October 1998 $3.95 Higher in Canada ahead. Pop one open. a"I"'rn,�nn'� 1 00 Ton, Bay Hopper Six Packs refreshing and satisfying! New in the HO Scale Silver Series@)line, these ready-to-run Triple Bay Hoppers are the first ever with 300 slope sheets. They're offered in sets of six for use as unit trains to and from mining operations. Each set contains cars with six different roadnumbers, as well as removable loads that are molded and randomized for the effect of six different load configurations. Separate side sheet supports are also provided for added realism if the hoppers are run as empties. The Triple Bay Hopper six packs are shipping now at the suggested retail price of $90.00 each. Of the eight road names available, all carry coal loads except for Western Maryland, which carries a prototypically-correct limestone load. So go ahead. Pop one open. And refresh yourself with a Bachmann six pack. Suggested Retail Price: $90.00 SHIPPING NOW ITEM # DESCRIPTION NMRA Conformance Warrant 98-06 Burlington Northern • 18703YY HO • scale Silver Series@ model (billboard) 30° slope sheet, offset panel design • Conrail thin wall construction 18706YY • Southern Pacific six roadnumbers 18707YY • removable loads Barber S 2 Roller Bearing Trucks with 18710YY Reading (speed lettering) • • separate side sheet supports Celcon@ construction Pennsylvania (yellow ball) • 18714YY hidden weights blackened, non-magnetic metal axles Western Maryland (gray) • • 18737YY finely detailed brake wheel with needle point bearings for free-rolling performance • 18739YY Denver Rio Grande installed body-mounted E-Z Mate@couplers scale 36", blackened-metal wheels • • Western (flying Grande) finely detailed stirrup steps with RP25 contours & • separately applied brake reservoir and brake valve all parts painted with accurate paint schemes 18742YY Norfolk & Western • • . super-detailed tampo printing on sides and ends of car (round herald) I'� � i 1400 East Erie Avenue· Philadelphia, PA 19124 MODEL RAILROADING October 1998 VOLUME 28 NUMBER 10 FEATURES 24 .. Southernizing GE's U23B by Larry Puckett 30 .. FREIGHTCAROLOGY Enclosed Autorack Evolution by David G. Casdorph. 34 ... MODELING MODERN INTERMODAL Spine Cars, Part 3: All-Purpose 56 ... Enhancing an N-Scale by Doug Geige/; MMR Kato Through-Truss Bridge by Clayton Barry 40 .. New England Railroading Along Colorado's Joint Line 58 .. BEHIND THE SCENES by Donald R. Strait Can't See the Forest... by Margaret Mansfield 46 ... The Early SD Units - Part 13: P&W/W&P, Reserve Mining & Soo Line 60 .. DIESEL DETAIL CLOSE-UP by George Melvin Illinois Central GP10 Paducah Rebuild by Rich Picariello 50 .. Modeling America's Greatest Bankruptcy - Detailing and Painting an 63 .. ON TRACK Atlas/Kato RS11 as PC 7605 Bridging the Gap: The Dilemma (Part 2) by Jim Six by Jim Mansfield DEPARTMENTS 5 .. Editorial 10 .. Letters to the Editor 14 .. New Products 20 .. Product Reviews 23 .. The Boys in the Basement 64 .. Society Page 65 .. Dealer Directory 74 .. Your Trek Plan 78 .. Advertiser Index ABOUT THE COVER Modeling projects don't have to be made into complex operations to obtain satisfying results. Clayton Barry shows how to improve Kato's N­ scale Through-Truss Bridge and work it into a pleasing scene. Turn to page 56 to see how he did it. Photo by ClayTon Barry. INSET: Former New Englander Jim Lipper didn't have to leave his favorite Old Colony Railroad behind when he relocated to Colorado. Jim brought a little of old New England along with him in the form of his HO model railroad. PhOTO bv Chris Lane. '.�,"",,«,. ..�'",.,� -- , ��: .... t, .... .' '''\1 '-;", _ ,.-.""��:>����� ..,.,..t:\"��-"'''''''''''''!',",�r���V",t������ . �����p''!''....,_r' - - ' � � The Premier Track Planning Tool for All Scales The accuracy of CAD layout... Easier to use than a penci( Spectacular 3D Renderings and Terrain Contouring Tools bring your Model Railroad Plan to Life When your goal is building a model railroad, choose the only product that offers fast, accurate layout tools for the whole process. From the first minimum-radius circles you place, to viewing your layout ideas in 3D, to positioning trackwork on the actual layout, 3,d Planlt provides speed, graphics and automation to let you master the most challenging design. In less than a year since its introduction. 3rd Planlt has set the new standard for model railroading software ease­ of-use. performance, and automation. This leadership continues with the introduction of Version 3 and its professional-quality 3D design tools and graphics. Design landscape using contour lines to establish the elevation of the terrain on your layout. The new Ballast Contour feature lets you create contour lines alongside track to connect to the terrain. Even add several Ballast 1'r �:.,�,-· -",.:-,-. ''- " '''''''''-'cE='>-�-i'''''1 Create stunning terrains in four -''-' • Contours at different heights for elevated track or ditches. fast and easy steps: Draw contour lines The same simple tools can be used to create hills, plains, rivers and cliffs Set their elevations , Connect with the Terrain Tool as well as buildings, trackwork, structures and signals.3rd Planl! s unique Set the color and view it 3D building system allows you to design the level of detail you want to This terrain example was made see in your plan. Whether it's a hidden creek tumbling through a forest, in less than two minutes... a mountain vista, or your favorite locomotive and cars, you can lay out exactly what you imagine, then view it from any perspective. &!Ot ..t 1Joo llo-v-.1I'" O :lQ.< �� :l j. A Camera object lets you establish your point of view and where you're looking. Multiple lights, including spotlights, can be positioned and set to desired colors to realistically recreate the model you will build. Simulate night operations, full lighting, and dramatic effects as well. The Snapshot,mfeature saves the Camera, View and Light positions and colors in a quick reference list for easy review. Version 3 contains all the unique and powerful features of earlier versions of 3rd Planlt. Upgrade for purchasers prior to August 1998 is only $44.9s! users Abracadata and Cad rail Tel: 916-939-3452 Easily move up to 3rd Planlt: EI Dorado Software Fax: 916-939-3452 Directly import Cadrail designs ... hundreds imported 2222 Francisco Drive, Suite 510-196 System requirements: Send title page from current manual for S' a rebate EI Dorado Hills, CA 9s762 IBM/PC Pentium 100 or above web site http://www.eldoradosoft.com Try more ideas, design better plans, have more fun! Windows 95,98 or NT 4.0 Plus 55.00 shipping & handling (S 10.00 int'I);CA residents add 7.25% sales tax e-mail [email protected] 20 Mb disk, 16Mb RAM MODEL RAILROADING EDITORIAL EDITOR I PUBLISHER Randall B. Lee The Boys in the CONTRIBUTING EDITORS David A. Bontrager David G. Casdorph Basement Doug Geiger, MMR Patrick Lawson, MMR " ho ... or what," you ask, "are 'The Boys in the Base Jim and Margaret Mansfield W ment'?" No, it's not a new rock group, although it does George Melvin remind me of some of the names my son Rhett and his friends Rich Picariello came up with for their group before settling on "Carolyn's Mother"... but that's another Larry J. Puckett story. Actually, "The Boys in the Basement," is the brainchild of Don Lomax, a former Jim Six railroader who says he has "dovetailed my love of railroading with my love of comics. Larry E. Smith, MMR The best of both worlds." "The Boys," as I call it, chronicles the adventures of Merle, Earl and Lenny (and their better halves) and debuts this month and will be appearing regularly in future ART DIRECTORS issues of So why a comic strip in a magazine for "serious" model­ Erik Fritz Model Railroading. ers? Actually, that's precisely the reason... because sometimes we take ourselves Michelle Ruffner too seriously. By loosening up a bit and laughing at ourselves, I hope that "The Boys" will CIRCULATION I OFFICE MANAGER be a monthly reminder that this hobby is not only supposed to be fun... it IS fun. Donald R. Strait So who is Don Lomax? Don was born and reared next to the tracks, and with two brothers-in-law already Operators on the Milwaukee and the "Q," he says his "fate was cast." He hired out on the CB&Q in 1964 as a tower operator, and worked for the NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Chris Lane 1-888-338-1700 Volume 28, Issue 10. MODEL RAILROADING is pub­ lished 12 times a year by Highlands Station, Inc, 2600 S Parker Rd., Suite 1-211, Aurora, CO 80014, (303) 338- 1700.Price per single copy is $3.95 in U.SA Subscriptions are $31.95 in the USA. or $40.00 in Canada (or foreign) - payable in US funds. Unsolicited manuscripts or photographs should be accompanied by return postage, and Highlands Station, Inc, assumes no responsibility for the loss or damage of such material. No part of this publi­ cation may be reprinted without written permission from the publisher.Printed in U.SA The information contained in the various articles in this magazine is presented in good faith, but no warranty is given, no results guaranteed, nor is any freedom from any patent or copyright to be inferred. Since we have no con­ trol over the physical conditions surrounding the applica­ tion of information in this magazine, Highlands Station, Inc, and the various authors and editors disclaim any lia­ next years at various jobs on the Hannibal Division, from small out-of-the-way bility for untoward results and/or for any physical injury in­ 20 curred by using the information herein. depots to the Hump Towers in Willis Yard to Seminary Interlocking To wer in Gales­ Copyright © 1998 by Highlands Station, Inc burg, IL, where he now lives.