Just wired up the Ford sign for my car dealership that Robert Ray made for me! More signs and lighted buildings make the layout really pop!
I had made some decals for a "Whale Belly" Pressurized Cement Hopper about 12-15 years ago, and had planned on making the car out of resin but never got around to it. So I was searching out Z Scale stuff on Shapeways and found that Stony Smith had produced this car, but it was not finished, needing stirrups, end ladders, and a brakewheel. I went ahead and laser cut those parts this morning, but the stirrups broke off, so I went ahead and finished it anyways. I have one more to get around to, but it's getting kind of hot in the garage, so... another time.
Just started using a CPAP and had an extra 6’ hose when I got tested for Sleep Apnea. Got to thinking what can I use for this extra hose for? Then it dawned on me that if I push one end of the CPAP hose into the small shop vac hose, that this would work great in vacuuming my layout. Yes, it does work great! Would like to find a smaller nozzle on the smaller hose to make it a little smaller!
Funny this should come up now. As I continue to work with, learn about, and clean up the modules from Loren, I needed a better way of getting up the little bits of wood dust, shavings, scenery in wrong places, etc. that resulted from the cross-country POD trip, so I created my own rough version of a micro tube for my Dyson handheld crevice tool. It's some sturdy plastic tube I found around here (because I don't throw away ANYTHING I think I may need again one day). I just put my finger over the remaining opening, and can vary the suction I'm applying to the layout. It's far from perfect, but works okay for now.
Rob, Bet you had a whale of a time working on that tank car. I think it was a fluke that the stirrups broke. But at least you're finished. I think it will make a real splash here. Clyde, Nice use of the CPAP hose! Bryan, Like that crevice tool mod. Scott
One of my goals is to rehabilitate a Z scale layout my father built to fit on his coffee table. At some point, he abandoned it, and it gathered dust in the basement. Now it's in *my* basement, and I'd like to make it presentable for train shows, our model railroad club open houses, or whatever. The track mostly works, but there are no buildings, and I don't have the budget to buy a lot of kits. So, I downloaded an HO scale, cardstock house, reduced it to Z scale on the photocopier, and got to work. I built the HO scale house first to practice and then built the house below. It's not perfect, but it's a start. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk
John, Nice work, but it is pretty tedious! I have tried doing two buildings from Clever, and I didn't finish either. I don't think the tab and folding process translates well to Z, so I was trying to figure out a better process. I was working on Elder's Bike Shop from Clever Models. I was trying to do the different layers for detail. Scott
Kurt, I eventually lost patience with this one as well. Clever Models Ice Company. I'll try again this coming winter. Scott
Two years ago I made a preorder for the AZL ATSF Lamy Station. My plan was to use this station as a Busstation in my town of Marfa, Tx. So I held a place on my layout always open. But after two year I was tired of waiting and looked for an other solution. I made my own Grayhound station based on pictures on the internet of such a buis terminal in Evansville, IN and a similar MTH modell. The walls are made of cardstock and some cut outs from the MTH modell seen on fleabay. The windows are made from such of the Kibri factory. The destinctiv white round roof rart is a former bottle cork of a single malt bottle.
Here is a birds eye view of Marfy, Tx! Last count of inventory revealed 130 buildings in town and 120 vehicles. You will easily find the location of the bus depot. At the far end of Marfa is the municipal airport and the hispanic quarter.
Great looking layout, with lots of good looking buildings and scenery! Thanks for sharing your layout!