Brian Austin

I've been experimenting with Round2 slot car chassis for some model railroad projects. 🙂

A year or two I was looking into smaller-scale R/C off-road trucks and found several video reviews and people out enjoying them, around the world.

Wait for all the facts, folks. While the situation itself is unimaginably tragic, the rumor-mongering, social media misinformation and conspiracy theories that have been circulating after the recent hurricanes and wildfires is worse. Re: "Sad to say but it was just on the news that some migrant gangs are starting some of the new fires for some reason. ..." Latino immigrants bravely helped fight the fires, untrained, on their own, just to help the community. So, please just stop. Keep in mind the price Catherine O'Leary paid as scapegoat for the great Chicago fire. The story involving the cow was made up.

The unboxing is something of a ritual. One thing that annoys me is the modern style of presentation and editing, a far cry from the TV and educational films we grew up with. Some video channels (any subject) can turn me off, while others keep me tuning in from time to time. One channel I frequent reviews model trains from a British point of view, from unboxing to running tests. Almost all of the products he reviews he had purchased himself. He prides himself on transparency.

Doesn't the current modified reissue of the AMT '59 Ambulance have stock wheel covers? IIRC the old Polar Lights Ectomobile kit includes stock wheels.

To build on one of the earlier replies: Holy Grail: Model you've spent years tracking down, invested more than you probably should have to finally get it, only to be filed away in you stash to the point you'll forget you even have it. 🙂

Here you can see the motor, salvaged from an old cassette tape deck drives a LEGO driveshaft and universal joints. I experimented with quick-disconnect electrical connectors. I soldered HO rail joiners to the motor leads and truck electrical wiper wires and simply connect them to the short bits of brass rail so I don't have to unsolder later. I've had to change the motor once or twice already.

I've been working on this for the past year or so, on and off. I purchased the body shells missing motor, trucks and vestibules. I could have spent a little more for a complete one, but I didn't want to mess with a runner. 🙂 I was excited to finally get it looking nicer with the addition of the aerodynamic shrouding for the trucks (made from aluminum stock from a soft drink can). The pilot (won't call it a cowcatcher) was increased in size to better match the prototype. I was really excited to take it to a friend's house for some exercise. It runs fairly nice, if not super fast for an express train. It is fairly hefty--it is made of heavy pot metal and thick stamped steel. I've been fascinated by these prewar M-10000 sets since I saw the Greenberg's collectors books in the 1980s, so I'm super happy to finally have one of my own. 🙂 I will repaint and reletter the body, but I won't go crazy superdetailing it. After all it's still a tinplate-era model with exposed screws and such.

No, it's not.

I just came across this thread with two images from a couple of years ago that show the layout from a distance, showing its enormous size. Its builder is still hard at work. He's working on a cement plant that will be some 20 feet long, with radio control cement mixer trucks running about. https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/heaton-lodge-junction-a-mega-o-scale-exhibition-layout-in-the-uk-12323452

This obit appeared in my feed today. I wasn't familiar with the name, but perhaps I've seen her work in photos over the years. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2024/12/13/cherry-hill-scale-models-steam-powered-locomotives/ It seems she tended to favor steam powered traction engines and rollers rather than railway locos. She inherited her love of machinery and craft from her machinist father. https://craftsmanshipmuseum.com/artisan/cherry-hill/ https://craftsmanshipmuseum.com/artisan/cherry-hill/cherry-hill-photos/

Same location in 2021.

Oxford, MA (2017).

It's a pity AMT didn't do a car carrier trailer as part of the series, to haul their 1:43 cars. 🙂

Some time ago I came across references to analog truck driving simulators for training. These apparently used a miniature tractor-trailer in a model environment with a small video camera. A much different system involved a snorkel lens and a small-scale obstacle field for a tank driving simulator. I get the appeal of computer-based truck driving (and train operating) sim games, but I'm really fascinated by the analog systems of decades past.

'37 from a Brazilian sales site.

Here's a '38. Is this enough patina? https://www.hotrodgarage.net/38linc423.html

Converting the present '60 kit cab into a work truck still needs a bit of work in itself, as the photo of the real think suggests. A new back wall and window would have to be created. I'm sure that there will be a resin cab or two at some point, but that gets pricey. I could have sworn that there were a flurry of '63 kit builds shortly after release.

The '65-'66 Ford pickups are available by Moebius. As far as I know, the "Kats" at AMT only offered the unibody style pickup. Years ago I bought some old built-up unibody kits for kitbashing into separate-cab trucks. Now with those Moebius kits I don't need to.

Tomy owns the ERTL brand.

Another one from Chile. I think the go-faster decals on the rocker panel are fighting with the character line crease.

Chevrolet Opala in Chile.

Here we have an alternate-reality '60 Chevy wagon, from Uruguay. Quite often this part of the world didn't get the US wagons, so they were supplied by local builders. This one is supposedly by National, a US builder of funeral cars and such, but I know nothing of that connection.

All this advancement in hobby technology reminded me of the toy cars and whatnot that came out in the '80s or '90s that made noise with the press of a button. Clever, but I'd bet the parents tired of them. 🙂 They seemed loud enough in the Toys R Us aisles. The line is blurry with me, as I've converted 3-rail toys such as Lionel's classic prewar UP RR M-10000 streamliner train to 2-rail. I've got tight curves so that adds to the charm. If I want scenery and broad curves I can join the local club. Toy trains and scale model railroads pretty much accomplish the same thing. They make people smile.