Quote from: Rick on Today at 07:27:01 AMBernd, why not start a thread yourself.

Naw, that's OK. Wouldn't know what section to start one in. Besides there are lot's of builds going on which is close to "what's on my workbench".

It was just a spur of the moment thought. I was looking down through the forum sections and wondered why  there are subjects in there that haven't been used at all. Waste of space in my opinion.

Bernd

Morning crew. Was down in the shop yesterday in the morning working at (playing  ) CNCing out more quarry car sides. A couple more sheets of .020" thick sheet brass to go to get 50 cars.



More time being spent in the shop today.

I think we need a "What's on My Workbench" section. What do you think?

Have a great day everybody.

Bernd

Quote from: deemery on March 04, 2026, 11:39:53 AMBernd, thanks for the information/inspiring photos....  This will be a great 2 evening project when I get frustrated with something else...

dave

You're welcome.

B

Here's a chicken coup and corn crib to feed the chickens. I got these out of the "Easy-to-Build Model Railroad Structures" by Willard Anderson a Kalmbach Pup. Hope you can use them.








Bernd

Quote from: deemery on March 03, 2026, 06:22:06 PMAnother farm question:  Do the chickens run 'free range', or are they fenced in?  And if they're running loose, do they find their own roosting spots, do they naturally go into the barn, or do they have to be rounded up each night?   (I have near zero experience with a farm, just a week spent on a 'gentleman's farm' when I was in grade school.  Mostly what I remember from that was going fishing in the farm pond.)

Well Dave when I was younger and lived at home I had a chickens in a chicken coup. The chickens had free range of the yard. When it started to get duck they would slowly work their way back to the coup. Their water and feed was kept in the coup so that's where they would go. The hen's would head back to the coup to lay the egg's if a nesting box was provided for them. I did occasionally find eggs in the yard in tall grass. The only reason for a fence would be to keep the chick predators form catching a chicken, like a fox.

Bernd

Quote from: labdad on February 27, 2026, 06:58:13 PMGreat work! 👍
Too small for me.
What machines do you use? Sherline?
Maybe you've seen my 3/4" to the foot scratch built Shay.
MJinTN

It's bought. e-Bay thanks to Rich Wolfanger (aka pennman)

I was into building a 1 1/2" scale live steam many years ago. Still have the castings for it.

Basement machine shop: Bridgeport mill, Logan lathe, Grizzly Mini-Mill, Sherline Lathe, Sherline CNC mill. Carbide 3D Shapeoko Nomad3 CNC router/engraver, ComGorw Robo CNC router/engraver, plus many woodworking tools.

Nope, haven't seen your 3/4" Shay.

Bernd

Just added another logging engine to my roster. I now have a complete set of Shay's, Heisler's amd a Climax. I'll have to get the whole family of geared engines together for a family portrait. But first I have to locate some of the family. 



Bernd

Morning crew. Bench time today. Working on my HOn30 rotary dumper.

I've got a nitpick to pick on this forum. It says I'm 75 today. Not true. My birthday is March 5th. Says so in the profile section. Seems like the forum software wants to make you older than I really am. I don't need the software help getting older. I'm doing fine on my own. <LOL>

Thank you for the attention to this matter.

Bernd

Ron said:

QuoteBernd, glad to see you stop in, sounds like an interesting clinic you will presenting tonight.

Trying to help diversify with some subject content. When I first joined the NTM Zoom group it was pretty much wooden scratch built buildings, weathering, scenery, some 3D printing and so for. Now with the third regime change the guy running it is looking for more diversified material. Model railroading has a large tent with many different subjects.

Jeff said:

QuoteBernd, thanks for the link to the New Tracks Modeling YouTube page.  Watched one of the layout tours and will subscribe.

When you do say Hi so I know you are on the Zoom.

Bernd

Morning crew. Working on my third cup of coffee and the wife's raisin and molasses cookies.

Tonight is New Tracks Modeling night. I'll be presenting part two of my HOn30 diesel cabs that were a tribute to "Geezer". I'll be presenting adding some detail, two types of motor drive systems, and a paint job. These are the HOn30 engines I presented here in a thread. I will also be presenting some soldering tricks in making a TT scale antenna for an Erie caboose, plus custom built windows for a Syudam engine house using some soldering techniques and fixtures. This will be in the "My Build" segment of the Zoom meet.

If you are interested there are three ways you can watch the whole NTM featuring presenters with there modeling techniques, layout visits, plus guest speakers like Bob Banta who will be presenting a build-a-long  on April first.

You can go to the NTM website and sign up to receive a link to join A Zoom meeting, watch it live on You Tube or watch it at your convenance on You-Tube at New Tracks Modeling.

Link for a subscription: New Tracks Modeling

Link to You-Tube: https://www.youtube.com/@NewTracks

Bernd

A snowy and cold morning from Rochester,NY. Just got a dusting this far west from the east coast.

Went to my first RPM meet this past Saturday, "Rochester Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet". Was very interesting to see some outstanding modeling. Otto VanDrak, editor of RMC was there since he lives in Rochester. Also caught up with a couple of Rochester Model Railroad club members I had known when I was a member of the then called Kodak City Model Railroad club. Didn't stay for any of the clinks because I just wanted to see what it was all about. Looking forward to next years show and maybe even signing up to display something.

Bernd

A little late to the steam engine party. That steam engine is known as a launch engine used in early steam boats. It was used to power the Climax Class A engines. Here some pictures of it on the engine.











Bernd

Turned out real nice Vagel.

Bernd

Quote from: Dave Buchholz on January 26, 2026, 02:57:05 PMI've often noticed that barns here in the Northeast, have a ramp up to one side and ground floor entrance on the other. My assumption has been the cows are housed on the ramp side, and the manure hauled away from the lower side. I would suspect the wagon is placed under a hole in the upper floor, and the droppings  shoveled or broomed down the hole to the awaiting wagon for field fertilization

The ramp to the one side was for brining in the hay and other assorted feed for the cows. Which was then dropped through holes in the floor to the cows below. The cows were on the lower level which was concrete.
There was a trough in back of the cows with a chain type auger the would push the manure out to a manure wagon.

I don't think you'd want cows in the upper part on wooded floors. Your equipment below would not fare well.

Here's the offical word from Duck Duck Go AI:

I can't display images, but I can describe a barn design that fits your request.

Barn Design with Ramp and Open Bottom

Structural Features

Ramp to First Floor: The barn has a sturdy, wide ramp leading up to the first floor, allowing easy access for equipment or livestock.

Open Bottom Section: The ground floor of the barn has large openings on the sides, allowing cows to enter and exit freely. This offers ventilation and natural light.

Appearance

Material: Constructed from wood, giving it a rustic look, with metal roofing for durability.
Dimensions: The barn is spacious, typically around 30-40 feet wide and 20-30 feet tall, with the first floor raised to accommodate the ramp.

Functionality

Loft Area: The first floor can be used for storage of hay or equipment.
Cows' Area: The open bottom provides shelter and space for cows, keeping them protected from harsh weather while allowing them to roam freely.
Feel free to ask if you're looking for specific design elements or functionalities!

This barn is more for cows to roam freely. My parents land boarded up next to a farmer's land that had a barn open on the bottom. He kept his heifers in there till they were ready and old enough to produce milk. Used to play in the barn after the farmer quite farming and went to work for Kodak.

It also depends on what animals the farmer is rasing. Is it milk cows? Is it beef cows. Is it horses? Is it sheep? All depends on the type of farming you do and the landscape avialable to you at the time of setting up the farm.

Here's a couple of pictures of those barns for milk production. More so for the second one because it has windows in the bottom part. Also note auger for loading manure into the manure wagon





Bernd

Dave,

Looking good. The stain looks great too.

I don't think that's a bridge for cars, right? You'd probably remove the front bumper on the approach and the rear bumper going up the incline. Then transitioning to the straight part you'd take off the exhaust pipe. But then being a TOC layout it probably be horse powered right?

Bernd