The right time to find a mistake

In software development, we call the prevention of defects earlier in the process “shift left testing.” The idea is that if you can find a bug earlier in the development process, it is less expensive to fix it. Tonight I was just about ready to go and upload my roundhouse side walls to the Cricut […]

Test wall for Pembroke roundhouse

In 1908, the Pembroke roundhouse was listed in “fair” condition. It stood for another 48 years until it burned. So, I read “fair” to mean that it was not dilapidated, but also, perhaps not first class. I speculate, therefore, that perhaps it wasn’t painted. The other challenge with the Pembroke roundhouse is that it is […]

Roundhouse Sheathing

I’m starting to think about modelling the roundhouse, with a view to taking it to the PNR regional meet in Salmon Arm in a month and a half (!). From Del Rosamond’s notes, we know that it had “Colonial Siding,” which was apparently similar to clapboard siding, but with full-thickness boards. Clapboards are tapered. Now […]

Roundhouse rails proceeding according to plan

The cunning plan appears to be working, although like everything else on my model bench, slower than hoped! Still, I’m happy with the first stall, and the first rail on the second stall looks nicely lined up with both ends of the turntable. I’m now positioning the second set of Vs, and you can see […]

Cinders not quite right on Pembroke roundhouse tracks

Last night I glued down ballast for the tracks around the turntable. Now engine service areas are often ballasted with cinders from the engines, but I assume that it takes a little while for these to accumulate. After six years, would they have had enough to cover the area? I didn’t know, so I mixed […]

Six-year old turntable ties require delicate staining

I got up early this morning to do a little sanding on the ties around the turntable. It turned out that the edge timbers were particularly proud – on one side, they lost about .010″ (.25mm). There is still a step of about the same to get on one end of the turntable. I think, […]

Turntable and roundhouse requires handlaid track

Over the last couple of evenings, I’ve put in the ties and timbers for the tracks around the turntable and into the roundhouse. It’s hard to imagine how you would achieve this without handlaying the track. Mercifully, for most of us, it’s all just plain track – no turnouts – and so, relatively straightforward. Handlaying […]

Roundhouse doors may be too close for magnets

It’s been a rainy weekend here in Vancouver – at last! The kids and I spent a lazy afternoon raking through the Lego. They’re working on some very inventive cars, and I’m plugging away at mocking up the mechanism for the roundhouse doors. I foolishly went out into yesterday’s storm to get some magnets at Lee […]

Roundhouse pits should be oversize in baseboards

What was I thinking when I routed out the inspections pits in the baseboard? I made them just slightly over 4′ wide, which is the correct width. However, I left almost no space for a veneer of any sort. The result was that I was forced into making concrete pits with .010″ thick walls. Following […]

Driving roundhouse doors magnetically takes more metal than expected

I arrived home this evening to find the Boy had taken a stab at working up the roundhouse door mechanism in Lego. Like all the people on my team at work, he had very high-level instructions, and as with them, he exceeded my expectations. I’m sure there are more bevel gears in his collection, and […]