Peter's Model Railroading
This is a hobby web site owned by Peter Vanvliet. Its primary focus is to document the construction of my model railroad, which is accurately based on the Pennsylvania Railroad's "Chartiers" branch as it existed in the summer of 1924. The models are in S-scale (1:64). This web site is updated every Friday. A summary of my past month's activities are shown at the bottom of this page. Most photos contained within this web site can be clicked to view a larger version. All photos on this web site are copyright © Peter Vanvliet, unless otherwise indicated; All Rights Reserved.
What's My Objective?
The current extent of my 'layout', as of April 7, 2024.
My layout is modular/sectional in nature, currently consisting of one module with many more planned. Click "The Layout" button on the left to read the full story, with lots of photos. The module's framework is made out of Gatorfoam boards. I am very happy with this solution, and will continue to use this for all future ones. The module is part of a set of modules that are centered around the Hazel coal mine in Canonsburg, PA. Its tipple is shown in the photo and the module is essentially finished. What you see in the photo took me just shy of three years to build (mostly due to lack of available hobby time). Everything was built from scratch, to scale, and with no compression. The entire structure, as shown, is made out of 1,800 individual pieces. Yes, I counted each one of 'em!
What Am I Working On Now?
I am waiting on some low-humidity day where I can spray Dullcote in the garage over the decals of the Pre-Size Model Specialties Southern Pacific class A-50-6 50-foot box car I recently completed. I have started the Berkshire Valley Models' Ore Wagon kit.
What Have I Been Working On Recently?
April 27, 2024
I made a good start this week on the platform of the GCLaser milk station kit.
May 3, 2024
This week I managed to get the basic four walls of the shed of the GCLaser milk station kit built.
May 10, 2024
I painted the GCLaser milk station kit's platform this week, and added what little prototype information I was able to find on these types of milk stations.
May 19, 2024
The completed milk station.
We were hit by the big storm that hit Houston Thursday evening. Luckily us, the cats, the house, and the car are OK. We lost two trees in the front yard which, luckily fell away from the house and the car. In the back we had severe damage to three areas of the fence. We lost some shingles, and the whole backyard is a mess. We were without power for 45 hours, so we lost everything in the refrigerator and freezer. When I had daylight, to pass the time, I completed the GCLaser milk station kit, and started the Berkshire Valley Models' Ore Wagon kit, which is a brand-new kit in S-scale (photos in next week's update). I also started bringing back my old N-scale articles, based on requests. This is going to take me a long time, and I'll only work on these as time and desire are available.
Shameless Plug
If you are looking for software to help you manage your locomotive and rolling stock inventory and you are using a Windows-based computer, consider trying out my FRSTrainTracker application. I released a new version on January 31, 2024 to fix an issue with running the trial version.