The Home Machinist!

Jack...VERY NICE! Just got done building a few sets of 1.5" scale arch bar trucks. Lots of "fiddlin'" as you might say. But when the journals are placed on a spacing fixture and the bars set in place and screwed together...it all starts to come together. Certainly more work than inter...

A great time to practice your hand grinding skills. Making thin parting tools is a simple operation, especially if you're machining free machining brass of small dimensions. H ...and those are the best kinds of nuts. The nuts that are machined for free! Isn't that what "free machining" me...

Little Giant...do you have a photo you can post? Don't believe Lovejoy couplings are intended to be used where angular movement is involved (like from a truck to a jack shaft or other). RRSC did use LJ's between a engine and hydrostatic transmission. This is a straight line mechanical connection wit...

A "defeatist" attitude regarding the hobby won't do anybody any good. If a club membership is dwindling...find more members. Don't expect a gang of hobbyists to storm the club gate. All it takes is one or two at a time. Won't be easy to find people with the resources and capabilities neede...

Well Yak...congrats on reaching your goal. In relatively short time too! Hope the loco runs as well as it looks and you've got a good seat with a back rest for the miles of fun ahead of you. Enjoy the fruits of your efforts! Carl B.

I think if one has the drive, you can learn anything you want. It'll just come easier to some than to others. Alex BINGO! Alex...you said it all! Takes a certain desire to see something thru in this hobby. Nobody said one is going to build a museum quality model the first time out of the gate. But ...

This is what my friend Hugh has on his layout. (I believe Carl had a hand in this design...) Dave Dave, sure hope Hugh adjusted the springs and spring stops for the switch points in your photo. The banjo is all the way over while the points are at the mid travel point. Just saying... :wink: Carl B.

Doc...here's some sample photos of an advance high switch stand application. 1st...here's the ground throws used at the local club. Other than the screws holding the switch throw to the head block ties, there's no ferrous metals used in the working part of the mechanism. This, to avoid members lubri...

Jim 'n Russ...

Thanks guys. And yes, someday hope to drag the shorties out West for some club visits. With a most definite stop in Jamestown, CA. But 1st, need to get a transport trailer. Then, practice sitting for so long to get to the Left Coast! Carl B.

UPSteamFan... Did something like you're requesting years ago for all the facing point turnouts on the mainline at the local club. Add long approach mechanisms to somewhere around 7-10 turnouts. Can't recall the total number off hand. Do you have a photo of your current switch throws to provide some ...

Hi Guys...thought I'd provide an update on the shorties. Local train club had a Friday night run last week. It had been some 15-20 years since I last attended one of these events. Figured this would be as good a time as any to "test" the car lighting. So...as the sun went down in the West ...

Pontiacguy... Appreciate your thoughts. Such a drastic makeover is not in the cards right now. Too many other irons in the fire right now to consider such a drastic upgrade. Immediate goal is to get the loco running the rails and then, continue with frame cleaning and painting...and then look at som...