RAILROADS

Now that new models are expensive, the kits that were purchased over the last 50+ years were worth the intial investment. Scatchbuilding, and 3D printing are now where a significant amount of time is being spent. A lot of silliness is in our efforts, so rivet-counters can just move on. This is me making my hobby fun for me.

We've had these modules for over 25 years, stored away for the day I start building. What's here is a blend of kits I built 20 years ago and some nre things I made. The tall water tower is a scratch build model primarily using coffee stirrers. The black tank next to it is three empty tape spools from Scotch tape dispensers. The Conjunction Junction cars are all kitbashed from old models that had other issues.

My tribute Conjunction Junction cars are cute and as screen accurate as makes sense for a cartoon railroad. I plan to make a few more and have actual industries for them to serve. Some of my fellow modelers don't know the Schoolhouse Rock segment that inspired these, and have suggested I add more conjunctions. No. That moves too far from the tribute. We might see a combination of Phrases, Clauses, Words, This, and That box cars in the future, but I'm focused on other things now.

This railroad has a British subsidiary (I will have it separated visually). And yes, it will include the Hogwarts Express. I like the look of British steam engines--the wheels look like they are made for sprinting rather than the thick, heavy wheels of most US locomotives which are designed to add weight for better traction.

I started expanding my fleet and buildings from inexpensive cars and kits I found at train shows and antique malls. It is hit and miss with both types of places, but if I can find a $3 car that I'm going to add good wheels and couplers to, that is worth the effort, plus I get very familiar with how to maintain my fleet. This shot has some refurbished cars as well as refurbished buildings.

With great foresight and an employee discount, I bought a number of undecorated Athearn cabooses in the 1990s along with decal sets. I finally got around to starting my Southern bay window caboose fleet. I have a couple of commercially available custom painted ones from that same time period, but I also decided to match the Gantt style details. Handrails, number of windows, portholes, roof slopes, etc. I am not 100% accurate, but enough that casual observation will give the right impression, and it is a ton more accurate than the out-of-the box version.

This is one of my first "building rescue" projects. All I had to start with was the main building and base. I repainted it and added a wooden loading dock from coffee stirrers and matchsticks. The fire hydrant is just a bit of sprue from a set of Kadee coupler pockets. It is just as good as the ones that come in the old Tyco building kits....

I made the barrels from plastic drink straws and paper punchouts from a 3-hole punch, and the pallets were made from coffee stirrers.

A chance purchase of a Ziploc bag of three box cars that had survived a fire or intense heat expanded my fleet. I cleaned them, replaced some detail parts, added couplers, and wheel sets, and they all work perfectly well. It just required the effort.

Most people think of Tyco as a toy, and frankly, they pretty much are toys. However, a little effort can spruce them up, and this pipe load flat got a makeover. I created a gondola section (yes, coffee stirrers) to fit over the molded on bays. As usual with my upgrades, Kadees and metal wheels replace what was on the car.

I try to paint a few figures each week to ensure my railroad pike has a population. Bachmann, Atlas, Plasticville, Presier, and a lot of 1:100 off brand figures that probably are normally sold to architects.

I try to paint a few figures each week to ensure my railroad pike has a population. Bachmann, Atlas, Plasticville, Presier, and a lot of 1:100 off brand figures that probably are normally sold to architects. An old Tootsietoy hot rod got a bit of a makeover.

A common kit got a makeover to become a salvage company. This is before I repainted, re-roofed, and added a LOT of exterior details. I have no idea where I got them from, but I had some HO-scale-compatible Star Wars figures. It was irresistable....

Powerpoint has been an invaluable asset to creating signs, and even entire accessories like these boxes. I simply scaled some graphics to the proportions I wanted, arranged them in a way that when I cut them up, they would fold into a box. I have made all sorts of boxes and crates this way. Some other boxes (like the Umbrella Corp crate) are from gamers who make paper barriers for their tabletop wargame scenarios. I just rescale, print, cut, and assemble them.