Replicating Percy

By using 3D printing, I should be able to save time in my experiments with Percy. That in turn means I will be able to learn more in the same length of time. Indeed, I should be able to run so many experiments, that I can afford to change one variable at a time. The […]

Deconstructing Percy

I was a bit worried, as I offered the Phillips-head screwdriver up to the three screws on Percy’s coverplate, that I would find the two axles were driven by a gear train, the connecting rods coming along just for show. That would defeat the exercise, or at least require further testing to ensure Percy could […]

Percy to the Rescue

If it wasn’t obvious, I’ve been in a funk since discovering that 622 will not run after painting. In my heart, I know the solution will ultimately involve a new set of drivers, as attempting to fix the ones that are there will surely destroy them, and it’s unknown if I could ever put them […]

How fast does it go?

“How fast does it go?” my friend Andrew cheekily asked when I posted those photos of 622 a month ago. At the time, I’d not powered the engine on as I was up to my elbows in the Railway Modellers’ Meet. Since then, virtually all my hobby time has been consumed either by wrapping up […]

Sharing progress on 622

The Railway Modellers’ Meet has been under way since the beginning of the month. Since that first Saturday, we’ve met every Thursday for more clinics, virtual layout tours and our famous Meet the Modeller sessions. I had hoped to have 622 ready for Meet the Modeller last year, and alas, it is not even complete […]

Glazing 622’s windows

Somehow I’ve been convinced that true modellers glaze windows with real glass. I’m not sure if it’s really better; the passenger car has plastic windows, and they look fine to me. However, there is no doubting that when you tell anyone – even a non-modeller – that the windows are glazed with glass, they are […]

Decals for 622

After all that experimentation with Cricut masks, I decided to press forward with decals for 622. They were included on the same decal sheet as the flat car decals from Precision Design, and went on beautifully. I was glad I’d included an extra copy of the decal for the tender rear because I did indeed […]

Sprinting to not finish

The Railway Modellers’ Meet starts with Iain Rice’s keynote this Saturday, and I’m going to have to declare the flatcars ready for display if I hope to get the locomotive into the display as well. It’s been a bit of a push even to get them this far. Every evening I think I’m going to […]

Flat car decals

I spent a pleasant hour talking on the phone with my sister while sliding newly-arrived decals onto the flat cars this afternoon. One of the many nice aspects of the wooden car era is that the lettering was simple. With only five gaps between the six stake pockets, there is room for no more than […]

Bringing the flatcars back to earth

After no small amount of hemming and hawing, I decided to take a mulligan on the body bolsters for the three flat cars. There is no point in finishing a model that you’re not satisfied with. So, off came the too-high bolsters, and I get to make some fresh ones in the next day or […]