My Railroad Empire HolzValley (Still Under Construction... Forever)

[dreezy73]

Discover the Latest Adventures in HolzValley – Diorama, Copper TimePiece & Courant Edition 5!


Hi everyone!


HolzValley is buzzing with action, and this is the perfect moment to catch up on everything at once. From miniature thieves sneaking through narrow alleys to a tower clock that nearly toppled over the blacksmith of HolzStadt – there’s no shortage of excitement in our favorite village!


Diorama Slime Market Coppercrest
Our miniature version of the infamous Slime Market in Gutterhaven is nearly finished. Under a glass dome of just 12 cm high, a thief sneaks by with a heavy sack through charming alleys, typical Czech-style rooftops, and weathered cardboard walls. The diorama is a true masterpiece, packed with detail and tiny chaos. See the build here:
Diorama Slime Market Coppercrest – Miniature Alley in Progress

Copper TimePiece for CopperCrest
Master builder Gustav Heller and his nephew Levi are hard at work on the Copper TimePiece, a monumental clock tower featuring massive H-beams, a giant pendulum, and a clock that tells atomic time. The village was nearly turned upside down when the beams arrived – blacksmith Fritz Bauer had his hands full! Read all about the adventure, including mini-avalanches and plenty of village humor:

Buildup : The New Copper TimePiece for CopperCrest

HolzValley Courant Edition 5
The latest edition of the HolzValley Courant is out, filled with humor, suspense, and village news. From the Copper TimePiece to tiny thieves in the Slime Market – this issue is one you truly don’t want to miss. Available in both Dutch and English!

The HolzValley Courant Edition 5 is here – don’t miss it!

Tip for readers:

• Start with the Diorama for a miniature adventure
• Move on to the Copper TimePiece update for village chaos and humor
• Finish with the Courant for the full mix of stories, interviews, and surprises

HolzValley never stands still – there’s always something new to discover. Who knows what village gestures, tiny chaos, or surprising moments are lurking around the corner?

 

[dreezy73]

From Shirt to Summit – DIY Plaster Cloth for the Layout

After the holidays I finally found some time to work on the layout again. This time no store-bought plaster cloth, but Knauf model plaster (€9 for 2.5 kg) + old shirts and T-shirts cut into strips. Dip them in thin plaster and drape them over the cardboard.

It’s a bit messier to work with, but I think the scenery turns out sturdier and better looking. And the best part: those shirts get a third life – first as clothing, then as cleaning rags, and now as part of the railway scenery. Talk about recycling!

From shirt to scenery:

Just goes to show: you don’t need to buy everything. With some creative (and slightly stubborn) thinking, you can build your layout just as well – or maybe even better.

If you’d like to read a more detailed report about this project, click here.

Cheers,
DreeZy

 

[dreezy73]

Adventures with my model trains PWM!


The past few days I’ve been completely immersed in my model trains PWM world. I built a small test track to try out my locomotives – and believe me, that was quite an adventure! Out of 10 locos, I managed to get 5 running properly. The rest are still waiting for cleaning and repairs…


The idea: L298N-mini + PCA9685
While setting up the test track, I came up with the idea of combining the L298N-mini with the PCA9685 to reduce the number of PWM outputs needed from the Arduino Mega. Elegant in theory, chaos in practice!


Wiring

• Arduino Mega → PCA9685 → L298N-mini → rail section
• SDA and SCL from Mega to PCA9685
• PWM from PCA9685 to IN1/IN2 of the L298N-mini
• Motor A outputs of L298N → rail section
• L298N power: 9–10V

Chaos and frustration
While wiring everything up, plenty of magic smoke was released. Burnt transistors, smoke clouds, and components literally flying around. At one point the entire test track even fell off the table – rebuild time!


Cleaning
For maintenance I use cleaning alcohol left over from the Covid days. A loco that refused to run? Take it apart for an hour, clean, test, reassemble. Repeat.


The moment of truth
With my Aliexpress scope I could finally check the signal. See below how beautifully the square wave builds up:

https://imgur.com/yy070Ma

The program makes the train gradually accelerate, run at full speed for 5 minutes in one direction, then brake, stop, start again and run 5 minutes the other way. This cycle keeps repeating – mesmerizing to watch!


Conclusion
Wiring everything up is a real job and frustrations are inevitable, but once it all runs, it’s fantastic to see – provided everything is clean, both the train and the track.


Read the full blog post here:

Adventures with my model trains PWM in action

 

[dreezy73]

Mini Pueblo in the Gorge – N-Scale Laser Cutting Experiment

Hi everyone,

I’m working on a small experiment on my model railway: a hidden pueblo in a gorge, entirely in N-scale! I removed a piece of track and carved a landscape break in the XPS foam where the houses will be placed.

For the houses, I’m using laser cutting on cardboard, and it’s amazing how quickly a little village starts to take shape. Okay, sometimes things go wrong and the cardboard smokes a bit, but that’s all part of the fun .

I glue the loose pieces from the kits together with superglue from Action. Perfect for pizza-box cardboard, but watch your fingers—they stick fast .

If you want to read the full story, including humorous “almost-fire” moments and all the details about the house sizes, check out my blog: modelbouw.kloppenburgweb.nl.