I've started on the build of the Engine crew shanty by Con-Cor. Going for a really worn and rugged look.

The first part is to lay down some base colours with a bit of drybrushing on the roof. I stippled the red colour on then painted the grey to start to show the flaking paint.

Next I will use a brown wash and start to add rust weathering etc.

Is anyone interested in  a Blog on installing Keep Alives. This can be home grown or bought from one of the decoder manufacturers. This is sort of an off shoot of the I.T. Class A steeple cab Blog by Doug. Hence the pictures I will try and load !!!

The mine is out of ore so the tracks are being removed. The town can't survive like the old days so many are moving on. Historically this scene has played out many times. 

For me I am moving to a new job so I have to dismantle the layout. New adventures await. A new layout will be built, but exactly where and when is not known.

Tim Schwartz

Took apart one truck of the SW1500 cow and indeed the sideframes are cast with the number 70702 just like the sideframes of the unpowered loco.  The powered SW1500 sideframes have bronze wheel/axle bearings instead of the black plastic bearings on the unpowered sideframes.  Will remove the Ernst gearing and go back to the original stock Athearn gear set.  Next up is the motor.  Did not remove the flywheels as I was afraid that they might slip on the shaft after removing and replacing.  Cleaned the commutator with a fine flat small file and a pencil eraser + #11 blad

I've completed my latest CAD designed, 3D printed rail car.  This time, it's a 16 axle, heavy duty drop deck flatcar, KRL164004.

Here is a video I made several years ago while going through Fostoria, Ohio. I hope you like it.

Moderator note: Changed the video to embedded.

Time for something completely different!

Kathy

A recent addition to the motive power fleet in the form of an New England Rail Services GE 70T with MU and drop steps.  It is pretty much bang on for several of the HBM&S 70 Tonners used at the smelter.  I am planning to model #5 as it was one of the frequent engines I saw around the plant, and the brass version is vastly superior to the Bachmann rendering.

I have had a little "layout kaboom" with my Madras switching layout, here is what is going on...

Awhile ago I decided to replace the switches on my Madras switching layout and got as far as cutting out the old switches and purchasing new ones. Also at this time my need to have a switching layout for work was no longer needed. I started really examining what I had started and I found that it was missing a few elements that I wanted to model so I decided to do a little remodeling.

Objective:
I want to build a double-deck, around-the-wall, peninsula style layout in a 12x16 shed I have prepared for the job.