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NC&StL 450 looks pretty good for her sixty years of service to Tennessee. Typically, the 2-8-0’s were used for everything imaginable and roamed the entire system. My engine 450 is originally a United B&O C27ca, and has had a few details rearranged and a new brass Vandy tender fitted. It can be changed back to B&O in about ten minutes to preserve its collector value. |
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Next to the Kayne Ave Roundhouse are the ready tracks, dead track and scrap pile. Unprototypically, and to add interest, I have added a Walthers gantry crane as an extension of stall number four. There is a drop pit here and other service features. A busy place, since all steam is now serviced here in the model transition era. |
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The City of Memphis tail car in process of building it. Twenty-seven hand cut window openings in the scratch made sides and ends are done and their separate glazeings to come after painting. The end material needed to be thin like the rest of the car so the windows would look right all around, and cold bent styrene would not stay put. So a special male/female mold was made to heat form the styrene to the right shapes. The end side windows are thankfully flat glass. |
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Because engine 576 has been located in Nashville’s Centennial Park since 1953, it was a focal point of my steam interest. Till recently, no models of this wonderful engine were available, so I built my own! Many visits to the old home town and to 576 for photos and measurements, I created this version of it in brass. It uses Commercial parts for details, and some mechanical parts. It has a full cab interior and a signature feature of cab lights to highlight that detail. Can motor, flywheel, constant lighting, etc. make it quite useful as capable model motive power. |
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My wife Maryann outdid herself with this photo, combining several backgrounds to get the rainbow effects and individually “stringing” telegraph/phone lines. By now, you know this is Shops area. The finished photo is an award winner based on a 2 Mp digital original. |
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Titled “Runnin’ Late”, this picture is of 535 with the City of Memphis departing Nashville late in the afternoon. The “City” normally departed from tracks under Union Station, not the westbound (north facing) main. Maryann combined a proper Nashville skyline for this direction of view with a digital 2Mp image and lighted the headlight. Otherwise, it is as it was that day…and another first place photo for Maryann. |
© Tom
& Maryann Knowles, 1996 - 2011