SavaTheAggie

I cleaned up my LEGO room, and in doing so opened up a nice big space for photography. So just for fun, I decided to line up all my locomotives together for a group picture. I really need to set up my third light, all that black didn't turn out too well. --Tony

SavaTheAggie @ Flickr I really like Flickr less as an image storehouse like Brickshelf, and more for work in progress pictures. The note function is invaluable for pointing out specific areas or details in MOCs. --Tony

Many, many times. I built James Mathis' Pullman Pleasure Dome car for the Santa Fe: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1684997 My American 4-4-0: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=185601 My TexLUG Tanker (about $30, not bad, almost as if it were a set): http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=181005 All but one of my trees: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=161800 I was even paid commission to recreate my Polar Express MOC, which I bought 90%, possibly all, off BL: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=175545 --Tony

http://www.flickr.com/photos/savatheaggie/369076211/ My son is Emporer Palpatine... who knew? --Tony

Well, I guess since I'm now a member here, I should post in my own MOC's thread :) Thank you for all your kind words toward Ulmaris Castle. I had a lot of fun building it, though I can't say the same for taking it to shows (it takes 3 hours to set up). I still have it put together (such as it is, packed away from the last show I attended), but I will be taking it apart when I finally finish chapter 10 of my story, whenever that happens to be. I will leave the history discussion to other people, as I am no expert. --Tony

Thank you all for the warm welcomes. Thanks! I'm glad they came in handy for you. I've fallen out of favor with the more high-end customizers, they seem to favor vector images and waterslide. I seem to have turned into the sticker-designer for the common man. ;-) Yup, thanks!

I'm afraid I don't have an actual train layout, I just build trains. However, my lack of experience aside, I would suggest that if you don't have any more room (at the moment) to go out, go up. Build elevated tracks and roads over the existing ones, build some high-rise buildings, go underground. Mountains are nice, but they take up a lot of real estate (and bricks) to make them look good, IMO. --Tony

Before I started building the #300 I wanted to make sure I was getting the proportions correct comparing it to the #500, so I created this image: http://www.ikros.net/images/temp/TSRRlocos.jpg I know the actual sizes of the drive wheels, so I used those as a guide to help me resize the different locomotives so I could have them all the right size relative to each other. The #300 and #400 have 56" and 54" drivers, respectively, so I resized them so their wheels were 3/4rs the size of the #500's 74" wheels. The #301 has 63" drivers, so I resized it so its wheels were about half way inbetween. I didn't include a picture of the fifth locomotive the TSRR owns, the giant 2-10-4 #610, simply because it's so big compared to the others. Here's a link to some good pictures of her: http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/?p=5&en=610&c=40 Currently I'm actually quite happy with not building the other three locomotives, but I'm sure I'll change my mind once the newness of these two wears off (and I have money again, a big factor in building locomotives for me). If I do go through with building them, my plan is this: #201 - I'd build it 6-wide, and most likely just like my American 4-4-0, just with different colors and an extra driver, possibly shorter boiler. #400 - I'd build it 6-wide, probably very similarly to the #300, just adding a rear truck and longer boiler. #610 - I'd build it 8-wide, most likely identically to my Pere Marquette #1225, just with a slightly longer boiler and an extra driver. My #1225 performs well, but takes up a lot of real estate in turns, so the thought of an even longer locomotive makes me cringe, especially since it would be so similar to a locomotive I've already built. However, the #610 is a unique locomotive in that holds the distinction as one of the three locomotives that pulled the 'American Freedom Train' in 1976. At that time, before owned by the TSRR, the #610 was given a new, patriotic paint job with red, white, and blue stripes down the tender and on the cab (the boiler was left black). Just to make it different, if I did build the #610, I'm tempted to use this livery. Any suggestons/comments? --Tony

You're lucky I have no admin powers here ;-) --Tony

Thanks much for all of your comments! I'm glad you enjoyed looking at my MOCs. Along with the pistons, I also like the cow catcher (or rail guard as some people call it, I believe) I was able to create for the 4-4-0. I'm not 100% satisfied with the Polar Express' Observation car's rounded end, but I've not thought up any solution that would be better. I'll have to remember to take pictures of my TSRR Loco's wheel sets when I finally finish them. Thanks for the reply! --Tony

Thought I'd join in hopes to find a receptive audience of Train lovers. Some of you already know who I am from my work at Classic-Castle.com, but I don't just build castles, and not everyone at C-C likes trains. So, yeah. Hey. --Tony

After the warm reception given to my two TSRR locomotives, I figure I might list off my other Train MOCs in case any of you would be interested in seeing them. I've only been building train MOCs for about a year now, but I'm proud of what I've built. I'm big into steam engines, so I apologize to diesel and electric lovers. First the rolling stock: TexLUG Tanker Gallery It's a blatent rip-off of Casey Mungle's corrugated tanker car design, I just gave it a Texas twist. Flatcar Two more stolen designs, both the flatcar and the load, I just put them together in my own little way. Next, Locomotives: American 'Standard' 4-4-0 Wood Burning Steam Locomotive Gallery MOCpage I based the MOC off of this 1/8th scale steam powered model: The 3003 Project The neat thing about this MOC is that the pony, or lead, truck is not actually attached to the rest of the locomotive, it just floats underneath held in place by tiles and grooves. This was necessary to allow the engine to negotiate curves without derailing or sacrificing the look I was going for. I finally decided on an engine number for my loco, #805, based on my 5 month old son's birthday, but I haven't made up any stickers yet. The Polar Express Gallery MOCPage This was actually my very first train MOC of my own design. It's fully track compatible (though it does sweep the curves pretty badly) and is a big hit with the kids that have seen it on TexLUG displays. I've never finished it entirely, I've been altering and tweeking it since I built it, and I'll post new pictures when I've done all the changes I have planned. Pere Marquette #1225 2-8-4 Berkshire type Steam Locomotive MOCPage Brickshelf Gallery This is the locomotive that pulls the Polar Express. For the movie, the designers for the digital train used the Pere Marquette #1225 as the basis for the train in the movie. The train resides in Michigan where it pulls excursion trains throughout the year. I mention this MOC seperately for two reason. Reason #1: I've added stickers to the inside walls of my locomotive's tender so I can turn the walls around to change it from 'Polar Express' to just the 'Pere Marquette'. This is important because there are some shows and displays that I will attend that just don't need a Winter themed train, like if we had a summer themed layout. In this way, I can show off my MOC without confusing the kids as to what the layout is all about. Reason #2 I've made some serious alterations to my locomotive since I posted the pictures shown above. I haven't taken too many pictures, but I have taken some, which I'll link to now: (that last image is my favorite) Thanks for looking! --Tony

The Texas State Railroad is a fantastic state park in Texas that features 5 running condition steam locomotives. They operate four of them* on a regular basis between the cities of Rusk and Palestine, hauling passengers on excusion runs, one train leaving each city at the same time so they pass each other more or less half-way. It's the only place in the U.S. where you can still see two steam engines pass each other. But the TSRR is in trouble. Budget cuts have put the park in jeopardy of becoming a static display. In a show of support and an attempt to spread the word, I've decided to recreate some, possibly all, of the steam locomotives from the park and taking them to TexLUG displays. TSRR #500 Post-Mod Gallery Comparing the MOC to the real thing (earlier stage in the building process): The TSRR #500 is a 4-6-2, or Pacific Type, locomotive. It weighs in at a substantial 134 tons and has 74" drive wheels. I had to use a very nifty technique suggested to me by Ben Fleskes, the maker of the BBB wheels my locomotives use, in order to get this engine to clear its own wheels and run on the tracks like I wanted it to. My MOC is unfinished, as I've hit a budget crisis of my own, but I hope to finish it soon. I want to swap out the cab roof with curved slopes, and I want to put some train-roof slopes on the front of the boiler to sink those jumper plates. Plus there are a lot of color issues that need to be fixed. TSRR #300 Post-Mod Gallery Here are some pics of the real thing: http://www.flickr.com/photos/astros/276341860/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/wshealy/232333782/ The TSRR #300 is a 2-8-0, or Consoldation Type, locomotive. It weighs a svelt 83 tons with 56" drivers. I went ahead and used BBB wheels instead of a brick built design because I like the way BBB wheels perform, even if they are out of proportion on this particular MOC. The #300 is much more straight forward in wheel design than the #500, but it uses some nifty SNOT to tackle the pistons. This one isn't finished either, but is much closer to that point. I want to swap out the roof for curved pieces, there are a few color issues, I need to build the left side piston to match the right side, and I need to order more BBB wheels (the wheels shown on the locomotive were stolen from the #500 for these pictures). Of course both locomotives still need all their decals, but that will come when they're finished brick-wise. Thanks for looking! --Tony *They own 5 but only operate 4 because the fifth is a gigantic locomotive (2-10-4). While their tracks can handle the giant, it would be too expensive to run regularly because "it would be like pulling a child's wagon with a semi truck."