I thought I would send you photos of a recent project. I wanted to have a turntable on my layout which would be available near my shunting layout to turn the switcher engines.
I also needed a work area for car and engine repairs and a place to store idle engines. Adjacent to the shunting layout was my mountain and it looked like prime real estate for the project.
In presentation of my still photos you will see how I recaptured this space.
I installed the turntable after determining that the location of the roundhouse would dictate where is sat.
The problem was that there wasn’t enough room for the roundhouse until I decided to cut through the wall into my workshop.
Once the RH was in place I was able to bring tracks into the turntable. I also needed a WIP (work in place) area for minor repairs.
Looking to the left side you can see a boxcar up on jacks while the work crew replace some damaged wheels using the jib crane that I fabricated out of scraps.
Paul”
A huge thanks to Paul for sharing his HO scale turntable.
I think it’s a fab addition to his layout, and as we know, they are never finished…
I do like seeing how you solve the problems your layouts come up with. Just goes to show, where there’s a will there’s a way.
Ivan’s been back in touch with his model train O scale people.
Last time he was adding people to his carriages (that post is here).
This time he’s added an engineer and fireman.
“Several years ago I purchased a Bachmann Industries Ohio River & Western Passenger Train Set On30 (no longer sold) pulled by a 2-6-0 Mogul steam engine, #12 w/o DCC, to go around our Christmas Tree.
I also run an American Flyer #293 S gauge train set, from my childhood, around the tree. I contacted the Ohio Railroad Historical Society and asked them what engines ran on the OR&W RW line.
The last engine built to run on the line was a 2-6-0 Mogul #16.
The train set was based on the original railway that was a 112 mile long narrow gauge railway, which operated from 1875 till 1931. The train ran in Ohio from Bellaire (east point) to Zanesville (west point near Wheeling, WV).
I ordered a new Bachmann Industries, Inc. “On30” Spectrum 2-6-0 Mogul Steam Locomotive and Tender, Painted Unlettered Black, (DCC Equipped and sound ready).
I installed a plug and play 16-bit Sound Trax Module and purchased a Power Cab to run the system. I attached new letters and the number 16 on my new engine.
In my previous submission, I had installed people in the passenger cars and said I had ordered an O scale Engineer and a Fireman to place in the engine.
In fact, I also ordered ho scale Engineer and a Fireman, to go in my Bachmann B&O ho scale 2-8-2 Light Mikado. By using a variety of craft tweezers, the ho scale Engineer and Fireman, were fairly easily inserted and glued in place.
However, the On30 Mogul was a different challenge. They would not go in through the window, because the boiler is in the way or through the back, because the back is closed off.
I researched on line to figure out how to remove the cab from the Mogul. It is prudent to check a verity of suggestions.
The first suggestion said to take an exacto knife and cut the glue along the base of the cab. Problem is, there is no glue, it is friction fit.
Another bit of information said to lift the cab up and tilt backwards. This was close. I found that the first thing you need to do is to rotate the whistle assembly away from the cab. I did not do this at first, so the cab would not budge.
After the whistle was rotated, I used my pocket knife and inserted it at the base of the cab, wiggled it a little to get a slight raise of the cab then did the same to the other side.
There is an alignment tab on each side. I alternated this procedure several times to raise the cab. The front of the cab fits in a grove on the boiler. Patient, it doesn’t want to move.
There are also a couple of pipes in front of the cab to be careful with.
I apologize for the clarity of the photos; I used my cell phone and an old TV tray to work on.
Engine 4508 is the Bachmann B&O ho scale 2-8-2 Light Mikado.
Engine 4508 has Engineer and Fireman installed through the window and back, no problem.
This is the OR&W Baggage Care with previously installed passengers and luggage.
The OR&W Baggage Care has newly arrived passengers sitting on luggage.
Note the whistle assembly over the front of the cab to be rotated on the Bachmann 2-6-0 Mogul.
With the whistle assembly rotated, the cab can be pried up a little at a time from each side.
This is the right side of the engine, with elevated cab and tab on the bottom of the cab.
With the cab removed, see the grove on the boiler in front of the piping going to the gauge.
Positioning the bent arm on the cab window sill, one foot will extend below the cab and one leg will extend into the area of the boiler and must be ‘amputated’.
After the bodies have been mutilated to fit, a leg and an underarm can be glued and positioned.
Engineer in Place.
Fireman in place.
After the gentlemen are in place, the cab is reinserted into the groove and slid back down in place. This part goes smoothly. If the piping in front of the cab has been moved, slide it back to its original position. Rotate the whistle assembly back into position and you are ready to go.
View from the rear of the engine with OR&W RW employees in place.
Ivan G.
Poca, West Virginia”
It was quite a timely post from Ivan, because not long ago I got this question in from Susan:
“Al,
Your readers are a vast ocean of knowledge and experience. I wonder if it would be possible to ask a question of them and get their input on something.
I have bought sets of HO scale people. Some lots are not painted and are not connected to anything. I would like to hear your readers’ opinions on the best way to paint them. Do they hold the people freehand and paint the tops, let dry, then paint the bottoms? Do they attach a row of people to something (a piece of balsa wood?), and with what, and then paint the lot together?
I know there are probably YouTube videos offering ideas and other websites with suggestions, but somehow I trust your readers and their creative solutions more. I don’t want to get stuck in a method that might be difficult for me when one of your readers could have an alternative that would be better.
The bottom line is, what’s the best way you’ve found to paint HO scale people?
Thanks!”
Please do leave a comment below if you can help Susan.
A big thanks to Ivan for sharing more of his model train O scale people – I think the fireman and engineer add a lot of life to the engine.
“It was nice to see my kit bashing of trestles. Here are two more.
I made a coal dump. That is real coal off Ebay.
The second is short curved trestle at Harpers Ferry with the Susquehanna River. It meets the Potomac River here.
I had a problem with my scenery as shown by the open hole. The Harpers Ferry Station did not cover it. I added a canopy and trees. This is where the B&O crossed the Potomac River
The truss bridges are cut down Atlas kits. The supports for twin track girder bridge are Atlas bridge piers #81.
They are cut horizontally at the slots and then vertically. They are glued and .080 styrene added. Then weathered.
Don”
(Unfortunately this is the only pic of the HO scale coal dump! But the rest are just as impressive.)
I love that Don used real coak in his HO scale coal dump!
Over the years lots of ‘coal’ tips have come in – here are a few more that I could find with a quick look:
Robert’s uses black cinder purchased from a fabric store:
Now he’s helping with something I get mailed a lot on – lihts and LEDs:
“Alastair,
I picked up some dwarf signals at Aliexpress. I got 1o I a pack for $11.04 USD. You get 10 dwarf signals, 10 red LEDs, 10 Green LEDs, and 10 resistors.
Even though you must assemble them, to me they are a good buy. The only problem is that the dwarf signals have no backs. So once I position the LEDs, I use hot glue on the back to secure them.
To finish them I apply liquid tape to the back.
They look good when installed. If any light shines through the backs, a touch of liquid tape solves the problem.
Thanks for hosting this great site.
Bob in Virginia”
A huge thanks to Don for his HO scale coal dump and to Bob too.
Please do keep ’em coming, folks, it’s all getting a bit thin on the ground this end.
