Hey guys.

I joined our school's new model-building club, and have made it my "in-school" project to scratchbuild a model of the Mt. Union Connecting(MTC)'s loading dock made from ties and concrete.

Here's the two pictures I'm working from:[attachment=5889][attachment=5888]

That looks like a great project. There was one near where I used to live - still is, but not in good shape any more. There are trees at least 4" in diameter growing out of it!

Andrew

Model building club? That sounds interesting. Is this for any kind of model? How many members?

MasonJar: I like this one because it's made from ties purchased from NS for as little as $1-$2 for each tie, and the concrete was bag concrete from a Lowe's or Wal-Mart. The owner told me that when NS works on the track there, they pile the old ties up next to the track, and then he buys them all and builds stuff with them.

He's covere over holes with them, used them as wheel stops, built retaining walls, all kinds of stuff. All ties.

Nachoman - Yes it is any kind of models, but most people just use kits for model cars and such. Some men play with cars. Real men play with model trains! lol there aren't very many people as far as I know. When I signed up there was only 4 or 5, including me. But that was last Thursday. There could be more.

Not to put any pressure on you here, young gun, but you must understand that this is your first opportunity to function as a "missionary!"

I used this same tactic when I managed the hobby shop back in the '70's, and fairly successfully.

Always ... be friendly, outgoing, supportive. Admire their work. In passing, ask what they do with their models when they are completed. (The "seed" ... it starts them thinking ... subconsciously.) Agree that the models will look nice on a shelf. Ask who dusts them. (The water ... soon the seed might germinate.)

Now mention that when you have finished you model, you put it on a larger model, the building of which teaches basic carpentry, basic electricity, some geography, a little history, give you a place to exercise a bunch of imagination and a little fantasy tossed in just for fun. And you actually get to use your model when it’s finished. Talk about how from one model, a real hobby can grow that you can enjoy for the rest of your life until you are too old to feed yourself … then laugh. (The sunshine ... keep your positive attitude and occasionally talk about how this model that you are building will be integrated into the larger model - the layout - and how it will be used.)

In time, your "Model Building Club" just might give birth to a “Model Railroad Club” ... hey, as the sale of plastic model cars and airplanes and tanks declined in my hobby shop among the 8 to 12 year old clientele, the number of Athearn and MDC kits increased exponentially! It got to where these kids were requesting "how-to" clinics, which I obliged and scheduled on Saturday mornings - they were well-attended … a great success! It's called "Creative Marketing" ... a good skill to learn at any age!

My point here is, this is your chance to be an ambassador and help grow the hobby ... use it you your advantage!

That looks to be a great starting project...not complex, but having enough detail to be a challenge.
Do it well, and raise some eyebrows!
" My point here is, this is your chance to be an ambassador and help grow the hobby ... use it you your advantage!"
That's good advice.

Oh, I think I recognize one of those ties.......didn't it once belong to Jimmy Hoffa ??

The loading dock? No it never belonged to a guy named Jimmy Hoffa. It belongs to my family's lawyer, who owns the MTC as well.

P5se, I'll definately keep all that in mind. Instructions on the announcements were to bring a model kit, but I had a talk with the teacher, so I get to bring in the stripwood, styrene, and whatever other material I decide to bring in.

Honestly speaking, I don't see the school being to keen on a "model railroad club," because they don't really have any room anywhere to put anything. You should see our school's weight lifting room :o

First, a model railroad club (or its asssociated "layout," if it even has one) ... could be just four guys building rolling stock kits ... its a club and its focus is model railroading. It does not necessarily have to even meet at the school, just organized there!

I will type this slowly ... but I want you to read it, not just quickly "skim" it like another young gun we know. Think in broad terms ... see a bigger picture.

We had a hot rod club when I was in high school. The school had no automotive shop or anything even remotely like that. In fact, they didn't particularly like us even revving our engines on school property. We were a loose group of guys, we met after school for an hour or so in the parking lot (which was several hundred yards from the building) until the school sent someone down to tell us to leave. But we still had our little club, and we would gather again at the hamburger/milkshake dive down the road in the evening for a couple of hours for a Coke and some fries and a little drag racing up US 30 in Villanova until the local Radnor Township cops made us leave. (Then they'd call my Dad, the local Methodist minister, to tell him what I'd been doing.) But I digress.

The point is, if you would like a club, YOU can make it happen ... and the school-sponsored model club is the place to "drum up members." Now, go read up on modules ... they are a great club thing, everybody builds their own and the school wouldn't need to even be involved except to maybe lend their name, something they might consider if you are all very well-behaved. And then you can put the modules together as a show/display during November (National Model Railroad Month) every year and the school will love the publicity. Are you starting to see what I'm saying? I'm suggesting that you take the initiative to market the idea and organize a small group (remember those four guys I referred to earlier?) ... that's more or less what I was saying in my earlier post. Read that earlier post again ... see what I was trying to tell you?

And second ... I think some of our "older guy" humor is lost on you younger fellas ... please Google "Jimmy Hoffa."

RRManiac Wrote:MasonJar: I like this one because it's made from ties purchased from NS for as little as $1-$2 for each tie, and the concrete was bag concrete from a Lowe's or Wal-Mart. The owner told me that when NS works on the track there, they pile the old ties up next to the track, and then he buys them all and builds stuff with them.

He's covere over holes with them, used them as wheel stops, built retaining walls, all kinds of stuff. All ties.

You could easily replicate this with craft wood (strip wood's inexpensive cousin found at Wal-Mart or other places than hobby shops) and plaster or anchor bolt cement. Anchor bolt cement can be found at the big box home improvment stores - it's a very fine cement powder that works well for casting model parts. Or you could simulate the concrete fill with styrene and appropriate painting/weathering.


Andrew

PS - Don't let biL put too much pressure on you - just have fun.

RRManiac Wrote:The loading dock? No it never belonged to a guy named Jimmy Hoffa. It belongs to my family's lawyer, who owns the MTC as well.

Well, Good Morning! I guess I'm on the verge of outliving the legend of Jimmy Hoffa.
It's a thing called "common knowledge syndrome", I've known it for so long, that everybody must also know it .
It gives me good reason to pause and contemplate the long number of my days.......and consider them a blessing.
It is a good thing to be reminded that I was once young, and was all the things that are still part of being young.
I think this hobby will find itself in good hands, after us "Senior Executive Vice Presidents of Bio Gas Technology", are gone.
It is good to have you, RRManiac, here on The-Gauge.

MasonJar Wrote:

RRManiac Wrote:MasonJar: I like this one because it's made from ties purchased from NS for as little as $1-$2 for each tie, and the concrete was bag concrete from a Lowe's or Wal-Mart. The owner told me that when NS works on the track there, they pile the old ties up next to the track, and then he buys them all and builds stuff with them.

He's covere over holes with them, used them as wheel stops, built retaining walls, all kinds of stuff. All ties.

You could easily replicate this with craft wood (strip wood's inexpensive cousin found at Wal-Mart or other places than hobby shops) and plaster or anchor bolt cement. Anchor bolt cement can be found at the big box home improvment stores - it's a very fine cement powder that works well for casting model parts. Or you could simulate the concrete fill with styrene and appropriate painting/weathering.


Andrew

PS - Don't let biL put too much pressure on you - just have fun.

That's actually what I intend to do.
A member of the local train club brought in a couple boxes of stripwood, and said to everyone "have at it"

I took a bunch of it for use on the layout, and now have a wonderful use for it all.

The plan is to use a wood core, and then bring it to the right size using the stripwood from the boxes. I planned to use some .020" styrene sheet(all I have around at the time) as the concrete portion of the loading dock, and then I planned to paint it with Aged Concrete after having a container of it mixed for me at Wal-Mart. I think this build will be lots of fun.

Because I am building it at school, chances are pics may be scarce, so I am really sorry about any lack of pics.