My N scale work bench has been taken over by an O scale depot. I had to move all my tools off it just to make room.
cranked out another Blair Line billboard for this stretch of highway...this item actually came with the "Ernie's Service Station" although Dale offers it separately... as I affix these and photograph them, I get challenged to complete the scene with details...road signs, guardrails, fence posts, bushes, and trees...and actual static grass, of course. this is how the scene would look to a driver, crossing the tracks and heading for the highway T-junction...photos, such as these allow me to 'see' what needs to be done to bring more realism to the scene... Bruce
With the new mechanism in hand, cheaper ordering the whole loco than ordering parts from the Bmann. I finally finished the boxcab. I took in hand two doodlebug shells and spliced them into a short, about 34 foot body with dual cabs for a dual engine boxcab. I added grill work to the top radiator housings, marker lamps, relocated headlights, side grills over what had been side doors and windows, air tanks on top from the scrap box, single chime air horns over each cab and small steam bells over each cab. Side steps came from the scrapped doodlebug bodies. Both cab ends have plow pilots and MT couplers. The mechanism is Bmann's excellent running little 44 tonner. It already has a dual mode decoder and directional lighting and the issue for me was to be able to contain the light at each cab from excessive bleeding. I did that by constructing a box enclosure at each end which served two purposes. One to direct the headlight illumination through the headlight added and to provide support for the power chassis under the body. I also had to take up slack space on the sides to allow a tight fit so there is channel glued to each side at the motor area. The channel is open at each end to allow airflow for motor cooling, plus the side grills are open at that area allowing air flow. The light boxes at each end are suspended above the circuit board also allowing air flow also. The body from the 44 tonner has been stored away since it would be a simple task to convert the back to a 44 tonner again. In the below photo the light is shining through the side grills, it is not paint, showing the openings for airflow to cool the motor. The boxing for the light containment is seen on the mechanism. 100_4712-1 by John Moore posted Oct 10, 2015 at 12:32 PM The 44 tonner has become my mechanism to go to for my critters like this because of its reliability, and pulling power for such a little thing. Two of then are under my Class A Climaxes and four in their original configuration are on the TCC roster. Currently these mechanisms can be had for under $50 a piece with a little shopping around. The two flats in the back ground are my next project which will be to build at least three more Masonite pad track cleaners.
Hi Firstly, John, love the box cab. that's awesome. After sitting gathering dust for many months, I've managed to get some work done on a couple of "bigs", a Briggs M-630 kit which will become WNYP 637, and a mix of Atlas and Con-Cor parts which is SIXX 77, one of the former Alco C-636 demo's, recently scrapped at Cohocton NY. The 77 was owned by Cartier for many years and received several modifications as shown here. These include a revised air intake system and a larger capacity radiator which was is scratch built. The trucks are Atlas C40-8, and will get the Alco Hi-Ad features. The excellent front headlight is by Chris Mears via Shapeways. The Con-Cor central air intake section of the long hood isn't attached to the rest of the hood yet. Cheers Steve NZ
Should have included this in my previous post. Here's what she looked like when I shot this in June 2012.
Well not as good as some work being done here but this kit looks simple but is a real bugger to build. The tower stacks rings and the rings are all larger on the bottom (for mold releasing I assume) , so hard to get it sanded smooth when glued up. Then comes the tedious sprue cutting of all of the conveyor. It is hard to get straight and I used very thin evergreen rod at the joints of the canopy. Not sure how to get coal all the way down the belt line inside but have a couple ideas , then weather the outside and need to brace the uprights somehow. Thanks for taking a look, Mike
Trying to build the post office and shops (well, what's left of them...) you see on the picture. I take some modeller's license, but try to follow the original building as close as possible. And with just one picture, that's not easy.
Building Blair Line's newest for the upcoming town of Hutton module.... just a couple more items to add...all-in-all, not a bad kit.
And I am also trying to model the seventies, with a decaying Rock Island.... Quite a depressing module.....
Working on final test fitting on my printed C39-8 shell. A few more tweaks and it'll be ready for sale. Many hours of research and CAD have paid off.
These guys have been sitting on my bench for about a year. Finally got around to decalling them last weekend. Now I need to work on lowering the bodies as they stand way too tall compared to the other boxcars. Brian
