Involving specific sites mentioned in daily posts
I’ve said before that a photo provides more than just a visual image of an object, especially rail cars or locomotives. It provides context, and context is worth more than a thousand words to a modeller.
Site 1: Tim O’Connor’s Flickr Page
Tim’s been scanning his dad’s slides from the mid 1970s through early 1980; And they’re up on Flickr. Tim’s dad seems to have been pretty prolific in his photography. I look forward to seeing what else Tim might have in his Dad’s stash. (Link here)
So much for catching up! I had promised to catch up on my posts after a long week of the flu; Sun Tzu was right – no plan survives first contact with an adversary (or a past time).
Site 1: BobbyPitts44 build of a flexiflow car
Over on the FreeRails forum (Link Here) there’s a brief discussion on the work done to take what is essentially a 1960s era toy freight car and turn it into a scratchbuilding masterpiece.
While the forum does not have a lot of information on the build, luckily his Flickr site does. Everything is back – to – front, but there is some really amazing work there to be viewed.
View the Flickr site (Link here)
It’s great work and well worth a view.
Introduction
Lance Mindheim is a force in the design of operational layouts. Today’s site seeing tour takes us to an article on his views and to his new website (built on WordPress no less).
Site 1: Railroad Model Craftsmen
In this article (offsite link) Lance talks about the play value in our layouts, and how without the play value, the layout will in the long run fail to please.
Site 2: Lance Mindheim’s new site
Lance has moved his site (offsite link) across to a new platform that finally allows searching. He’ll be updating and moving older content across to the new site over time. But for the moment the link I’ve provided takes you straight to the blog. This is where most of the content is right now.
It’s O scale day! And today there are resources everywhere.
One of the best modellers out there today, in O scale, is Mike Cougill. Mike’s been a railroad modeller for over 40 years and been actively involved in the hobby press for a long time. Mike’s written magazine articles, a regular column and been the editor of O Scale Trains Magazine before starting a new company, OST Publications. Mike’s partner in the new business passed away in 2013 and he’s run the company since.
Site 1: OST Publications
The aspect of OST Publications (link here) approach that I like most is a focus on doing great work, and thinking things through to yourself as a modeller. I have no interest in any of the sites that I bring up while ‘Site seeing’ except as a participant, or satisfied customer.
Among the best areas of the site are the free downloads. I’ve since bought a couple of his ‘Missing conversation’ series e-books and I just saw another one on scratchbuilding that I’m going to buy tonight once I’ve finished writing this post.
Site 2: Proto48 Modeller
More of a resource centre for those modelling in Proto48 (finescale 1/48th O Scale) I like the site’s approach to sharing information on manufacturers and, suppliers and publishers that are specific to Proto48. I am simply too lazy to model to this level, however, I do like to see the skills of others and to gain ideas from them about how to make my modelling more acceptable to me.
There are a lot of resources here, along with articles and lots of links. Enjoy
Resources:
OST Publications
Proto48 Modeler
I’ve said it before that I love the Internet – when I need information on a specific locomotive or car I can find it at a moments notice.
Site 1: The Diesel Detailer
One of the best US focused locomotive sites on the web. This site is especially useful for modellers (link here). There are boards for all levels of diesel modellers and those interested in improving their modelling.
There are boards for specific diesel manufacturers, Alco, EMD, etc. with more boards by generation also. So if you need a second generation (Dash-2) model there’s a board for that too.
When you get a chance take a look and let me know what you think.
Yesterday I focused on David Ballie’s Victorian Railways scratchbuilding site. In keeping with that theme (and who knows March may end up being the month of scratchbuilding and kitbashing – scratchbashing anyone?).
Site 1: Peter’s Model Railroading
In the scratchbashing vein I’m going to point you at Peter’s Model Railroading (link here). Peter is an S Scale modeller and is working with radio control (using DCC chips in the locos). There are articles and how-to articles on a range of topics. Take a look around and enjoy his range of articles on scratchbuilding.
I’ve been a scratchbuilder since my early teens. In those days it was mainly sci-fi models that I built. The modelling bug bit early, like many of my friends, with ship, tank and aircraft models; most of those in the early to mid 1970s being Airfix kits.
Sci-fi kits however were a little harder to come by and once you want past the Space 1999 Eagle Transporter, sci-fi kits in Australia were thin on the ground.I saw lots of them in the modelling magazines, but for an economically challenged teen in Sydney’s west, they were out of the question.
Early on I came in contact with Plasticard and balsa (both of which at the time were cheap) to begin making my own models and accessories. I remember among the first of these was some extra pods for the Eagle Transporter. Over the last 20 years I’ve built many models that I wanted, or that I’d seen in the model railway magazines and wanted to reproduce.
NOTE: Keep an eye out – I’ll have an article on a long-term scratchbashed O gauge model will be posted some time in March.
This year I have a couple of scratchbuilding projects in 1/32nd scale running on 32mm scale track. I know it’s not quite exact for the gauge of track, however, it is easy to get running and there are parts available left right and centre. There are a lot of articles in my head but little on paper (or on-screen) at the moment.
Site 1: David Baillie’s ‘Modelling Victorian Railways‘
Today’s site gets the nod because of the amount of sharing that David does. Every modelling project he does gets its own PDF (available for download). Good one David!
There’s a list of complete scratchbuilding projects, and kitbashing subjects on Victorian rolling stock as well. Most importantly he has a range of ideas, and best practices for building models from the ground up.
Take a look at the site, and no matter what railroad you model, there is information here that will increase your modelling skill.
PS: David notes on his site “5 Jan 2015: I am in hospital undergoing treatment for an aggressive cancer, and I am hanging on to get home to see my family maybe sometime in February. In the meantime, I will miss my modelling, but even more so my family!”
I feel for him as a fellow cancer survivor. I wish him all the best. If I get any information back from David, I’ll let you know. More importantly if you feel right about it, send him an email from his site. I’m sure he’d feel better knowing others were thinking about him and his family at this time.
Introduction
Hi my name is Andrew, and I’m a YouTube-a-holic.
It’s true; I love YouTube. In the same way the Internet has changed the way we read about the hobby due to the explosion in E-Zines, how we consume our train videos has changed too.
YouTube has become my go-to place for rail fanning vision. Today’s ‘Site seeing’ reflects the best of railfan video.
YouTube site 1: Delay in Block productions
There’s a great choice of documentary length videos here. Some switching related, others location related. Some are only 6-8 minutes in length, others like this one (Offsite Link) run to just under an hour and show a lot of freight action.
YouTube site 2: Distant Signal
Danny Harmon’s a railfanning machine. He’s been producing railfan videos for a long time (view his website here to buy his DVDs) with some of his earliest videos from 1995.
His recent series on the CSX signalling display and head indication (speed signalling) has been great to watch. Based in Florida he manages to have a great volume of vision and all of it interesting. As he says, he’s a railfan, not a modeller, and his videos reflect this. With great production values and a melodic voice, the Distant signal ought to be on your favourites list.
Look in the resources section for a bunch of links to Danny’s videos.
Other thoughts
We are 1/6th of the way through the year, and tomorrow we’ll be at the beginning of March. In Ballarat (and the rest of the southern hemisphere) it’s the beginning of Autumn. We’ve just had a big cool front blow through with rain and thunderstorms. 2015 is rocketing forward and before we know it winter will be on top of us. Thanks for reading along with me during February. I’ll talk to you next month.
Resources
Delayed in Block
· Fall Freights: NS, CSX, and the World’s Worst Railroad Tracks
Danny Harmon (Distant Signal)
· How to Read Signals On the CSX – Part 1
· How to Read Signals On the CSX – Part 2
While looking around for some research material for a fellow weatherer recently, I came across a site with a surprisingly large amount of information on prototype trucks. Now that the information pertains mainly to ‘N’ Scale is neither here nor there. The more information you have on trucks under freight cars the better.
Site 1: Mark Peterson’s N Scale Model Railroading Projects & Resources
For the N Gauge modeller Mark has a lot of useful information for N gauge modellers, but there’s more there than just that. Go take a look at the site and then check out the truck detail page.
Visit http://www.spookshow.net/for more.
Site 2: Trackside Treasures
For all things Canadian, including up to the minute updates of train movements. Eric Gagnon’s site states that it’s about ‘Trips, Trains and 35+ Years Trackside with Canada’s Railways’.
You can read more about the railways of Canada and his published works here: tracksidetreasure.blogspot.com
Introduction
The IAIS Grimes Industrial Line
1 – The IAIS Grimes Industrial Line
In my site seeing post yesterday I mentioned the publishing bonanza we’ve inherited thanks to the internet. One of these great sites is the free (as in Beer) internet Model Railroading Magazine – the Model Railroad Hobbyist (Link Here).
Apart from a great magazine that I’ve read since issue number one, there are the modellers blogs that are associated on the site. Among the best of the blogs is the Grimes Industrial layout blog of JFMcNab (Link Here).
You can also see a range of photos from his layout on the Unofficial IAIS Railfans website (Link Here).
Take some time and take a look around and discover the Grimes Industrial Line. I think you’ll enjoy the Grimes Line sites.
Resources:
Watch one of James’ videos from his YouTube channel:
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