Surprise Brass!

Recently my wife handed me a plaque she had long ago received and no longer needed.  I gleefully accepted, knowing that from this expired token of appreciation would arise...a diorama base!  The surprise came when I found the decorative facing was a rather thick sheet of brass.  Score.  The base is solid wood, not pressboard, and the usable surface is 8-1/4" by 11-1/4".  The brass is a little smaller and will likely be used for weight or who knows what. 

I pried the brass away from the wood with my favorite 5 in 1 tool, then used Goof Off to remove the double-stick tape and residue that had been used to adhere the brass to the wood.  Note the respirator.  I also wore nitrile gloves and disposed of the paper towels I used in a plastic bag where the vapors would be contained.  After drying, a sanding block cleaned from the surfaces what residue remained.  Now I have to decide what scene I will create on the base...someday.

Custom Christmas

Here is last year's (2019) Christmas Tree Train, comprised of custom locomotive and cars.  There were also a few N&W and VGN hoppers interspersed, but the ones pictured here are all custom paint jobs done by others.  I have procured these cars over the last dozen years or so, but the locomotive, matching hopper and caboose were an eBay find from last year.  If you have any information about the 'Rimrock Pine & Western', please let me know.

Revisions Revisited

It is that time of year again, when folks make resolutions.  Last year I made revisions instead, and stated some goals for the railroad.  And how did I do?  Ugh....pretty terrible.  BUT - I'm not upset with the lack of progress.  I thoroughly enjoyed the little modeling I did this last year and hope to do more this year.

So what happened?  A few things seemingly conspired to get in the way of modeling, all of them good.  First, I went back to school.  In the late winter/spring I began Ag classes at Mendocino College.  Pruning, Landscape Maintenance, California Native Plants and Spring Plant ID, almost a full-time load.  This led to the second distraction from the miniature world, a landscape job helping a client rehabilitate his property.  The work is mostly pruning, and entirely what the doctor ordered.

Speaking of the doctor, I dropped my weight below 200 lbs for the first time in at least 20 years.  This is part of a greater effort to lower my blood pressure and improve my overall health.  Great success in this area.  Going back to school in the Fall I took another semester of Plant ID and the Introduction to Horticulture class.  Fewer classes but less stress overall.  In fact, I love the learning and working with plants.  They don't behave like people...

Even so, I still work with people.  I preach and lead worship twice a month in a neighboring town, and that has been a blessing in terms of maintaining a skill set I had laid aside for a time and financially.  From my income preaching and pruning I have been able to put 10% in the plate, 80% in savings and 10% in my spending cash.

On that last point I cringe a little.  Yes, a steady supply of disposable income is great.  But I had set a personal goal last year of spending less and building more, reducing the inventory in my 'Home Hobby Shop'.  Instead, I found all kinds of wonderful things on eBay I never knew I needed.  Truly, I did unearth some treasures, some of which will hopefully make it to this blog as topics this year, but honestly I bought more than I needed and should have walked away sooner.
 
If that last image sounds like a gambling reference, you're spot on, dear reader.  There is an addictive quality to scouring the virtual train show that is eBay for 'deals'.  As Andrew Mellen says, "Its not a deal if you don't need it".  He's right.  To that end, I am resolving to stay away from the 'bay for a year.  If there's a genuine need to purchase something in order to finish a project, perhaps I'll break that resolution, but really, I could build all sorts of models and take the railroad further without having to purchase anything online.  I can think of one thing from Amazon...but that's another post later in the year.

Last year I managed to crank out posts for the first 7 months.  This year I'm going to try for at least a post a month, preferably more.  I have Instagram now, though how much I'll use it remains to be seen.  Despite the fracas surrounding YouTube and COPPA, I hope to also make a few videos, but don't hold your breath (unless you're under water).

Thanks to the few of you who read this blog for sticking with me.  Here's to a thrifty and productive 2020!

The Heart of Model Railroading

This little hut stands in Dollywood theme park at the lower entrance to their "Craftsman's Valley" area.  This winding path climbs a gentle hill past glassblowers, a blacksmith shop, a pottery shop and places to admire or purchase other traditional hand crafts, along with food stands and attractions.  You can right-click on the image and open in a new window to get a much larger view and read the signs.
The upper sign is the one from which this post takes its title and it reads, "IF YOU WORK WITH YOUR HANDS, YOUR MIND AND YOUR HEART.....YOU ARE A CRAFTSMAN".  I think most model builders would readily speak about how they work with their hands to create their miniature worlds and the trains that run through them.  Most would even speak about the thought process behind their modeling.  But for a few, maybe more than I realize, the real core of what motivates them to model is what lives in their heart.
There's a balance in each of us who consider ourselves craftsmen* between hands, head and heart, and that looks different for each.  The technician may focus on the tools and mastery of their use while the historian or operations-guru digs deep into the minutiae behind the model.  But for us model builders who seek to improve our skills, that is, strive to be better craftsmen, I think it is a good idea to examine what is the role of the 'heart' for each of us.  
Somewhere in the creation of each model we build is a moment of imagination, or a scent of memory, or the simple joy of creation that comes from the heart.  I suspect that for some who lose interest in a particular model or facet of the hobby or the hobby itself, there is a point at which the heart is no longer in it.  Or it may be a fear, (a corollary of love that takes up residence in the heart sometimes) perhaps of making a mistake or failing to meet an unrealistic expectation, that stops us.
When I get right down to the heart of the matter (no pun intended), I find personally that I am invigorated by imagination and the story of the scene I'm creating, or the joy of overcoming a challenge or learning a new skill.  My happiest times as a model builder have been when my hands and head and heart have all been working together.  When I read this sign I immediately took a photo and knew it would be the subject of a blog post, because it resonated instantly and deeply within this craftsman's heart.


*I'm not trying to be gender exclusive, but there really isn't a better term in general use.  Craftsperson is awkward and adding 'ship' to the end makes it doubly so.  I get 'Flight Attendants' and 'Servers' instead of 'Stewardesses' and 'Waitresses', but those also have male counterparts as 'Stewards' and 'Waiters'.  'Craftswomen' may be correct as a counterpart, but I've never heard it used.  'Potter', 'Glassblower' and 'Blacksmith', like 'Model Railroader', all function without assigning a gender, so the problem (if there is one) may be in finding an alternative to the general group.  Perhaps this is what the 'Maker' moniker is trying to be?  Leave your thoughts in the comments below on this or the article in general.

Design Intuition

Something just didn't feel right about the eaves of the Fallburgh, er, Pine Branch Park station.  I decided it might need a strip of trim along the joint where the wall meets the overhang.  After a bit of searching I discovered my intuition was correct.  Where board and batten siding meets the roof, on Victorian-era structures, there is indeed a simple trim board, most of the time.

The fancy filagree gets the attention out along the edge of the roof and this kit allows for that with some fine little castings.  But where it is deficient is, interestingly enough, in a rather obvious place.  Or, perhaps, not so obvious.  Maybe that's why it wasn't included, as the designers felt it wouldn't be seen and so decided to save stripwood and the modeler's time by leaving it out.  The definitive, authoritative source (Fallberg's collection of Fiddletown & Copperopolis drawings) shows the station in several scenes but sadly, all portray the structural element in question in deep shadow.  No doubt he'd have drawn it in if it had been necessary, as his attention to architectural detail is impressive in other places.

In these images below the trim is far from complete but enough is in to show the obvious difference.

"Rescue & Restore" Brings a Lost Loco Back to Life

I know there are folks out there who like antiques to look old and decrepit.  I admire the patina of age but WOW this engine looks amazing when this restorer is done with it.  I especially like the paint scheme he chose.  Enjoy!

A Gift Put to Use

I was given a Peco Loco Lift for Christmas.  It is a gift I had asked for, and was very happy to receive.  Here it is being used to remove the Mogul from the main line:

Eventually there may be a staging track abutting the railroad here, but for now the Lift works well.  And, once the staging is in place the Loco Lift will likely still be used for the engines and more delicate rolling stock.

For now, its sole job is to hold this locomotive.  When I bought this Mehano 2-6-0 it came without a box.  I need to make one, ideally before I finish the fine detailing.