I'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

I hate 1:1 projects
I still have the Halloween decorations up

Dave

I quit!

Fantastic details. No trace of glue like all my stuff.

Please don't tell me this is HO scale!

I'm glad you climbed it because I'm to old for that. Great visuals on the components.

Quote from: GaryMc on December 15, 2025, 10:13:45 AMLarry,
Very nice, the shop scene is coming to life with every added detail.

I totally agree. It's coming to life.

You just need a speaker underneath so visitor can hear  a tape recording of the machinist swearing for making that part on the lathe too small!

Dear Jeff.

Scoreboard says it all.
My finger nails are much shorter after the game than beforehand.
Just call me Stumpy.

GO BILLS!

Ive been laid up and slowed down this week with a Swollen leg due to a blood clot. I'm on blood thinners now.

Mike I Understand what you mean now, I never noticed the distinction of wood frame versus brick wall windows before.  I was way off in the type of windows I should use.  Tichy Trains seems to have a good arched masonry window I could use in stead of what I found in my junk boxes

As i gathered more photos of the prototype building, it dawned on me that it went though a few physical structural changes. Two in particular stood out, The number of windows on the side of the building were added to. And the " store front"  seemed to change from Wood to Brick over the years.
Photos below show the distinctions between those mentioned elements

Quote from: Mike the Trainman on December 12, 2025, 04:52:14 PMDave, I have to use my glasses now as with all my modeling.  

Getting old sucks.
But luckily. I'm an optician professionally. Bifocals and reading glasses have allowed me to be a hot rodder, slot car racer and model railroader for 50+ years.

😅

I'd seen that ruler on the Internet before.
I had thought of grabbing one


So what is the review of the product from both of you?

https://incra.com/measuring_marking-marking_rules.html

When I did a search. I typed Inca instead of Incra.
Learned a lot about all the rulers from the entire Inca Civilization. Apparently they didn't do any model railroading.
Doh!

Fifth Dave to the right

Sounds like a Tom Petty tune.

"You don't know how I feel"

Get well soon my friend. I will assume you will be unable to travel this weekend.
Best wishes and more importantly prayers for a faster recovery.

Dave

Keep in mind it's about 2.5" tall at most.
I was thinking of using a drill press to taper a dowel. Chucks don't always open as wide as the part you want to make and can leave nasty crush marks of the jaws on the part.

So....to start with, I thought of using two different size dowels. In the "big" dowel, drill a pilot hole the size of the small dowel. Glue the small, inch long dowel into the hole.

Now I have a way of chucking the little dowel into the drill press without ruining the actual part, the big dowel will then  be tapered to shape. At least that's the theory.
When done, just cut the small dowel off.

I don't own a lathe, so my drill press will have to suffice......unless any of you want to volunteer to play on your own lathe.

The other possibility was to steal one of my wife's knick knacks with the little lighthouses on them  and pray to God she never realizes that it's gone and has been  repurposed on the North Coast Railroad.

(Obituary to follow.)

Fifth Dave to the right

I have a metal cabinet drawer full of Floquil paint bottles. Haven't opened that drawer in 30 years, unless I opened it by mistake, looking for something else.