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.