Notes on Designing, Building, and Operating Model Railroads
A hobby adventure
Rapido Trains released a new HO Scale boxcar model in October that follows a Northern Pacific prototype built in 1923. A few paint and lettering schemes were produced and I picked up one that represents the Pre-WW2 appearance. This ready-to-run model nicely captures the prototype.
If you are a regular visitor here, you have probably noticed a format change. I started this blog in May of 2009 just after moving to Chagrin Falls, Ohio. The earliest posts were lost after a hiccup at the ISP host so the archives do not extend back to the beginning. The same template had been used for nearly ten years and some elements were not functioning well anymore. A refresh had been on my mind for a few years but I was uncertain how different templates would affect the presentation. Every now and then this past year, I’ve played around testing various templates with the content and finally found one I like. I hope you do, too.
I found a statement or purpose among the text of the very first post May 27, 2009. Reviewing it nearly ten years later, I think it’s a bit wordy but the sentiment remains the same.
This website is dedicated to documenting model railroad projects with a focus on building, designing and operating model railroads. The target audience consists of other model railroad enthusiasts who are eager to learn and expand their skills and knowledge. I will work towards weekly posts to update current personal projects. On occasion, there may be more than one post per week. I enjoy this hobby on many diverse levels and want to share my experiences with others. It is a great reward to pass along techniques and knowledge so others may find similar enjoyment of a great hobby.
Onward we go into the next decade!
Eric Hansmann
With Thanksgiving past and only a few leftovers in the fridge, there’s a bit of a lull at hand before the Christmas season shifts into overdrive. The RPM Event Calendar has been updated and there a dozen events in the first half of 2019. I’m thankful to have attended three RPM’s in 2018 and am looking forward to the New Year.
Prototype Rails kicks off 2019 at the cozy Cocoa Beach Hilton Oceanfront in Florida. This has become a well attended meet with lots of presentations and display models.
Take a few minutes to review the RPM Event Calendar for event details and links to make your 2019 plans. Plan to display some of your models, whether they are completed or in-process. Maybe I’ll see you at an upcoming RPM!
I picked up a few neat photos at the St Louis RPM last summer. I used these in my RPM Chicagoland presentation and thought I’d share them with some notes. Photographs were often taken to document projects in many cities. In these cases, the Reading Company hired a photographer to snap progress photos of a new project at their Port Richmond yards along the Delaware River in Philadelphia. You can see some concrete footers extending through the above image that will connect a new grain pier with a grain elevator. Click on any image here to view a larger size.
I enjoyed another RPM Chicagoland meet recently. A number of Pre-Depression Era modelers (the Pirates) attended, as seen in the lead image. That’s me, down in front. Two Pirates were missing at the time of the photo shoot. It was great to catch up with this group in face-to-face conversations and enjoy meals and drinks together. It’s been nine years since a couple of us began corresponding about railroads and industries of the 1900-1930 decades. We’ve learned a great deal from our collective and advanced our individual modeling skills.