# My Model Railroading....



## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

Well not only am I model car builder, I am a avid model railroader...... See, I began "modeling" or model building very young, took a liking to where I grew up, in Pennsylvania, (I now reside in New Hampshire) But thats a whole other story for another time. But anyway, I "collected" trains from the age of 2, got my first like most as a Christmas gift, it ran under the tree all night long! (I'm to this day, surprised it ran non-stop all night, with no issues), and didn't hurt the locomotive as I'm not talking about Lionel, I got HO then as I got A LOT of now....More specifically, this first engine was a Bachmann train set loco, nothing compaired to whats out there these days and its a wonder it took all that run time and it still runs to this very day (yes, I still have it!)

But this was the first of a long time collecting, it was a Santa Fe SD40-2, with the little blinking LED in the cab roof. Sort of, sadly, I have NEVER ran it anywhere else, on the floor, or under the tree, thats all it has ever done! "Christmas tree Service" as truely, I model the B&O, Western Maryland, and todays CSX, Santa Fee would have never seen the same areas as the B&O or Western Maryland....

But anyway, as a collector of trains till I got into my teenage years, is what I got as gifts, and money from mowing, and shoveling snow, I bought HO scale trains with it....But in my teenage years, I got into model cars a bit. I still collected trains when I got a good deal or found some that someone told me were up for sale, but didn't "seek" them out, I was seeking out model cars for a while and had all kinds, from Chevy, to Dodge, to Plymouth, to even a couple Fords with Dodge and Chevy power plants under the old Model T's and such but....It lasted awhile, till I got into building tractor trailers, I had one up to about 6 years ago and it kept falling apart till I just had enough you know? NOW, I wish I had repaired it as that old AMT kit is worth quite a bit and I scratchbuilt the flat bed trailer it was coupled too.....Then in 1998, was the last year, I touched any model cars, trucks or 18 wheelers of any sort, and got back into the trains....again, this time even heavier then before, I was building kits, customizing, detailing, you name it....I got into to a point that I was making a bit of money from local guys that seen I could make things they wanted, but couldn't do themself.....So I took it on, and done quite a bit on it and got a nice bit of hobby pay off to boot, had enough to justify my own custom shop, you know? But here last year around this time, I was healing from some major surgery, Open Heart, and to that, I went through a bunch of tests recently for some complications but nothing near as serious as the open heart surgery was, but, durring that "healing" time, I couldn't do alot as was to figure out something I could do to not hurt myself....building buildings....HO scale buildings to be exacrt, for on my layout....One of such to be seen here:










This station, was purchased at a antique store, in a booth that had it listed for 3 dollars, and some change. Covered in dust and some sort of animal fur, I washed it off under the kitchen sink only to uncover some serious "sins" shall we say...But, it WAS a AHM "Rico" station....Well I hoped and my Wife seen it, and was like you just wasted X amount of dollars on THAT (yeah I caught hell) but....That following weekend, was a local train show, so naturally, I attended, it was put on by the club I was and still am a member of, so I got in free, and had a little to spend and one table had that pack of brick sheet from Walthers......which you can see on the picture, above I covered all those "sins" I found and I got about $15.00 in the whole station now. and I think it looks pretty good considering what it looked like when I first got it home! I now wish I had taken "before" pictures as what you see are the "afters"....










I moved the "Ticket" window from the other side to this side, and added my own touch to it, much BIGGER.....and angled ends.










My own added details, like the home made electrical panel outside....










Workers on the dock, and items sitting around....










Wheathered the roof a bit....










Overhead "Helicopter view"










End detail re-done, things added and others ommitted from the end, with workers on break! There was a 3rd "loading dock door" here....to me, 2 of them, across from each other is plenty! Specially with the docks the width and length they are!

More to come!


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

So you got to see one side of the station, then you need the other side of it too!










This shows the corner as you go around the back of the station, notice the dock doesn't follow around as the factory kit would have! I removed this section, for placement of a dumpster, and a oil tank for heating inside. Also, a place to put a few pieces that are junk to make the station look to place...










The rear dock, thats been shortened. It shows a worker pulling a pallet jack thats got a pallet on it with new replacement couplers, as well as a second one awaiting to be brought inside too!










An over-all shot of the back of the station. This was once the front, from the factory kit. the far right side, between the windows is where the original "Ticket window", was! I used that, else where as you'll see:










I made that old Ticket window, into a "Restroom" for inside!










People waiting.....










Then to "top" it all off, the stink pipe!










I have to let everyone know here, I done ALL the building work, I did ALL the detail, the only part I did not do, was painting the people! My Wife does that for me as I'm sorry, but, I just can't get the colors right for people in the days of Steam....She, on the other hand, I think does quite well! And honestly, I have more enjoyment out of the building itself, and how to manipulate it to become something to match my era and my railroad then the people but, its modeling miniture, right? You have to have "people" to bring the scene to life!


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## aurora fan (Jan 18, 1999)

Real nice! Thanks for sharing and looking forward to more of your work. I too, collect and run trains (O Gauge) and collect and run Slot Cars (HO) as well as build the classic models. Looking forward to seeing much more of your art!


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## 1970AMX (Feb 3, 2011)

Beautiful work!


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

Thanks guys! I also forgot to mention on that station, the roof overhang supports outside. those ALL are scratchbuilt from Evergreen Styrene. Those concrete slabs under the windows, and under the roof overhang supports are all also hand made, to fit each location. Then all of the trim, was made to match that of those roof overhang supports, so the trim all came together....

I WAS going to add a WORKING clock in that "tower" that was to have a tar paper sides, that I bricked, but it was slight to big and I couldn't adjust the size of that "tower" any more then I already did....

You guys seen the picture of my "display Case/Diorama" ? The top locomotive in that picture is a Brass Akane B&O EM-1, that I took all apart, stripped glass beaded and re-assembled with NEW (todays updated details in brass) details and custom painted plus added a full cab interior too.......It weighs quite a bit for HO, at 6 pounds! (Yeah, yeah I filled it fulla REAL lead)... roof gutter flashing lead.......


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## vypurr59 (Sep 25, 2011)

Very Nice looking station, there, Hemi. I have a set of HO and some LGB's that I run around the Christmas Tree. As soon as my daughter gets married or moves out, I will take over her room and start my Museum of Transportation and run the train around the top of the walls by the ceiling.


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

vypurr,
I actually have a layout, not "running" right now due to some relocation in the basement, (I'm getting the larger section), so my wife can have a place to "organize" her side so. My side currently is the "open" area so I can assemble steel shelving for her to put her stuff on and that "stuff" of hers is currently on the larger side of our basement....

The LGB is nice stuff, big dollars tho.....(I have a little of it) G Scale that is, which is the same scale as the model cars we all build!


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

So to give a few more....Everyone remember this building?










Its a nice kit, BUT it is actually a bit "narrow". Be OK for a big city scene but I'm modeling a small town so.....

So, taking into consideration, that I had 3 of these kits..... I built the 3 of them into one big building....a old school for my home town in PA!










Yeah a bit of work to make 3 of them, look like one of these! 

I added extra floors on one "tower" and removed a floor from the other "tower" and then left one floor over from the 3rd kit to use as an "entrance" and a office floor.....

The whole building is actually pretty big for what its made of!










A mock up of the front of the building and the way I plan to add the front entrance and facade....I think it will look GREAT when done its not even close yet...










The fire-escape, is ALL scratchbuilt! To fit the building. I didn't like the looks of the original one that came with all 3 kits.....So, me, being me, I had to build one that was more to my liking....










Notice, I even put real stone on the roof! I also redone the roof access hatch doors and all as well....

More to come, later!


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## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

WHAT? No complete interiors?


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

Not yet, I'm still building this one, its no where near done yet, your seeing it as a "WIP" model.....

I got a long ways to go on this one as I have a building and grounds "extension" to add off the 3 story tower, that will have all the trimming too. I got the entrance to finish and a few other items to complete as well.....AND the opposite side will have a tall chimney as well for heating of the building as it sets here, I got a lot yet to do... the station has an up coming "interior" as well.....These are the shallow buildings, that won't be next to the edge of my layout, BUT will be close enough to see inside a little and so the interiors won't be "extreme" but the ones that are next to the edge of the layout will have full complete interiors....


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## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

I 'furnished' a Bachmann "Sears Craftsman House" kit and the furniture cost me almost 40 bucks. Putting the fiber optic lights inside was a nightmare! Photo etched blinds at the windows was a nice touch. Finally I had to use 'slide glass' for the glass in the windows just to see into the lit rooms.


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## BOXIE (Apr 5, 2011)

Nicely done.thanks for showing us your work.


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

Y3a said:


> I 'furnished' a Bachmann "Sears Craftsman House" kit and the furniture cost me almost 40 bucks. Putting the fiber optic lights inside was a nightmare! Photo etched blinds at the windows was a nice touch. Finally I had to use 'slide glass' for the glass in the windows just to see into the lit rooms.


Its amazing what interior details cost! I am working on a rather LARGE (and I do mean large) machine shop thats for my engine terminal, thats in the last days of steam, early days of diesel, and its got a lot of floor space to detail, AND will be right next to the edge of the layout.......To add to it, it will have a fab shop (for cabs, and or car body fabrication (car body to go in for passenger car side panels, OR diesel body parts as well as steamer engine cabs and such.... this will be fully detailed inside all the shears, and metal "brakes" punch press, you name it. ALL hand made! As these details aren't modeled that I've found in HO scale. I also plan to make a few vertical lathes, and a thickness mill (metal planner), and a wheelset lathe, or driver lathe....This is one HUGE complex....The main building is long enough to fit 2 rails in it, side by side, long enough to have 2 articulated steamers on then, one behind the other....4 total, the left side of the building will have the machine shop, the right side will have the fab shop, and the front right side, will have the compressor building and then the left hand front will be the exit....which will lead out to a RIP set, to the left side of the building, and then the right is an unloading area for supplies to be fully covered by an overhead traveling crane, with 2 "in" tracks with only one "out" track.....FULLY LIGHTED. I for see, around 200 lights in or around this whole area.....inside and outside.....Plus smoke effects in the buildings.... 

With all of it, done I for cast about $500 in the whole roundhouse, engine house, and machine shop complex, when done!

So yeah, when you speak of $40 in furnishings for your Bachmann Craftsman house, believe me, I know its not cheap! And some of it, I have to scratch build as it can't be bought.....


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## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

Similar shock happened when I did that Walthers Diner. 35 painted figures, 11 Jordan Cars, slide glass windows, LED lighting, and what could I use for dinner plates? I used the little flat circle cupcake decorations! Of course I painted food on the plates.


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

So here's a picture of the 2 stall engine house:










Then you have how its layed out with names and such:










Then the details, OMG the details, I've built, but have yet to paint:










These, Milling Machines. 










My Metal Lathes.










Drill presses.










Long Bed Mill (Metal Planner).










Break.










Radial Arm Drill press.

Some I've painted others I've actually scratch built...

Those "little people" to go into cars as far to populate them, are expensive, if bought painted, BUT, even un-painted, they can be a little pricy but not nearly as the painted ones....I on the other hand, buy them un-painted, my wife does it and enjoys it.


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## budro6968 (Nov 16, 2014)

That is really fantastic work. so detailed


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## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

Remember to place those highly detailed buildings close to the edge of your layout to show them off!


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

Sorry for the late reply! Its been awhile since I was in this area! 

Thanks guys! As far as the station yes, its within a foot of the edge of the layout. the LONG engine house is right within 3 inches of the layout edge! SO, will be highly detailed when I'm done! Taking a break for the model railroading for awhile........... I've built HO scale trains now for 20 years as a living... done well but health wise made me retire early....NOW I'm gonna enjoy it for a change!


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## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

That's amazing ! I love seeing things like this. I've been fascinated by model railroading since I was a kid. I first became in awe of railroading as a kid while living in Chicago. We went to the museum of science and industry. And they had the largest and most impressive layout of model trains and buildings I had ever seen. But I really never got into doing it myself for lack of room to set it all up. But still I love seeing the amazing work other do. And your work is quite impressive ! :thumbsup:


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

Thanks DCH......If you only knew what I got for model trains you'd pass out... LOL I actually am more a model railroader then a car guy, even tho I model in about the same quality? I guess is the way I want to put it....But in the past 20 years, I bet I've done 100,000 model trains or something there abouts....


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## 280A (Apr 2, 2013)

Hi Hemi, 

I just read your complete thread and I sure loved it ! 
I'm not new at HT, but new at the model railraod forum here. 

All the best,
Marco


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## gregscars (May 8, 2011)

I have this new in box (even the box has been stored so the colors on the outside box still have the original colors) Revell HO Train Set 1956 - 1960. This is a NOS - New Old Stock - NEW original Revell HO Train set from the late 1950's in the ORIGINAL box. It includes an F7 New Haven Road Diesel Locomotive, a Bunk car, a Caboose and a Livestock car with cattle and ramp. All the cars have never been removed from the boxes. Also included is the track and instructions. The box is in just about perfect condition. $275.00 . I would mail it to you for a fee according to were you live in the USA only. Email me at [email protected] if interested or any of your friends might want to purchase it. Thank you.


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## -Hemi- (May 5, 2014)

Greg, that Revell train set being that old, sadly DOESN'T make it valuable! These days, that sort of cash is ONLY spent for something thats DCC and has digital sound!

Sorry guy, your playing with kids here.....


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