My father built "O Gauge" model trains and ran them on a layout that took up an entire 3-car garage and looped out into the back yard. I never got the train "bug", but I was fascinated watching him work with wood, metal, and plastic while building his collection.
My father died of a heart attack in 1976, and some of his collection has followed me around for over 40 years. I recently found one of the prizes of his collection, a partially destroyed Santa Fe motor car which he built originally in 1940. After studying the remains to this unique vehicle, I set out to rebuild this 79 year of piece of history. My intention was to just clean it up and fix as much of the damage as I could, leaving as much of his original build as possible.
The motorized passenger cars were unique little vehicles called "Doodlebugs". They plied the rural, low volume lines where large trains would be totally unprofitable. The unit I fixed represents a Santa Fe Doodlebug which I remember running the rails in the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico when I was a child.
Below are three pictures of what I started with, and four of my completed project.
jbwelda: Thanks again Tom, funny thing is, this current IP also resolves to an Amazon address but seems to work just fine. jb
May 29, 2023 15:06:36 GMT -5
HotRodTom: It's an interweb thing.....
May 29, 2023 19:46:30 GMT -5
jbwelda: ha ha happened again...this is getting really tedious. now i am in canada and working well
Jun 14, 2023 11:22:48 GMT -5
jbwelda: wow like three whole people logged on yesterday...I feel like a rat on a sinking ship!
Oct 8, 2023 11:34:03 GMT -5
HotRodTom: You know JB, U-boats had UnterZeRattens.... Haaaaa!
Oct 17, 2023 18:53:34 GMT -5
sharp: Happy New Year guys!!
Dec 31, 2023 18:29:26 GMT -5
RodBurNeR: nice Bonneville up top! hey all, I still am around but struggling to get my hobby hands back, mainly no way to paint right now
Jan 16, 2024 22:48:31 GMT -5
jbwelda: NNL West is today, anyone going? Its going to be crazy around there what with the footsball game next door. First time in a while I am avoiding it but hope someone posts some photos.
Jan 20, 2024 12:51:40 GMT -5
jbwelda: heard it was announced that next year will be the last NNL West. Another one bites the dust.
Jan 22, 2024 13:59:15 GMT -5
jbwelda: looks like visits here are dwindling rapidly...wonder why that would be?
May 4, 2024 22:19:40 GMT -5
Spike: What's happening out there? I seems that fewer and fewer members of this forum are building model cars, or are they still being built but not being shared?
Jul 8, 2024 13:46:43 GMT -5
jbwelda: well speaking for myself there are a number of reasons I haven't been participating lately, the most likely one is that I generally do not build much during the summer months. Too many other things to occupy my time.
Jul 10, 2024 11:36:30 GMT -5
jbwelda: Second, this past year I have been spending time in Jamaica a lot, I have a winter place there I have shared for years now and try to spend at least a few months there a year. I have few or no model supplies there and other things to smoke, uh, do there.
Jul 10, 2024 11:37:48 GMT -5
jbwelda: Third, there really has been very little in the way of models newly released that do much for me. All this reissue sixties junk the USA companies push out I have very little interest in. Euro car kits have been pretty sparse the last couple years.
Jul 10, 2024 11:39:17 GMT -5
jbwelda: And mail order is getting more expensive. So mostly I have been sitting on the sidelines, but come autumn, I will probably get back into it. I have a few projects I need to finish up. Just a matter of motivation.
Jul 10, 2024 11:41:43 GMT -5
jbwelda: I realize many more people here are much more involved than I have been but I too have noticed the huge drop off in participation by those who seem mostly to just look and not build, or at least not post builds here.
Jul 10, 2024 11:42:46 GMT -5
Spike: I don't mean to criticize, I just want to see more models.
Jul 12, 2024 15:18:22 GMT -5
jbwelda: site seems to have some problems, when i log in from the USA, i get a msg about the site not being available; when i change my vpn to Canada, it comes right up...for instance i am right now "in" Canada. Might want to look into that and yeah, I do know what
Jul 15, 2024 19:06:25 GMT -5
jbwelda: I am doing. Might be my computer or the continuing problem with my isp evidently being somehow banned somehow, see messages above.
Jul 15, 2024 19:06:59 GMT -5