Mike Boucher

Looking again, I blame my interpretation of the instructions. They show the left and right handed pieces, but they're drawn so it appeared to me that they belonged on both ends of the van. i.e. left and right end when looking from the side. The text doesn't specify that they belong only on 1 end of the van, but when you know to look, you can see that smaller line drawing does show that. I've removed one set. Again, thanx for the additional info.

I asked on my other thread One of the reasons I bought that paint scheme was because its appears so completely unpronounceable...

Thanks for the picture! Now I have a prototype photo to work from when it comes to the lettering, especially since I decided to do the brake gear only on one side, like that van. My timeframe is later than that picture, but I can always justify the MR lettering in the mid-late 40's by claiming they never got around to repainting that one yet... The Slaters instructions show putting the dividing supports on both sides, so I blame them Shouldn't be too hard to pop them off one side and lightly sand away the glue marks before I do the paint.

Hi folks, This is going to be a slightly different "workbench" thread, in that the workbench is at a hospital. If you've read my 7mm workbench thread (at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/18405-bouchs-7mm-workbench/), you know that I've recently started treatment for Leukemia (CLL to be specific). While undergoing treatment, sitting in a room at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston for 6-8 hours one day a week, and 2-3 hours on the 2nd and 3rd day of each "Cycle", I've decided to take the time to build some models. Some in 7mm, some in others. Some British Prototype, some US. Depends on what I feel like working on next. Hopefully this inspires people on this forum who are going through their own health issues. One of the decisions I've made is that things I work on during treatment, I will only work on during treatment. (obvious exceptions: no spray paint nor blackening brass. That has to be done at home regardless) And for what should be obvious reasons, it'll only be plastic or resin kits. No soldering! That way when I'm through all this I can say "I made that car WHILE being treated". Just a way to compartmentalize. I'll still be working on other projects while I'm at home at night, just not the same ones from the treatment room. I've decided to break this part of my "workbench" off into a separate thread. My workbench thread will be what I work on at home, this thread will be what I work on while hooked to an IV at Dana Farber. First, a repost of the photo in my workbench thread, showing me on my first day of treatment, IV stuck into my left arm, starting work on the first kits I brought in. (photo courtesy of my brother, Peter) That was about 5 weeks ago. To recap, The first project I started working on were two Slaters P.O. wagons. Since I've already completed my first 28 day cycle, these were pertty close to complete. Monday (day 1 of my 2nd cycle, a long day) and Yesterday (day 2, a short day) I finished putting on the transfers for the numbers. When I got home, I gave them a quick shot of dullcote to seal the transfers, and also blackened the couplings. These are now as complete as I can get at the hospital. All they need is lead weight added (another thing I don't want to bring into the hospital!) weathering and my standard coal load. Here's the pics of their status as of today. Monday, I also finished assembly of a set of 5 Tichy Train Group HO scale speeders. I'll spray paint (or airbrush) the main colors at home, but might do touch up paint at a future treatment session, things like wheel treads steel, drybrush on some weathering, etc. These guys are tiny, delicate, and one of the more challenging plastic kits I've ever assembled! The third project is a Slater's MR cattle van. The chassis is assembled, and I'm working on the sides. Yesterday I made the "partition supports" out of the included styrene strips. Fiddly work... Today was the 3rd day of the cycle, so it was another short day. I glued the partition supports to the sides. Last night, while blackening the couplings for the PO wagons, I also blacked the couplings, buffer bodies, and the guard rails for this kit as well. Today I assembled the couplings and added them to the ends. I assembled the buffers and attached those as well. I then glued one end to one side, twice, making two L shaped body parts. That's all I got done today. I think I'll try to get the body painted, both inside and outside before Next Monday's session, so I can get assembly finished and start lettering. We'll see if I find time for that... Hope people find this workbench thread interesting. I know my life will be interesting for the next year or so...

I don't live in Canada, but I am French-Canadian by descent My parents have lived in the same house, about 35 miles north of Boston, since 1978. Their house has one door that doesn't even have a lock. I suspect there are plenty of people in rural sections of the UK who don't lock their door either.

As for your second point here. I'm curious, knowing nothing about the topography of the MMR, why the train proceeded to Nantes (as mentioned, at the top of a grade) to park, then they taxied the engineer back to Lac-Megantic to sleep. Why didn't he just park the train in Lac-Megantic? Is that in the middle of a steeper grade? are there too many grade crossings that couldn't be blocked? Seems to me that it would have been prudent to park the train relatively close to the hotel the engineer would sleep in. The only reason I can think of is, at 10 miles an hour, they wanted the engineer to get as far along the route before he timed-out, as 12 miles is another hour on the road. It still seems penny-wise-pound-foolish to me. As for the first paragraph, minor nitpick: The B&A is (was) the Boston and Albany. Bangor and Aroostoock is the BAR. (and yes, I know locals up there call it the B&A, but the FRA reporting marks are what I'm concerned with...)

That is going to look AWESOME painted and lettered! Makes me wish I had 1/2 your skill! Wish there was a way to both "like" and "Craftsmanship" rate that post

OK, I've gotta ask. "EKMDE"? I've looked at the traders list on the Gauge O Guild website, and nothing there like EKMDE. I googled "EKMDE dogfish", and the first 5 links were to this thread. What company is this?

I like it! Having grown up about 10 miles from there, I've spent a lot of time in railfanning there. You've captured it well, IMHO. There are some photos of Lawrence in the 80's in my flickr photostream: And a nice extension would be to model the bridge over the Merrimack river on the branch to Manchester. Interesting bridge, a waterfall just to the west, and Lawton's hot dogs looking like its going to fall into the water...

What I find most interesting about that photo is that all the boxcars you can actually see are Milwaukee Rd "rib side" boxcars. Quite unique cars. If my google search was accurate, about 13K of these cars were built. I know its a photo of Milw train, but I still found that a interesting coincidence.

There are expandable parallel reamers, my father has a drawer full of them in his shop. There's a small nut at the end, that when you turn it, it expands the flutes. With care, you can adjust the diameter in some very fine increments. Two problems 1) the smallest size I can find is 9/32, which is too big for our purpose. 2) They're also significantly more expensive than the 4.8mm reamers. If you want to see the 9/32, look at http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/NNSRIT2?PMAKA=72510183&PMPXNO=2053394&cm_re=ItemDetail-_-ResultListing-_-SearchResults Be sitting down before you look at the price!

Thanks for the info. I had heard of Dragon, but was unfamiliar with their range. I see a few LMS horseboxes, so its looking like I have to start saving my pennies, as my "want" list just got a bit longer... I also saw that bogie van. Looks very interesting, I'll be waiting to see the build!

I like this horsebox. MSE? I found "Model Signal Engineering" on the GOG traders website page, but can't find a LMS/S&D horsebox listed anywhere. Is this discontinued, or do I have the wrong manufacturer?

I like that fruit D. Would look pretty cool as part of my "British prototype" train. But, its hard to justify putting something like that into an unfitted goods train. My Parkside "Mica" van is one thing, but that fruit D would look pretty out of place, IMHO. Unless I mis-understand how they were used... Or I just say, "who cares, no one in the US is going to know its wrong. And if they do, and speak up, at least then I'm talking to someone who likes British prototype..."

reminds me of landing at San Diego, CA... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIp7FgeXR24

Not sure you have to worry about that. I can't say I've ever seen a British prototype layout exhibiting over here, other that the LA buffers 0 gauge layout at O Scale West. You'll occasionally see people running British prototype on an N-trak layout, and an occasional module, but entire layouts are rarer than chickens teeth. There is a New England group modeling continental Europe, but everything else is US prototype in my experience.

Looks interesting. What does the last column designate?

This pops up every so often. A few years ago there was one in Texas (IIRC) that they spent money on to get it so it could roll, but that was as far as it got. I'm surprised that UP is doing it, as last time (once again, IIRC) Steve Lee, the man who was in charge of the UP heritage fleet at that time, said that there were only two places left on the UP system where one could get turned around. Those two places were within about 10 miles of each other.

Ah. Thanks for that explanation. I was confused because there appear to be holes directly behind those brake hanger pins, so I assumed the pins went thru and into those holes. I'm really liking the looks of that frame with all the whitemetal details added, especially the hornblock castings, even though there are no axleboxes...

I'm confused by this photo. Why are there two pins on each compensating plate? (I see one in the middle, and one at the front end. How do these compensating plates pivot if they're fixed in 2 places?

That Fairburn looks amazing! Great work I've got one of those fairburn kits, and conversations with Dikitri a while back about what parts he used for the cylinders/etc. He was still working out the list, but he did tell me he used the Sanspareil trailing bogie kit. You wouldn't happen to have a list of all the replacement parts you had to buy, would you? I want to do similar work on my fairburn... Thanx! Mike

Wow! The **MAIN** thing you find ugly is the sand dome? That engine has so much ugly I never even noticed the sand dome sitting on top! (and as an American, I'm used to sand domes being there)

I have a few friends who have built a similar engine in 7.25" gauge live steam. One lives in Massachusetts, the other in Quebec. I've got to drive one of them, and its a lot of fun to watch the motion as you're going down the track! Here's a photo of one of them... http://neme-s.org/Waushakum_Summer_2008/DSC04329.jpg Unfortunately, the castings are out of production, from what I understand...

Another nitpick: The "pit privy" (aka outhouse) screams rural backwoods. Dig a hole in the ground, and when its too full, you dig a new hole, move the privy, filling the old hole with the dirt from the new one. Its hard to dig holes in cement/cobblestones. IMHO it doesn't belong there at all. There would be a sewer connection in the building, or there would be a bathroom in one of the larger bathrooms. Love this layout! Looks really great!

There's a prototype for everything, including a loco in "unpainted brass" http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=266047&nseq=7