Shopsmith Forums

That is a TON of work, and truely a fine job.
My kids would say, "thats sick man!"
Thanks for the pics, you should be proud of such an accopmlishment at that age! I think I was putting chrome valve covers on a 74 charger at that age and I thought I was proud of that.............sick man sick.

mrhart wrote:That is a TON of work, and truely a fine job.
My kids would say, "thats sick man!"
Thanks for the pics, you should be proud of such an accopmlishment at that age! I think I was putting chrome valve covers on a 74 charger at that age and I thought I was proud of that.............sick man sick.

And I thought 'Awesome' was 'bad'!:D

mrhart wrote:I think I was putting chrome valve covers on a 74 charger at that age and I thought I was proud of that.............sick man sick.

Do you still have that Charger? Now THAT would be awesome!!!

michaeltoc wrote:Do you still have that Charger? Now THAT would be awesome!!!

No sir I wasn't that smart.

Thanks for sharing the closeups of your train. There are not enough words to express what an outstanding work of craftsmanship you did!! With all the detail involved, it must have taken many, many hours to complete it. Wow!!!

I have a copy of the Nov/Dec 1983 issue of Hands On. See the attached files for the scanned pages with the toy train pattern. Hope it helps.

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I just wish I could get SS tools for the prices listed in that issue!

Here is a comparison for the fun of it on the exploded view of the train. This would match the second pdf you attached. This one has a few more pieces.

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Thank you very much for the pdf scans though. This would be a good one for a kid to play with possibly, with a few modifications.

Thanks to all for the compliments. It took me from September to May to finish the train in one year. I had 1 1/2 hours a day at school and a lot more at home, while balancing a varsity sport and school work. Turned out ok though and I matched the challenge my shop teacher gave me.

The comments about a teen completing it being incredible is about right. I say that because we had a county fair I entered it into and I got disqualified. The judge, who made a few trains himself like the pdf scans, said it came from a kit and a high school kid could not have done it. We went through an appeal at the fair and the judge then swore he didn't disqualify it for being a kit, after telling personally that was the reason, but because the case was not good quality. I made a cheap glass case in a day to protect it from the fair dust, just dado cuts on some red oak and glass to cover. I still have that case covering the train today as it is now a story. It is off in the pictures as I took it off to clean the glass this last fall.

Glad to see some appreciation from fellow wood workers. It makes my day

spiderclimber wrote:Ok here a few different angles and a little closer up of the train.

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Absolutly fantastic details on those pictures where we can appreciate all the work that must gone on those pieces.
Are the wheels moving for real ?

camerio wrote:Absolutly fantastic details on those pictures where we can appreciate all the work that must gone on those pieces.
Are the wheels moving for real ?

unfortunately, the plans were not constructed to make the wheels move freely. Everything is glued into place. I wish they could move but I am just not that good

Oh well, everything look so good.
I am a little boy with a train (62 years old but still). When I was 5 years old, I got a Lionel train set and my mother use to set it up running under the christmas tree, the tree was set up on a wooden box with holes through it, which the train would go in, turn 90 degres and reappear. My father and my uncles ( all Canadian National Railway employees ) were the one playing with the train. And when in the evening all the light were off, except for the christmas tree and the engine head light, it still is the best souvenir of my childhood. Anyway seeing your work brought back those nice memories.

When I was 16, my parent's house burn down and the train was lost with the house. Nobody got hurt and as I was cleaning the ashes of the house, during the next summer, I would find some pieces of tracks and a few other remains of the train, but nothing left of it really. Still the memories of those chrismases are the best.

Thank for that and even if the wheels dont turn, it is, to me, a work of art that got my memory turning to those days.