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ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.


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    Derail Valley

    https://www.derailvalley.com/ This is pretty fun. I don't have a VR headset but it plays just fine with a mouse and keyboard. Take the "simulation" part seriously, it is definitely not fast-paced video game action - much more zen thus far.
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    Let's get LOADED!!!.....

    Saw a bunch of nice cars with scrap loads for sale at the Raleigh train show this past weekend:
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    IMG_1615.jpeg

    • Vince-RA
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    • Category: Showin' Off
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    A railroad book thread

    Picked this up for a couple bucks at a train show: https://www.amazon.com/Railroad-Caboose-Year-History-Legend/dp/0870950118/ Great book with lots of firsthand accounts of life in the caboose
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    55 Gallon Drums

    Pretty messed up when it’s cheaper to ship from china! :D
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    55 Gallon Drums

    FWIW - Tichy has drums 12 for $4, might end up cheaper/faster if you are in the US. https://www.tichytraingroup.com/Shop/tabid/91/c/ho_details/p/8211-55-gallon-drums-8211/Default.aspx
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    Resin printed 40 foot containers- now 48 foot too

    I'm afraid it was sold to a coworker a while back. No hard feelings at all, I did plenty well talking myself into it :D
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    The College Kid Layout Building Saga - End?

    Be careful with this, kitty litter swells tremendously when exposed to water. The usual methods of affixing ballast to layouts with diluted white glue will likely be disastrous with kitty litter.
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    1800s boxcar scratch build

    I got a package of rolled lead sheet, 1mm thick - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKL7RD66 These cut nicely with a chopper (single edged razor blade) or scissors and fit in great between beams on flatcars. A little more pricey than something like split shots, at close to $1/ounce. I definitely get...
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    1800s boxcar scratch build

    Thank you, it's turning out that I like making nice models and then beating them to crap more than I like making fancy stuff :p
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    1800s boxcar scratch build

    Continuing to make slow progress on the "storage car" as well as the actual boxcars. The roof is 0.020" styrene sheet. I thought it looked a lot better than the 1/32" (~= 0.031") wood sheets I had. A little bit of Grimy Black and a shot of dullcote and it's ready for installation/weathering...
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    What are you buying this Month?

    A bunch of couplers for scratch built cars, some wheel sets to upgrade cheap-ish plastic trucks, and trying out a few of the 20 ton arch bar trucks from Tahoe on the recommendation of a fellow forum member. Threw in the book on styrene modeling to push me into free shipping territory, maybe I...
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    Running Bear's September 2023 Coffee Shop

    https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/08/nyregion/ice-box-model-nyc.html Interesting article about a guy in NYC building (and weathering! 😍) models and ending up making money off it. I doubt that's in the cards for me, but it's fun to think about.
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    3D printing

    To AnyCubic's credit, they have agreed to replace the vat film, even though it is technically considered a consumable item and not warrantied. Still don't see much 3D printing in my immediate future, but at least I'll have a functioning unit if I decide to revisit or offload it.
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    Boxcar red paint

    I bought a bunch of Polly Scale in the early 2010s before it was discontinued. I'm working through what I have left pretty quickly alas, especially the Boxcar Red. Supposedly the Microlux paints from Micromark are blended to match the Polly S colors, but as you can tell from the pic below it's...
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    1800s boxcar scratch build

    It depends on what size you buy, but it's more like 30 cents/ounce here buying Walmart house branded split shots - I'm sure the "Alaska tax" is rough on heavy items. Probably pennies (at ~11 cents/ounce) would have been a better choice on a build like this, since I don't care how much space they...
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    1800s boxcar scratch build

    Starting round 2 of this build - why build one when you can build four at four times the price? :D Laying out the underbody elements, and beginning to string up the truss rods: Adding fishing sinkers for weight: I ended up with one body that was out of square, so I figured I would use...
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    1800s boxcar scratch build

    I've done some structure building with styrene in the past. It's got a lot of advantages and is fairly easy to work with, but I just don't enjoy building with it very much.
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    1800s boxcar scratch build

    Good looking cars! I like those flush roof walks, I may try something like that.
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    1800s boxcar scratch build

    Same family but different trees, I believe. Basswood is native to this side of the pond. It's technically a hardwood but is soft enough that it's very often used for carving and model making. Definitely sturdier and heavier than balsa.




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