I've seen a lot of good layouts out there but in a lot of cases I question some of the details.
In any scale and none more so than T, it is very important to keep the tracks and wheels clean. If there
is bad contact because of gunk the trains won't run right.
A few people seem to have forgotten this simple fact and have underpasses, catenary masts and
scenery that comes almost to the track. Big mistake, since we do not as yet have a rail cleaning car or
anything else and all that wonderful stuff gets in the way of a thorough cleaning.
On the IBTW Lines the buttes and stations come off and are easily put back on.
In any scale and none more so than T, it is very important to keep the tracks and wheels clean. If there
is bad contact because of gunk the trains won't run right.
A few people seem to have forgotten this simple fact and have underpasses, catenary masts and
scenery that comes almost to the track. Big mistake, since we do not as yet have a rail cleaning car or
anything else and all that wonderful stuff gets in the way of a thorough cleaning.
On the IBTW Lines the buttes and stations come off and are easily put back on.
| This is where I'll try to show how I did things and some thoughts I have about it all. |
Make two printings of the same seven story
building.
Cut off the elevator shaft, the roof will be
recessed into the building as it should be.
Scribe each bend with a dull knife or blade.
Cut out all horizontal windows on the second
building. (See image.)
building.
Cut off the elevator shaft, the roof will be
recessed into the building as it should be.
Scribe each bend with a dull knife or blade.
Cut out all horizontal windows on the second
building. (See image.)
Some general rules on making paper buildings, cars or airplanes:
Use at least 60 lb paper, the thickness of a business card.
Use a new, sharp #11 Exacto blade. I can use several blades per model. Yeah I buy them by the
hundred.
Reinforce the building with wood or foam core board. This will prevent warping and will give it
strength. It will also help when it's handled ... And it will be handled.
Color all edges with colored pencils, color felt pens etc ... Nothing worse than a white line around a
red tile roof.
Use at least 60 lb paper, the thickness of a business card.
Use a new, sharp #11 Exacto blade. I can use several blades per model. Yeah I buy them by the
hundred.
Reinforce the building with wood or foam core board. This will prevent warping and will give it
strength. It will also help when it's handled ... And it will be handled.
Color all edges with colored pencils, color felt pens etc ... Nothing worse than a white line around a
red tile roof.
Using 1/32 basswood build a spacer; painting it concrete before-hand would have been a good idea.
Glue the second layer on top of the wood. Each wall is applied separately.
Color the top edge, glue a lip all around the inside of the building and glue the roof into it. A two layer roof is sturdier. Weather with
light paint, dilute India ink, or just plain water. Don't warp the paper by using too much.
Glue the second layer on top of the wood. Each wall is applied separately.
Color the top edge, glue a lip all around the inside of the building and glue the roof into it. A two layer roof is sturdier. Weather with
light paint, dilute India ink, or just plain water. Don't warp the paper by using too much.
| HOW I DID IT AND MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. |
I built one elevator shaft as is and glued it
back on the roof, the other I shortened,
build a peaked roof and made a small
building out of it.
back on the roof, the other I shortened,
build a peaked roof and made a small
building out of it.
In addition I made some air
conditioning units (pieces of
wood) and ducts to add
interest.
Roofs are what's most
visible,
conditioning units (pieces of
wood) and ducts to add
interest.
Roofs are what's most
visible,
To finish it off I added some greenery by
using scenic foam and natural moses.
using scenic foam and natural moses.
The first layer is intact, scribed and
already slightly folded.
Not wanting to cut out over 200
windows I only cut the horizontal
pieces (44 of them, that's better.)
The third layer only has the vertical
sections glued on. I reinforced the
building with pieces of wood that
also hold the roof in place, lend
strength and rigidity.
already slightly folded.
Not wanting to cut out over 200
windows I only cut the horizontal
pieces (44 of them, that's better.)
The third layer only has the vertical
sections glued on. I reinforced the
building with pieces of wood that
also hold the roof in place, lend
strength and rigidity.
This is the tallest building Pokara makes. I detailed it by using three layers.
| All four corners are reinforced with 1/4 inch pieces of basswood. This is also what the sunk-in roof rests on. Very sturdy and I defy the thing to warp. |
Later we'll see about making bridges.
| When making models we work with various levels of abstraction. Live steam is the closest to reality we model, with each smaller scale being more and more abstract. When N scale was first introduced it was nothing but a toy which went around a circle of track at about a scale 200 mph. The track itself was bent steel prone to rusting, so were the trucks and couplers. Look where it is now. The same happens for every scale. You turn into a magpie, collecting all kinds of junk that you transform into something magical; a building, tank car or other piece of railroad equipment. T Scale is no different. We forget how thick and tall the rails are. We forget how fast it zips around the track or the fact that we can't automatically couple or uncouple the cars. It is after all a toy as David said. So lets not bemoan the fact that we can't find trucks that are the correct scale, or more variety in our locomotives or rolling stock like other than Japanese prototypes. Look instead at the tremendous amount of things that are already available: train sets, track, buildings, details like people, animals or even boats. It takes years for a manufacturer to develop a new product and represents a major investment. Be patient, the rest will come. |
A Herpa truck
awaiting modification.
See bellow.
awaiting modification.
See bellow.
I started three satellite projects.
Having some left-over Durham's Water Putty from a
Z project I worked on a butte.
What's the SW without saguaros ?
I also started on a Doodlebug.
Having some left-over Durham's Water Putty from a
Z project I worked on a butte.
What's the SW without saguaros ?
I also started on a Doodlebug.
For the butte I simply applied the putty, which is less messy than
plaster, with a tiny trowel and when dry painted it with a wash of burnt
sienna. When that was dry I followed with a light wash or dark brown.
plaster, with a tiny trowel and when dry painted it with a wash of burnt
sienna. When that was dry I followed with a light wash or dark brown.
...<
The little arrow points to a Eishindo
figure so you get an idea of the size.
How ? I got a hold of the machine in
"Honey I Shrank the Kids " and ....
Actually they are made from the tree left
over from an etched brass Z fence,
covered in CA and painted foliage green.
figure so you get an idea of the size.
How ? I got a hold of the machine in
"Honey I Shrank the Kids " and ....
Actually they are made from the tree left
over from an etched brass Z fence,
covered in CA and painted foliage green.
Project Doodlebug.
I am a firm believer in the Industrial Light and Magic's
philosophy of "if you glue on lots of stuff you will
eventually end up with an Imperial Cruiser or the
Millennium Falcon".
Also remember we are dealing with abstracts here.
philosophy of "if you glue on lots of stuff you will
eventually end up with an Imperial Cruiser or the
Millennium Falcon".
Also remember we are dealing with abstracts here.
Step one.
Step two.
I used a styrene channel, little bits of plastic from my junk
drawer and steel etchings and fine brass screen.
I don't know what plastic Eishindo uses but it's impervious
to plastic cement so I used very thin CA.
I also added two of the Eishindo ventilators.
Now comes the painting.
drawer and steel etchings and fine brass screen.
I don't know what plastic Eishindo uses but it's impervious
to plastic cement so I used very thin CA.
I also added two of the Eishindo ventilators.
Now comes the painting.
Well I'm not going into the problems I've had masking the project for spray painting, suffice to say it
didn't turn out too well. The small size of the thing and the oozing of the paint under the tape are but
two of the problems I was plagued with.
I brushed the front end after repeated failures and only applied one inadequate layer to the sides.
All in all I'm reasonably satisfied with how it looks, definitely not a Japanese prototype.
But you know, when it's running you can barely see that fact.
didn't turn out too well. The small size of the thing and the oozing of the paint under the tape are but
two of the problems I was plagued with.
I brushed the front end after repeated failures and only applied one inadequate layer to the sides.
All in all I'm reasonably satisfied with how it looks, definitely not a Japanese prototype.
But you know, when it's running you can barely see that fact.
The butte is finished. Since this
was an experiment on using water
putty and I'm satisfied with the
results I'll continue with the others.
Eventually I'll plant them on the
layout.
was an experiment on using water
putty and I'm satisfied with the
results I'll continue with the others.
Eventually I'll plant them on the
layout.
In case you are wondering, the workshop where
I'm building the layout is unheated, so I don't spend
too much time there in the winter and that is the
reason why I have these satellite projects.
I'm building the layout is unheated, so I don't spend
too much time there in the winter and that is the
reason why I have these satellite projects.
No it's not the same cab as above.
Drilled the pipe ends, painted them steel instead of silver.
Tie downs are thread. Tires are painted, so are the mud
flaps. New tail lights. Painted fuel tanks steel, cab lights
orange and bumpers chrome.
Drilled the pipe ends, painted them steel instead of silver.
Tie downs are thread. Tires are painted, so are the mud
flaps. New tail lights. Painted fuel tanks steel, cab lights
orange and bumpers chrome.
I couldn't just stop there
so I applied another mask
and this time brushed a
darker color on. The paint
bled in the same places as
before. It will do for now.
so I applied another mask
and this time brushed a
darker color on. The paint
bled in the same places as
before. It will do for now.
Possible remedies:
Use a different, more pliable mask. What I used was good ol' blue painter's tape, not the right "scale".
Place the mask a little lower on the car sides, this will give it more purchase and fewer windows to go around.
Say the heck with it and not paint the sides. The roof is easy, the front has four lights and a big window.
Use a different, more pliable mask. What I used was good ol' blue painter's tape, not the right "scale".
Place the mask a little lower on the car sides, this will give it more purchase and fewer windows to go around.
Say the heck with it and not paint the sides. The roof is easy, the front has four lights and a big window.
Comparison shots
with Polar Express
at bottom of page.
with Polar Express
at bottom of page.
These are comparison shots of
the Hallmark 2005 Polar Express
Ornaments.
Click on a thumbnail to see a
larger image.
the Hallmark 2005 Polar Express
Ornaments.
Click on a thumbnail to see a
larger image.
As you can plainly see the Xpress is much too small. The cars
are too short and look more like caricatures or toys than
scaled-down versions of a heavyweight. Being diecast the
details are none too sharp and splicing parts of two cars
together to make a longer one well nigh impossible. As I
mentioned elsewhere the radio range-finder on the roof is way
too big. The 2-8-4 Berkshire could be used in the distance or in
a park setting as an attraction. It's an attractive set in a nice
box, I hope I can resale mine.
are too short and look more like caricatures or toys than
scaled-down versions of a heavyweight. Being diecast the
details are none too sharp and splicing parts of two cars
together to make a longer one well nigh impossible. As I
mentioned elsewhere the radio range-finder on the roof is way
too big. The 2-8-4 Berkshire could be used in the distance or in
a park setting as an attraction. It's an attractive set in a nice
box, I hope I can resale mine.