Rik Thistle

tmj, Everything that has been said before, plus... Since you are based in Texas, USA you might want to consider a local company like Grizzly ..... https://www.grizzly.com/metal-lathes ....showrooms in Missouri and Washington..... they also deliver to your home. From their website.... Our products are manufactured in several countries, including locations in Asia, Europe, and the U.S. Many of our products are made in China and Taiwan, while others are produced in the U.S. and Europe. I suspect most of their sub-$3k lathes are made in China, and maybe Taiwan. Those designs look very similar many other sellers of Chinese lathes, so they possibly come out of the same factory but with differing quality control standards. Chinese made lathes are no longer 'bad'.... they have upped their game, but rejects plus poorer quality control units can end up in the direct sales route. I would buy from a USA supplier (eg 'Grizzly' or The Little Machine Shop) since they will have already taken care of import admin etc. They can also deliver quicker from USA based stock, provide local Support (...most definitely not to be underestimated) and a wide range of accessories, again usually from stock. I'd avoid Amazon/eBay kit. You mentioned $3k as being a bit too high but if you buy a $1.5k lathe, say, you can expect to eventually spend at least that same amount on tooling and accessories....it's one of the laws of nature I'm afraid 😉 I have a lathe similar to the Grizzly G0765 - https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-7-x-14-variable-speed-benchtop-metal-lathe/g0765 Mine's runs a 3" 3 jaw chuck (and collets, as Wefalck recommends) , has a 3.5" swing, 0.5HP brushless motor and quick release tailstock. I make metal model engines on it. You'll need a little space either end of the lathe for gearing access and tailstock wheel handling, plus a few inches behind it. Oh, and don't forget to get a light...I use a flexible Ikea clip-on one. Good hunting. Richard

Eric, As Paul and Keith have said, those are two very well done additions to your layout. Good stuff! The more I read of your build, the more I understand why folks build model railway scenes....there are so many different and interesting aspects to it. Richard

Eric, I should have looked back at your tunnel pics in post #78.... the smoke staining is obvious. Yes, agreed, an open countryside, rural town is much less likely to suffer from smoke staining. Richard

Eric, Good new building and gravel innovation. Keep 'em coming. I was wondering if the smoke stacks would cause any discolouration of the wooden buildings and tunnel entrance. In the UK, due to coal fires to heat homes, power industry and railway lines/junctions, many UK cities with stone buildings were almost black in colour...it was very bad. In the 1960s or so steps began to clean up those buildings. Lungs were a different matter ;-( Richard

Valeriy, Good ideas. Richard

Richard, Those steam engines and settings are superb. Thank you for the link to the video of the working models and of David's methods.. Richard

Giorgio, What a great project. I'll follow from now on. Commander Piedrabuena had a very full life and seemed to want to help his fellow humans at every opportunity. Is this novel based on his adventures?.... Piedra Buena: Un Capitan Respetable, Historical Novel - https://www.amazon.com/Piedra-Buena-Respetable-Historical-Mastroscello/dp/9871468318 Thanks, Richard

Eric, The Inman & Sons building looks great. Your comment about the Sign's lettering size got me wondering if American 'shop fronts' also included the products sold (eg furniture) on the front signage, as well as the proprietor's name? Googling that thought for some imagery .... https://www.google.co.uk/search?lr=&sca_esv=b4f5d26490e949a3&as_qdr=all&udm=2&fbs=AIIjpHxU7SXXniUZfeShr2fp4giZ1Y6MJ25_tmWITc7uy4KIeioyp3OhN11EY0n5qfq-zENwnGygERInUV_0g0XKeHGJRAdFPaX_SSIJt7xYUfpm-75lA8Uar42yNWdqGuJlUAnl4VoyIc9TvIZo00AnzLuo73CKalUXQ8cWgmottQs4BXh0bU9aRqLPpzWejdabGFvk-MuP83mUuK41Ro6dMLX7Czip9A&q=19th+century+shop+front+american&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj99Mupl-qPAxXPQkEAHbyIPHwQtKgLegQIFxAB&biw=1376&bih=731&dpr=1.4 ...seems to produce a 50:50 split....some did, some didn't. That might possibly be related to whether or not the business was public facing or 'business to business' ... or both eg public facing needs to suck in passing trade so giving as much useful info as possible in the sign is a big help. Whereas B2B doesn't need that. Richard

Eric, Thanks for the very detailed explanations of the logistics behind the both the actual and model railways. I can see why it grabs folks as a hobby. Richard

Eric, Thank you for all that info....there is a lot going on. I imagine the person (or office) that collected all the data to produce the Waybills was very important and crucial to smooth, efficient running of the railway. Some questions - How did that office communicate with other remote regional offices to know what deliveries to expect etc? Or was there one central 'waybill office' per region? Did Telegraph enable the first Waybill usage or were Waybills initially carried on the trains? I think that a casual bystander like me only ever sees the tip of the iceberg regarding 'railways workings' - the same can be said of all professions I imagine. So thank you for giving a very insightful look at what is happening below the surface. Richard

Eric, Not being a model railway enthusiast this is all new to me but nonetheless fascinating and a bit complex. I'll re-read these posts to let it properly sink in. The diagrams and pink cards add a whole new dimension to it all. The last pic of the train passing through the bridge is quite picturesque. A very interesting build log....keep it coming 😉 Richard

Wefalk, Yes, a lot of the bigger flywheel'ed engines did run in a pit. And some modellers have built their Stuart Beams in to 'pit scenarios' with brickwork, railings, proper flooring etc. But my simplistic layout took the easy route 😉 Richard

Whilst I'm in a bit of a lull regarding model making, I have managed to add some accessories to the Beam engine layout. I always wondered what a steam engine maintenance scene would look like but couldn't really find any images or info so the following 3 pictures are of what my imagination came up with. I made up ... - a hook ladder for reaching the top oiling cups. Ladder based on a chemists/librarian type design. - a bucket to catch any drainage whislt maintenance is undergoing. - a late 1800s panel back chair - a tool tray. - tools for the tool tray eg spanner, jemmy bar, rags etc All parts were made from scrap wood left over from ship sprues etc. The bucket also has some thin brass sheet formed in to bands and hooks. I should really add an oil can but struggled to find out what style was used in the mid to late 1800s. Richard

What a great looking machine. I don't think I've ever seen one before. The 'few photos' really bring it to life. What era is it from? Richard.

Andrew, Sorry to hear that news about Vegaskip. His MSW contributions were really quite a joy to look at and imagine how he came to understand the scene he was painting. Richard

Eric, I think the narrower painted lines look neater and less obtrusive, but probably more time consuming to make. Tape will be much quicker to lay down, but could also start to curl up at the edges. Also, would grey paint/tape draw the eye away less? The electrical snippers give everthing scale....I didn't realise the scenery was smaller than I thought....very impressive. Richard

Eric, This is all quite fascinating and informative for me, especially since you have a backgound in how landscapes are actually formed. I look forward to each post (and Comments) on the bridge and tunnel scene taking shape. Keep 'em coming, thanks. Richard

Greg, That is a great result. Very well done. Richard

Threshing machines in Europe were designed to output into sacks. That rings a bell. I think a tractor and trailer* then carried the sacks from the thresher to the drying building. And then I can sorta recall the labourers taking the sacks on their backs up the stairs to the drying floor where the grain was then spread out. I now do remember there being neat piles of sacks stored in that building. Sacks played a big part in farm life. Richard *Again my memory is a bit fuzzy. Threshing was carried out near the farm buildings so it is possible there was no need for tractor/trailer - rather the labourers walked the short distance to the building with the sacks on their back, or perhaps used a sack trolley - I do remember there being a few sack trolleys about the farm.

Eric, On my Dad's farm (late 1950s/early 1960s) I vaguely remember the grain from the fields being lifted up* in to the first floor (UK terminology) drying loft of one of the large farm buildings where it was then spread out on the wooden floor. Rats and mice were always a problem hence plenty of farm cats. Once the grain was dry, it was then put in to sacks and slid down a short wooden slide fitted to the bottom of one of the first floor 'doors' onto the trailer positioned underneath where the sacks were stacked up. *I can't recall how the grain was first lifted up to the drying floor.... racking my memory but nothing yet. As Egilman says, a bucket chain lift could have been used but I don't recall seeing that. I know later in the farm's history there was a Lister bale/sack elevator used for moving heavy items up (and down?). Perhaps something like what is depicted here was used in the earlier days....https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/straw-elevator.html?sortBy=relevant .... but handling loose grain would still need some kind of container to carry it up there. Maybe the workers carried grain filled containers on their back up the stairs. Richard PS: Page 37.... https://wshc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Wilts-Farmsteads-Char-Statement-2017pt3-504.pdf seems to imply that, in the UK, in the 18th/19th century the grain was lifted up in sacks.

Kevin, This kit looks very interesting. Looking forward to your build. Richard

OK, thanks James. Richard

James, Currently, when I 'Sign In', I use firstly click on the small banner at the top of the page.. ...then the box shown below appears and I enter my Display Name and Password. Are you saying that 'Display Name' will be renamed 'email address'? Thanks, Richard

I gather life-vests would prevent the rowers in the water to duck through the surf, but on the other hand being knocked unconscious could be fatal. Yes, good point. I can see that that a life-vest would be a bit cumbersome and a hindrance in certain situations. Mark mentioned that jet-skis were used to quickly get to trouble spots. Those things are quick but every second does count. Still, a very interesting competitive sport that I wasn't aware existed. I'll keep my eye out for it in the future. Richard

Mark, It's pretty common for 30-40% of the boats to not finish a race & sometimes worse. I can believe it! The sport looks very challenging but must give an enormous buzz to the participants. I can see it is also a great spectacle so am surprised none of the international TV companies have picked it up, or have they? Richard PS: No life vests, but I suppose everyone out there can swim like a fish 😉