Recent content by HoosierDaddy

I had a fun thing happen yesterday. I was with two of my boys killing time at the train depot in Lafayette, IN. There's a double track NS line and a single CSX line that runs by the passenger platform. When we got there, there was a northbound NS train that was just stoping with its tail end...

I can tell you how it went for some old diesels I sent in. I had aquired some old pancake motored Bachmann F7A's in Santa Fe Warbonnet paint for probably less than $5 apiece as part of an ebay lot. I sent them in along with $10 each for diesel repair and got back, (in about 2 weeks) two new...

I like the changes that you have made to the building. I built one of these, unchanged from the original design in HO as a temporary building on my layout. I like the looks, and especially the cost:mrgreen:. For reference, this building and others can be found at the following site. Build...

Here's a picture of an engine house that I just completed. I've weathered it with chalk and placed it on the layout since I took this picture.

Thanks for all the kind words, I really appreciate it. I'm only now, after 4 years into the hobby, getting to the point where I'm starting to build structures. (Yeah, I'm slow) Since this is the largest one of the three I've built, I'm happy to hear that it looks like a success. I'll have to...

Build Update I've gotten the majority of this kit built now, and thought I'd share some update photos. Here is a close-up of an area of the roof. The roof was painted with a mix of grey,black and tan that I mixed together, thinned with water, and brush painted on. The smoke jacks were painted...

It sounds like a grade transition problem to me too. If it goes from 4% grade to 0% grade too abruptly, the coupler on the trailing car will drop out of the bottom of the leading cars coupler. If you can ease the transition, making it less angular and more curvatious. If you need, I can draw...

That third arrangement definitely looks the best to me so far. What does it look like if you slide down the two buildings next to the Hardware store and leave the machine shop where it is? It would give a little more separation between the merchant type shops and the industrial type area. You...

I've gotten the kit that I ordered, and I have started working on it, so I thought I would give a little progress update if anyone's interested. First thing I did was brush paint the brick sections with a color that I had mixed up previously. The paints were thinned, craft acrylics. The brick...

Wow, I have yarrow and candy tuft planted in the landscaping around my house. Now if I could just get the plastic Mediterranean Garden to grow I'll be set for trees. Very nice tutorial TrainNut. HD

The last time I was at a wedding reception, they had little individual packages at each place setting of mints wrapped in tulle. I of course grabbed all the discarded tulle left on our table after everyone had opened theirs and eaten the mints (I was discreet). My wife looked at me with a 'What...

Dave, Thanks for replying. That is a nice job you did on yours. The rust streaks around the smoke jacks looks really good. The bit of advice about gluing on the roof is a great tip that I might have overlooked. HD

I just got this kit and I thought that before I got started on it, I'd ask if anyone else had built this kit. If so, any tips or tricks to building this, or any ideas for interesting modifications? I model the late '40s, so this will likely be a still used, but less than new facility for the...

I'm using powdered chalk scraped from a pastel chalk stick and applying it with a brush. I used a fairly big, stiff bristle brush, which I think was a little heavy-handed. It is the brush I use to get chalk into all the nooks and cranies of an outside braced boxcar. wrong tool for the job...

Are you going to have a clear cut-off line between each season, or blend gradually from one to another. I think the latter option would be extremely difficult to pull off, but would look spectacular if done right. Has anybody seen this done successfully before? HD