My locomotive fleet has been in need of attention for some time, specifically in the weathering department. As scenery starts to develop, glossy out-of-the-box models stand out like a sore thumb. First on the list of projects was UP 2513, an Athearn Genesis SD60, which spent the previous week in the weathering shop.

A friend asked if I would assemble an American Model Builders Gulf, Mobile, & Ohio (GM&O) caboose kit for them.  This blog will show the process.  

This article describes some simple changes for the SMA20 Mobile/Accessory/Multifunction 17 Channel Configurable DCC Decoders, which can increase the power provided with the on-board circuitry to deliver two Amps from the DCC bus to the decoder. A new decoder board is offered, as well as a couple of interface tips for the modeler.

Finally able to get the scenery and kit building going.  Waiting for more Woodland Scenics scenic cement to arrive but have all of the industry structures, figures, vehicles etc.  Decided the right half is going to be a flour mill based on a photo I will include.  Built an engine shed today and will start working on the LPG kits.  

For several months I've been working on a small-town downtown scene with two streets and seven structures. Six of the seven buildings are from Design Preservation Models kits and wall panels which I have had for many years, spruced-up with new details, interiors, and lighting. For the seventh building, I wanted to do something different than the standard transition-era town, yet still correct for my layout era of 1954-1956.

Was in Kansas a  couple of months ago, looking for a house.  Came across this outbuilding behind a home in Cherryvale.  To me it looks like a Sante Fe section house.  Any opinions?

House was not what we wanted but this would have been a great train building!

Aldon company is a prototype supplier with an intriguing array of equipment.  One innovative item is the Switch Cube® , which I don't think has been modeled.  Hobby newbies may not be able to tell how switch points will guide the flanged wheel, apparently this is true of workers too.  

https://www.aldonco.com/switch-cube-reg.aspx

As anyone that has followed my blog knows, I do a lot of modeling using a 3D printer. I create my objects using the DesignCAD software. There are two ways to create an object. The first is to create a 1:1 scale drawing the re-scale it so the 7.25 actual feet equals 1 inch. The other is to convert scale feet into decimal dimensions. This is the method I use most often as I work from photos quite a bit

I have been using a calculator, but entering the values to do conversions got to be tedious and I created a scale calculator that cut down some on the data entry.