May 9, 2026
Description
I'm back after a long hiatus to focus on work, but I should be returning to semi-regular uploads. I'm going to try and focus on this "1890-something" system I've made, because it's something I've wanted to do for a while.
The "1890-something" system is a solution to a problem I've had for quite some time. I want to display small-scale trains, but don't have the space or budget to run a conventional model train set. But, what if there was a system that prioritized ease of production and durability? So, this is what I came up with, and I've been working on this for the past few weeks.
First off, I am not prioritizing historical accuracy or fidelity by any means. I'll include engines from the 1910's or 1880's (despite what the name suggests) and mix rolling stock from different things. However, I'm aiming for a broadly "wild west" theme. The models have no defined scale, though I accidentally made them kind of similar to HO scale. I designed some rudimentary tracks for displaying the models, though I'll admit they're a little finicky.
At their core, these models are meant to be static displays, cheap and easy to produce with no additional parts.
With that out of the way, these are some of the first things I designed. These passenger coaches are designed with 2 roof options, one with the clerestory and one without. They print pretty quickly, I was able to make 2 of them in a single day, and I made sure to separate out the actual passenger area for printing that in a different color.
INSTRUCTIONS
All parts have already been aligned for ease of printing, but an image of the CAD model should provide good reference for assembly. Below are the instructions. Super glue is recommended for joining parts.
Insert the bogies into the base
Attach the main passenger section to the base assembly
Attach the roof sections and the couplers on either side, making sure they're oriented correctly (reference image for correct position)
License:
Creative Commons - Attribution - Non-Commercial - Share Alike