Model Railroads.

[Captain Caveman]

There. A picture!

 

[Captain Caveman]

https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/Forums/download/file.php?id=46764&mode=view
Hope this photo works!

 

[Shevek]

I was given an O-27 set as a boy, and the third rail always bothered me. I also had a strong dislike for model aircraft with one huge-in-scale cylinder sticking out. I got started on an HO layout, but was too ambitious, and switched to slot cars when they came out. I have had a life-long interest in efficient, elegant machines, and built a radical, streamlined pedal trike from scratch. I am appalled by modern trains, which are still built as if the steam engine was the only option for power, and a telegraph system for communication. I once rode the self-powered Budd railway car. Trains are still inconvenient, and in passenger service, have an appalling payload ratio.

 

[Gerontius]

I thought I'd get away with not posting in this thread again but the 1:64 S-gauge custom build on the table says otherwise--American Flyer 283, a 4-6-2 Pacific-class steam locomotive, which I'm customizing the shell of-- handrails, new paint, figuring out a backup light, next thing to do will be the chassis which is going to be a lot harder than I thought if I want to do an upgraded driving wheel. I suspect a driver with an outside diameter of 34mm will match the 1 3/8" originals, and 7mm British O gauge drivers are close candidates. Which size to get, and how to set the axles & bearings up, that will be the tough part to figure out--but worth it because better-quality wheels should improve the looks. Once I figure out how to do that, then we decide on whether to rebuild an original open-frame motor or go with a modern can motor.

I am also tinkering with N gauge (1:160 scale--slightly jealous of British folks with 1:148 scale for N) as well and have covered about twelve square feet in tracks. It began with purchasing an N scale starter set just to get some kind of trains running in a small space but I was not prepared for my sudden burst of "what if" that led to me starting a locomotive kit to build an ALCO boxcab, buying an electric locomotive and some freight cars, and ripping up some newspaper and plastercloth to start building a layout. Which I am still doing--it desperately needs more buildings and I will not rest until it has got some serious trees.

My N layout is an attempt at making an idyllic scene first that just happens to have some serious trains in it--a former asbestos mining town now a ski resort, seen in the off season, served by light-rail equipment on what was once the roadbed of an interurban line--this gives me an excuse to put up catenary poles & run electric modern trams. I like trams and light-rail a lot--running a line that's 60% modern electric traction, 15% vintage electric traction, and 25% heritage steam/diesel doing excursions and photo charters gives me more flexibility in building my tiny layout. And it's fun and I do not have to buy or make quite as many of these teeny little trains.

But the most exciting part of N scale would have to be how much of the scenery is scratchbuilt--and tiny. A house made of card stock looks fantastic in N, where it'd look a bit odd in O scale. So that's something I look forward to very much, is building a lot of structures and such.

Vintage American Flyer cars I found at an antique store a few towns away-- these are actually from the 1950s. American Flyer isn't the most detailed stuff in the world but it's more proportional than postwar Lionel by a lot, and for what it is, it's absolutely great.

Closeup of an N scale 0-6-0 by Bachmann, the new-tooling one from one of their starter sets. I wish they'd put operating couplers on it because the ones it has have to be coupled manually. But it does run well! Coreless motor is very smooth and quiet. These are WAY more detailed than I was expecting, and they say that this is an entry-level model and others are on par with HO for detail. Interesting. Wish it came with working lights but hey that's why it's called model building instead of just model buying.

Size comparison between S gauge tinplate, N scale, and a desk pen. Any smaller and I'd be worried about sneezing and blowing it off the tracks.

Needs a trailing truck and drawbar but this American Flyer 322 is operational on its original motor from 1946! I can still get parts for it quite cheaply and it will look pretty nice then--should be the easiest to get running and then I have to start figuring out how and where to run some S gauge. I have an ancient Lionel controller which I should use as it's the only alternating-current power supply I have for trains.

Might not build the typical trains-on-a-table kind of layout but I do want to set up some track & let this one run a little bit.

 

[Gerontius]

I found this little one recently and hearing good things about these decided to pick it up, with limited expectations because N gauge is too small for highly detailed engines and cars, right?

USRA heavy Mikado by Kato of Japan. Common enough. These were considered the gold standard of N gauge steam engines back then though companies like Broadway Limited continue pushing the envelope.

Since I cannot afford new I go look on eBay for used ones. Turns out this one is not new, but it's never been opened up and put together having sat in a box since 1996. I of course scrubbed the dust from my half complete N gauge layout and set it on the rails where it started up and ran--not well but it hasn't turned a wheel in 28 years so I'm ok with that and can always oil and service it later.

The little 0-6-0 I showed in the last post was detailed enough for what I needed it for, but this 2-8-2 is exquisite. It looks like it's missing all the handrails and detail parts but these early Kato ones had to be assembled by the modeler, almost like a kit. You can see holes for handrail stanchions on the boiler jacket and no whistle or safety valves- Tiny Plastic FRA and Small OSHA would not clear this one to leave the yard yet without safety equipment. But the parts are still with it. Kato has not made this engine for some years now, so I'm lucky to have the pieces.

Full sized kitchen match for scale. I'm still wondering how they did it! It's quite slow compared to the Bachmann model, and the motor is a hint noisy, but it looks fantastic in motion and as good as some HO gauge models.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Apologize for removing post. Lacked confidence.

I will return it.

This is one I made for someone.

 

[Captain Caveman]

It is actually fairly easy to build an item of rolling stock if one decides to model in an easier scale and stick to simpler designs.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Here is one that is not finished yet.

 

[Captain Caveman]

I have made a start in setting up one of my little tools ready for making chassis such as the type used on the waggon above. The chassis hardly cost much and are easy to make. The use of setting up little machines just speeds up the process so I can make a few in the same time it would take me to make one, or that is the plan.
I need to work out the process so I can do this without having to keep changing tools.

 

[Captain Caveman]

...

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I’ve always liked model trains and their people and accessories for the details. I really like miniatures and this is why I really enjoy looking at dollhouses that people designed themselves. I’ve always wanted a model train but I have no room for one nor the money to create a nice setup. Same with full size dollhouses. I have a couple of the miniature room kits that are sold online and am currently assembling pieces of them. I mainly try to get the ones with music boxes to add to my collection and to have something unique as well. I don’t really use the movement included because I’ve noticed that they sound a bit off and seem to always be Castle in the Sky which I think doesn’t fit so well with the finished project. The one kit I am installing a rarer variation of Memory and the other I am installing a movement that plays People Will Say We’re in Love because there’s a lot of pink and pastels in the kit and it looks like a romantic scene.

 

[Captain Caveman]

I’ve always liked model trains and their people and accessories for the details. I really like miniatures and this is why I really enjoy looking at dollhouses that people designed themselves. I’ve always wanted a model train but I have no room for one nor the money to create a nice setup. Same with full size dollhouses. I have a couple of the miniature room kits that are sold online and am currently assembling pieces of them. I mainly try to get the ones with music boxes to add to my collection and to have something unique as well. I don’t really use the movement included because I’ve noticed that they sound a bit off and seem to always be Castle in the Sky which I think doesn’t fit so well with the finished project. The one kit I am installing a rarer variation of Memory and the other I am installing a movement that plays People Will Say We’re in Love because there’s a lot of pink and pastels in the kit and it looks like a romantic scene.

The good thing about what I do is Ican run my trains in a small space. My models turn on a 2ft wide board, and I have seen people build layouts in just 2ft x 3ft in this scale. (My little part built railway is 2ft x 7ft as I wanted more space, but it does not need much space.

 

[Rachie]

I am not certain what the defintion of model railroads is, does that involve collecting things, putting them together or going on rides I cannot make it out. But several years ago at around Christmas in Epping I went on a steam rail ride with old buses and it was really nice. It was lovely.
I put a video here unlisted on Youtube. I haven't been on there website in some time to be honest, no time.

Edited to add
Checked it out and they are still going.
Santa's Special Trains | Epping Ongar Railway

 

[Captain Caveman]

I am not certain what the defintion of model railroads is, does that involve collecting things, putting them together or going on rides I cannot make it out. But several years ago at around Christmas in Epping I went on a steam rail ride with old buses and it was really nice. It was lovely.
I put a video here unlisted on Youtube. I haven't been on there website in some time to be honest, no time.

Edited to add
Checked it out and they are still going.
Santa's Special Trains | Epping Ongar Railway

I was going to message you to show you a thread on a site I am on, but instead this is a youtube video of a persons layout on another site I am on as I love what he does.
He kinda does a similar things to what I do in the scale and gauge.
This is part of his model railroad.

Shows a loco reversing up the "Zig-Zag" section of his line. (This is allso used on some real railways as a means to gain height in space confined areas where one does not have the room to build a spiral).

Most of his stock are eiher made by the owner or converted from other items. Only a few of his items are as they came out of the factory.
I think all my items I have made either by converting kits or making them myself. (Scratchbuilt). I also do have a few factory made conversions, some of which have had quite a lot of altering to them.

There are now factory made items available in the scale, BUT, apart from the price, I find that things one works on oneself add character and ones own style, which is something one does not see with factory made items.

 

[Rachie]

There are now factory made items available in the scale, BUT, apart from the price, I find that things one works on oneself add character and ones own style, which is something one does not see with factory made items.

I watched it, I am glad you enjoy it. It looks like something nice to do.