Back after a break

It took a long time, but I am finally getting back to some more model railroading with my favorite Lenz O scale layout. I finished a few projects, among them is ballasting the layout, including painting the side of the rails and then the ties and then overspraying the lot with flat black to "weather it all". It has taken more time then I thought, but now I am back.
First thing to finish was the lime hopper car.

This is the box with all the bits and pieces, the finished model fits back in to the same box for storage and safe keeping.

After tinkering with it for more then four months it is done. The most difficult part was the decals. They are of a kind that is new to me. First you soak them in warm water, then apply as per usual. Then, and this is the difference, you use a hair dryer and blow on them, after the decals have set for 10 Min. Then the decal film can be carefully, very carefully peeled off. Results are better then normal decals and look like printed on. German engineering and know how!

My next project will be a water colum. I also have put lights in the station,and the results are great.

Time is flying by

It has been almost six weeks since I made the last posting. Time has been busy, and with other things on the go, my layout has been neglected. It has been too cold to stay long downstairs in the basement. I have to confess that I did spend a lot of time with my Br64 from Lenz.
The "Bubikopf" (translation: page cut) so named after the flappers haircut of the mid 1920s is a lot of fun to play with. I did spend some time on completing my kit for a box car. This conversion is from Juergen Moog, http://www.nullmobau.de.vu/ It is the kit Gms 54.
This is when you take an old Lima box car like this one:

And then turn it into something like this:

There are two sheets of brass etchings in the kit and very good instructions and decals. However, it was a bit of a learning curve, since I am not used to building German freight cars and where all the bits belong. In hindsight, I would do some things a bit different. The next time around, if I build the other kit Juergen sells on his web site.

New arrivals

After a long wait and several enquiries to Canada Post and DLH in Germany, a parcel with my new locomotive, the Lenz V36 finally arrived in February. It had been posted in Germany on the 18th of November!. However, the locomotive is superb,operates great right out of the box and is further proof why Lenz is gaining in popularity all over the globe but mostly in Germany.
This years toy fair in Nuremberg again had lots of new items announced from Lenz, especially intriguing was the remote uncoupling device. It fits between the tracks and has sprung pins that hold it in place, it is dcc equipped and requires no further wiring. My kind of accessory.
Brawa has new freight cars and MTH some Swiss ones and locomotives.

The other new item is this G10 refer car, lettered for a mineral water firm in Bavaria. It is the first and so far only private owner car offered from Lenz. It is hoped that Lenz will not fall in with many model railroad firms, and produce beer and other private cars ad nauseum.

Happy New Year and new pictures

Hallo to all Blog readers. After a very busy holiday season and some time off due to sickness, I am back at work on my Lenz O scale layout. The biggest news is that the BR64 has arrived and what a beauty it is. Here it is shown at work with the passenger train.

It is the best locomotive I ever owned, works so smooth right out of the box and responds beautiful to any commands. It has the usual Lenz features, sound and lights and remote uncoupling.

Progress is slow on the layout, for one I am having way to much fun operating and secondly work and home life are taking up a great portion of my time.

I moved the shed to the right side of the layout, and the big white sheet of foam board is were the Raiffeisen Fertilzer and Agriculture supply warehouse is going to be. I made it in to two short sidings, hoping that I have enough space to add a coal and fuel dealer on the opposite site, a place for all the nice tank cars and coal gondolas to go.