Water tower base gets sheathed

The weather was perfect this weekend for model railroading. Which is to say it was dismal for almost anything else. So, after a quick trip to Intercity Trains and Hobbies in the Far East, where I saw many old friends, I sat down with a clutch of sticks, a few tiny scraps of plastic and […]

Breaking the Water Tower

The water tower will be a nuisance to fix if it ever breaks, and so, I decided to find out when that will be. While The Boy is off at university, he doesn’t mind if I raid his Lego supply for some experimental apparatus, and I soon found the battery pack and motor I was […]

Water Spout and Sheaves

To get the water spout to pull the chain over the sheaves, I had to move its centre of balance away from the tank. To do so, I made the far end out of brass and the near end from acetal, which turns nicely in the lathe. The two parts fit together with a post […]

Water Tower Mechanism Base

I cut the mechanism base from 1/8″ plywood. And it went together exactly as planned. If you can think for enough ahead by to design all the holes, the laser can save all sorts of time on changing drill bits. I think I have all I need, with the exception of the speaker. Installing and […]

Water Tower Test Prints

Is anyone ever happy with the first sample they print? I’m calling these test prints, but in fact they’re semi-failed prints. In the case of the base, I forgot to change one dimension of the legs. So, when I tried fitting a piece of 10×10 sugar pine against them, there was no relief left for […]

Water Tank Design Details

The water tank is beginning to take shape, at least in a virtual world. This will be a hybrid model – a mixture of 3D-printed and traditional parts, with perhaps a few more 3D-printed parts than are strictly necessary. The base, which interlocks with the mechanism beneath the baseboard, and a few test hoop connectors […]

Tight Quarters for Water Tower Drive

I had thought, or maybe hoped, that that the water tower was going to line up to the left (north) of the joist. However, there is some rule about joists, that places them exactly where they are least convenient, and when rulers and pencils got involved, it emerged that the best place for the water […]

716 Mary gets a Porch

I’m almost inclined to call this little model finished, except I want to add some more details to liven up the porch. There is a shovel leaning against the corner and a jacket hung from a nail, but it still lacks something. The porch itself is a simple wood frame, planked with boards left over […]

716 Mary Street Gets a Roof

Difficult as it may be to believe, I do not have to make everything myself. Once you get started, though, it feels easier to make stuff than it is to look for an appropriate product. So, I was thinking I would be making my own shingles for the little half-a-house that I’m calling 716 Mary […]

Coal Dock Done

The coal piles managed to find their way onto the dock, and on the right side of the dock, too. I’m declaring this model done and ready for installation on the layout. Unlike most of my models, I finished this one before it finished me!