I started modeling in N scale just after college, when I lived in an apartment. I have a friend who had been building an N scale layout in his basement for many years, and was also involved in the local NTrak club. He introduced me to the club at one of the local shows, thinking that I might want to build some modules while I didn't have the space for a layout of my own. He was right.
I joined Northeast N Trak shortly after that, and have been a member ever since.
I have a "finished" 4 foot module of a new england fall scene, based on a section of the B&M in Newton, NH. I still have some details to add, and its getting a little beat up after 8 or 10 years of display at shows (and storage in the basement), but it certainaly presentable. The small station building in the photo was scratchbuilt out of styrene. More on that below...
I helped build the Northeast N trak "balloon track" modules. We met once a week at a members house for about 2 years to build the two modules. In addition, I built a Walthers Paper mill for one of the modules. Great fun.
Designing an 8 foot straight w/ mountain division scene and a 4 foot corner.
I'm mainly concentrate on putting together complete trains which both are visually interesting, as well as reasonably accurate. some of the trains I've assembled are:
Of course, I also have a bunch of assorted freight stock to represent your standard mixed freight train. These are usually pulled by B&M diesels. I have GP-7s in B&M maroon and gold, an RS-3 in solid blue, and GP-18s in the "bluebird" scheme.
Also some British prototype, mostly Graham Farish, but a couple Peco. I have a couple LMS prototype engines (a 2-6-4 tank and a 2-6-0 "crab"), about a dozen pieces of frieght stock, and an LMS 20 ton brake van. Makes a neat little train for the NTrak layout, very distinctive when most people are running US prototype.
As mentioned above, I built 3 B&M wooden passenger cars. These were kitbashed from Bachmann "old timer" cars. I cut the ends off two cars, and glued them together to make 1 car. Getting the roof the correct length was tricky, but the underframe was the real challenge here, as the bolsters had to be the right distance from the ends, and the truss rods had to be centered, all while getting the right overall length. It took a lot of trial and error fitting, but I got it. The overall length of the cars came out to just under 60 scale feet. The B&M coaches were 68' IIRC, so they're a little short, but they make a good representation. I entered the combine in the the Northeast N trak "Winterfest" convention modeling contest in 2001, and took 1st place in its category.
For my Ntrak module, I wanted a small station. There wasn't actually a station at the prototype location, but it wasn't 3 track either, so I'm entitled to a little modelers license. I didn't find any "real" stations which I though would work, so I went to other places for inspiration. I'm a deadhead, and I thought the building on the cover of the Grateful Dead's "Terrapin Station" would make a neat little station (plus that's one of my favorite dead songs). I took the album cover, used the size of the door as a reference, made drawings to N scale, and built my own version. Its made of styrene, using "N scale clapboard" available from Evergreen, and the doors and windows are from Grandt Line. I painted it to the B&M's standard Depot Buff and Maroon, instead of the brown on the album cover. I still have to make a "Terrapin Station" sign for it. This model won 2nd place in category at "Winterfest" in 2001.
I also won 2nd place in category at "Winterfest" in 2004 for a 50' Milwaukee road ribbed side boxcar. This was built from a Puget Sound models resin kit. I did a little kitbashing, using a Microtrains underframe (with brake details) and adding Gold Medal Models etched grabs. I also mounted micro trains couplers on the body, instead of the truck mounted couplers which were provided with the kit. Dry transfers and some weathering and it was ready to go. I finished the weathering about 2 days before the convention...
I'm currently working on some B&M prototype models. I've taken a Bachmann doodlebug, and attacked it with a razor saw. I've shortened it by about 10 feet and rearranged the doors and windows so its closer to the B&M prototype. I still have a lot to do on the roof, and also figuring out the best way to shorten the cast frame and drive. I'm also making some woodchip hoppers and milk cars. Photos of those will be coming when the models are done.
This page is always under construction!
Last Updated January 20, 2006
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