T-Trak Japan: Festival (part 1)

My module is scheduled to be part of an exhibit in the upcoming March, and despite being more than two months away I know my modeling time will be limited so I better get cracking on finishing the left side of my festival. I don't think I have touched it in almost a year.

Looking at where I left it, I had several packages of 3D printed parts which I had acquired from Outland Models on Ebay. There were various tents, stands, tables, food items, and figures... all attached to lots and lots of sprues. I found it very tedious to cut the castings free and many of the small, delicate support posts were broken in the process. I can fix them, but I won't enjoy it. I don't envy those people who work in N scale as their primary focus. I didn't even both to try and free the figures, as I don't like N scale figure painting. 

Then, I used a blob of tacky glue to attach each of the stalls to a lollypop stick. I had to get a bit creative in holding them in position while the glue dried. The convenience of having them on a handle to paint cannot be overstated. Then, most of the items were primed with flat white paint.

Next, it was time to paint everything with craft paints. I started by using white glue to attach a lollypop craft stick in each one to give me a handle for painting them. It took a bit of creativity to get the sticks to stay in place until the glue dried.

 

Then, I sprayed everything with an even coat of white primer. After that, it was just painting everything with bright colors. I used photos of Japanese food vendors online for reference but didn't strive to copy them perfectly. 

I then added small dots of paint along the overhangs and edges to look like flags or lights. I also added pseudo-Asian lettering with paint and markers. I found that drawing characters with white paint applied with a toothpick, and later going over the middle of them with a black fine point Sharpie marker, game me the look I was after.

Finally, some extremely small glass 11/0 seed beads from the craft store were added to look like bowls, cups, lanterns, and other details. I used green, yellow, red and white beads and they look pretty cood. Remember, some of those vendor stalls are only as big as your little pinkie nail!

I played around with how I wanted to arrange them in the space I had. Unfortunately, if I left the stalls facing away from the tracks (which seems the most prototypical from a safety standpoint) then all of the details I added would be pointing the wrong way. Plus, the backs of the stalls have mold mark dimples and other issues that I just painted over without fixing and I didn't want them visible. So, I arranged most of them away from the road and facing the tracks. Oh well.

But there is more work to do...

Happy New Year!

I haven't done much on my HO layout this year, unless you count removing another one of its four sides. It currently is L-shaped and I rarely run it, but that is because I am at a crossroads with it. I have started a new O scale, three rail layout (the New England Northern Railway) that previously occupied part of the space (featured on my other blog) and having a lot of fun with that.

Other highlights of the past year include:

▪ I have had an article published recently in O Gauge Railroading magazine about building an MOW boxcar scene; 

▪ My tenure as NMRA Hudson Berkshire Division President ended in November and I chose not to run again because of family commitments even though I enjoyed every minute of it; 

▪ I completed my seventh certificate towards my Master Model Railroader award. It is now only a matter of time until everything is processed;

▪ We stayed overnight in a real caboose next to the Boston and Albany mainline in Chester, MA, at the Chester Railway Station and Museum. You can read my review of the experience in the Division Form 19 newsletter here starting on page 2.

I wish all of you a safe and happy (and train filled) 2025!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful and blessed Christmas this year. Don't forget the reason for the season.

Luke 2, versus 1-20

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

            14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.  

Micro Model Railway Dispatch online magazine

The Micro Model Railway Dispatch is great new magazine that carries on the grand tradition of micro layouts (layouts that generally take up less than 4 square feet). Published online for free by Ian Holmes, it is a fantastic resource layout planning and really helps the brain think in terms of maximizing layout space. It is a lot of fun to read and I highly recommend everyone at least take a look at it.

Visit to the Franklin and South Manchester Railroad

Part of our NMRA's recent bus trip to the Boston area included a stop at George Sellios' Franklin and South Manchester HO scale layout. No introduction from me is needed, though I will say that I was here in 2015 with my wife and I enjoyed myself then even though trains weren't running. Today, there were several weaving in and out of the buildings and scenery and I think the movement of them gave the city scenes "life" (though I can't really explain it any better. It is, quite simply, a "bucket list" sort of layout.

George was a gracious host and commented that our group was one of the nicest he has ever had. He and I had a pleasant conversation about the trials and tribulations he endured while being suspended from a hook installing trees along the back ridge (answering the phone was especially difficult!) as well as our mutual faith in God.

After about an hour in there my eyes were burning and my brain was on overload mode. It is simply impossible to take in all of what George has done. Instead, I just took a bunch of pictures that I could digest at a later time. I doubt I caught everything!

I will let the pictures speak for themselves: