I had a meeting in Portland and that gave me an excuse to stop by a local hobby shop. Haven’t been there in I guess a year. Didn’t expect to see anything I could use, but in an old used-building bin, I found a Bachmann N scale #45804 DriveIn Bank. I have been wanting to replace a scratchbuilt swimsuit boutique (built around the core of a box a $10 watch came in) that is way too big for its place on the layout, and too big to feel right with nearby models that represent small businesses on a street outside the downtown area. (Downtown is BIG buildings, mostly from Victorian era.) I wanted a semi-modern building that could date from 30s or 40s. I would need to do some kitbashing, so the fact that base on model was bent out of shape didn’t bother. Got it really cheap. When I got home, I discovered the drivein bank almost as wide as the too-big Budget Beachwear, but I think I can cut it down. (Also discovered I have the same Bachmann structure on my layout, on same street where I want to place this. It is so bashed and re-detailed, I didn’t realize it was same kit until I went to my structure inventory to identify my new-old purchase.) I also found a 2-story already-built used “post office” that I might use for an Army surplus store. No price marked on it- got it cheap. Again, I want a building with 30s/40s/50s design, that will contrast with Victorian downtown. Windows on 2nd floor are too big for N scale, but windows on back side are about right and I can put them in front where4 they will show. Need to cut down structure to about 3/4th width. Happy purchase. Too-big Building I am replacing...
I've had fun with my little steam engine. But I ran across these and they are great products. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Atlas-Nsca...613309?hash=item34191cbd7d:g:bXAAAOSwYUpd1d2C Shipped fast and the sound is awesome. I think it has more sounds but I don't believe I have a good enough DCC system to use all the functions. My grandfather was a huge fan of this model for some reason and I couldn't seem to find any of these anywhere.
Kenneth, I have the same post office building as you. The original kit came with two identical buildings molded in different colors, don't remember what the other building was. I want to make one into a grocery store and other a hobby shop with a train layout in the front windows. The window layout scene would be the same scene as my layout and reduce it more if it's possible. There's a name for that but I don't know what it is. I got the idea from the National Kart Racing Championship trophy called "The Duffy". It has a statue of a kart driver, about 14 inches tall wearing their helmet and driver's suit and holding a scaled down Duffy and so on. I used to race karts from 1976 to 1982 and won the Tulsa Kart Club Championship in 1979 and 1982. Also in 1982 I was ranked number ten in North America Championship. My dad raced also from 1976 to 1980 and during this time we became a lot closer. We traveled to several other tracks in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. In Joplin MO I won the regional national race six in a row between 79 and 81. Kart racing is extremely fast and fun, saved me from getting into trouble in my early to mid twenties and it more importantly made me close to my dad. Joe
I built a hobby shop with a train in the window for a modeler friend. He lives in Alice, Texas and has an N scale layout I designed for him based on the TexMex Rwy in Alice. I thought of turning around the book name "Alice in Wonderland" into "Wonderland in Alice". It would have to be a train store. I wanted to try to make an N scale model of his N scale layout, but that is awful small. The 2-D paper TexMex train in orange, green & white is hard to recognize. Here is the layout I designed for Marco. I don't have a good prototype picture showing the lay of the town, but I made a temporary mockup of the town scene for an internet tutorial on background modeling. TexMex tracks in foreground, main street a block away with businesses both sides of street, BACKS of bldgs. facing tracks. I did another "model of a model train layout" when I recreated Lattimore's barn outside Fort Worth. It is supposed to represent a Lionel layout. From observing a kindergarten class, I saw kids making "trains" by lining up blocks cut from old 2x4 scrap. It occured to me, they were about the same bulk as Lionel O-gauge freight cars, so I modeled an impression of Lionel trains with N scale 2x4 lumber. I think it was the Model Power kit you mentioned using for a grocery store. I used the Bachmann drivein bank as a grocery store, intended as a small "superette" out on the highway outside the old traditional center of a small town. Slightly bigger than you would think of a convenience store. Signs on windows are sale price items with prices from an ad in a 1950s newspaper hunted up on microfilm in the local library archives. In moving thru the years, I have lost all but one of the Gold Medal N shopping carts, like then one being pushed by the lady into the store. I have this sitting on my present layout but I am not sure about keeping it. I want to model another grocery store from my prototype city, a small corner store in what was originally the basement of a "Galveston raised bungalow". (a locally-typical architectural style of my modeled proto town) I think I could approximate this with Atlas "Barb's Bungalow" and a bit of scratch/bashing but it really needs to go in a residential neighborhood and I'm not sure how to fit one on my layout. Oh well... an embarrassment of possibilities.
Just picked up an Atlas Gold Series SD60E NS locomotive, and it is a mixed bag of nuts. On the one hand, it is a very nice shell with decent details. It is a good runner, and the sound is pretty fair but not overpowering. It seems this is a Loksound 4 decoder instead of a current version Loksound 5 decoder. That is not a knock, just an observation. It is possible that this unit is new/old stock and that is fine too. For the record, I love mixed bags of nuts, it is not a derogatory remark in my context! Great locomotive!
"Swimsuits Half Off". I appreciate your subtle humor. Actually, your structure looks much like the real things we see near area beaches here. Nice work!
I'm not sure if any of Atlas' Gold Series locos come with v5 since v5 just came out recently. During the time when the chassis was designed there was no v5 so the milling pattern, space allocation and what not was designed for v4. From what I've read over at TRW, there is a size difference between v4 and v5 so they can't just swap when v5 is readily available. I think.
I bought a 40 pack of 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 inch medium green trees and two 9 packs 3 to 3-1/2 inch fall colors trees. Also some Dremel high speed cutters, a couple of mandrels, a pack of cutoff disc and a Stanley staple gun. The staple gun is for putting up Christmas lights on our front door and patio area which I will do this afternoon. I surprised Cynthia last night, while she was in the shower I set up our Christmas tree, man was she shocked. Cynthia made a new Christmas wreath and we set it on our front door. Joe
Got some Broadway Limited Imports SW7 and NW2... won't be running them for a while though... but they look good. Sent from my SM-J737T using Tapatalk
MRC drop in diesel sound decoder. Really impressed with the DC operation!! Turn the knob and the diesel starts up, lights come on a little later, then the engine finally runs. Neat little programming. Sounds rise and fall in pitch as you control the throttle. Occasionally there are random sounds mixed in.
Picked up some plaster cloth, a shaker of yellow grass, and some micro-applicators. Going to focus on scenery for a while.
Saturday’s, surprise purchase: Two of the 3 cars required, to complete the GM promo train, from 2001. Just need the gondola. And today’s only N Scale purchase: A pair of Trainworx Clipper Express trailers, and a pair of Trainworx undec trailers. Plus 5 railroad books. Colorado, Rio Grande, narrow gauge and Colorado mountain railroad related! All in like new, to new condition, one signed and numbered!
Just received a second ConCor Phartz and Howe wooden boxcar. Also a Walthers western coal floodloader, in HO, that was listed in the N Scale section of that site!
In my Christmas stocking I found these, a Giottos air blaster to reduce dust on my 35mm slides prior to scanning, a Bluford Shops Charleston & Western Carolina 2-Bay Hopper and a very nice book of images along the Lehigh Valley in the early 1900s. Merry Christmas everyone!
Latest for me is some ground cover, a new lamp for the workbench, a couple of terminal blocks, and a surprise find, a set on JnJ etched auto rack panels.
