Modeling general discussion
Quiet Street Running
I am building a section of layout that requires a large section of track, including turnouts, embedded in concrete streets. I have done this before (pics posted on this site someplace) using plaster. That worked out well except for one detail, the SOUND! It was horrible, sounded like the train was running on glass rail! I vowed never to do that again.
On the last layout the track was laid on foam, no roadbed. This time the track is laid on homasote over plywood.
Any Marklin fans out there?
I have spent years playing around with US Outline HO and N Scale. If anyone remembers. I finished my Open University degree with a project for the routing of freight cars using a mobile phone app.
Looong Trains & Expansive Scenery, video
Not sure how I arrived at this video, but the mountain vistas are pretty spectacular, .....and they are running 100 car trains. (wonder how they had room for a siding that could handle that train while it gave way to a passenger train?)
Peytonville model (Nationwide commercial)
I just caught a Nationwide Insurance commercial where Peyton Manning takes Brad Paisley to a miniature town called Peytonville. It appears to be a MASSIVE model railroad layout. However, I saw no trains or an indication of rail service. Still, pretty impressive modeling (if it’s all real and not CGI).
Anybody have more information about this or know who worked on the project?
Painting prep for unpainted ho figures
I am about to paint a batch of little people that i got off amazon. Will putting them in an ultrasonic cleaner loaded with some simple green properly clean them up for painting, or should they also be scrubbed lightly with a soft toothbrush? Should I prime them with primer, or will a coat of flesh colored paint be ok for starters?
Yup, I'm bored, and looking for some tinkering to do....
Thanks for any suggestions.
Randy
PanPastel cross-reference to railroad colors
I've seen a few videos and posts on using PanPastels for weathering scattered across the model building forums. I've been hunting them down on Youtube as well as re-watching the ones on Trainmasters.tv and MRVP. All good stuff. And having just started using a couple colors on structures to tone down the plastic sheen and add some age and fading, they're great.
How Not to Lose Small Things
Every time I have to install HO scale Nut-Bolt-Washers and similar tiny things, it seems at least two out of five go flying off into oblivion, never to be found. I cut them off sprues carefully and usually manage to keep them on my worktable. But grabbing them with tweezers is usually where they go astray. QUESTION: how do you successfully manage and control NBWs and the like and get them installed where they're supposed to go? All tips welcome.
Thanks, Alex
An experiment that went well; gluing brass numerals.
Trying to glue brass numerals to a surface has been not fruitful for me.
.jpg)
I can line them up and with the eye get them perpendicular,
but I need a thin adhesive that doesn't dry fast in order to position the numbers, which takes a few minutes.
Converting CAD files for Cricut
I'm using my Cricut Explore Air 2 to cut out an image drawn in CAD. I exported a DXF file and brought it into the Design Space. The software re-assembled it and cut the mess shown on the right in the photo.
Oddly Satisfying.
So here's what I want you to do...
Take a nice section of track on your layout. Did you find that one perfect section? Mostly straight, maybe a curve or two?
Now, find a nice smooth rolling car... a favorite boxcar maybe... or a caboose... nothing too long. That really well running stock car, with the metal wheels, where if you flick those wheels, they just keep spinning, and spinning... you know the type.
>> Posts index
Navigation
Journals/Blogs
Recent Blog posts: