I think I have MRADD. This is an affliction where one cannot focus on a type of modeling or a scale, I like them all hence my handle Rubbergauge.
I started my model railroad hobby in the late 70's as a member of the Bay Ridge club in Brooklyn. This was an O Scale outside third rail club that had an automatic train control system using telephone company switching relays. There was quite a racket of clicking when the trains were running. It was in the basement of an apartment house on Marine Ave. This was a very old club with a great bunch of guys. I lost touch with them when I moved to the burbs. I passed by there a few years ago and it looked like it was gone. I was surprised to hear it is being moved and assembled at the Kingston NY trolley museum.
Also in Brooklyn at the time was an HO club on 4th Ave that I would visit and upon each visit be torn with the urge to change to HO. I'm still conflicted and since then in addition to O I have had On3 models, HO models, I recently sold off my large collection of Sn3. So I provide a service to the hobby buying items at full price and reselling at a discount.
I never had room for a layout living in apartments and houses with no basements. I recently retired and moved to a house with a big empty basement. Another interest is 71/4 inch equipment and I belong to the Adirondak Live Steamers and I recently completed a loop of track around my house. So now I'm ready to start a layout and I'm going to clean out my remainder of O/On3 and hopefully stick with HO. I'm going HO because I want to get into operations and I love structure kits and HO has so many I'd like to build. I've visited George, Dick Elwell, Chris Adams, Jim Dufour and many others and was quite impressed by all. I don't think I can do anything up to the standards and artistry of these folks but it's something fun to pass the time and maybe I'll have some success.
The town I live in Millerton NY has a rich railroad history with until 1937 four railroads coming thru town and three of them converged at a wye at the Connecticut/NY State Line that is a few thousand feet from my house. Coal from Pennsylvania was floated across the Hudson river and brought across Dutchess County and transferred at the State Line wye for shipment through out New England. This is what I'd like to model. Right now I'm in the analysis paralysis stage of trying to come up with a track plan. I thinking maybe I need to retain a design service. I bought 3rdplanit but it seems to me to be difficult to learn.
I've built a lot of structure kits in S scale and think the Crystal River and Raggs to Riches are among the best. I was going to try and build an O scale version of the FSM Coal Bunker but it looked really to big. I never built one of George's kits and recently saw his 2 stall engine house for sale on Ebay. I always admired this kit so I bought it. I also have a Coal Bunker coming. When the engine house came I was surprised at how well preserved it was and that there was a bag of pebbles in it. So far I'm liking this kit and here is the beginning of my build.
I'll be following.
I'll be following as well. I haven't built that particular FSM kit but I have built more than my fair share of them. Have fun with it. :D
Very nice start and I'm in on the following as well.
Tom ;D
Thanks for introducing yourself and giving us a little background. If you sign your first name to your posts we can refer to you by name, just seems friendlier to me.
I'll be watching as I have this kit on the shelf.
Welcome to the forum Rubbergauge.....I started this kit back in the early 70's and never quite got it finished. It's still sitting on the layout along with a few of its unfinished neighbors, misery loves company. :-[ Don't forget the photos.....because we all love pictures. :)
Welcome to the Forum ... nice start to this classic kit !
Tommy
Looking good.
Cheers, Mark.
Welcome to the forum - I will be following along on your build.
Welcome aboard, I am sure you will enjoy the ride.
ed
Welcome and no problem being a Rubbergauger think we all are in our own way, For me N sale and Z but do them all.
Just like the smaller scale better
rich
Moving along the walls are assembled and the windows are in.
Joe
Joe,
That is coming along nicely. Did you use some kind of form for the stone portion of the walls?
Looks great.
Joe,
Looking very nice. The colors just seem to go with the engine house.
Tom ;D
hey Joe:
that's coming along very nicely so far.
Karl
Jerry,
I just loaded white glue onto each side and added the pebbles. The trim on one side of the pebbles acts as a dam to keep them in line and I pushed a block on the bottom of the side to act as a dam there. Graffen told me he used thinned grout as mortar on the pebbles in his kit. I think it really adds to the illusion of a stone foundation. I wish I had done something like that also. Maybe it's not to late to try?
Moving along I started on a base and the roof. I had a lot of trouble cutting the shingle sheets into rows. Even with a new blade I had trouble getting a clean cut as the sheet wanted to tear. Maybe it's due to the age of the sheets? I think next time I'll use some other shingles.
Yesterday there was a surprise at my front door, the FSM Coal Bunker kit is here!
Not much to report other than the base has the ties and rails mounted and is ready for adding the structure. Forgot to mention in my last post thanks for the nice comments!
Joe
hey Joe:
The floor looks just great.
Karl
Hi Joe,
I agree with Karl. Your floor coloring looks really nice--lots of variety in the boards.
--Opa George
Got the structure glued to the base and some more work on the roof completed. Now on to the roof rafters and some interior detail.
Opa George and Karl,
thanks for the comments.
Joe
Very nice structure and the colors look great.
Looking really nice, Joe.
Cheers, Mark.
Looks really good Joe. You're doing a great job on a classic kit. :D
What Bob said.....looking good. 8)
Made a little more progress. Still a ways to go.
Joe
Looks great.
Looking great! Appreciate you sharing your progress.
-Steven