DanielB Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 I've recently made the decision - after much soul searching - that N scale is just way too small for me anymore, and with house-hunting ongoing, I've decided to sell off my N scale collection to help fund a deposit on a house. As such, I'll be starting again from scratch, this time in HO scale. All that time running sound fitted locos has officially won me over to the "I need sound" crowd. I'll still be working on Piedmont Blues in O scale - nothing has changed there - but I'm going to start a new layout in HO for operations at home. For now I'll be making a tuning fork as I've only got the track that's left over from the original West Allen Street - so one turnout and some flex track. Whilst sorting through the N scale stuff I found a box of HO freight cars - so all I really need is a loco to pull them, which I should be able to grab at Warley if not before. As I won't be in a position to build said layout until I've moved my N scale stuff on to it's new home, I've been working on some HO scale cars over the last couple of days to at least do something productive. So I've been attacking a pair of Athearn/Roundhouse "blue box" type kits of different types of rib sided boxcars - nothing special, but I want to make them bigger than their humble origins, as it were. So far I've used a mix of oil paint and pan pastels on the cars, using the Mike Confalone method detailed in a video series on Trainmasters TV. Here's where I'm at right now: Midland Belt #38134 (ex-Western Pacific) Burlington Northern #732359 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted October 25, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 25, 2017 Good luck with the house. Look forward to more on your new HO scale ventures. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted October 25, 2017 Author Share Posted October 25, 2017 Thanks Ian. It's certainly a new and daunting experience. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Nice weathering Dan and good to see you modelling in HO scale again. Although I've been modelling for many years, I've never contemplated N scale. Just somehow never worked for me. Now my eyes struggle with HO scale details, so N scale is a non starter for me. Mal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMO Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 Very good work Daniel! The "blue box" origin can't be imagined. The weathering gives a very nice look to these cars. N scale is nice but it needs a lot of care and patience to make something good. HO scale is certainly better: closer to scale details etc... (for the eyes too). I stay tuned here and on FB to follow your progress. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted October 26, 2017 Author Share Posted October 26, 2017 Thanks Mal and Jack! HO is definitely the scale for me now - though you can't fit as much in the same space, there's more presence to it, and I really enjoyed the level of detail I got on West Allen Street, which I just wasn't getting in N scale. Today I've managed a little more on the BN car and started on a SOO LINE repaint (sorry Jordan!) Finally, I've started repainting and relettering a Southern Pacific caboose to go with them. This will be interesting to weather, that's for sure! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 As the "ex"-Soo Line box is earlier than my Era of interest, you are forgiven, Dan I started my US-outline modelling with N Scale, & thoroughly enjoyed it. But I doubt I could achieve the levels of detail that can be seen on N scale models these days. I used to think that if I couldn't model in O for whatever reason, I'd go back to N, but now I don't think so. If N is too small, & O is too big, what's really needed is a scale somewhere in between... S Scale awaits!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMO Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 (edited) I've built a N scale layout, now I'm building a O scale layout and later I think I'll try a HO one. HO is a good compromise. S scale? Why not? But not for me. I have a lot of stuff in this scale which wait for a layout with a lot of Alcos Later... I repeat again... Daniel, your weathering is very good! Edited October 27, 2017 by JAMO 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted November 28, 2017 Author Share Posted November 28, 2017 Thanks Jordan and Jack. The house I'm looking at moving into has a decent sized basement which will allow me to build a 'round the walls' HO layout, so that should be a nice balance between size and scope. Besides, there's no point in me building a huge layout that I couldn't possibly hope to operate alone. In the mean time, I've resurrected the old version of West Allen Street, added a backscene and a lighting frame, and I'm going to make a modern image switching layout to give me something to operate whilst I plan a more permanent layout. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMO Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 Good idea Daniel. I do that too: several little layouts which can go to exhibitions and a larger one which stays at home. A basement is a nice location for trains. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted November 28, 2017 Author Share Posted November 28, 2017 Last night I had a go at making some photograph backscenes for the layout using images from Google Maps and GIMP photo editing software (it's free, and easy to use!). I printed them out at work and have blue-tacked them to the backscene to see what they'd look like. Unfortunately I've printed them WAY too big, so I'll be printing them out again tonight and seeing how they look tomorrow once I get home from work. I also had a go at making a cinderblock wall using Clevermodels textures and added a mural I found online that's painted on a wall in the Bronx. I thought it would help punters at exhibitions immediately place where the layout was supposed to be set. I've always liked Sal's Scrap Metal Company as an interesting trackside structure, and - though the real location isn't rail served, I thought having both it, and the cement products company next door, represented as an industry on the layout would allow for some interesting operations. I'm also going to try and represent the salvage company further along the line on the backscene by adding in the containers it has stacked up as a perimeter wall, to really give a sense of location to those familiar with the area. At Wakefield show I picked up a Proto 1000 Alco S1 from Contikits in Eire colours, which has been patched out and weathered to use as shortline power. I've still got to weather the trucks and add a decoder, but it's good to go for now. The plan is to fit a Lais DCC chip to it, and wire an MRC diesel sounder into it afterwards. I've also been working on some freight cars, swapping out wheelsets, couplers and weathering them up. I'll post up again later with photos. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted November 28, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 28, 2017 At Wakefield show I picked up a Proto 1000 Alco S1 Careful: you’ll get Jacky excited! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted November 28, 2017 Author Share Posted November 28, 2017 Right then, weathered freight cars! Walthers PS2 hopper: Bachmann 40' High-Cube Atlas (?) 50' covered hopper Accurail 50' covered hopper (Work in progress) Roundhouse 50' Railbox (Work in Progress) 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 Tonight I had another go at making the photographic backscene, as well the low relief Sal's Scrap Metal Co. buildings. Once I get home I'll be attaching them to the layout in place of the overscale ones. Due to the smaller size of the images, I've had to extend it a bit further as well as add in a sky backdrop. See what you think: 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 Last night I used blu-tack to stick the photo backdrop roughly into place. Definitely on to something here! https://flic.kr/p/ZDTqD4 https://flic.kr/p/ZDTpyD https://flic.kr/p/ZDTpwp 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMO Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 Careful: you’ll get Jacky excited! YES YES YES! An Alco! And especially a S model! Love it! I'm excited!!!!! lol :locomotive: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted December 4, 2017 Author Share Posted December 4, 2017 So... at Wakefield I picked up the Alco S1 and a handful of freight cars. At Warley I picked up a Bowser C630 with DCC sound, a Proto 1000 RS11 with DCC, and a Bachmann GE 70T with DCC (my old L&N 99, which was nice to see again!). At Manchester I picked up an Atlas GP40 with DCC, however on getting it home it's shorting out. Not impressed. I've taken the shell off and can't see anything immediately wrong, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. The decoder looks intact, so it's probably just some crossed wires somewhere. It's not a huge issue, it just peeved me off that the retailer (who shall remain nameless) specifically said "we've tested it, it works lovely!". After the week I've had, that's just the icing on the cake! At least these two work (and how!!!). 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted December 5, 2017 Author Share Posted December 5, 2017 (edited) New toy! Cheers to Simon Ansell for point out the ebay sale, and Gordy for selling it! Edited December 5, 2017 by DanielB 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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