Model railroad layouts plans

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.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if you want to join in with the fun, the Beginner’s Guide is here

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

Don’s been in touch with his HO scale coal dump:

“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:

(It’s in the middle of this post: Model train foam mountain.

And then there is Charles who scratch built a coal dump pit:

Now on to Bob.

You may remember he recently sent in this wiring ‘how-to’.

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.

And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if you want to take that magical first step.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

PPS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.

Andrew has been in touch with his Union Pacific N scale:

“Hi all

Well it broke my heart but I had to take down my 00 gauge layout as my grandson will require a bed space in the spare room so needs must as they say.

I convinced the better half that I could have the bottom bit of the room for an N gauge layout, after a wealth of info trawling on the net for ideas, I found something I liked.

It’s called Union Pacific Silver Creek Diversion, but the idea was there so I am taking some of it but using my ideas as well and I’m calling it the Moultainus Pass after my surname Moult.

I’m not putting a turntable in, that will be farm land and it will be an up and down line as well.

So this is where I started and am currently, I am quite happy at how the expanding foam embankments went. I have now started the farm scenery with a mixture of scatter grass and static grass and earth.

Here are my pics from start to current state.

Any comments please feel free to pass them across.

Thank you

Andrew”

Do you know, I think there’s only one thing I enjoy more than an update – and that’s seeing a layout born from the very first step. So a big thanks to Andrew.

It also reminded me of Dean’s post: Union pacific N scale.

Now on to something I’ve been mulling over for a while. It’s Fred who brought it up again. Have a read:

“Al –

In the last week or two, since Jon Rousch appeared on your site, I tracked him down (with difficulty) and have been corresponding by email. We have discovered that in addition to N Scale railroad modeling, we were once avid RC aircraft modelers, we both own and ride heavy motorcycles, and we are both pilots. John and I have traded a lot of notes, potentially opening up some avenues of discussion that will be useful for two guys who have a lot in common.

I remember a few years back you expressed your concern to me about privacy, names, email addresses and the like, but I do think that compared to some of the absolutely insane revelations that are being made and discovered on Facebook, Alastair Lee’s group of mostly old men with a passion for models is very tame by comparison and could actually serve your readership better if opened up a bit.

While you’ve suggested that some of us are “men of few words,” which in my case is probably true, I think it’s because it takes a lot of time to explain what we submit to you every six months or so. If, on the other hand, the conversation were kept specific and allowed to focus between interested parties, it might be more useful.

It would require some thinking to figure out how to benefit yourself and your site and not cut you out of the loop as host, but there are plenty of websites that seem to do this, and I think you actually might increase the website’s traffic quite a lot, and attract other modelers from around the world.

Anyway, just a thought.

Fred”

Well, any thoughts or ideas on this would be appreciated. Let’s see what we come up with. Even just yesterday Jim offered his help to those eager to learn.

Now on to Hall of Fame member, Dave:

“Hi Alistair I started making a fun video yesterday as with all the rain we have been getting it was something to keep me indoors, then later in the day the post delivered the new block I was waiting for to work those signals automatically.

Bit of a long story, it was the same block as before, but after connecting up (and sending e mail to supplier not correct one ) it worked, as shown I had diagrams of 2 different ones but with same part number a bit confusing …so cut the story short , the first one must have been faulty, so double video on here, the result for the signals and a fun video…

Regards

Dave”

Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

That’s all for today folks.

A big thanks to Andrew for sharing his Union Pacific N scale, and to Dave. And please do leave a comment below if you agree with Fred. Let’s see what we can sort out.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if you want to stop dreaming and start doing.

Best

Al

PS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.

Need buildings for your layout? Have a look at the Silly Discount bundle.