For those who may not have heard, Eric, of Miniatures by Eric, has shutdown his N scale traction line. He is keeping in production the NTP2 Traditional poles that so many N scale traction lovers cannot live without. His shells are sure to be fast movers on eBay, now that they are collector's items.
My first trolley shell other than a Bachmann was one of Eric's generic interurban shells, and it is still one of my favorites. There were quite a few of Eric's shells I would have like to own, but did not get the chance to pick them up. A lot of the kits/ shell/ parts that our niche lives on are taken for granted until they are gone, and are only seen at swap meets and eBay, etc. We need to support the vendors that feed our 600v/ 1200v, etc passions and reward them for taking a chance and making their products available.
Thank again Eric for your wonderful models.
Ted.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Bits and Pieces
Hello All,
As you can tell I never did get to do a follow up on the research that I did following the Worcester and Southbridge line of the Worcester Consolidated through Auburn and on to Charlton. A number of things have happened, most of all timing to get out there. And dealing with my separation from my wife. So things have been a little more important than my modeling. We have parted as friends and we are committed to raising our children together, cooperatively. Now all that's left is the paperwork. ( I really do wish it was as easy as that. It has been a daily struggle; good days and bad days, lately more bad than good, but I do believe that it will get better.)
I was able to do a little bit yesterday on both my Interurban combine and the small two truck freight motor. On the Interurban, I added doors to the ends to finishing them. And I was able to build out the bumpers and floor in the vestibules on the freight motor.
As you can tell I never did get to do a follow up on the research that I did following the Worcester and Southbridge line of the Worcester Consolidated through Auburn and on to Charlton. A number of things have happened, most of all timing to get out there. And dealing with my separation from my wife. So things have been a little more important than my modeling. We have parted as friends and we are committed to raising our children together, cooperatively. Now all that's left is the paperwork. ( I really do wish it was as easy as that. It has been a daily struggle; good days and bad days, lately more bad than good, but I do believe that it will get better.)
I was able to do a little bit yesterday on both my Interurban combine and the small two truck freight motor. On the Interurban, I added doors to the ends to finishing them. And I was able to build out the bumpers and floor in the vestibules on the freight motor.
I
think that the bumper finishes off the dash and hides the drawbar notch
that was cut out to connect the powered car to it's unpowered trailer.
It probably would have helped if they added a small pair of wires to the
assembly, adding the trailer's wheel sets as pickups for the powered car.
As my
overhead on my test layout is kind of down and non-functional, I think I
am going to start adding the scenery, and give the overhead a fresh
start after. But I do need to finish the cars I have started, so maybe
my efforts should go there. It's nice to have options. :-)
Also,
for the heavy electric fans out there a series of really cool electrics
have been published, or will shortly be published to Shapeways (www.shapeways.com). The link is here. All kinds of GE products: E33, E44, E40 and GF6Cs. The link is a must for heavy electric fans and its in N!
Ted.
Monday, February 20, 2012
A Bit of Research
I was able to do a bit of research on the Worcester and Southbridge Street Railway line from in front of my brother-in-law's house on Bryn Mawr Ave. in Auburn MA to Charlton City, MA. This section has always fascinated me because of the amount of original railbed that is still intact. It is relatively easy to follow the trolley line from Bryn Mawr to where it dives into the Dark Brook Reservoir, which was originally called the "Great Cedar Swamp". You can drive through this reservoir on the Massachusetts Turnpike eastbound right before the Auburn exit.
While normally not visible, right now the reservoir is very low and the roadbed is out of the water and can be followed from Bryn Mawr to a road cut separating a peninsular from the shore, and right up the boat launch on West St. in Auburn. From there it is a bit difficult, but it can be found again just over the hill as it crosses Tinker Hill Rd. and then runs down Blanker Street. Blanker Street is the old roadbed.
Blanker Street ends, but the right of way goes off into the woods and reappears as it connects to Rt 20. and goes off to Charlton City, and the Trolley Park that was there until 1927.
The Charlton City car barn was a very handsome structure. This link shows three images: the front after abandonment, the side with the roadbed going toward Charlton center, and the backside of the structure.
Charlton Picturing Change
I am planning on re-tracing this route this weekend to determine where the car barn was and the remains of the private right of way that went to the Overlook Hotel. I'll have more to tell and images to illustrate the story then.
While normally not visible, right now the reservoir is very low and the roadbed is out of the water and can be followed from Bryn Mawr to a road cut separating a peninsular from the shore, and right up the boat launch on West St. in Auburn. From there it is a bit difficult, but it can be found again just over the hill as it crosses Tinker Hill Rd. and then runs down Blanker Street. Blanker Street is the old roadbed.
Blanker Street ends, but the right of way goes off into the woods and reappears as it connects to Rt 20. and goes off to Charlton City, and the Trolley Park that was there until 1927.
The Charlton City car barn was a very handsome structure. This link shows three images: the front after abandonment, the side with the roadbed going toward Charlton center, and the backside of the structure.
Charlton Picturing Change
I am planning on re-tracing this route this weekend to determine where the car barn was and the remains of the private right of way that went to the Overlook Hotel. I'll have more to tell and images to illustrate the story then.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Hi all,
It has been a busy few weeks since the last post. Between home and work not much has been going on. I did spent a bit of it waiting for my new camcorder to enhance the quality of the videos on my YouTube channel, and in turn the audio quality, which had been a problem.
The unit is settled on was the Canon HF M40. It has HD quality video and it is optimized for video not photos so it uses a lower megapixel count on a larger camera chip to allow more light into the camcorder enhancing low light and color saturation in normal conditions. So far it has preformed better than expected. Episode 6 was shot using the new camera, please tell me what you think.
It has been a busy few weeks since the last post. Between home and work not much has been going on. I did spent a bit of it waiting for my new camcorder to enhance the quality of the videos on my YouTube channel, and in turn the audio quality, which had been a problem.
The unit is settled on was the Canon HF M40. It has HD quality video and it is optimized for video not photos so it uses a lower megapixel count on a larger camera chip to allow more light into the camcorder enhancing low light and color saturation in normal conditions. So far it has preformed better than expected. Episode 6 was shot using the new camera, please tell me what you think.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
A little work and thoughts on another project
Hello and welcome to make another project before you finish the last. This seems to be my mode of operation lately, but it will only get worse. The Amherst Train Show is next weekend. And that can only mean more projects. I need to stop thinking up more projects....
As I said in the last post I was waiting for a Bachmann PCC in the mail. Well it came, and now we got something to add to the buy at show list, another Bachmann 60' steel coach. It seems that I was way off in the length, but right on in the width.
It now looks like I am going to need another car to chop down to fit the PCC chassis. The chassis slips nicely inside the car sides and with Brill side frames won't be that bad a steel city car.
Another project I made modest progress on is the wood sided Brill I talked about in Episode 2. The Bachmann Brill shell was modified by removing the steel, riveted sides and replacing them with scribed siding. The rivet detail on the dashers was scraped off leaving a smooth surface, mimicking a single piece of steel. The shell still uses the original clips to hold the shell to the chassis.
The image is a bit dark but the chassis fits as designed and even the people look good. Next stop for this is the shop to grind out the pockets for the motor leads and wire up the poles and hooks for pole reverse.
I am still waiting to find out when the new camcorder I ordered will be here, it's on backorder, ugh! Which explains the delay in the next video. Maybe I will just make another on the old gear so again please bear with the audio. And speaking of the next episode, as the new camcorder is not here, I will wait on the overhead work and give you an overview on the two new shells that GHB has out: a double truck Birney and an extended vestibule version of the same car. The page does not show them but email them and they will help you out. These castings are beautiful and really open up what is available. Between Miniatures by Eric and George at GHB, we are really getting a variety of cars for our railways!
As I said in the last post I was waiting for a Bachmann PCC in the mail. Well it came, and now we got something to add to the buy at show list, another Bachmann 60' steel coach. It seems that I was way off in the length, but right on in the width.
It now looks like I am going to need another car to chop down to fit the PCC chassis. The chassis slips nicely inside the car sides and with Brill side frames won't be that bad a steel city car.
Another project I made modest progress on is the wood sided Brill I talked about in Episode 2. The Bachmann Brill shell was modified by removing the steel, riveted sides and replacing them with scribed siding. The rivet detail on the dashers was scraped off leaving a smooth surface, mimicking a single piece of steel. The shell still uses the original clips to hold the shell to the chassis.
The image is a bit dark but the chassis fits as designed and even the people look good. Next stop for this is the shop to grind out the pockets for the motor leads and wire up the poles and hooks for pole reverse.
I am still waiting to find out when the new camcorder I ordered will be here, it's on backorder, ugh! Which explains the delay in the next video. Maybe I will just make another on the old gear so again please bear with the audio. And speaking of the next episode, as the new camcorder is not here, I will wait on the overhead work and give you an overview on the two new shells that GHB has out: a double truck Birney and an extended vestibule version of the same car. The page does not show them but email them and they will help you out. These castings are beautiful and really open up what is available. Between Miniatures by Eric and George at GHB, we are really getting a variety of cars for our railways!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Well, I have not had much time to work on anything except clean my desk to start working on finishing up some projects.
I have 6 motorized pieces to finish:
One of the new things that I did figure out is that the TM-10 chassis is also a direct replacement by length and bolster placement to match the Overland car. This will allow me one car to practice on before I cut up the 4 car Overland car set that my wife indulged me with for Christmas.
The new PCC should be here tomorrow and then we can see if a Bachmann Steel Combine shell can fit over it. I may end up having to mill it down and the Bachmann Brill side frames will turn it into a nice car.
Make that one number seven in my growing to due list.....
I have 6 motorized pieces to finish:
- Brill ST street car (Model Power, Bandai Powered)
- DT Freight motor (Model Power, Kato Powered)
- DT Freight Motor (Bachmann)
- DT Woodside street car (Bachmann)
- DT Ice car (Bachmann)
- DT Steel Interurban Combine (Bachmann/ Kato)
One of the new things that I did figure out is that the TM-10 chassis is also a direct replacement by length and bolster placement to match the Overland car. This will allow me one car to practice on before I cut up the 4 car Overland car set that my wife indulged me with for Christmas.
The new PCC should be here tomorrow and then we can see if a Bachmann Steel Combine shell can fit over it. I may end up having to mill it down and the Bachmann Brill side frames will turn it into a nice car.
Make that one number seven in my growing to due list.....
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Welcome and whats been happening lately...
Welcome to the companion blog to my YouTube channel. Hopefully, this will be an informative and interesting stream of thought building on topics covered in my videos.
As I stated in Episode 5 on my YouTube channel, I received for Christmas a number of different Japanese N scale power units/ chassis. And in Episode 4, I showed some of the the kitbashing options for the Model Power single truck trolley. It was there that I said that I was going to keep the Model Power/ Roundhouse Overton Baggage car as a freight trailer.
Well, I was just fiddling around with different parts and noticed that the Kato 11-105 power unit is an exact match in width to the Overton car and it is just a bit longer. It literally dropped right in.
All I had to do was place a keeper bar across the ends (a bit of white styrene) and the car was motorized. The tasks to finish the car now include electrical, paint, and rebuilding the lower portion of each end. I need to add knees and a bumper to each end and maybe a fender to protect all the little people...
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