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...........

Tribute to the Cairo and Kanawha RY

As I plan for the future, I need something to haul passengers with that wold be less fancy than what would be considered for busy, larger scale narrow gauge passenger service. Something that would represent what would be used in a mixed train that had low passenger volume. Reaching out to one of my favorite narrow gauges, the Cairo and Kanawha, I decided to model the likeness of one of their combines. The car was clearly modified from an older, less fancy passenger car. Note the narrow baggage compartment door and the boarded up rear window. Oddly, this car has no lamp vents on the roof. Their second combine did have such vents. 

I used a Bachmann On30 passenger car to capture the likeness. I say likeness as the letter board is clearly too tall, the need platforms to short and the steps the wrong type. Maybe I will modify those steps.....

The prototype car clearly was lower to the ground. Many of these style cars used less expensive arch bar type trucks and smaller diameter wheels. I guess to lower the cost? I'm sticking with modified Bachmann trucks (widened to On3) for now. Despite having the same number of windows and what appears to be reasonably window spacing, my car still seems short compared to the prototype.

For now, I am happy with the end result. I think it will look good behind my short mixed trains and captures the essence of a wonderful West Virginia narrow gauge. 

Fall Update

A few projects that I have been working on of late. Preparations for the future endeavors

Donkey Assembly Line

A friend has been working hard on developing a 3D printed model of a two-drum American Hoist and Derrick donkey engine. I've been having so much fun building one, that it has turned into 4 in various states of completion. Amazing detail and amazing assembly. Quite the joy to build. Keeping me occupied at the workbench lately. 

Ah, ha moment on the WW&F Modules

 I've had power trouble with several turnouts on my On2 Albion and Upper Wiscasset yard modules for quite a while. It was the first time I had not constructed my own turnouts on the workbench but used FastTracks turnout jigs. Also the first time using PC ties. My main locomotive, WW&F No 7 has poor electrical pickups and I've talked about adding additional wipers but haven't yet received the "round to it". I used Tam Valley Depot DCC Hex Frog Juicer's for both modules and thought the problem was due to them being overloaded or overworked when the Stay Alive capacitor was charging. The problem seemed to come and go and so I was never certain what the problem was. However, I was never going to use Frog Juicers again!

This weekend, the problem reared its ugly head while I was switching. To me, it really seemed as if there was no power at the frog. Being no 8 frogs, they are a bit long but why wouldn't they have power? Was it the Hex Juicer as I suspected? I finally pulled out the multi meter and ran some tests. Well, looks like on three turnouts, the point or through and diverging rails were NOT soldered to the PC tie with the wing rails! Who would have guessed. I know that they SHOULD have been soldered. Having always soldered my frogs and then painfully cleaned the flange gap out with files and other tools, I never suspected this to be an issue. While the jigs allowed me to not have to clean out the solder, it is a bit more difficult to make sure all these rails are soldered on the same PC tie. Yes, the instructions show to turn over the turnout and make sure to solder this area but it is really hard to see. 

Bottom line: The Tam Valley Depot DCC Hex Frog Juicer's are working great and now my locomotive works excellent. No loss of power! Happy running trains again.

DC&L Shay No.3

 It has been a long and difficult journey to get this locomotive up and running. I've been working on it for at least 8 years. 

I had it built up in about a year, see posts from 2014 and 2015

Shay running

10/27/15

 

Shay Update

11/2/14

 

Early in the journey

10/13/14

After the initial paining, I blew a decoder, broke off the generator stand, among other things and put the locomotive away for quite a while. Recently, while working on another shay project, I pulled it out. Certainly, I should give it another go? Blew another decoder in 30 seconds, wire touched the metal speaker. This time I persevered and finished the difficult sound install by moving the speaker to the firebox and making a plastic housing for the decoder, keep alive in the tender. I installed glass in the windows, used a weathering technique suggested by Jeff Kracker, and made an ok looking coal bin to cover the motor that sticks up rather high. The locomotive runs well, sounds good. I'll add a toolbox, re-railing frog and some details to the running boards as time permits. I also need to get the sound timing down and improve some of the sound effects, like remove the nonexistent air airpump. Right now I want to just sit back and enjoy getting this far. And onto the other project.....

Kennebec Central Long Coal Car

 Here is the longer, later version of the Kennebec Central coal car. I messed up the painting a bit but the end result still looks pretty good. Now all I need is a Kennebec Central module to run these on............

Adventures on the Kennebec Central Continue

I continue to utilize my new 3D printer for some really fun two foot cars. I've always thought that some Kennebec Central opening side door gondolas would be really neat to build. A challenge for sure but really neat. As I learn how to use my printer settings and the best ways to arrange and modify supports (the things that hold your model off the build plate while it is printing), I'm making some really cool cars.

A big THANK YOU to Chris Schmuck! Chris has posted some amazing stl files on Thingaverse and allowed others to print them. Designing in 3D is rather difficult and time consuming. His work is excellent and scales up from HOn30 to On30 or On2 very, very nicely. Here's the latest prints. Some slight modifications to the bolsters and coupler pockets. 

Basically this car is printed entirely in one go. The only details that are added are: queen posts, turnbuckles, truss rods, brake wheel, brake staff, a rod in the middle, couples and trucks. Clean up was easy though I did have to heat the car in hot water and carefully bend. The truss rods put a bit of pressure on the car, so I'm sure it won't dip but it may bend up! We'll see what happens over time. Two prints, one On30 using Chris's trucks and one in On3 using GrandtLine trucks. 

On30 K&C Short Gondola 

On2 K&C Short Gondola

Adventures in 3D Printing

 For the last year or so my friend Jeff Kracker has been subttly dropping hints that I should consider trying 3D printing. He casually mentioned this summer that Anycubic was having a sale on their Photon Mono X, which would be the perfect printer for a beginner and large enough to print O scale narrow gauge cars, and oh, what a great price. Well, I finally jumped in.................

And I've been using it to print very important items........well, my some found these and really enjoys 3D printing also!

After learning more about where to find things and how to use a "slicer" program, I started some hobby items that turned out really cool. These are models developed by Chris Shmuck and published on Thingaverse. The stl files are for Hon30 but were easily scaled up to O scale. Here is a Mt. Sicker and Lenor RR hopper car with some of his trucks from another posted project. 

After a few email and Zoom calls with Jeff to learn more about print settings, cleaning, supports, etc. (almost like a new hobby), I tried some more complex designs by Chris. Here is a Kennebec Central boxcar in On2. The detail scaled up amazingly well from HO to O scale. I'm greatful to Jeff and Chris for their assistance and sharing files. Learning AutoCad 3D, well, someday........

So, ultimately, this does relate to my On30 and On2 modeling. I won't mention the exciting secret project yet.....3D printing is really cool but another aspect with all kinds of learning and patience required!