manitouguy

hi Jerry - i have to check and see if the chap you cut the pieces last time still has his machine up and running ... it was tucked way in the back of his shop and i was the only one who used it - and he charged me alot to do so! i will see if there is a similar service locally, hopefully, and then can see how much it costs there was still a bit of 'scratching' to be done ... like the handrails / grab bars and sanding down the roof build up too as with many of my projects i am a slow mover, but will let you know once i find out cheers, Ron

yes that is my version of the hell gate bridge i always liked it as done by Lionel in tin plate ... i have a few tricks planned for mine estes rockets ... i launched one a bit overzealously with my son in a 'too small' school yard a few years back ... it landed nearby 'hot' on a nearby house - we ran and didn't look back ... so i think we will stick to non operating rockets for now!!

i mentioned to a member in my 1/32 custom buildings thread that i would show an example of how i go from hand sketches / ideas to building a google sketchup model (not of a 'real' item, but as the pieces i would then cut / use to do my 1/32 version) so here is an example of a 1 gauge san fran street car - as part of some 'assistance' for a friend launching his new 1/32 slot car line - he had hopes of doing a great stop motion promo marketing bit for his first two cars the Bullitt Charger and Mustang there was no street car available in 1/32, and what would the famous chase through the streets of san fran be without it ... so i stepped in and challenged myself with building him one for his 'movie' all worked out well, except that the chap who did such a brilliant job with the stop motion work based on some sketches and 'scripting' i helped them along with, at some point began writing books and never completed the movie - maybe they will someday anyhow so here are a few 'renders' of that sketchup model and the realized 1/32 streetcar ... if i recall i used o gauge trucks under it, and made a 2d eps file in adobe illustrator of all the 3d sketchup parts, sent it to another friend who laser cut it out of bass wood on his machine some detailing, paint and decals et voila we had a decent 1 gauge streetcar i've been meaning to make a few more for my 'smallville' diorama since the first is living somewhere around London England i think! here is a link to the stop motion 'trailer' that was done up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdjKjbuLE6M anyhow, there you go - an example of how i use sketchup to help build cheers, Ron

hi Mike, most of the ideas start as messy hand sketches (i have a very over active imagination sometimes!) and then get worked and re-worked or 'distilled' month after month ... these ideas have been worked on over many years (i work slow!) i then do up a model of an idea in google sketchup - simple and fast to use but helps me visualize the 'building' of the 'toy' or in this case building (all these buildings have planned interiors - quite simple but believable like the outsides ... the magic for me of toys is taking the actual toy just far enough to let the imagination or a child's wonder do the rest ... marx and others were excellent at this back in the day ... you can tell i am no 'rivet counter' in need of full scale realism by any means .. ) once i have the model worked out in google sketchup i can then set up a sheet of pieces in 2d and have sent off to have laster cut outs so i can put all together and start detailing etc ( my 1/32 street car worked out well that way - maybe i will do another post on that one later) sometimes i also just then use a scale ruler (architect scales have on them as one of the typ scales, 3/8"=1'-0" so it is easy to measure the parts on the screen and mark them up on cardboard to cut out by hand .... experimenting with some card board right now - might try coating with plastic spray primer and then i can finish then up however i want with various paints etc .. this may be cheaper than bass wood! this is a pretty grand and LONG term project which will span a couple more decades yet if all goes well as hoped - so as a grandpa i can share it whith some grand kids i'll dig up some photos of some of the vintage toys and entourage i have amassed over the last two decades, as well as a few more sketchup renders that better explain how the downtown core was designed as a series of stand alone display models that plug together to become the 'city' too cheers, Ron

hi all, was going to post a couple of pics in trygmaya's recent post on buildings in 1/32 and 1/29 post but rather than hi-jack that one i will start another i am an architect by trade and to relieve the boredom of the 'real world' projects, i like to work in scale on my future garden diorama 'plans' i dabbled a bit in toy design assisting a chap with a 1/32 slot car venture (electric road racing) and had a wonderful 10 year collection of 1/32 slot cars from the '60s (i have since sold off 90% of it ... to buy more vintage pinball machines, but that is another story ) at any rate the diorama i have worked on and off planning for many years will hopefully someday be realized so some grand kids can enjoy it with me it is a bit off of the beaten path ... i grew up in Manitoba on the North Dakota border, and loved the 'exchange district' in Winnipeg (often called the Chicago of the North) ... also have a love for boats, planes and trains and decided to challenge myself to do a 'mid 60s' small city core with outlying elements - of course peppered with plenty of 'tongue and cheek' and scaled down 'toyish' distillation too it is meant not only to be a world for my trains to run through but as a backdrop (or series of backdrop models) for displaying my remaining collection of vintage slot cars, trains, boats, people etc that i have collected over the years, all near 1/32 at any rate - here are some photos of the buildings i have been working on a 'four view' of the city core the train station (with hotel rooms on top ... i know not typical ... but hey 'Smallville' is my world to build as i please LOL) this is the earlier 'tower' - across from the station - the railroad tycoon's offices this is a bit over at the 'industrial area' - the vw factory was an idea for a toy display for the slot car company i was assisting ... as was the street car, which i have already built one of in 1/32 this is 'Smallville' airport (did i say i loved planes..!) - i actually have a 1/32 727 from the '60s, its huge but i LOve it and it needed a place to live and be displayed too oh .. and i love rockets and early space race stuff too .. so out at the airport will be a 1/32 launchpad to displace some vintage space toys (i have a mercury capsule and the vostok / osoyuz .. but need to build their rockets .. oh boy!) at any rate - some of you may find this entertaining or give you ideas to build more of your own buildings etc etc cheers, Ron

thanks for the input and advice kevin .. i am off to the local 'train shop' here to get some more advice and opinions on some detailing too! here are a few more pics of the Marklin ... also in the process of now converting one of the passenger cars into an observation rear car cheers, Ron

very exciting for you !! i too have a hudson, and it was my first 1 gauge engine too my purchase, although 4 (or 6?!) years ago was similar ... i hit a buy it now on ebay and had mine shipped from florida to vancouver bc ... guy claimed it had never been run - Raymond here gave me some good advice then and i am sure he will chime in here too as may some others i think once you get the control system it can tell you how many 'scale miles' that engine was run also, i think you will likely need to charge the train (battery?) too i still haven't had mine running but hope to soon - but now think i will wait for the mth phone app and use that as my control look forward to hearing more on yours from others and yourself cheers, Ron

very cool!! and thanks so much for taking the time to do this, and to scan in the ones that were not digital too much appreciated! regards, Ron

and a few reference pics of 2-6-0s from the interweb ...

hmm, maybe i should try and scale down images in photobucket?? lets try another - here is the Marklin UP old timer passenger car - i have a couple and will convert one into an observation car with rear viewing deck .. but more on that later .. also have plans to add some more side detail to windows and wood siding, some metal lines under car etc

ok, lets try and include a few images first the Union Pacific 2-6-0 (black snow plough version ... what can i say ... i grew up on the prairies!! and like the look of the plough .. may eventually get or build a cow catcher option for it too)

Hi all, well in my disappointment of the mth vo 1000 being cancelled, and due to no success in finding an earlier release one, new or used anywhere ... i decided to have fun with another 'project' i have wanted to give a go for awhile i have always liked the very early trains, and since i try to stick to 1/32 (mth) have also been interested in the marklin 1 gauge i have also always wanted an 'all metal' train set too - so took a look at the marklin maxi line, and although 'toyish' to some i liked what i saw in size and construction and 'potential' and decided to purchase one of their 2-6-0 Union Pacific Locos and a few UP old time passenger cars as well I will try and post some pictures later - but have some neat plans to try to tastefully convert / further detail the passenger cars exteriors and load them up with some nice figures i also want to detail the engine a bit too - so here is the first request for help / info / advice ... i have searched hard on the interweb for similar 2-6-0 models in old photos or reference and have turned up very little like the marklin style 2-6-0 ... perhaps it is a non-accurate 'toyish' version ... but a few have come close like some early PRR locos i came across If anyone can advise on if Marklin used a proto for 'inspiration'?? and then, suggest some areas where i may add some extra details ... i am thinking of running some wire from the bell to the cab, maybe adding some copper lines along the boiler sides etc ... but don't know enough about what might be correct or at least 'believable' to add - hence looking for some somewhat correct photos and advice will be much easier once i post some photos and maybe sketches etc - but any advice or assistance greatly appreciated w thanks in advance regards, Ron

yes, sadly i was informed of that on my pre- order now i really need help finding one of the previous issued vo 1000s any leads out there or help much appreciated!! regards, Ron

very nice! thanks for posting! it looks Big!

hi guys, thanks from mth trains site i downloaded 2003 2004 2005 2010 2011 2013 as well as the first one (2001) pretty sure there were a few others ?? like 2007 for instance regards, Ron