Here are a few new pics I shot recently. The first two feature my scratch-built Model T rail bus. I sculpted the two figures, representing my dad and my sister. I still need to make some more figures to fill the rest of the seats:







This next shot shows a train crossing a bridge at the west end of the layout. I refurbished this bridge back in January, including replacing the damaged catwalk with one that can support actual cats (not to mention possums, squirrels, and other critters):




Enjoy!

I tried some styrene tubing but didn't have any with the correct inside diameter. So I ended up sanding out the interior of the supplied tube, using a small round file, until it fit.

But I still don't know what's the purpose of the thin plastic washer. It may not be relevant since I'm not putting it on a Bachmann handcar, but it would be nice to know for sure.

They must have changed the design, because the handcar parts they currently list are

96223 - Wheels w/Axle  (This is the part I have.)
96210 - Gears
96211 - Gearbox w/Motor

I recently bought a pair of replacement wheels for the large scale handcar, which I intend to use on a scratchbuilt railcar. The wheels arrived today. Each wheel has half an axle, and there is a short length of gray plastic tube which apparently is supposed to be used to join the axle together, preventing a short circuit through the axle. Problem is, there's no way the axle stubs will fit into the tube. Do I just need to find another tube with a larger inside diameter, or is there something else I'm supposed to do with this?

Also, the wheels came with a thin plastic washer that fits over an axle. What is the purpose of this washer?

The best book on the subject of the transcontinental railroad is "The Empire Express" by David Haward Bain. He really delves into the period and provides a lot of background, putting everything into the context of the times. It's also more balanced than a lot of things I've seen on the topic.

I was running a train on my 1/24th scale outdoor layout recently and decided to shoot a few new photos...

Crossing the Cora Canyon viaduct:



Stopping at Dos Manos:



Coming out of the tunnel east of Grandt Cliff:



Passing the old miner's cabin at Grandt Cliff:



Late afternoon sun:



Enjoy!

Sweet! Very nice work!

Here's a video I put together from my 2012 visit to the Nevada Northern Railway museum, featuring 4-6-0 #40 in action:

http://youtu.be/6EqCxt2yQzY


BTW, if you'd like to see more cool stuff from my adventures in Nevada and the Mojave, check it out here:

http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/Nevada_Trip_2012_Part_One.html

There are lots of photos of old mines, mills, etc, which would make good modeling and weathering reference. Plus pics of a SPNG stock car.

Last Saturday the In-ko-pah Railroad was part of the West Coast Garden Railroad Tour. We opened at 9 a.m. and had visitors almost the entire time, until almost 4:30. I was surprised at how many people showed up, and how many came from out of state. We had visitors from Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Ohio and Florida! About 160 signed our guest book, and there were probably a few more than that.

Cris and I wish to extend a big "thank you" to all who visited! We had a great time.

I wanted to get some good shots of the crowds but as usual when there were a lot of people there I was far too busy to get any photos. Here's a shot from one of the quieter moments:




In the weeks prior to the tour, I labored to get the railroad up and running after an extended "down time". I got the Hotel Torgo finished enough to show, and added it to the town of Dos Manos. (It still needs a few small details, some lighting, and a partial interior.):



The house in the lower left corner of that photo needed repairs to the roof. I had originally used a glue called "E-6000" to attach the simulated "rolled roofing" material, and it didn't hold. Also, the overhang on one side had warped badly from the sun. So I scraped off the old roofing material, heated and straightened the warped section of roof, and then laminated another layer of scribed siding to strengthen the roof and prevent further warping. Then I applied the "rolled roofing" -- painted strips of Tyvek, held in place with acrylic matte medium. Ironically, this had to be carefully cut and torn to represent old, slightly tattered material!



My mini-people also needed a bit of work. Some had faded a bit and needed to be touched up. A couple had become badly mildewed (a result of using a clear coat that was not compatible with the polyclay) and needed almost complete repainting. Mini Me ended up with a new shirt.

I added a lot of new, handmade plants to the layout, mostly on Grandt Cliff near the Cliffside Mine, as seen in the photos below:








Well, that's all for now. Enjoy!

Point to point layouts are fine but most of the time I like to just watch trains run.

Merry Christmas from Ray & Cris Dunakin and the In-ko-pah Railroad!



Christmas lights 2011:  http://youtu.be/wPohvEBtKT0

Personally, I prefer physical books and magazines -- especially magazines. I haven't seen or heard of any tablet yet that has a screen as large, clear, and sharp as a full-color magazine. Besides, with a real magazine, you have real ownership. You keep it forever, you can loan it out as often as you desire, and you (or your descendants) can sell it.

Will a magazine that exists only as an electronic file still be accessible and readable 20 years from now? 50 years? 100? I doubt it. I've been using computers for over 20 years and there are very few files from when I began, that have not either become incompatible with current hardware/software, or been deleted, lost or corrupted.

Digital books and magazines may be fine if you're the kind of person who reads them once and then throws them out, but not for me.

However, I suspect that ebooks have cut into the sales of hobby magazines indirectly. As more bookstores go out of business, there are fewer places where the average individual can encounter a hobby magazine. Sure, you can find them online, but you have to know they exist, and have to be actively looking for them. There's no "impulse" purchases to lure new readers. By the same token, that lack of access also cuts into the number of people who would have discovered the hobby.

The guy in the comic strip started with an indoor layout but later built an outdoor layout:

http://catalog.fborfw.com/indexid.php?q=7351&Submit=Search

I read somewhere that Gummo Marx was a model railroader. He was one of the Marx Brothers but was never in any of their movies.

Quote from: mr shay on November 08, 2011, 08:51:22 PM
any hints on what new locos or buildings we will see soon on this masterpiece.

I don't know. There are a LOT of buildings I'm itching to get started on, but I have so many other things I need to do first.

I have to finish building a water tank to go with the old cabin, then I need to build up the concrete "soil" around the cabin, and make places for the outhouse and water tank to sit. I also need to do some work on the cliff above the cabin area, though, and should probably do that before I finish installing everything at the cabin site.

I also have several minor projects in the works, such as building a miniature stone wall to support a mine tram, building some foundations for what will become the town of Mineral Ridge, creating a couple grade crossings. and installing a crossing track near Grandt Cliff.

Plus I have some repairs that I've been putting off, and a combine that's halfway through being repainted/upgraded. And I really need to install the receiver in my 4-6-0, but I just haven't felt up to the task.

On top of all that, my modeling time has been limited lately due to my wife's health problems and recent surgery. So progress has been really slow and will be for a little while.

Quote from: mr shay on November 08, 2011, 08:51:22 PM
also i had a question about the scenery i noticed in a photo that showed a large portion of your layout had holes in them i will go check which GR photos they it was photo 3 had 1 hole in the bottom right corner and on the top near your mine there were a few small caves.

Those are going to be mines. The small group of "holes" in the upper center of that photo is where I'm currently building a miniature retaining wall. There will be a little mine tram for hauling ore from the mines, to a small mill at the town of Mineral Ridge. I'll probably On30 or On3 track and mechanisms for the tram.