Reading Line Diesels

I overlooked this picture when uploading the others.

Reading Railroad Heritage Museum Railfest

This year’s Reading Railroad Heritage Museum Railfest was held on August 11 through the 13 and in addition to the normal historic exhibitions and displays included many off site events. I didn’t attend or participate in any of these events, but I did get plenty of nice photos of the scale layouts and out door equipment displays.

Indoor HO Scale Layout

There were two HO gauge layouts displayed at this year’s show. These images were taken of the “smaller” of the two.

Large Scale Layout (Is it S or O gauge?)

Large (110 foot) Modular HO Gauge Layout

N-Gauge Layout

There were all types of Reading Railroad equipment on the grounds.

Mr. Norrell Speaks and Brings a Young Woman Back to Life

“O Lar! Magnum opus est mihi tuo auxilip. Haec virgo mortua est et familia eius eamad vitam radire vult.”

“O Fairy. I have great need of your help. This virgin is dead and her family wish her to be returned to life.”

The great magician, Mr. Norrell had made the stones of York Cathedral to speak and now through the help of a fairly, he brings Miss Wintertowns back to life.

Chapter 8, A Gentlemen with the Thistle Down Hair, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

On Order from HistroFigs

Qty.	Part Number	Description	Proposed Use
1	SS-7	Double turret monitor, 2" long	Dirorama and war-gaming
1	SS13	Frigate	Dirorama and war-gaming
2	SS11	Brigs	Dirorama and war-gaming
2	F-10a	Goblin, in Morion, with spear/short pike -  20mm tall	Diorama
1	TI-01	Zombies (bag of 20, mixed poses)	To replace carboard tokens that accompanied a board game
1	TI-02	Heroes / Survivors (bag of 6, mixed poses)	To replace carboard tokens that accompanied a board game
1	20-CL	20mm Carden-Loyd Tankette - sculpt by Joe Morschauser	Might be used to face off the above zombies
1	SS-6	Monitor, 1 3/8" long	War-gaming
1	SS-1	Small ironclad, 1 1/4" long	War-gaming

When the Stones of the York Cathedral Spoke

BBC’s Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, TV series

If only these stones could speak; what stories would they tell? Mr. Norrell had done just that, he had made the stones of the York Cathedral speak and stories they had to tell were horrifying.

“Long, long ago (said the voice), five hundred years ago or more on a winter’s day at twilight, a young man entered the church with a young girl with ivy leaves in her hair. There was no one else there but the stones. No one saw him strangle her but the stones. He let her fall dead upon the stones and not one saw but the stones. He was never punished for his sin because there was no witness but the stones. The years went by and whenever the man entered the church and stood among the congregation the stones cried out that this was the man who had murdered the girl, but no one heard us…”

February 1807

Chapter 3, The Stones of York, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke

MVP Minis Plastic Emoji Characters Version 1

I have new mini goal. Collect all six of these emoji miniatures. They stand approximately 2-in. tall. There are size figures in all and future the following characters: ice cream cone, poop, puppy, love smiley, surf smiley, and see-no-evil monkey. Each figure comes with a card that identifies the character and relates their likes and dislikes. They are molded from what I believe is PVC.

Blog Posts and News

I was browsing Ebay the other day and found a metal HO gauge shack with a stove. I purchased the piece and will make my first post on a new series “Found, 10 Structures for Under $10 a piece”. I was surprised to find many of these economical priced models available. I am under no illusion; many of these structures will need some serious, kit-bashing, distressing and detailing to bring them up to par. It ought to be a fun exercise. Although finding structures in other scales and sizes for this price may be a bit of a stretch I may include structures of other scales and sizes.

I am getting bored with my current postings and I thought about getting back to some micro-miniatures posts.

I don’t really want to accumulate any more toys, but I did see two new play-sets recently at a local Dollar Tree. One of the play sets has a decent looking tank and the other with a very nice horse and covered wagon.

In addition, I still need small collection metal zombies to replace the card board ones that came with a board game that I purchased some time ago. These are on order along with a few micro-sized ships for war-gaming.

The Raven King (a popular ballad)

“Not long, not long my father said
Not long shall you be ours
The Raven King knows all too well
Which are the fairest flowers

The priest was all to worldly
Though he prayed and rang his bell
The Raven King three candles lit
The priest said it was well

Her arms were all too feeble
Though she claimed to love me so
The Raven King stretched out his hand
She sighed and let me go

The land is all to shallow
It is painted on the sky
And trembles like the wind-shook rain
When the Raven King goes by

For always and for always
I pray remember me
Upon the moors, beneath the stars
With the King’s wild company”

Chapter 3, The Stones of York, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke

Rainbow Dino’s

Out of three packages of dinosaurs that I have reviewed this collection is my least favorite. They are not the best sculpts, a lot of them will not stand on their own, and their uni-color do them no justice. The fact that there are twenty-five in the bag is one saving grace.

A Host of Characters - The Tiger of San Pedro!

"The Tiger of San Pedro! The whole history of the man came back to Sherlock Holmes in a flash. He had made his name as the most lewd and bloodthirsty tyrant that had ever governed any country with a pretense to civilization. Strong, fearless, and energetic, he had sufficient virtue to enable him to impose his odious vices upon a cowering people for ten or twelve years.

His name was a terror through-all Central America. At the end of that time there was a universal rising against him. But he was as cunning as he was cruel, and at the first whisper of coming trouble he had secretly conveyed his treasures aboard a ship which was manned by devoted adherents. It was an empty palace which was stormed by the insurgents next day.

The dictator, his two children, his secretary, and his wealth had all escaped them. From that moment he had vanished from the world, and his identity had been a frequent subject for comment in the European press."

His Last Bow, Arthur Conan Doyle

HO Gauge Trackside Shanty with Stove

Stewart is a line of products formally of Virnex Industries a division of Guess Enterprises. Virnex Industries was incorporated September 30, 1982 and has since been dissolved. What happened to its line of products is unknown.

Besides this all metal model number 116 there were, besides other trackside details, a few other structures manufactured by Virnex Industries. I might post the other parts that I am aware of at a later date.

Part Num	Description
107	Diesel Oil Storage Tank and Pump House
108	Watchman’s Shanty
117	Crew Shelter
118	Two Story Yard Tower
215	Oil Pumping Station & Shelter

This the first installment in a new series that I am calling ten structures for under ten dollars apiece. I thought I might make the rounds of different materials, sizes, and scales. This one cost me $5.99 and as you can plainly see it is made of white metal.

It looks like it will be fun to build, in that the door is engineered to open and close and I will need to drill a small hole for the stove pipe.

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“#116 HO Trackside Shanty Assembly Instructions
Smooth and finish all casting to your satisfaction.

Drill a 3/32 hole, 1/8 deep in top of stove. Cement in place with stove door facing shanty door.

Stand wall and door on the floor, put roof in place and check door to see that it swings freely, filing if necessary. Insert smoke pipe thru roof into hole on top of stove, cementing in place.

Paint to suit color scene of your layout. Colors commonly used are brown, gray or white with black or brown roof, black stove.”

Stewart Products
P.O. Box 613
Lake Delton, WI 53940

Dino World

This rack packaged collection includes nine different hand-painted, plastic, dinosaurs with a surprising amount of molded detail. Some of the included species are rarely seen in this type of packaging.

The largest in the package stands about 1-1/2 inches tall.

Professor Moriarty-A Host of Characters

“A touch! A distinct touch!” cried Holmes. “You are developing a certain unexpected vein of pawky humor, Watson, against which I must learn to guard myself. But in calling Moriarty a criminal you are uttering libel in the eyes of the law—and there lie the glory and the wonder of it! The greatest schemer of all time, the organizer of every deviltry, the controlling brain of the underworld, a brain which might have made or marred the destiny of nations—that’s the man! But so aloof is he from general suspicion, so immune from criticism, so admirable in his management and self-effacement, that for those very words that you have uttered he could hale you to a court and emerge with your year’s pension as a solarium for his wounded character. Is he not the celebrated author of The Dynamics of an Asteroid, a book which ascends to such rarefied heights of pure mathematics that it is said that there was no man in the scientific press capable of criticizing it? Is this a man to traduce? Foul-mouthed doctor and slandered professor—such would be your respective roles! That’s genius, Watson. But if I am spared by lesser men, our day will surely come.”

The Valley of Fear, Arthur Conan Doyle

Miniature Stegosaurus

Fossil Excavation Kit

The miniature Stegosaurus, made from a dense plastic, stands approximately one inch tall. It came encased in a plaster egg. The package included two excavation tools that were supposed to allow you to dig through the plaster. I resorted to using a knife. I found the three Stegosaurus bones and once I cleaned the three components and I was able to snap the Stegosaurus together. The package also came with a black display stand in which the specimen snaps into. I found that a drop or two of super glue kept the miniature in place on its platform.

Mini Stegosaurus Ready for Display

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Edited text and added contextual link at 11:12 AM on 11.1.25