Building the Fiddletown Display with Dave Frary

Many years ago when I first got bitten by model train bug I started to collect reference materials. At the time Dave Frary had been building model railways for 30 years. I am thankful that I found these titles eary on. They saved me a lot of time.

Model Railway Books by Dave Frary

1. How to Build Realistic Model Railroad Scenery, 2nd Edition, Dave Frary (There might be a forth edition) “Water-soluble techniques that are quick, easy, and trouble free.” Model Railroad Handbook # 16
2. 222 Tips for Building Model Railroad Structures, Dave Frary “Proven Techniques for Improving Wood, Plastic, Metal, and Plaster kits” Model Railroad Handbook # 34
3. 303 Tips for Detailing Model Railroad Scenery and Structures, Dave Frary and Bob Hayden “Improve the realism of your Buildings and scenery!”

Basic scratch building from card - Simple modern waterside building

A paper building without protrusions is non-starter for me. Without these, the structure is flat and two dimensional. However, if you add some trim around the door or windows you add some interest to the structure. Over all this buildings treatment has created a nice little building.

Another thing you can do with a "paper" building is to stick these toward the back of your layout where their lack of dimension are less likely to be noticed.

Building a FOS Diner

This another HO scale structure from FOS and it looks like one I would like to construct. Jason Jensen shows his build of this structure.

Miniature Oil Tanks for Six Foot Flats, 2 varieties

If my maths are correct this tank can carry approximately 32 gallons of liquid, which in this case is oil. Its diamter is 4.85 foot and its height is 5 foot. I built these miniature tanks to sit on a six foot miniature flat car.

2025 Japanese Narrow Gauge and Light Railway Models Festival

The video is good, but the real reason I uploaded this post was for the picture of the cool storage tank. Watch the video to find out how they are handeled. By the way, I also thought the locomotive was rad.

Puerto Borracho, an On30 Railway

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.

More Superstructure for the Four Min-Flat Cars

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)

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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

Another Storage Tank

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.

Egger - Bahn Mini HOn30 Train Cars

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.

Miniature Master Piece. 2025 Narrow Gauge Festivile in Tokyo Japan

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.

Inspiration Comes from the DirtSpot.7 HOn30 Layout

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 ...

Four Short HOn30 Flat Cars

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.

The Repairshop, Season 4, Episode 29

Watch as a model train, a doll and a ditty box are restored to a pristine condition by a set of restoration artists.

Three HOn30 Mine Cars

Recently, I opened a reference book and found this insert within its pages, it was marking the page I was looking for, but I don't see myself using this instruction sheet as a book mark. I am thinking that I had stuck it in there to flatten it. At any rate, that got me thinking about the other "mine" equipment I had and happened to know where to find it.

The model depicts a Kanawha Mine car, the prototype of one built by the Kanawha Manufacturing Company of Charleston, West Virginia designed haul upto 2 tons of coal.

Having a small narrow gauge model railroad and since it is a narrow gauge the cars are small anyway.I only run small trains with up to six cars, mostly small ones. For normal sized card I usually run three or four cars.

The question arises, will they track well? I will have to build one and see.

OMG I am Salvating!

Japanese modelers make the cutest "Locomotive Critters".

Twenty Diminutive Souls

They are small, that is for sure. I would say they are close to 1/100 scale and they do not have too much in the way of details to their faces and fingers. Well for what they cost I wasn't expecting too much. With a little touch-up paint I can use them to fill in some scene. In the background of a crowd or possibly somewhere in the backgound of my layout.

I know I have been slacking on my posts. I got pretty close to my goal of fifteen posts this month. I haven't been getting any projects completed, although I do have couple on the workbench that are under construction.

Alligator Resin

Cast from resin this little cartoonish looking alligator measures approximately 57 long by 25mm wide.

I have different ideas as to what should be included on my model railroad layout. To add just a hint of whimsy he or is it a she will be added in the swamp on my layout.

Building a Super Detailed Diorama for our Model Railroad Layout!

This 48 minute video is full of good advice and will be well worth your time.

Model Train Making Process

"A 73-year-old Japanese artisan crafting model trains for decades" I am rather envious of this makers shop. It contains a lot of specialized tools and apparatus. Tools of the trade.

Nine Lines 009 Narrow Gauge Kits

Two Nine Lines Narrow Gauge Boxcars, Under Construction.

I purchased three box cars and two gondolas from Nine Lines years ago. The boxcar on the left is almost completed and the one on the right is under way. Unfortunately, they don't seem to be availble anylonger.

They come complete with trucks, wheels, and even a couple of detail parts and they are very easily constructed.