Scratchbuilt Structures

This is Baxter's Building Supply as scratchbuilt by Jim Fox. With
scratchbuilding, you work from a set of plans either bought or borrowed or made by the builder. Jim works in H.O. scale which is 1 inch = 87 inches so you need good eyes and good dexterity to make all the parts and assemble them to make a structure like Baxter's. Note the detail not only in construction but also in the colouring and weathering to make everything look realistic.

Here are the ends of the big reddish building above after Jim constructed them board by board just as one would in making a full size building. But remember this is H.O. scale or 1:87. No problem lifting the boards, though.

This photo shows the two ends above joined to make the whole building minus the side and roof boards. Look at the coffee mug behind to get an idea of the building size and note the plans Jim is working from under the building. 

The scene is being completed with the rail siding going into the building. Note the sections beneath the rail to hold the sand,  gravel, etc dumped from hopper cars. Note the ramp that joins the lower and upper parts of the Baxter property [see Photo1].

This is another one of the structures that Jim has completed. The idea is to show that this is anything but a new building and the roof patches with whatever was handy show this well. Note also the rust of time making its way down the roof from the smokestack. It looks like Jim has added a shade behind the window as another detail. 

Layout prepared for operations.

Glen and I went up on Tuesday to check out the layout. Trains were set up and all the starting positions were checked for proper rolling stock. After all was verified and corrected, Glen an a train from Wellington to Elsewhere, without any problems.

Covid rules.
                Face masks are required while operating or closer than 6 feet to someone else.
                 Practice social distancing.
                 Stay home if you don't feel well
Supplies are available for your use. Let's try and keep everything wiped down.

More Ontario & Western

Don Pearce is making the most of his pandemic stay at home time expanding his next generation Ontario & Western layout. There's always room for a good ole swimmin hole. 

 

In the days of yore, you could have farms within town limits and this farm looks like it is offering horses to rent for riding and maybe even riding lessons with few if any complaints from area residents. Almost always, the farm was there first. 

Things are busy today on the O & W with both freight and passenger trains vying for the trackage. Back in these days, passenger trains had priority over the freights, a long gone privilege in the modern times we live in. 

Don is now at the stage of adding card boxes to the layout fascia to hold the cards used in operating the railroad in a prototypical manner. Each rail car type [boxcar, tank car, flat car, hopper, etc.] has a card to show the details of load, layout destination, etc. and up to 8 or 9 of these cards make up the average freight train route. Passenger trains such as the one shown above travel through the layout from train station to train station at periodic intervals to carry passengers and mail.

New Industry @ Ontario & Western

Because of the COVID virus, Don Pearce is staying home as all of us who are not con-sidered essential are supposed to. Having a restless nature and a basement layout, Don is putting his time to good use and expanding the operational side of the O & W. The new pipe industry is shown in the upper part of this picture. Model railroading is not just running trains around and around, it's running trains with a purpose, moving goods from one place to another just like the real railroads. 

The trestle at Cougar Mountain

The trestle and scenery, on my layout, is mostly done.

A family of cougars enjoy the early morning sun, overlooking Stony Creek.

New trestle for my railroad.

Started building a trestle for my layout. Started by staining a bunch of wood strips of various dimensions. Glued up the roadbed beams and ties. Then I took a piece of code 83 flex track, and removed all the ties except for every fourth one, to keep the rails in gauge. This track was laid on top of the trestle roadbed, with the gauging ties in between the trestle ties, and taped it in place.

After adding the bents and bracing, it was installed on my layout to take a picture.

In The News: A short freight crosses the high trestle at Cougar Mountain (yet to be built). This mountain, which will rise several inches above, but behind the trestle. It will act as a partial view block, hiding the railroad behind it.

Works in Progress by Larry B.

My lighthouse was made using the lowest section of a brick chimney and a printed cupola by Dave H.