Was down in Westbrook, CT this weekend and spotted this restored Porter Fireless - the last steam locomotive that saw real work in Connecticut. I wrote up a small article on this locomotive that includes video of a similar locomotive in action.
I have a couple of the non-DCC BachmannPorters. The latest catalog from Micro-Mark is advertising upcoming BachmannPorters with DCC and SOUND! That should be sweet as long as the prices are not out of the stratosphere. Right now the Porters are a very cheap way to get into On30 if you don't mind installing your own (and buying) decoders or running them on non-DCC layouts.
The title of world's smallest working train layout as far as I know goes to a creation by David K. Smith. He created a super, nearly microscopic tiny layout, The "White River and Northern Model Railroad". It was designed for a toy store window on his layout. More...
Move over Fujifilm FinePix Z5 point and shoot. I just received my new camera, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2K - Micro Four Thirds Camera. Now I have to figure it out and try to take some model pictures.
Taken at Kaj Pindal's place in Oakville Ontario Canada. He has a 15" gauge electric tram system in his yard. Kaj just recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of the "PET" Pindal Electric Tramway.
Here's an awe inspiring layout called the Muskrat Ramble Railroad. Its an On30 scale exhibition railroad shown at the Narrow Gauge Convention in Sydney, Australia and has been featured in at least two issues of Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette and surely in other publications.
The layout is set in the Louisiana Swamps 1925. This building was based on a Walker Evans photograph.
Built on the top of a Kato N-gauge 11-103 motorized unit, I'm building this loco basically around this Grandt Line "Porter Engineer" metal casting. I want him to appear to be at the controls. I've seen too many models where the driver seems ill fitted to the model or after the fact the modeler tries to find a figure that fits. This time the engineer will have a custom cab build around him!
Some of the detail parts I'm getting off a Tichy Train Group HO scale COALING TOWER LIFT MECHANISM (Part Number: 8008).
It has lots of neat parts that can represent controls.
Jeff Law's Owen Firty Timber Co using this On18 gas-mechanical, built to move logs on the company's triple-switchback. Named 'The Slug' (because it spends it's days slugging up-and-down the steep switchback), it has a Kato 11-103 power-truck, and a Digitrax DZ143 decoder. The purpose-built log-trailer rides on a re-gauged Kadee HOn3 truck.
Update on the On18 (O scale running on N scale track) mining micro layout that I'll be adding to my On30 layout. Testing the power truck.
This is my first time working with N scale and the first time building a micro layout. I want to keep things nice and simple. The Kato 11-103 power truck is very light weight so I didn't want to attempt any grades.
The plan is to build the Kato 11-103 into a battery storage loco for the mine area. The loco will travel in and out of the mine. The mining area will be visible on two sides with a mountain ridge dividing it in two sections.
Here is the "final" result of my mining office showing the weathering from the salt process. I say "final" because I can think of a few more details to add (like a bucket for under the water pump). The office has a full interior. I didn't have room for a wood stove. Maybe I'll give it a little electric heat unit. The mining area is going to include some power generation. Plus I'll need to light the interior so all of my interior goodies show.
I build the "stone" foundation using cork tiles. I wrote about the process here.
