Been awhile..

I'm working on a plan for a fairly large N scale layout in my spare room. I've also been playing with HOn30 plans. One project I wanted to dork around with was a yard tower. Here's the finished, unpainted result..

I'm still working on other projects. Work as settled down schedule wise, so now there is more time to play. 

Been awhile since I did an update...

Couple of things. The weather is getting nice again here, so it's getting time to railfan again..

Some local power sitting in Bakersfield.

I"ve also been doing a little scratchbuilding..

I'm building 5 of these WP outside braced cabooses. Just a little something to keep me out of trouble.

Paint booth update!!!

Okay, time for an update to the booth...  I added a shelf to it which makes it more useful to me. Maybe some of you will find this a good reason to build it!

The shelf is 12" deep and spans the inside of the frame. I used scrap wood that had been cut down for side supports and under the shelf. The shelf itself is 1/2" ply and the back and sides are 1/4" luann ply. 

Here's the back. It makes the duct look better by hiding it. 

Here it is back in it's home, and the paint in place. I may add some boxes to hold the paint for ease of removing them. You could also brace the sides and make drawers and use drawer slides from Home Depot as well. 

Okay, got some paint on the loader.....

Next step is to take it down to the club for mounting. That'll happen later this week.

Also, if your actually reading this, I'm starting a new project...

Welcome to the Los Angeles Junction Railway, Vernon District. This is an N scale project I'm starting this week. It's part of a layout plan I have to fill my train room. The benchwork, 2' x 6', is already finished. So, I started playing around with the track tonight. Look for more photos later..

The loader is finished... Big? Big is not a word...

You can see the conveyor belt in the end of the overhead section. This structure sits on a siding next to the edge of the layout. So, I just modeled the loader instead of the whole facility.

Now that this is done, it's time for a cleanout of the hobby room and moving of benches.

Time for an update..

The FdT is getting some new power!

 'El Bestia" as known to the locals, is about 1/2 finished.. It's the first one. I plan to add at least 1 or 2 more for the line. It rides on an Atlas N scale chassis and will have sound. The huge hump in the back will hold the speaker. I'll post up more as I get it finished.

I'm also working on three more gondolas, as shown.

I started with a Bachmann N scale gondola and scratchbuilt new ends and floor for it. The grabs and steps are hand made and it rides on MDC N scale trucks. The pipe load was something I cobbled together.

Modeling in a different scale..

And now for something completely different....

A little modeling in N scale. This is a loader for a local club on a section I'm helping a friend do. The loader is for a mineral company that loads railroad cars. Since the spur doesn't have enough room for a good sized industy, we're gonna have it off the layout and just the loader on there..

The photos show the walls taped up on the layout and my workbench along with the loading section that goes inside the building.

More to come....

An easy to build airbrush booth...

This was posted on Trainboard awhile back, but I want to also post it here for anyone looking to build a paint booth...

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I've had a couple of requests for info on the paint booth I built for myself. So, here goes. First....

***DISCLAIMER***

This booth is for use with water based paints only! DO NOT USE SOLVENTS!! Things, possibly including you, may go boom. Very bad. Also, there is some 120 volt wiring involved. If you do not like this, don't try it. Ask someone who can to do it for you. Use these plans and instructions at your own risk. Blogspot and myself take no responsibility!

*** END DISCLAIMER ***

Okay, first the plan...

Although I used 1/4" Luann plywood for construction, you can use something else. I would suggest 1/2" for the base and back, maybe even the top. Luckly, pretty much every Home Depot and Lowes carries 2'x4' sheets of ply that will fit in just about any car so you can get it home. You'll need 2 sheets.

Second, you'll need the fan. I used a NuTone Basic bathroom fan, model 695, Home Depot # 127-767 for $29.93. This is not a sealed unit, so no solvent paints in it. I've had no problems with PollyScale and Modelflex paints. It's a little loud, but not bad. You can get quieter fans for more $$$. That's up to you.

Third, you'll need some 1/2" and 1" square wood for bracing and to hold the filter. Either rip you own, or you can get small hardwood in most of the Millworks sections of the big box stores.

You'll also need a filter (10"x20"), cheap electrical cord, dryer ducting (flexible is better), duct tape, some small metal tabs to hold the filter, nails, some bolts, nuts and glue.

So here's the cool part. You can build this wider or smaller if you want. But basically, we want a box shape. The recessed top can have a small, under counter light added to it. Cut the plywood to size. the base and back are 18" x 24", the sides 18" square before you trim them. Cut the hole in the back for the fan, leaving enough room for the base and the filter supports. The top is scrap. Attach the square stock to the base sides and back with glue and finishing nails, flush with the edge. Attach the sides and back when dry, then add square stock to the corners for bracing. Also add bracing for the top as well. You can add the stock for the filter. Just lay the filter inside and cut the wood to fit. Attach the tabs to hold the filter.

Now to wire the fan. Instructions are included with the unit. I used a common extention cord and cut off the outlet end and wired that in. You can use wire nuts, but I prefer to solder and tape up the connections to insure they stay connected. Test the fan, then place on the back and mark for the mounting holes. Depending on the wood you use, you'll need screws, nuts and washers to hold it in place. Once mounted, run duct tape around the edges to seal it up good.

Place the filter in the booth and lock it down. Attach the dryer vent tube and get it pointing out or hooked up to an outside vent and plug in the fan. You should find good airflow towards the back. You can add, as an option, the carbon filter MicroMark sells for thier booths which should fit. This will help with more filtering. I swap out my filter when it gets clogged up after awhile.

The base mine sits on was made of 1x4's with some plywood shelves. Lots of storage under there! I added a utility strip to the side with a switch to turn on my compressor and fan. The light is seprate. A lazy susan makes it pretty much complete. You could get a couple of plastic tubs to hold the paint for under the booth.

Have fun!

Well, we're getting started..

If you've found this blog, thanks!

What I'm doing is building a fairly large HOn30 layout in my train room. I model in 2 scales, N scale and HOn30. I am a member of a large club that already has an N scale layout, so I decided to build a narrow gruage layout instead of an N one. Nothing like something a little different!

Since I am basing the layout on a Caribbean island, most of the model will be freelanced or based off models from Central and South America. That region has a long history of railroads, both standard and narrow guage. Equipment came from all over as well as home built.

One of the main reasons to model narrow guage is the ammount of room that's not required for the layout. I have a 16' x 11' room. I plan 3 levels, with trains running from the water front to the higher elevations. Trains will be both steam and diesel powered and haul a variety of trains.

Right now, I have several pieces of equipment in various stages of construction. I'm also working on the first sectin of the layout, the main shops area of the FdT. So stay tuned for more pictures and info!