I can't discuss at the moment, but believe me, things are going to get "wicked" awesome. Also, look for this same flat car to come as a gondola kit, for a moderate up charge, which will bring the line to 4 kits by July. My goal was 4 by the end of the year, and I am excited to be breaking that. I can't say for sure, but number five might be out in time for the fall show season, and ready for prime build time! 

Time to go relax...

Go build something awesome, and... May the fourth be with you!

HOn30 Shay

I love Shay locomotives. Well, I suppose I love all geared locomotives. Growing up in North Central Pennsylvania, I remember traveling the skid roads and jeep trails all over the mountains in Clinton County. What I never new, was that many of those jeep trails were actually railroad grades 100 years earlier. When I came to that realization later in life, I was shocked at how tons of steel and wood would climb 6 and 8% grades on ribbon rail to get logs to the mill, and how the hell someone designed and built these monsters with a stubby pencil and a slide rule.

I'm floating between 2 scales, On30 and HOn30, and by chance last night, I found an Atlas N scale Shay for a really reasonable price. I used to model N scale, but I caught the "n30" bug a couple of years ago, so when I decided to buy the shay (it didn't take long), I had thoughts of reselling and turning a profit, or maybe even dabbling back in N scale. I didn't want the model to convert to HOn30. That is until this morning, and I started searching for Atlas shay HOn30 conversions.  Most of the conversions I have seen look ridiculous, with a gargantuan cab, and a teeny boiler, with gargantuan domes, and a stack that is pencil thin and (seemingly) 20 feet tall.

If you have built one of these, and are getting angry with me, please un-wad your panties. It's not a personal insult. I just don't like the way it looks. You may, and that's cool with me. Some people think that Camelback locomotives are hideous, but I think they are wicked cool. Anyhootie...

I wasn't going to convert it until I saw this:

Photo Credit: Kermit Geary, Jr.
 

That is an honest to goodness 3 cylinder, 2 foot gauge shay. As Wayne used to say: "SCHWING!!!"

You know what is even better? That sucker runs...right MEOW! 

Better yet? It's in PENNSYLVANIA!!!

Shay S/N 3118 was built by Lima in 1920 for Good Roads Construction Co.,  Leachville, AR.  I'll spare the rest of the details, but in 2003, it was born again for Doug Kuntz (railfan), Foster Brook & State Line RR #12, Bradford PA.

Here are some more porn shots for you slobbering weirdos (like myself)

Photo Credit: Kermit Geary, Jr.

Photo Credit: Kermit Geary, Jr.

Photo Credit: Kermit Geary, Jr.

I found all these at http://biglittlerr.blogspot.com
Hope this gives you some inspiration to:

Go build something awesome...

Weathered wood technique

Here is my quick and simple method of weathering wood. Some people have asked me how I do it, and sometimes it's easiest to just show you what I do. It's not easy making videos though!

Go Build Something Awesome.

Changing plans

Last week I discovered that the Five79 Forney rolling chassis wouldn't navigate the north end of Buzzard's Cove. Forneys have problems with tight radius turns, and can have a large lateral movement of the rear of the locomotive when modified to take tighter turns. Long story short, it's butt was too big for the bridge. Insert your favorite Sir Mixalot or LL Cool J song about generous posteriors.

The only solution available for me was to rip out everything north of the creek (I need to name that I guess huh?) and modify the bridge, and change the track plan slightly.

The north end

You can see where the spur track originally went, next to the seawall. The divergent radius was too tight, and the locomotive was hopping the rails. I have also decided that the RDA Johnson's Loft and Boathouse was too big, and not aesthetically interesting enough for the front of the layout, so it was replaced with Bar Mills' Staton Marine. I have found that building laser cut wood kits is actually too much fun. I've been scratchbuilding quite a bit of stuff, and these little kits fly together at ludicrous speed. Now that Bar Mills is including injection molded windows with their kits, I'm hooked. My one complaint about laser kits has always been the windows. In my opinion, the wooden windows don't look as nice as plastic, because the mullions are far to thick, and the layering of parts is too easy to screw up, so your windows look crooked.

 

Demolition Man

 

While I had the track ripped up, I decided that I didn't like the long straight sea wall, so it came out as well. A new section of dock will have to be built to replace it, so that the boats have a place to tie off to and get their fuel and repairs from old man Staton.

 

 

Under new lights

The north end is still functionally the same as before, with the "exit stage right" track, and the spur, but now I think the scene is better looking, with the tracks going behind the structure. I carved a boat hull out of some balsa, and it will fit nicely along the dock. I think I could even squeeze another 10 feet out of the hull. We'll see.


Off to a train show to find some goodies....

Go build something awesome.

 

Enough is enough

This doesn't have a damn thing to do with trains, so if you want to know about how I do x,y, or z, it will have to wait. This is far more important than what we do with our choo choos in the basement. I'm going to get on my soapbox and talk about a damn travesty that is happening every day, and hardly anyone knows about it, unless you run in the same circles that I do.

Warning: if my choice of language during this post offends your sensibilities, cry about it. I'm going to use language that I know from years of experience, works at getting the attention of young men who hunt other men for a living.

Only 0.45% of Americans serve in the military, and of that figure, less than 1% see combat.  That ridiculously small percentage of men and women are shooting themselves in the face at an alarming rate, and they fucking need to stop it. STOP IT. 3 and a half.  3 and a half Soldiers I knew killed themselves. I say a half, because one of my Soldiers tried to suck start his sidearm, and his battle buddy found him on their kitchen floor and saved his life. The latest one was today, and I'm pissed off.

I sound pretty crass, don't I? There is a reason for that...

For those of you who don't know anyone in the military, it sounds cliché, but you really have no fucking clue about what it is like to volunteer to watch the people you love literally get blown up around you. Spare me the "war is bad" and political diatribes about illegal wars and all of the other talking points.  It is what it is. That is what we said, how we coped, and how we learned to accept that in far flung shitholes, people are really, really, fucked up. "Everything in Iraq is fucked up.", was the first thing that I heard that made any sense my first week there. I took that to heart, and I learned that what I was going to experience, was going to be fucked up, no matter what. 

The VA system is just as fucked up as Iraq is, and is of no real help, so it is up to friends and relatives, wives, husbands, brothers, sisters moms and dads to be the first line of defense in combating suicide. This doesn't just go for vets. "I'm not a professional" doesn't fucking apply when it comes to someone who you know. For fucks sake, have them email ME, and I'll talk to them. I don't give a shit!  I had to get between another one of my Soldiers, his 1911, and 3 cops with tasers and M4s at the ready...pointing at MY back to stop him from making a permanent mistake. The point is, that I am here, and I will talk to you if you need it.

"spreading awareness" of Veteran Suicide is a bullshit concept, just like all "awareness" campaigns. Veterans know damn well that their buddies are killing themselves, and the media sensationalization of the phenomena makes the rest of us look like psychopaths that you don't want your kids knocking on our doors on Halloween.

There are resources out there. There are people who understand, and are willing to talk. http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/ is just one of the many places vets can go to talk to someone, but you, dear reader, if you know a vet, you need to keep your eye on them to make sure they are good to go, because they volunteered to do the same for you, whether or not you even realize it.

Coming home was even more fucked up than going to war.  I've adjusted. Many of my brothers have not.

Go build something awesome.

Graphic Designers:

Graphic Designers: I have a need for some of your work. Although I know how to use photoshop and illustrator, I don't have the time to sit down and work on branding. 

I'm in need of some logos and headers that can be used on my kits, the Facebook page, and the blog. 

If you are interested, email me at marshcreekrr@yahoo.com 

1000 page views

WOOOHOOO!!!!

So, apparently you all think I am interesting enough that when I logged in this morning, The Marsh Creek Railroad had 1000 page views.

Thank You!

I guess that means I have to keep writing and taking pictures....