Reworking the rework

So, when I got to work on reworking my stock car cores by trying to shorten them on the table saw it just didn't work out right, ended up getting angled bottoms - pieces just too small to control and a bit unsafe to run through the saw.  That meant I just rebuilt the whole thing but shorter and then ran the finished master piece through on the table saw to get my seven cores - six stock, one horse car, and a shorter left over piece.

Good thing there was that left over piece because one of the stock car pieces jammed a bit and a big chunk got knocked out.  Serendipity!  I cut that piece to lose the chunk and then cut a short piece from the left over and combined the two so that the horse car will be a tad longer than the stock cars.  Means there will be more room for the two sets of doors on each side of the horse car.  A Bob Ross "happy accident."

With the shorter cores they blend better and the already cut detail pieces should work better with closer spacing.  Still much work to do but a step closer.

Those windmill possible pieces I mentioned in the prior post could also stand in for oil well frames (though metal rather than wood so perhaps out of period).

I did make some progress last evening on the old west figures - I cleaned and primed the last six buffalo and primed two more bases and popped off four already painted buffalo from four bases.  Once the new six are painted and all ten unglued to bases figures are glued (or re-glued) to bases, I'll have a herd of 120 figures.  Then just a matter of texturing the bases and seal coating.

Spring Blossom Report

No, not a report about blossoms but a report about some more work that got done during the time of the spring blossom.  Or, correctly, some rework.

Yesterday I went to a mini-event for writing and afterwards I stopped at a craft store that is closing which had an 80% off sale.  Bought lots of model related products, wood for crafting various models and lots of stuff for scenery and a few other odd items that I hope to be useful - especially some frames to create windmills.

Earlier in the day I pulled out the train project to work on.  When I got back home and took a look at the cores I'd created earlier, I decided to make a run to a local doll house store to see if I could find something with the right angling to it to use for the roofs on the stock cars.  And I did find something and, again, when I got home I took a look at how I'd use it.

And I realized it would be easier to rebuild the cores rather than trim the angled pieces I'd found, the pieces were sort of in the shape of a 'comma' but with sharp angles.

By gluing two of these pieces together I got the full double slanted angle that I wanted - but that meant a 1/4" wide dropping 'square' in the middle.

So, then I used some of the 1/4" bass wood I'd bought and ran it through the table saw to get the right height for two pieces, left and right sides, and then I cut a third piece a bit shorter to fit in between and adjust for the 'drop'.

Now, on top of the angled piece, I glued a very thin piece of obtuse angled wood that will substitute for the roof walk (maybe, might still add the roof walk by using the previously cut pieces with some under support to get it level on top of the now angled roof).

I then glued the three straight pieces into a 'sandwich' and then I glued that sandwich to the roof assembly.

I gave that plenty of time to dry and then I took the whole thing and used the table saw again to cut to length the seven cores I need to create my seven stock cars.

Today I will prime those cores flat black before, maybe not today, starting assembly of the previously cut pieces to represent the stock car slats.

And, maybe, I might trim the cores a little shorter since the above described process did make them a little taller - undecided, though, I might like having different height cars just to add some variety.

I did not take photos of the process yesterday but I may post up photos later of the raw pieces I used to create the core.  And I do hope to takes some process photos when I get to the actual assembly.  Depends on time and mood.

Good to make more progress, even if it was only reworking the cores.  And great to have such a solid supply of wood to use on so many other projects.

Speaking of other projects, I've realized I need to create some building cores for corner buildings which I might do with some more rework, reworking some of my already created building cores - or blanks as I call them.  That will be a challenge though.  Challenges can be fun - if some times accompanied by cerulean metaphors!

Reemergening

So, today, I actually got some time (interrupted by the spouse) to work on my railroad stuff.  At least I got the cores for the tank cars and the stock cars done.  Going to take a break for a while and watch a movie (probably part of it through closed eyes) and then maybe get some more work done.  I do have two excellent photographs to guide my work forward for these two car types.  At least it is still winter - well, okay, the next winter.  And, no, I don't think I'll finish this project before this winter ends.  Would be nice if I did though - but real life is being exceptionally intrusive of late.

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Well, yes, I did get back out to the garage and made further progress on the stock cars by cutting out many of the components that will be glued onto the core: roof walk, top boards for sides and ends, horizontal rails for the sides (undecided for the ends), and the vertical brace pieces.  Still need to cut the vertical door pieces and the diagonals - and to decide how I'll do the ends.  I figure about 185 pieces towards the finished product including the cores for the three tank cars (six stock cars, one horse car so ten cars worked on today).  Progress.

Rolling Stock - Part One

Of how many "Parts", I don't know.  But this is a good start.  

The eighteen unmodified Peter Pig rolling stock pieces are on display in the photos below: 6 passenger coaches, 8 box cars, 3 flat cars, one drover's caboose as mentioned a few times now.  So, for anyone out there doubting I really had all of what I said, here is photographic proof.

Above is what will be a typical freight train in my Old West games, a locomotive with tender, four box cars, and a caboose.  That is the Peter Pig modified locomotive at the front.  Below are a couple of other views.

Below, for that proof, are all 8 boxcars in one long train and a few additional views.

And below is the Glenco 4-4-0 pulling a typical passenger train of three cars - though the normal will be a combine and two coaches rather than the three coaches seen here.  Again, several views.

And a double header pulling all six coaches with the varied views.

How about a nice little mixed train with the Glenco 2-6-2 up front and the three flat cars and then a coach behind.

And going the other way is the same cut of cars but with the CP Huntington (see below) doing the pulling.

What about a little push-me-pull-you with the hard working little Porters?

And a shot or two with all 18 pieces of rolling stock awaiting more paint than the primer coat they currently are wearing.

And, when it absolutely, positively has to get there - a triple header of the three Peter Pig locomotives - just for Martin Goddard himself if he ever swings by to take another peak.

The next 21 pieces will take longer since they all involve modifications to the basic Peter Pig model.  But in due time.

And now it is time to admit to being embarrassed.  I made a statement in an earlier post about wondering if the CP Huntington is a real locomotive.  Duh!  I live near the actual, real, restored original and I've only stood right next two about a dozen times over the years!  Oh, well, life goes on.  And so does my Old West project - when I can find time to work on it.

Rolling Stock - Part A

No pictures today, just a quick note.

I've made much progress on rolling stock, all of the side frames are drilled for the axle pieces on all items.  Eighteen items await only filing down the metal pieces and then assembly prior to priming, already washed and filed the bodies as well as washed the metal parts.  These are the unmodified items - 8 box cars, 6 passenger cars, 3 flat cars, and the one drover's caboose.  That leaves the 21 items to be modified in various and sundry ways.

And I've made a good decision.  The one flat car I hadn't decided what to modify into will become a special horse car as opposed to all those stock cars for cattle.  For those in the know, it's for the likes of: "Who are those guys?"  And that same movie inspires the look of the car, to a degree, artistic license will apply.

Speaking of artistic endeavors, also realized I have a challenge to resolve - paint schemes!  I have a pretty good idea how I will paint all those steam locomotives.  But I really haven't decided which way to go with most of the rolling stock.  Sure, I will use real railroads as points of inspiration but I still need to finalize how I will apply it to my 15 mm Rail Baron Empire.  I will use a long cherished scheme for the passenger equipment; you'll just have to wait for the photos to know what it will be!

That's all for now.  Happy gaming - and happier building and painting.

Cedar Creek Overflows

Well, not quite a flood but a fulfillment.  Courtesy of an order that reached its fulfillment today, I now have all the structures I need to create the "out on the plains" western town of Cedar Creek - one of the three towns that will eventually populate my gaming world for the Old West.  Most of the buildings, but not all, are from Stone Mountain Miniatures and will make for a nice town.  Twenty structures including the railroad station and water tank for the thirsty locomotives will allow a pretty good place for peaceable activities.  And perhaps a few less tame activities.

Still to come is the finishing up of the needed buildings for the desert southwest town of Alkali Flats.  And the much larger - and almost entirely scratch built - town of Anachronism, a county seat and so much more.  If fully realized, there will be well more than one hundred structures in Anachronism.  I have a good start on it and just need the time to work on it.

Such is the great challenge, having time.  Enough for now.  Time for bed.

Iron Horse Stables

Now that we are half way through spring, I think it is high time I get back to my winter project!  Of course, I did have a couple of good reasons for delay.  I ran a French and Indian War game at local a convention and had to finish painting over 100 figures.  I also textured the bases for about 800 figures.  And I put foliage on 120 deciduous trees.  That was for the game.

Oh, and I built a 4' by 12' dedicated gaming table that will have two 2' extensions that can take it up to 16' long, one on a hinge and one that will be able to be set at different levels for seaports and the like.  For those who prefer 28 mm scale, 4' in 15 mm comes close to the equivalent of 7', not quite but close (6.8 - and those who check the math I used 16.5 since I have a mix of 15 mm and 18 mm.).

 The winter project, of course, was to work on my Old West trains.  Well this weekend I assembled 15 of the 54 pieces - the iron horses:  9 locomotives and 6 tenders, 3 of the locos have their own tenders integral to the whole.

Below are two shots showing all of the pieces right after getting primed.  If you look close you'll see I was working at a pretty fast pace and will need to go back and do a bit of repair work.  But, and this matters, these are game pieces, not contest pieces - so good enough is, well, good enough.  There are some things I will fix, though.

These three are Peter Pig's basic locomotive and tender. (but modified as in an earlier post here)

Here is a close shot of one of them.

And an overhead shot of one.

All three.

Here are three Glencoe locomotives with Peter Pig tenders (I ordered them special from Peter Pig to provide tenders since these Glencoe models don't include tenders).  The front two are 4-4-0 locomotives like the Peter Pig items above, so I have five of these but in two different 'styles.'  The one on the farthest right is a 2-6-2 wheel arrangement.  (The Whyte system if you know your trains but don't know the system)

A close of the 4-4-0.

And of the 2-6-2.

 From above - and you can see a fix is needed on this one.

All three from overhead.

 And now the three tank locomotives, all Glencoe models.

 The Porter, or 0-4-2.  Not sure if these are appropriate to Old West but there aren't many options in 15 mm so I'll put these to good use, have two of them.

And this is the CP Huntingdon, a 4-2-4.  Not sure that is historically accurate but might be.

 An overhead of the 4-2-4,

 And a Porter with some distortion in the image - or maybe the model.  Did I say I was working fast?

 While I have 9 iron horse, this shot just shows one each of the five different versions of engines in my "stable".

The observant will have noticed the hill profiles behind the locomotives - those are a project in process inspired by an item on the Major General page but mine are in plywood.  And the shot below gives an end on view of the gaming table, tried to class up the 'public' end to keep the wife happy, storage under for terrain and a few other items.

One last shot showing those hill profiles again and behind them another hill making project in a rethinking phase, probably keep but make a couple of inches shorter.  Will see.

I guess I need to build the passenger station now!  Next up are the 11 passenger cars, the 8 box cars, and then the three unmodified flat cars.  And then all those other flat car projects.  Wondering what to do with one flat car - some will be stock cars, some will be water tank cars, and some will be gondolas. Undecided on that last one.  And the cabeese are not to be forgotten.