First Scratchbuilt Model

The Boy has decided he would like to have a go at building some structures. Being a clever sort of fellow, he decided to first find out if he could make a small box out of wood. Myself, I was never so sensible: the first thing I ever launched myself at was an ore car, which […]

Remembering Ken Healy

As I was moving some books around today, a business card dropped out of one of them and fluttered to the floor. Ken Healy has been gone for some years, and I don’t think I ever saw him after I moved away from Ottawa over twenty five years ago. Yet, his card clicking softly to the floor […]

622 virtually roughed in

I’m starting to think seriously about the drive train for 622. On #10, I built my own gear box, which enabled me to model the full backhead and floor of the cab. That’s all very nice when you take the roof off, but most of the time you can’t see it. For 622, I’m considering […]

622 suffers do-overs in CAD too

If you’ve been reading my blog for any time at all, you know that I throw out about half the things I make. The first version is never good enough, but it does teach me how to make one that is. So, it should come as no surprise that I just deleted almost the whole CAD model […]

Getting sources organized for 622

For my drawing efforts thus far, I’ve been considering the erecting card and the associated specification for the locomotive as gospel. I mean, these were the resources that the boys at Baldwin would have used to put 622 and 621 together, and so they should be right. Unfortunately, unexpectedly, inexplicably, they don’t agree! The drawing […]

Figuring out OnShape connectors

After watching the tutorial again, and sinking another night into learning OnShape, I’m not only in danger of dying prematurely because my body didn’t break down enough sugars and triglycerides, but I’m also in danger of becoming effective at creating Assemblies. Perhaps I should explain for those SketchUp users out there. OnShape (and FreeCad) work on the basis […]

Best to wear black or navy

Before he was a model railroader, my friend, Mark Dance was an award-winning figure painter. So, when he asked if he might try painting a couple of the lovely pewter figures from A C Stadden, I leaped at the chance. Mark sent through some in-progress photos today, along with the question “I couldn’t find any […]

622 drawing progresses in OnShape

I’m starting to get the hang of parameterized CAD with OnShape. Tonight, I managed to get a pretty good sketch of the locomotive frame, and extruded it to make the outside layers. I also discovered a handy feature called a variable, which enables you to label a dimension, such as the standard thickness of metal, […]

Selkirk Express 2016: An Introduction Timetable and Trainorder

I’m up at the Selkirk Express PNR convention in Salmon Arm, where tomorrow I will be presenting my introductory clinic on timetable and train order operations. As promised, here are the slides and handouts. They are offered under the share alike Creative Commons license.

Improved roundhouse wall parts

Today’s lesson: when you’re cutting many window panes, don’t aim to cut right through unless you’re willing to babysit the Cricut. If the panes are cut right through, then they may pop off the cutting mat, and eventually the blade will land on one of the freed squares. Then, dragging the square around like a kid […]