The Home Machinist!

Yak, Very nice rebuild job on the WP 122. Long ago I helped Frank Fine build that locomotive and made many of the detail parts to kick it up to a nice looking model instead of just another Allen Models product. Made patterns and castings for the tender truck journal box lids. Took the best parts of ...

Jack, World class compressor in 3/4 inch scale for sure. Filled with so much detail often neglected even in the larger scales. But, it does seem the assembly crew in the shop neglected to install the piston rod swabs . Nothing like a fresh wrapped piston rod swab still pure white in color from all o...

Many of the early diesels and electric box cab motors were being constructed during the late steam era and often used off the shelf steam coupler pocket castings and the related short shank couplers. Just look for the late steam shelf style coupler pocket castings offered by some of the steam suppli...

In regards to locomotives being completed first and then testing with no dedicated tender completed yet, some have resorted to a borrowed tender just to complete testing and have some long anticipated fun with the results of their shop time. Back in the early 1980 era, I chanced upon Cal Tinkham at ...

JD Johnson, yes I did get the prints, unfortunately still no improvement over my originals that were difficult to impossible to read in certain areas. I am sure the originals were well done long ago, but way too many copy machines down the road has not been real pretty to say the least. It was easy ...

I agree 100%, looking great. The Worthington feed water pump is a real luxury detail and so often seen on SP steamers. Problem is that finding one in 1.5 scale has always been problematic at best. Would also like to obtain one if possible.

Robert

This business car is beginning to look like something that should be photographed in the scale shop scene of Jack Bodenmann. Almost as if it was being given the final touches in the H. L. Holomon Co. shops in San Francisco way back in 1906. A few sepia toned images and not many would know if it was ...

Brad had been in the foundry and lost wax pattern/casting business for many years and his work was excellent. Taught some of his secrets to Jack Bodenmann which shows in Jack's elegant patterns and castings today. One thing Brad did mention was the fact that way too many masters sent to him for fina...

Looking for a copy of the long ago popular Gene Allen single cylinder 1.5 scale water pump drawing sheet. Almost had the pump finished years ago. Prints borrowed and never returned. Time to finish it up but hard to do without drawings.

Robert

Some of the collateral damage of being a movie railroad that has to bend to the proclivities of Hollywood actors, is the modifications to the passenger car roof structures. With all the jumping from car to car and from rock formations next to the track, or fight scenes, something had to be there in ...

Plenty of good discussion here in regards to fitting of piston rings. But, what is the ideal end gap for the rings when used with steam?

So nice to see a model builder taking the LE Atlantic design and taking it to a much higher level of detail including the booster exhaust stack. This alone could mean that the final paint scheme will be one with the Daylight colors. Will make a very elegant locomotive seldom seen. With the inclusion...