I found this template or is it a prototype? I am not sure what type of material I want to use. I could use some of the scribed board here. The width of this piece is a scale ten feet in HO. I dug up three matching windows and I will construct a door for the structure. I have multiple options for roof material.
"On the newly exposed face of the pyramid, a series of sixteen characters was pricisely engraved into the smooth stone":
Illustrations from Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol
"'The engrsving is indeed the Masonic cipher. However, the cleartext is meaningless..' 'It must say something.'"
"'It's a grid-based matrix, so I can run the usual - Vigenere, grilles, trellisers and so forth'".'".
Illustrations from Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol
"Although there are a few unsolved cyphers: Phaisto Disk, Dorabella Cypher, the mysterious Voynich Manuscript, this cypher might be broken yet."
Text is from the Lost Symbol, Dan Brown.
When visting this page, please say hello to the thick hombres. This railway is in On30 narrow gauge, that is a O gauge railway that runs on HO gauge or 1/87 track. The scenery is of Mexico and is fabulous, as are the loco's and train cars.
Puerto Borracho Railway Open House
There are also some shorter videos featuring other scenes of this model railroad.
This is the second superstructure for the "four flat cars" (See above) I have completed and the third storage tank I created for this project. I had orignaly created a "metal" constructed storage tank which if you remember, I forgot that the outside dinensions the plastic sheet would increase the overall dimensioins of the tank.Taking the width of the plastic sheet into account I created a second tank. (below)
After seeing someone create an wood storage tank on Pinterest I created my own wooden storage tank. I can use the former on another flat car.
A water tank or whatever?
My Collection of Model Railways Storage Tanks
I found the data sheet for these miniature Bottles and Jars. They are available from Scale Structures.
When searching for this page I came across a mention of Bottles and Jars so I am going to create a "Bottles and Jars" label.
Screenshot from Poldark, a PBS series.
"I penned
It down, until at last it came to be,Manly P. Hall
Data from Dan Browns The Lost Symbol
Ancient Hermetic Adage: As above, so below
Added two contextual links above on 11/08/25 at 1735.
Lst us visit the narrow gauge railways in Java, China and Eritrea with Peter Crook.
This is the third in Peter Crook's series, Narrow Guage Around the World. In this episode: Narrow Gauge Railways in Germany, Poland and Romania.
This the second in Peter Crook's Narrow Gauge Around the World series: "Indian narrow gauge railways, The Nepal railway, Tipong Colliery, Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway, Riga Sugar Mill."
"South Africa (Some preserved steam and SAR) and Australia (Queensland Rail). Part 1 of a series of 7 on narrow gauge railways around the world.", by Peter Crook
This storage tank one will replace the last storage tank I built and this one will fit niecly on the flatcare. This storage tank measures 18w by 28mm H. This one like the last one is built from the contents of a scrap box. With the exception of the weathering all is complete with this unit.
If my maths are correct this tank would hold a scale 880 gallons of liquid. Now that that I have started working on a wood storage tank, this "metal" tank might be replaced.
All I have yet is the gondola sides for the last superstructure.
I took a short break from my storage tank builds and have a Lynton & Barnstaple Railway boxcar from Nine Lines for a quick repair. There was a small gap on the body that needed bending where I use a bit of baking soda and a cyanoacrylate . Next step to give the body and roof a good base coat.,.
I recently received a two dvd Blade Runner set. I have watched both on several occasions and had to add these two classics to my collection. Blade Runner number 1 was, at the time, one of my favorite movies. Imagine a whole new world in the future with people, vehicles, and structures. Blade Runner reminds me of the Sprawl series by William Gibson, namely Mona Lisa Overdrive, Neromancer, and Count Zero.
I built this for a flat car and although it fits it does overhand just a bit over the sides, so I am not going to use it and have built another storage tank with smaller dimensions.
The tank is built from plastic, scraps from my scrap box. It measures 20w by 30mm high. I will make use of the tank somewhere on my layout.
A few decades ago Egger-Bahn were manfacturing a line of products in HOn30 gauge including these charming little train cars. It is ashame these models are no longer available. However there are two places where tiny train cars can still be found. One is Minitrains which sells miniature railroad freight cars. The other is JTs Trains and Stuff. They sell parts for a few small cars. This a a flat car. The small cars, usually at 6 foot, come in packs of two. You will need to provide the wheels and couplers.
The needed hardware for the flat cars is on its way and I have started with the superstructures, the loads or the items to be added to the flat cars.
The "caboose" structure is built from leftover plastic and measures approximately 18w by 30 mm high.
It needs a a piece of iron bar attached to the side of the structure and a rail at the end of the car.
“The Holy Grail neath ancient Roslin Waits.
The blade and chalice guarding o’er gates.
Adorned in masters loving art, She lies.
She rests at least beneath the starry skies stacked.”
The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
The Japanese are some of the finiest modelers, especailly in smaller scales. I salvate when seeing so many cute locomotives whirling around in their small circumference of tracks. There are many small locomotives featured here and in many scales. So many beautiful small piece's of miniature goodness.
These are some badies are there is a whole lot of them. They go Italian Brainrot, amoung other names. Weird, odd, strange, and horrifying to name just a few. I believe they are constructed from PVC plastic.
Nevertheless, I find them quite charming.
I found this model on the last page, page 7, of the Selly line of products. It was their #608 Go Devil Kit and sold for $15.20.It is funny how we come back to things when the time is right. At the time I made this post I don't remember being all that interested in this small flat car when I first saw it.
I am in the lookout for small flat cars with loads since I started my building of the four short fat cars. I realize that it had been offered in HO gauge, but thought it might have converted to HOn30. Well at least I would have the crane gear to transfer to a HOn30 flat car if the body turned out to be too difficult to convert. That got me thinking, if I could come up with enough crane parts I could just fashion my own.
Let us hope this will be the last of its kind.
But then again you never really know, do you?
It sounds like the DirtSpot.7 HOn30 layout is in flux, infact I didn't see any locos on the layout at this time. However, the layout features plenty of structures, many of them scratch built. I do appricate the many signs of dirt and decay where I got more than a few ideas for my own structures.
More on ...
I found this structure on Pinterest and I want to attempt to build it. I have been wanting to start a long term project from mostly card stock. This should keep me entertained for a while.
Jean De Gisors: 1188 - 1220
Marie De Saintt Clair: 1220 - 1266
Greillaum De Gisors: 1266 - 1307
Edouard De Bar: 1307 - 1336
Teame De Bar: 1336 - 1366
Blance D' Evreux: 1366 - 1398
Nicolas Flamet: 1398 - 1418
Rene D' Amjou: 1418 - 1480
Iolande De Bar: 1480 - 1483
Sandro Bollicelli: 1483 - 1510
Lenardo Da Vinci: 1510 - 1519
Connetable De Bourlon: 1519 - 1525
Ferdinand De Gonzague: 1525 - -1575
Louis De Nevers: 1575 - -1595
Robert Fludd: 1595 - 1637
J. Valentin Andrea: 1637 - 1654
Robert Boyle: 1654 - 1691
Isaac Newton: 1691 - 1727
Charles Radclyffe: 1727 - 1746
Charles De Lorraine: 1746 - 1780
Maximilian De Lorraine: 1780 - 1801
Charles Nodier: 1801 - 1844
Victor Hugo: 1844 - 1885
Claude Debussy: 1885 - 1918
Jean Cocteau: 1918 - 1963
The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
I found this tray at a local discount stores. I purchased two of these and thought they might be a great thing for my current projects. All parts are visible and readily accessible.
From left to right: A brass box-cab locomotive under construction, four mini flats (see this post), and a miniature gondola kit, which was found amoung a collection of HO gauge detail parts.
The Indominus Rex stands approximately 50mm tall by 70mm wide and is highly detailed. This specimine is one of three in this new mini Jurassic World collection which includes the Indominus Rex, 'Blue', and a T. Rex. Hopefully I will able to get back to the Dollar Tree and pick up the two miniatures.
"Oh, Indominus wasn't bred. She was designed. She will be fifty feet long when fully grown. Bigger than the T. rex." —Henry Wu
I count four colors being used for its body and the inside of its mouth. It eyes look convincing. Take notice of the very large hind legs. Should I paint its toes the same color as its front claws?
Quote and a textual link add on 10.17.25 @ 3:30 PM.
Screenshot for Star Wars
Assemble has been completed. I still need to prime, paint, and detail the model. The instructions suggest paint consisting of 90% grey and 10% black. I don't see a scale listed anywhere on the box. So in milimeters the transport measures approximatly 75h by 65w. The piece is highly detailed and it will be fun to detail these with dabs of paint.
Even though I took longer to build the model it could have put together in about twenty minutes. For as simple as construction was I am very happy how things worked out. It is as small as it is beautiful.
The build of the Vogon Spaceship as invisioned by the author, was fascinating to watch.
Look at what I have found on Ali Express. They are being offered in 1/64 and 1/43 scales. They are little weird looking. However, they are full of detail. I like their long thin bodies. Is this a new aesthetic? I have seen multiple offerings with miniatures that are tall and very thin. I will be making posts on some of the others I have found.
These models are full of details and are well engineered.
Make sure you know what comes next and watch your assembly sequences during the assembly of your subassemblies.
I just found these signs in an unopen plastic kit. It looks like they are in French, German and English. If I ever get around to addind additional signs to my layout I might remember to make use of some of these.
Here is another picture for future production. These train cars were built in On30 scale whereas my adaptation will be built in HOn30.
I just received four mini-flat cars from ebay today.
I will use these four 6-foot flat cars as a base for the four cars and build my own superstructures.
Here is another one of those weird-ohs collectors cards. I don't remember exactly what these cards came with, but they were included with another werid-oh's product. I will have to do some research into this.
The author of the De Vinci Code, Dan Brown used this poem as code to give the current set of seekers a hint as to where to find the Holy Grail.
"In London lies a knight a Pope interned. His labor's fruit a Holy wrath incurred. You seek the orb that ought to be on his tomb. It speeks Rosy Flesh and seeded womb."
Sometime ago I acquired several of Bandia Star Wars Series of models, including an AT-M6. Although these models can be snapped together I usually use a spot of glue anyway. I have just started the construction of this model using the build instructions illustrations printed on the inside of the box.
"Lumbering armored beasts that are the latest generation in walkers, these transports help the First Order secure their expanding territories."
These some of the titles that were found on Teabing's bookshelf. Are they real books or works of fiction? Let us see.
Many of these titles are controversial and some pander conspiracy theories. However, regardless of their attributes they should make for some good reading.
"Many have made a trade of delusions and false miracles deceiving the stupid mulitude."
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us, O' wretched mortals, open your eyes!."
Leonardo Da Vinci
These cards measure 2.75 by 3.5 inches. This is card #5 "Sling Rave Curvette".
“At last I heard the sounds from beyond those barred plates of sheet iron: the mencing padding and muttering, as of gigantic night things within.
Out of the cellar’s evil blackness they stretched, with shadowy hints of scaly wrists beyond them, and with a waving malignant will guiding their horrible groping.
I had come as a seeker-but now I knew that something was seeking me…”
The Horror in the Museum and Other Revisions, H. P. Lovecraft and others, August Derleth, 1970.
A 245 page paperback novel, featuring 10 short stories. Published by Ballantine Books.
Coming soon...Featuring some of Bill Campbell's incredible characters originally developed over 40 years ago. Weird-o collectable cards are back."
I needed a break from my paperwork so I am started to paint my robot vermin.
Picture of my robot vermin being painted. When I grab a paint brush and a tin of paint this will be my sixth or seventh interation through these sculpts. I usually will use two new colors to paint or touch-up the miniatures at one time and perhaps a third to touch up the miniatures I have already painted.
