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Category: Quick Reviews
Hits: 234

Quick Review: ScaleTrains Kit Classics Havelock Shops Gondola

Released in October 2021, this simple to assemble kit comes in a multitude of paint schemes, representing 2 real and several foobie schemes.  These affordable kits are great for the budget conscious, but also represent a rare prototype assembled by the CB&Q Havelock shops.

According to ScaleTrains website the prototype dates from 1967/1968, built for the CB&Q (Burlington), by their own shop.  When I heard these cars were coming, I jumped on a preorder for the three green BN cars.  Although my era would better be represented by black BN or BNSF cars, I desired odd BN/BNSF gondolas for my layout.

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Category: Freight Projects
Hits: 2008

Lowering an Atlas Pressureaide Hopper Bolster

The only model on the market in HO scale, this model site WAY to high.  You can see it in the coupler pocket.  Theory is that the model was developed for N scale, and upscaled to HO, leaving the deep coupler and tall bolster.

I head about this "issue" on the Modern Freight Cars List, found on Groups.io (...).  This discussion was about lowering the bolster.  Fortunately, with this Atlas release, it's "easy." Follow along.

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Category: Hints and Tips to aid Modeling Projects
Hits: 2601

Contact Cleaner and Dirty Track

This article, is intended for the "clean track" gurus.  My intention here is to say, "Keep it dirty!" Why, read on!  Don't be scared of black buildup.

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Category: Painting Projects
Hits: 1986

Modeling GECX 809

GECX 809, AKA the first ever GE wide cab locomotive (other than the BQ23-7).

This Demo unit spent time showing it's new "wide cab."  This cab never made it to a production locomotive, but still exists as is!  The paint scheme is quite complex, even though it does not look so.

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Category: Scenery
Hits: 2072

Testing a New Road Method

Over the past few months I had been discussing ideas for roads on the Old Town Model Railroad Depot layout with Co-Worker, and modeling friend Donovan.  I contemplated using black sanded grout.  Here's the initial test.

Not every idea we collectively come up with for modeling opportunities, scenes, and improvements to the layout at Old Town Model Railroad Depot come to fruition. Many are reserved for the future, some are simply left as "unfeasible" such as adding a subway under the big city.  Adding/updating roads is one that I've wanted to do since my day one, in November of 2019.

I recently used some tan colored sanded grout, available at Home Depot, Ace Hardware, or Lowes (among others), to add a dirt lot, and dirt embedded rails on my Walthers NMRBO module for 2020.  The texture seemed ok for roughly paved roads in O scale, so I tracked down black colored sanded grout, ironically available from my wife's work, Hobby Lobby.

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Category: Diesel Projects
Hits: 1154

Nose Headlight for a Dash 8-40B

Recently I was asked to build a model of BNSF 577, a blue bonnet Dash 8-40B, with a nose headlight.  The Atlas model used, only came with the high headlight.

Moving headlights seems to be my specialty, but I usually end up having to move a headlight into the nose of an EMD product.  This would be my first GE move on a nose (I've done a move on a rear headlight on an ES44DC before).

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Category: Scenery
Hits: 1228

Walthers Power Pole Ideas

Walthers markets a kit specifically for Power Poles, which are much different than telegraph poles.  These kits are highly customizable, and here you can see I modeled a two pole mounted transformer system.

Selling for $14.98, these poles are very versatile, molded plastic kits.  The can be assembled as a transmission line, single on pole residential transformer, or multi transformer commercial.  Completely customizable, and easy to assemble, they should fir most every era. If you cannot find a well stocked hobby shop, they can be ordered here: Walthers SceneMaster Electric Utility Pole Set

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