patrick

Last train on the Tincup branch. Maureen and I put an offer in on a house and to our surprise it was accepted. The last train was a passenger special and the following day dismantling began.The new property has a spacious basement and garden so hopefully it won't be too long before a new layout will be under construction.

I have been upgrading my Bachmann Big Hauler boxcars to better resemble the prototype. The cars received new roofs in place of the wood roof on the model The original roof walks were reused. The doors were also modified to slide open to the right l, on the model they open to the left. I was fortunate to find a can of brown spray paint which is extremely close to the shade on the model and painted the grab irons and stirrups and brake wheel which were black. So far three cars have been completed with another three to go. The photos show the prototype, the model straight from the box, and the upgraded model.

A few photos from last night. IMG_20260718_111224.heic IMG_20260718_111251.heic IMG_20260718_111009.heic

Maureen and I were invited to partake in the Euclid Garden Club Pond and Garden tour this weekend. This short video shows the railroad set up for the occasion. Last night we had about thirty visitors for the twilight tour and are expecting more this afternoon. 20260717_202448.mp4

I love these updates, they always inspire me to work on my own modest garden railroad.

268 on a short stock extra at Tincup. The stock cars are relatively inexpensive Bachmann Big Hauler models which have been modified by adapting the lateral roof walks so they follow the slope of the car roof, not horizontal. This immediately improves the look of the car. Styrene billboards were also added for the Rio Grande lettering, reporting marks, car number and data. This modification prevents the car door from opening fully but in my opinion the improved appearance is worth it. I have tried in the past to remove factory lettering from Bachmann cars with little success however several ligh coats of paint from a spray can does a good job of covering them.The decals are adapted from a boxcar set . The model is about 1 1/2" too short and differs from the prototype in many respects but I feel it does capture the atmosphere of the prototype and has been a fun project and I'm hoping to do a few more.

Very sad news. Michael's wagons were a huge part of the character of the South Waterford Line.

I wish I had escaped before last November.

268 on a coal extra on the Tincup branch. The 268 is an Aristocraft model which has been fitted with a Piko R/C unit and rechargeable battery. The truck dump was construed using leftover pressure treated lumber which was cut down on a friend's table saw.

Switching Tincup freight house

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One year ago this area was a badly maintained lawn. Things have improved somewhat since!

One year ago this area was a badly maintained lawn. Things have improved somewhat since. Not sure about the lawn though!

More progress on the Tincup freight depot. In the background of the first photo is a Rio Grande sign, a gift from Maureen who was insistent that the railroad had a name!

My current project, Tincup freight house.