Little Sister

My post about the engine lead buildings prompted me to pull #10 out of the roundhouse, where it’s been languishing since giving up its decoder to #622 some years ago. This was the first time I’d ever seen #10 next to #1120, and the difference in size was so stark, I wanted to share it. […]

Percy to the Rescue

If it wasn’t obvious, I’ve been in a funk since discovering that 622 will not run after painting. In my heart, I know the solution will ultimately involve a new set of drivers, as attempting to fix the ones that are there will surely destroy them, and it’s unknown if I could ever put them […]

How fast does it go?

“How fast does it go?” my friend Andrew cheekily asked when I posted those photos of 622 a month ago. At the time, I’d not powered the engine on as I was up to my elbows in the Railway Modellers’ Meet. Since then, virtually all my hobby time has been consumed either by wrapping up […]

Sharing progress on 622

The Railway Modellers’ Meet has been under way since the beginning of the month. Since that first Saturday, we’ve met every Thursday for more clinics, virtual layout tours and our famous Meet the Modeller sessions. I had hoped to have 622 ready for Meet the Modeller last year, and alas, it is not even complete […]

Glazing 622’s windows

Somehow I’ve been convinced that true modellers glaze windows with real glass. I’m not sure if it’s really better; the passenger car has plastic windows, and they look fine to me. However, there is no doubting that when you tell anyone – even a non-modeller – that the windows are glazed with glass, they are […]

Decals for 622

After all that experimentation with Cricut masks, I decided to press forward with decals for 622. They were included on the same decal sheet as the flat car decals from Precision Design, and went on beautifully. I was glad I’d included an extra copy of the decal for the tender rear because I did indeed […]

Lettering test for 622

After finding that testing the lettering on the flatcars was a worthwhile exercise, I figured I’d better do the same with 622. Here, the lettering had started with careful measurement of each of the surfaces that will receive a decal, and so, I expected everything to line up okay. It did, but it’s better safe […]

Cricut lettering: time to admit defeat

I think I’ve taken Cricut masks beyond the tool’s limit. I can likely use the technique to make the large numbers, but the small (1.5mm/.06″) letters, “CANADA ATLANTIC” on the tank collar are simply too small for the knife-cut masks. The best I could achieve was with two masks – one for the largely vertical […]

Boiler details installed

I left most of the details off the boiler until after it was painted. This enabled me to paint the boiler blue to represent planished iron, rather than black. It’s possible that by 1905, 622 was painted black, but I confess I like the blue look. Installing the details was a delicate operation because most […]

St Lawrence Division Clinic

I’m deeply flattered that Malcolm Vant asked me to perform at the St Lawrence Division clinic day next Saturday. I’m also deeply shocked that it starts at six in the morning! It looks like it’s open to members of the SLD only, but the meet page lists instructions for joining if you live in that […]