A mural of Cocaton - underground tunnels in red dirt, a formation like Devil's Tower, two reclining figures, a license plate COCATN, and the shining sun.

A basement wall with peeling green paint.

A newly painted basement wall, all white.

In 2021, my daughter Caroline painted a mural for #Cocaton, our #HOscale town. In 2026, I'm moving Cocaton to my basement, so my brother in-law sealed my crumbling basement wall, as a birthday present for me - thanks, Joe! Caroline plans to create a new mural this summer - stay tuned for updates!

My model of Southern Pacific (SP) 8693 led an HO westbound train out of the tunnel at "Weed" on the California Central Model Railroad Club (CCMRC) in the historic Agnew depot in Santa Clara, CA, on Saturday, January 30, 2016. This is an Athearn Genesis model The real SP 8693 was an EMD SD40M-2, SP Class EF630LK-2. Reportedly: It was built in 1970, builders number 36884 as an SDP45, EL 3666. It became CR 6697 then VMV 6697. It was rebuilt by MK in 1995 for SP. It became UP 2769 and retired and sold in 2003.

SP SD40M-2 8693 led a train on the California Central Model Railroad Club (CCMRC) in the historic Agnew depot in Santa Clara, CA, on Saturday, January 30, 2016.

(Please see alt field for more detail)

#trains #railroads #railroading #modelrailroading #HOscale #ccmrc #santaclara #santaclaraca

HO scale narrow gauge tank car disassembled into flatcar and tank parts, next to the decal set and a bottle of Microscale Liquid Decal Film.

HO scale Zerolene tank car with decals applied to the flatcar portion reading N.C.O. A9.

The moment of truth is the decals. Now that the flat car is ready, it's time to find out. First, a layer of Microscale Liquid Decal Film (www.microscale.com/Merchant2/me...) because I wager they would crack from age. It worked: we have lettering. #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

With the lights working I turned my attention to the consist - thank you to @tachyoneddy.bsky.social for pointing me in the right direction. With CVs 21 and 22 set correctly its now working as it should. #hoscale #modelrailway #modeltrains #187scale #bsmrguk #modelrailroad #railwaymodelling

After last night's frustration with the SD40-2 consist I sat down today and took my time. The issue with the lights on 8256 was easy - it had bulbs despite being DCC ready. LEDs swapped from the RI donor loco. #hoscale #modelrailway #modeltrains #187scale #bsmrguk #modelrailroad #railwaymodelling

Inverted HOn3 flat car being airbrushed with Tru-Color CNJ 1940s-50s freight car red with leveling thinner. The leveling part of leveling thinner is a drying retarder that improves paint distribution on plastic and resin parts. It doesn't have much effect on the wooden parts.

Test tracking of the HOn3 Zerolene tank car before it is complete, next to finished standard gauge equipment on dual-gauge track. This shows the small size of narrow gauge equipment.

Broken HOn3 arch bar truck with two segments missing. Next to it is Evergreen strip styrene of dimensions .010 x .040" (0.25 x 1.0 mm).

Repaired, but as-yet not repainted, HOn3 arch bar truck.

Progress on the flat car portion while waiting for delivery of aftermarket tank rail stanchions. Underside painted. One of the arch bar trucks did what they do and broke, but I am able to patch it with some appropriately-sized styrene. #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

The pair run well together, but there are no lights or horn. 8909's lights work fine out of consist, but nothing when consisted. Part of the issue is that I have no idea what I'm doing. Control is a Gaugemaster Prodigy Express. #hoscale #modelrailway #modeltrains #187scale #bsmrguk #modelrailroad

After congratulating myself on the SD40-2 decoder fit, I discovered tonight that it has no lights, and damaged it trying to fix it. The speed matching is good with 8909, bur there are issues. #hoscale #modelrailway #modeltrains #187scale #bsmrguk #modelrailroad #railwaymodelling

HO scale resin tank casting, the channel filled with a liberal quantity of Weld Bond.

HO scale resin tank car with weights added, allowing the Weld Bond to cure.

First, to fill the channel with Weld Bond, then the weights. (They had been test fitted of course.) Now, I need to wait a long time for it to cure. #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

HO scale resin casting of a tank car being drilled into with a Dremel burr attachment, outdoors with a rated mask and eye protection.

The finished channel that was carved into the underside of the resin HO scale tank model. It is surprisingly cavernous.

Yes, let's drill a channel into the resin tank casting. This was risky, but the old resin is as robust as ever. Routed with the burr attachment of the Dremel tool. Glad I did this as an adult: requires proper safety precautions for resin dust. #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

Half-finished HOn3 tank car model next to the number of fishing weights that will be needed to get the car up to NMRA standards: 10 of them.

A silent problem is buried in this model: it is way too light to operate. So it either needs to be a static model, or I need to find a way to weigh it down to the tune of 1.14 more ounces - ten medium fishing weights. Do I have the guts? #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

Before and After pictures of an inverted HO scale flat car. In the before picture, only some brake details are applied and the stake pockets are not there. After, the brake detail is complete and the stake pockets are present. The side of the flat car planks has been straightened.

So, where do I begin? My work was a lot less precise and knowledgeable, but actually holds up surprisingly well. The first order of business was so dig out of some mistakes in the flat car portion. #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

I once found a reference to this car being called the White Elephant, but I lost the source and have not managed to refind it. #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

Completed models of this prototype are hard to find online, and all erroneously have the tank silver whereas I am virtually certain the tank was white for the Zerolene ad campaign. I have only seen finished models in #OScale or larger, never HOn3. #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

Welcome, Nevada-California-Oregon Railway A New Chapter for the Nevada - California - Oregon Railway It is with great pleasure that we announce the newest railroad preservation society in the...

It likely carried gasoline or other fuel on the delightful Nevada-California-Oregon Railway (www.ncory.org) in the 1920s-30s. Zerolene was a California brand arising from Standard Oil's antitrust breakup (www.greasemonkeyusa.com/blogs/motoro...). #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

Black and white photograph of the prototype Zerolene tank car on which the model is based.

This car had my interest when I was a kitten: striking livery in a diminutive package. Knowledge of the prototype is mostly not online, but a few clues are here and there on the internet. Here is the only prototype photo of which I am aware. #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

Kit contents for a half-built HOn3 Classic Miniatures tank car. A brown resin tank model is laying on a wooden flat car with striking ZEROLENE decals beside; box with remaining parts behind.

Up next on the workbench: revisiting the first "craftsman" kit I ever started: A Classic Miniatures #Zerolene tank car in #NarrowGauge (HOn3), given to me in ~1993; half-completed in 1997. Let's see if I can salvage a 29-year-old project. #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

I love the Rock Island loco but I'd doesn't match with anything else I have. I'll probably fit it with a decoder again in the future. Now to pair the CSX locomotives. #hoscale #modelrailway #modeltrains #187scale #bsmrguk #modelrailroad

So this evening I've taken the Tsunami Econami board out of my Rock Island SD40 and fitted it in the CSX locomotive. The other one has the Econami board as well so hopefully they'll consist quite easily. #hoscale #modelrailway #modeltrains #187scale #bsmrguk #modelrailroad

HO scale Athearn Ready to Roll SD40-2 in CSX livery

A bit of a side project this evening. I picked up an Athearn Ready to Roll SD40-2 super cheap on Ebay to consist with the one I already have. It's DCC fitted but no sound, and I really want to get them working together. #hoscale #modelrailway #modeltrains #187scale #bsmrguk #modelrailroad

HO scale USRA Ann Arbor box car coupled to an HO scale Caswell AT&SF gondola.

HO scale USRA Ann Arbor box car coupled to an HO scale Caswell AT&SF gondola.

The odd couple. #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailroading #ModelRailway #CaswellBuild #USRABuild

Side view, HO scale Caswell gondola, showing the distinct board detail brought out by the weathering.

Top-down view from the brake end perspective of an HO scale Caswell gondola, emphasizing the panel-by-panel weathering effects.

Another top-down view of the HO scale Caswell gondola.

HO scale Caswell gondola turned on its side to display the complete brake detail.

Note the distinct boards, panel-specific weathering, and complete brake detail. #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailroading #ModelRailway #CaswellBuild

Side view, completed and weathered HO scale Caswell gondola.

Brake end view, completed and weathered HO scale Caswell gondola.

Opposite side view, completed and weathered HO scale Caswell gondola.

A end view, completed and weathered HO scale Caswell gondola.

A few more touches, dullcoat, and it's finished - at least until I load it with cargo. #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailroading #ModelRailway #CaswellBuild

Taking care of the trucks - Caswell gondolas usually had Andrews trucks installed in the late 1920s-early 1930s. The Vallejo oil stain is glossy, leaving a live equipment-looking shine. Chalk as decals and oils on the body. #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailroading #ModelRailway #CaswellBuild

Now running perfectly again. #hoscale #modelrailway #modeltrains #kitbash #187scale #bsmrguk #modelrailroading

Proto2000 axle with split gears

Replacement Walthers wheelsets

Replacement wheelsets fitted into the trucks.

I decided to give the loco a run on the rolling road before painting. It quickly started to run rough, and that turned out to be split gears. Replacements ordered from the American Railroad Centre in Bodmin. #hoscale #modelrailway #modeltrains #kitbash #187scale #bsmrguk #modelrailroading

HO Scale Sexy Scene Figures The somewhat different model railway figures for the 21 and over the crowd. These sexy scene figures will certainly get some attention on your model layout.

Footnote: My limited #modeltrain research suggests that #HOscale modelers would definitely be the ones who add the wildest details to their setting and lore.

www.trainworld.com/shop-scale/h...

HO scale Caswell gondola with the underside weathered.

Interior of an HO scale Caswell gondola, showing the drop panel detail. The top row of drop panels has been tinted with a transparent red earth filter. The bottom row of panels untreated for comparison.

The neglected underside has been dirtied. And the interior was giving a little too much purple so a layer of transparent red earth oil modulation - compare top and bottom panels if you can see around the shadows. #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailroading #ModelRailway #CaswellBuild

Heavily weathered HO scale Caswell gondola with the A.T. decal melted off.

Interior view of an HO scale Caswell gondola with the walls showing a patch job and a dark gray wash overall.

Merde; I seem to have melted the A.T. in A.T.&S.F. on one side with an overly powerful enamel wash. While I decide how to deal with that, a dark gray acrylic wash for the interior (Vallejo 76.517). #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailroading #ModelRailway #CaswellBuild

#hoscale don’t have a proper layout yet,