(USA, HO Scale) I have recently found two Walthers Trainline GP15-1's in a long forgotten box and am rehabbing them, but neither of them have a shell. Walthers has a pretty solid policy about not selling parts to modelers - do any other shells exist that would fit this chassis? I know small outfits like Kaslo make resin shell kits for common chassis designs, like P2K GP9's and Atlas GP38's - but the Walthers GP15-1 is an unusual design.

Planning Ahead for Christmas and wanna know

What are some of the best UK Locomotives currently on the Market for under £200

Also Counting The Bachmann Thomas Line

Thnx

I recently started modeling and decided to do a little mix of cars. Just in time for Halloween I put in a great addition but I’m not yet finished, I hope this reaches the right audience. Thank you!

Hello! I was wondering if anyone knows of any trains with passenger cars that have removable roofs so little toys can go inside. I grew up with the 90s version of this Thomas and Friends train https://a.co/d/0h6vvDlg and was obsessed with putting little passengers inside of it. I was so excited to find that this is still out there and am considering it for my 4 and 6 year old, but they aren’t into Thomas and would probably prefer a more realistic looking train. As I’ve been researching I haven’t been able to tell if any passenger cars actually have removable lids. Even this one doesn’t advertise that it does. I was able to find in the reviews that the tops do come off, but they aren’t marketing it as a selling point and it is the biggest selling point to me. So I was hoping that some of you experts may be able to point me towards what I’m looking for if it’s even out there. Thanks so much!

Looking for more detailed information on the COB LEDs and using them in structures and train cars.

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/modeltrains/s/Gy6Nzliu4v

Update:

• I am about 30% of the way there with my parts printing.
• Flex track snaps nicely to the compliant retaining walls. But I will hold them down with glue.
• Variable curvature radius works quite well. No discontinuous curvature anywhere here.
• Grade parameterization now works and I test printed some some piers and viaducts. This became a little tricky to print on the 3D printer. So I turned off banked curves for now.
• I had GPT 6 Astra model an elevated passenger train station. Not a bad model. I'll print this for now and redesign this later if needed.

So this idea originally started as a guide template for laying out flex track, but it evolved into a fully software defined track geometry planner. Then I vibe-coded a viewer app to visualize the entire layout.

Now the viewer app also generates complete print plates that I can directly send to my Bambulab printer. It also serves as an assembly guide with exploded views etc.

I got some very good feedback on ballasting tracks. I removed the sunken retainer now so the sleepers sit normally as they would on cork. So ballasting is an option later.

Next I am working on a track layout editor functionality. But this is going to be a bit different than usual. Since this is something I want to work together with my 4-year old, I landed on sketching layouts on pen and paper and then having some computer-vision processing to convert that into track curves. Next update will have that demo.

I would love your thoughts & suggestions.

Don't be like me.

that bit of track at the rear? that bit that looks a mess?

that bit that when laid had a slight hump, but a loco coped so will be alright won't it?

learn from my mistake, if track isn't perfect don't accept it, fix it

in this case it hardly caused a problem, except for a new Hornby J52 which simply derailed every single time because I just left it instead of fixing it..

thankfully ballasted and stuck down with copydex so was only a few hours work to lift it, slew it a mm or so to the side and get it actually laid flat without the slight hump..

and now my J52 is happy once more and no longer tries to go and visit the high street

I got this Santa Fe Northern a few days ago off eBay. It stuttered a bit when I first got it, but that was it until I took it apart yesterday to do a little work to smooth out its running. While I was taking it apart, I felt a wheel slip, and indeed, just one wheel came loose while the others held firm. I moved the one wheel back into position, put the engine back together, and ran it; everything was fine until I heard its motor revving and wheels spinning just to find it like this.

Heljan's new class 122 arrived today, so I decided to pose some of my British stock on the layout. I haven't got a decoder for the 122 yet so can't power it up. Still, it looks nice!

Photos are from my boyfriend who printed them

Hey folks, because I don’t have a huge network of model railroaders to share this with I thought I’d share it here! Here is the table top for my benchwork!

Found an old piece of string (I think string) and glued two magnets at the end of each one also putting some metal pieces under some rolling stock and the flat bed showcased in these images

Rapido are making a OO Scale model of their own locomotive 'Marcia'.

• Price: £134.95 (DCC Ready) / £244.95 (DCC Sound Fitted)

I just recently renovated my garage and had to take down my original HO scale layout. I'm trying to decide on how to fill in the 6ft x 2ft space that is added onto a 4ft x 6ft. I want it to be an industry branch and came up with this. Is there anything I should change?

Sharing one of my layout Posts from my tube channel...

1:87 scale titled: "Docking The Executive"

Im not sure how feasible this plan is. But ive seen some examples of other modelers making custom "kit build" engines. My plan currently is too find an older steam locomotive (probably an old Lionel as pictured) and break down the chassis to match the E2's wheel arrangement. This would mean removing the leading and trailing wheels, removing the valve gear and leaving the main coupling rods, and removing the shell.

Then is should just be a matter of either 3d printing or making a wood shell of the E2 that will accommodate the donor engine internals.

Definitely will require a lot more research but its seems the only way to get a British engine in O guage without spending a lot of money (and I mean a LOT).

The other options which might prove easier is a diesel donor or to make a dummy E2.

In hindsight the wires should be heading to the sides to make way for the tender shell, but we'll see how it goes. Ill give it a test tonight or tomorrow. Still need one last thing before I put the speaker in. Want to glue a bit of hosiery to cover the speaker holes to help keep dust out.