A blog about model trains and other hobby projects.
A recent structure building article by Alan Jockmans in Voie Libre #126* reminded me that I have some 3mm Foamed PVC sheet laying around (Komatex brand). I had purchased it for structure bases since it doesn't warp, is light and strong, and cuts easily. Somehow I had never really played with it as a carving material, until now. First I impressed the board lines with a dental tool then scribed the…
What better time to rearrange the garage storage than a sunny, breezy day? A few weeks back our warming summer gave way to spring temperatures so I opened the garage door and started rearranging. Sure, I am committed to the Summer Challenge 2026, and I have a handful of household projects lined up...so the challenge keeps getting pushed back. However, since the deadline is self-imposed and I feel…
I don't usually remember John Allen's birthday - July 2 - until after the day has passed. This year I happened to notice the announcement in the G&D group (former Yahoo group) and decided I'd celebrate with a special train. I assembled a short consist of cars from John's friends who had contributed rolling stock from their railroads to run on the Gorre & Daphetid. These cars are actual equipment…
Windows blanked, end wall cornice added, gaps puttied, corner bevels adjusted. Ready for stucco. The arcade is coming along, but that'll get its own post.
I realized I'd need to take a few steps back before I could go forward with the sidewalks. I determined I'd need to put in the grade crossings first, and before that I really should have the streetcar track laid, and for that I'd want solid dimensions on the terminal building with its arcade over the track. First steps on that structure are tests, in a way. I'm breaking new ground with this…
Posts may be lighter on the text for a while until there's ample justification for a lengthy explanation. These sidewalk segments are marketed as a station platform. They're still available from Frenchman River Model Works here . While they're beautiful on top, the undersides are inconsistent and cupped. This is not a problem if you're using a gooey adhesive that can take the imperfection. Still,…
“The Bell Hotel,” RICHES , accessed June 6, 2026, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/4230 . With the Shifter done enough for now, it's time to begin the Summer Challenge 2026: Orange Avenue! in earnest. Let's start this journey with a close examination of the photo above; the Bell Hotel in Sanford, Florida. It includes several elements that are typical of the 1920s that I want to…
Back in December of 2025 I committed myself to complete the Shifter before tackling any other projects. I was mostly successful at keeping to that condition, though while the primer was curing and the paint after that, I did begin the Ensminger Building construction. Happily, this is a hobby, and the only restraints, deadlines, goals, etc. I place upon myself are purely of my own making and can be…
While delivering my son to his summer internship down in Mountain View I got to do a little railfanning. Nothing says "Silicon Valley" quite like sitting behind a Tesla watching CalTrain blast through a crossing on our way to the SETI Institute. Good times.
Okay, just one more and I promise I'll be done with mock-ups for a long while. I've completed the mock-up for the branch house and meat market structure that's replacing the ice factory at Ocala Springs. This one is different in a few significant ways. Firstly, it's bigger; it needs to be large enough to seemingly justify handling even a small carload of meat and yet small enough to not overpower…
Recent renovations have brought the layout out from the wall so I've used that opportunity to dust it, clear away the clutter and run trains again. I also set up my tripod so I can grab a quick video if the mood strikes. I'd like to make longer videos featuring the trains going about their business but for now the occasional short is all I can manage. Here's a quick test shot I made to check this…
Not the most exciting title, I know, but I'm working on it. The most recent Walthers Flyer included this year's National Model Railroad Build Off contest details. As usual, there's a freelance diorama category. In this category the modeler builds a large diorama that can feature any subject, in any scale, as long as it isn't part of an existing layout and fits the 2'x4' size limit. I have no…
This one's a little different, but boy howdy does it align with the philosophical side of this blog. Every now and then I wander down a back alley into the thought processes behind the hobby of model railroading. Take these posts, for example: https://ocalicreek.blogspot.com/2025/03/geissel-got-it.html https://ocalicreek.blogspot.com/2024/03/tired-tropes-or-tried-and-true.html…
While the kitmingling mock-up iron was hot I decided to strike it once more. This is a combination of two buildings - Carol's Corner Cafe' from DPM and the Corner Pharmacy from Woodland Scenics; in reality, the same structure, just under different names. My corner cafe has been serving as a stand-in for the pool hall. Now that I have a second kit I can create a larger structure more suited to the…
Today I placed the Ensminger Building on the layout to get a better feel for how it will look at the end of the block, so to speak. Seeing it there made me realize what had been bothering me about the previous arrangement of structures; in short, some didn't quite fit as I'd hoped. So, my attention turned from the Ensminger Building to its neighbors, and I found two alternatives to the problematic…
As the major construction on the Ensminger Building draws to a close the focus shifts to the details. The structure will have only the barest hint of an interior in the storefront but there are still two major areas to include details; the photo studio and the veranda. The photo studio windows allow a viewer to peer down into the room so I think that's a prime location for a mini scene. However,…
The ornate glass decoration above the storefront windows of the Ensminger Building offered me an opportunity to include a similar detail on my version of the structure. As I noted in the post " A Fancy Facade... " I don't have the space to recreate the same pattern as the prototype. However, I can create something that echoes the look of the real thing and for me that's part of the joy of…
The photo studio section of the Ensminger Brothers building is mostly complete, lacking only window glass, final weathering, and perhaps some signage. A fence running between the brick building and wood entry will be added when the structure is installed on the layout, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Here are some progress images showing how I built the roof, added shingles and painted the…
Something was bothering me about the storefront on my model of the Ensminger Building. After staring at it on the workbench over a few days I realized it was the doors and windows. I was really happy with how the small-pane inserts looked but not happy at all with the kit supplied doors and the precast two-in-one clear plastic nonsense. The solution was to utilize parts from another kit then add…
...in which our blogger attempts to bend styrene sheet and glue dissimilar materials together. Having successfully beveled the posts of the ornate arched trellis castings from Scale Structures Limited, and finished the fancy brickwork on the facade, it was time to assemble this veranda. First, I needed to determine exactly how and where this veranda would fit on the structure. I had a pretty good…
In the post " Scratch That " I talked about my choice to scratchbuild the wood extension to the Ensminger Building, the actual photo studio or gallery used by the Ensminger Brothers. Before getting into the modeling progress, here's a brief word on these men whose name I've been bandying about in recent posts. This page covers their early history and roots in Iowa:…
When inspiration strikes you've just got to run with it, especially when it potentially solves a problem that has long plagued me. The problem? What to do with that crescent of land along the street across from the business block on my layout. Since the initial planning days it has been a set of residential homes, a gas station, a park with a horse-car on display and a bandstand, a gas station…
With the facade complete I took the next steps to assemble the core of the brick structure; applying brick texture to the back of the cornice, filling gaps with putty and creating a peak on the rear wall. Next I assembled the walls using the kit-supplied alignment pegs and mid-level brace. This is a nice way of ensuring the walls are plumb and square; thanks, Kibri! Next I could begin pondering…
Work on the Ensminger Building continued yesterday, making a start on the facade. Studying the photo of the prototype I made a quick sketch on graph paper of the details as built, then simplified it into the basic outline, shape and form. Satisfied that I could match the overall impression, I dove into the kit-mingling with abandon as if possessed by the spirit of Art Curren himself. Open this…
No, the Shifter isn't finished, but while the gloss varnish cures I'm following my interest and starting work on the Ensminger Building, beginning with the elaborate veranda. I'm using parts that aren't an exact match but follow the "rule of cool" and the spirit of kitbashing, using something I've already got in stock at the home hobby shop. This is the Scale Structures Limited Gazebo kit, from…