Saturday, January 31, 2009

My downtown revitalization program is now under way...


One of the hazards of doing a project is the effect it can have on previous work.

My N scale layout was given to me by a retired architect and the evidence of his craft is everywhere. The street are perfectly laid out as only an architect can, using various scenic items available to that trade. The buildings are not weathered and nicely assembled. While not accurate in every way---the sidewalks are a glaring example---it has a certain charm that I cannot in good conscience violate. In short, should this man or any of his relatives come by, I want them to recognize his work.

---But---

...it is now my layout and I am going to personalize it with some of my own additions, only with the idea that they don't take away from the original. I've added several light effects including traffic lights, working police flashers and welding effects.

With the pharmacy project completed, one thing that had to go was the wide sidewalks to either end of merchant's row as seen in the final picture of Feinstein's. I found that by moving both ends out, it gave me a space a little over an inch wide to drop a small shop in between. With that, a small pizzeria named after my two children was born, cobbled together from the scrap box with HO scale windows glued side by side and other scrap bits...

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It still awaits paint and a sign but it definitely takes merchant's row in the right direction without compromising the layout builder's style. The narrower sidewalk looks much better and now the kids have a place named for them as well.

BTW...you ain't lived until you've heard the words, "Uh oh." in a child like voice, coming from the vicinity of your trains.
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Friday, January 30, 2009

...and now at the other end of the space problem.


...Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg---turn up the sub woofers...



No space for a layout?




Thursday, January 29, 2009

Feinstein's Pharmacy, epilogue...


...I can't believe I finished one. My beloved did a fantastic job lifting the signage and scaling it down using Printshop and Gimp 2. More details on its construction can be found here...

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Wednesday's Word...


And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people. Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.

Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge. And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.




Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Feinstein's Pharmacy, Part II


...this has been a welcome treat. I burned myself out sometime back on how-tos that greatly affected my desire to do modeling of any substance. I think I'm coming out of that funk...

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...what do you think?

UPDATE: A fellow modeler rightly asks to see the base kit before my modifications. It is originally one of two that come in a kit from Model Power. I removed the front and right sides. Other than removing the small corner glue point on the right, there were no other modifications made to the basic kit.

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As with most of my bashes, I go for what looks right and use few fixed measurements. If you're interested in doing something similar, I can give you a few basic dimensions to run with but that's about it. I hope this helps you along should you decide to do it yourself. You can follow it's progress in a more detailed manner over at the N Scale forum under sleeper33's "A tribute to MEDMAN (I was thinking)".

Monday, January 26, 2009

Feinstein's Pharmacy in Newark, New Jersey...


...in N scale. In honor of a modeler who recently passed away and spurred on by other efforts over at the N Scale forum, I plan on finishing out my recuperation by building a fairly close model of this pharmacy.

Dimensions don't need to be critical so long as anyone familiar with this location can see it at first glance and know what it is without prompting. I'll be using a Model Power hardware store as a base.

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The keys to success will lie in reproducing the wall mural, roof line and color, I'm looking forward to this and will keep you posted.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

1 John 2:18-29


(18) Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

(19) They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

(20) But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

(21) I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

(22) Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

(23) Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

(24) Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

(25) And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

(26) These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

(27) But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

(28) And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

(29) If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.


Saturday, January 24, 2009

The last great hurdle, ...


...the effects of anesthesia and Darvocet on the human body, has been overcome whew...

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...I know...too much information.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Monday, January 19, 2009

Surgery today...


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...which will leave me sidetracked for a few daze.

And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

I always pray that moments like these represent a turning point or paradigm shift in my walk with the Lord. My most basic prayer has been, "Whatever it takes to make me yours." Like Jacob, I'm facing my biggest enemies and they are a result of my own folly. With mounting debt, a shady past and a very uncertain future, I am left begging and wrestling for a blessing for me and my family that I have no right to and, like Jacob, know it all too well.

My comfort is that God is wrestling with me...not against me, and that my scars will be a point of remembrance for me and my family that God has touched me yet I live.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

The time is at hand...


I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people: Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay! Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them? Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein. Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil! Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul. For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it. Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity! Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD'S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory. For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein. What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.


Saturday, January 17, 2009

Tyco GP-20 kitbash, Part IV...


Slow progress I know but, I've never wanted to be ruled by a project anyway. I took the number boards and light lenses off of a wrecked unit and installed them on the end of my 'bash. The lights do not come drilled on a stock unit...

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...but the extra work makes for a much better looking piece.

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I still haven't decided whether I'm going to trim those cast on grabs and put on wire ones or not. I haven't found a suitable match for the paint and I'm not interested in mixing any colors.

---Yeah, I know...the slot...I'll get to it...eventually.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Dude!!!...


...and I thought my stack of modeling magazines taking over the head was pushing it.

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My inner 13 year old would have a small locomotive mechanism inside of a rubber rat.

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Thursday, January 15, 2009

MDC/Roundhouse HO scale two truck Shay...


...as built by Ray over at 2 Guyz.

I had one of these back in the late 80s and I can testify that they were absolute beasts to build. There's something to be said for a kit that required a separate book published to assemble it.

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...Ray's photograph...


Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Wednesday's Word, surgery Monday...


PSALM 4

To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David. Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD. There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
---(Habakkuk 3:17-19)


Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Canadian National Russell wedge plow hard at work...


...from Chris over at 2 Guyz...the pictures say all that needs to be said...

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Monday, January 12, 2009

Some workaday, 21st century steam in China...


...this would have an OSHA rep wailing like a school girl over here...


Steam Train from Misha Werder on Vimeo


Con-Cor HO scale Cotton Belt GP-40...


...a correction from an earlier post. As found in the February 1990 Model Railroader magazine...

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Interesting to note that the "Limited First Run" started a full year before this ad and that, though pictured, the Cotton Belt unit is not listed as one of the units available. ---Forsooth verily, let us run to Ebay with this gem and make untold tens of dollars on said rare find.---

This one has had its handrails touched up with white paint, a practice I don't normally recommend on anything made of Delrin as it does not take paint well. The plastic is normally found on truck side frames and is used for its slippery, Teflon-like properties.

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Sunday, January 11, 2009


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And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.---(2 Peter 2:2-3)