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On self-reliance, thrift, and marriage preservation.
So, you can almost definitely tell from the previous articles that I love saving equipment from the rubbish bin. It does not have to cost a lot of money, too. Many people spend much money on expensive models and if that is you, I wish I could, too. With our first child about to be born, gas at the highest it has ever been, inflation skyrocketing, and stagflation setting in, I fell back on what our ancestors did to save us from that problem. I hoarded. I even hoarded cheap/broken/unloved/unwanted models. If you look at the depression kid generation, at the time this is written (grandparents to great-grandparents) it is still almost in living memory. My grandparents saved everything. We all remember the drawer filled with plastic bags, the twisty ties from the grocery store, and so on. They did this because they had to to survive. Everything costs money. The worse our economy gets because of politics, the more this is gonna hurt all of us. Therefore, if I save money today, that money is saved for something else I want/need to get later. This concept is so hard to teach to my students nowadays.
With that now being said, what does this have to do with the junk box? Well, one man's junk is another man's treasure. When I was growing up, my family did not have all the money to spend like others. My family husbanded the resources we had. Thus, by taking care of the resources we had, and saving some for a rainy day, we never had a major problem. I remember a big blizzard when I was young. The entire town had no electricity for a week. After 2 days most of our neighbors ran out of food. Many had not cut any firewood even if they had a fireplace. Our neighbors had to pin their rescue on the hope that the County, State, or the National Guard would be able to save them. Not my family. We had 2 months' worth of food saved, and enough firewood chopped to last several weeks. We just camped in the living room around the fireplace very comfortably. It was like camping in the house. We told stories, read books, I worked on a model. Yes, from the junk box. It was fine for us.
The problem is not so much keeping the broken equipment, odds and ends, or whatever you want to call them. The problem is storing them. Most people just have boxes and boxes laying everywhere. I can sympathize, but the cold hard truth is that is the fastest way to have your significant other demand an end to your hobby time. That is what turns the junk box from Heaven sent into Evil refuse. Making sure everything is tidied up can be a bore. Especially after a long or bad day at work. However, if you remember that drawer I referred to earlier, our grandparents kept it perfectly organized. That is so it can be easily found when needed.
Wherever I go, I look for deals. Even at a yard sale. That is not to say if someone says that is $50 I offer $2. I believe in paying a fair amount for something. As the antidote to this junk box idea, I will finally pull this article together... Here is the story of how I spent a lovely afternoon off.
Resurrecting Trevor the Tractor for 1900. The secret art of super detailing from the junk box.
One day, on the way home from work, I stopped at a yard sale. I did this for no particular reason. Really, my excuse was only it was a lovely day, and I felt like stopping. I walked around a bit, not seeing anything really I was particularly interested in. Saying good afternoon to the middle-aged woman having to chase around what I assume was her grandchild while conducting the transactions. He was a very fleet-footed little fellow to be sure. Then, a younger man came out from the basement and placed upon the table some old toys. We all remember the childhood castoffs from our youth as we get older. Contained within this box of formerly priceless childhood treasures was an old die cast model Trevor the tractor from Shining Time Station like the picture shows. With its funnel broken off, almost no paint left on it, and a lightly musty basement smell. I said, "Beautiful day", and the young man returned the compliment. We then fell into easy conversation.
It was the age old story. Young man grows up, sells his toys, and leaves for college. I offered a few hard learned tips on my part for his next step in life. A big one is never buy your school books at the campus store, always try to buy them elsewhere. I usually used Amazon. It was the difference between $250 a course book and $25. I asked him how much Trevor was and he said 50 cents. Trevor was his favorite in the Thomas line up, and not just because it was his name. He had always wanted to give his well loved toy a second life, but had grown away from such toys. I reached into my pocket, took out my wallet, and found no change. Also, in beaten up condition, these normally sell for several dollars on eBay. Smiling, I handed him $3 and wished him the best of luck at college.
After I had gotten home that Friday, I rested. It had been a long week and, that Saturday, I ran a few errands for my wife, and my parents. After lunch, I suddenly realized to my surprise, I had finished the honey-do list! Now with the afternoon off, I decided to see what could be done for poor Trevor. Unfortunately, I forgot to get a before photo. My wife teased me, saying it was because I was so distraught at the state he was in.
This is by no means a "prototypical" piece of equipment. That being said, this is a M.N.Y.R.R. I have many people email me with questions or comments. These are all welcome, but some people do get very upset if it is not perfect in their eyes. I very politely tell them I am not perfect, either, and please remember... It is My Not Your Rail Road. That's what I love about this hobby. Every model is unique.
After searching in the junk box, I found a plastic smoke stack, a plastic whistle, a plastic safety valve, half a plastic Civil War soldier, 2 metal sprue parts from a casting, and 3 metal sides to a mine dump car. That's all the parts I needed! The 3 metal parts were used on the water tank for extra detail and to hide the bar to mount the running wheel. The plastic smokestack, whistle, and safety valve were from the dog-savaged Bachmann Porter that I purchased. They were just added in spots I thought they would look the best. The coal shovel handle, and the control lever were picked out of all my left over metal sprue pieces and fillings as they looked the best for it. The Plastic Imex soldier was missing his legs, but that turned out ok. I cut off his right arm and re-glued it to sit as if resting on the side of the tractor. All these were super-glued into place. The truth is, you just need to use your imagination. That is the big secret about super-detailing from the junk box.
The superglue dried quickly, and Trevor was base coated in Testors flat black from a rattle can. An hour later outside, and the model was ready to paint. I then thought about what colors would stand out in the colorful fall woods in Blackwood's Crossing. The woods are bright, and I figured the tractor should not be. I picked a grey color from my Folk Art paint. Then, I painted the brass parts brass color from Vallejo. Finally, I just dry brushed on brown and black to suit how I wanted the steam tractor to look. The painting really only took about 40 minuets. I then wanted the driver to stand out so after I painted his face, hands, and hat with Vallejo paint. I choose Folk Art mid red for his shirt. The hard part is really choosing a color you like for how you want the model to be used. If it is meant to be an eye catcher, you could use bright colors. If it is a piece in the background, you might want it to look sooty to blend in with the scenery. Experiment with colors you might like. Finally, it was all sealed in with Testors dullcote. To truly have a completed model, all you really have to do is make sure you are happy with how it looks. Trevor's restoration only cost the $3 to purchase him. I have been offered $30 by another modeler, but I politely declined. This model is now once again a restored, and priceless, treasure on the Pocomtuc Creek in his second life.
Pulling coal jimmies around the Indian Princess Mine
Waiting for the shift to begin by the tipple
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