Time for a new hobby...

[Splitpin]

Rob, that monster guy is amazing. How long did it take to print him?

[toprob]

You might be the only person to build a miniature railway that’s “not into trains” haha

Same with airports, really, I've said before that I don't like dirty old aircraft cluttering up my nice clean airports.

Rob, that monster guy is amazing. How long did it take to print him?

About 4 hours. With resin printers, the print time is mainly dependent on the height of the model, rather than any complexity.

[toprob]

Everything has been on hold for the last month, partly because of finances but mainly because my cheap airbrush stopped working after a couple of weeks. This was something to do with the compressor, but I couldn't figure out how to fix it myself. I returned it to Amazon AU, who make the process painless. I ordered another airbrush locally -- more than twice the price, but still a bit budgety for my liking. This was from PB Tech, who built my PC a couple of years ago, but coming up to four weeks without any idea of when it would be delivered, yesterday I cancelled this and ordered something similar from Mighty Ape. (The Ape offered me $10 off because it's my birthday next week.) Just received an update saying it'll be delivered tomorrow! Now that's more like it....
I have a few models ready for painting, so roll on next weekend.
The next step is to lay the track, as the advise is to do this before adding any scenery elements. I have an order ready to go with Ironhorse Hobbies, but it'll be a couple of months before I can afford to actually send it through. So all I can do -- apart from printing a painting models -- is give the layout a layer of modelling clay, and a base coat.
I did know that cost would be an issue, I have chosen my first locomotive, but that's a few hundred dollars, so maybe by the end of the year. I did buy a damaged shunter for $10, it is close enough to the little shunter at the museum.
The museum actually opened Queens Birthday weekend, and they'll now open one Sunday a month for the winter. I took a few photos, and took a ride as well:) Surprisingly fun! My layout goes as far as the overhead signal about 1:28.

Watch on youtube.com

The layers of polystyrene to define the landscape are basically finished. In this photo, the grey building in the middle is one third of the main loco shed, basically as big as I can print in one go. About 10 hours to print each section.

[cowpatz]

I can see why you are printing your own objects. Those Ironhorse prices are insane.

[chopper_nut]

It's not really an Ironhorse problem... Railway stuff is expensive. New locos from Hornby are pushing $500, the value of which is up for debate. New Bachmann CL47 with all of the bells and whistles is up around £500... That's in OO but doesn't seem to get cheaper in smaller scales.

[Splitpin]

Looking good Rob ..you've moved from virtual terrain to styrene ...the multi-talented Mr Corn

[emfrat]

New locos from Hornby are pushing $500, the value of which is up for debate. New Bachmann CL47 with all of the bells and whistles is up around £500... That's in OO but doesn't seem to get cheaper in smaller scales.

I was a bit shocked by that. Certainly, off-the-shelf models these days are of fine-scale quality, and the control mechanisms are brilliant. But I just bought a little Holden Barina ( the Opel variety) from a mate for AUD1000 - I need a runabout while I am fixing the Suby and the HiLux, which both got caught in the flood. So there's not much in the Toys-for-Ghanpa Fund for trains
ATB
Mike

[cowpatz]

It's not really an Ironhorse problem... Railway stuff is expensive. New locos from Hornby are pushing $500, the value of which is up for debate. New Bachmann CL47 with all of the bells and whistles is up around £500... That's in OO but doesn't seem to get cheaper in smaller scales.

The running gear (although expensive) I sort of understand, but some of those tiny N sale objects are over $50! Surely they could be made in China for a $1.50 and retail for $5?
Rob's printer will pay for itself in no time.

[cowpatz]

Any chance of an update on the project?

[toprob]

Any chance of an update on the project?

Well, I knew this would take time, but I didn't realise just how slow progress would be. With the 3D models, in the end I decided I'd just spend as much time as it takes to figure out how to get an acceptable result. The printing is the easy part, it's the painting which hasn't been working out. I've settled on a mix of techniques, from dividing each model up into rough sections for different colours, to being a bit more careful with masking etc. It takes only one tiny blob of paint to make a mess...

The first building I designed, the little ticket office, is still not finished, although this week I did end up with all the pieces painted and fitting together reasonably well, and today I was going to glue it all together, but when I got up this morning I saw that I'd spilt some sort of paint wash down it. I've done a quick touch-up, so fingers crossed that I don't need to redo it from scratch.

Here's a couple of models I'm pleased with. This isn't finished scenery, really, just an idea of how it'll look once the track and vegetation is in place. I bought a couple of flexi-track sections (900mms each) just to get an idea of how it would look, but still wondering how I'll pay for the rest:)


I've used sculptamold to smooth out the foam layers for the hills, and it's painted that weird brown colour just to cover up the white. Eventually it'll all be covered with vegetation. The water tank stands just over 5cm high, so I'm really pleased with the detail. The shed is the first building which I'm happy with, as straight lines are trickier to paint. Yes, I'm aware that there's a boulder on the track:)

Today I am expecting a credit card charge for the 3DS Max software subscription renewal. This costs $450 a year for an indie license, and as this was my main tool for flightsim the cost was always minor and well-worth it, but now that I'm not making any money from flightsim it hurts a lot!!! I did consider giving it up, but I'd need to learn another tool (Blender) which has never made sense to me. So now I only use Max for the railway models, although I still potter with flightsim just in case I get the business back up and running.

That's a low-key way to say that I think I'm retired now, as the business has not survived covid. Just over a year ago, before I moved to Wellington, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and although I'm hoping for a few more trouble-free years, it did make me rethink how my life should be. My son and daughter-in-law are both doing great with their careers, so I spend most of the week taking care of my grandson. He's turning one next week, although they are in Canada at the moment, taking a month off to visit her family. That's why I'm back into the railway while I have some time.

Both my son and daughter-in-law have had major promotions recently, so they now need full-time childcare. I've said I'll keep doing 3 days a week, but this has crept up to 4, so they've arranged for my son's mother and her husband to move to Wellington so she can help. they'll live here until they can find a place they can afford (moving from Hokitika to Wellington.) Yes, that's my ex-wife coming to live upstairs, and I find it really hard to believe that I'm the only one who thinks it's a terrible idea:)

Speaking of family, my daughter and her partner have bought a tiny home, so they live out the back here now, it's turning into a real family affair!

More of a personal update than hobby, sorry, but I'm still moving forward slowly.

[chopper_nut]

On the railway front, those buildings look superb especially considering the scale. Any photos of the rolling stock? What paints are you using?

On the personal front... that's a lot. So you've closed the door on more scenery? That's a pity but understandable. We don't have anybody else focusing on NZ scenery now so I'll have to try to corrupt more developers... Your ex wife living upstairs... yeah that's not a grand idea if you ask me...

[toprob]

On the railway front, those buildings look superb especially considering the scale. Any photos of the rolling stock? What paints are you using?

On the personal front... that's a lot. So you've closed the door on more scenery? That's a pity but understandable. We don't have anybody else focusing on NZ scenery now so I'll have to try to corrupt more developers... Your ex wife living upstairs... yeah that's not a grand idea if you ask me...

Rolling stock will come after the track is laid. When I said I was planning to start this project, my son sent me some of his airbrush paints, mostly Vellejo, including Model Color and Model Air, so I've settled on Model Air when I need to buy more. Latest purchases have been rust colours, it's a lot of fun choosing the paints. And I finally have an airbrush which works well.

I would certainly like to do more flightsim scenery, but for the last two years I seem to have been fighting against airport folk trying to get access. If it suddenly became easier (i.e less stressful), I'd certainly be back.

Since I posted this morning, my ex has confirmed the date they arrive. So 's getting real. We do get on ok, after all it's been 28(?) years since we separated. Her husband is likeable enough, I guess, although I refuse to like him. He's just a big lumpy waste of space, they visiting a few months back when I still lived in the main house, and he always managed to get in my way, he lives in the kitchen and just blocks everything, including any sunlight. Yeah, things are gonna be great.... He's also 20 years younger than me, which doesn't help. (I've rounded that up a bit, knowing that it really annoys my ex.)

I managed to mess up this morning's job, it's not terrible, but I'm reprinting it to have another go. You can see the stains on the side of the building here, plus I still haven't figured out how not to get superglue everywhere.

[cowpatz]

Looking good Rob. Could the stains not just become a little bit of weathering?

How long is the "home invasion" for?

[chopper_nut]

They certainly look the part. I never had any luck with Vellejo paints at all, even their model colour range, I always found it was way too thin to get anywhere near good coverage, I use Hataka mostly. What I've been doing for superglue is using a toothpick to apply it and spread it around. Seems to be a bit cleaner.

[toprob]

They certainly look the part. I never had any luck with Vellejo paints at all, even their model colour range, I always found it was way too thin to get anywhere near good coverage, I use Hataka mostly. What I've been doing for superglue is using a toothpick to apply it and spread it around. Seems to be a bit cleaner.

I thought I'd replied to this, but obviously not. I did grab some toothpicks and it really helps to keep things clean. Where did you get your Hataka paints? I've had a recommendation before, but even their website gives a security warning.

On the personal front, today I saw the urologist after my prostate biopsy, no change at all, so no treatment or future biopsies unless my PSA increases, so the best result I could expect. Just a normal old bloke with a normal old prostate....

[chopper_nut]

I bought them from BNA in Australia, great place to shop but they can be a bit slow in getting new stock in. They do a Cold War RAF set that's perfect for me but they do individual paints. For brush painting, you'll want the 'Blue Line'

[toprob]

Not much has been happening with my layout lately, I was waiting for the Rail-ex model railway show here in the Hutt earlier this month, so I could get some ideas on how to model NZ native bush etc. I went with my daughter-in-law and my 16-month-old grandson, he really enjoyed it, and hopefully the first of many shows over the years:)

However the cost of thing remains an issue, and a recession doesn't help. I did get an email from Ironhorse Hobbies with their Black Friday specials, and the locomotive I wanted was on special, 34% off, so I sold some shares to cover the purchase. However, I never got around to actually buying it, so the money went towards reducing my credit card debt... sensible, but sad.

At the moment my big project is a Secret Santa gift, I drew my daughter's partner this year, they live in a tiny home at the end of the driveway here. Common sense says to give them something which doesn't take up space -- it's a tiny tiny home, after all -- but as I have the 3D printer, I'm gonna make a gift -- a model of their tiny home, set after the apocalypse. All HO scale this time. Amazingly fun to work on.

The ex and her husband have been here for 6 weeks, and no end in sight, so I'm keeping a low profile downstairs. I was hoping for 'occasionally terrible', but I've settled for 'ongoing nightmare.' Still, my ex did introduce me to the concept of Cleanskin wines -- basically what big wineries do with their overflow, so no idea what you are getting for your $7.49:) Better odds than Lotto, and currently working my way through a Cleanskin Merlot, which is ok.

[toprob]

Well, summer has come and gone, so it's time to get back into the railway. The cost of things has been a real nuisance, but I've decided just to go ahead a little at a time. I've been stuck for months because the next step really needed to be laying the track, which requires a controller and loco at the very least to test it, and the track itself was far beyond my budget. So I've started on the 'far' end of the line, which is just a short track following the river, and a couple of turnouts. The track for this cost all up $130. I bought an old basic DC controller on Trademe, and a steam loco which can stand in for the old NZR C class steam loco which is stored at the museum. A 0-6-0 rather than a 2-6-2, but it does have the sloping tender that the real one has. This cost $50, second-hand but apparently unused, so I'm happy with that.

Still ballasting the track and laying some vegetation along the edges, but here's a bit which is partly done.



I sat my grandson down on the couch the other day and showed him the loco running, he was absolutely terrified of it! His mum brought him down this morning, and although he was happy to watch her control it, he needed to be hugged all the time. Oh, well, he'll come around. He's almost 20 months old.

On a personal note, my ex and her husband have now been here for 6 months, and my son has said that they'll be here at least another 3. My son got her husband a job at Weta Workshop, so at least they will be able to afford to shift out at some stage. I still hate having them here, but what can ya do?

[toprob]

A bit more progress, with the first pouring of the resin 'water' in the stream -- another layer to go once this cures. The pink bank needs to be covered in native bush, currently no clue how to do that yet.

[cooldad]

Gee that is looking really great Rob. You have a real talent for this.

Paul