Organizing the flat cars

It’s funny how jobs stack up. I needed to design the bolsters for the flat cars, which meant I needed to measure the truck bolsters, which meant that I had to find some trucks. These, along with most of my detail castings, live in one of the cabinets above the layout, and they’re a bit […]

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MFK Fisher: How to write how to

A few weeks ago, I resolved to add MFK Fisher to my reading list.  Perhaps by studying some of her work, I might be able to kick my own instructional writing up a notch in the literary sense. I found a thick collection at the local library, and heaved it home one Sunday afternoon.  To […]

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Flatcar weight plan

The thing that makes flatcars challenging is surely how to make them heavy enough to stay on the track when they are empty.  If it makes you feel any better, it looks like real railroads had the same problem back in the wood car era. They appear to have blocked empty flats near the back […]

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Operations ideas from BC Hydro

My friend, Colin Dover, intimated to me last night that he builds layouts purely so he can have a place to switch.  A couple of years ago, he tore out his representation of Vancouver Waterfront to build his “much simpler” Central Park line of BC Hydro. I put “much simpler” in quotes because, well, it […]

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The heavy shop takes shape

When I asked my wife what she thought of the new workshop cabinet, she said it looks “workshoppy.”  Okay, I’ll admit, the joinery is not as nice as I would like, but you’ve gotta love those 4″ deep drawers, and the big cavern behind those doors is sized for a future Sherline mill. I’m also […]

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