Putting the finishing touches on the Showcase Miniatures Route 66 Cafe. It's been a fun build. Steve W
Real nice! I really like their kits. I’ve eyeing this one and that gas station. Think they’d look good next to eachother.
Thanks! Their structure and vehicle kits are great, go together very easily. I too am eyeing up the gas station as well. Steve W
After our cats unintentionally destroyed my initial project, I started over with another Mike Basher laser cut kit, this time the Southern Farm House. See for more newbie details on the thread I started last year… Anyways see below the current status of my fun build - and yes, my oldest son is still part of this. We included lessons learned in particularly around adding realism and incorporate a little light. Next up the roof and front porch. -Tiest Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Not sure what happened there Matt, I don't typically post pics. Lets try a direct URL? http://www.stevenjwoodward.us/z/IMG_5271.jpeg Steve W
Yep, visible! thanks. Very nice indeed. Could you post a close up and a picture of side/rear? I have this kit lying around and want to get started with it one of these days... How are the decals coming out? Matt
Hey Matt, When I get home later I'll take a few pics. The kit goes together really well. The decals were pretty easy to work with. I messed up the two signs above the front awning a bit, I'll either fix or replace them. Viewed from the front it's fine. The only modification I did to the kit was to reinforce the roof with a couple of pieces of basswood strip. I wanted to ensure that it didn't bow (even though I primed everything before painting. And I was unhappy with my roof color choice, so I cut a piece of 1500 grit sandpaper to cover up that whoops! Steve W
I didn't see it either at first, so I right click on the img, and selected copy image address, then open a new browser tab and "paste and go" to http://www.stevenjwoodward.us/z/IMG_5271.jpeg
Indeed, thanks Robert. That way it worked for me too. Looking forward to more pictures, Steve, thanks. Particularly of that roof, I guess Matt
Wow I'm kind of embarrassed. Former IT guy and all around geek and I can't post pics correctly. What a doofus! Let's try a shot of the other side of the building. This one makes it painfully obvious that the front signs need fixing. I'm really happy with the sandpaper roof though. I'll likely add a few more details and some weathering. Link: http://www.stevenjwoodward.us/z/IMG_5272.jpeg Steve W
I finally finished wiring my structure. I also added my normal super magnet mounting system with foundation electrical pickups for easy mounting and removal from my layout. I have been putting these on every structure I built for the past couple years, so I can easily tear up a layout yet save all the buildings without damage, and work on them at the workbench if needed: So, since this is a "House of Ill Repute", I put a red light inside upstairs, and a red porch light to designate which door the "John" is to use.
Thanks! Funny thing about the roof…some of the coloring was a result of not being careful when handling the roof. I’d touch it with fingers that had dust from sanding etc. I did use a little tan chalk at the end of the build. It really was a fun little kit. I’m a big fan of the Showcase Miniatures products. Steve W
i finally got the dcc++ex working pretty well . got the screen mounted an the keyboard. then i was reading about operations an how ect , so that pointed me to way bill . now my tini brain went to work an i wound up with some printed way bill with pics of cars on them. this is new to me . seems the more i read the more i sorta learn. i went with a led power supply that works pretty darn good. it runs the pi4 ,screen, and kato turn outs all 27-28 of them with power to spare... put the NCE system away for now. now if i could just figger out how to connect the phone to the dcc++ex system. i have not had any luck with that at all....
A little more progress on my House of Ill Repute, I got the roof parts made, and the trim boards attached: I also did the chimney, and am starting on the shingles for the roof. Time for dinner, so I'm done for the day.
