Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad

The Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad was a 2 ft narrow gauge that was founded in 1879 that operated approximately 112 miles of track in Franklin County, Maine. It still runs today as a tourist, railfan railroad.

Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes model Railroad features pages of a HO scale model railroad that depicts scenes of the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes region of the state of Maine. In addition you will also notice the railroad equipment that is geared to Hon30, instead of the 2-foot gauge that is still being used on the tourist line.

Friday, September 23, 2022

X-Raycer-Gas Lands Vehicle #3

Like the last vehicle in this class it is totally automatous. It has a larger surface area and improved solor and battery cells. It can run longer without having to go in hibernation mode. Lastly the lasor includes a power transformer that recycles the beam from the lasor to increase its effectiveness. This allows the lasor to make a series of short blasts faster and increases the power of the lasor by a factor of ten.

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

For Future Development

Grandt Line: GE 23 Ton Box Cab, Diesel/Electric Loco

This locomotive can be built either in standard or narrow guage (HOn3). When I purchased the model I had hopes of converting it to HOn30.

Highway Miniatures: 15 Ton Mack Locomotive

The loco, like the one above is a dummy, that it is unpowered and is meant to be built in standard gauge.

Tsugawa Yokou 14054 Super Mini Size Motorized Chassis TU-16A (N scale)

Up to this point finding mechanisms for these two models has been exasperating. Now, it seems I might have found a mechanism that work for both of them, albeit it might take some careful adjustments and perhaps a few additions to the kits.



Mack 15 Ton Loco Project

It seems that someone has built a railready loco from this kit.

Mack Rail – The Locomotives

Some images of the prototype in use.

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

The Florinian Social Order

“Patrollers were monster in black and silver, from whom one fled as a matter of course, whether one had done wrong or not. ‘May the spirit of the galaxy watch over the squires as they watch over us.’ The Squires were misty and mystical supermen, enormously good, who lived in paradise known as Sark and brooded watchfully and patiently over of the foolish men and woman of Florina.”

The Currents of Space, Isaac Asimov

Upper City Affluence-Lower City Poverty

“Lower City lay like a slumbering noxious monster, its greasy coils hidden by the glittering cover of Upper City. Parts of it probably maintained a shadowy life as produce was brought in and stored for the coming day, but that was not here, not in the slums.”

The Currents of Space, Isaac Asimov

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

A Model T in 1/87 Scale

This was a "small project" and was an all metal kit. I converted it into a pick-up with a few pieces of leftover stripwood. It was a fun small project and took me about a hour to assemble and paint. I am sorry, but I don't remember where I obtained this kit.

Monday, September 12, 2022

1/87 Scale Steam Engine, Vertical and Horizontal Boilers

Here is a small collection of a steam engine and boilers that I have coompleted. As thses have been built sometime ago, I cannot say, with the exception of one model, where they are from.

RioGrande Models Ltd. Stationary Long Boiler. Cast in resin.

Steam boiler has seen its better days and has been loaded on a pallet and has become a collection point for other miscellaneous items.1/87 scale & cast in resin

Back in the day, this steam engine might have supplied power for anyone of many manufacturing concerns. Constructed from a kit of metal parts.

Saturday, September 10, 2022

Necromunda Underhive Scenery

I found another site where the author has assembled a collection of his DIY stuctures and scenery depicting what looks like a post-apocalyptic scene. To add to the ambience, rust and grime has been added affectivly to the structures.

Thursday, September 8, 2022

Weapons of Carnage


I have been waiting for this sprue for a short while. It's componnets look good and there is no flash that I can see. With its manned buggy and motorcycle I will add two more vehicles to my Gas Lands collection and the first three figures.

I look forward to assembling these two models and to see where I can make use of the accompanied accessories.

Easy enough, instruction sheet.

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Star Wars L3-37 Robot

"L3-37, Lando Calrissian's acerbic droid partner in crime, Star Wars’ first woke robot."


The Soul of Solo Is a Droid

Screenshot from Han Solo

First published on 9/7-updated on 9/8.

Monday, September 5, 2022

Homemade Weapons of Carnage

Screenshot from James Bond 007 Moon Raker

The object in the center is screw anchor that might be used on dry wall. The other two objests I have clue as to what they may be. However all three will be repurposed, modifyed, and turned into weapons of carnage. They will be converted into a ray gun, cannon, and a three barrel gatling gun and fitted on my Gas Lands vehicles.

Sunday, September 4, 2022

Reign of Cthulhu Investigator Miniatures

"The Federal government made a strange and secret investigation of certain conditions in the ancient Massachusetts seaport of Innsmouth."

The Shadow Over Innsmout, H. P. Lovecraft

The squade of investigatiors are primed and ready to solve the next Lovecraft mystery. I purchased these miniatures so that I might have something to stand next to a structure once it has been completed. The figures average approximately 38mm tall, that is from the crown of their heads to the bottom of their bases.

It seems the 38mm figures for O-gauge model railroading might just work out, although they do seem to be a bit chunky.

Saturday, September 3, 2022

Two More for the Gaslands

I have two more vehicles destined for the Gas Lands. The are shown here still in their pacackaging. However, at least one of them, the X-Raycer, is being converted for the duty as you read this.

HotWheels X-Raycer, Electrack: HCT52

HotWheels Baja Blazers, Baja Bone Shaker: HCW68

Friday, September 2, 2022

Ghoulish PVC Miniatures

I really dpn't know what to make of the creatures. I thought of tagging them "Petri Dish Creatures" or creatures from the deep or perhaps they are the ghoulish creatures H.P. Lovecraft wrote about in his "The Shadow Over Innsmouth".

"And yet I saw them in a limitless stream—flopping, hopping, croaking, bleating—surging inhumanly through the spectral moonlight in a grotesque, malignant saraband of fantastic nightmare. And some of them had tall tiaras of that nameless whitish-gold metal . . . and some were strangely robed . . . and one, who led the way, was clad in a ghoulishly humped black coat and striped trousers, and had a man’s felt hat perched on the shapeless thing that answered for a head. . . .

I think their predominant colour was a greyish-green, though they had white bellies. They were mostly shiny and slippery, but the ridges of their backs were scaly. Their forms vaguely suggested the anthropoid, while their heads were the heads of fish, with prodigious bulging eyes that never closed. At the sides of their necks were palpitating gills, and their long paws were webbed. They hopped irregularly, sometimes on two legs and sometimes on four. I was somehow glad that they had no more than four limbs. Their croaking, baying voices, clearly used for articulate speech, held all the dark shades of expression which their staring faces lacked."

The Shadow Over Innsmouth, H. P. Lovecraft

Thursday, September 1, 2022

First Encounter (Mottie to Human)

After encountering an alien space craft the crew of MacArthur sent a manned probe to investigate the alien space craft. What they found was totaly unexpected.

“It was a difficult time for the Engineer. The intruder’s entry should have answered questions, but it only raised more. What was it? Big-big headed, symmetrical as an animal, but equipped with its own vehicle like an Engineer or Master.

There had never been a class like this. Would it obey or command? Could the hands be as clumsy as they looked? Mutation, monster, sport? What was it for? Its mouth moves now. It must be speaking in a communication device. That is no help. Even messengers used language.

Engineers were not equipped to make such decisions; Engineers had endless patience.”

The Mote in God’s Eye, Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle.

First Encounters (Human to Mottie-2)

Having been sent to investigate the alien ship midshipmen Whitbread made the following observations:

"The alien wore only its soft brown fur and four thick patches of black hair one in each armpit, and one at the groin. The Motie. It was shorter than the other one, the dead on in the probe. Its color was different: there was no white markings through the brown fur. Its smooth fur was like one of the Doberman pinschers’ Whitbread's mother used to raise, but there was nothing vicious or powerful-looking about the alien.

The face was no more than a sketch, without expression, except for a gentle upward curve of the lipless mouth, a sardonic half smile. Small, flat-footed, smooth-furred, almost featureless."

The Mote in God’s Eye, Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle.