Large Scale Central

Favorite Builds

There are so many good build threads on this site that it might be a good idea to gather them together in one spot (John Passaro’s idea). I offer this as a possible spot. Here are the basic “rules” for using this topic:

  • please only put up builds done by somebody else

  • the build should be complete

  • it is best if the build shows enough detail to illustrate the techniques

  • start with a link to the build topic

  • show one or two photos (probably a final look)

  • maybe include a short sentence or two about why this build was one of your favorites

  • any kind of model is fine (structure, rolling stock, powered, etc.)

  • no commentary here, please leave comments on the original topic. but thanks for the entry here might be a good way to show that others think that’s a favorite too

What do you think? I’ll start it off with one of my favorites as the next post.

Hale & Norcross by Cliff Jennings [link]

This build was awesome for several reasons: incredibly complex, stretches the boundary of using 3D printing and laser scribing, based on a real prototype, teaches us all a lot about technique and what didn’t work, and best of all it is a fantastic model.

This is one of my favorites, by Dave Maynard, a masterpiece of scratchbuilding if you ask me and I’d take them off him in a heartbeat if he would.

Here’s the link: https://www.largescalecentral.com/albums/shannon-car-shops/12006 (Maynard, if there’s a build thread somewhere, send me the link and I’ll edit this to include the link.)

and a couple of pictures:

Three of my favorite builds are cranes/derricks, two from last year’s Challenge and one more recent.

One is Devon’s Sinsley’s Canyon Creek Railway MOW 0302 (build thread, https://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/29038/devon-s-2019-mik-build-steam-crane):

Another is Rick Marty’s equally impressive and well-crafted and detailed crane for the South Fork Timber Company (build thread, https://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/29041/rick-s-mik-2019):

And also, the recently-finished derrick by Cliff Jennings, V&T Derrick #50 (build thread, https://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/29405/v-amp-t-derrick-50/view/post_id/389029):

Ray Dunakin scratch built an extremely nice railcar [link].

I really enjoyed Ray’s technique with styrene and brass as he built this flawless railcar. He also made the people to ride in it.

Dennis Rayon created cliffhangers [link]

I just love the character that Dennis puts into his buildings and this is no exception. He also loves to play with different techniques and in this case has found an interesting way to use 3D printing to build self-aligning building structures.

Mike Dorsch’s wood chip, bulkhead and centerbeam

car builds

https://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/30271/modern-freight-car-build/view/post_id/399532

I decided to delete my post, because I hadn’t really read the instructions.(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-embarassed.gif)

Thanks guys, great thread!!

I hate to do this …. Roosta’s … Amtrak builds…

(https://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/5a/ab/01/1a8b0_b537.JPG?c=7f7d)

(https://www.largescalecentral.com/public/user/19129/19129_e8a5.jpg?c=936d)

Next you’ll want to bring up the mechanical marvel “Utility” that he built.

https://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/16185/cvrr-utility-17

As a reminder:

  • we’re looking for good builds, not good builders

  • we’d love to have a link to the original build

  • it would be great to have a couple of photos to seduce us into visiting the build topic

  • your key insights as to why this is a good build is also really helpful

With luck we can end up with a place where good builds can be gathered as a reference. I personally find the builds here to be incredibly helpful.

If you are trying to search for an old build, here’s a tip: add “site:largescalecentral.com” (without the quotes) into a google search and you will only get results from this site.

Cheers!

for me there are three builders not builds

i know this is slightly off topic but I cannot resist acknowledging the people how have inspired me, in no particular order.

Burl ruce

http://burlrice.com/_LS_Gallery/

the late brian briggs

https://s1044.photobucket.com/user/DTI973/library/G%20Scale%20projects?page=1

and marty cozad

https://grw.trains.com/issues/2003/february-2003

Bruce Chandler created a Bucket Coal Station [link]. Bruce has a nice collection of a lot of his work on the site too [link].

Nice details built out of odds and ends leading to a great model, and based on a real prototype.

Jim Rowson said:

As a reminder:

  • we’re looking for good builds, not good builders

  • we’d love to have a link to the original build

  • it would be great to have a couple of photos to seduce us into visiting the build topic

  • your key insights as to why this is a good build is also really helpful

With luck we can end up with a place where good builds can be gathered as a reference. I personally find the builds here to be incredibly helpful.

If you are trying to search for an old build, here’s a tip: add “site:largescalecentral.com” (without the quotes) into a google search and you will only get results from this site.

Cheers!

Is this limited to LSC members or the whole G community?

Folks who posted here or those who mostly posted elsewhere?

Thanks

John: Shucks, I don’t care. I just want to see awesome builds. Again this is about builds, not about builders.

I’d like to cite Vic Smith’s inventive works, many times in a “pizza layout” approach like the Angry Beaver. He walks through the whole build, step by step, which I really enjoy.

Like John C., a lot of Vic’s builds were on a different forum, and unfortunately, IIRC, a lot of Vic’s photos were lost during a malfunction in that site.

Vic’s work is fun, filled with detail, and often uses novel techniques. And his builds usually have a bit of humor to them, such as the angry beaver gnawing away at a trestle bent:

===>Cliffy

Maybe we just need a MIK challenge II

Bill Barnwell said:

Maybe we just need a MIK challenge II

A few years back I proposed a “back to school” challenge as I’m a school teacher for the month of Aug or Sept. but it never caught on.

David Marconi,FOGCH said:

Next you’ll want to bring up the mechanical marvel “Utility” that he built.

https://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/16185/cvrr-utility-17

Thank you Hollywood as I’m honored and just a peon compared to the masters here. Most of my pics are gone on the builds but one of my favorites was of Conrail #9 that I built for Charlie Zimmerman a few years back along with Lemo Tower. Educated myself heavily on both of those with the history and specs.

Abiding by Jim’s thread rules …https://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/16185/cvrr-utility-17/view/post_id/370614

Good thread Jim/John and there is A TON of old school builds that are on LSC which have inspired and helped me over the years.

I would throw these suggestions into the ring:

Hollywood’s BL2

Dennis Rayon’s monstrous Mine and stamp mill

Ken Brunt’s raised layout

I will try to track down and post links to these build logs later.

Thanks Jim for a great thread.