Happy New Year! Welcome 2025

 Over the holidays, I was able to get some modeling projects done. I went into the holiday vacation with specific projects, and, as usual, ended up doing some unplanned projects. The results are promising and I'm very happy with how they have turned out so far.

I finished another operating hopper kit. The basic kit is from Berkshire Valley Models and has been modified using a similar technique to Manns Creek Modeler Jeff Kraker, only these cars have a sliding door on the bottom. 

To keep the rain off the coal dump and some scenery to make the scene look better.

Fencing for the cows in Albion, ME

New boxcar kit assembly. Kit from Mount Blue Models. They make the best and most fun to build laser kits for O scale narrow gauge. Very well thought out. He also has IMPROVED them over time. 

Some extract tanks for the extract plant in Deer Creek. 

The new combination store and station at Deer Creek. Based on the same on the West Virginia Midland at Diana, WV

The prototype.........New Dominion Lumber, Diana, WV

And, to add another operating load out......

Thirsty Loco's Get a Tank

 The last two weekends I put together a Berkshire Valley Models water tank kit. 

https://berkshirevalleymodels.com/

I've been working over the last six months to improve and update Deer Creek on my layout. I've rebuilt the area so many times over the last decade that I have lost count. I'll update those efforts in the future. 

The kit came together rapidly and easily. I did have to review the instructions a few times to make sure I was using the right part at the time. Biggest issue was warping of the columns on the tank when I applied stain. The columns have end grain up their length and warped severely. I used low viscosity CA glue on the end grain while holding it up against a steel ruler to get them straight again. Kind of a pain, would not be a problem if you painted the tank. Here's the results.

Its a bit large for the small Shay's I'm using but will stand in over the next few years, while I come up with a smaller, more like candidate for such a line.

Tribute to Dick Andrews On2 Track Plans

 I've always been a fan of Dick Andrews and his writings over the years. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Scranton, PA Narrow Gauge Convention. I watched him sketch up a two foot drawing on the back of a napkin! What fun. Here are a few of his On2 layout plans from over the years. One can definitely see the similarity in thinking and operations. Very interesting, according to the article he built the Waterlog and Crooked River Railway and operated the "roll back" on the 7% grade to get the cars behind the locomotive for the return trip to Waterlog!!

Waterlog and Crooked River Ry 10 x 15 

RMC April 1954

Waterford & Crooked River Railway.

13 x 10

NG&SLG JULY/AUGUST 1981

Whiffletree and Kinky Creek Ry.

 NG&SLG -9 x 12

Maine Revisited

I failed to post this over the summer. Better late than never!

A very busy summer with a little modeling fit in between travel. Our family visited Maine this summer for a trip to the beach. I took a day to travel to the WW&F Museum, then followed the line to Albion, and then onto the Manson! Here are some pictures from the trip.

A trip down the line on this home built railcar

Randolph Maine, where the KC ended operations.

Monson headed to the quarries

Monson Enginehouse location

Monson Station

Monson Quarries

Albion on the WW&F

WW&F in Wiscasset

May Update

 I have been working on little projects here and there as time permits. Reworking the track a little around Deer Creek, fixing up some On2 locomotives I recently purchased in and auction and painting some On2 cars from my friend Tom Sullivan. I'll provide an update on those later. For now, enjoy this poorly shot video of the coal turn on the DC&L RY from this weekend. I really need to get a tripod for the cell phone!

Another Car for Live Loads

 I started a prototype live load coal car last fall and during the design progression I started modifying the Berkshire Valley Models ore cars that I had. Only when I had a car design almost completed, did I realize that it wouldn't work. The mechanism would hit the trucks! I had not paid close attention to the depth of this car compared to my scratch built car. During the build, I had taken two of my already built kits and modified them.... only to learn that it wouldn't work!!! I boxed them up in frustration and set them aside.

Today I finished three new cars and had time to go back and look at this previous design. With some modifications, I think I can make it work.......

Sometimes it pays to set things aside, work on another project and come back with a new perspective. At least, I find this often works for me.

New Techniques = New Potential/Opportunities

I recently had the opportunity to try my hand at building a 3D-printed log car and a flat car designed by a friend. These even included Russell car and foundry trucks. I've constructed a few cars based on other's designs in the past, see the On2 KC boxcar, the On2 KC gondolas, and the On30 hopper cars. My previous efforts were from scaling up HOn30 designs. While the prints came out exceptionally well, they are rather thick-walled for the scaled-up version. These two cars were also more complete, with coupler pockets, truss rods, etc., already built into the design. Amazing detail and fun to build cars. Very interesting technique of using metal rods in the middle and side sills for weight. I enjoyed building these; I think I just like building cars..........And, of course, provided feedback on the designs. My friend is an amazing designer both at 3D CAD and at making new ideas work. A pleasure to have the opportunity to give these a try. A different experience from building with wood and styrene. What the future holds...........