With Christmas just around the corner, it marks the end of a very busy period for me and the start of a much-needed break.  But it won’t be a break from my trains or 3D printing, in fact it gives me a chance to get back into some of the projects which have fallen behind.

One of the projects I’m keen to get on with is the HO scale RT-624 and HO DT6-6-2000.  The RT-624, as shown below in N Scale, and the DT6-6-2000 have been very popular models and I’ve had a lot of requests to produce them in HO.  I did start this a while ago but was stopped in my tracks when Shapeways had their first big price re-structure which made the HO version very expensive.  But since they’ve had their second price re-structure the price now looks a lot more accommodating.

The other project which I’m keen to get finished is the N scale Union Pacific Rotary Snow Plow, number 900081.  I last posted about that in April of 2018, which surprised me how long ago it was!

In the new price structure, Shapeways have also made it not as expensive to print things the right way up as it used to be. This is important as it ensures the best surface finish where we want it, without costing the earth.

By grouping parts together I’ve also managed to bring the cost of models down and will be doing this with the new models.  This group of parts for a pair of Alco C-855 locomotives has everything in it except the main shells, and they’re all attached in places where it won’t show on the model, as well as having the best surfaces facing up.

Being able to do this with models has helped a lot and the difference is clearly visible.  Below is an N Scale EMD DD35, number 85B, which has just been finished for a customer.  It was printed the right way up and has a smooth finish enabling the paint to take perfectly.  This allows the decals to adhere to the model without any bumps, or areas that don’t stick and start to peel off when handled.  As well as the see-through corridor in the middle, it also has an ESU LokSound decoder with the twin motors which can be started independently from each other.  It looks and sounds fantastic.

I’ve also started looking into a new project that will make Santa Fe fans happy; I’ll share with you in the New Year, but I must finish the others first!

So I’ll be using the holiday break to get back to drawing again, but for now I wish you all a Happy Christmas and I look forward to sharing the upcoming work with you in the New Year.