Some recent photos. Also on September 18th and 19th we are having an Open House. Noon to 5. Face masks optional. Email: james@thebeckhams.us for directions

Facebook & Update

I am posting on this blog until I have time to work on my website.

A brief statement of the layout.

We are modeling in the late 1960s mainly the Pennsylvania Railroad from Baltimore to Harrisburg up the trackage that belonged to the Northern Central.  That route hauled freight as well as passenger service including several through trains from Washington DC to points West and North e.g. Chicago and New York.  A good bit of the freight was coal that was south bound.  We are also modeling PRR trains running on what is now the North East Corridor.  Washington DC and New York are represented by a North and South bound staging yards.  That portion of the layout will eventually be under Catenary.  

Downtown Baltimore near Penn Station.  Tracks in the street are for our future trolley line representing the Baltimore Transit Company.  The department store in actually based on a Washington DC store Woodward and Lothrop.

Stay tuned for more current photos.

Thanks

PROGRESS 8/3/2019

Progress the last week of so. Almost finished the Concourse for Penn Station. Need to test fit it Sunday and take some photos. Also the Dam is installed and some weathering done. Poured first coat of "water" to make sure everything is sealed. Need a couple more coats and then have to deal with where the water flows over the dam. Also finished framing the engine house (John Allen Memorial Engine House) and just cut the roof on my laser. Roof will have eight clear glass windows so you can see inside and four smoke stacks aligned over where a steam engine's stack would be located. Have three of the windows and the other five are hopefully in the mail. Also the shingles I laser cut out of thin cardboard for the roof and will be installed when the five windows arrive next week I hope. Still have to complete the power plant that the dam feeds. So some photos should be forthcoming.

3D PRINTING FOR MODEL RAILROADER LINKS

3D Printing for Model Railroaders at Amazon

Article in March 2018 of Model Railroad Hobbyist E Magazine

3D Printing at Model Railroader.com

3D Model Railroad Models to print at Yeggi

Model Railroad Info Guy

Train Models at Shapeways.com3D Printing of HO Water Tower on YouTubeModel Buildings and Structures on Thingiverse.com

Where I Purchased my printer

Most of the rust colored parts on my coaling tower we 3D printed.  The clutches were made out of styrene. The chain was from Michell's .

THANKS TO ALL WHOM ATTENDED MY CLINIC AT THE MINI CON!

Somerset PA Photos

Here is some of the most recent work on the layout.  It is  in Somerset, PA just East of Gary and J. Withrow Mine No. 7.

Engine Facilities including the new scratch built Coal Tower

Not the best part of town.

Snyder Shoe Company All American Made

She is Coming Around The Mountain from Gray

Someone shouldn't smoke in bed don't you think!

2018 Clinics Given. PowerPoints and Handouts

Here is the link to my CMR/I Power Point Presentation for the 2018 O Scale National and the MER Regional Conventions given in 2018

Jays-2018-CMRI-presentation

Here is also the handout for the CMR/I clinic.
https://www.slideshare.net/jaybeckham/cmri-and-signaling-handout-2018

Here is the handout for the Molding and Casting clinic for the O Scale National
https://www.slideshare.net/jaybeckham/molding-and-casting-clinic-2018-o-scale-national

If you have additional questions, just email me.

Well my 50-Watt Laser Cutter finally arrived Tuesday. I removed the crate yesterday to get my first look at this huge machine. I now need to build a strong workbench with wheels for it. Then some 6-inch piping for flumes, a tank for distilled water, and then hook it up and give it a go. We need more than 100 structures for the layout and this machine will certainly help. Hopefully will make first cut next week.  The machine cuts using drawings done in one of several CADs including the one I use, Visual Cadd.  It can engrave and cut at the same time.  For example, it can engrave bricks on several different surfaces e.g. wood or acrylic and then cut out the building.  All the stuff on top are parts that hook up to the cutter.  It is huge, 40 x 26 x 20 and weighs about 145 pounds.  Here is a video featuring this cutter if you are interested.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm4RaIZS1Eg