Color images scraped from Digitalt Museum. Mainly from the collections of Jerbanemuseet and Orkla Industrimuseum. All images are taken between 1960 and 1975.See digital museum for copyright information
DYOR part 2: Color reference photos TB
DYOR part 1: Steel bridges
The purpose of this blog is not just to post slightly philosophical musings on modelling into the great void of the Internet, but it is also a sort of archive for my personal use. I´m not a very orgainized person, so I spend a lot of time looking for images and notes on my modelling techniques and prototype information. So under the “DYOR” (Do Your Own research) flag there will be reference material that I find useful.
Svorkmo, Thamshavnbanen ca. 1985
Short girderbridge Numedalsbanen ca. 1990-2000
Plate bridge Treungenbanen ca. 1990-2000
Road bridge, Hoston ca. 1985
Do your own research
Don’t worry, I’m not thinking of vaccines and climate change! Those topics are totally out of scope for this blog. I happily (or in the latter case, unhappily) leave those topics to the scientists. But when it comes to modelling, I do a fair amount of research.
As I’m strictly a prototype modeller building fine-scale models based on an obscure prototype, this probably comes as no surprise. Research has become a hobby within the hobby for me, and I enjoy it as much as the actual modelling, maybe more. The research is also a sort of daydreaming about the wonderful models I will build. And I have researched far more subjects than I ever will model!
Take the wonderful ore wagon above, for instance. This somewhat experimental wagon was built in 1911 by the Skabo factory in Oslo. No drawings are available, and I know of only one more good photograph of the wagon. Luckily, the underframes survived by a rebuild as two rather plain flat wagons in the 1960s. That the original wagons have not been preserved makes a model project even more worthwhile.
Obviously, measurements are important for getting the bogies and underframe just right in itself. But exact dimensions for the length and width of the wagons are vital for estimating measurements for the superstructure that has not been preserved. How to estimate exact dimensions based on foreshortened lines in a photo is something I still haven’t quite figured out, so that’s a topic for another day. But back to the topic of the day, research! The tools and methods I will describe are aimed at doing the most thorough industrial archaeology. It is also how I would do a professional survey of a building as an architect. So feel free to adjust things to suit your own ambitions!
Methodology
- Do some research on prior research
Make sure that your object isn’t already measured and drawn. But even if it is, it might not be complete, so there still can be a reason for gathering additional information. Based on the information you are able to collect prior to the field trip, prepare sketches marked with the measurements you need. - Bring a friend
It makes it far more enjoyable to do prototype research with a like-minded friend. He should be at least as patient as you. Besides making the trip more enjoyable, it is invaluable to have someone to hold the other end of the tape measure. Even when it is possible to take the measurements with a yardstick, it speeds up the process considerably if one takes measures and the other one writes them down. So for many projects, it is ideal to be three persons: two to measure and one to write down the measurements. As this type of research may take place in rather remote places, it is safer to be two persons. (My old sidekick Henning is forunately not too hard too ask when it comes to measuring trips, thats him in the image below) - Be careful
Old buildings can have rotten floorboards, roofs in danger of collapsing, and other potential risks. A fall from a 3–4-metre-high bridge could very well be fatal. - Don’t rush it
Documenting a building or a piece of rolling stock can take several hours, even an entire day. - Don’t trespass
Check out who owns the land where your object is located. Obtain necessary permissions in advance. But on occasions, I have knocked on the doors of nearby houses and explained my business politely. Even if they are not the owners, it could very well avoid that they call the authorities. Mind that operating railways are considered critical infrastructure, so take extra care in those cases. And watch out for trains. Even on museum railways outside of the operating season and on abandoned lines, unannounced trains can suddenly appear. I have to admit that in our younger and more reckless years, Henning and I suddenly heard a train approaching when we were measuring a bridge on the Thamshavn railway. And we were in the tracks around the middle of the bridge. Boy, did we run… Fortunately, the speed of the train was probably not more than 25 km/h, so we got off the tracks well in advance of the train and without getting spotted. Even if you avoid getting run over, train drivers who encounter people on the tracks will be really pissed off. Fortunately, I have not been on the receiving end, but I have witnessed such an incident, and it was unpleasant just to watch! Strictly speaking, it is just as verboten to walk on abandoned railways and museum railways even outside of the operating season as on an operational railway. - Measure the object as it is
Is the roof sagging? Are the walls clearly not plumb and the floors not level? Measure them that way. Figuring out how the object was when it was new is a job for another day. Measuring should be strictly about documenting as much information as possible about the object in its current state. - If you are in a hurry, take some images with a yardstick in the photos
Aim the camera directly at the object to avoid foreshortened lines in the image. If you scale the images according to the yardstick, you can use the images as underlays for drawings. And frankly, this level of precision should be sufficient for our needs as modellers. - Make your notes legible
Nothing is more frustrating than having to guess what you have scribbled down.
Equipment
- Measuring tools
My toolkit for this is probably a bit overkill, but where the object is reachable by car I bring the following: a 30-metre metal tape measure, two yardsticks (1 m and 2 m), a laser measure, a regular vernier caliper, and a forest caliper for larger round items. The laser works best indoors or in cloudy weather, so it is less useful than you might think. But a laser is great for measuring things like the height of large rooms. - Notebook and pens
Rather self-evident. - Camera
I always bring my proper camera, but most of the time I end up using my iPhone. Modern smartphone cameras are more than good enough. But bring a power bank if possible. Regarding the iPhone, I have started to experiment with LiDAR 3D scanning, and while it looks promising, I have not yet figured out a proper workflow. - Optional but extremely useful: a drone
Great for roofs and larger features like bridges in relation to the surrounding landscape. I don’t have a drone myself, but I have a friend that does, and he is not totally uninterested in industrial archaeology. And as I have pointed out already, field trips are more fun when you are two! - Optional and probably only for extremists with professional connections or way too much money: 3D scanners
But not many years ago I would have said the same about 3D printers.
The perhaps less obvious stuff to bring
- Water and food.
- A sleeping mat. I’m not suggesting you should spend several days in the field, but it is great to have something between you and the ground when crawling underneath rolling stock. But be damn sure that the equipment will not be moved while you are underneath it!
- Insect repellent and sunblock. OK, I’m getting a bit too detailed here, but it’s easy to forget that a whole day measuring an old railway wagon can expose you to as much sun as a trip to the beach!
Again, all this is really for the extreme cases where you want to make no compromises in getting things right and you have the time to do it. To be prepared for occasional finds, I always pack a small yardstick in addition to my iPhone. You never know when you come across something worthy of modelling!
Another reminder: Things don’t last forever — measure it today!
Let’s Get Physical!
Another virtual modelling project has been printed into physical reality. Besides the travelling crane, this wheel lathe will hopefully be the main eye-catcher in the diorama. As usual, the ideal world of the digital model doesn’t transfer into solid resin without some snags.
In particular, some of the tolerances between parts were too tight. I only allowed a few tenths of a millimetre between the dovetail parts of the cross-slides. They needed quite a lot of sanding and scraping, and lost some sharpness in the process. I think I need to redesign these parts and have them reprinted.
As with the radial boring machine, I used some metal parts in addition to the printed resin parts for this model. I find that making elements like axles and centre points in metal gives a sharper, crisper result. The 4 mm steel axles are essentially the backbone of the model. I made these from mild steel and bored them to accept centre points made from leftover pin-point HO axles.
I really enjoy taking things too far, so I ground tool bits from HSS blanks just as I do for my “real” lathe. But they turned out a bit too heavy, so I’ll probably grind finer ones when I make an updated version of the tool posts. I also have to reduce the height of the tool posts a bit, as you can see that the tool sits slightly above the centre line. Even a novice machinist like myself know thats no good!
I toyed with the idea of making an operating model, but I’ve settled for a static one since it’s simply too much hassle to make the gears functional. Thinkering with fine tuned mechansims should be saved for locomotives and railcars!
There’s still some way to go, but I’m happy so far. 3D printing is quite a game-changer for prototype modellers like myself. When I started this diorama, I spent an awful lot of time searching for detail parts and models of machinery from different model manufacturers around the globe. I did find some useful items like tools and bench vices. This was mostly from British manufacturers in 1:43,5 scale (Or 7mm scale for you teadrinkers). I also found a few vintage U.S. white-metal kits on eBay. After som nail-biting late night bidding I won the auctions for a engine lathe, a Universal milling machine, a Power Hacksaw and a pillar drill. Although they’re extremely nice —the castings are small pieces of jewellery— they suffered from two “problems”: the machines weren’t quite the right type, and they’re in American O-scale (1:48) rather than the Scandinavian flavour of 1:45 that I build in. The kits I bought are really collectors item belonging in a model railroad museum, and I still feel a little bad for not building and painting them with the skills that they really deserve. I think it is fair to say that white metal castings are now mostly part of model railroad history. That Sierra West is now reissuing the original CHB machines as 3D printed kits proves my point, I dare say. Another white metal species that is going extinct is the Phoeinix figures represented by the lathe operator in the picture below. He and his metalhead collegues will soon be forced out of their jobs by 3D printed figures by Modelu or some similiar source. As far as white metal figures go the Phoenix range is beautifully sculpted, but put besides figures based on scanned real persons. The competition is unfair to say the least, and I have a sneaking feeling this isn´t just a positive trend.
Maybe I’ll save the CHB machines and the Phoenix figures for a micro-diorama, but until that happens they’ll have to suffer the fate of being extras in the background of my diorama. Which is a shame, since they’re clearly finer models than my 3D-printed, home-brewed ones. The importance of authenticity is a topic for a future post, but (spoiler alert) authenticity matters quite a lot to me.
Can’t wait to see the model painted and weathered, but until then I cheat by posting only black and white images.
Stop Procrastinating!
Even though I spend a lot of time doing digital modelling, I don’t consider it real modelling. If I had the money, I’d outsource it in a heartbeat.
Recently, I finally got around to assembling and painting the cosmetic traction motors for the engine that will be the centrepiece of my workshop diorama. I’ve had mixed results with the airbrush in the past and was afraid I’d ruin those finely printed parts. But there’s a point where procrastination just has to stop — so I decided to get some paint on them.
Even if raw resin looks clean and crisp, it completely lacks the aesthetics of real metalwork. Unpainted brass models, on the other hand, are often so beautiful that I sometimes consider leaving them that way. Just look at the work of the late Attilio Mari.
I tried to take some fancy photos of the resin parts, but they really didn’t cut it. So, to get past my FOFU (Fear of Fucking Up) — I turned to one of the many books I’ve collected on painting and weathering. (Collecting those books, by the way, is part of the same procrastination process — or what could also be called paralysis by analysis.)
This time I picked up the excellent City Tractor by Michael Rinaldi, published by Rinaldi Studio Press. Here’s the link. I decided to follow his advice to the letter. I knew he used Tamiya acrylics, but I had missed one crucial detail: he thin them with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner, not the more common X-20A thinner.
So I followed all his recommendations on air pressure and thinning ratios — and it worked like a charm. No clogging, smooth flow, and an acceptable finish.
That said, I have mixed feelings about all the praise I received for the “hammer paint” finish on the traction motors. It does look good — but it was completely accidental. Still, the results are encouraging, and for the first time I actually look forward to more painting.
The radial drilling machine already looks satisfactory even before weathering. Next time, I’ll aim for a semi-gloss finish as a base coat. It’s both more prototypical and a better surface for washes and other weathering effects.
Appendix: Airbrushing and Paint Systems
1. Tamiya XF-Series Acrylics
Tamiya’s XF-series are water- and alcohol-based acrylics with a matte finish. For the drilling machine, XF-24 (Dark Grey) was thinned 1:1 with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner (yellow cap) and sprayed at an air pressure of approximately 18–20 psi using a double-action airbrush. The lacquer thinner improves flow, adhesion, and surface smoothness compared to Tamiya’s X-20A acrylic thinner.
2. Gloss Level Considerations
The XF-series produces a flat surface that may be less suitable for subjects intended to represent metal or enamel-painted machinery. A semi-gloss or gloss base coat is generally more appropriate for further weathering (washes, filters, or oil rendering).
3. Mr. Color Solvent-Based Acrylics
Mr. Color paints are lacquer-type acrylics with higher pigment density and a wider range of gloss finishes than Tamiya’s X-series (where “X” denotes gloss and “XF” matte). The paints are thinned with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner, which contains retarding agents that improve surface levelling and reduce tip dry. The system allows for very smooth and durable finishes when sprayed in light, controlled coats. Tamiya laquer thinner also works for Mr. Color paint. The traction motors were painted with a semi-gloss acrylic thinned with Tamiya Laquer thinner.
4. Comparative Notes
- Tamiya XF + Tamiya Lacquer Thinner (Yellow Cap): Easy to control, low odour, moderate durability, inherently matte.
- Mr. Color + Leveling Thinner: Higher gloss potential, faster drying, more solvent smell, excellent mechanical strength.
Both systems can be successfully used in scale modelling; choice depends on the desired finish and the modeller’s tolerance for solvent-based materials.
5. Recommended Parameters
- Air pressure: 15–20 psi for detail work; 20–25 psi for larger surfaces.
- Thinning ratio: 1:1 as a starting point.
- Distance: 5–10 cm from the model surface, adjusted according to nozzle size and airflow.
- Surface preparation: Clean with isopropyl alcohol or mild detergent before painting; ensure resin parts are fully cured before painting.
Whomp That Sucker!
Sometimes I question my sanity — or at least my economic sense. I’ve always been a bit uneasy about the lack of proper health and safety (HMS) in my workshop, especially when filing or sanding solder joints that contain lead and cadmium.
Switching to lead-free solder isn’t an option. I’ve tried. The wetting is dreadful, the joints brittle, the results embarrassing. Don’t bother trying to convert me — if you can make it work as well as the now mostly illegal stuff, godspeed. For me, it’s a lost cause. So I use a lead-based 179C for my main solder, with some Carr´s 149C for adding fine details. It is te latter type that contains Cadmium, all 18% of it.
I thought I had things reasonably under control. The workshop is in the basement, strictly off-limits to anyone under sixty. I’ve got an extractor box for airbrushing and soldering, and until recently, a vacuum cleaner with a water filter that I believed would trap the toxic dust. And yes — the dust from lead and cadmium is poisonous.
Then the vacuum died. Repairing it would’ve cost more than it was worth, so I started researching replacements. Big mistake. The more I learned, the clearer it became that what I really needed was a professional unit with an H-grade filtration system — the kind that handles everything short of asbestos.
Now, I admit to letting a fair amount of dangerous stuff into my workshop, but I draw the line at asbestos. (Though I have to admit, it probably makes lovely soldering pads…)
So, H-grade it was. And here I am, the proud owner of a vacuum cleaner that costs more than a state-of-the-art resin 3D printer — including a curing and washing station — with enough change left over for several litres of resin.
Does this make me a responsible craftsman taking health and environment seriously, or a hysterical idiot wasting good money?
This one-man jury is still out.
The heavy stuff with no wittiness or bullshit
Workshop Safety and Filtration Standards
1. H-Grade Filtration
H-class (high hazard) vacuum systems are designed for hazardous dusts. An H14 HEPA filter retains at least 99.995% of airborne particles down to 0.3 micrometres. Machines with this classification comply with EN 60335-2-69 and are intended for industrial or laboratory use where exposure to toxic particulates must be minimized.
2. Lead and Cadmium Hazards
Lead and cadmium are cumulative heavy-metal toxins. Exposure occurs primarily through inhalation or ingestion of dust or fumes. Chronic exposure can affect the nervous system, kidneys, and reproductive organs. Fine dust from soldering, sanding, or polishing joints is the main risk source. Mechanical cleaning methods that generate airborne dust should be avoided.
3. Ventilation and Local Extraction
Soldering and airbrushing should be conducted under localized extraction. Effective systems include downdraft tables or fume hoods equipped with HEPA and activated carbon filters. General room ventilation alone is insufficient to prevent accumulation of toxic particulates and fumes.
4. Safe Work Practices for Lead-Based Materials
- Prohibit eating, drinking, or smoking in the workspace.
- Use disposable gloves or wash hands thoroughly before breaks and after work.
- Use wet-wiping methods instead of dry sweeping.
- Clean surfaces and floors with H-class vacuum systems only.
- Store contaminated waste (filters, wipes, dust) in sealed containers and dispose of it according to local hazardous waste regulations.
5. Maintenance and Equipment Lifespan
H-class vacuum units require regular inspection of seals, hoses, and filters. Filters should be replaced at the manufacturer’s recommended intervals or when airflow decreases. Proper maintenance ensures long-term containment of hazardous particles and maintains compliance with safety standards.
Back to Basic
Outside of locomtives and wagons, track must be the most important thing on a model railway or a diorama with a ferroviarian theme. I will never build a large layout, so I want the modest amount of track that I will build to look as good as possible. So far I have made a couple of test pieces, one of an neglected siding (thinking of it, the railhead should probably have been rusted) and one of a well-kept mainline.
The ties are wood stained with walnut colored ink ( the mainline) and black leather dye dilluted with isopropanol alcohol. Rail is blackened code 125 and code 83 nickle silver The code 125 is a little heavy, so I will use code 100 when things get serious.
The ballast is different grades of crushed stone and sand. Tie plates are etched brass. Spikes are Micro Mark, not looking very good so I have to find an alternative.
It is 0-scale (1/45, 22,22mm gauge), by the way.
So what do you think, say on a grade from 0 to 10? Remember that this is just test pieces, so don´t hold back!
Reality check
A lot of time have lately been spent modeling on the computer, but I still very much consider digital modeling an interim step. The proof is in the printing, or rather, in the building.
Attempting to build the darn things always brings surprises, especially when it comes to the kits I have designed myself on the computer. The first surprise is usually just how tiny some parts are. It’s easy to lose sight of how small a 2mm diameter gear really is when it’s magnified on a large monitor.
I’m also impatient by nature, so I tend to finish parts without thinking enough about how they’ll actually be built. While building challenges and outright errors are less common with 3D-printed parts than with etched ones based on 2D drawings, manipulating subassemblies on a screen is still quite different from handling tiny and brittle physical parts. Tolerances are another aspect I’m still figuring out. For instance, how big should a hole for a 2mm axle be? Should stress-relief channels be included on large, flat parts? Questions like these can only be answered by building the kits; firsthand experience can’t be substituted with Google.
On the plus side, the precision of digitally designed and manufactured parts is incredible and never fails to impress. In fact, before I got into designing 3D-printed parts, I was worried they would look too perfect, with results that might appear stiff or sterile. But given my less-than-perfect building skills, general clumsiness, and tendency to improvise on the spot, the assembled models still have plenty of character and are far from looking “perfect.”
As my design skills and productivity improve, the 3D prints are starting to pile up. So, building and painting should be given a higher priority this modeling season. If my building skills are a bit rusty, I dread to think about my painting abilities. But I suppose I just have to dive in and start experimenting. Another advantage of 3D prints is that if I mess up, I can simply have the parts reprinted.
A final note on 3D-printed kits: I see no point in trying to print everything. Take the crane mechanism in the picture above. To me, it makes more sense to use brass rod for the many long, slim axles in the assembly. It also makes the unpainted model more visually appealing, which is important to me since my models spend an awful long time in an unpainted state!
Distant cousins (5)
You can say a lot of bad things about Facebook, but it is a great place to discover amazing modelling. I don’t remember in which one of the many modelling groups I first came across Nejc Roskar´s work, but I instantly fell for the charm and craftmanship of his models.
Most of my distant cousins have been found in the larger scales, but Nejc models in H0 scale. I am not entirely sure what gauge he uses for his models, but the prototype gauge is 750mm, so I think 9mm is a safe bet. So that engine is tiny, probably just a couple of centimeters long.
The prototype he model is a Slovenian forest railway; The Mislinja Railway-. This is a railway that might be even more obscure than the Thamshavn Railroad! I have tried to find more information about it, but all I could find was a webpage with some pictures and a little text:
GOZDNA ŽELEZNICA MISLINJA – KOMISIJA | MUZEJ NOVEJŠE ZGODOVINE SLOVENIJE
There is also an entry about the railroad on Slovenian Wikipedia. As my Slovenian is a little rusty, I must confess that I used Google read to it…
Forest Railway Mislinja–Commission – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The “Distant Cousin” concept is originally about showing model boxcab electrics that feels a bit related to my own Thamshavn Railway engines, but after I started to explore his Flickr and Instagram accounts I discovered that Nejc is a also a true master of building miniature workshop and sawmill machinery. He scratch builds models in H0 with a level of detailing most of us struggle to achieve in far bigger scales. I really advice you to take a closer look at his work!
More metaphors about journeys and model building
A couple of posts back I argued that for me the destination is the destination. I am not content with the idea that even if you do not arrive at your destination, the journey was still worth the hassle. If you have spent 12 hours on a flight to Tokyo, it is a bit disappointing if the captain announces that Godzilla just ate the city and the plane will return without landing!
Still, it is nice to choose flights with pleasant stopovers. Most of my modeling projects span over several years, and to me, it is essential that there are enjoyable stops along the way. This is one of the reasons I prefer to build my models from “natural” materials like brass, nickel silver, wood, and plaster. With a material palette like this, the unfinished models often have aesthetic qualities that plastic models and 3D prints lack. For metal models, I often enjoy an unpainted model to the point where I am tempted to call it done and leave it as is. Some very fine modelers have drawn this conclusion and do not paint their models. The best example is the late Attilio Mari; it is hard to argue that his models do not look fantastic in the raw. But I dare say that this only works for models that are displayed as standalone objects. Operating on a scenicked layout, they look a bit weird, and a complete train in unpainted metal is just too much.
Even though I never considered leaving my models unpainted, I was very happy with the pictures I took of my unpainted etched brass engine. Long before that, I got a big kick out of the first laminated brass sides for the engine’s body. The picture was taken right after the laminated sides were freshly baked (read: soldered) in the kitchen stove (yep, I was unmarried at the time)
In my opinion, an unfinished wagon underframe built from etched nickle-silver and brass rivets is an object worth displaying in its own right. The handbuilt finescale wheelsets built by master modeller Erik Olsen is not hard on the eyes, either!
So I guess I am retracting a bit from the bombastic conclusion in my last post. Maybe it isn’t essential to arrive at the final destination if there have been some enjoyable stops along the way.
Remembrance Of Trains Past 
