Heisler completed

Why, yes Patric my On30 baby heisler is completed... I painted it to look similar to a Westside Logging Co. heisler.

ON30 Termite & Tarantula Heisler #12
Built by Gerald Styles

Model description/features:
Rivarossi HO scale heisler locomotive chassis

Soundtraxx DCC sound decoder, with synchronizing cam
Cab is partial Wiseman Model/V&T shops heisler kit, part scratch built.
Loco cab frame is scratch built in styrene
Front boiler support frame is scratch built in brass
Boiler is scratch built in brass.
Fuel Bunker including water & oil fill caps and is scratch built in styrene and brass
Crew: Arttista figures
Many, many, PSC brass detail parts

Progress on my little On30 Heisler conversion. This is the almost finished model ready for primer.  I still need to add the bell and pop off valve.

Behind the water fill hatch is a scratch built oil fill hatch with eye pull ring.

Brass hand rails, lots of extra details.

In this side view picture you can see the added bell.

Note the sand delivery pipes under sand box. The sand fill cap is now in place.

The steps to the cab are Gramps tank car parts. I thought they looked more interesting than a plain step. I decided to paint this model to look like a Westside Lumber Co Heisler. The cab roof underside hides the speaker for the Tsunami sound decoder. Figures and curtains should hide most of the motor inside the cab. Next up will be the final painted model.

Small figure problem

I think I have a mini figure problem.....I have become a figure fanatic. I keep painting more and more. In fact I have so many, they are now on several shelves in a small display case (not just on the model train layout).  Below is just one shelf....

I have been painting figures in different scales, O-scale 42mm, 54mm, 32mm, and large scale 1:20.3.  Historic and fantasy. Below is a small diorama I called "Lunch Time". I created the scene with O-scale (1/48) size figures. The figures come unpainted, and are a pewter like metal. The gent in the middle is a Mackenzie Iron And Steel Railroad figure "Juan eating beans", the gunmen are gaming figures from Reaper Miniatures. https://www.reapermini.com

The single "revolutionary" figure below is 54mm. Comes unpainted raw metal. This figure is produced by Andrea Miniatures. A figure from the Golden West Series "Viva Zapata!" He is approximately 3" tall.

The single miner figure below is 44mm close enough to O-scale. Comes unpainted raw metal. This figure is produced by Reaper Miniatures.   He is approximately 1.25" tall.

Cheers, G

Recently, I have been working on my On30 Heisler again. I set it aside a few years back and did not finish it. The model is built on a Rivarossi brand HO scale heisler. I am using some of the parts from a Wiseman Model Services conversion kit, scratch built brass boiler wrapper and front frame, also I added PSC details, new steam chests, roof tool boxes, ladder. I scratch built the cab under frame, and changed the roof and fuel bunker. I wanted to make it look more like a Westside Lumber Co. heisler.

 

I some how squeezed a Soundtraxx geared steam DCC sound decoder into it. Really had to work to get a nice speaker in the underside of the cab roof.  I will post more pictures as progress happens..

In October of 2013, I built a structure for Bill Johnson,  Getz Sideshow Big Circus Magic Shop. It honors a mutual friend and modeler Jack Getz.

This is HO scale the structure, it is a bash of a BTS laser kit. #27225 Cabin Creek Store. It has a lot of details, loose rabbits, loose doves. Shelves full of magic kits and tricks.....custom signs. neat.... fun...

Over the Holiday season I took my remaining vacation days off. It allowed me to relax and work on some models I had in my mind. One was a structure for my friend Steve Swanson. He is into minerals, mining and railroads. I thought to myself mining engineer and assay office would be the perfect structure. It is O-scale. The shingles are evergreen scale models real cedar shingles.

I scratch built the entire structure from strip wood. I distressed the wood, and lightly sanded it to remove the fuzz. I then used an alcohol and  (Kooh-i-noor brand) waterproof black technical pen ink. I penciled out the walls on architectural card stock. The wood was then glued on the surface. I also added a slight whitewash color paint to the upper parts of the wood on the wall. The rest was small details and grandt line windows. 

Small mineral samples have been placed on the front porch, and in the sill of the window. 

In the next picture below you can see the white wash paint effect I did.

The stove pipe I scratch built out of brass tube, sheet and wire.

The rust streak is a special rust wash I make myself.

The actual beginning is past history

In this blog I hope to capture and share my work and progress on my On30 model railroad: Termite & Tarantula, and other scale models that I am working on.  I build models in multiple scales. HO, O, Gn15, 1:35th scale and paint figures.

Background on my current layout:
My On30 Railroad started in my garage (early 2000? I think) in the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas. It started as four shadow boxed, 8' x2' modules in an L shape. Garages in West Texas are fairly large. Ours had a small storage area nook, and several comfortable feet to either side of vehicles. A two car garage there can accommodate 2 full size heavy duty trucks. (unlike my 1970's garage here in Colorado) Why no basement? Most houses have no basements. Its expensive to use explosives to dig out granite for a basement.

With the layout towards the front and along the sidewall,  our garage could still accommodate our X-terra and my truck.  We could still use the door to get into the house.

I decided I wanted my new layout to be built simple, as light as possible, and be able to be moved.  My previous layout was HO/HOn3 and fit in a 10'X9' spare bedroom.

I knew I wanted to do a freelance railroad. No real prototype. In this I could model real and made up structures and places. I wanted to incorporate desert and mountains. Mines and timber.