Garden Railway Forum

Posted: **Sun Sep 10, 2023 7:06 am**

Of course..

Posted: **Mon Sep 11, 2023 7:11 am**

I hadn't thought much of Thornas' empty bunker but when my 3-year-old son saw the newly-fitted coal load he was very excited and kept saying 'Coal! Coal!'... which goes to show, little details can make a big difference! He was actually more excited about that than the working lamp. Neither are shown well in my picture today but the man sitting on the running plate is helping conceal the lamp wires.

: "All right William, you just sit there and keep those wires out of sight. Just mind you keep your legs forward and your shoelaces tied."; Screenshot_20230910-155618.jpg (281.84 KiB) Viewed 6625 times

Posted: **Mon Sep 11, 2023 8:09 am**

drewzero1 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 7:11 am but the man sitting on the running plate is helping conceal the lamp wires.

Looking good. All these small details are what transforms a toy into a model.

Could you drill a small hole in the footplate and run the wires down and along the under side, where they won't show?

Posted: **Mon Sep 11, 2023 8:38 am**

philipy wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 8:09 am
Looking good. All these small details are what transforms a toy into a model.

Could you drill a small hole in the footplate and run the wires down and along the under side, where they won't show?

Thanks, and I do plan to run the wire underneath when I get around to drilling a hole. (That guy's usually supposed to be sitting in the doorway of the brake van where his legs are in slightly less danger.) I designed the lamp with a channel at the back to run the wires straight down as well.

And here's the coal load:

: Extreme close up! Waaaugh!; Screenshot_20230911-014358.jpg (355.34 KiB) Viewed 6605 times

Posted: **Mon Sep 11, 2023 9:22 am**

The finishing touches do make such a difference.

Rik

Posted: **Mon Sep 11, 2023 9:26 am**

The coal looks Ok for a 3y/o, but if it were mne, I'd glue some real coal on top. Nothing looks more like coal than coal!

Posted: **Mon Sep 11, 2023 10:21 am**

philipy wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 9:26 am ...... Nothing looks more like coal than coal!

And it's very satisfying smashing up lumps of coal with a hammer ........

Rik

Posted: **Mon Sep 11, 2023 11:41 am**

Rik's inner vandal shows himself!

Posted: **Mon Sep 11, 2023 3:44 pm**

I had a lot of fun crushing up real coal for my trains as a kid. I plan to do something like that once the younger one stops tasting everything she can reach... Until then, all of my models will stay at least a little bit toy!

Of course I could keep the trains away from them, but this hobby is only worth it for me if I can share it with my kids. I already have other hobbies I have to hide from them (DnD minis, a lot of my nicer HO stuff, the dirtier parts of my old cars) and this one's a great size for them to join in. So I try to build things that can take some abuse and that I wouldn't terribly mind them accidentally breaking, and they (so far) have been respectful of my models and not crashed them on purpose. My parents entrusted me with trains at a young age and I'd like to do the same for my kids!

Posted: **Mon Sep 11, 2023 6:52 pm**

I can totally relate to that Drew. My eldest was 3 when he demanded a train set for Christmas. I soon got fed up with watching a loco and 3 trucks racing round a small circle, so I started adding things

Then I got frustrated because things got broken accidentally so I rekindled my own childhood interest in model railways and started a separate layout of my own. The rest, as they say, is history ( BTW, Ian's interest in trains died when he left home and went off to college)

Posted: **Mon Sep 11, 2023 11:39 pm**

philipy wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 11:41 am Rik's inner vandal shows himself!

Yes. ..

Have you seen what he does to motor-blocks!

Phil.P

Posted: **Tue Sep 12, 2023 7:36 am**

Phil.P wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 11:39 pm
philipy wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 11:41 am Rik's inner vandal shows himself!
Yes. ..

Have you seen what he does to motor-blocks!

Phil.P

No..What does he do with motor-blocks Phil..

Posted: **Mon Oct 16, 2023 5:18 am**

I spent some time building the back wall of the raised bed today, and emptied the rainwater out of the ponds so I can get them into level position and put in the plumbing for the waterfall and filter. At this rate trackbed will probably have to wait until at least the spring, but maybe I can get in another patio running session before the snow flies.

Meanwhile inside the shop there's been a ban on new stock, to focus on the outside effort. Despite this somebody managed to sneak in a new coal wagon. Still needs some paint, details, weathering, and weight, but here's an in-progress pic:

: Missed a spot!; Screenshot_20231015-004715__01.jpg (325.09 KiB) Viewed 5428 times

This is from Red Star's digital model from this thread: FR style iron body coal wagon (in the 3D print section). I made a few cuts in the model so the walls could be printed flat and ironed. Ok, now I'm really done with stock until the railway is ready!

Posted: **Mon Oct 16, 2023 5:41 am**

That looks very nice.

Is it the wider version for 60mm axles, or his original narrow one?

Posted: **Mon Oct 16, 2023 8:14 am**

Thanks! It is the wider version. I made my axles from 1/8 inch brass rod but trimmed by eye rather than measuring the actual length.

Posted: **Mon Oct 16, 2023 9:29 am**

drewzero1 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 16, 2023 5:18 am I spent some time building the back wall of the raised bed today, and emptied the rainwater out of the ponds so I can get them into level position and put in the plumbing for the waterfall and filter. At this rate trackbed will probably have to wait until at least the spring, but maybe I can get in another patio running session before the snow flies.

Meanwhile inside the shop there's been a ban on new stock, to focus on the outside effort. Despite this somebody managed to sneak in a new coal wagon. Still needs some paint, details, weathering, and weight, but here's an in-progress pic:
Screenshot_20231015-004715__01.jpg

This is from Red Star's digital model from this thread: FR style iron body coal wagon (in the 3D print section). I made a few cuts in the model so the walls could be printed flat and ironed. Ok, now I'm really done with stock until the railway is ready!

That is neat Drew. Are you not going to have a rake of them, they would look good with about 6 or more. Next year perhaps...

Posted: **Mon Oct 16, 2023 2:36 pm**

FWLR wrote: ↑Mon Oct 16, 2023 9:29 am That is neat Drew. Are you not going to have a rake of them, they would look good with about 6 or more. Next year perhaps...

Thanks Rod. Just trying to focus on the earthworks and pond setup and (someday) laying the track down. Once it gets too cold to work in the garden I plan to get back into stock making mode. The baby's almost a year now and she's been sleeping better, so I'm hoping to be able to do more woodworking besides just the 3D printing this winter. I've got some plywood set aside for my own version of your shorty box van and a few other projects. Been working on setting up my painting kit in an old travel case so I can go somewhere and paint without the kids, uh, "helping".

Posted: **Mon Oct 16, 2023 4:58 pm**

Nicely done. You're braver than me doing your own lettering. I'd have given up after the first letter

Rik

Posted: **Mon Oct 16, 2023 5:36 pm**

Thanks Rik. A small part of me always wanted to be a sign painter, so I guess I can make small signs! My mom always liked painting barn quilts on buttons. She says my brush has too many hairs; hers only has three or four. Garden scales are a breath of fresh air after HO scale and D&D minis I also work with sometimes.

Hold your noses everyone, here comes the morning refuse train!

: With two kids in diapers I think I'm going to need a few more of these.; Screenshot_20231016-105922.jpg (241.53 KiB) Viewed 5366 times

Posted: **Mon Oct 16, 2023 6:14 pm**

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