Friday, March 26, 2021

Structures for the Tarmuth Layout

Slowley, I am aquiring structures and motive power for the future Tarmuth Layout. The storage tank teeters on clasping with its one side almost rusted out and the storage tank is grimy and full of rust from many years of nelglect.

The tank itself is built from styrene sheet and the details are either frabricated from bits of styrene or from my scrtach box. I don't know which part of construction I like best, the fabercation or the greebling after construction.


Short article by Peter Briggs on the art of greebling

Satisfaction Scale: 4 out 5.

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Blade Runner and Firefox Miniature Effects

Here is another installment to my Blade Runner series. The Firefox segment of the video is equely interesting. Although I find the whole spectrum of special effects facinating what really interests me is the fabrecation end of it.

It is in the Details-a Study

When it comes to the fine details of our model railroads I have come to realize how important it is to focus on one scene at a time. Our layouts should be a series of scenes, each scene telling a story. One way to accomplish this is to focus in on the details that are all around us. Take notes or least take a mental note of those scenes that stand out to you.

It is like sudying a picture in art gallery, you really cannot fully appreciate a work of art until you have fully studyed the subject. Take a look at the first two images on this page and give them a carefull study. Take note of all the details of each scene. List all the details, especially on the first image. And then take note how they all fit into the larger picture.

Sunday, March 21, 2021

Making Buildings from Foamboard

I seem to have come across this page before and I am surprised I didn't index this sooner. The site consists of several pages covering various methods of scratch building structures. Pages have been hosted by the 009.CD2.

Blade Runner 2049 Miniatures

Weta workshop out of New Zealand is the special effects company that did the special effects for movies like King Kong and the Lord of the Rings triology. And as this video makes plain, they also did the special effects for Blade Runner 2049. This video features the miniature mile-high buildings and the LA waste land landscape.

Like I have alluded to before the movie is produced in a pure cinamatic climax of scenes and color.

Saturday, March 20, 2021

Storage Tank #1

Here is another kit-bashed storage tanks which I built sometime ago. It was built by gluing three scotch tape cores together. The piping is from my junk box. While at the office I have had others save tape cores for me for sometime.

I found this tip in Dave Frary's 222 Tips for Building Model Railroad Structures. It is #34 in Kalmbach Books Model Railroad Handbook series. Like anything from Frary, it is must have for any model railroader.

Friday, March 19, 2021

Storage Tank #2

Okay, I really don't know how many fuel stands I have built. This is my second scratch built or should I say kit-bashed storage tank. I build stuff from what I have on hand. The tank is a calculator tape core and I built the stand is built from strip wood. The other bits are from my scrap box.

I don't know what got me started on fuel stands, but I am sure I will find somewhere on my layout to stick them.

Satisfaction Scale: 4 out 5.

Monday, March 15, 2021

A Random Bag of Bits

Recently I came across this bag of various bits, is it random bag of bits or the start of some project? There are more than enough clues. Let us see: there are four equal lengths strip wood. I have used strip wood for bracing for paper and wood structures and I have used strip wood for foundations; if it is the later than this structure is small one. There are the four equally sized pieces of stone embossed paper. Although they seem a bit too large for this purpose could it be for a stone foundation?

Then there are the other pieces of embossed paper, one being a larger specimen. There are several pieces of primed strip wood and small wood slab. A small piece of cardboard, a strip or styrene, two sections of railing, two matching windows, a door, some shutters, a small square of styrene, a small section of plastic cooregated roofing, a windmill kit and what really confuses the hell out of me is the half painted miniature that kind of reminds me of my Uncle Jerry. How he got into mix is the real mystery.

Although I am open for to some of your ideas, the moral of this story is to always add a note to the bag and don’t let leave Uncle Jerry alone at the workbench for any length of time.

Sunday, March 14, 2021

Ponce de Leon

A sailor is brought up with a catch of fish and he posseses the journal of Ponce de León. This mysterious phenomena and the possession of the journal made the king of Spain order three ships to investigate the report of Ponce de Leon having found the fountain or youth.

In serach for the sivler chalices, Jack Sparrow finds Ponce de Leon's ship teetering upon rocky fissure.

Santa María de la Consolación

THe Fountain of Youth where Blackbeard hopes to prolong his life.

All screenshots are from Pirates of Caribbean, on Stranger Tides

Saturday, March 13, 2021

Take a Tour of Adam Savage's Cave!

Adam Savage is a special effects designer that I receive a lot of inspiration from. Take a virtual tour of his workshop. Savage takes you around his shop and shows you his extensive collection of tools and memorabilia. The 17 minute video is worth the watch.

Monday, March 8, 2021

Treasure Map

Shimmer me timbers me buckos. I had the map all along. .

Map to the location to the treasure on Treasure Island

"Fifteen men on a deadmans chest-
Yo-yo-yo and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo-yo-yo and a bottle of rum!"

Saturday, March 6, 2021

Woodland Scenics Details

Over the years I have collected quite a few of these metal detail pieces. I have made posts on a few, but there are many I have not. Most of them still remain unassembled and or unpaited. "So much to do, but so little time to do it."

Woodland Scenics

Scenic Details

part #

Description

201 20 Tombstones
202 Trackside junk
203 Crates, Barrels, and Sacks
204 15 Assorted Skids
205 Assorted Junk Piles (10 castings)
206 Assorted Mailboxes (7 castings)
207 Disc & Tractor (John Deere 1938-1946)
208 Seeder & Tractor (John Deere 1938-1946)
209 Aermotor Windmill
210 Plow, Disc, Horse and Man
211 2 John Deere Tracotor (1929 -1938)
212 3 Fuel Stands
213 Smokehouse
214 3 Outhouses and Man
215 Chicken Coop
216 Tool Shed
217 Service Truck (1914 "Diamond T")
218 Grain Truck (1914 "Diamond T")
219 Ice House
220 Daniels Outfitters
221 Pharmacy
222 Ticket Office
223 Gas Station
224 Doctors Office & Shoe Repair
225 Industrial Junk
226 Cats and Dogs
227 Bare Hunter
228 Motorcycles and Sidecar
229 Steam Engine and Hammer Mil
230 8 Vending Machines
231 Trackside junk
232 Trackside Scale
233 Diesel Fule Facility
234 Bulldozer
235 Motor Grader
236 Track-Type Loader
237 Gazebo
238 Back Hoe-Insley Model "K"
239 Rocky's Tavern
240 Flag Depot
241 Tucker Brothers-Machine Shop
242 Branch Line Water Tank
243 Tank Truck ("Diamond T")
244 Rural Sawmill
245 Flatbed & Tractor ("Diamond T")
246 Hyster Logging Cruiser & Tractor
247 Dump Truck (1.5 ton Federal)
248 Street and Traffic Lights

Friday, March 5, 2021

3 Fuel Stands from Woodland Scenics

Instruction Sheet

I prefer to call them storage tanks, but we will stick to conventions and referr to these metal castings as "fuel stands". I enjoy these small metal kits. The are easy to assemble, paint, weather, and they add a lot of character to a scene.

There is a hose that now I see can be draped about on the wood frame. In the illustration it looks like the wire was attached to the spout and at the time I could not think of an effective way to accomplish this.

Thursday, March 4, 2021

The History of Egger Bahn Model Trains

I have seen a few of these models before. If I am not mistaken, Mini trains reissued a couple of these models a few years back. The Eggaer Bahn brand was a Germn manufactured model train line modeled in HOn30. HOn30 offers thirty inches between the rails and run on n-gauge track. The brand made its deput back in the sixites and they produced a full line of locomotive, rolling stock, track, and scenry pieces.

The Eggaer Bahn story can be found here and if and when I find the page again there is a French article that I will make availalbe. This was my first introduction to the brand and it depicts many different aspects of of brand and is expressed in away that appealed to me.

Monday, March 1, 2021

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.