You may have noticed that I have “cancelled” the Great Scale Model Train Show. Of course, the show in Timonium is still happening, and I’m still going to be there. However, my Corinna section will be staying home. There just wasn’t enough time to get things done enough. Never fear! Corinna will be back on the road in May for the big Kimberton meet.
Category Archives: Modular
GSMTS 2/11 Update
Corinna off the wall at the GSMTS
I spent the past weekend at the Great Scale Model Train Show in Timonium. As planned, I took Corinna for the On30 modular setup, and everything worked a treat! My modules ran well, and were a subject of much curiosity and discussion. There are more pictures at the MADmodules site.
Motrak Models HO scale "Little Depot"
I also went a little wild on the shopping front. In addition to some basic scenic supplies for the layout, I went ahead and bought a few things for the HOn30 project — a MinitrainS Plymouth diesel set and a very nice little station kit from Motrak Models. Stylistically, it’s a perfect match for the other two HO station kits I have already on hand, and so will work very nicely on the mini-layout.
I was not able to see all of the available Peco track for HOn30. Apparently, it’s not all available in the states — we’re limited here to a “medium” radius turnout and meter-long flex track sections. The Peco medium turnouts are pretty similar in size to a regular Atlas snap-switch, but with chunkier ties. I’m going to spend a little bit of time to see if I can find someone in the UK who ships to the US to try to get a couple of the “set” series HOn30 switches. If I can’t do that, then I’ll just go with Atlas and bury it in the dirt.
As an aside, I previously mentioned that Tom Bell was designing a few conversion shells and whatnot for HOn30. Since my last posting, he seems to have increased his offerings on the Shapeways site, and he now has models in HOn30, TTn3 and On30 listed at very reasonable prices. I’ll probably be ordering an item or two from him in the next week or so…
In the mean time, I’ve decided it would be prudent to build a “proof-of-concept” mini-layout prior to going all-out on the three-piece display. I’m thinking that 20″x30″ or so will still be the size to get going with — just a loop with a switch or two for fun.
Important News about On30 Modular Railroading in the Mid-Atlantic Area
Be sure to visit MADModules.com to read important news!
Corinna Gets Shapely
As mentioned previously, Kevin Hunter and I would like to take Corinna to Hickory next year as part of a small modular layout that shows what’s going on with modules around here. He’s taken the sketch I did previously, and turned it into something that will fall in line with his Berrett Hill modules (which us Mid-Atlantic-types have been using for curves and loops) and subsequently, with Mid-Atlantic modules.
Corinna modules
As drawn, the parallel track spacing is a touch wider than I was planning, and he’s used #6 switches (I’ll be using #5). the gray dotted line near the turntable represents the “usual” track route for our modules, and ends with 30 degrees of 26″ radius curve. The curve shown in red is where the actual track might go, and is 30 degrees of 48″ radius. We may tighten that up a bit — or not — in practice, and go to 60 degrees of whatever the new curve is.
A couple of other minor track shifts are required to accommodate various features I’d need, but otherwise, this is just about good enough to start construction…
Poppin’ and Droppin’ at Kimberton
Some time ago, I commented that the idea of using fomecore as a roadbed material was not as successful as I’d hoped it would be. Unfortunately, I was not able to show a really good picture of just what went wrong. However, after an unfortunate incident this past weekend at Kimberton involving the module, a small girl and the concrete floor, I’ve got a great shot to illustrate the problem. (For those keeping score, the floor won, the little girl came in second, and the module lost).
Warped Fomecore roadbed
Anyway, despite having applied a layer of glue across the full surface of the sheet, it is pulling away from the plywood sub-roadbed. The plan to correct the issue is a two-parter. First, I’m going to try using staples to hold the foam down. Then I’ll re-scenic around the foam.
I took a few pictures at the show, which you can see here.
Kimberton was nice and relaxed — a little smaller than previous years. I didn’t pick up much, except for a few pairs of SR&RL freight car trucks, and a couple of really nice older books on the WW&F — Big Dreams and Little Wheels by Ruby Crosby Wiggin and The WW&F Two-Footer by Clinton F. Thurlow. The both contain some info and photographs I hadn’t seen before, and the price was great.
We debuted a few new modules this time around. The modules that Sean Heath and I built as Maryland Minibunch modules some years back came back to me from John Weigel’s layout a couple weeks back, and Kevin Hunter and I built some new legs for them and we got them running for the weekend. The still need a bit of renovation, but they did generate a lot of interest.
Kevin Hunter and I drove up together with our modules. I recently put a hitch on the van, and used it to haul all of our stuff. The old van took us up there just fine — almost. Just about 15 minutes before we arrived, it started misfiring. I called the local Ford dealer to see about it getting fixed, but they didn’t have parts, and were completely booked. In any event, the van got us home just fine, so I’ll take it in next week.
In other news, Corinna & Southern Forneys #9 and #10 have been sent to the Big Horn & Moose Drool shops for a little dress-up. Other locos will be following as time permits.