Weekend Photos -- April 2026

[healey36]

Playing around with the printer, MS Paint, and a bit of cardboard/paper, made me a version of the Marx T3-21 Army Training Center:



The original came in one of the terrific Marx playsets and featured an open back wall and a lithographed interior. I made a few changes to my version, one being a back wall enclosure; made a few other changes (and mistakes), but looks okay for the tinplate layout.

I used Ed Berg's scanned graphics as the basis for this version, found here:

https://toyconnect.blogspot.com/search/label/Marx%20T3-21%20Army%20Training%20Center

[Rufus T. Firefly]

........ but looks okay for the tinplate layout.

Looks better than just ok! Inkjet or laser printer?

I used Ed Berg's scanned graphics as the basis for this version, found here:

https://toyconnect.blogspot.com/search/label/Marx%20T3-21%20Army%20Training%20Center

Nice!

[healey36]

HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 (inkjet)...it has proven itself pretty durable and inexpensive to operate (unlike many inkjet printers). The one thing that's a challenge is that the colors can be slightly off (not quite WYSIWYG).

I've been a dedicated HP user since I got my first HP11C hand-held calculator some 45 years ago. Short of backing the car over it, I've abused that thing in nearly every way imaginable and it still works perfectly.

[webenda]

...looks okay for the tinplate layout.

Looks fabulous.

I do wonder about the building's right and left sides. Is the light brown area something that the printer did?

[healey36]

...looks okay for the tinplate layout.

Looks fabulous.

I do wonder about the building's right and left sides. Is the light brown area something that the printer did?

No, I think the light-colored areas were imperfections in the original scans maybe, perhaps camera flash? Not sure. I could have cleaned it up a bit using the editor, but got lazy and just left it.

I do know I used a scan of one end for both ends, which was a mistake. One side should have been windowless, which would have allowed for the end-mounted chimney's hearth. Once I realized I screwed up and included a window on each end, I punted to a stovepipe (you can't have a chimney over a window in a relatively small building like this, lol).

[webenda]

Well, it is still excellent. Especially the nail heads on the roof. I have never seen that feature modeled.

[healey36]

Well, it is still excellent. Especially the nail heads on the roof. I have never seen that feature modeled.

You gotta love Marx lithography. They had some fairly ingenious folks working in their graphics department.

[Jim K]

A test of the Norad early warning system to see if I could post a photo to this site! Not even on a weekend; sorry. These dudes do come in large! Ha. A relay shed from Clever Models. I hope they are still around. I am having to take down the 13' by 8.5' layout and might replace with a 9' by 5' if I have the gumption.

Train ON!

Jim K

[webenda]

A test of the Norad early warning system to see if I could post a photo to this site!

It's Roy Earle, the notorious bank robber, returning to Model Train Journal. Did they let you out of jail, Roy, or did you escape again?

Whatever, I am happy to see you posting again!

[healey36]

Sorry to hear you're having to take down the layout, Jim; it's never a fun exercise. Still, a 5'x9' is a nice chunk of real estate. That's the size of a ping-pong table, as I recall; many of those found their way to being the basis for layouts during the postwar period.

That relay shed looks terrific! I have three or four Clever Model kits here that await an attempt to build. Some of them look a bit fiddly for paper/cardstock. I built a version of the free kit they offer, a small switch tower, but I couldn't get the adjoining staircase and landing to work very well. It's tough cutting spindly bits out of cardstock and getting things to paste together properly. I think I made something out of basswood instead. One of these days I'll drag them out and take another whack at it.

[webenda]

A relay shed from Clever Models. I hope they are still around.

They are still around. Your Relay Shed is still in their catalog.
http://clevermodels.squarespace.com/catalog-pg-07x/

[Rufus T. Firefly]

A relay shed from Clever Models. I hope they are still around.

They are still around.

Good to know - I like to use several of their roofing styles.

[healey36]

Lionel 1065 set from 1935:



A York find from a year ago, I dropped it off at East Main for some minor repairs. Now it's back with its cab light rewired, a replacement for a cracked drive-wheel, new brushes after a motor clean/lube. Gave it a good polish when we got it home. This set was on The Old Man's shopping list throughout his collecting days...now we have a decent example (looking past 91 years of playwear).

Been a rough week...hoping things turn north in time for York next Friday.