Fiddletown & Copperopolis Ry. sets first spike

[Ken Hamilton]

I know I sent you the pix and link

Yeah, I know.......I just wanted to see the link posted here.
Nice looking Hot Rod!

[gnichols]

Thanx, Ken.  We still have a ways to go on it.  I think it will be "presentable" at the NSRA Nats here in early October, but it probably not really done for a few months after that.  The push is for that show... so trains are going on the back burner for now.  Gary

[finescalerr]

A most satisfactory endeavor. -- Russ

[chester]

Excellent results for that scale Gary. It almost looks real.

[gnichols]

Ok, here we go again... got my 1/20 3-truck shay yesterday and I'm already making plans for which parts will be sacrificed for the 1:8 conversion.  The idea is to create a phantom model of the world's smallest Shay.  Ifn you squint a little while looking at the photos, I think you can imagine how Jethro would fit standing on the deck in a very much larger cab - at least 5 scale feet wide and 6 scale feet high inside.  This monster cab would  completely replace the 1/20 cab and the short tender shell behind it.  The tender on the 3rd truck will be enlarged and possibly raised, and a lot of wood will be piled on top of it.  But before I start this, I've got to get the Model T rail car and my fire fighting car done and then have a mass weathering session for all the 1:8 stuff I've built to date.  Perhaps I can start this about Christmas?  Later, Gary

[Malachi Constant]

Gary --

Forgot about this while writing on the Gn15 forum ... two photos below:

1) 2' gauge Shay from the Bucksgahuda & Western RR ... google it for more photos & some neat equipment I think you'll really like ...

2) Body of that Shay photo-chopped onto an On30 two-truck Shay mech ... just fer ideas! 

Cheers,
Dallas

[gnichols]

Dallas,
  Neat.  Thanx.  But since mine is a 3-trucker, I can aford to completely delete that short tank on the main chassis and have a big, roomy cab that extends to the very end of the frame.  And if what my thinking cap tells me will work, afer I widen the rear of the chassis I can split that short tender shell down the center and use the resulting halves as the back corners of new "steel" cab.  Splitting and widening that little tank should also leave a convenient gap in the rear of the new cab that is large enough for a crewman to walk thru to access the fuel on top of the the 3rd truck's tender.  Gary