More T Please

Gonou Gonou... gone

2011-11-26T12:36:00.002-06:00

The deed is done.

As true as my word I've just finished dismantling Gonou.

Everything on the layout was saved. The petrol station, the lighthouse, the bridges, the entire lot.

The task only took about half an hour and in that time I managed to strip the layout all the way down to the cork noticeboard base. The layout has stripped down pretty cleanly so perhaps the base can be used on the sucessor layout.

Where to next?

Watch this space.

Deflated

2011-11-18T12:39:00.001-06:00

(posted from small model railways)
Here today in the USA its National take a model train to work day. The organisers bill it as a great chance to spread to word about this great hobby. A great idea. When you consider that computer gaming is all the rage. A down to earth low tech hands on presentation of the hobby seems like a great idea.
Until you get ridiculed at work.
Like me.
I though people were better than that. I could take it when I was a kid at school. You know kids don't care what they do or say. But in this world of mature responsible adults, especially here in the USA where political correctness and respect for all is preached from all angles of society. To be greeted with derisive laughter is kind of upsetting. Deflating to say the least. It definitely bothers me otherwise I wouldn't be posting this.
I was really on a good high with the hobby after the success last weekends Granite City Train show so this idiots reaction is doubly painful.
I might just take a break for a while...
Still it is only one idiot.
But still...
I don't know...

Granite City Train Show with video

2011-11-13T19:46:00.002-06:00

Once again I return stoked and inspired, full of enthusiasm for T scale. The Granite City Train show seems to do that for me. The trains ran perfectly.

Incredibly so.

A few days before the show I had cleaned the track and coated the rails with the Energizer/Stabilizer pen available from TrainAidsA. If you have not bough one of these yet. Do so. Especially if you are running the regular battery pack. The improvement in performance is marked. On previous trips to the show I had been cleaning the track pretty much every hour to 90 minutes or so and went through up to four sets of trains, the wheels would get so dirty. However with the rails and wheels given a coating from the magic pen, I never cleaned the track. This is amazing for I even clean the rails on my HO scale and Gn15 layouts during shows in the past. My Z scale layout was alongside Gonou and I had to clean sections of that during the show more so as the day went on. The trains themselves ran so much better too. I only used two units during the show. My KiHa 47/48 and a CCE models RDC railcar on an unmodified KiHa chassis. Incredible.

So for those of you who've never seen Gonou in the flesh, so to speak enjoy these videos, shot on my iPhone at the show .

So what now for the future? Gonou has been seen three or four times locally so I think its time for a change. Something new. What will that be?

I don't know.

You'll just have to keep watching the blog. One thing is for sure it's not going away just yet.

Tested

2011-10-30T21:16:00.003-05:00

This weekend Gonou was tested. The track was cleaned and given a coating from the magic electroconductive pen and trains were run.

Perfectly.

KiHa 40, 47/48 and Hankyu all ran fine. Which surprised me as the 47/48 and Hankyu were on their last legs at the Easter show with dirt on the track and wheels. The electro-magic pen must work.

So I'm looking forward to more amazed comments from show goers on November 12th. If you read this blog and come along say "Hi".

"T" minus 35 and counting

2011-10-08T16:55:00.002-05:00

Days to the Granite City Train show that is. I received a new railcar set from Train Aids A today. The KiHa 47/48 two car train. Very nice it is too. Basically it looks to be a two car version of the KiHa 40 single car unit that I already have. It's the kind of train that is perfect for the Gonou locale. Having spent some time working on my 1:1,000 scale Nano trains I can at last say that this stuff looks BIG!

The other item I received was the energizer/stabilizer pen. Sounds very high tec doesn't it. What it is is a dispenser containing some kind of electrically conductive fluid that you put on the rails and the wheels of your trains to improve performance. Those who have used it have spoken quite highly of it. Running trains in a dusty exhibition hall takes its toll on the running quality of the stock so any trick I can use to improve performance I'll take.

So clean the track spread on the magic fluid and I'm good to go.

Wanna see the show?

2011-09-29T21:02:00.002-05:00

The Granite City train show is coming up soon I think I'll get Gonou out again and show it off. People like it.

So if you're in Minnesota and want to go to a good train show you can't do any better than this one. See you there.

Rumours of my demise...

2011-08-04T19:41:00.002-05:00

... are greatly exaggerated as the quote goes.

I'm not dead, or like the Norwegian Blue* just resting. I'm still modelling, just not in T. Plus its summer and no self respecting person would shut himself in the basement and model unless the temperatures felt like 115 degrees. Which it did a couple of times.

I've passed through the T scale world every now and again and came across this posting from David K Smith on his blog. Very disappointing news if it turns out to be true. There is a lot of very exciting stuff out there. I guess things will remain available for a while. But new things? It doesn't look good. I was feeling quite depressed.

Then I saw this, another David K Smith tiny project. Moving cars in T? This is fantastic! This kind of fires me up again. I feel the need to build a small layout with a train and moving roadway on it. I've ordered a couple of kits of parts to see what I can do with it. I have plenty of road vehicles to try it out on.

What will happen?

We'll see...

*Dead Parrot sketch - Monty Python

Adding to the display

2011-03-15T08:24:00.001-05:00

I shall be adding a new layout to My T scale display in the near future you can read about it here where I explain a bit about the history and reasoning behind it.

Grain elevator comes along some more

2011-02-27T18:48:00.003-06:00

Bit of a progress update on the Grain Elevator Project. The model has been painted, though the weathering spray is a little bit over scale. The pipework adds some character to the model.

Some inspiration

2011-02-14T13:53:00.002-06:00

Something a little special. Not Model Railroad related mind you. But inspirational nonetheless.

Whilst away in Red Wing this weekend I was browsing in a secondhand book shop and I spied this Chinese Cork picture on one of the shelves.

I was immediately captivated by it. It is no more than 3 1/2 inches wide but is incredibly detailed. Just look at the tiling and the latticework on the pagoda, the leaves on the trees.

It's amazing to think that this was all carved by hand out of cork.
What can I tell you about cork pictures?

Very little really. There is almost no information about the art on the internet. All I can tell you is that the elements in the scene. The trees, the cranes, and the pagoda shelter are all standard elements of the art. They eminate from the Fujian region of SE China and seemed to have started in the early 1900's and that's about it. So if anyone knows anymore I'm all ears.

What I do know is that I find it very inspiring to think someone did this by hand. Perhaps when I'm struggling with some T scale items I'll look at this and be spurred on.

Research Pictures

2011-02-13T18:07:00.002-06:00

Safely returned from Red Wing. Here are some pictures of the Grain elevator. Though I found plenty of pictures on the internet that got me started on constructing the model. It was very useful to see the real thing. I discovered quite a bit that I couldn't see from the photographs, but I could also see that it didn't really matter if I missed them out or not. There are a lot more windows on the structure than I could see in the photos. As I plan on adding the windows as decals after I've finished painting I don't have to fret about cutting them out now.

This picture above clearly shows how much narrower my head tower needs to be compared to the prototype.
It clearly would be folly of the highest order to try and get all that detail in the cyclones shown here in T scale but there is no reason why I can't recreate them somehow with a selection of styrene rods and tubing and strip with a little bit of filler and some filing here and there.
There's several nice long down pipes there worth modelling and there is a part of me that wants to recreate those tall folding doors...

Site report

2011-02-12T19:08:00.002-06:00

Courtesy of a weekend away. I am writing this entry from a hotel in Red Wing, MN not too far from the site of the subject of my current structure modelling project, the grain elevator. Having looked at it and photographed it I have quickly come to the decision that the head house tower is too fat. It needs to be thinner. Not by much, but it is obvious to me that the proportions are wrong. Other than that things look pretty good. Got to see some angles that I haven't seen from the photos I have purloined from the Internet. I have Monday off work so I'm looking forward to finishing the model off.

Hop(per) to it

2011-02-03T20:39:00.002-06:00

So, there I was, quietly contemplating a T scale model of Super Target in Rogers, MN when a totally unrelated discussion about graffiti on railroad cars reminded me about the well known, (well to Minnesota railfans anyway) Gondola car that plies its trade in unit trains between the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and the power stations of the Midwest. Lionel are even producing one in O scale. I shared this news with members of the outstate Minnesota Rail group on Yahoo and the upshot of this is that a good friend of mine Jim Ramnes suggested that I make one in T scale. Even going so far as to provide drawings of the Bethgon Coalporter.

I don't know about you, but I took that as a challenge. So, in a quiet moment this afternoon I sized up the drawing for a T scale model. It works out at 32mm long x 8.5mm high, quite doable, methinks.

The Whale paintjob however might be another issue...

Just popping down to Target

2011-02-02T12:39:00.003-06:00

This post from David K Smith on his Z scale blog has always stuck in my memory. About using the internet for model railroading purposes. So last night whilst mulling over a new structure modelling project, once again this post jumped into my mind. So I opened up Google Earth and Bing Maps and "flew" around my locale looking for interesting large structures to model.
How about Superstores? They're big. Menards, SuperTarget, Wal*Mart, Home Depot, Lowes. All have a huge 150,000+ square feet of selling floorspace.
So I stopped my flight in Google Earth over the SuperTarget in Rogers, MN. A building I drive past at least 5 days a week and I measured it. It was some 500 feet long by about 350 feet deep.
Now in T scale we are used to buildings being small but do you know the size of this structure in T?
Thirteen inches by Ten. Not small. Not at all.
Then I thought about the height. No more than three quarters of an inch tall. A T scale model would look like a slice of bread!
I'm most definitely curious about recreating such a structure in T. I did think about a bit of selective compression of the subject. But that's not what T should be about.
NO COMPROMISE!
This is a structure that would be about SIX feet long in HO. Compromise there. But not in T. It might mean a change in the design of my new US Outline T scale layout, but that's not set in stone yet. I'll keep you posted with thoughts.

Grain elevator comes along

2011-01-31T20:59:00.002-06:00

I've spent a couple more hours here and there working in the elevator project and I think its starting to look like the real thing. It's all styrene sheet, strip and tubing. The head house tower stands 135mm tall thats about 200' scale feet to give an idea of the size.

just for fun (part 2)

2011-01-29T08:27:00.003-06:00

Did you guess what it was?

Given my location in the USA it was probably pretty easy to work out that it would be a large concrete grain elevator. This one in Red Wing, MN to be exact. The real thing is about 200' tall so should present a pretty impressive model even in T scale. I've made a start.

Here, just for fun is a picture to give you an idea of the size of the structure. In this picture you can see, from right to left: A kit of a US false front store made last year. Next to that is my rural wooden grain elevator from last year also. Then next to that is the progress on the Red Wing elevator. On the track in front is the ongoing RS-1 model if you can't see it.

Everything in Moderation

2011-01-27T06:11:00.002-06:00

Earlier this week I was approached by T scale pioneer David K Smith owner of T-gauge.net and asked if I would consider becoming co-moderator of the Talking T gauge forum. As T scale grows in popularity and the forum membership grows he finds himself with less time time to watch over the forum. Not there is much to do. It is one of the most well behaved forums on the internet.

I was honoured to be asked. I'll see you over there.

Oh and behave yourself... :-)

Just for fun

2011-01-27T06:06:00.002-06:00

Last night I embarked on a new T scale structure modelling project. I'm not going to tell you what it is yet.

All I will say is it is using three unopened packets of 12.7mm diameter evergreen styrene tube for starters.

In the words of the immortal Rolf Harris.

"Can you guess what it is yet?"

Wither Japan?

2011-01-24T08:07:00.001-06:00

The world of scratchbuilding in T scale has been on fire over the past few weeks. This weekend particularly so. Not only was there my Alco RS-1 project underway. But there was also (are you ready for this list?)
A Fairbanks Morse H24-66
A Stanier Jubilee class steam locomotive
Experiments with T scale British outline tank engines (yes, engines two of them...)
A Finnish class SR1 o/h electric locomotive
I did also make a start on my Geep Project but got carried away with the Alco.
In addition to this there is some very impressive 3-D modelling being done for a British Railways Class 42 Diesel hydraulic loco project.
You have to be impressed. I know I am. The enthusiasm and abilities of all T scalers never seems to amaze me. I'm proud to be associated with all of them.
But like the title of this post says. Wither Japan? What are they doing in T scale? All the projects outline above are taking place in the US, Canada and Europe.
What are Japanese T scalers doing? I and many other T scalers would love to know.

Hankyu chassis mods

2011-01-23T20:06:00.003-06:00

The key to the RS-1 (and indeed my up coming Geep) model is being able to place a shorter body on top of the boxy chassis. A couple of simple cuts make this possible. It is something that even the most hamfisted modeller could do.

The H9000 chassis has a pair of locating pins on one end that engage into a pair of holes on the car body. At the other end the electrical contact strip folds down to make contact with terminals on the LED's that illuminate with the direction of travel. It is simplicity itself to slice the locating pins off with a sharp modelling knife and cut the folded down pieces of contact strip off with a track cutting disc and then slice of a couple of plastic ribs behind them with yuor modelling knife. Doing this you can shorten a body by approaching 6mm or about 9 scale feet.

Above: Finished chassis with pins and contact strip cut off.

Alco RS-1

2011-01-23T18:06:00.004-06:00

So, with my rediscovered enthusiasm brimming I set about on a construction project. Not the Geep I thought I might do. But an Alco RS-1. There are many pictures of the class in Don Hofsommers book on the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad and plans are easy to hand in the internet so I was well sorted with reference materials.

For the project I chose to covert a Hankyu 9000 power car. I had a "kitbashers set" that I had bought from Train Aids A quite a while ago. They sell units specifically for the crazy kitbashers in the T scale world who want to scratchbuild. Yes the loco will be a bit oversize and the bogies will be in the wrong place. But even in the early days of HO, N and Z there were models around that were not scale reproductions of the real thing. So as long as this looked like an RS-1 and folks recognised it as such then that was fine by me.

Above: The first task was to shorten the passenger car body. About 6mm was cut out of it to get closer to scale length. I also filed off some of the details on the bodywork along the way.
Above: Next came the addition of the cab. The sides were represented by some lengths of 4.5mm x 1.5mm evergreen strip and the distinctive roof profile was cut out of a section of 12.5 mm evergreen styrene tubing.
Above: The next task was to set about the body with some filler putty, filling in the cab and the roof to change that to a better profile. The final piece of work for the day was to add the walkway around the side and a little below floor detailing, representing fuel tanks, to hide the Eishindo chassis.

So far, so good. I'm pretty pleased with it. It has already been recognised as an RS-1 on Talking T Gauge so my aim has been achieved. The next task will be to give it a light coating of primer so I can see just how it really looks.

Just looking

2011-01-21T12:44:00.003-06:00

I've just been taking a look at some of the pictures of Gonou with regards to seeing if I could "Americanise" it. That is, with the replacement of a few buildings make it look like something that viewers at the upcoming Granite City Train Show could relate to.
As I was looking at the pictures I began to realise that I've never actually looked at the layout. I've always studied it. That's different. I've been deciding where to place things, deciding what looks right. "Should more trees go in here" for example.
I've never looked at it like a person at a train show looks at it. I doubt I'll get that same sense of wonderment again that viewers get when they see the small trains for the first time (I do well remember what it was like for me the first time I opened the box though).
But just looking at it as a model. I can do that now. Probably because I haven't studied it for a long time. I can look at it with a fresh pair of eyes.
You know what? I think it isn't half bad.
You know what else? I don't want to Americanise it.
I guess that means I'll have to build a new layout...

Done it now.

2011-01-17T18:10:00.003-06:00

I just mailed in my confirmation to take a layout to the Granite City Train Show and in the space that said "scale/gauge" I drew 2 lines.

A vertical line topped with a horizontal one. T.

I'm not saying I'm taking Gonou, though I more than likely will. It's just that the track plan gallery over at the T gauge website was a little bit inspirational and I've been messing around with track parts seeing what would fit on the 20" x 30" piece of 1/2" foamcore I happened to buy over the weekend.

Not content with that. In order to get myself back into the T scale frame of mind I was looking at my spare H type chassis and contemplating fitting a GP7 body over it. It would be a bit long of course and a tad over wide but just how much over wide would depend on the thickness of material I would use.

This is what I mean about the T scale frame of mind. Because the scale is so small (.677mm to 1 foot) the very thickness of the material you use can have a very pronounced effect on the scale accuracy of your model, .75mm styrene sheet has a prototype thickness of about 15" in T scale. So to a certain extent (for me anyway) scratchbuilding in T has to be about creating the right effect. So if my GP7 turns out to be three feet too wide and eight feet too long so be it. It will be worth it when someone recognises it for what it is.

Alas, I have nothing to show for my efforts this afternoon other than some good ideas and more importantly a belief that a GP7 is a goer.

I think it's safe to say I'm back.

OUCH!

2011-01-15T21:08:00.003-06:00

Thats the T scale bug biting.

I thought I was done with T. I really did.

I couldn't see the road vehicles and my power pack gave up the ghost just before the Saint Cloud Christmas Train show. I was pretty convinced it was all going against me. I'd had a couple of good showings of my HO scale layout I was figuring it was a sign to stay with HO. I could see everything and the trains ran well.

Then the St. Cloud train show came and even though I took the HO layout and had great fun with it. People missed the T gauge. I was taken to task about it by several people. The local radio interviewer even asked me about it on air.

Now it also turns out that fellow T scalers miss me. It's all rather humbling. I certainly don't consider myself anything like as skilled as many of the other T scalers out there. Those guys who are using their skills to make locomotives and cars to pop onto Eishindo chassis even cutting up chassis in the process. People making laser cut building kits that are beautiful.

I am not worthy.

I'd better get working again to catch up. Things have really moved on even in the couple of months I've been absent. The building kit, the locomotive and freight cars, the new layouts.

A track plan library. This is as inspiring as anything out there. I just can't think in set-track terms when planning. This may well help me come up with a new layout idea.

I've got a lot to do. I really do.

Withdrawl

2010-12-07T15:37:00.000-06:00

This Saturday, as you know, I was planning to take Gonou, my T scale layout to the Granite City Train show in St. Cloud, MN but when I got the layout out for a test run this week the controller had developed a mysterious fault. I don't have time to order a replacement controller. So Wingetts Recycling will be heading over there instead.

The Granite City Train Show is at the National Guard Armory in St. Cloud, MN on Saturday December 11th from 9am to 3pm

Come see the show

2010-11-28T12:27:00.002-06:00

Gonou will be making it's final exhibition appearance at the Granite City trainable on December 11th.
Final because after this show I will be ending my involvement with T scale. I've decided to face up to the fact that my eyes can't cope with the small size anymore. It's not so much the rolling stock and the buildings it's the accessories.
A while ago I received a pack or two of the Eishindo cars. They come in two parts a chassis and a clear plastic body shell. I haven't been able to make out the details on the body shell since I got them. So I've decided to call it a day.
So if anyone who reads this blog wants a T scale layout come over to the show and make me an offer over $250 and we'll talk. You could be the owner of a very unique model railway layout.

Research...

2010-06-18T16:24:00.003-05:00

Damn you England! Getting my hopes up and then putting in a performance of mind numbing turgidity against Algeria...

So in order to cheer me up a bit I went into the garden and did some more accurate measuring and took some research photos.

My Back yard is 52 feet x 70 feet so in my chosen 1:25.4 scale (1mm equals 1 inch) that scales up to a layout size of a smidge over 2' x 2'9" within my guesstimate 2' x 3' and well within my 4' x 2' maximum.

Here are some research photos...

Above: I've always had my eye on this corner of the garden for some kind of garden railway layout.
Above: The line would run along towards the shed where I had envisioned some kind of store room for stock amongst the lawnmower, snowblower and other sundry gardening items kept in there.
Above: Then I could sit back on the deck here and watch the trains go around.

That's how I had always envisioned things and I don't see any reason to change my plans for the model.
The only compromise I might have to make is having things take up a larger area on the model than they would in reality as the model's 3" gauge trains would be approximately twice the size of the G scale stock I have.

Update to the crazy idea

2010-06-17T07:44:00.003-05:00

I had a quick pace about the garden last night to see approximately how big it was. I must have looked quite the sight "heel and toeing" across the garden, deck and the three season porch...
Anyway the upshot of this is that a model of my back yard will comfortably fit in 3'6" x 2'. A bit smaller than I expected.
Another bonus is that my wife is looking forward to modelling some of the plants and flowers in the garden in G scale....

A crazy idea

2010-06-16T11:39:00.003-05:00

The other day I got a very nice letter from Ed Olson organiser of the Granite City train show, thanking me for my participation and inviting me to attend the Christmas (thats the December 11th) show.
Now a tradition has developed that I attend with some T scale. So I could attend with Gonou as Eishindo have bought out some new trains and stuff lately. Or I could build a new layout...
This is where things got crazy. Trainaidsa the US stockist have the garden train locomotive for advanced order so I ordered one thinking that the diesel outline loco could be converted to work on Gonou.
Then I thought well why don't I build a model of a garden railway?
It has already been done by a member of talking T gauge and very well too, in a cutlery drawer no less. So I wouldn't be breaking any new ground. Perhaps I could put a different slant on it.
It was then my brain went into creative hyperdrive...
I've always wanted a garden railway in my back yard, so why don't I model that!
No backbreaking earthmoving or anything. Just regular modelling. I don't have to go far to measure the buildings to model.
So what scale would I model this garden railway in?
Well I already have lots of G scale materials from my Gn15 days so that's a no brainer really.
Now here's the complicated bit. There are lots of different scales associated with "G" 1:20.3, 1:22.5, 1:24 and 1:25.4
I myself like 1:25.4 which is conveniently 1mm equals 1 inch. So my T scale trains would be models of 3" gauge trains in G scale. Which is nice and easy to explain to people. If I was to model G scale trains in my garden I'd have to use a scale approaching 1:12 or a dolls house scale of 1 inch to the foot. This would probably make re-creating my house prohibitive which is the ruling factor in the layout.
So I thing the first thing to do is to go and measure my house and garden and see what size works best for the space I have. I'm thinking that a size of 4' x 2' would be adequate.
We'll have to see what transpires...

'Ello

2010-06-05T07:42:00.003-05:00

Sorry for not being on the ball. But "Hello" to anyone checking in on this blog as a result of my letter to Railroad Model Craftsman and mention of this blog. In my defence, the email was written back in March, perhaps even the end of February, so I'd given up on seeing it in print. Anyway a big thanks to the RMC chappies for printing it and sending you here out of curiosity.

So now you're here you should take a look around at all the things I've done and follow the links to all the other good T gauge stuff out there on the internet.

Keep checking back and I'll post more for you all later.

Things are happening too fast...

2010-05-13T09:31:00.002-05:00

There's way too much going on in the T scale world right now. To start with I took delivery of my packs of cars and my Hankyu 9000 set yesterday. I'll write more about them later. The cars I can't comprehend at the moment. Suffice to say some of the cars have open doors! I need top look at these in more detail before I report back on them.

Even more interesting to me is that one enterprising T scaler has started producing his own range of T scale US outline buildings though the 3d printing service at Shapeways. I've ordered some of them and will report back on them.

Exciting times. No excuse not to start a new layout now...

Here in my car...

2010-05-06T15:39:00.003-05:00

CARS ARE HERE!
Today I received an email from TrainaidsA the US supplier of T.
At long last the cars (road vehicles) are available. We've been wating for cars for almost as long as we'd been waiting for the Hankyu 9000. Until now I've made do with 1:400 scale aircraft vehicles on Gonou.
I placed an order for both sets immediately and coincidentally a Hankyu 900 set as well.
I look forward to seeing them. My magnifying glass id at the ready

Tempted (by the fruit of another)

2010-05-05T10:30:00.003-05:00

So goes one of my favourite songs of all time by Squeeze.
The song ran through my head as I reviewed this website.
http://www.electrarailwaygraphics.co.uk/
T scale UK outline overlays for your Hankyu 9000 body shells!
They look great. They really do.
Being a Brit I'm always looking at ways of building a UK outline model railway.
Perhaps this would work.
Just as I'm getting set to start work on a US outline layout that would involve a lot of scratchbuilding this comes along and makes building an English layout a lot easier.
Temptation indeed. (Temptation by Heaven 17 there's another favourite song...)

p.s. I could always build TWO small simple layouts, one UK outline, one US. I do like to make work for myself don't I?

That didn't last long

2010-05-03T08:28:00.002-05:00

So after a weekend messing around with drawings for the Northstar commuter rail coaches I decided that perhaps this isn't such a good idea after all. Each train is a 4 car set that's 8 sides that I have to cut all the same. Plus the fronts and the roofs. At the moment I just don't think I have the skills unless someone has a lazer engraver they'd like to lend me...

Northstar progress

2010-04-30T18:07:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting down this afternoon looking at drawings and photographs working out how to make them...

Some Northstar thoughts

2010-04-28T15:16:00.003-05:00

Just to show I'm taking this idea relatively seriously.

A Bombardier Bi-level coach is 25.9 meters in length. The longest T scale chassis, the KiHa is a scale 21 meters. A deficit of almost 5 meters or 10mm in length. A millimeter or two I could deal with but a whole centimeter is a different kettle of fish indeed. The KiHa chassis will have to be lengthened.

That will affect the radius of curve the vehicle will be able to negotiate I'm sure. As to if it will affect the pulling power or not I don't know.

The coaches themselves shouldn't be too difficult as they are all straight lines and angles. I think the best plan will be to make shells of clear styrene and cover that with a decal for the paint scheme.

I'll just have to have a go and find out.

A crazy idea

2010-04-27T16:12:00.002-05:00

Just came to me.
How about Northstar Commuter Rail in T scale?
Four Bombardier Bi-level coaches with an MP36 loco.
You could power two or three coaches depending on their performance and have them push and pull a coach and a dummy loco.
Hmm...

Back in the saddle (more from the t elevator)

2010-04-25T19:54:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm back!

I've spent the last few weeks preparing my HO scale layout for a train show as well as buying myself a new camera. But to be honest my model railroading heart was elsewhere.

Here.

I would have rather been T scaling. So I did manage to sneak a few minutes here and there over the past few weeks to get something done to the elevator and here it is.

Spraying is much better than brush painting don't you think?

Some weathering powders on the roof, some ladders on the front and it will be a very accepable structure for the new layout.

New layout?

What new layout...

Hussah!

2010-04-03T12:16:00.002-05:00

Spring is sprung. The Sun is shining. New trains are available (when you can get them, they are in short supply) and new T scale bloggers have appeared.

Welcome Dan MacKellar and his T Time blog. Dan has been a member of Talking T gauge for a long time and has now started to blog about his T scale adventures.

Glad to have another T blogger around. It's been rather lonely of late.

As for me I'm a frustrated T scaler at the moment. As you know I've lots of projects on the go. What with T scale grain elevators and freight cars and other things. But with an exhibition looming on the horizon for my HO scale layout I've got to work on it instead.

I'd rather be T scaling...

Hmm I think there's a T shirt design there.

Boxing Cleverer (part 2 of the box car story)

2010-03-20T07:39:00.003-05:00

It has to be said that I was very disappointed with the roof line of the first box cars. I don't knw how I let myself get away with it I really don't. Any way another couple of attempts at making new ends and working out the most effective of fitting the ends, sides and floors together. (Ends and sides sit ON the floor and the ends fit BETWEEN the sides) Another more reasonable representation of a boxcar emerged from the shops...

Better but still not perfect. I still have a ways to go with learning to apply tiny amounts of CA (superglue) to fit the ladders in place.

Also, this one might actually be a bit tall. Probably by the thickness of the floor (.5mm) Not much you might say. But in T scale that's over one foot and enough to knock the proportions out of whack.

But it looks much better than the last efforts and I have no qualms about using this one as a grounded car body in some kind of scene on a layout.

Boxing (not so) clever

2010-03-12T16:21:00.003-06:00

So with the Gondola conquered to my liking I decided to turn my attention to a must have for any US railroad model. The Boxcar. My subject was a 40' model the drawing was found in a google book online. All the dimensions were there so it was an easy, if not somewhat tedious job to convert them to T scale and make a drawing using open office to help to see how to put everything together. The actual construction of the car isn't too difficult just have to be careful. The smallest piece of styrene cut for the mode was the ends which are about 6.5mm x 7.5mm so not tiny. If you've built in N scale you've likely handled smaller pieces of styrene. Here's the picture of the progress complete with some failures in the background. The car is 1 inch (25 mm) long

So there we go. The sides are made from 2.5mm v groove embossed styrene and the ends are .75mm metal siding embossed styrene, with some of the ribbing shaved away up in the eaves area. The ladder is from a ship models etching.

It looks OK. I'm very pleased with the effect created by the metal siding styrene for the ends. I couldn't hope for much better.

The thing that bugs me on this test model is the roof angle. Its too steep. It's difficult to cut a shallow angle when you're slicing through the ribbing of the embossing.

So its another good start. Boxcars can definitely be built in 1:450 scale. Just need to sort that roof out.

excitement

2010-03-09T10:23:00.002-06:00

The T scale world is on fire now.
I have just received word that Hankyu 9000's are here in the US and for sale! I think I ordered mine from Japan though, so why haven't I heard anything from there?
On top of that turnouts will be here in April too.
Too much excitment.
Then TrainaidsA has secured some KiHa and Hankyu units in a kit form for scratchbuilders to play with. I'll take some of them then.
Way too much excitement.
Mr Harai of K.K. Eishindo was in the US recently as the guest of TrainaidsA and announced an intention to manufacture US outline loco's and rolling stock! Typical, just as I start making my own...
Way way too much excitement . I don't know how I sleep at night...

O Sole Mio...

2010-03-05T12:56:00.004-06:00

That's what those Venetian gondoliers are alleged to always sing isn't it?

But what does that have to do with T scale modelling?

Well, I've built another gondola. This one is based on a picture of a 61' Algoma Central gon. It was chosen because I though that the end detail would be easier to model than the forming on the previous one I attempted.

I was pretty much right. It was a little tedious gluing the 6mm lengths of .5mm strip in place. But as with T scale its one of those tiny tasks that if you are in the mood its no problem otherwise it can be a struggle.

I certainly feel the effort is worth it. It looks right. I have considered making up decals for the end forming of other cars but that will look too flat I think. This still needs some work. So for now I'll be happy with these 2 gons and send them to the paint shop to complete

Gondola Progress

2010-02-28T18:21:00.004-06:00

I'm still reluctant to refer to this as the first piece of T scale freight stock. But no one is rising to put me straight. The nearest I've had is an. "I thought about it but I never got around to doing it"

Carrying on from yesterdays entry. You'll recall that the thing causing me the most concern is how to recreate the ribbing on the sides of the gon.

Today I was in a hobby shop looking at all kinds of styrene strip deciding what would work for the ribbing when I came across a sheet of 2.5mm batten and board embossed sheet. 2.5mm is exactly the spacing I was looking for. The battening didn't look too deep so I thought I'd give it a try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. So I went home cut a "new kit of parts" for the gon and assembled them. The finished result is seen below.

This most definitely looks like a gondola now though how to do the ribbing on the ends remains a mystery.

An exciting weekend for me then.

A T-scale first?

2010-02-27T16:34:00.007-06:00

Is it a first or not? I am wary of making such a claim. But this could very probably be the first scratchbuilt US outline freight car in T scale. When completed, it will be a model of a 65' 6" C&O mill gondola. What possessed me to start on this when I could have built a T scale water tower or depot building or some such?

Well, as is the case with me when I get fired up about an idea there is no rhyme or reason. I go with what I go with and it just so happened that when I awoke on Friday morning with the day off work, I wanted to try to see if building a T scale freight car was practical. Nothing too clever, just a "proof of concept" model to see if I could do it. Many T scalers have talked about doing it. But to date, as far as I am aware, no-one has done it. So, I'd be the first, and boy doesn't my ego love that idea! Plus it also gives me an excuse if anything goes wrong...

I searched through my model railway magazines and the first US outline scale drawing I found was in an old issue of RMC for the mill gondola.

"Great." I thought. "Something pretty easy." I was thankful that I didn't find a grain hopper drawing. So I measured the drawing up and found that I had some suitably sized styrene strip to hand. So I set to and started cutting and gluing.

A set of bogies were removed from an expired class 103 car and simply by drilling a hole into the floor of the gondola the bogies were fitted in place.

When I saw what you see above, I was pretty pleased. No, I was very pleased. So I decided to add some detail to the body to make it look like a gondola. I added a lip to the body as well as end extensions and most importantly side ribs.
I chose .5mm strip for the ribbing. As you can see though, it looks way over scale. So I am on the lookout for some .2mm strip instead. I also need to find a method to accurately locate 3.5mm lengths of .2mm styrene every 2.5mm along the side of the gondola. It might sound a arduous, tedious task. But for the roof of the building on my 7 day model layout I used some styrene sheet that was grooved every 5mm or so that I placed strips of .15mm styrene in and glued in place. I'm not saying I can cut grooves in styrene sheet. But if I can butt a length of strip up against a score line marked on the sides of the gondola that might work. I also think that the ribbing and lip should be added to the sides before assembling the gondola.

In short then. As a "proof of concept", it works. I can do the things necessary to assemble a T scale freight car and I will proceed with making another, better version.

Lets go round again (part three of the elevator saga)

2010-02-26T17:41:00.005-06:00

So last week we left the grain elevator ready to be painted.

Justifiably proud of my work. I was determined to give the paint job my best shot. So I washed the model and even gave it a coat of primer. Then I set to and painted it. The result is below.

I was distraught. Once again I'd made a real pigs ear of the paint job. I feel it's so bad I don't even want to show it. But it happened and you followers need to know the full story. So after I had picked myself up and sought advice from fellow T scalers at "talking t gauge" I decided to strip the paint off and start again. Alas, my inexperience stripping paint let me down and even though the paint came off quite nicely the styrene softened and the model began to separate. So, once I had picked myself up yet again. I set to and built another one. Below.
I have to admit I'm very, very nervous about painting this one.

Meet the press

2010-02-25T05:52:00.003-06:00

It's good to see that T scale has made the mainstream Model Railroad press here in the USA. The March Issue of Railroad Model Craftsman features a three page piece as an introduction to the scale.

It's good to see such a positive piece written by someone keen on the possibilities for the scale. Though having read the article its seems clear that quite some time has passed between Tom Knapp, the writer, submitting the article and its publication though. The most obvious omission from the piece being the lack of a mention for "talking t gauge". Perhaps its only me but I'd think that if you're encouraging people to take up a new scale you'd want to tell them where you can find like minded individuals to share your experiences. In this day and age that is an internet forum. But like I said, this omission could still be a result of the time lag between writing and publication.

I have written to the editor to inform him of up to date developments in the scale.

I would hope that as a result of this article more folks are now aware of T and some of them want to have a go.

Favourite waste of time (part two of the elevator saga)

2010-02-20T16:07:00.004-06:00

Once I get into a project there can be no stopping me a times. This elevator is a case in point.

Fridays are my half day at work. Once I arrived home I set to and started work on the model.

I felt that I had a grand start on the model and decided to continue with it. I found an excellent Flikr site for Grain Elevators and leafed through that making a note of what a proper elevator looks like and adding bits and pieces here and there to my model. So that my model, though not an exact copy of any one elevator has the look of a typical midwestern grain elevator. I added a couple of extra lean to structures and clad it in .64mm V groove styrene sheet. Here are a couple of views of the progress so far.

(the T scale car is there for a size comparison and also for the auto focus of my camera to hold on to, it didn't like the plain white styrene)

I'm definitely very very happy with the way things are looking. The happier I got the more I did to it. The doors in the lean to structures were formed by cutting out the holes for the doorway and then rotating the cut out piece through 90 degrees so that the vertical planking of the doors contrast with the horizontal planking of the structure.

I started working on the project about 1pm or so and finally finished the session at about 8pm or so. With a 20 minute break for dinner. It's difficult to quantify the exact construction time spent on the model so far. But less the research time spent looking at pictures there has to be close to 7 hours spent on the model to this stage. A figure that I find difficult to believe. Strangely my wife has no trouble believing it. At least now most of the work is done. The next report should see it finished.

Loving an Elevator...

2010-02-16T17:16:00.003-06:00

I know you lot. You'll all be expecting me to post about the construction of my T scale doodlebug given my last post on the subject. But you'd be wrong. Oh so terribly wrong.

That would be obvious.

Never do the obvious. So instead I set out to build a grain elevator.

Why a grain elevator? Well, they are pretty much an integral part of the scenery in the Midwest. If I'm going to model a Midwestern railroad scene in T scale there will have to be a grain elevator in it. Another thing is that they are pretty simple looking structures. So they have to be easy to build.

There were plenty of pictures in my new book on the M & StL Railway so, using the dimensions from a drawing in the Kalmbach book "Lineside structures for Model Railroads", I set to and started.

The great thing about working in T scale is you can't ever take everything for granted when making a structure. These things are so small (even this elevator is no more than 2" high) it often pays to look around to see it there is anything that you can use as a short cut. With this model I started out to build a shell of 5mm foam core board. Thinking that would work for the distinctive front profile. This I then covered in a paper wrapper that I printed out on the computer. It kinda, sorta works.

It kinda, sorta works. A bit more care in the assembly would help. But the walls are too flat they need some relief, some texture. Look at this wooden sided elevator in Estherville IA by way of a comparison.

So there were two courses of action open to me:

One: learn how to create that sort of texture on the paper wrapper, or;

Two: Build another one out of embossed styrene. So that is what I did.
I just happened to have some .75mm "V" groove embossed styrene that I could try as an experiment. So I built a shell out of some 1mm styrene sheet and then quickly cut some section of the embossed stuff to cover some sides to see if I liked the effect.

Which I did. It's a tad overscale to my eye. So I'm going on the look out for some .5mm embossed sheet. Which should look better. All in all, for a first serious attempt at a US outline structure it's a pretty good start. Good enough to keep me going.

Doodlebuggin'

2010-02-15T08:17:00.003-06:00

Well, the inspiration comes thick and fast on the doodlebug front. It's a topic that many folks on talking T gauge are interested in. Mainly because it is felt that it will be the easiest way to get something running in US outline. A page on trainweb lists a lot of online pictures and plans for Doodlebugs. Even a good selection of pages on the M &StL Doodlebugs. Honestly! You want to talk synchronicity? It's a bit difficult to argue against it currently.

Jason's model is not the first T scale Doodlebug. Oh no. It was most remiss of me not to acknowledge this fact earlier, but a T scaler who goes by the name of the other Lionel on his Adventure in T scale blog he shows some pictures of his project. Which rather than making a new body to slide over the Eishindo original he just added bits of styrene to the Class 103 body. It's a great example of what can be done by a creative mind. You can see it a short way down this page of his blog. Once again it's brilliant. A really clever use of bits and pieces.

But wait that still isn't the first one. A short way down this talking t gauge page is the Victorian Railways DERM built by Paul.

Would you believe it? I'm still not finished with railcars. One of the first projects detailed on talking t gauge was the construction of a Budd RDC. You can follow the entire project on this thread.

Seeing work like this makes me proud to be associated with such a creative bunch.

Synchronicity?

2010-02-14T18:52:00.005-06:00

syn-chro-nic-i-ty (n) coincidence of events that seem to be meaningfully related.

Now I don't know about you but I don't think I'd ever even given such things a passing thought, apart from that album by the Police back in 1983....

But here's the way things are playing out.

1. Feeling somewhat disappointed with T scale my enthusiasm is re-awakened by Jasons magnificent models.

2. Whilst at the Minnesota History Centre this weekend I was taken with a book "The Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway a Photographic History" by Don L Hofsommer. I always flick through railway books you never know what kind of inspiration you'll find in them. I was right. Plenty of inspirational photographs. But nothing that I could justify starting a totally new layout over. Then I turned a page an there it was, a picture of a GE Doodlebug not at all dissimilar to that created by Jason. It wasn't just one picture. Oh no, from then on it was page after page of GE Doodlebugs. It's like someone was shouting at me to create a T scale model of a Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway scene. I hope it wasn't Sting...

So there you go. I don't know if I should listen to that voice. In fact I agonised about buying that book overnight before I finally decided to purchase it. But the book is bought now. So I guess the pictures will scream at me until I do something about it.

Will I? Won't I? If I do, how long will it take me? Will new T scale stock from Eishindo materialise before Christmas?

Too many questions to answer. But what it does seem to show is my T scale days are most definitely NOT over.

New Header Photo

2010-02-12T08:53:00.001-06:00

Now that layout is almost finished I thought it about time to add a new updated header photo.
Do you like it?
I sure as heck do. When I look at it I feel pretty proud of what I have achieved in T scale I don't mind telling you.

Enthused again

2010-02-11T18:48:00.002-06:00

I am very happy to say that my enthusiasm for T has returned.

No. I've not started on a new project layout and no, the new products from K.K. Eishindo have not materialised yet. So what has got me fired up?

This work seen below that recently appeared on talking t gauge. Stunning isn't it? It's the work of Jason who would is the proprietor of fannocreek designs. A provider of Z scale kits. He has become interested in T and has produced some custom laser engraved work for his own T scale project. Look at these and enjoy them. Then realise that the railcar has a cross section no greater than a typical pencil and marvel at the work.

Normally work like this can make me feel like giving up. This has had the total opposite effect I'm fired up. I'm already scheming for some kind of US outline layout. So stay tuned!

I'm not dead yet...

2010-02-04T16:16:00.002-06:00

A recent post from T scale guru David K Smith on his T scale blog got me thinking about my T scaling. I've been away for a good 2 months now and still no new stock has materialised from Messrs Eishindo. So am I done with T? Am I "flatlining"?
You know what? I don't really think so. I look at those pictures from the Granite City Train show and I think to myself. "That was really fun, I want more"
I'm still pretty peeved that no new stock has appeared. But I'm not ready to give up on it yet. New pictures have appeared of the forthcoming items so I still live in hope.
I hope to get some of the new items on their arrival and try them out then we'll see where things go from there.

End of Part Two

2009-12-19T06:18:00.002-06:00

Time for a break from T scale methinks.
I've worked quite a lot on T scale over the past 12 months or so and as you will have read recently I've become pretty down on it because of the lack of new stock.
So it's time to sit down and take stock of the situation and wait for some more model trains to be released.
Then we'll decide wether to carry on with Gonou or sell it and start with something new.
Thanks for following everything that's gone on here.
Until next time, carry on having fun with model railways. Its the Worlds greatest hobby.

More from the Show

2009-12-18T16:25:00.005-06:00

Thanks to Ed Olson organiser of the Granite City Train show I can let you see some more pictures of Gonou on show.

1. Being introduced to Bob Hughes from a local St Cloud Radio station prior to my appearance over the airwaves
2. Lorrie indicates an invaluable tool to working in such small sizes. Whilst a small crowd looks on at the layout
3. Lorrie keeps guard and talks to the punters while I am deep in discussion with the radio guy
4. The magnifier in use.

On show (again)

2009-12-18T05:11:00.001-06:00

Just a quick post to say that Gono will be on display at the opening of Lakeside Hobby at 12197 Freemont Lane in Zimmerman, MN this Saturday Dec 19th.

That's awesome.

A new local Hobby Shop for mid-Minnesota, I mean. I won't have to travel 30-50 miles in one direction to get layout building suppies. This one is so close I could almost fit it into a marathon training run...

The Century is reached

2009-12-06T15:38:00.003-06:00

Well, there were times when I didn't think I'd make it. But with the judicious use of posts over the past week I have reached 100 posts on this blog and to celebrate. Here's a collection of recent photographs .

1. The petrol station
2. The bridges over the river
3. The lighthouse
4. An overall view of the layout
5. The "busy" corner with the lighthouse, petrol station and river mouth

Exhibition report update

2009-12-06T09:35:00.003-06:00

This post at Talking T gauge is most enlightening.

Apparently this happened to one of my trains yesterday.

A wheel became separated.

I found this tiny magnetic ring on the model and I had no idea what it was at all. I looked closely at the model but couldn't see anything. So I just thought that it was something it had picked up. Apparently not it's a bit more serious than that. Now I have to go through all my train sets and find out which one has lost a wheel.

and the prize for the stupidest T scale question ever goes too...

2009-12-06T09:10:00.002-06:00

The man at the Granite City train show who asked.

"Why do they use the letter T for the name?"

"T stands for three. For the three millimeter track gauge. The distance between the rails" I explained.

"But why the letter T?" He persisted. with a totally blank look on his face.

"Er because the word three begins with the letter T?" I tried.

Realisation dawned across his face.

I kid you not, this was a genuine conversation. My wife will back me up on this she was there too.

Exhibition report

2009-12-06T08:36:00.004-06:00

Another show in the bag for T scale and it has to be said another success. I always have worries about the stock performing in the public gaze but once again they didn't let me down. I set one train running when the doors opened at 9am and it circulated the track at a nice pleasing speed for over 100 minutes before I thought it was time to clean the track and wheels. The set I replaced it with performed exactly the same. If not better as this was a brand new unit I'd just bought. I talked and talked about T scale all day and still have a sore throat the day after. I was even interviewed on a local radio station about the layout. I only had one real problem and that was at times I was having to pick pieces of ground foam scenic cover out from the gears of the driving bogie. Just the tiniest little bit of foam in there can play havoc with the running qualities.

Everyone was very interested and I hope some folks walked away thinking about a T scale model railroad for their very own Below is a picture of the layout at the show and some more pictures can be seen here at a friends flickr site

The Granite City train show is always great fun and a huge thanks to Ed Olson and crew for putting it on. I hope to be back there again in the not too distant future.

Touch wood...

2009-12-04T18:07:00.000-06:00

Everything works OK.

I'm ready for the show tomorrow

Bite them fingernails...

2009-12-01T10:36:00.000-06:00

It's extremely disconcerting when you've only got one train that works reliably...

Countdown

2009-11-29T20:58:00.002-06:00

Do do do doodly-do. Booooo...

OK so the English TV reference will be lost on all you Americans. But never mind It makes me smile.

A week to go and its time to focus my attention onto Gonou. I have to admit that my success at The Princeton Train show has got me all fired up to work some more on Gonou. It's pretty well completed. The Shinto Shrine will not make an appearance as I've just not been happy with the way the model has been turning out. I've has three or four goes at some of the buildings and I'm still not happy. But there is still the petrol station and the working lighthouse for folks to look at. So that should more than keep viewers happy. Work this week then will centre around making the trains run reliably. I've received a new class 103 from TrainaidsA and it runs very nicely. I'm still disappointed that new trains haven't been forthcoming from Eishindo in time for the show. But I think folks will be happy with what they see.

One task has been completed. That is painting the frame of the baseboard black as I do to all my layouts. This has improved the appearance no end. Makes it look like a proper layout. Now I just have to make it run like a proper layout.

Redemption?

2009-11-17T20:05:00.002-06:00

So, having been down on T gauge in recent postings. I thought I post some pictures of the latest progress. Being how I am still working on the layout in order to prepare if for the Granite City train show. Things are looking pretty good as these views will show.

Above: Looking down the layout it's difficult to believe that it's less than 3' long
Above: This close up of the station is meant to show the people and vending machines as well as the station fencing. It's almost impossible to show that detail without resorting to a macro lens.
Above: A the right hand end of the layout the Petrol Station blends in nicely

Hope you like the pictures

Harumph

2009-11-16T12:52:00.002-06:00

Definitely getting somewhat peeved with Messrs KK Eishindo. We are well into November and still no sign of the Hankyu 9000 or the KiHa40 trains. I had high hopes this time for the announced November release. But still nothing, in fact the Hobby Search website has gone back to listing December for the 9000. I was really hoping to have something new to run on Gonou at the Granite City Train Show.
Its really killing my enthusiasm. Good job I've got a back up layout for the show...

Don't you just hate it when that happens?

2009-10-25T15:47:00.002-05:00

Having just watched the Minnesota Vikings put up a valiant fight against the Pittsburgh Steelers (my 2 favourite teams so it was a win/win situation for me) I decided to get on and do some work on Gonou. I was going to make a few more structures for the shrine that will sit atop the hill above the station. I have an entire sheet of .75mm embossed styrene that I have been using for the walls of the structures I've already made. Except now I can't find it. Anywhere. I never throw styrene away. So its about somewhere. But where I've no idea. I'm not worried. It'll turn up when I'm not looking for it. Just hope that time leaves me enough time top finish the shrine before the Granite City train show...

Business as usual then

2009-10-20T18:34:00.002-05:00

Seems like all the worrying and depression over the purported demise of Eishindo was all for naught. It seems the fellows have reorganised and restructured (or whatever it was they were doing) and new items are hitting the shelves as I write. There is yet another new delivery date of November for the Hankyu 9000 and the KIHA 40 I won't hold my breath of course. But I can't help feeling just a tad excited about the fact. Hopefully they will both be here ready for the Granite City Train Show on December 5th. In fact I'd better get to work I have layout to finish.

beginning of the end?

2009-09-25T13:16:00.002-05:00

Some worrying news reaches me through the pages of talking t gauge. Eishindo have stopped making spare parts for their stock.

David K Smith writes in more detail about the news and implications here

What can this mean? I mentioned the Eishindo re-organisation only a few posts ago just as I was getting restarted on work on Gonou. At worst this could be the start of the slippery slope to T being discontinued. I hope not. I hope it means that they will concentrate on the production of their trains while they re-organise. Perhaps I'm being greedy and want my Hankyu 9000 that I've been waiting for for over a year and my KiHa 40 as well.

I have searched the internet for some news about what has been happening but I've not found anything. Mind you not reading Japanese is a big drawback there methinks.

What to do? At the moment I will carry on finishing Gonou ready for its showing at the Granite city train show in December. I'll order myself a couple more Class 105's just in case. So the blog will continue for the moment like nothing has happened.

It's when nothing happens with this blog that you should be worried.

Cultural exchange

2009-09-18T19:55:00.003-05:00

One thing that is great about picking a prototype I know not a thing about to model is the learning.

Every last little bit of it is new to me. It doesn't matter what I'm working on.

Especially so when I comes to the subject of Japanese culture.

I've just started work on the Shinto Shrine that will sit atop the hill above the railway station.

It was enlightening enough when working on the Torii gates and discovering that there is a whole theory to the design and proportions all based around the thickness of the pillars. So much of it that I've forgotten most of it all. But the base unit of the design is the thickness of the pillars.

So to the shrine itself. For those who are following along with this it is inspired by the Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine. Basically because I found a drawing of one of the buildings on this wikipedia page

Boy, there are so many confusing terms out there. We need only start with the Honden and the Haiden. That's confusing enough for a start. Made even more so by the fact that both buildings stand next to each other. The Honden is where the spirits or kami are enshrined. The Haiden is where the ordinary folks go to make offerings to the kami.

All the aspects of the architecture have new names Okichigi, Catsuogi. Don't ask but I do know I have to model them.

The overhang of the roof is causing me grief. It's huge. I look at it on my model and think to myself.

"That can't be right". Then I measure it out again and everything is to scale.

So I'm happy. Then I look at it again and think to myself.

"That can't be right"...

Sept 19: update having discovered some more pictures online I have decided to start again on the Honden. Nothing too serious but as soon as I saw these new pictures I realised I had no choice.

Back in the saddle

2009-09-11T17:37:00.003-05:00

So here we go, construction re-starts. The first thing I thought I'd work on was the petrol station as I had all the parts already completed. It was just a question of assembly. Except as I put things together I decided to add an interior to the store. Nothing too detailed just some stocked shelves, cooler cabinets and a checkout. I also populated it with a few people from the QE2 figures etch. When you look at the model from a distance you can't hardly see the effort I went to. The actual size of the model is something like the size of the thumbnails in this posting. Once you click on the thumbnails to see the details the cruel enlargement makes me feel like stepping on the model. So I go over to step on the model and I look at it and I can't see the details that were bothering me. This is one of the great problems of T scale modelling.

These two thumbnails are close to the actual size of the model.
In the extreme close up below you can see the shelving I added but can you see the people?

Catching up on the news

2009-09-11T12:16:00.002-05:00

One thing with being away from something for an extended period of time. There is a lot of catching up to do. When my T modelling fell into a slump the pointwork and new track had been announced. The pointwork still isn't available though the flexible track is from some suppliers. I'm most disappointed that my Hankyu 9000 hasn't turned up.
But there does appear to be a reason for the lack of new items. Eishindo have had to go through a reorganization. From what I can gather from some Japanese translations of press releases they have closed the telephone customer service line relying on email. The overseas distribtion system will change as will the packaging of the items. What the state of the company is I don't know. I hope that this reorganization will improve things. It has to have been difficult to introduce a whole new model railway system during this economic climate.
I hope they will be around for a long time to come.

Taking Stock

2009-09-10T12:42:00.002-05:00

Now the decision has been made to show Gonou, I have to put together a list of tasks that need to be done to get the layout to a standard that I would be happy to exhibit it at.
Here's a shortlist that is quite short really
1. Finish the Petrol Station - I have all the elements for that it just needs assembling. Though a part of me wants to make a suggestion of some kind of interior in the store.
2. Install the working flashing light on the lighthouse. - Should be an easy one to do.
3. Make the Shrine on top of the hill. Done some research on that but haven't started it yet.
4. Work on a backscene.
5. Make a level crossing for the front l/h curve. I think I'll just buy an Eishindo crossing and make it fit the curve somehow.

Those are the major things that must get done.
There are the fiddly details that need to be done like the addition of people and cars and boats and such like. I have plenty of those bits and bobs to install.

There's a couple of things I'd like to do as well but aren't all that important.
Having seen those small streetlights that David K. Smith found I'd quite like to install some of them.
Which leads me to the final item. A cabinet for the completed layout with an intergral light that I could dim so that you'd be able to see the streetlights shining and the lighthouse flashing more clearly.
So all in all not a great deal to do with almost three complete months to the show.

Re-lighting the Fire

2009-09-09T18:48:00.002-05:00

Ha!

Just as I was wondering when my enthusiasm for T gauge would return. Bang ! It did.

What was the cause of this?

Was it the appearance of some new T gauge items? No.

It was discovering that the Granite City train show in Saint Cloud, MN was on December 5th this year. I enjoy the GCTS and my T gauge layout "Hitsu" went down very well last time despite being in my mind poorly presented. I'd held off commiting to the show as I knew I was running a marathon in Dallas in early December and thought the two would clash.

So I fired an email off to the organiser to see if he had room for me and what do you know? He has.

So mark your diaries December 5th. St Cloud, MN Granite City train show. I'd love to see you there.

There's nothing like a deadline to focus your mind. As the late Douglas Adams said "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they rush by"

I wish I wish I wish...

2009-09-06T20:13:00.003-05:00

Many of you will have noticed the lack of updates hereabouts. Well to be honest with you. I have a lack of interest in T. We all go through these little crises I'm sure. Mine is caused by the lack of any new stock from Eishindo. I have a Hankyu 9000 set on order. I have a Kiha 48 railcar on order. The Hankyu's delivery date has been passed, changed and passed again so many times that it's just not funny anymore. If something new came out then I'm sure my enthusiasm would come flooding back. But until then...

Pointing in the right direction

2009-05-26T18:22:00.002-05:00

OK BIG excitement over at the Eishindo website.

Drawings have appeared there for some new track sections, that includes, wait for it ... Pointwork!!! Not stopping there there is a diamond crossing and a third radius of curved track. A larger 145mm radius curve to go outside the current 132mm max radius. That will be nice, to have some larger radius curves. There are also drawings of some "half curve" 15 degree sections as opposed to the 30 degree of the standard curve and a "half straight" that is 30mm long instead of 60mm long.

The big excitement though surrounds the point work and crossing. This will really open the way up for proper model railway layouts. drawings can be seen here and here. The geometry of the crossing looks a little odd to those of you used to working in the bigger scales. But as we are talking such very small sizes of track components here. I think a few compromises had to be made to make them viable to produce. A certain member of talking T gauge is already sharpening his razor saw in preparation to cut them down and see if something more prototypical is viable.

All very exciting. No exact release date as yet, though I see Summer is stated after I ran the page through Google translate. It's times like this I wish I could read the Japanese on the Eishindo website. Instead I just drool over the drawings. Now if I could just get my Hankyu 9000...

Steady Progress...

2009-05-15T16:27:00.002-05:00

I seem to recall that remark often adorned my school report cards. "Ian has made steady progress this term".

Nothing remarkable just Steady progress...

Much the same can be said for Gonou. I've had most of the week off work (a "Staycation" as the Yanks are wont to call it.) Rather than drive on and get things finished, which I dare say I could have done this week. I just plodded away doing a bit of this and a bit of that. Fixing the roads in place, putting down some ground cover. Nothing that screams at you "Major T scale constructional job". Just easy work that has to be done. Also I didn't feel like tackling the petrol pumps at the petrol station and I'm still researching the Shinto Shrine.

So there you are "steady progress" towards finishing the layout.

Waiting for a London bus...

2009-05-08T20:02:00.004-05:00

Sheesh... Three posts in one day. It's like waiting for a London bus. None come along for a while and then you get three all at once... Just shows you what a man can do with the afternoon and evening to himself with some newfound enthusiasm...

This task is one of those that seemed like a good idea to start with and then when you come to try to photograph it. You curse because its difficult to show what you've actually done.

I was trying to model some reeds as shown in this picture on the Gonou photograph album that I have found so inspirational in creating this model.

I had the idea worked out perfectly I was going to use "pot toppers" available from Michaels craft store here in the US. Reeds can be tall so I figured that I would be able to get away with them even in T scale and I think I did. The colours on the fibres themselves are a bit bright straight from the package but they will tone down with a darker green paint.

The problem came when trying to photograph them. It is very difficult to get down to the right angle to show them to their effect. So you will have to make do with this shot until I can sort something better out.

Still waiting

2009-05-08T19:09:00.002-05:00

Take a look at the links on the side bar there. In particular the retailers . Several Japanese (of course). One in Australia and one in the UK. There are a couple of other retailers in England and mainland Europe as well that aren't on my list. So where is the retailer in the USA?

Simple answer. There isn't one. Why has no US retailer decided to stock the stuff? Why has no entrepreneur taken it upon themselves to launch tgaugeUSA.com? I can't quite fathom this out at all. I have been deluged with questions when at shows about where to buy T gauge trains. These people are quite disappointed when I tell them that the only way to get them in the USA is to order from Japan. These same people have then suggested that I start selling it. If I had the business acumen I might consider it. I have even bent the ear of a local retailer myself to try to persuade him to stock it. To no avail - yet.

So until someone steps up to the plate I guess we'll all have to keep ordering from Japan. Which is not all that inconvenient when you consider that an order from Hobby Search can be here 6 days after placing the order. (I have placed orders with Walthers in Milwaukee that can't even get out of the warehouse in that time) The exchange rate is still reasonable so the price isn't bad, a train and track set can still be had for under $100.

But I can't help thinking that someone, somewhere in this land of opportunity is missing out on one...

I've been working on the railroad...

2009-05-08T17:27:00.002-05:00

We're a bit overdue for an update here. I really should be getting some work done here and as a consequence, posting a bit more. So here we go. Today I decided that I could put the job off no longer and I fixed the track in place. A momentous step in reality. There's no going back now. I had put this step off for a while because I was waiting for the delivery of the Eishindo level crossing and then I was preparing my H0 scale layout for an exhibition. Now that the level crossing is built and painted there is no excuse not to do the job. My chosen method was to get some double sided foam tape and stick it to the underside of the track sections. The underside is recessed so that the track sticks level to the baseboard with no unsightly gaps. Though if there were any I would expect that they could be hidden by scatter materials. It was a simple task that barely took 30 minutes to accomplish but means a lot. Now with the track permanently down I can run trains whenever I feel like it. To celebrate this fact that is what I did. It was very gratifying and a testament to Eishindo quality that the trains ran perfectly immediately after having been stored for several months and the track had just been laying around in my model railway room accumulating dirt you would think. I sat back and watched the Chou line set navigate the track from many angles and was feeling pretty pleased with myself especially as I watched from the rear and saw the train cross the bridge with the lighthouse behind it. I was so pleased that I set up a shot of the scene for you all to see.

Still got a lot to do on the layout yet. I've got 4 tiny petrol pumps for the petrol station to build as well as a suggestion of an interior for the shop. Let's not forget the Shinto shrine atop the hill. But this view here really makes me feel pretty good about the whole project and wanting to carry on some more.

Level Crossing

2009-04-29T13:32:00.002-05:00

Now that the Saint Cloud train show is out of the way I can get on and do a bit more work on Gonou. A couple of weeks ago my level crossing arrived and it has been waiting patiently to be assembled. As with any T gauge stuff, the parts are small. So small and delicate looking in this case that I was actually worried about cutting them off the sprues in case I broke them. Luckily these worries were to be unfounded and the items came off the sprues very easily indeed. The crossing barriers and warning light poles come ready painted and before I assembled the parts I painted the roadway and the track. Everything goes together really easily though I did find it necessary to drill out the locating holes for the parts a bit so that placing the parts in them was easier. All in all it was only a 10-15 minute job to assemble it.

It looks the part and will do for me. Now I have to work out how I will make one to sit on a curved piece of set track at the other end of the layout.

Now with this finished I am at last able to fix all the trackwork in place on Gonou and I'll be able to run trains again.

Hello new viewers

2009-04-15T06:52:00.002-05:00

A big "Hi" to those of you dropping in for the first time through Carl Arendts "Small Layout Gallery" Website.
Things are a bit quiet at the moment as I'm currently sprucing up my H0 scale layout "Oneota Yard" for an exhibition outing in St Cloud, MN on April 25th. The Granite City Train Show. Any Minnesotans should check the show out. It really is Jolly good.
As for Gonou. The level crossing arrived and as usual with T scale stuff. It is scarily small. So much so I'm actually quite nervous about cutting it off the sprue.
So, take a look at the blog. There's over 70 entries about all aspects of T gauge modelling. I hope you enjoy what you see and keep coming back. Thanks for stopping by.

Something to look forward to.

2009-04-04T10:25:00.003-05:00

I got an email from Hobby Search in Japan today.

Level crossings are in and mine is being dispatched!

Hopefully it will be here by Friday.

This is doubly exciting for me because firstly it means that I can get on and lay the track and finally fix it in place. Secondly because I have been in dire need of some new T gauge stuff for a while. Not that my interest is flagging mind. Far from it. I'm still as keen as ever. I need that feeling you can only get when you see some impossibly tiny T gauge...

Is that like withdrawls?

Does this make me a T gauge junkie?

At least it's cheaper and safer than coke and heroin...

Up to date

2009-03-31T19:29:00.007-05:00

Despite being in a "holding pattern" so to speak things have come along recently so here are some up to the minute photos for you...

1. A view along the layout with the train pausing at the small station
2. The mouth of the river showing the railway and the road bridge
3. Another view of the river mouth with the lighthouse in the foreground. Yes it will work. In the distance you can make out the petrol station that i have started on. It will include model petrol pumps.
4. A view of the hill behind the station. A model of a Shinto Shrine will be placed up here as signified by the two Torii gates modelled up there.

There we go that is the state of play currently. The roadways have yet to be bedded in and there are a couple of level crossings to install before I can fix the track in place.

Holding pattern

2009-03-24T10:02:00.002-05:00

Things are a bit quiet on the T front at the moment.
I'm in an enforced holding pattern.
I'd like to get the track laid before I do anything more scenically. I think it would make more sense. I can't lay the track until I receive the upcoming level crossing. Which isn't until April so until then I sit and twiddle my thumbs or start a new blog on my 4mm scale modelling. You can read about that at http://4mmscaleagonies.blogspot.com/ Of course, if you're only interested in T then there won't be much there to interest you. But if, on the other hand, you like to read the ramblings of a frustrated railway modeller you might enjoy it.

Touching up the track

2009-03-18T19:32:00.003-05:00

Several months ago, in his Blog, David K Smith detailed his method for improving the Set track that comes with the Eishindo train set. You can read that here. I've been impressed with this since the moment I saw it and vowed to have a go. The end result and comparison shot is here.

I basically followed Davids' method except I did not paint the sides of the rail a rusty colour. I thought that just too fiddly. I thought that the difference would not be that noticeable. But even so with that stage missing, the painted track is still a huge improvement over the Eishindo product. I'm glad I did it.

This is one of those jobs that you have to be in the mood for. I tried several times to get started on the job and it took me three sessions over three evenings to do just one foot of track. Then another night, I switched to a different paint brush (a 18/0 spotter as opposed to a 000) and I did the rest of the track for the visible section of the layout in 90 minutes.

Was it the brush? I think it helped somewhat, as with such a small brush its difficult to overload it with paint. But I also think that I was in the mood to do it.

Thats just one more thing I never imagined doing when I started out on this T scale journey.

The battle of the little people

2009-03-13T13:43:00.003-05:00

Today I picked up a package from Japan from the post office. This one was the latest sets of little people from Eishindo. Who would believe that this tiny modelling scale would yield a selection of over 300 people to populate a layout!

Eishindo has 4 packs of people with 32 people in each pack and the Eduard etch of QE2 passengers has 180 passengers and crew...

I thought it might be interesting to compare and contrast the two ranges to see what is available to you. They are two very different types.

Firstly the Eishindo range. I'm thinking these figures must be injection moulded as they come attached to a sprue. As such these people are modelled in three dimensions. Running people have their legs behind and in front of them. There are also some very interesting poses. People running as I have just stated, people sat reading newspapers, a man carrying a child on his shoulders are some examples. All recreated very nicely, get in close with a magnifying glass and you can tell what they are.

Where these figures are let down is in the painting. Quite how these are even painted at all is a mystery to me. David K Smith postulated on "talking t gauge" that perhaps they were printed with an ink jet printer. As you can see from the extreme close up paint does indeed seem to be thrown at the figures. This picture is of set 005.

To give you an idea of size the mounting pin that the people are stood on is 1mm across. Figures below are from set 004
But as you get further away from them the painting becomes less noticeable. These figures below are from set 003 and are nearest to actual size. They are delicate and great care will need to be exercise when mounting them on the layout.
Compare these to the Etched figures from Eduard sold though Mr Hobby/Gunze Sangyo of Japan. These are flat etched nickel silver people. So they are flat, no people running. The most animated they get is a person waving an arm. But the painting/printing on these is outstanding. You can make out ties, belts, hair colours and faces.
The Eduard figures are available here.

So "You pays yer money and you takes yer choice" as they say. In this scale, at this size no one product is better than the other. It's two different bites of the same apple. There's a dynamism and reality to the Eishindo figures that the flat static Eduard ones just don't have. But because of the wildly different standard of finishing it might be unwise to mix them in the same scene. Clearly I'm going to have to take a deep breath, don my magnifier and learn to paint Eishindo figures. As with a little care I think they could be very very nice indeed.

On the Buses...

2009-03-12T12:40:00.004-05:00

It's amazement time again.
If there is one thing that T gaugers are in dire shortage of it's road vehicles.
Eishindo supply some delightful boats, some impossibly tiny bikes. But as yet no road vehicles. But fear not, for there are other avenues to get the automobiles for your T gauge world.
Through "talking t gauge" I came across a company called Gemini Jets. Who make (not unsurprisingly) model jet airliners to 1:400 scale. They also make a supporting range of airport structures and support and maintenance vehicles. Now 1:400 is not 1:450 but when it comes to a bus or a delivery truck it's not really going to make much difference I think.
Pictured here these are quite a delightful selection of vehicles. So I succumbed and ordered a box.
I placed the order on Monday lunchtime. Wednesday afternoon they were on the doorstep when I got home. Awesome service from Gemini Jets and Past-time hobbies of Illinois.
Once again, as always, when I opened the package I was amazed. The quality is superb. For this tiny size the detail is amazing. The buses have seats inside for Pete's sake! The Catering truck and the cargo loader have boxes and decks that raise as the real things do! No flash, no ridge lines. Lovely paint jobs. The box says "models for craftsmen built by craftsmen". I won't argue there. The price of these delightful items $23.95. Not cheap. But worth it.
Lets look at the vehicles. There are two buses that will be useable without any modification whatsoever and the same can be said for the fuel tanker.
The large catering truck and the smaller truck with steps could easily be converted to ordinary delivery vehicles without too much trouble I imagine. I suppose I'll get to find out in the not too distant future... I imagine that the cargo and luggage loaders and aircraft pullers will be difficult if not impossible to do anything with. the same might be said for the luggage trolleys. But I have to wonder if anyone will try to convert the tiny tractor unit that hauls the luggage trolleys to resemble a jeep. I think that is do-able.
Gemini Jets are at www.geminijets.com

Craggy Island

2009-03-08T13:13:00.003-05:00

"Now Dougal these are small, but those are far away"...
So runs my favourite ever line from the great comedy series "Father Ted". We know these are small. The lighthouse is about 1 inch tall, and the prototype is far away (to me) so it's an appropriate quote to use.
For quite a while now my model of Torii Saki lighthouse has sat on a shaped block of white polystyrene. Once it got referred to as the "iceberg" on the "talking t gauge" forum, I figured it was about time to get on and produce a better island for the lighthouse to stand on. A dig around on the internet came up with a decent picture of the craggy island that the prototype stood on. So I set to with my hot wire cutter and hacked the styrene into something that resembled the shape of the island in the photograph before me. Then I coated it with lightweight spackle and painted it up and gave it the scenic treatement much as I did with the rest of the rock faces on the layout. The result is seen below.
The Island itself will be connected to the mainland by a rocky causeway much as the protoype is. The finishing touches to the island will be to add the light to the lighthouse, bed the lighthouse onto the island and fit it in place. Another element of the layout nears completion.

Stoppit stoppit stoppit!!!

2009-03-02T15:05:00.002-06:00

Sometimes the T gauge world gets crazy exciting. Now is one of those times. For in one of my regular looks at the Hobbysearch website I discovered this. The level crossing is now available to order! I need two of these fellows for Gonou. Another impossibly tiny piece of scenic neccesity.
Delivery is scheduled for April. My order is placed...

Get yer Hanky(us) out...

2009-03-02T10:20:00.002-06:00

I was so busy with making things this weekend I neglected to mention the other T gauge occurence of note.
For longer than I care to remember. I've been on the waiting list for the forthcoming Hankyu 9000 unit model at Hobby search in Japan. Deadline dates for the release of the model have come and gone and changed and come and gone for months now. The release of the Hankyu is important. The train has a new drive train ('scuse the pun) for improved performance and is a delightful looking model to boot.
On Saturday morning I got an email telling me that I could place an make a reservation/order for one.
I still don't know how far off release date for the model is, but at least I've ordered one.

Decisions decisions

2009-03-01T20:54:00.003-06:00

Well, not 5 minutes after I posted the first picture of the road bridge on the talking T gauge forum I was greeted with a post from one of our antipodean cousins* (Australians) to the effect of how they thought that the single pier in the middle of the river didn't look right. It wasn't until this was mentioned to me that I thought.
"You know what? They're right". As the piers take only a matter of minutes to construct using styrene strip I made another one and fitted it in place.
It makes a huge improvement.
Another glowing advert for the effectiveness of the talking T gauge forum...

* OK so I know that technically Australia is only antipodean to the UK. But I'm from the UK so Australia will always be the antipodes to me (besides I really like the word)...

The other bridge

2009-03-01T18:23:00.002-06:00

Another day and another modelling project approaches completion. This time it's the "other bridge". The road bridge that sits behind the railway bridge. When I left it a few posts ago I was mulling over the idea of the central pillar. Well today I quickly made one installed it and decided it looked right. So it became a part of the bridge and now painted, it makes the bridge look right. The bridge is based on no real prototype, just an amalgam of images off the internet. But it definitely looks like a proper bridge to me.That's another project done bar the weathering and installation. Progress is getting exciting.

Torii Gate

2009-02-27T20:32:00.003-06:00

To be honest. I didn't think I'd be making two posts today. But I was so fascinated by the pictures of Torii Gates that I found on the internet, that I just had to set to and start working on a model of one. I didn't realise I'd almost have one finished by the end of the day. I was so fascinated by the project that I ended up forgetting about dinner until I noticed I was getting very hungry.
What spurred me on the most was finding some writings on the proportions of a Gate. So with that in mind and some 2.5mm styrene tube to hand I set about working up a drawing that I could use. This 1:450 scale model is pretty close to the correct proportions for a Torii Gate.
Once I had the drawing the rest of the way was easy. I just cut styrene tube and strip to size, pinned it on top of the drawing and stuck it all together as in the picture below.
The basic gate was pretty easy. The curved top section, or Kasagi, was a bit more of a problem and I spent quite a while working out how to recreate that part. In the end I didn't model a curve, just a slope. But the effect is still OK. Then a bit of filler later. I had what you see in the picture below. If you must know, the filler is still setting in the picture. But I was so excited by the whole project I had to make this blog entry.
So after the filler has set and I've cleaned it up. I'll give it a coat of red and black paint and it will be done.
Construction was simplicity itself and I spent more time researching the structure and working out how to make it than I did making it.

Balancing act.

2009-02-27T14:20:00.002-06:00

Here are a couple of progress shots with scenic elements (and trains) thrown in there to get a feel for things and one thing is painfully obvious. The layout is off balance. There is more going on on the right hand side (houses, bridges, lighthouse) than the left (erm... nothing much a train dives into a tunnel). Even with a forest atop the hill things will still be off balance. So I really have to have something going on at this left hand side. I had mooted the idea of a Shrine or Castle or something up there for a while but wasn't entirely sure if it was needed. I thought a tree covered hillside might do it instead.
So a shrine it has to be. Somehow I don't think the gods would be best pleased at the thought of a railway diving underneath their shrine. But they'll have to compromise.
So something new to learn about - Shinto Shrines.
The research has started. I've found some pictures of typical entry gates (Torii gates) That should be an interestingly simple structure to start with and set me well on the way.
There's always something about T gauging to keep you interested

Steady Progress

2009-02-23T18:32:00.003-06:00

Following on from the successful work on the cliff faces at the left hand side of the layout. I decided to work on the right hand side, where the biggest extent of cliff face will be. After a while it began to look quite acceptable to me. So I added the bridges houses and the roadway (the roadway will, of course be painted a tarmac colour) and took a picture for the records. Methinks it's looking pretty good. You'll also see that I have started to be paint the sea in. But that will be a story for another day...

The lie of the land

2009-02-20T16:59:00.003-06:00

Starting work on the scenery proper is always a daunting job for me, whatever the scale of the layout. It's make or break time for it I feel and working in a new scale made things even more nerve wracking.
But today I decided I could put it off no longer and had to get on and start covering the ground with something other than the earth paint from Woodland Scenics. Luckily, I had a lot of various foliage materials to hand and so I just set to and started covering the ground in much the same way as I would if I was modelling in any other scale. At all times I was referring to the pictures on the Gonou photogallery to help me decide what grades of foliage should go where. In the end I ran out of Hob-e-tac used for sticking the foliage to the hillside and had to stop for the day. The following 2 pictures are the results of the days work. The structures have just been put in place to give you a feel for the way it will look when finished.At the moment I'm undecided as to if the road bridge at the rear needs a central pillar or not. I think a structural engineer might just tell me Yes.
The rock faces seen in this picture were very simply created by spreading spackle on the area and shaping it to look like rocks. I then painted it a mid grey and have been dry brushing and adding washes of darker and lighter greys and black on there for added texture and relief. The flattish top of the hill will mainly be covered in trees though I will likely add some kind of structure like a shrine or castle on top, for something interesting to look at.

Earth Movements

2009-02-16T15:25:00.004-06:00

Lately there's been some landscaping developments on the layout. Pretty major earth movements when you think about it.
I was, it has to be said, not terribly happy with the shape of the hill massif behind the station. Though I did like the idea of the train running through a deep cutting to the tunnel mouth at the rear of the layout. It just made the hill an awkward shape. So out of curiosity. I added a lump of foam to the front of the layout cut a hole in it for the tunnel mouth and looked at it. Instantly I liked what I saw and I fixed the foam in place and covered it with spackle to create a new landscape. One that I am much happier with. After that had all set I painted the land with woodland scenic earth colour. This gets rid of the blizzard landscape and makes the land start to look like land. Here's the result of that work.
With the track, station and tunnel mouth in place you can see that the layout is really beginning to take shape. The hill looks a lot more believeable than before. The white, by the way, that you see is some extra spackle that will be carved and painted to look like a cliff face. Really I'm very very happy with the way things are progressing.

More Gonou line pictures

2009-02-10T20:34:00.005-06:00

Regular readers here are now well versed in the inspirational photogallery that started me off on this Odyssey, the Gonou line photogallery. Well, the same photographer has now added some more pictures of this scenic line. These pictures were taken in the winter. You can see them here The sea is rough, the area is covered in snow, but it still looks very scenic.
I'm also drawn to the pictures of the rather brightly coloured DMU in several of the pictures with its red, orange, yellow and black front end it looks like one of those dragons that you see dancing in the streets at Chinese new year celebrations. I like it. I might have to try something like that for my first serious atempt at scratchbuilding some T gauge rolling stock.
Update:
A quick posting on the jtrains group on Yahoo! has lead to the discovery of more information about the colourful DMU seen in some of the pictures on the website.
It is a Kiha 47 resort Shirakami train. Refurbished from the Kiha 40 DMU's to cater for the increased traffic on the line from people visiting the World Heritage site the Shirakami Mountains.
There are three types of train distinguished by their different colour schemes inspired by the area
The Buna, green coloured set based on the Buna trees (Beech trees to Westerners) found in great quantities on the mountains
The Aoike, blue/white colour set inspired by the blue water of the Aioke pool, uppermost of the Juniko water pools on Shirakami mountains.
The Kumagera, based on Kumagera bird (or black Woodpecker) found on the mountains.
This is the set that is pictured on the site.
Fascinating stuff. I'm now going to find out more about the fascinating Shirakami Mountains. Whoever said model railways were boring?

The March of the little people

2009-02-09T17:56:00.002-06:00

Yes, dear readers. Its time to be amazed again as something awesome in 1:450 scale has come into my possession.
These etched figures from Eduard of the Czech republic. They are supposed to be passengers for a 1:450 scale model of the QE2. But people are people and this etch of close to 180 people will populate many T gauge layouts, instead of cruising the high seas...
They are tiny, so incredibly tiny. Yet the "painting" of the clothing is awesome. I use the work painting loosely. I'm sure these must have been printed somehow. But I'm not bothered about the technicalities of how they did it. I'm just amazed at what has been done.
As the people are etched out of metal (Nickel Silver I should think) they are thin. Very thin. But then again if you were to scale me and my 33 inch waist down to 1:450 just how thin would I be?