HO scale tank car resin casting in a paintbooth being painted Mr. Color flat white with Mr. Color leveling thinner.

Tabby cat at food bowl with eyes covered by a black bar. He is the prime suspect in a tank car ruination plot.

Screenshot of a popular old dril tweet where he says, "and another thing: im not mad. please dont put in the newspaper that i got mad."

Beautiful even white finish then I notice two separate strands of suspected cat fur, which ruins the finish when I scrape off paint removing it. The suspect is in custody. #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

Yard layout is not final. But I have yard tracks now!

#hoscale

Reichstagsgebäude im Leeraner Miniaturland (27/04/2024).

#berlin #ostfriesland #leer #modelbuilding #loxx #reichstag #reichstagsgebäude #modellbahn #landscapemodel #modelrail #modellbahnanlage #modelrailway #modelrailroad #hOscale #bundestag #h0 #modeltrainlayout #modeltrains #deutscherbundestag

A bag of various HO scale train stuff. Visible are switches and a freight car

My HO scale layout, with a yard and some cars.

began building the yard on my layout. Getting there!
#hoscale

youtube.com/watch?v=Po5-...

#hoscale #187scale #bsmrguk #modelgraffiti #modelrailway #modeltrains #modelrailroad #railwaymodelling

The tank needed 4 more tiny holes for a step, installed later. It was then ready for painting. The final color being predominantly white, I primed with Mr. Surfacer 1500 White & Mr. Color leveling thinner in many thin layers over 2 days. #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

HO scale resin tank car casting with half of the handrails installed.

HO scale resin tank car casting with all of the handrails installed.

Side view, HO scale resin tank car casting with handrails installed.

HO scale resin tank car casting being given a bath in 91 percent isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to thoroughly clean the surface.

Installation was a lot of careful effort. The rings ended up being just a tiny bit oversize, but I think it is better than the irregular hand-rolled stanchions I have seen in the past. After installation, 2 thorough cleanings: dishsoap then IPA. #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

A package of A-line D-1074, a collection of tiny gray metal rods with eyelets at the end. One example of a clipped and prepared stanchion is shown for illustrative purposes.

First, we need to prepare the stanchions by clipping and then molding the rod, which is flattened metal, into a round peg. Then, to determine the drill bit size needed and drill out the resin tank casting. #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

PPW 1074 Extra Short (15/32 ") Formed Metal Handrail Stanchion 35 per D-1074 - Extra Short (15/32 ") Formed Metal Handrail Stanchion (35/Pkg)

Model building has nothing but moments of truth. Let's see if I can pull off the handrail installation. Using Arrow Hobby stanchions intended for diesel handrails: will this work well enough? ppw-aline.com/products/d11... #ZeroleneBuild #HOScale #ModelRailroad #ModelRailway

I've primed it in pink to give a good base for the yellow, of which there's quite a bit on this livery. It should also be good for the red. #hoscale #modelrailway #modeltrains #kitbash #187scale #bsmrguk #modelrailroading #railwaymodelling

A few days at work have slowed progress on the M&E GP9/TE-47-4E project, but tonight I've found some time to set the airbrush up to get some paint on the model. #hoscale #modelrailway #modeltrains #kitbash #187scale #bsmrguk #modelrailroading #railwaymodelling

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