Modeling the 1870's

[hminky]

I have a web article about modeling the 1870's in OO/HO at:

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/1879/why/

Thank you if you visit
Harold

 

[jetrock]

I've commented on this before, it seems intriguing and a good way to balance several priorities when modeling the 1870s. It seems like the same set of problems originally encountered by British modelers who wanted HO scale equipment and produced British OO as a result.

Another nice thing: Airfix has several "Wild West" themed miniatures sets in OO scale.

My only experience modeling an 1870s scene was a static model, and that was a special circumstance--I didn't have to provide locomotives, as there were some brass V&T locos available to complete the scene.

 

[hminky]

The problem with Airfix figures is they are molded in Polyethelene and are very hard to work with as the plastic cannot be glued or filed.
Harold

 

[rcline]

hminky - I own a little plastics manufacturing company, if you put a little drum sanding disk in your dermal drill, you can sand the plastic with no problem. Also, if you go buy a can of PVC glue, (read the fine print on the can and make sure it says, "also works on ABS plastics") you won't have any problem gluing polyethylene or polystyrene's.
http://www.volkstech.com
Randy

 

[hminky]

Randy,
Thanks for the hint on the PVC cement. The guys who use these polyethelene figure sets are always complaining about gluing the soft plastic. They can be primed with the outdoor furniture plastic paints.
Harold

 

[hminky]

I have tried to model the 1870's since 1961. I have always wanted to model the 1870's. I have a Porter Mogul and a cutup General from my misspent youth. Modeling in HO for me never worked because the size ratio between the equipment and the figures was never right. All the equipment is too large to use with HO figures and wagons.
The internet makes it possible to get the OO figures to make the 1870's work. I got my OO figures from Langley in England in a week for less postage than from most places in the US to Delaware. Now the locomotive looks right.

I also got a wagon from Langley and it is great. Need to get out the paintbrush.

Just a thought
Harold

 

[hminky]

If we think further out of the box. A mockup of an 8 ft wheelbase 60 in dia driver Grant 4-4-0

This is the basic 4-4-0 of the 1870's. A MDC old timer consolidation with Bowser 69" HO drivers and a temporary Mantua ten wheeler boiler. It all works in OO/HO.

Just a thought
Harold

 

[James Schultz]

I amazes me that the times I have been thinking about ways to solve a problem by asking for advise on The Gauge, someone else has the same problem and beats me to the punch. I found a bag of small plastic solders at Dollar Tree and was trying to rearrange some body parts on them but I couldn't find a glue that would work, so maybe this PVC glue will. (By PVC glue do you mean the glue you use on plastic pipe?)
Thanks for the help

JIM

 

[Zman]

Good stuff hminky. I also model late 19th century, only in N. There's not much available, but I've acquired a small fleet of moguls, some "old time" freight cars and a handful of Overton passenger cars.

 

[hminky]

Here is 1870's OO scale running on HO track with a 4mm/ft(OO) wagon and figures.

The narrower than normal track gauge is hardly discernible.

Just a thought