Mark’s been in touch with his 4×8 HO scale train layout:
“Dear Alistair,
I love getting your emails and seeing what everyone is doing with their train layouts.
I’ve been waiting quite some time to send this in to you since I keep wanting to get further along before I do but I’ve realized I may never get there as I am always thinking of something I want to add or change.
Anyway, I started into trains as a young boy. My dad had bought me (or him) a Lionel train when I was only a few years old.
When I got old enough that I could afford to buy some things with my allowance, I bought an HO scale train and built my own 4×8 train layout, eventually adding on to that. I worked on that and ran it all through high school and college.
Once out in the working world, and living on my own, the trains sat in boxes waiting for the day when I build another train layout. Although there were occasional purchases of model train magazines to revive my interest, between work, family and life, it just never happened.
Until Covid came. Trapped at home, when not working, I decided to build a diorama for a Walther’s contest. Although I didn’t win anything, I certainly enjoyed it and decided it was time for another layout. I put up a 4×8 HO scale layout in the middle of my home office and went to it.
The story for this 4×8 layout is that it is modeled on the fictional town of Black Swamp in Northwest Ohio, between Toledo and Fort Wayne, Indiana.
This area originally was the black swamp until it was drained in the late 19th century and became very fertile, level farmland. So I have modeled 2 loops with some industrial sidings.
The inner loop is serviced by Detroit, Toledo and Ironton which takes products from Black Swamp up to Toledo and beyond. The outer loop has a 4-6-0 steam locomotive with passenger cars that is run by an area fan club.
Along with the pictures of my HO scale I have sent you, I have sent you pictures of the railroad pass from my first layout. It was western themed. Nobody ever talks about these anymore, but back when I was young (I’m 76 now) trading passes with other model railroaders was another enjoyable aspect of this hobby.
Keep up the great work.
Mark”
4×8 HO scale train layout:
A huge big thank you to Mark for sharing his 4×8 HO scale train layout.
It’s another fine example of how this hobby finds its way back, after decades of ‘rest’.
And who else remembers the cards? Please do leave a comment below if you do.
A Primer of 3D printing – I learned all about 3D printing from our local library. They have a Maker’s Lab there with wonderful people who teach TinkerCad & then 3D print for you @ $1.00 per hour.
Tinkercad (TC) is a program meant to teach young kids how to create things graphically then use a computer file to send to a 3D printer and the printer makes what the person drew with TC.
TC is rudimentary and yet does some powerful Cad things so if you wanted to make an I-phone holder you draw it up, export it to an .STL file and send that file to another program called a slicer, something that the printer requires & interprets, and the 3D printer goes to work making that item.
A 3 step process – draw or download something, slice it, print it.
A 3D printer works by adding molten plastic layer by layer exactly where that slicer program tells it to. An analogy is if you had a tube of toothpaste, with an infinite supply of paste, and you made a circle of paste on the table and exactly made the next layer on top of the other you’d have a circular wall made of paste X layers high. That’s how a 3D printer works only with a paste size of .07 mm and an exact plan location so it can make any shape nicely & smoothly of a material that cools quickly into a hard and strong substance.
There are two types of printers- filament & resin. The filament type takes a spool of plastic line – looks exactly like a hedge trimmer line-melts it, and forces it thru a nozzle unto a plate and builds the work layer by layer.
The resin type has a reservoir of liquid resin that is forced thru a nozzle and similarly builds the work. The resin type requires handling noxious chemicals but can perform more precise work. We will only concentrate on the filament type.
You don’t have to draw in CAD in order to 3D print something. There are a gazzilion items on the net that you can download. Selected items should be in either .stl or .obj format.
If the size and aspects are just right then send it to a slicer program which the printer needs in order to print. The slicer program can be free and if your Library 3D prints you don’t need a 3D printer.
The problem with this is the only mod you can make is to increase or decrease the size by % in the slicer program but that may be all you need. I use Prusa as a slicer program but there are
others.
TC may be useful to some who want to create some things or do some minor mods to .stl files.
If you require precise dimensions best go elsewhere because this simple program will frustrate you. I have created things in S ( 1/64 ) scale that I couldn’t find anywhere and used TC for simple stuff.
An .stl file is similar to a pdf made from a CAD file. It shows all the aspects of the original but you cant manipulate it like you can with CAD. So if you downloaded an .stl file of a wooden pallet from the net, put it in TC, you may modify the outer dimensions, crop a piece of it, add something to it, but you cant change the parts of the item. In many cases this is all you need.
SLICER PROGRAMS
Once you get into these programs you’ll realize what a printer needs in order to produce what you want in quality and speed for your model train prints. It is here that some assistance from an experienced person is helpful. I had my Library folks help out because this process does need tweaking until all is right with settings.
The first premise is that a nozzle must feed filament unto something. If you take the toothpaste analogy and want to extend the wall outward somewhat higher up there is nothing but air below and that paste layer will just fall to the table. The slicer program will put a support where a layer wants to go and thus no air will be under a nozzle. Supports, adhesion, thicknesses, and numerous instruction sets are in the slicer program and it doesn’t take long to learn what has to be done. So an .stl file goes into the slicer cruncher and out comes a gcode file that the printer
needs to function. That’s the process.
PRINTERS
There many brands and this lesson is for filament type only. With some assembly the printer should be placed on a stable platform. Filament should freely come off the spool, area should be free of dust and moisture, lighting adequate, and if noise is an issue then that should be addressed.
I find that the build plate requires the most attention, extreme care in work removal that is stuck to the plate is required by using non metallic scrapers, and 90% alcohol used to keep the plate
spotless. Once the setup is done only occasional light oiling and keeping the printer clean is all that is needed. The first layer adjustments per the manufacturers instructions is all that is required at first.
Occasionally there will be a nozzle clog, or sometimes poor design of the work, some glitch in the gcode, or an adjustment in the slicer program that creates a crash but the printer in these cases is not at fault. There may be some reconfigurations of the work required and its nice to have some buddies to compare notes.
Just because it all looks good in CAD doesn’t mean it will print well. These are causes for most failures or disappointments in printing.
Only buy from an outfit that will respond to your inquiries and has a good support record with parts & manuals. Chineziem is out.
Model train 3D print:
FILAMENT
I wont go into all the aspects of the varied filament types available here- the net is full of info and the specs. The PLA type is what I use for modeling. One important factor is PLA absorbs moisture and when it does it may not print well so drying it out may be necessary. PLA will melt in a hot car and there are stronger filaments available. Various colors are available and a decent manufacturer is recommended- cheap here is not the best way. Some colors of the same brand may print differently and the special types such as wood based or shiny may require a totally different setting in the slicer program.
CONCLUSION
I have had a grand time playing with TC, designing stuff, planning things that others don’t have, I love S scale and American Flyer and there so few things in that scale so I now can make them. I
firmly believe that without counting my time I‘ve made things cheaper than purchasing, and this has expanded my Hobby. Now I think differently and with a full metal shop, I may 3D it instead.
Making people in S scale is a bear. Resin printing is much better than filament for figures.
You’ll never get facial detail in filament but I will not invest in a resin process because of the ventilation and environment required so people detail will suffer. May have to buy some stuff.
My criteria for 3D CAD is it must be free-forever. I hate cloud based stuff, so I’ve limited my choices and at my age learning new CAD is brutal. I am well versed in a plan called Nano-cad but the 3D is too expensive. FreeCad is torturous- I just cant grasp it.
All serious modelers should think seriously about 3D printing.
George”
A huge big thank you to George for putting this model train 3d print overview together – I thought it would be fitting to show some of the 3D posts too:
George has been keeping himself busy with his 3d printer model railroad files – have a look at what he’s done:
“Greetings to the Commander & Chief.
I hope this finds & yours well.
A back that wont cooperate, the very cold garage, financial restraints and a critical re-alignment in the garage has prevented progress in the construction phase of my layout.
So I've been 3D cadding stuff indoors so that when the construction does begin I have all this stuff ready to go to.
For instance I just completed the Stone Koe-tahje ( cottage) and now it has a gas meter, electric meter, barbeque grille, back steps, and front porch.
Pics below:
So I got this not so bright idea that since I spent a lot of time creating this stuff such as these with a 3D printer:
There are a bunch of them like crates, pallets, junk etc. Some have been taken from the net & you’re supposed to recognize the authors, which I did not, so no one can use them except for their own layout.
These you see are those I created and so are free to do whatever. BTW the crossing signal will function with IR detection & a servo motor all thanks to John Frye (A href=”https://modelrailwaylayoutsplans.com/model-train-ir-detector/”>Model train IR detector) and the oil well works great.
I don’t want to make more work for you- Mr 2-a-day- so I thought a site maybe where we can exchange files would work. I wouldnt know how to do that.
You have been a major factor in my life and only friends can do that so by definition, though I never met you, I consider you a friend.
God bless
George”
A huge big thanks to George – his comments on the posts always have me smiling from ear to ear, so very happy to have George as a friend.
George’s last post was an excellent ‘how to’ on putting a crossing signals together:
That’s all for today folks. Thanks to George and his take on 3d printer model railroad files – I’m sure it’s something we’ll see more and more of over time.
