Train Layout (Part 2)

Over the weekend I bought an artificial turf rug. Amazing what a difference it made. 

The Joe that started it all

My first GI Joe was the straight arm Short Fuse. This Joe started many many year of enjoyment in Joe collecting. But like most Joes owned by little kids he did see ruff times. I still have the figure but sadly he has a broken pelvic along with both thumbs broken off. Over the weekend I did some trading with a friend and ended up with another straight arm Short Fuse. I am very excited to get this figure again.

Train Layout (Part 1)

4' x 7' layout on the floor of my collection room. There will be more pieces of rolling stock adding in the future. Maybe a couple more gondolas, flat cars and rail command center that will be a scratch built project.

Railroad Track

Got to have track if you are going to run a train. For this I went with LGB G scale brass track for a couple reasons. Eventually I like to do a couple outside dioramas and LGB brass track is relative easy to find. This track is made to be used outside and easy to work with and handle. There are quite a few manufactures out there for G scale track so this is really something you can chose what you prefer to use. A little advice don't mix tracks from different manufactures.

There are different sizes of curve track and different lengths of straight track. I went with a 4 foot radius curve and 1 foot lengths of straight. 

I also have 2 switches a left and right hand. These match the sectional track that I am using. There 1 foot long with a 4 foot radius curvature. 

GI Joe Crane

A crane was something else I figure that would be handy for the train. How else will they unload equipment and material from the gondola. This is and LGB crane that was painted yellow. I only painted the chassis of the crane leaving the boom and motor yellow.

GI Joe Gondola

One car that has multiple uses in a gondola. These are basically flat cars with low sides that can haul anything from vehicle and equipment to any type of supplies and material.

This car was relatively easy to take apart and paint. Only removed 2 screws and that dropped the wheels off. A cleaning in warm soap and water and then painting with the same olive drab as the locomotive and the car was done.

GI Joe Engine (Part 2)

The engine was hard to disassemble. There are 4 screws and the couplers holding the chassis on the body of the engine. Once the chassis is off there are 8 tabs holding the body together. I had to use multiple small screw drives to get the body disassembled. Took close to an hour to get everything apart.

Next I washed and cleaned the parts in warm soapy water. This will remove any oil or grease and give the paint a clean surface. I use an olive drab color on the engine. I only painted the yellow portion of the shell. I sprayed multiple lite coats, and making sure all the areas that will be seen was covered and now yellow showing.

I let the paint dry for a around 12 hours before reassembling the locomotive. Reassembling was much easier the taking it apart.

 

GI Joe Engine (Part 1)

The Playmobil engine is a yellow 2 axle engine. The roof is removable so the cab can be accessed. The engine is also radio controlled, with built in sound and lights controlled with a wireless remote.  Another plus for this engine is it can be ran on G scale track made for outdoor use.

Compared to a figure the engine does look a little small but it will pass for a narrow gauge engine.

With the roof removed 2 figures can be put inside.

The controller to the engine is a decent size. Has a power button, a channel button incase multiple engines are being ran. forward and reveres knob. and 3 additional buttons for engine sounds, Light on and off, and a horn.   

The GI Joe Railway cannon

This is the first piece I did for the GI Joe train. I took parts from a G scale hopper cars and scrach built the ends to mate up with the Thunderclap section. This piece turned out better then what I expected. When the Thunderclap section is not being used each end is connected by a bar that allow the car to be transported with-in a train.

The end pieces connected to the Thunderclap section.

GI Joe Train

Trains have always been part of my life for as long as I can remember. From my mom drawing a line on a piece of paper while going to church with little circles under it for the wheels, to collecting model trains to me actually working as a conductor on CSX railroad.

At one time Hasbro planned on a train set for the GI Joe RAH line but due to price concerns it was never produced.

A few years back I found a blog by a modeler that goes by the name Oreobuilder that does G.I. Joe customs and one of his customs was a Joe train using the Playmobil train set and cars. This was the motivation I needed to do my own train set.

The Ups and Downs of collecting.

I started collecting GI Joe ARAH since the start. First figure was Short Fuse (straight arm) and first vehicle was the Armadillo. I still have both but Short Fuse is missing a couple thumbs tho.

Over the years my collection got larger, and then I stop collecting after the Neon Joe's came out. My interest then turned to model trains and Star Wars. It wasn't until a few years later after I moved that my interest in Joes started again after digging all my old stuff out. I forgot how cool the vehicles, playset and figures was, so I went back collecting.

Then the unthinkable happen, MARRAGE, and the collection was stored once again, but not due to the wife. We needed the room. At that time we only lived in a 2 bedroom house. So a year and 1 day after marriage a new addition to the family arrived and the collection room was made into a nursery. I still collected, but I couldn't display and as soon as I bought something for the collection it went into storage.

A couple years later, we bought a larger house and moved again, even tho this place was 3 bedroom the collection stayed in storage. But the following year an addition was built onto the house and this addition was strictly for the collections.

A few years after the addition was built there was another set back. I had to have surgery on both knees and was out of work for 5 months. Terrified about the bills, parts of each collections were sold off. The Joe collection took the hardest hit, due to selling the Flagg, and some convention vehicles, TRUs vehicles and figures and other things.

After getting back to work and back on our feet , the collecting started once again. I'm slowly getting everything back that I sold off. I know some pieces I'll probably never get back, but for me the thrill of finding something for the collection is one of the best parts of this hobby. 

Yo Joe, 

Vintage Star Wars Wampa

I have had this Star Wars Wampa for years and since I have had it, it has been yellowed. While looking on Youtube I found a page called Toy Polloi. I recommend checking it out.  He demonstrated how he he use Preoxide to unyellow figures. I figured I would try my hand at it and I would use the Wampa as my guinea pig. I made a trip to the locale Walmart to get 3 bottles of Peroxide. I put the Wampa in a clear Rubbermade container and pour the Peroxide in enough to cover the Wampa and then put it in a gallon Zip Loco bag and sat it out in the sun. I left it in the sun for 2 days. and I was impressed with the results. 

Before picture. The Wampa was really yellowed and even dirty. It has been washed many times and the it was stained. 

After picture. Its white. Well close enough for me. May do a few paint touch ups but i'm impressed.

Welcome

Welcome to my Blog. I will be posting custom figures from GI Joe, Star Wars and other toy lines that I customizes. Enjoy the ride.