teetrix

"Song instead of a kiss": by Alannah Miles: Michael

Fröhliche Weihnachten! by Michael Carl, auf Flickr A Merry Christmas to everyone! Michael

I'm very concerned because Björkman doesn't inform about the dangers of DHMO - one of the most used chemical compounds in the world with hundred of killings caused by it... If you never heard of it, I recommend reading this homepage: http://www.dhmo.org/ I promise you an entertaining read, especially if you have identified the chemical formula... Oh, and even wikipedia writes about them... simply google it! On a lighter note Michael

Thanks for the kind comment! A RTR model wouldn't be affordable, but at least I could provide a kit - joy of CAD and lasercutting... All the best Michael

Thanks for the kind comment and the likes! No need to be envy, John - your pointwork is also excellent (and requires skills I don't have...) ! Well, after the first unit for my DMU the next logical step should be the second unit - a second (class coach that is) But disgression came into play when I read a book on the rolling stock of the DEV, the first german heritage railway. Their coach Nr. 17 has an old fashioned, but new made body (and provides space for people in wheelchairs btw). http://www.museumseisenbahn.de/jfahrzeug/17.htm I remembered a model of a fourth class/luggage/mail coach with clerestory roof I made some years ago. It was merged with the modular design, and voilá - we got a nice crossbreed with relatively little CAD work. So it is actually a freelance model after a freelance prototype... The main body and the complete interior was adapted from the modular concept, the roof and some small parts came from the clerestory coach, and the balconies were designed new. Oberlichtwagen by Michael Carl, auf Flickr The cover strips are evergreen profiles, glued on with Faller Expert: aP1340426 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr The banisters and roof brackets are made from cardboard: aP1340425 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr Parts of the roof, with commercial detailing parts: aP1340433 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr The inner body is assembled: aP1340435 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr With the outer shell and the interior completed: aP1340454 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr At this time I made a mistake, which nearly ruined all the work: I glued the outer shell too high on... Fortunately I was able to dismantle it with a thin knife, (additional caution and swearing), rework the parts and assemble it the right way. The aluminium window frames looked gorgeous, but seemed too modern tome: aP1340460 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr So I choose wooden frames. And here it is in its full glory (footsteps, couplings and minor detailing parts still to be sorted): Tadaaaa by Michael Carl, auf Flickr All the best Michael

First step of the DMU is a railcar, designed to take the chassis of a PIKO Taurus: aP1320337 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr The window glazing is simple overhead projector foil, glued between the inner and outer walls: aP1320533 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr Glueing the outer front wall: aP1320538 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr Voilá: aP1320556 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr The windows are masked, ready for painting: aP1320622 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr Multiple designs for the front whiskers: Fronten2 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr Uuups, the 3D printed roof was one millimeter too long... with a lot of filing i got the necessary space. For the next coaches I decided to cut the wall and use a piece of cardboard instead: aP1320625 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr Painting in progress: aP1320626 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr ... and done: aP1340193 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr The first design for the radiators: aP1340320 by Michael Carl, auf Flickr Alternatives: Kühler Varianten by Michael Carl, auf Flickr First public outing at the Stromberg fall meeting: Railcar and other projects by Michael Carl, auf Flickr Enjoy Michael

How about this? Sometimes it's useful to have a module not ending with the track in the middle. It could be indeed "Oh, sod it" if the cutting was started from both sides... P.Meadows by Michael Carl, on Flickr Once, shortly after the german reunion, a former two track mainline was rebuilt, but only with one track. It was considered to build the "right hand track". So every party built the "right hand track", from the east and from the west... Michael

Regarding big or small hall: How much room would the stage area provide? I think only a couple of module has to have proper short legs, with some pieces of suitable timber clamped to the others... Or some new modules will be built with short legs which can be lenghtened later... Michael

I would place the "endless tunnel" in the "u" shaped room between A, M and R and connect it to F again. This way you can offer a couple more feet for modules, although mainly curved. Additionally, there can be a straight board squeezed in between the fiddle yard A and P. The 36" radius looks fine to me, but you can also chose a bigger radius, i.e. for a station lying in a generous curve or for small modules with 5 or 10 deg. angle... If you want/need a smaller radius I would recommend not to go under 24". Maybe split the 90 deg. in a 22.5 deg module 36" radius, a 45 deg. module with 24" and at last 22.5 deg. with 36". This forms a kind of a "transition curve" which eases the look of the small radius. At the moment you are the only ones working with this standard - so I think you have the practical right to try new things and alter it, if needed. Michael Rack tramway anyone? ok, I'll take my coat...

I wonder if the modul would be easier to build with the "hanging valley" method. One of our swiss friends is a real fan of bridges and uses mostly this approach, here's one of his modules: "hanging valley" by Michael Carl, on Flickr Just a thought... Michael

Thanks for the comment, Huw (and to all for the likes). What you said about the Mark1 coaches sounds very interesting - I had to order some bogies anyway, so I ordered two preowned LIMA coaches as well. I really look forward to them! Michael

Back to the continent. A factory produces crates from the planks: WKistenfabrik by Michael Carl, on Flickr But not every stem is good enough for timber. A charcoal burner takes some logs: WKöhlerei by Michael Carl, on Flickr or they are just piled up for heating: WScheitholz by Michael Carl, on Flickr or used as fuel in a little gas generator loco: Martins woodburner by Michael Carl, on Flickr I hope you enjoyed the little journey, and maybe I provided even an inspiration what to show on a module... Michael

Well, end of may is gone, and I'm just back from the meeting mentioned in the last post. Of course I took a lot of photos, but this time I will not follow a single train, but a kind of freight: Wood, the second main freight at our modular arrangements. Sometimes the track snakes through the woods: WWald by Michael Carl, on Flickr on other modules the trees are gone: WKahlschlag by Michael Carl, on Flickr Or the forest tractor does his work: WRücketraktor by Michael Carl, on Flickr log trains are assembled: Stammholz3 by Michael Carl, on Flickr and pulled to the sawmill: WSägewerk by Michael Carl, on Flickr even overseas: WStammholz2 by Michael Carl, on Flickr WSägewerkUS by Michael Carl, on Flickr WLumberUS by Michael Carl, on Flickr more to come... Michael

Thanks for the kind coment! The coach had his first outing at the module meeting in Stromberg. Alexander provided the roof and the Bachmann 0n30 chassis he choosed to use: aP1310051 by Michael Carl, on Flickr aP1310053 by Michael Carl, on Flickr Some heavier modification was necessary at the interior, because I didn't have a proper inner profile of the roof when I made the drawings. But this changes will be incorporated for the next version. Next step is a 3-unit DMU for me... Michael

That sounds very interesting! Michael

I don't know the venue, but at our meetings it is possible to stay in the hall overnight. As we meet in a sports hall, toilets and shower rooms are provided. Most people has camping equipment or an air bed. Just a though... Michael

It's continental 0scale, 1/45 ratio. Btw - thanks for the likes and comments! Michael

Some photos from the last three weeks. Mostly insects, I like especially dragonflies. But something bigger at first... A goose has some trouble with a stork: Storch vs. Graugans by Michael Carl, on Flickr A dragonfly rests in the sun: In der Sonne by Michael Carl, on Flickr The first butterfly I managed to "catch" this year: Falter by Michael Carl, on Flickr Another dragonfly resting: Mosaikjungfer2 by Michael Carl, on Flickr ... and one flying: Smaragdlibelle by Michael Carl, on Flickr Enjoy Michael

My part is done, the first coach will be sent to Alexander, who adds his chassis and the roof. The sliding door is only temporary fitted. The bogies are Bachmann Bulleids - they don't look too bad... Second-Luggage by Michael Carl, on Flickr To be honest, I'm quite satisfied.... Michael

Some progress to report... The first front wall is fitted: Stirnwand by Michael Carl, on Flickr And the whole coach has a little "tan": Teak and silver by Michael Carl, on Flickr I;ve choosen silver for the window frames to represent aluminum. Enjoy Michael

Thanks for the likes and the comment! Although a metal crafter by trade, I like wood and MDF too. It's easy to get a precise and neat result, but many modelers still consider it as as something cheap and shabby... Btw., Do you know Diagram3D? http://www.diagram3d.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=59 To be honest: Not really at the moment... I know very little about SG light railways, and I have started too much NG projects in the last weeks. But, at least, you have sparked my curiosity... What do you have in mind, do you have some photos as inspiration, a loading gauge, etc. ? Maybe I can adapt something. All the best Michael

Hi, thanks for the comments and likes! That was the reason to post it here... But consider it needed 15 or 20 years to reach this level. In the first years the meetings were smaller, but they produced enough fun to attract new people. I stumbled in this "gang" as a happy H0e modeller. I was impressed by the friendlyness and helpfulness of the people, and with the years I was involved deeper and deeper. At the beginning I was only a visitor, later I started to build rolling stock, and now i own some modules myself. At Stromberg in the Hunsrück mountains, near Mainz/Bad Kreuznach. The next meeting will take place at the end of May. Michael

On the way to the next task, two flatcars with stone blocks were waiting: The blocks were already loaded by a big crane: And here we go, even through a beautiful landscape: with a "romantic" train: At the end a pic oth the whole arrangement, with the narrow gauge in the middle and the standard gauge arrangement around it: Btw: The loading facility and the cement plant are part of home layouts, as well as the wooden silo and the american sawmill. I hope you enjoy Michael

I think most modular modelers are interested in operations. So let's follow the way of my Krauss loco, pulling a limestone train between the quarry (represented by a silo, filled with crushed limestone) and the "Grafenberg cement plant" at the opposite end of the module arrangement. The pictures were taken at a modular meeting in October 2016. I don't post them to "show off", but to show the possibilities of module modelling, when available space is not the first concern... The day started after some repairs at the evening before: [ "I've never seen this loco before!", said the engine driver. "It's a pattern for a new Mallet, they make tests with it.", answered the fireman, who has good connections to the men at the shed. Then they started the journey to the quarry. All the bells and whistles were used at the crossings: Finally they arrived at the loading facility: Two locos were idling at the siding: They picked up an empty rake: and loaded it: HTS Stromberg 2016 by Michael Carl, on Flickr Waiting for a free slot to change direction.... This is obviously not a landscape of heritage railways and tourist attractions, but one of dirt, dust, sweat and hard earned money: A standard gauge tanker on transport rollers was waiting at the siding: Finally they could change direction and "approach" was given. But at the next station they had to change the direction again and to wait for the incoming train, pulled by a swiss build, yellow freight railcar: They passed another silo, this time a wooden one: ... and, after a curve, a sawmill was passed: The cement plant was reached: and the unloading began: The next time they even had to pull 14 wagons, because a loco failed. No problem: (hey, I still have a couple of pics...) Michael

I don't have friends with modules in the neighbourhood too, but I found my solution with a self-contained layout built to modular standards. My own layout "Bedheim" is basically the ubitiquous "fiddleyard to terminus"-affair with an additional siding to a gravel loading facility, cramped in the available room of 5'x6' (1,50mx1,80m). Built modular and to most of our 0e module standards (except the recommended track radius). I use it regularly as my home layout, but it attends 2 or 3 times a year module meetings,where the terminal mostly turns into a through station. The additional effort vs a "normal" layout whithout the modular approach is very little, the module standards even provided some proven guidelines regarding track radius, loading gauge, electrics etc... Here's a thread about it: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/106722-bedheimthuringia/ Michael