A Modest Update

There's been some home-related stuff going on in the basement and at the moment it's getting cleared out for further work.  The Norfolk Southern layout has been temporarily moved to one corner while that work is happening.

This also has had a domino effect on other things: means my work area has now moved back upstairs and is sharing a space with the computer.  I have about a 2 square foot area so I've taken this time to go back to minimalism, keeping just the essential tools around, and focusing on more micro techniques of model building and such.  I've started assembling a Grandt Koppel kit.

Also visible in this picture is something I don't think I mentioned on the blog before:  I made an adapter to convert On30 passenger trucks into On2.  It's available on shapeways here.

I actually learned how to re-gauge wheels this past year.  A NWSL puller allows wheel sets to be disassembled then re-assembled.  I own a Taig micro lathe which I use to precisely set the new gauge.

Before and after of wheel sets.  I think I over-cut the outer shaft a bit on the right there, but it still works.

If you missed it, Fast Tracks had a Black Friday sale that was basically 20% off everything.  I cashed in on that after 4 years of debating if I should pickup their tools I decided to go for it.  My order arrived from Canada today.  Everything looks like it's machined well.

I just need to watch the DVDs again to brush up on how to use it.  I decided to start with an On30 fixture and ties, through the PointForm and StockAid can be used with code 83 rail for any scale.  I like the available selection of turnouts for HO and I have a big stock of HOn3 track already, so On30 was the one scale I mess around in that I didn't have good resources and accessibility for track in.  Plus it's O scale which lends itself to scratchbuilding.

That reminds me, I scratchbuilt an On2 flatcar a few months back while I was also working on my NS layout but I think I forgot to post pictures of it.  I actually entered it into the monthly modelling contest at Boulder Model Railroad Club.

The entire thing was scratchbuilt "from the ground up".  I used plans from an issue of Narrow Gauge Gazette.  The chassis is styrene, the deck is scribed basswood, the detailed pats are almost all Grandt Line, and the decals are from Mount Blue Model Co.

I went to Maine this past year as well.  I think I forgot to post about that as well (man, I've been slacking).  This post is already too long, so I'll save that for later.