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I seem to have stumbled on a method for generating custom cubic easements, using Macromedia FreeHand, without calculations or templates. At the risk of making a total ass of myself, I've put together a demonstration: http://arms.x10hosting.com/wiki/FreeHand_Easements In short, the...

Before the oldtimers laugh so hard something breaks and falls to the floor, I'll just admit I'm new to this. I'm a quick learner and I do have plenty of experience with fine detail assembly but after months of study, I'm still discovering new things daily. There is no such thing as a generic...

Given a lot of thought to benchwork. Going modular, weight is a critical consideration -- but so is dimensional stability. Climate control is nonexistent; not only do I have no control at the run session, I must expect extreme conditions during transportation. I don't see that any simple set...

I'm getting nowhere without reasonably accurate track templates. A turnout is not just the intersection of a circle and a straight line. I know you all want me to get XtrkCad and I'm sure I will but for now, I don't have a box that can run that application. Little luck, either, finding track...

Steamhead: Yes, free-mo is an HO modular standard. Track 6 may not be used at all; perhaps it will be a place to set out just one car. Perhaps it will be a run-down dining car used as a diner... Waste is American. Free-mo doesn't seek to form a big module loop; small layouts tend to be...

Enough theory. At some point I have got to build some real track. Questions, questions. Here's a rough preliminary sketch of my idea for a free-mo module -- "Susquehanna Junction", can be used as a corner, straight, or both: This was sketched with general-purpose drawing tools; I...

Hump Yard Cybernetics A real working hump yard is about the most ambitious thing I've heard anybody talk about building. As other posters have mentioned, some cars run more freely than others -- and over quite a range. If you build a low hump, some cars may not roll at all; if you build a high...

The sign is excellent. Look around at old city buildings. Often, row houses or commercial buildings were built right up to the property line; so no windows were installed. Later, when the neighbor was torn down, the blank wall made for an obvious advertising opportunity. These ads were often...

I can see how entirely correct that is. I simply have the wrong brake parts entirely -- parts for later cars. Instead of housing and fulcrum, I need the exposed ratchet and pawl. The brake club explains the variety of actual brake wheels. Late brake wheels all tend to look alike, with...

It does indeed, but I still have issues. Early steam cars had vertical brake staffs regardless of type -- I agree. Later steam and war era boxes had very short horizontal brake staffs going directly into the housing containing ratchet and pawl -- so I seem to be finding out. Some of these were...

I've been searching the web like mad; as I said, it's not easy to find just what you're looking for. I'm starting to get the general drift, though. At my level of ability, I'll settle for a plausible car, although I'd prefer prototypical accuracy. I believe I'm learning a lesson. (I'm new to...

I'm modeling late steam flatcars (SP 540028 and ATSF 90861); naturally, the supplied brake equipment is all wrong. I've bought decent-looking brake parts (Cal-Scale BW-351) but unfortunately, these seem to be made for boxes, reefers, hoppers -- almost anything except flats. The problem is...