iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

999 got to stretch her legs last night. The motor/gearbox/wheels SHOULD give 100mph top speed, but it doesnt. She doesnt hit 70. Speed curve seems to plateau around 80/126. Running a tsunami2 decoder. Anyone know what I need to change?

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 43m

Have a nice scenic picture of my new flatcar load.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

NYC&HR 999 has been getting wired up. And after a quick test, she works! Just needs a lot of weight to balance her out.

Engine without body shell, visible wires and mechanism.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

A short freight made up of wood kits I didnt build, including a couple freelance cars from the Beaver River Shortline and the Genesee River RR.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The ICE 3 runs beautifully with new traction tires. She topped out at 192mph.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

999 has gotten decals. Gods I hate doing stripes.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Another ebay purchase I upgraded with my scale couplers and air hoses. Trucks alone were worth the price.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The portable boiler got a coat of paint. Went with a deep green with red wheels. The smokestack would be removed for transit so Ill have to secure it somewhere on the flatcar. Anyone have any idea how these would be strapped down to the deck? Ropes? Chain?

Portable boiler in green with red wheels.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The open vestibule combine hasnt been forgotten about. I finally added the gold striping to the sides as well as painted the clerestory.

Roof with clerestory side painted 'wine'.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I bought a new toy. A PIKO ICE 3! And within 2 hours of getting it, I had already installed a decoder. Unfortunately, I need to get replacements for the traction tires as the originals dried out.

Bistro car with body removed. Installed decoder, speaker, and keepalive.

One traction tire just fell apart on me while the other 3 are dry and cracking.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

On the bench is a portable boiler thatll end up as a flatcar load. Any suggestions on color?

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Some small updates to one of my cabooses. I backdated it with archbar trucks and K brake. Ive also added resistors to the wheelsets so she will trip the block detection at the club. Now she represents (roughly) a caboose from 1905-1915.

Showing its soft underbelly. See resistors on the axles with conductive paint bonding them to the wheels.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Bought an old Pullman Company ashtray recently. Putting it to good use too.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

My review of the new Bachmann 60' open vestibule coaches. Pros: Nice detail, crisp molding, interior, and rolls decently. Cons: Coupler sticks out too far due to the fallplate being added to the end beam. In conclusion, theyre $50. What do you expect? Im just happy to see this era being recognized.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Have another video of the Midland 483 class, this time crossing the viaduct.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The new MR 483 class runs beautifully. Sadly she is very weak and can only manage 4 cars. Ignore the Reading coaches, was the only contemporary passenger stock to hand.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

The above mentioned photo of RPO 2394. That car has end vestibules but I didnt feel like adding them to this car.

NYC&HR #783, a 4-4-0 pulls a train made up of an RPO baggage car and combine

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Finally finished the decals on the new 50' RPO baggage car. While the prototype for this model is Ma&Pa, I have a photo of a similar looking RPO the Central did have.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Quick test before I did any work to her.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

New toy came in. A Rapido UK Midland 483 Class in wonderful full crimson lake. As is my way, Ive already added scale couplers, lamps, crew, and coal load. Friday hopefully I can break her in properly.

Lamps! Signaled as an express passenger.

Rear coupler added while retaining NEM compatability which will be necessary with the Evolution coaches coming.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Decals have begun on the 50' RPO baggage.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Have some wonderful illustrations of real engines then.

PRR No 1 Henry Clay, built by Norris in 1836 and rebuilt in 1846

PRR No 141 Brandywine built by Baldwin in 1835

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Combine is coming together. Got trucks mounted, handrails added, and truss rods secured. Next step is painting.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

With Bachmann teasing the new coaches, I need to get back to the open vestibule combine. I got a little more work done, starting with the end railings. Not pictured is the roof which got its round ends finished.

The coach end of the combine with railings.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Come to Strasburg! Im at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, running on the NECHS layout.

My T motor pulling a mail train on the NECHS layout at the RRMofPA

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Bought a new toy. A Reading camelback atlantic by NJCB.

Its a blue box with a label on it. The Label reads "Reading Lines P-5 camelback 4-4-2

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

How about a K-1. Really want one of them.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

The parlor was an extra so I weathered it like it went through a snowstorm.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Im surprised the little Amsteam could pull all 6 of the new club cars.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

The Twin Cities flies past the canal east of Allentown.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

I got a new toy. My first OMI model too.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

I finally added the gold striping to the parlor car. Thankfully the masking didnt lift the numbers.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

The T motor is finished! She only can manage 4 cars around the club layout unfortunately.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Well the walls are in place and the steps have been glued in. Its been too hot to do much on it. Next is the roof.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Managed to work on the combine a bit more. One side glued in. I wish I had more time or energy to work on stuff.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Randomly decided to start on a new coach, an open vestibule combine to match the upcoming bachmann coaches. Of note, this isnt a normal labelle 50' kit. Its actually for a 60' open vestibule doodlebug that Im converting to a coach. Ive already got the ends finished and one side mostly assembled.

Unfinished wall components for a passenger car

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Decals decals decals. And I realized after putting the numbers on I forgot to paint the gold striping. Fuck. Hopefully the masking tape doesnt pull off the numbers....

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

The newest parlor car has been painted. After touchups, its looking pretty good. Next to do is decals.

Parlor car painted red with a black roof.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Its little metal balls that can be used to add weight to models. It flows like a liquid and can fill voids with usable mass.

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

In an effort to add a bit more weight, Ive filled the big roof box with liquid gravity.

Body of the T motor now filled with liquid gravity

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Tegan 🏳️‍⚧️ @spitfire.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Only having the inner trucks powered really kills the traction, but I truly have no idea how I could go about powering the outer trucks without completely redesigning the mechanism.

T motor upsidedown showing the powered and unpowered trucks

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