More "Boxed" Signs

Signs printed on the bottom of this Con-Cor kit box.

"Boxed" Signs

My first post of 2025.I hope you had a great holiday season.

Back in the day kit boxes were decorated with signs for your layout. Con-cor was a good source of these signs. Other manufacturers included an insert with a selection of signs.I am thinking POLA here. Many of the signs in my collection are from these sources.

Railroad Crossing Signs and Others

I found these signs on a the back of an old Con Core model railroad kits.

Here are a few of those signs. The poles are from Blair Line Signs:

The railroad crossing signs were the most challenging to cut out and I didn't have the best of luck with all of them. The ones I had the most trouble with were distressed and weathered to represent wear and tear and a bit of abuse.

These signs were typically made from metal and unless kept up with would start to deteriate as these seem to be.

I added these two stop signs to keep my model people safe.

Here a sample sign the nice people at Blair Line laid on me. Since I do have a few horse and carriages I might want to make use of this one.

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Typical Installtion as indicated on the back of extra polls from Blair Line Signs.

Where is my Height Gauge?

Material list for that coupler installation:

Drill & #51 drill bit
Pin Vise & 2-56 tap
2-2-56 screws
KD HO coupler height gauge
A section of HO gauge track for testing height of coupler

Where is my height gauge? Drats! It is not where I thought it was. I really do need to get organized...

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HO Gauge Old Timer Wood Chip & Scrap Car #1501

I have made a few related posts about the these 3 in 1 kits. I recently found this instruction sheet. On one side MDC illustrates the basic construction, while the reverse includes additional notes on using the supplied parts for kit-bashing.

It is ashame that I didn't become aware of these 3 in 1 kits sooner. Many were "out of print" by the time I became aware of them.

Franklin & South Manchester Railroad Revisited

Where did I first hear about the Franklin & South Manchester railway. Was it Model Railroader or Railroad Model Craftsman magazine? Whereever my first exposure came from I was blown-away with George Sellios model railway. Par excellence; the Franklin & South Manchester sets the standard for all who will follow. The site offers dozens of beautiful images depicting many the railways scenes and details.

The Tarmuth Layout

Back in November of last year I made a post consiting of a quote from The Scar by China Mieville. The quote described the port of Tarmuth. "The town is full of industrial yards and sidings." There really wasn't al that much of a decription of the town .so I have been trying to envision the town.

Recently I watched Gatsby by Werner Brothers and caught a scene in the movie that made me think about Tarmuth. Its hustle and bustle. Its industry and bleak environment. Its rawness, its dirt, and grime. You just need to believe that the shipyards and building slipways are there somewhere.

Gatsby, Werner Brothers, 2013.

A Bag of Metal HO Scale Details

I just received my order from eBay; a bag of random metal HO scale detail parts. I have no idea if they were hand-casted, but they do have the look as being retrograde detail parts.

There are to my count, thirteen figures, both male and female, fourteen platform seats, a few architectural pieces, a shovel, barrel, cast-iron stove, ETC. There are a few parts that have perked my curiosity. They seem to be parts for a small flatcar of some sort.

Model Train Directories

O-Scale Directory

You might find this O gauge directory useful.

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Model Railroad Locomotives & Rolling Stock Kits

You will find resources for multiple scales in this directory.

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009

Another directory. This one specializes in 009.That is HO narrow gauge. Narrow gauge trains that run on n-gauge track.

Materials - Balsa Strips

I recently found this pack of 50 balsa slabs on Ebay. These miniature “slabs" measure ¾ wide by 2 inch long and are 1/16 inch thick. They measure 5 foot wide by 14.5 foot long in HO scale. They come neatly and tightly packaged and they cost me $4.43, including postage. Balsa is lite and it takes to distressing well. I will cut these to a scale 1 foot boards and build a few board on board sheds, shacks, or shanties.

Very Fine Screening (Materials)

I wasn’t able to get a better shot of this material, but it has some very fine weave that might suitable for HO gauge window screening or N-gauge chain-link fencing. The five by seven inch bag was used for wedding favors and was left left behind at a wedding I recently attended.

A HO Model Train Layout with Animated Details

I wouldn't say that this layout has thousands of details, but it does have more than few mechanical details and a lot of interior lighting and detail. There are, what sounds to me like German ambience sounds that helps with the overall effect the video clip.

How to Scratch-build a Simple Polystyrene Shack

Part 1

Part 2

Board and Batten Shack

Here is another kit constructed from wood sheet. Unlike the previous post this one probably cost me a few dollars. It included a white metal door and window and roofing material. I added the “office” sign and stove pipe.This one needs a coat of paint on the under-side of the roof.

Free HO Gauge Sample Shack Kit

I don’t remember the source of this kit, but it was a freebie that was thrown in with my order. I must have made a couple of orders from this supplier for I have taken note that I have a duplicate of this kit that still needs to build. Surely, this duplicated will be added to my list of structures for fewer than ten dollars.

It was a very simple kit to construct and was comprised of four wooden panels, a window casting, some very finely detailed door hinges and latch, and materials for the roof. It probably took me no more than twenty minutes from start to finish completing this small kit.

IHC 1/87 Scale Windows

Here is another set of HO scale windows. These like my collection of windows this sprue is molded from polystyrene. This set is from International Hobbies Corporation, are manufactured in Denmark, and are IHC’s #4406, “22 HO Windows, railings, and miscellaneous ornamental parts”. I don’t believe that these castings are still being offered and have most likely gone out of print.

Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland

This time of the year gets me to thinking about model railroading. The Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland railroad is an On30 gauge railroad. The ‘On30’ means that there is thirty inches between the rails, making it a narrow gauge railroad. On30 runs on HO gauge track.

The Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland blog chronicles the authors ten year odyssey of building and then upgrading his whimsical railroad. There are many automated scenes including working geysers, shuddering rock towers and rutting caribou.

Central Valley 1/87 Scale Steps and Ladders

These finely cast polystyrene kit bashing parts come on three sprue that measure approximately 4.5 by 6.5 inches. These steps, railing, and ladders are delicate and care must be taken when removing them from their sprue. Use them for detail parts, kit-bashing or scratch building.

Jib Crane Sprue

Here is that Jib Crane Sprue. Cast from polystyrene and very delicately removed from sprue. I used a sharp hobby knife for the smaller parts.

Jib Crane image from Tichy Trains HO catalog.

Tichy Train HO Details

Tichy Train Group produces many detail parts and structures in O, HO, N, and S gauges all molded in polystyrene. This kit includes two sets of different types of fencing and railing. These include delicately molded picket, board, lumber fences and welded pipe railing.

Another of Tichy Train’s polystyrene kits is there Jib Crane. Jib cranes are used on loading docks where heavy loads must be shifted.

Another delicately molded kit. Includes a length of small-scaled chain for the chain-falls and winch.