Covid Cabin Fever and finding created ways to use this time to help a fellow modeler

One of the best thing about this hobby is meeting others within it. I have mentioned before in posts here about my real start with model trains and the "old guys" from the Masonic Train room that helped me learn most of what I know.  Its people like this that are willing to share their Technics and skills that help pass this hobby on to others and help grow the greatest hobby in the world. Being able to create these models is a way that I can pass along the skills I have learned and to share there results with others in the community.

A few years ago I came across another blog and web site called "The Valley Local".  This is a very dedicated detailed blog covering the layout progress of Chris Adams. I have mentioned him before and is one of my inspirations for creating this blog. I was very honored to be able to visit Chris' layout, on my birthday of all days, and was even able to be apart of his operating session. It is a beautiful model of the CT Valley Railroad in the 50's and has become one of my favorite layout because of it being so close to home. But why am I bringing all this up again?

During the craziness going on in the world due to Covid-19 I am currently working from home. I am very grateful for being able to do this and I am using this opportunity to help others while I am home during lunch and what would be my normal communing time.  While I am working in my office I have by Dremel 3D20 making ear guards that I am donating to local medical and essential employees. More information here on my Facebook post.

I have also been doing a lot more 3D modeling as a result of being inside more as well. This is where Chris's layout comes in. I reached out to him to see if there was anything i might be able to create and 3D print for his layout. As I put it, something to fight off the cabin fever of this pandemic and Chris was quick to respond!!

 It turns out there is a specific grade crossing sign that he was looking for that were all along the Valley during his era. Through his own research and bit of my own, no manufacture make this particular grade crossing sign.

Zoomed in picture of the sign in question. "Max Miller Collection" 

This was right up my ally and a challenge that I love to tackle. Something "rare" or so specific that no one has heard of or made before.

After discussing it with Chris a bit further I started by scaling the photo to get some basic dimensions and guesses on size. I used the photo the two photos below to scale something I knew the dimension of. In this case the telephone pole and the width of the rails.

Great photo of Then and Now "John Wallace Collection"

Grade crossing in Middletown, CT. "Max Miller Collection"

This dimensions where used to create a drawing on paper first.  This is purely for my own sanity and helps me jot down any other notes or important information regarding to the project.

My hand written madness

This drawing also shows by first attempt at how I thought the sign was connected to the post. Only so much you can guess at when you are zooming into a photo. But another, clearer photo made me rethink how it was mounted to the wooden post.

Using these measurements I created my first pass at the sign 1:1 scale in the CPU. I do this for two reasons: 1.) Using 1:1 dimensions is easier as I don't need to convert anything & 2.) the Final model can, theoretically, be scaled down to fit any scale. Here is the current, final product!!

Front view

Back View

Now in no way is this complete and is basically a first draft of the model.  What I really need is a clear photo of the sign or even better the actual dimensions of the sign. But where am I going to find something like that?!?!?!   Thankfully Chris was way ahead of me and found someone that might just have what we are looking for. 

More to come, but until then, see ya real soon!!

Recreating the old favorite, The "Gon"

While things are still chugging on the 0901 project, which is currently in printing trials. Find out more about it on my Facebook Discussion Page. I needed to find a way to fill the time while I waited 10 hours for one test print. I thought about writing more articles for the VRR history project that I have been working on, but I have been writing all day for work.

I wanted to do something more fun something more to do with modeling trains. Well a breakthrough in this history project provided a bit of inspiration to bring some love back to a old VRR favorite.

If you have visited the VRR in the past few years you will have to pass by our freight train display on track 8. The FVRR tank engine, #2, is currently at the front but the car I'm referring too is just behind it. This wooden side gondola is a EX-Lehigh and New England Railroad veterain that was once apart of the VRR's daily coach train. Believe it or not it was the VRR's first open car!!

I never got the chance to ride in it while it was on the train but I have heard many happy stories of people that did. Part of me always wanted to get a model of this car but because of it being, like most things here, an oddball there wasn't many on the market. 

I was on the fence about building one from scratch but I had no measurement and access to the car as I am staying home because of the Virus.

I was lucky to find a Facebook group about the L&NERR and they were able to help me find the copies of the cars diagrams.  I will not post them here for copyright reasons but believe me the model is being drawn now to the drawings standards.

More progress to come but here us a preview!!

New place to talk Trains and other project details!!!

Hello everyone!!

I have some exciting news!!  I have created a new Facebook group to allow followers to have discussions on the projects that I am working on!! I hope to see you all there were we can discuss and share Ideas for models and for other future projects.

The first post over there is about the 0901's first test print.

Simply click the new FACEBOOK tab on the blogs home page!!

P.S. I am working from home now and the cats have getting in the way of both my 9-5 and my modeling projects at night lol.

Progress on HO Scale 0901

 Trying to avoid the crazyness going on with the world this past weekend I started to work on my model of 0901 again.  Made some progress. Split the model into two printable parts, created the headlight and whistles of different types, and started working on the handrails.

Short and sweet but good progress.  Photos will be updated here later.  Stay safe everyone and wash your hands

Taking the Workshop in the Road -- Cheshire High School Spring Show 2020

There is nothing like Train Show Season.  While there are no set dates or times that limit exactly when train shows take place in my are we normally see them start around the fall (September/October) and end in the spring. They can very in size from large multi room and even buildings (ie: the Big E Train Show) to a single room in a hotel banquet area.  Regardless of the size of the show I normally am there ether as a visitor or assisting some friends sell items and carry boxes. Very rarely would you find me selling anything of my own. However this year that is going to change!!!

This coming weekend is the annual Spring Model Train Show located at Cheshire High School in Cheshire CT. This is one of the larger small town shows in our area filling the schools gym, both their cafeterias and parts of the hallways. This is always a packed show with Vendors, Layout groups, Local Hobby Stores, and tourist Railroads.  The Cheshire show has become a special show for me for a few reasons. Its only about 10 min drive away from home, it is a great place to catch up with some friends in the hobby and it is where I got to meet a amazing family that sets up a large kids area for free.  They set up a large toy train set for kids to play with and drive trains around, with supervision of their parents of course. But its one of the few places where kids can get their hands on the trains and hopefully is the thing that gets them into the hobby and help it grow.

Here is Justin's set up from the Winter Show

 I have become their "Mr. Fix-it" and help maintain the trains and track. ( They can sometimes take a beating over one day of work!!) But it started a wonderful friendship with that family and I am very grateful that I happen to bump into them at the show.

But I'm getting a little off topic. The main reason why I am excited for this Spring's show is that for the first time ever!!!  Artist794's Workshop is going on the road!!!

 Over the last few weeks I have been 3D printing examples of some of the models I have created in a range of scales (N,HO,S,O,G) in order to promote what I have been doing and hopefully sell a few items to fund some more future projects.  Here are examples of what I am planning on bringing to the show:

Both of my printers hard at work for the past few days

G scale R,A,W posts compared to S scale R,A,W posts and Mile markers

HO and N scale mile markers and W,A,R posts drying in my UV chamber.
The solar powered turntable helps make sure they get a even exposure to the LEDs

If you have ever wanted to see a 3D printer in action your in luck as I am planing on bringing one of my printers as well to print a few more parts throughout the day!  If you are planning on attending the show and want to stop by and say hi! I'll be in the cafeteria on the right near the kids area along with a few of my Model Railroad friends. (they have many toy train and real railroad items for sale as well check them out!!) Hope to see you there and make sure you stop by Justin's Kid City area as well.

Until Sunday, See you real soon!!!

VRR 0901- Building an HO scale Spaceship!!

So I have a confession to make......I cant find my HO scale 3025 right now.........It is lost in a box that I haven't unpacked yet or its back at my parents home......


BUT NEVER FEAR!!!!!  I have another project to work on while I try to locate that box. I have mentioned before that I am partial to steam engines when it comes to models and real life trains. However I do have a soft spot for a few diesels, especially those that I have worked with and on. 

Down at the Valley they have a small collection of General Electric 80 Ton Locomotives, including the star of this project and as far as we know prototype to the class, Engine 0901.

While it has the same overall size and power it definitely dose not share the same shape as her younger sisters. 

0901 on the right

She has a shorter and squared off hood design and makes different noises as she rumbles down the track. One engineer compared it to a spaceship as it chugged up and down the line. But spaceship or not she is a Valley Engine and make it a contender for HO scale modeling in my book. There is only one little,  tiny, itty-bitty problem about that........no company ( to my knowledge) has made an HO scale 80 Tonner......

What to do, what to do.....well I did what most would due in this day and age, I googled it!! and actually found a article someone wrote about modeling a U.S. ARMY 80 ton GE locomotive. If I find the link to the article ( may have been taken down) I will post it at the end of this post. But the main point is that they used a Bachmann 70 tonner body and motor as a base. I measured 0901's length in real life and scaled it down to HO scale and they are right only off by about 2 inches or so. Close enough in my books!!

So I have wheels and a motor but I am going to need to create the body somehow.. I can try building it out of plastic card or something similar but I want there to be some details. If only there was some why i could draw it in my cpu and print it out in 3D?!?!??

Oh wait!!! I think I have just such an printer I got for Christmas. So using some nice photos I found on Lee's Facbook Page. (If you like the VRR you should really check this out!!) and measurements off the actual 0901 I started.

The start of my Madness: 2 CPUs, calculator, engineering paper,
pencils, and the HO scale 70 Tonner.

Boo, our new little kitty, decided he was going to help me as well....
By getting in my way.

And after a few hours of work here is what I have so far: 

Not much but its a start.  Now enough talk and back to modeling. But until then; See ya real Soon!!!

2020 Amherst Railroad Hobby Show Report

While it might not have been my first visit to what i lovingly call the Big "E" train show, But this is the first time I am documenting some of the things that I saw and of course the few Items I returned with.

First things first and like I mentioned in me post the night before the show. My goal this year wasn't to find a particular Engine or Car but rather information and leads. This year in celebration of the Valley Railroads 50th anniversary in a few years I started t history project about the Valley; In particular the Valley's Engines and Rolling stock.  There  are over 20 passenger  cars and a handful of freight equipment all along the valley line. All in various levels of restoration or, for lack of a better term, rust.  I started finding information about one the passenger cars we use as a bunk car for one of the members and it kind of snowballed into every-car and engine we have small or large. Anyways the final product isn't 100% yet and its mainly in the planning/research stages and i'm sure I will post more about this as the hunt continues.

When I was looking through the list of vendors at the Big "E" show this year I noticed there were a decent amount of historical societies there. I planned on visiting each just to introduce myself and my project and hoping to get a contact number or email I can follow up with details. I actually had a great success in this and have already started to reach to a few organizations so lets keep those fingers crossed we can find some information.

As for the rest of the show it was its normal fun and excitement.  This year I noticed that it was so packed that it was hard to push past some of the crowds. This show seams to get bigger and bigger each year. So let get to the point here is a slideshow of photos from the event!!

First  up is the Bachmann Trains booth:

Bachmann's Model of Disney Imagineer/Animators, Personal Grizzly Flats Railroad.
I would love this model but its not in the budget right now.

Multi- Level Layouts showing most of the scale Bachmann produce.

This is their Display of Bachmann's Thomas and Friends Line.
This holds a special part in my heart for these model but I personally
am not a fan of this layout. To me it looks a bit too Cheep and nasty for my liking.
It doesn't match/nor does it remind me of any scene from the TV show or Books.

Hon3 Model of Rusty the little Diesel engine.
My younger brother really wanted me to get this model.

Showing the different face molds for the Diesel Model.
I have the one on the right and would like the one on the right.
(hopefully one with both buffers)

Here is the full wall of T&F Product.
Believe it or not I don't have all of these yet. :-) 

Here are some more Highlights from the day:

MTH's booth that was too crowded to get near.

Examples of T-Track modular club

More of the T-Track. This might be fun to build one day.

I was very surprised to see Hattons at the Show.

This was their first over seas train show and with
a very impressive range of models.

And layout.  I cant deny have a soft spot for British Trains.

Northlandz ( under new management) had a large display and
might need to be visited one of these days.

This was a O gauge layout for sale.
I didn't ask for a price this was way to big for my house.

Live Steamers clubs shows off some of their very impressive rolling stock

And Engines... This has been a show favorite. Every year there is
another section built and on display.

Here are some of their engines!!

And Finally a small layout from the CogRailway. with a working rack track!!

And Finally here is my Show haul:

A Book on Maine's OOB Trolleys ( a Family Vacation Spot), a Ertl T&F Trevor the traction engine for my brother, 2 New HO Scale T&F Rolling stock to add to the collection, a Micro Mark HO scale truck turner ( more on that in the future!!)  and Finally Bachman's HOn3 Rusty and Blue passenger coach.  Whats not shown is a special box used for holding HO scale engines and cars. I got it to hold the VRR Trains I am building.  

Overall a great day and I cant wait until next year. But until then See ya real Soon!!