300th post and over 200,000 views post!

It's my first post in about a month to this blog and it's also a milestone one.  This is my 300th post to this blog and sometime over this week, I went over 200,000 views on the blog.  Pretty neat and thanks for check out my blog to make this happen!  Not a whole lot happening on the model railroad in the last month.  I've been helping out my buddy Mike at Makin' Tracks: www.makemytracks.com with train shows and we've had the Timonium show on which I posted about.  We also did a show in Virginia Beach and the following weekend did the Neuse River show in Raleigh, NC.  So you can see why it's been tough to get a blog post done or do anything on the railroad.  We pick back up in December and a show list is below.

 I did just complete some cars for a client so I'm clear sailing on the layout now.  At the Raleigh show, I did have the chance to witness the enormous Sipping and Switching modular layout.  It was neat to see so much railroad under one rather large roof!

Also, hope to post during the few days I have off next week but have a great Thanksgiving and be safe in your travels!

Makin' Tracks Schedule:
Dec. 1-2 @ Timonium, MD Greenberg Train Show (Maryland State Fairgrounds)
Dec 15-16 @ Chantilly, VA Greenberg Train Show (Dulles Expo Center)
Dec. 29-30 @ Virginia Beach, VA Greenberg Train Show (VA Beach Convention Center)
Jan. 19-20 Richmond, VA (Raceway complex)
Feb. 2-3 Great Scale Model Train Show Timonium, MD (MD State Fairgrounds)
Feb. 23-24 Fredericksburg, VA (Fredericksburg Expo Center)

They have been in MR a few times and other publications

One LARGE layout!  Yes it goes all the way in the back of the building by the guys standing in the distance.

One of my favorites, a BQ23-7

Modeling a specific prototype: Shapeways makes it possible to model a BQ23-7

I have always been interested in rare or different looking locomotives.  My personal favorite locomotive is the unique CF7.  Another odd and ugly looking locomotive is the BQ23-7.  The
BQ23-7 would actually set the standard for wide cab locomotives that we see today.  The Q stood for quarters which could comfortably house the crew of the train without a caboose.  As we know, the caboose's days were numbered.    It was mainly a different cab for a standard B23-7. The SCL ordered 10 of the BQ23-7's in the late 1970's.  They went to CSX through the merger in the mid 1980's and remained with CSX until the late 1990's.   As you might know, the BQ23-7 did not catch on and were actually considered dangerous by CSX.  They were rated to only trail position, reclassified as B units and even had their windows plated over.

The 10 BQ23-7's were all in FLS paint and were originally numbered 5130-5139 (Photo by Raymond Stewart RRpicturesarchives.net)

Windows plated over and rated as a B unit.  (Photo by Ken Roble  RRpicturesarchives.net)

CSX paint.  (Photo by Sam Beck RRpicturesarchives.net)

#3001B  (Photo by Richard Gorddard Beck RRpicturesarchives.net)

To model this locomotive, you have a few choices: a expensive OMI brass one (did see one for $300 one time) or the terrible Bachmann one from the 1990's.  They even painted one Chessie!  Enter Shapeways.  Shapeways is the a 3D printing company that's been around for a few years.  I accidentally stumbled on a N scale BQ23-7 cab while browsing the Shapeways offerings.  Of course this did not help me.  I emailed the producer and asked if he planning on making a HO one.  He promptly emailed me back that he was.  I finally could produce a quality BQ23-7 without a complete scratchbuild or breaking the bank.  Atlas produces the B23-7 now so one could be easily made. Shapeways has many different things for the HO modeler like complete freight cars, vehicles and tiny detail parts. Make sure you check out their  model trains page.  You just might find what your looking for!

The Shapeways BQ23-7 cab

Another view.  Primer gray has been added

Atlas undecorated B23-7

The shell fits right on the shell.