Long week...

Work sucks... It's a fact. Of course, it helps pay the bills and buy new stuff, but it still sucks...

I didn't get a single model railroad thing done on my bench this week. In fact, it's pretty much a mess from when I finished the stockcar and bridge. So Saturdays project will be to clean it off of the garbage and get it ready for the next job.

And while I'm at it, I hit up my local shop and ordered materials for hand laying track. I've decided that it's time to get off my duff and get *something* built. So I'm going to start work on my HOn30 layout. The first part will be the docks at San Ramon. The plan is still in process, so I'll post it up when finished. But I'll probably wing it as I go...

Most of the reason I'm going to hand lay the track is cost. I got 100 feet or rail, ties, joiners, gauges and what not for about $100. If I had ordered the same amount of Peco track, I'd get a siding that that would be about it. I'm going to use Micro Engineering wood ties with a PC board tie about every 10th or 15th spot, to keep the track in gauge. Don't worry, you'll all get to see me screw up in living color!! :-) But I'm looking forward to it. I've sratchbuilt cars for the layout, how about the track? Why not! That's the other part of the reason, for the fun of it. I plan to start working on the port in a couple of weeks.

Here's a little idea for what I want to do...

More coming later...

Some finishes...

Okay, here we go...

Got a couple of projects done this week...

The stockcar is painted and waiting for it's number and some weathering..

It's join the growing roster now. Next up will be a sugar cane car. That one is gonna be a cast car. I need more that 1. 

Also got the bridge painted... 

The photo is blown out because of the black on the white table top. I'm going to use this for a diorama I think. Gotta look and see what I have for materials.... 

Finished the stock car last night after work...

Now it's off to the paint shop. I'm using Micro Trains 1015 couplers and some N scale trucks I have floating around. 

Here's a family album of some of my rolling stock. The boxcar in the back is a 36 footer based on a ICRA design. The stock car in in the middle and a scratch built gondola is to the right. The floor will be either a steel reefer or boxcar. The material in the center beam is lead for weight. I want a few reefers and boxcars, so I'm working on masters to make resin copies. If I have extras, I can make them available if anyone is interested.. 

New HOn30 car...

A new car for my HOn30 line, the Ferrocarril de Tropico, is a stock car. I'm following roughly an article written by Al Turner from the Feb 1987 Model Railroader on scratchbuilding narrow guage cars. Good article for someone interested in trying they're hand at this.

I used HO 2' x 6' strips across the car and then I'll cut the door way open. I'm using the Grandt Line stock car detail set for the doors and other stuff, along with a pile of Tichy details. More pictures as I go along.

Also, the bridge is in the paint shop. I'll have photos when it's done..