Category: On18

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Building an On18 Locomotive | Calico Mountain 14

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

This week's project takes us back to Calico Mountain for the build of an On18 Saddle Tank Climax locomotive! This freelanced design was inspired by a similar On30 model by David Wingrove (not by Al Judy as stated in the video) and is named in honor of the designer and builder of Knott's Calico Mine Ride, Bud Hurlbut. Join me as I build this little critter from the ground up, starting with a smooth running Kato 11-109 N gauge mechanism. I add a working LED headlight, Porter details from Railway Recollections, a custom cab, graphics, and all the bells and whistles.

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

Kato 11-103: https://a.co/d/6fIzKrV
Railway Recollections: https://www.ebay.com/str/railwayrecollections?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=XSJRN_XgSg-&sssrc=3418065&ssuid=fWepkjmJT9O&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

The Sundance Mining Company | Bandit Canyon Railway

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

It’s time to fill that big hole in the scenery below Six Gun Butte! The Sundance Mine is a Western themed mined building along the lines of the 10 stamp mills that once dotted the rugged mountainsides of old mining towns across the American West. Follow along with this step-by-step build as take the structure from rough mock-up to finished model. This is BCRy Part X.

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

Corrugated siding from Full Circle Models: https://fcmkits.wordpress.com/

Painting Foam Rock Scenery | Bandit Canyon Railway

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

Here’s a follow up to my video on carving foam rocks! Many people asked for a more in-depth look at the painting and finishing techniques I use for foam rock scenery, so this time out I finish up “Six Gun Butte” on the On18 Bandit Canyon Railway layout – with an emphasis on the scenic painting techniques I use most often. This is BCRy Part IX.
Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

Workbench Wednesday | On18 Locomotives

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

Welcome to Workbench Wednesday at Thunder Mesa Studio! This week I'm talking about my collection of On18 locomotives - how they were made, what they were built from, and where the bits and pieces came from to build these unique and funky pieces of motive power.

Thanks for watching!
Dave

On18 "Baby" Climax: https://youtu.be/pzds21RM5u8
On18 on Shapeways: https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace?type=product&q=On18
Railway Recollections: https://www.ebay.com/str/railwayrecollections

On18 Boxcar | Bandit Canyon Railway

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

BCRy Part VIII. Let's build an On18 boxcar! One of the fun things about On18 is the ability to use N scale parts, mechanisms and frames as a starting point for these fun O scale narrow gauge models. This time, I use a 50' N scale car as a starting point for a freelanced 12' On18 boxcar with loads of character. This a start-to-finish build with all steps of construction detailed. The finished car measures about 3" long x 1 1/8" wide x 2" high.

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

Basic Wiring for Lighting and Accessories | Bandit Canyon Railway

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

BCRy Part VII. As promised, heres a how-to on the 9 volt wiring system I use for lighting and animated accessories on the On18 Bandit Canyon Railway. In this episode, I build a second animated balancing rock with a different technique, then show how I set up the 9v wiring bus step by step.

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

9 volt ac/dc transformer: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00191WVF6?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
DC power bus: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DW2C4ZB?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Animated Teetering Boulder! | Bandit Canyon Railway

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

BCRy Part VI. It's time to add some animation to the On18 Bandit Canyon Railway in the form a a teetering boulder - straight out of the old Disneyland Mine Train Ride! I use a 3RPM DC motor and a simple linkage to make the carved foam rock "teeter" back and forth as the trains pass below. It takes a little trial and error, but the final effect makes for a very fun effect. Follow along as I building the animation mechanism, tweak it 'till it works reliably, then carve and color the polyurethane foam rocks.

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

Bandit Canyon Ry | Building a PWM Throttle for Smooth DC Power

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

BCRy Part V. My On18 Bandit Canyon Railway runs on good old fashioned analog DC power - but I haven't always been that thrilled with the performance of the usual commercial hobby power packs. In this episode, I use a Pulse Width Modulating (PWM) regulator to build a better DC power pack that delivers smooth current for much improved running - especially at slower speeds! And I fit it all in a custom 3.25" x 2.5" case that mounts out-of-the-way below the layout roadbed. Just say no to bulky power packs!

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

PWM Regulator

Calico Mountain Ore Cars | Calico Mt Pt 13

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

It’s back to Calico Mountain this week to build a string of rustic On18 ore cars inspired by the Knott’s Berry Farm original! These cars take advantage of some commercially available 3-D printed HOn30 frames, and some laser cut parts of my own design, to model credible recreations of the classic Calico Mine Ride “ore cars.”

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

3-D Printed Car Frames: https://www.shapeways.com/product/JQQCTK6Z2/hon30-mann-s-creek-frames-4?optionId=61798964&li=shops

Grandt Line Hardware: https://www.grandtline.com/products/miscellaneous-hardware/

Micro-Trains Wheels and Couplers: https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=63

Bandit Canyon Railway | The Blackjack Mine Pt 2

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

BCRy Part IV. Here it is! The second episode of the Blackjack Mine build for my On18 Bandit Canyon Railway project. This time around, I build a steam powered hoist for the mine with all of the machinery visible in an open air shed. Plus weathering, final details, lighting, and a scenicked base for the entire complex that blends right into Bandit Canyon.

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

Crow River Products: https://www.crowriverproducts.com/index.php?cPath=33_36&osCsid=jtu2jnmd3ep4p2r17m9ntvu555

Blackjack Mine Part 1: https://youtu.be/i3Aw-SBnBkQ

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