iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Illustrated and cut out my own vinyl stickers for all the faces I could find Annie and Clarabel had in Seasons 1-12! I chose this one as I like it and I wanted to do one from Clarabel instead of Annie.

A 3D printed HO Scale LMS Suburban Coach painted to look like Annie and Clarabel from Thomas and Friends, with Clarabel's cheeky face from Season 7 stuck onto the front of the coach, with holes present from the supports from the original printing process

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

I still can't believe they're trying to pass this off as the engine, it doesn't even look the same

An illustration of 19th Century 4-6-0 HO Scale Ten Wheeler "Sierra No. 3" made by Bachmann

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Assembled this lighting circuit thanks to a tutorial by DCC Guy, this assembly is for interior lighting for my coaches/cabooses going forward

A circuit assembly with a blue capacitor and bridge rectifier soldered onto a buck board, both bent to minimize space for the HO Scale prototype of an LMS Suburban Coach

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

So I'm shocked I haven't mentioned anything about this, but here's Samuel! He was named after the founder of the Pennsylvania Railroad Samuel Vaughan Merrick. Young but overworked, he doesn't have a lot of time to connect with the heritage he is representing, but he is still a really useful engine.

A lineup of edits of ScaleTrains' HO model of Norfolk Southern ES44 8102 modified with concepts of Samuel the ES44 Diesel Engine, based on 8102 as if in the Thomas universe. Faces are superimposed onto the front of the engine, with each expression in order: Neutral, Grinning, Smiling, Baffled, Furious, Bracing, Scared, and Shocked

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

This one is my favorite, purely with how unintentional it was (gonna post more down here as Bluesky's vibe coding destroys itself if I do more than two videos in threads)!

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

So my railroad club was shockingly open for the 4th, so I took the opportunity to run trains there too! Unfortunately, we weren't too busy, nor some of the engines that were parked in the yard ran. Would've been cool to shoot two Big Boys running together, but hey, have some highlights.

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

So tiny update for my HO Scale US Tour Thomas: all but two of his faces are done! I test fitted them using my spare shell I got years ago, which will eventually be just a normal Thomas. I used a Cricut machine to cut vinyl to size for the pupils and eyebrows, and used BBs and blue tack for the eyes.

An HO Scale E2X shell printed by Sparkshot with Thomas' worried/neutral face made by Tubular and printed by TomTeeLegend affixed in the smokebox as a test, the shell rest on a desk with assorted tools

HO Scale Thomas faces printed by TomTeeLegend, with credit from the top left corner descending down row by row from left to right: Confident Face by NWRKris, Upset Face by Dshayie, Laughing Face by Rexecutions, Bracing Face by Guiguiba, Smiling Face by G1 Corner, Drowsy Face by Max-Man, Furious Face by G1 Corner, Clenching Face by Guiguiba, Yawning Face by Max-Man, Tired Face by Guiguiba, Confused Face shared by NWR Production (unknown creator, please share if you know who made it), Happy Face by Guiguiba, Shocked Face by Tubular, Worried/Neutral Face by Tubular, Cross Face by Tubular, Angry Face by Guiguiba, O Face by Tubular, Sleeping Face by CupOfCoffee, Alt Happy Face by Guiguiba, and Happy Face (Closed Mouth) by Guiguiba affixed by blue tack on a sheet of cardboard

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

(3/3): The CSX hi rail truck was also placed on a line overlooking a chunk of the mainline of the layout. My NS train was hauling a wood chip train for the ops session as it past under the car. After this though, I warned to the driver of it of an oncoming train and it did hit it, but it was fine.

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

(2/3): Speaking of the Bachmann one, I had permission to film my hi rail with the RC version. Me and the owner of the RC hi rail did had plans to parallel side-by-side but unfortunately we ran out of time. At least we still filmed each other passing on a massive iron bridge, which was still magical.

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

(1/3): One of my favorite RC vehicles by far was this CSX hi rail car. I still can't believe that this not only drives on the road but also the rails. The mechanism to retract and drop the rail wheels definitely took a lot of time and effort. I'm low-key jealous too, since I do have a Bachmann one.

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

So last Saturday was one of the best times I had in the club I'm part of. Not only we did an operating session, visitors arrived with ACTUAL RC VEHICLES and drove on the roads on the layout. Even though the roads weren't up to par, they were still able to drive somewhat. I got to drive one too!

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Update: I primed my HO Scale US Tour Thomas for the sixth time! I am now split down the middle of whether or not I should resand and prime or just start painting proper. Any thoughts?

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

With only the pics on your device, describe your gender (I forgot to put this meme challenge, whoops ;w;)

London, Midland, and Scottish (LMS) Railway Coronation Class 6220 'Coronation' under the guise of LMS Princess Coronation Class 6229 'Duchess of Hamilton' in a crimson with gold lined livery modified with a bell idling with a rake of Coronation Scot coaches of the same color in the 1939 New York World's Fair in New York City, New York, United States

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Further testing decaling with my prototype Annie/Clarabel. Behold my efforts to use Micro Sol and then Micro Set to try to remove the silvering. Didn't do a half-bad job though, betting on the clear coat making it seamless.

A model of an HO Scale LMS Suburban Coach painted in the livery of Annie and Clarabel from Thomas and Friends, lit up to showcase the 'Henrietta' test decal

A model of an HO Scale LMS Suburban Coach painted in the livery of Annie and Clarabel from Thomas and Friends, showcasing the 'Henrietta' test decal to be as seamless with the model as possible

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

So update: the diesel I got has been converted to a dummy unit (for now). Test runs were a failure, as the shockingly lack of weight makes it jump and clip onto points. Looks good as a consist though!

HO Scale Norfolk Southern (NS) Manifest Train with NS ES44AC 8102, AC44C6M 8892, and Canadian Pacific (CP) SD30C-ECO 5009 pulling the consist out of a yard

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Here's a pic of the underside of this mysterious circuit board

Underside of a circuit board with wires attached to an HO Scale Norfolk Southern C40-9W

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Update: It was shockingly easy to take out, it was just tabs. But sadly, it doesn't run, which I already knew about this

An HO Scale Norfolk Southern C40-9W with its shell dislodged from its chassis, revealing a drivetrain complete with brass(?) motors

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Why do these look like US versions of 7 plank wagons?

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Gonna experiment further with decaling my prototype Annie. There's issues with decals not wrapping (specifically on the doors, they are jutting-out edges) no matter how much decal solutions I use. I wish I took a better picture to illustrate the problem with the practice ones before I masked over.

Scrap 3D-printed model of an HO Scale LMS Suburban Coach fully painted to appear as Annie or Clarabel from Thomas the Tank Engine, with two 'Henrietta' and one 'Restaurant' decals applied as practice

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

It is, though the more I research it appears it has been either modified or there's two versions now

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

(2/2): ...files I can 3D print for a correct Mark 1 consist. I found some in T Scale for Standard, Brake, and Buffet coaches. I was originally going to substitute Mark 1s with the Southern Bullied coach in the background, but I'd rather be authentic. Still need to find interiors for the Mark 1s...

Foreground: T Scale 3D models of Standard, Buffet, and Brake Mark 1 coaches in descending order (made by alexhondsmerk on Thingiverse)

Background: A Southern Railway Bullied Coach scaled from Gauge 1 to HO Scale, originally split from three sections for ease of printing (made by Beusekomse Baan on Printables)

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

For context, the new Thomas reboot used AI to generate promo art for the show and its merchandise. While the official CGI renders look okay, body gesturing is back, and that plus the AI behind the scenes killed it. The concept art looked so much better, like how did they fucked it up?

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

I don't care about how good the new reboot is, I am not supporting it using AI.

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Had the honor to see the model in person! My train even past by it!

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Literally if they were locked to this concept art

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

I just still can't believe their Class 08s are still using outdated, inaccurate tooling.

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

The Amazing Bulk will return in 'AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY'

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

This junction does occasionally get crowded, being a choke point. Very rarely I get the opportunity to record these instances of three trains passing each other, because it happens so quickly!

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

There were a lot of Christmas trains that day too, including this one!

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Another one, just old I still really love how I did this consist

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

I was today years old when I finally noticed Bluesky increased their video size limit, so have my train from yesterday streetrun

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

Does anyone have a 3D printable file of this face for Thomas? The Season 7 one I don't exactly like

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

Been a bit since the last update on my HO US Tour Thomas: I finally got to making sure his whistles look right, especially the US Tour one. The brass part of it though looks rough, but the more I think about it the more I could salvage it. Also fitted the bell to get a feel now that it's painted.

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

To my custom modellers out there, how does one mask the gold parts to make it look like the pic on the right?

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

The end of James, The Really Splendid Engine be like:

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Heiwa the Lynx 🏳️‍⚧️🚂 @heiwatheengineer.bsky.social · 13/09/2025

So I am trying to see how to wire directional lighting to my custom Thomas (pic of the circuit board for a KA). LEDF, Aux4, Aux3, and LEDR look like they need to be soldered in, but I don't know where the positive and negatives go for the LEDs. For context, I am doing DCC and have a decoder too.

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