• Start Blender with a new scene.
• Delete everything from it.
• File>Append, navigate to your old scene. Click on it, then you will have a choice between Objects, Lights, etc. Click Objects (I hope this is exactly how the category is named, anyway, it`s sth about items in your scene;), then you will be presented with the list of the contents of your old file. Hit a key to select all and confirm your decision. Then you will have everything from your old scene in a
  new file, except the settings:)

Since there`s no ctrl c - ctrl v ability to paste from outside the current Blender window (even from another B win), this is also the only way I know for moving objects from one scene to another when creating new projects from old stuff.

OK, and a little rough advice from me...

If you still have this problem, I`d suggest sth like that: try importing the whole scene into a new file and then render it. Maybe you have some odd setings in your file. Your render times are enormous for a <1M vert project-my current proj takes some 8 mins to render on internal, 800x600 with 5x oversampling, though it is some 2,5 mln vert (Celeron 1,4, 0,5GB mem). Importing everytghing into a new one is my "Last line of defense" when everything goes wrong:):)

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1332269

I imported everything, and the problem persisted. I created key frames, and the probnlem persisted. I got really angry... and got rid of it :P

The clue was that Blender unexpectedly flipped some normals of some objects inwards! When I inspected my meshes, I realized I had to recalculate them out. After that, it worked again. It`s extremely strange since I imported this model for C4D a couple of months ago and already made a project with it and had no trouble. Blender really lives its own life...

"Presume nothing", wasn`t it its ad slogan a couple of years ago? :P

Wow, keep going! Great to see sb who switched to Blender from... 3DS Max!

Yes, finally I [we;)] managed to make it work. Thx!

Oops... Maybe it`s specific to 2.42. When I pressed I, I was presented with only one option: "Insert key vertices-Current frame". After confirming the requester, I see no change on the graph. Clicking it does nothing, exactly as before.

Finally, it started working after I changed the pointing mouse button from LMB [my own setting to avoid unappreciated 3D cursor moving] to the default right... and again. Maybe there was some error in my configuraion file, since it started working exactly as I fruitlessly tried before: with Ctrl-LMB [or Ctrl-RMB, depending on which *MB is used to select objects]. And, as sb adviced me on Polish Blenderownia, hitting Tab allowed me to edit Bezier coordinates on each point.

So, going fwd and let`s wait for the next troubles :P

Cheers, and have a nice day... until I present you with another hip of obstacles :P

:0

OK, then how should I create and edit it? :)

And now, let`s go back to our WIPs. Hope sb enjoys these awful tex-less renders:P Now some screenshot. A nice feature in Blender: by clicking the button right to the layer controls, I can render the screen to the Render window and then work with it like with an ordinary render. Thus, used this;)

A bogie with some extra stuff. Engines, brakes, etc. Since it wont be visible in most situations and will just make that "dark crowd" behind visible elements, I kept them as low-poly as I could. They are one object with the bogie frame, since it seems Blender cant make instances of object groups live.

I will try to help a bit:

1. If I understand correctly, it`s enough to hit Tkey with your mouse cursor in the 3D window. You will be presented with a requester asking if you want to move or scale the material. Hitting an appropriate key (X, Y, or Z) can restrict its movement to one axis only. I would be happy to learn how to rotate materials in Blender;)
2. I make thick meshes just by extruding (Ekey) and scaling (Skey) the new vertices then. But they are actually empty inside. If I want to have holes, I extrude the mesh after making the holes. Hope you meant the same as me;)
3. I agree. I tried, but still can`t do it.

PS. The cockpit equipment of the Fiery Monster was my dream today; no longer a nightmare!;) Most is done now. Yiiihaa!

...And to show the updated state in  meantime:)

OK, some details added this time... This time just to make it more real rather that to improve the look. Hope they don`t waste the impression of a huge mass of metal.

Madly busy myslef... But have time to further current projects step by step... From time to time. Still working on "Blnder for beginners";)

And now, lets update the thread. Seems people dont like showing their WiPs... Let there be my one again;)

Added some detail, the poly count jumped by some 10%, and render time some 10x. Strange? Seems the total memory usage exceeded the double value of my RAM... but if you know an answer that makes more sense, Id be happy to see it. Cant optimize these bogies-they are as low-poly as they can.

Btw, the render is a bit outdated; I added some details to the front bogie today, but had no time to render again. Still some work before me... These "flying mosquitos" are some control switches I plan to put in the cockpit. A big job by itself...

Attached Link: Here`s sth funny if you`d like to see loco modeling.

I`m doing it now... Nasty hopeless business since I have little talent for re-creating pre-existing stuff; I rather prefer creating everything from scratch.

Pity theres no converter; I was watching this thread carefully from some time-Id also be happy to throw some real loco models into my renders... Now I have to make them myself, it`s either unrealistic or madly time-consuming job in my case.