January 2025 - July 2025

|
Accomplishments:
|
Structure Builds:
- built Model Hobbies "Tool House" with modifications (windows, door, roof, long sides)
- built SS Ltd. Howe crane and platform
- built Berkshire Valley Model "Small Ore Bin"
- built Campbell "Quincy Ice House"
- built Campbell "Quincy Speeder shed" (modified to a general-purpose shed)
- built Campbell "Bunk House B" kit; added lighting
- repaired the "Saturday Night Bath" Woodland Scenics module
- built retaining walls for the mine area, using balsa and NBW castings
Rolling Stock work:
- assembled/weathered Accurail outside braced box brother Steve gave me
- assembled/weathered Accurail G&D commemorative car
- changed steel weights in PRR hopper #248610 to 0.040 styrene and lead
- Varney Western Pacific box (bought at the June NMRA meet); added weight, Kadee wheelsets, light weathering
- received, unpacked, and programmed my new BLI PRR B6sb 0-6-0
Scenery work:
- adding decking to the wharf area; cut/stained coffee stirrers, 1/8 balsa borders installed
- added spackle "concrete" to wharf, painted with Hunterline cement stain
- used black clay to seal around structure bases; sealed it with matte medium, added ground cover and weeds
- added foliage, ground cover to various areas West and SW
- painted all exposed pink foam brown
- made a base for the branch line mine area and the adjacent oil well area
- built up the mine base;
added foam, rock castings, Sculptamold, ground goop, painted the rocks,
added dirt and ore ground cover, added cribbing to the mine shaft, and
installed retaining walls
Miscellaneous:
- installed
valences using window "blackout"material, hung from the wire shelves
using magnets harvested from old Sonicare toothbrush heads; installed a
shelf above the wharf and added a valence there as well
- built several Rix turnout
indicators; modified them to turn 90 degrees with the limited throw of
the FastTracks turnouts (standard is 3/16" for 90, much higher than the
3/32" of my turnouts)
- had an OP session with Nick B. and Don B. to test operating scheme
- had three OP sessions with brother Steve to further test operations
- held an "open house" after the April NMRA meet, attended by ~20 visitors
|
Railfan Photos
|

|
|

|
|

|
|

|
Structure Builds
|
|
Model Hobbies "Tool House" with modifications
|

|
SS Ltd. Howe crane and platform
|

|
Berkshire Valley Model "Small Ore Bin"
|

|
Campbell "Quincy Ice House" |

|
Campbell "Quincy Speeder shed" (modified to a general-purpose shed) |
 
|
Campbell "Bunk House B"
|

|
Rolling Stock
|
|
Accurail outside braced box car
|

|
Accurail G&D Commemorative car
|

|
Varney Western Pacific box
|

|
BLI PRR B6sb 0-6-0
|

|
Scenery Work |
|
adding decking to the wharf area; cut/stained coffee stirrers, 1/8 balsa borders installed
|

|
added spackle "concrete" to wharf, painted with Hunterline cement stain
|

|
used black clay to seal around structure bases; sealed it with matte medium, added ground cover and weeds |




|
built up the mine base;
added foam, rock castings, Sculptamold, ground goop, painted the rocks,
added dirt and ore ground cover, added cribbing to the mine shaft, and
installed retaining walls |




|
Miscellaneous
|
|
held an "open house" after the April NMRA meet, attended by ~20 visitors
|


|