Anyone care to share non hobby items you have run across that work in your scale for representing industrial type details? I know LIRR uses various Lego pieces as vents and such on many of his structures.

I wandered down the plumbing and PVC aisles at Lowes yesterday looking for items that were close enough to N scale size for pollution control details for a paper mill: piping, vents, and other strangely shaped pieces that could represent any of the miriade of devices used in these complexes that would help create an industrial jungle type scene.

Admittedly, I have a really odd way of approaching some layout projects.  The Indian Creek scene at Council Bluffs is a prime example.  I'm on vacation this week, with plans to finally finish the scene, so I thought this would be a good time to take a look back at what I've done as a study in how NOT to model.

I picked up the Chevy and Dodge 3D printed N scale trucks from Shapeways. I'm impressed at the detail attainable with 3D printing. The trucks came in clear styrene. I gave them a coat of primer then coats of Mr. Color for the red and Mig Ammo Rubber & Tires Acrylic for the tires and rubber. Tamiya clear red and clear yellow for the lights. I ran .25mm fiber optics for the front and rear lights. This size proves a little small for the front lights, but great for the taillights. Somehow one of the rear view mirrors got busted off in shipping or by me. The way it goes.

The largest bridge on my portion of the IAIS is the ballast deck girder bridge over the West Branch of the East Nishnabotna River, just west of Hancock, Iowa.  I've finally been making some progress on the model in recent days and thought I'd start an entry to chronicle its construction.