tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28742320448148580812012-01-03T13:09:46.848-05:00It's my world, because I built it in N scaleDavid K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.comBlogger271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-29188824785559446032011-12-21T22:16:00.021-05:002011-12-23T12:04:43.547-05:00

Freedom of speech is considered one of our most cherished rights. Yet for all of its benefits, it's fraught with unfortunate side effects. I've been applauded by fellow modelers for my courage to speak frankly about touchy topics. I never thought twice about it; after all, what harm could possibly come from being honest about something as innocuous as model railroading?You'd be surprised. For

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-8523851906024387662011-11-26T18:02:00.013-05:002011-12-09T14:29:40.569-05:00

In this case, I'm referring to models of real switch machines, as opposed to devices that operate model turnouts. NZT Products now makes switch machines in a raft of flavors to suit a wide variety of modeling circumstances. Let's count 'em all!ND-003 (below left) is made for track products or handlaid track that follows American tie spacing.ND-004 (above right) solves the problem of track that

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-19717572358242978102011-10-21T03:14:00.002-04:002011-10-21T03:21:20.947-04:00

I may not be doing much modeling lately, but I have nevertheless made a (very small) contribution to N Scale: I've released a few new products. In the grand scheme of things, it might seem trivial to the extreme—it's nothing but some tie stacks, one of which is shown below. But from the perspective of doing business, it was a major milestone.It's all part of a tried-and-true method of building a

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-22832758334837926272011-06-18T17:41:00.027-04:002011-07-21T04:29:42.756-04:00

...golly, I honestly can't remember when I last did any modeling in N Scale. Embarrassing, to say the least! Well, the dry spell has been broken—assuming that one is willing to acknowledge relettering a car as actual "modeling." Regardless, it felt good working in N again.Inspiration for the project came from Lee Weldon, of Western Maryland Railway fame. He's been gearing up for a gala event to

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-21714823467530136292011-03-28T09:58:00.005-04:002011-03-28T10:05:33.803-04:00

Or so it might seem. This esoteric comic certainly has me pegged.Readers not familiar with my work will understand after reading this, and then this. Source: http://www.xkcd.com/. With thanks to Ed Kapuscinski at The Railwire.

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-67853644545319303562011-02-28T07:01:00.006-05:002011-02-28T07:34:55.244-05:00

Recently I posted some remarks about exquisite trees on my 1:220 blog. Shortly afterward, a visitor posted a link to a thread about an N scale modeler in Germany. Upon following the link, I confess that, at first, I thought it was really, really good HO modeling. But it's N scale. And when at last I came to this realization, I literally had tears in my eyes. This is, without exception, the finest

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-4491559964994429192010-12-06T08:13:00.024-05:002011-07-18T13:43:26.564-04:00

It just sort of happened. There I was, minding my own business, when someone on the Railwire asked for help with their track plan. Never mind that it was a fully-functional yard for an ops-oriented layout, and here I was a roundy-rounder... I've nothing against ops, and while I'm no expert on yard design, with the help of some other Railwire regulars, I got up to speed in short order, and

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-91105157482441396542010-11-12T09:00:00.006-05:002010-11-16T16:22:20.899-05:00

Occasionally I'm asked what I do when I'm bored. Bored? I'm familiar with the textbook definition of the word, but I have no direct experience. I've never been bored. Ever. For as long as I can remember, I've always had something to do.On rare occasion I may have a moment of indecision about what to do with a bit of free time, but this never lasts for more than a few seconds; I have no difficulty

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-89532487150069433062010-09-29T10:13:00.056-04:002010-09-29T19:44:50.859-04:00

When asked for my preferred railroading era, my answer—matching the majority of us older-generation modelers, according to polls—is "transition," that fascinating period when steam and diesel locomotives plied the rails together. Still, while I do like many of the charming old first-generation diesels, I find the hulking monsters of steam's sunset years quite irresistible—the bigger and uglier,

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-41332533300750197142010-04-25T17:41:00.027-04:002010-09-29T12:38:11.843-04:00

N Scale has come a long way. Cast your mind back to the early-to-mid 1970s. How many commercial N Scale Shays were there? None. And probably no more than a half-dozen (likely less) of scratchbuilt examples.At that time, I was busy building a little freelanced logging railroad. It was an unfortunate choice of layout theme from the standpoint that a Shay was the ideal locomotive for it, and there

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-31669592317873126462010-02-09T13:20:00.036-05:002010-09-29T12:38:45.607-04:00

It's with perhaps an odd sense of joy that I bid farewell to my pin vice. I literally wore it out. And what better way for a tool to go? It has served me extraordinarily well all these decades, providing invaluable assistance in my modeling efforts.I'm not exactly certain, but I may have acquired my pin vice possibly as early as high school. It joined a troupe of indispensible tools that included

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-23538784459831470412009-12-20T13:33:00.025-05:002010-09-29T12:40:53.860-04:00

Kids often have better toys than us adults. For many years I've been wanting to model a drive-in theater. I'm not the only one; some entrepreneurs (such as Chris Miller of Miller Engineering) have offered up limited-run kits to tempt us. Unfortunately, such novelties (understandably) carry fairly steep price tags.Some skilled modelers have built their own, taking advantage of compact LCD displays

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-40428085489959220312009-12-16T12:52:00.004-05:002010-09-29T12:41:02.270-04:00

This topic has been on the back burner for quite a long time. What brought it to the fore was temporarily regaining possession of a piece of animation I'd done back in the mid- to late-nineties: a working excavator. It remains my favorite piece of animation, but it's been languishing since around 2001 when the controller was lost on its way to Rick Spano's Sceniced and Undecided, its new home.

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-19389166996059158192009-10-01T14:35:00.053-04:002010-09-29T12:41:13.794-04:00

There are those who would call me a lunatic; others might be more polite and label me a purist. Either way, when it comes to lighting effects, my modeling preferences can border on the fanatical. I can't help it—I love to model lighting effects. It's a passion I've had since childhood; when I first discovered grain of wheat bulbs, it seemed as if I couldn't have enough of them.It's only gotten

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-70361034951385220882009-06-27T09:54:00.097-04:002010-09-29T12:41:50.184-04:00

I was just changing the blade on my knife. It was a simple thing, something I've done, oh, maybe several thousand times by now, without giving it any thought—like changing your socks. But for some inexplicable reason, as I was putting the new blade in the handle, this time I was struck by a tremendous rush of memories. And they all focused on that small, glinting blade.My life with "number eleven

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-16407147864108683552009-01-07T19:20:00.005-05:002010-09-29T12:43:01.177-04:00

Many of us suffer a common predicament: not enough room for the layout we really want. Indeed, some of us must make do with spaces barely bigger than the average closet, while others are left with shelves in multi-purpose rooms.How can we maximize what little space we have? There are already plenty of clever, compact track plans that pack loads of action into minimal areas. If you're in the

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-15220143049583942682008-07-10T21:17:00.018-04:002011-07-10T11:21:57.627-04:00

It's probably safe to assume that most of us have some: the celebrated—and not-so-celebrated—modelers who inspire us. I thought I'd share mine. Some may be obvious names that show up on perhaps too many lists, while others are known only in the smallest of circles.At the top of my list is the most obvious of all: the late John Allen. Hardcore prototype modelers tend to eschew Allen's work, and

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-1114200572304399582008-06-13T10:54:00.011-04:002010-09-29T12:43:38.036-04:00

With my office/workshop having become an unruly mess—again—I was making a vain attempt to straighten it out this morning, and in the midst of my muddle over where to start, I picked up a random parts storage box and took a peek inside. There, sitting amidst cows, tree stumps and forklift trucks, I saw a tiny bit of personal history.What a rush. Amazing how an object measuring a mere three-eights

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-30748290668419004972008-03-11T14:12:00.012-04:002010-09-29T12:44:19.925-04:00

Seems like some modelers will nearly come to blows over standards. "This is not NMRA-compliant!" they will rant when a manufacturer dares introduce something that is off by three thousandths of an inch, as if non-compliance warranted the death penalty.To a degree, the standards-Nazis are right: it is difficult to realize industry-wide interoperability when everyone is off doing their own thing.

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-86270263043376142712008-01-24T17:38:00.005-05:002010-09-29T12:45:05.094-04:00

Life and model railroading are inextricably intertwined. That's the subtext of my White River and Northern website. It's quite hard to separate them; one can at least attempt to do so when writing on one or the other of the two subjects, but it then raises some mysteries for readers: Why exactly did the guy have to tear down five layouts?For some it's enough to simply say, "Because." Not everyone

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-47699189696948644562007-10-19T09:43:00.004-04:002010-09-29T12:45:44.397-04:00

What's the appeal of railroads? That's a tough one to answer, isn't it? I've asked myself this question more than a few times, and I'd usually conclude it's just one of those "it is what it is" kinds of things that has no straightforward explanation. At this point I should provide a disclaimer: this is more of a collection of musings on the subject than a definitive answer. Also, I suspect that,

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-90481060711893440062007-10-14T13:18:00.006-04:002010-09-29T12:45:57.255-04:00

A fellow modeler I know who shall remain nameless visited the WR&N IV during a convention tour. He made a brief, cursory glance across the layout, then stood at the back of the room, arms folded across his chest, for the remainder of his visit. This behavior came as no surprise, as I knew what he can be like; still, I had to bite my tongue to keep from asking why he even bothered to come. "If you

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-41280116870777028092007-10-09T16:16:00.005-04:002010-09-29T12:46:15.650-04:00

I'll be the first to admit it. I may give the impression of being an expert to some (or perhaps a blithering idiot to others), especially the way I'll carry on ad nauseam about some esoteric point, but mostly what I am is opinionated. If I'm an expert on anything, it's what I like and don't like. Model railroading embraces altogether too many facets for me to declare overall expertise, even after

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-254210827058172602007-10-08T12:09:00.007-04:002010-09-29T12:46:22.711-04:00

Beyond appearance and movement, another sensory dimension model railroaders can explore is that of sound. Simulated bells and whistles have been around practically for as long as the hobby has existed; the geometrically accelerating pace of high-technology development, though, is expanding the options, improving the realism, and increasing the affordability, putting sound within reach of more

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-27537552017851719302007-10-02T21:27:00.004-04:002010-09-29T12:46:31.468-04:00

While dialing up the digital address for one of his big diesel lashups, my friend Rick Spano shakes his head in bewilderment. "You understand computers and technology so much better than I do, Dave," he says for the um-teenth time, "I just don't understand why you haven't gone with DCC."Admittedly I am something of a computer geek (without the pocket protector, thank you). I've assembled my own

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-67456859104185769802007-09-14T16:43:00.003-04:002010-09-29T12:46:39.605-04:00

Although I've been modeling since I was a preteen and have been building websites professionally for nearly as long as the Internet has been around, I am always, always learning new things about both.For example, which is a better approach for a model railroading website: a "superstore" with everything under one roof, or a string of "boutiques," each specializing in one facet of the hobby?Based

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874232044814858081.post-84468600996244698522007-08-30T22:47:00.003-04:002010-09-29T12:46:48.819-04:00

One of the reasons this blog got started when it did is an excellent post by Ed Kapuscinski on his own blog, The Truth About Model Trains, entitled "Post ModerN Modeling: Nothing is almost still too much." He eloquently articulated some frustrations that I've felt for many years. Quoting my own response at The Railwire...Back when I was in my 30s, and had my first (and so far only) shot at

David K. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136023340720612580noreply@blogger.com0