The Official TB Model Railroading Thread

[Deleted member 92857]

No numbers, just a place to talk model railroading and post pics.

Here's a cool accessory that came with the American flyer trains my brother-in-law gave me. It's a working coal loading station, complete with unopened bags of coal. It's a bit of a time capsule from 1956.

Not my video, but here's how it works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FERkmWJJdo

 

[bassteban]

We got moderately into before kids, still have some N-scale stuff stored away(that needs to change). Also inherited a late-20s Lionel engine and a couple cars. Pics in a week- we're on the road right now

 

[bluesblaster]

who doesnt like a big ol' layout with tunnels and the buildings and the whole thing, makes ya feel like a kid again

 

[The Owl]

LOVE model RR's! Who knows, one day I may re-enter that world.

 

[cfsporn]

If this thread had popped up two or so years ago, I could have had a LOT of fun. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to just watch from the sidelines.

 

[geeza]

Subbed.
All my stuff is HO gauge.

 

[bassteban]

HO works so well- small enough to get a lot in a smallish space, large enough that the weight holds theengine down for good contact, LOTS of stuff available off the rack..

 

[Pilgrim]

Waiting for my buddy Tbird to arrive - you won't believe what he can post.

 

[TBird1958]

Wow, nice!
I really do love trains, both models and the prototype, having the boxes really helps the value of those vintage ones - that's quite a gift, AF isn't always thought of as highly as Lionel, but actually it's harder to find. A buddy of mine owns this shop Invalid Link Removed and he really enjoys the vintage stuff.
I've had HO scale since I was quite young, presently my collection is at around 500-600 pieces (I haven't counted recently!) and is comprised of models period correct for the early 1970's on the Rio Grande railroad in Utah. Along the way I've written some modeling articles for Mainline Modeler and Rail Model Journal, I also worked as an editor for Hundman Publications (Mainline Modeler) for awhile - good fun!

At this point, I spend a few hours a week with the models, I love it, I always have something to show for my time.
We should have a thread at some point, I know there are a number of model railroaders here.


I enjoy taking pics of my work out in the sun, the camera can be pretty unforgiving of your modelwork

Some shots........I posted a few in the other thread, these are from last year, I need to go shoot some more as I've certainly put some models together since then.

This is an EMD SD45 in Demo colors.

This car would carry pallets of cereal, assigned to Kellogg in Battle Creek MI,

Assigned to carry transmissions for Ford

__________________

 

[geeza]

This car would carry pallets of cereal, assigned to Kellogg in Battle Creek MI,

Assigned to carry transmissions for Ford

Very nice! I like northeastern U.S. and any Canadian road names.

 

[Solarmist]

Thanks TBird; you always have cool train pics! Feel free to post more.

I have a box full of 9 engines, about 50 cars, and a bunch of track/switches in N scale (stored from the 80's/90's'). I was going to build a 10' x 3 1/2' layout, but I just don't have the room here. This is a much smaller place than where we used to live.

 

[HeavyDuty]

TBird, small world - I had no idea you were writing for RMJ and MM.

I'm a long-time modeler, most of that time in HO but more recently doing US and UK outline O two rail, even a little P:48. I also have an interest in O scale traction.

 

[TBird1958]

TBird, small world - I had no idea you were writing for RMJ and MM.

I'm a long-time modeler, most of that time in HO but more recently doing US and UK outline O two rail, even a little P:48. I also have an interest in O scale traction.

I used to write a bit, but at that point I wasn't playing in The Nasty Habits and spent a great deal more time with the hobby and not some much bass playing. Now, I need to be commited to playing the bass on a regular weekly schedule just to keep my feeble chops together - so less time for the trains ( shame too, cause I'm slowly working on the garage where they'll get set up again).
Anyway here's a page from Mainline Modeler......
Union Pacific unit train coal gons.

 

[Deleted member 92857]

Hey Tbird, do you do the paint on those cars to make them look dirty and weathered or are they sold that way? They look so real, especially the PRR boxcar and Liquid Carbonic tanker with the rust coming from the dome. Outstanding!

 

[TBird1958]

Hey Tbird, do you do the paint on those cars to make them look dirty and weathered. They look so real, especially the boxcar and tanker with the rust coming from the dome. Outstanding!

Thank you!

That's done with an airbrush, artist's chalk's and artist oil paint - in combination with each other or by themselves depending on what effect is called for. Model railroaders are kind of like bass players in that many of them prefer not to do this to their models.........
I base a lot of my models of prototype photography, the blue and white hopper in this pic from an article was custom painted, the lettering was waterslide decals, most of it done with individual type.........lots of oil paint to simulate a heavily rusted upper surface.

 

[Big Dog Johnson]

T-Bird! That blue and white car is absolutely marvellous!

Life is kind of funny... You meet Master Craftsmen in places You´d never though of. Like this guy i had known for ten years, and it turned out he was a hell of a piano player.

 

[TBird1958]

T-Bird! That blue and white car is absolutely marvellous!

Life is kind of funny... You meet Master Craftsmen in places You´d never though of. Like this guy i had known for ten years, and it turned out he was a hell of a piano player.

Thank you,

I'd actually forgotten about that model, it's tucked away in a box right now - I should take it's pic again before the rainy season starts .........

Here's an old model of a Great Northern boxcar - Originally in Jade Green with a bright red door, by my 1973 average date it had turned quite rusty.

And a nice picture of a tank car -Taken from a an article I wrote for MAINLINE MODELER magazine.

 

[The Owl]

Just got back into it this past December, HO scale, bought an Athearn starter set and went from there. This is my fictitious burgh of Muir Woids PA, still in progress

 

[TBird1958]

I'd forgotten about this thread!
The love of making model trains goes on though.......Here's some more recent examples.

 

[StudioStuntz]

I always thought the cable cars shown all too briefly at the very beginning of the train clip scene (right side of the screen) would be cool to include in a layout: