A chick, chick here. A chick, chick there...

 Yes! The chickens are all in their places. Most are in the process of pecking on the ground. However, due to holiday absences, Jersey cow construction is running a little late. Should be done by next post. Omscaler definitely needs to get this done by year’s end. Then, onward and upward. Next year should be exciting. Omscaler has formulated a comprehensive plan of attack in order to get as much done as possible during the coming year. Here is hoping a productive and prosperous New Year for all of us. See you next year, omscaler

 

Are things going to get nastier?

 Good question. Omscaler does not think so. Before writing this post, the final colors were added to the chicks. Next will come poultry installation. You never know what you will see (or read) on The Omega Scale Railway blog. Now, regarding the above caption, no. Even though a Jersey cow is under construction, the soil amendments provided by the bovine will improve the fertility of Jennifer O’Leary’s (yes, she is related to THAT O’Leary) paddock. Nothing is too good for the residents of the Murphysboro module. Omscaler is mulling over the next step on The Very Small Railroad. Still undecided. The goals list for year 2023 is already made. How about you? Is your goals list for 2023 done? Signed: a reminding neighbor, omscaler

 

Is it too nasty?

This past week saw the installation of the paddock fence. The fence had to be finished with a small section of the original “Nastee Fence®”. This was due to damaging the next phase of fencing known as “Nastee Junior”. If I do anymore fence, I will go back to the drawing board first. Next will be livestock making. We will see how that goes. Omscaler also needs to do some “foliage”. We will see how that goes as well. Omscaler

 

Still scratching along

Did I say chickens? I still need chickens. But even worse is the cow paddock fence. Just yesterday omscaler was prepping the paddock fence for placement. It seems that the fence did not turn out well. So very ugly. Will we use it anyway? Nope. Just too awful. Omscaler would not put a rabid dog in that fence. Much less Jennifer O’Leary’s (Yes. She is the niece or great niece of THAT O’Leary.) milk cow. So, back to the drawing board. Fortunately, omscaler has an idea or two on how to proceed. Now you see why stuff runs behind. Still scratching along, omscaler

 

Done and not done

Omscaler is almost squeaking over the finish line. We have houses, yards, fences, askew gates, step stone walks, grass. All that remains is a chicken house, chickens and shrubbery. What else? This is all for now. Planning for next year is underway. 2022 goals are being reviewed and adjusted. Seems like some things did not get done. Oh, well. Onward and upward! Excelsior! Omscaler

  

Still working

Last post mentioned that yard fences were being built. They may be finished as of this post. Part of the delay involved a Saturday day trip to Jefferson, Georgia. This trip had nothing to do with The Omega Scale Railway. This trip was to a rabbit show. I warned you. No trains or model railroads. Sometimes you have to take a complete break. Monday found us back at it. The afore mentioned fencing is under way. Ground treatment still has to be done. Shrubs? Maybe? Where is the landscaper/ground maintenance person? Oh. That’s me! Still digging in, omscaler

 

Almost there

As of last week, the two small houses are finished. Omscaler decided to make additional parts to complete the scene. These will be a board fence about the perimeter of each yard. Also, a clothes line set-up is being considered. Possibly some shrubbery too. The next phase that is being considered is figures and foliage. The foliage will extend well beyond the yard shrubbery mentioned above. Omscaler always has projects that vie for first place on The Very Small Railroad. Nevertheless, we will sort it out. Til’ next post, omscaler

 

The broad spectrum

Hello again, readers. Currently, more work is being done on the two small houses. As mentioned before, these are very humble homes. Typically occupied by folks of lesser means. The previously built McCorkle home is a bungalow. At least two or three steps above a “shotgun” house. That leaves us with the question of “What is next?” Indeed, omscaler has plans in mind for a typical Victorian house of the locale we are modeling. We shall see as the saying goes. Also, the latest fifty-ton hopper is still being built. Slow and steady on this railcar. Racing like a tortoise, omscaler

 

Elevating times

Regarding the two-house project, after getting a roof on the second house, both structures had two-foot elevation blocks installed underneath. This will allow for using natural-looking stone pilings to be placed under the edges of the houses. Some houses from this time had no underpinning. A cooling prospect during hard Winters. When omscaler works on one project, other projects are on hold. Work on The OSR is done serially at times. More specifically, internal slope sheets are being made. Working “on the slant”, omscaler

 

Cooking right along

Continuing with last week’s post, the larger of the two houses now has a roof. The other one will have one soon as well. Omscaler was able to develop a roof color treatment appropriate for the houses. We continue to move along. As far as last week’s post regarding the laser, some additional details may be helpful. Regarding the software, the laser software can produce the needed shapes directly. CAD was investigated to get the needed specifications. Due to a lack of training or experience, CAD proved problematic. What was successful was to scan in a well drawn diagram. Clean the diagram with a drawing AAP. Then paste the same directly into the laser software. Now the new laser produced fifty-ton hopper components are being incorporated into a new hopper car. Other laser projects are in the works as well. On the cutting edge, omscaler

 

Back to the front burner

Instead of back to the future, we are doing back to the front burner. We were able to pause “lasering” long enough to work on the two house project. The walls are up and we are headed to the roof. The porches will figure into this as well. Omscaler did learn that we could get output without using CAD. This made things quicker for us. We still are learning the ins and outs of the new software and hardware. All in all, good results all around. Trimming down and gearing up, omscaler

  

Eureka! We cut it!

 Yep. We are all ‘a-dither’ here at The Omega Scale Railway. Some of the initial laser test cuts dimensionally accurate, though not on all points. Some of this variance is due to learning curve. Speaking of learning curve, omscaler is learning laser safety and operation, laser software and CAD drawing. Simultaneously but not all at the same time. Thankfully, not all at the same time. Due to all this activity, the small house project has been put on the back burner. That should be changed by the time this post is posted. Omscaler definitely needs to do this, and we will. As far as laser work, the main effort will be reworking the fifty-ton hoppers. This Fall and Winter should prove to be both interesting and busy. Refocusing the effort, omscaler

 

A new direction?

Since last post, omscaler has been successful at making a new window construction technique. Once again, we are delighted at bringing new methods to make The Omega Scale Railway more realistic. Also, two of the entry doors have an improved method as well. The other two are represented as simple plank doors. This is in keeping with the design of these small houses. Next will be wall assembly. The roofs will need special treatment to show a weathered appearance. The excitement is building.

Speaking of excitement, you, the reader may be asking, “What about the new direction mentioned above?” Well, dear reader, as this post is being typed, omscaler is sitting very close to some new equipment. This is a new laser engraver/cutter. Assembly of this cutter was just completed yesterday. The next phase is acquiring software and then learning to use the cutter. Omscaler is definitely keeping the fingers crossed. Both for performance of the new laser and being able to use it effectively. If this is successful, omscaler anticipates that better rolling stock and structures can be made. And be made more quickly as well. Working with high hopes, omscaler

 

Dare I say, still plugging away?

 Yep. Twelve of one size window and two of another. It is all about the details. As one can imagine, when one works with very small measurements, accurate measurement is critical. This is a way of life on The Very Small Railroad. It is what gives us an edge over other modelers in this scale we believe. As I write this post, I am still working on making and hanging windows. Another part is the window trim. That is coming soon. Some ideas are waiting to be tried. Hopefully, these will work. Then doors, wall assembly and roof. See you up top, omscaler

 

Merrily we inch along

 Hello again readers. Here on The Omega Scale Railway, we are in inch worm mode (once again). The reason is that a new windowpane method is being developed. These windows will be the next step up in detail. And, as many of you know, research and development take time. Hence, we inch along. The new method is already showing much promise in the test unit. Also, a different method will be tried out by the time of this post. This will give omscaler more options for structure details. Always improving, omscaler

 

A new motorist in town

The McCorkle family is now the proud buyers (through a used car loan) of the 1939 Oldsmobile Business Coupe. This will make life easier for Gerald. A little information about the car. The business coupe has an upholstered bench behind the front seats. This provides a place for luggage or samples. Hence the term “Business Coupe”. At this point, Gerald will often drive unless wife, Melissa, needs to go grocery shopping during his shift. Jerry, Jr., will be on the rear bench. Mrs. McCorkle will sit and hold baby June in her lap. What could be safer? Anyway, it is hoped that the Olds will be the first of many vehicles in Murphysboro. See you down the road, omscaler

 

Persistence wins!

As of last weekend, omscaler was able to get the results hoped for. This is as great a relief as it is a milestone. The two final ideas won the day. Results, though not perfect are very workable. This outcome will open the door for further progress on The Very Small Railroad. Omscaler is planning more vehicles as well as more modern locomotives. The locomotives will include streamlined types. Hence the need to make compound curves. Onward and upward, omscaler

 

Less than perfect?

Did I say successful? On closer inspection, the cast needed to be better. And also, the second cast needed to be better as well. Omscaler has not given up. And he will not give up. We have two ideas to work with to overcome the problems. We are almost there. More news later. Omscaler

 

Milestone reached!

Last post we were trying to complete a mold master. We did that and then casting was started. I say started because, as of this post, the fourth casting mold should be complete. The learning curve went nearly vertical. Omscaler was hoping that the curve would not flip back on itself. Fortunately, we did get a successful cast. The casting was not perfect, but the earlier results were unworkable. Now, all that is necessary is that a small tweaking here and there and we are good to go. Updates coming, omscaler

 

Progress made!

Yes, we have made progress on the ’39 Olds. Last post we were working with modeling clay. This medium proved to be too soft. What to do? Just before the clay was tried, basswood was being carved. So, omscaler went back to the drawing board, almost literally. A diagram was drawn up to scale. Basswood sections were then made. I think this is the ninth attempt. As of this writing, the next step is gluing together the sections. After that, headlight pods will be made and attached. Yours in assembly mode, omscaler

 

A new/old way

The 1939 Olds project continues. So far material trials have been conducted. The results were not as good as hoped. The body material took a long time to dry and was not as workable as needed. A mold master was started but not completed. The reason for this was the need for a more forgiving medium. The basswood was carve-able being nearly grain-less. However, if a mistake was made and there would have been some, a patch would be needed. This would add more time to an already delay ridden effort. What to do? Well, your ever resourceful omscaler reached back in time and decided to use modeling clay. We have not had our hands on the stuff since early grade school. Fortunately, a local craft store had some on sale. Now we can move forward. See you next post, omscaler

 

The designing life

It is all in the design. Last week omscaler completed a full set of diagrams for the 1939 Olds project. As far as time to complete this project goes, this will definitely lengthen the schedule. On top of this extra effort, material testing is being conducted. It is hoped that the end result will be worth the significant delay. As was alluded to in the previous post, the methods used to “mold” the car body is project specific but due to the mold being reusable, more than one vehicle can and will be made. This output will provide more variety and quicker results. Yours with anticipation, omscaler

 

Back it up

Back it up. Way back. Looks like omscaler has to do a redesign of the “work helpers” that were made for the body components for the 1939 Oldsmobile. It is probably just as well. Very hot weather outside makes being indoors almost a necessity. As previously mentioned, the work aids will help on all projects going forward. This is with the exception of the Olds work aids. If what is being planned is successful, the aids may be project specific. More on this later. Still grinding away, omscaler

 

Inching forward

Last week’s post was about installing fenders on the 1939 Olds. So far, the left rear fender is installed and judging by the looks of thinkg, it is a “do-over”. As frustrating as this is, learning this skill could help omscaler in the future. What is meant by that is more vehicles will be built as well as stream lined locomotives. So we continue to learn. Persistence is a way of life on The Very Small Railroad as has been stated before. The results will be worth it. Also, new work aids are being built to help with assembling the car which can be used for other projects. The main problem seems to be forming complex curves. Omscaler had previously taken complex curves for granted. Coffee pots, airplanes, glass bowls, the list goes on. Now that we are building them, it is a different story. Now we welcome complex curves. Not enthusiastically, mind you. But welcome nevertheless. Until next post, omscaler

 

Fend off procrastination

First a little side note. A few weeks ago, I was visiting the town of Gadsden, Alabama. I had been pursuing an outdoor activity but was halted by a rainstorm. I then decided to visit the downtown area while waiting for the rain to abate. As I was heading back, I found myself heading south on one of the streets perpendicular to Locust Street. As I and a car in front of me were waiting at a red light, A freight train proceeded in front of us from the river bridge area to the western side of town. I had never seen the street tracks in use and was pleasantly surprised. Somehow the train appearance lessened the effect the rain had on the outdoor activity.

  Now back to fending off procrastination. Or should I say “fendering” off inactivity. Specifically, omscaler has started working on the fenders of the ’39 Olds. The first attempt was not up to par. So, we redouble our efforts. We gotta’ have what we gotta’ have. And so we shall. Continuing the work, omscaler

 

Happy Fifth of July!

 What is the significance of the Fifth of July? Well, in this case, it is the day when many people must return to their regular jobs after a bombastic three-day weekend holiday. What a bummer! Nevertheless, omscaler hopes everyone had a great holiday. On the OSR, we do have the hood installed and the fenders are in progress. Who knew that such a small car could take so long? After the hood assembly and fenders, will come the roof and windows and then smaller details. All of this will be a pioneering effort for sure. We continue to work, omscaler

 

Back to the hood

Or more correctly, still on the hood. By the time readers see this post, the hood may or may not be installed on the Olds. As this post is written, configuration number three will be the next attempt at a better hood design. Omscaler knew that complex curves would be a challenge, but that, as we have learned, is half the fun around The Very Small Railroad. Also, learning from this project will better enable us to be more successful going forward. The end result on this project will be a better-looking model as well. Still in design mode, omscaler

 

Still rolling along

Omscaler is still working on the Oldsmobile. Omscaler is still be distracted by “the outside” as well. Nevertheless, the firewall and sides are attached. This week should be even more productive. The personal schedule has been rearranged a little which should help our efforts. The car being built as mentioned before is the 1939 Oldsmobile 60. A two-door model with a space behind the front seats for luggage or other items. Oldsmobile also made a touring model 60. The difference being an extended roof line and an actual rear seat. Once omscaler gets going with the vehicles, maybe we can do one of these as well. We shall see. Still driving toward the goal, omscaler

 

The wheels of time

Due to outdoor activities taking much more time than was anticipated, the auto project has moved much slower than omscaler was hoping. As the saying goes, “you have to make hay (or play) while the sun is shining.” Omscaler uses these times to recharge and contemplate the best way to proceed. Normally, this works quite well and has done so in this case. When readers see this post, the wheels will have been mounted. This ushers in the phase that is the body fabrication and attachment to the frame. More fun coming down the tracks for the OSR. See you around, omscaler

 

The work continues

 More on this post about where we are now. The new drive link is working. The car rib method continues to show promise. Omscaler still needs to perform module maintenance. A decision has been made regarding the next project. It has been decided to build an automobile. The specific model will be a 1939 Oldsmobile 60. This is a two-door car. The car will probably be owned by Gerald McCorkle and family. Readers will remember Gerald from the bungalow posts. As this post is written, just a bare bones effort has been started. Mostly consisting of a scale diagram and a list of dimensions. It is hoped that this auto will be the first of many. The Murphysboro module has had the appearance of a railcar populated ghost town for way too long. See you down at the tracks. Omscaler

 

Upgraded drive link

 Hello again readers. In the last post, omscaler was mulling over which direction to take regarding maintenance of The Omega Scale Railway. As stated before, a number of things are needed. What took place last week was a redesign of the locomotive drive link component. This component is a simple formed wire. The first iteration worked but not as well as hoped. The new part is very similar but more robust. Initial work is very promising and omscaler hopes this one continues to work well. More testing is needed. Work is also being done on an improved car side rib method. This effort is actually somewhat ironic considering that the previous hopper group is complete. These cars have seven ribs on each side. Other possible developments are in the works as well. Just thought I would give readers an update that is a little more specific. Continuing to dig in, omscaler

 

Details make the difference

Omscaler was thinking about a past post regarding one or more well done model railroad layouts. The term layout usually means the place where a model railroad resides. All the noteworthy layouts have this in common: The layout is as close to the real world as possible. This can be very challenging when one has to shrink the model railroad to fit the available space. Layout builders have been very skilled at meeting this constraint. Needless to say, these results definitely inspire omscaler. Going forward, The Very Small Railroad is long overdue for a more lifelike appearance. We need people, animals, vehicles, structures, foliage. All of these will have to be developed in the proper scale. We love pioneering here on The Omega Scale Railway. Just adds to the fun. But which direction should we take? Initial experiments are now taking place. By the time this post is published, we should have a handle on the way forward. Brimming with anticipation, omscaler

 

A landmark project

Hello again, blog readers. By the time that you are reading this post, ten new fifty-ton open top hoppers will be placed on the Murphysboro module. As the header caption states this is a landmark project. It has been at least three years since such a large group of railcars has been built. It is of particular note that comparatively speaking this group has a much higher level of fidelity to the prototype than the first group. These cars represent the actual hopper cars used by the GM&O railroad during its heyday. Also, as previously written, the individual car numbers are the actual numbers used by the railroad. Here on The Omega Scale Railway, we do strive for realism. As for the original group of cars mentioned above, they are going to be replaced over time with more prototypical equipment. This will probably be done singly or in pairs as time permits. “What is the next project”, readers may wonder? That, dear folks will be announced soon. Immediately, maintenance work will be done on the module. It is much needed. Doing the upkeep, omscaler

 

Still a little more

 Yes, the hopper cars a moving, albeit slowly, toward the finish mark. The previously mentioned stirrup step former is now a reality. The final form still needs to be fine-tuned. This construction aid is one of many omscaler has come up with over the course of developing The Omega Scale Railway. After the stirrup steps are attached, all that remains should be attaching the car bodies to the center beam assemblies. These center beams are already complete and awaiting the installations of the car bodies. Omscaler is expecting that the mounting of the bodies will need some fine tuning as well. Seems like it always does. Until next post, omscaler

 

“Gluing” toward the finish line

Omscaler is pleased to report that most of the hopper group are nearing completion. What remains now is brake wheel and brake wheel platforms along with stirrup steps. Hopefully, this will go smoothly. Omscaler has an idea for an assembly form for the steps. This form will be able to work on all freight cars and perhaps many locomotives as well. This form will allow for multiple groups of four steps. This alone will speed up production. Looking forward to being speedy, omscaler

 

Component success!

 Your erstwhile Omega Scale modeler has achieved another goal. The hopper end frame configuration had been previously problematic. When something doesn’t look right, it doesn’t look right. Lesson we learned here a long time ago. I am happy to report that the new method looks realistic. At least more so than before. Omscaler has only done the frames for one hopper. The new method allows for a strong bond while looking the right size. An important consideration in context. The rest of the batch will follow. Still "hoppering" along, omscaler

 

The new old boxcar

As readers will note, the M&StL boxcar has been improved. Omscaler was not satisfied with his own work on this one. Therefore, the boxcar was re-shopped. Part of the reason was the availability of better graphics for reporting marks. The other was that the ladders were sub-standard. The result is a definite improvement. There are still visible flaws to be seen. However, omscaler will try to adhere to a better construction standard in the future. As readers may be able to tell, this side project was interjected in the midst of the larger hopper project. The hoppers are in the process of having end frames installed. With the final details, this should bring a completion to this major project. Then, onward and upward. Working with anticipation, omscaler

 

A visit to a cultural venue

Last Saturday the 35^th Annual Coosa Valley Model Railroad Association train show was held in historic downtown Gadsden, Alabama. The location was the Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts. What could be more “cultural” than model railroading? And in a riverside town to boot! In fact, the whole area is replete with history and scenic beauty. Noccalula Falls, Coosa River, Weiss Lake (Crappie Capital of the World), Cherokee Rock Village and for Civil War buffs, numerous military sites. Anyway, yours truly won a door prize. Just made my day! A few more things. The main permanent layout is seventy-two feet long. It features actual buildings and activities from Gadsden’s past. A least five layouts were on display. Numerous dealers were present as well. The visit to the Falls showed it to be in full flow with a plentiful mist blowing off. The nearby park area was hosting a Barbecue Cooking Competition. Smelled wonderful. Cool and windy though. All in all, a nice day trip. Back home and working, omscaler

 

A little more insider information

For our blog readers, more insider information. Literally. Omscaler has reached the point on the hopper car build where the center slope sheets have been installed. This week we will begin center beam cover sheets. These parts form a metal tent over the car center beam for the purpose of directing all the coal out of the bottom of the hopper. Omscaler is in fact aware of the possibility that some hopper cars just had the flat top surface of the center beam exposed. The reason for this is that omscaler is in possession of a three- bay hopper car in the 1/160 N scale which has the exposed center beam. The car markings are for the Illinois Central RR. This begs the question, “Is the model true to the prototype?” Maybe back in the day, some of the coal load remaining on the center beam was considered too negligible to matter. Omscaler will consider researching this. At any rate, the GM&O hoppers will have beam cover sheets. Nothing is too good for the customer. Still ‘a-building, omscaler

 

TAG along, if you will

Last week, omscaler took a visit to Cherokee County, Alabama. The purpose of this trip was to get fishing information. One of the stops omscaler made was at Yellow Creek. Omscaler has written about this area before. It was delightful to see Yellow Creek Falls in full flow. Great natural beauty. Just out in front of the falls a little distance are the old trestle piers for the TAG line. The Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railroad. Folks used to be able to make Fall foliage excursions and visit this area many years ago. Ah, for the good old days. Anyway, omscaler did get some info and did get to try out some new fishing equipment and did not catch anything. Cool with wind although sunny later on. Mostly a sight-seeing outing. All good. We are back on the hopper car group and making steady progress. Specifically putting in the center sheets. Feeling refreshed, omscaler

 

Insider information

 This week, omscaler has some inside information for blog readers. The info concerns the car reporting marks for the hopper group. More specifically, the individual car numbers. They are: 60501, 60504, 60506, 60511, 60517, 60523, 60525, 60529, 60537, and 60541. Readers will note that these numbers are not consecutive. This was done purposely to have a more realistic group of cars. It has been omscaler’s experience that when encountered in real life, it is rare to see consecutive numbers. However, the series of these numbers is based on actual GM&O open top hoppers. Also, the hopper group is being built somewhat slowly. This is due to different reasons. Nevertheless, omscaler is committed to completing this important project. Continuing the work, omscaler

 

Winter is over? Really?

Last post omscaler said winter was over. Omscaler made a large blunder. Snow on the ground last Saturday. Remind me not to be a weatherman. And headed toward seventy-five degrees two days after this will be posted! Oh well. Anyway. Been busy around here with non-model railroad stuff. Had to be done. The good news is that with the stuff out of the way, we can resume with the important work on the hopper group. Omscaler is still working on the end slope sheets. Next will be the middle slope sheets. The method we are using now has us making the car components from a thinner card stock for ease of cutting. The normal black stock is 110# weight card and is a bear to cut. This stock will also delaminate if it needs to bend. The current stock is white so the added step of tinting it off black is needed. This is not too much trouble. The end result is a better-looking railcar. Continuing this important work, omscaler

 

Winter is over!

Yes. Fine weather is here. Lots of folks are getting outside and enjoying the sunshine. Omscaler is one of them. The walking track at the local park has been visited a number of times already. Gotta’ keep fit to enjoy the model railroad. However, there is a dark side to this. With the occurrence of fine weather, the temptation is to just be outside all the time. This lessens the time put in on The Very Small Railroad. The good news is that there is a silver lining to this dark cloud. April showers bring indoor work time for us who are diligently laboring on The Omega Scale Railway. All we have to do is put some time in every day if we can. Usually not a problem. I think I hear a fish jumping! Setting my resolve, omscaler

 

Headed for the slopes!

Next week we are headed for the slopes. Just for the record, omscaler does not ski. This is due to growing up in the deep south. However, next week, omscaler will be working on the slopes. What is being referred to is slope...sheets. We will need to complete the side assemblies then on to the slopes! Let’s see. There are two end sheets. Two center sheets. Two beam cover sheets. Times ten cars. You get the picture. As an aside, the car markings came out pretty well. Well, on to the slopes! Omscaler

 

Happy Anniversary!

That’s right! It’s us again! We are marking five years this month. Actually February 14^th. Since the fourteenth was on a Monday, omscaler decided to mark the event in this post. We are very proud of what we have accomplished so far. Frankly, omscaler had no idea how much work would be involved to bring this dream into fruition. We knew it would not be easy. We believed then and now it would be well worth it. The Omega Scale Railway continues to inspire us. Talk about continuous process improvement. Even as this is being written, ideas that save time and effort are being used. In this specific case, the ten-car hopper project needed both a railroad name and reporting marks on each side of the car. Initial trials called for one hundred sixty appliques to get the job done. Omscale knew this could be improved upon. We got ‘er down to twenty. The new design is much easier to install. This is a major tour-de-force for the building department. This is the kind of innovation that has become the hallmark of The Very Small Railroad. Other ideas are already waiting in the wings. This is what keeps us excited around here. Itching to go, omscaler

 

Rib redux and “the battle of the ampersands”

Readers may recall the account of the rib installation. Omscaler is delighted to report a more innovative method was used to make side ribs. Faster to do and seems to appear more realistic (perhaps?). Glad the ribs are done. What happened the following Thursday was a tale to be told. The following account is from a post omscaler did on a popular forum. It is presented here “in the vernacular”.

Wow! Am impressed again! So much going on. I finished the rib application phase for the open top hoppers. Thursday was "the battle of the ampersand". First a little background. A while ago I ran short of letter size printer paper. When I went to the office supply store, somehow, I got into a conversation with the lady in the print shop department. She said the print shop now used 24# paper as the 20# paper used too much ink. I explained that I used the paper for the model railroad. The upshot of this was that she just gave me a number of sheets of the 24# paper as a free sample! Happy, happy, joy, joy! Next, the ampersand. The GM&O ampersand is not the standard ampersand. It was apparently designed by a drunken Bulgarian (my apologies to drunken Bulgarians). It looks like a Cyrillic "yeh", a backwards three, with a little inverted "T" tail on the right bottom. I could not find it on the interweb, even to purchase. So, what we did was scan it in as black on white (I need white letters on black). Two tries on the scan (needed jpeg, not pdf). Pulled it up in Paint 3D. Got the colors reversed. Manipulated it with a snip and cut app as well. Imported it to the spreadsheet where reside the reporting marks and Etc. And voila' we got a good test print. Fyi, this had to be reduced from a font size seven at a thirty percent reduction. So, you see, I have been having fun! This is the 'mostest words I ever put on here. Sorry it is so long. Be well, safe and fun to be with! 

 As readers can see, we won the battle. Omscaler is optimistic we can indeed apply the road name and reporting marks with the original ampersand. Omscaler strives for realism as much as possible on The Very Small Railroad. We continue to labor, omscaler

 

Do you mind a little ribbing?

In the Bible, Adam gave a rib. Omscaler is going to give a rib or rather give one hundred and forty ribs. “Let's have a barbecue!”, the reader may say. Great idea! However, we might do it after the ribs are installed on the hopper cars. Each side has seven ribs. There are ten hoppers being built. Each rib has to be cut to size and installed. An exacting task but as always, omscaler will “get ‘er done”. See you on the rib side, ‘er on the flip side. Omscaler

 

Hopping on hoppers

 The work on the open top hoppers is moving forward. We did a yeoman’s job on the coupler specifications. This included making a coupler height gauge as is used on many model railroads. Never hurts to borrow a good idea. The couplers tested well and omscaler expects reliable performance in real life. At this writing omscaler has begun cutting out the side sheets. We are working slow and careful. Omscaler uses cutting guides to help keep things moving along. Some adjustments had to be made to the guides to improve accuracy. So far, so good. Never hurts to double check and check again. We are not sure exactly when the hoppers will be done. We just have to wait and see. Patiently working, omscaler

 

A hook in time saves nine?

 As per last post, omscaler is working on a batch of ten fifty-ton, thirty-four-foot, twin bay, open top hoppers. The draft gear is complete. What is going on now is the fine tuning of the coupler hooks. The Very Small Railroad actually uses a simple swing latch hook for the coupler. Simple. Seems to work. However, at this point omscaler is trying to make the couplers in a more accurate size. Small couplers require small adjustments. If the couplers are made too large, they don’t work well. If the couplers are made too small, they don’t work well. Seems like a Goldilocks situation. If the reader compares the real life coupler to The Omega Scale coupler, several differences will become apparent. The OSR coupler has no moving parts. The Janney coupler has the main part, the knuckle and a knuckle pin. Omscaler at this time does not know how to replicate the real coupler in 1/384 scale. Maybe one day? That is why a simple swing latch is used. We continue to work on the current project. Getting it done, omscaler

 

We’ve been framed!

 That’s right! We have been framed! Let me explain. All new road equipment on The Omega Scale Railway have the newly designed side frames. This actually began with the M&StL boxcar. This side frame eliminates three parts. It is easier to make. It also has a thinner profile. Estimated time to make these is shorter as well. All these attributes give The Very Small Railroad a better looking rail car. Just in time for the new batch of open top hoppers! Well, let’s hop to it, omscaler

 

Of mice & men & ampersands

 Do readers remember a reference to mice and men and best laid plans? Omscaler is now including ampersands. Why ampersands the reader may wonder? Well as of late the safari hunt for the fabled GM&O ampersand has been ramped up. Recent efforts have been less than successful. This ampersand is a very unique squiggle in its own right. Omscaler has never seen anything else like it. An internet search for the elusive ampersand came up with zilch. Purchasing the animal has turned out to be a non-option. Why is this font so unusual? For one, it has an appearance of a Cyrillic “E” or a backward three or some other thing. The second thing is that at the lower right it has an inverted small “T” with a bent tail. This character is a character! An odd bird indeed. The serif is strange too. Omscaler had to back up and make ready to punt, so to speak. At this writing, some old GM&O Historical Society publications were pulled from storage (a hutch drawer) and scrutinized closely. Book by book. A likely candidate was found. The plan is to scan the offending ampersand into the desk top computer and try to manipulate it to the correct dimensions. We will see what we will see. Moving forward with optimism, omscaler

 

Happy New Year!

It is time for a new beginning. Time to dust off the dust of last year and start anew. Omscaler actually begins planning for the next year in November. Saves last minute rushing. At this time, we like to reflect on what did and did not get accomplished and set our goals anew. As of now, The Omega Scale Railway has sixteen goals, some with sub-goals pushing us above twenty in actual number. The work before is plentiful but joyful. We are expecting great rewards for great effort. The last week of twenty twenty-one saw the completion of a dual rod flaring tool. This should speed up production of coupler/retainer rods. A pretty good way to end the year for omscaler and The Very Small Railroad. The current project underway is a group of ten open-top hoppers. Busy, busy, busy, omscaler