3D printing the details for my switch tower.

Wow! Awesome project! Keep us posted.

if you can provide the drawings i can laser cut the building for you to assemble

@AlanRail posted:

if you can provide the drawings i can laser cut the building for you to assemble

I appreciate the offer, but I already have the styrene brick and shingles.

Great project! JohnA

Still a lot of work to do (filling seams, printing the chimney, gutters, etc.) but it's starting to take shape... Cellar level will be made separately, since it needs to reside on a hill, and I don't have a hill handy just yet.

Wasn't happy with the length of the piece under the bay windows, so I replaced that. Also noticed that they added a 2nd window to the first floor on the side facing the Raritan which isn't on the drawings, so I added that. Placement of the first is a bit off, but it was either that or re-do the entire side of the building. I have the 2nd floor lighted, but apparently I need to put something in there to prevent the light from shining through the roof... You can see the (3d printed) railing around the stairwell, and the bathroom wall on the inside. Still need to add the copper gutters and fill the cracks, but it's coming along nicely. Don't suppose anyone has any pics showing what the inside looked like?

Slight update. Have the gutters (and chimney) on, stopped the light from leaking through the roof. The gutters were a pain, since I needed to piece them together as I can't print them long enough for the entire length of the roof, and the corners are separate pieces.

There are (3d printed) lockers on the rear wall of the 2nd floor, as per the proposed plans. Still need to find out what sort of interlocking machine was in here. Since there's a "relay room" on the 1st floor, I'm assuming it'll be without mechanical levers, but I want to confirm that.

Have a chair printed to go at the desk in the bay window, and a clock for the wall. I have the rain downspouts added on the sides since this pic was taken, but I still need to connect them to the gutters. Also need to add "copper" flashing to the chimney top. This week will likely be spent filling, sanding and painting the slight gaps between panels.

Working on the interior. 3D Printed a file cabinet, radio and microphone, and printed out several train orders (unfortunately not legible at scale) and a couple of pin-up calendars to go with the phone and the chair. Once I figure out what interlocking machine was in there, that'll be added too, and it should be done (except for the cellar level). There is a large relay rack in the relay room on the 1st floor, and a hallway from the door to both the 2nd floor, cellar, and relay room. An ashtray would really finish it off...

While it's not allowed these days, it wasn't uncommon to find a railroad employee or two back in the day having a drink or two. To facilitate this bit of historical accuracy, I'm made the world's smallest can of Schaeffer beer (Shaeffer's brewery in Newark was served by the CNJ).

Note the holes in the top from the churchkey, and the seam in the side of the steel can. It's conveniently located on the desk, in front of the phone and Motorola radio... I should probably mention that the beer can isn't 3D printed, it's simply a small dowel with a printed label glued on. I tried printing one, but at a scale 1/8" high, it wasn't happening. It's also probably about the scale size of a Fosters can rather than a regular beer can.

Working on the interlocking machine tonight (US&S Model 14, with 23 positions), hopefully will have the entire tower finished (except for the cellar) by the weekend!

I could add more detail, but this should be fine for my purposes. Printed out the panel with the levers and indicators, doing the main body tomorrow.

The original Korber Models Company (owned by the late Ernie Korber) located in Perth Amboy, NJ made accurate O gauge models of CNJ ( and NY&LB) brick interlocking towers. This type of tower had ep/Electro Pneumatic switch machines inside...so your model interior is correct.

The wooden construction towers on the CNJ/NY&LB such as Red Bank, Matawan, Sea Girt all used Armstrong levers.

Going to college in the late 1960's, I worked as a CNJ Towerman, qualified on all CNJ towers from PS/Phillips Street in Jersey City, NJ to PU/Phillipsburg in Phillipsburg, NJ and Branches.

PS-Phillips Street, Jersey City - brick construction

HY- Van Nostrand Ave,, Jersey City - brick construction

BV-Bayonne, NJ - brick construction

BD-Bay Draw Bridge - brick construction

FH-Singers Elizabethport, NJ - brick construction

RU-Elizabethport, NJ - brick construction

GW-Spring Street Elizabeth, NJ - wood construction

XC-Cranford Jct Cranford, NJ - brick construction

QUEEN-Plainfield, NJ - brick construction

RK-Bound Brook Jct., Bound Brook, NJ - wood construction

RA-Raritan, NJ - brick construction

WEST END-Hampton, NJ wood construction

PU-Phillipsburg, NJ - brick construction

CY - Oak Island, Newark, NJ - brick construction

PD - Passaic Draw, Kearny, NJ on a bridge - wood construction

WY - Bayway, Elizabethport, NJ - brick construction

WC - Woodbridge Jct., Woodbridge, NJ - brick construction

Enjoy the photos. Historical RR photos I was able to save (before they were thrown out as garbage) from CRR-NJ Publicity Dept. when Jersey City offices closed in 1967...some I photographed and all now in my collection.

Walter

Photos left to right:

SA - SOUTH AMBOY                         BD - BAY DRAW

CY-Oak Island                                                                                 PD-Port Reading

In Pennsylvania ?                                                                           WO - Barber Sewaren, NJ

FH Singers Elizabethport, NJ

Fabulous Photos, Detail and Thread!!!  Thank You

@Walter Matuch posted:

The original Korber Models Company (owned by the late Ernie Korber) located in Perth Amboy, NJ made accurate O gauge models of CNJ ( and NY&LB) brick interlocking towers. This type of tower had ep/Electro Pneumatic switch machines inside...so your model interior is correct.

The wooden construction towers on the CNJ/NY&LB such as Red Bank, Matawan, Sea Girt all used Armstrong levers.

Going to college in the late 1960's, I worked as a CNJ Towerman, qualified on all CNJ towers from PS/Phillips Street in Jersey City, NJ to PU/Phillipsburg in Phillipsburg, NJ and Branches.

Walter, thanks for the valuable info and great pictures! Didn't know about those Korber kits, it appears some are still available on that large auction site and at a few hobby stores.

Magicland...ok. Check out those original Korber towers to make sure box has all parts. By the way, the Mr. Muffin Bakery is re-running the 927 version. I sent you a PM to your email address with questions in case you missed it.

Photo is LANES CROSSING, west of Raritan, NJ yard.

Walter

And here's the printed interlocking machine. On this size one, I should have probably gone with only 2 pieces for the top instead of 3, but it'll do.

I modelled a BEER CAN. just to see how small this would be.

6 pack

Magicland, what are you using for your 3D software?  It appears to be working very well for you, so I'm curious. I've tried several packages, and nothing has really clicked for me yet - they all seem to be either too simple or too complicated.

Dale

@Pennsylover posted:

Magicland, what are you using for your 3D software?  It appears to be working very well for you, so I'm curious. I've tried several packages, and nothing has really clicked for me yet - they all seem to be either too simple or too complicated.

Dale

I use 3DStudio max. Probably overkill for the stuff I'm currently doing, but I've been using it for years, since I used to design 3D trains and other items for the "Trainz" computer rail simulator.

@AlanRail posted:

I modelled a BEER CAN. just to see how small this would be.

Only trouble with modeling a beer can is actually printing it. In 1/48 scale, it'd be about 1/8 of an inch high. That and the era. Need steel cans for anything prior to the 60's. Rim size is exaggerated, but if it isn't, on the print you'll never see it.

Tower is pretty much done (except for the cellar level, which will be made separately so that the tower can be used before it moves to its "forever home", as I don't currently have room to re-create South Amboy. Printed a guy to work in it, and put him to work...

View of the back wall. The track board is from a photo of the actual one, but sadly as it existed when removed from the tower, not when it was in full operation in the 40s-50s. The flyover to the yards before the hole-in-the wall (and the Amboy secondary) is gone, as are the engine storage tracks.

And added a small addition to hold the tower at the end of the buffet diorama... You can't see it in this pic, but I also added a waste stack vent to the roof over the bathroom.

bear cans

I'm going to try printing at 50mu and 25mu to see how well it prints.

kind of small!!

printed with a layer thickness of 0.05 mm

@AlanRail posted:

kind of small!!

printed with a layer thickness of 0.05 mm

Wow, those came out fabulous! I can't manage parts that tiny with my filament printer.

@Magicland posted:

The paint on all the little details really makes the scene there! I love how you did the wood floor and all the dials and handles.

my printer has a smaller resolution with .025mm per layer for gray resin but it's a beta.

my first 3D printer was a filament printer but i find the resin printers have better resolution.

Ken - i can print your engine on my printer for comparison; I would print the handrails as well.

let me know I would need your .stl file.  (send by private message)

@AlanRail posted:

my printer has a smaller resolution with .025mm per layer for gray resin but it's a beta.

my first 3D printer was a filament printer but i find the resin printers have better resolution.

Ken - i can print your engine on my printer for comparison; I would print the handrails as well.

let me know I would need your .stl file.  (send by private message)

I appreciate the offer Alan. I'm not sure if you'd be able to print the locomotive without splitting it up (most resin printers I know of have relatively small beds-- can yours fit an 8" x 3" x 2" part?), but I have a small diesel horn component that I have been unable to produce with my machine. I will PM you the STL for that so you can check it out.