US $5.95 • Can $7.95 Display Until August 31

US $5.95 • Can $7.95 Display until August 31

Celebrating the art of 1:48 modelling Issue #21 July/August 2005 Vol. 3 - No.4

Publisher Joe Giannovario Features [email protected] 4 A Simple Diesel 2-Rail Conversion Art Director Jaini Giannovario An easy conversion by Carey Hinch. [email protected] 9 Pulling Freight the Electric Way Editor An overview of traction freight motors by Gerald Brothers. Brian Scace [email protected] 13 Timeless Structures Model masterpieces by Carl Cornish. Advertising Manager Jeb Kriigel 16 Building a Small O Scale Layout — Part 4 [email protected] Mike Culham continues his excellent construction series. Contributors 25 Scratchbuilding a Wood-Side Gondola Ted Byrne A simple, easy rolling stock project by Tom Houle. Bobber Gibbs Carey Hinch 32 Chicago O Meet Contest Photos Hobo D. Hirailer Another fine batch of models in O Scale. Jace Kahn Roger C. Parker 46 Stretching AHM Flatcars Neville Rossiter Make these inexpensive cars more prototypical. Gary Woodard shows Subscription Rates: 6 issues how he does it. US - Standard Mail Delivery US$30 US - First Class Delivery (1 year only) US$40 60 Spring Power Transfer Canada/Mexico US$50 An innovative way to connect motor to gearbox from Daniel L. Overseas US$75 McCaffery and Robert B. Morgan. Visa, MC, AMEX & Discover accepted Call 610-363-7117 during 62 O Scale Influences — Arthur Ford Eastern time business hours Roger C. Parker reminisces about a noted traction modeler. Dealers write for terms. Advertisers write for information 64 OST Builds a Layout — Update or visit our website. We’re making progress on the N&W Exton Division. O Scale Trains ISSN 1536-9528 www.oscalemag.com Published bimonthly (6 times a year) by O Scale Trains Magazine Departments PO Box 238, Lionville PA 19353-0238 7 Easements for the Learning Curve – Brian Scace © 2005 OST All Rights Reserved Printed in the U.S.A. 11 The Modern Image - Carey Hinch

Contributors: O Scale Trains welcomes your 21 The Workshop – Neville Rossiter feature articles, photos, and drawings. Such material should be sent to the above address for possible publi- 22 Narrow Minded – Bobber Gibbs cation. If we accept, you will be notified immediately. For more information concerning article preparation 34 Traction Action – Roger C. Parker guidelines, please send an SASE to the above address and request our “Guide For Authors” or visit our web- 38 Product News & Reviews site at: www.oscalemag.com. 51 Reader Feedback – Letters to the Editor Cover: Benzli & Woodard Industrial Pumps is a custom scratchbuilt structure by Carl Cornish. See more of this 57 Confessions of a HiRailer – Hobo D. Hirailer building on page 13. Carl took the photo. 58 The Good Old Days – Jace Kahn Centerspread: A train pulls into Sunbury on Pete Trunk’s Philadelphia & Erie O Scale layout. The lead Diesel is a Red 67 Advertiser Index Caboose GP9 custom painted and converted to a GP18 by Dave Richter of the Eastern O Scalers. Pete added the 68 Buy-Sell-Trade Ads weathering and took the photo 68 Events Listing

OST is a proud Member of the 70 Observations – Joe Giannovario Model Railroad Industry Association July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • AA SSiimmppllee DDiieesseell 22--RRaaiill CCoonnvveerrssiioonn CCaarreeyy HHiinncchh

“Parts Is Parts” It is also what determines turning radius. The shape is carried One of the biggest hurdles for me to overcome in three-rail through the frame. The frame sandwiches between the motor conversions was the trial-and-error fear. I wanted to convert sev- and truck. It is very obvious as to which direction the truck must eral models to 2-Rail for my railroad, but I was unsure of how point to fit to the motor. the parts would fit. I have custom detailed numerous Rail Power Generally, by removing one Phillips screw and two slot- Products HO models over the years. That meant powering them ted power-pickup screws, you can separate the truck from the with various parts from Athearn and Northwest Shortline. For O motor and frame. Since you have a two-rail truck, the parts Scale the concept is the same. In some ways the process is the from the three-rail truck are not used. Look at them closely same, but the action is much more expensive. I was afraid of (Fig.2) and you will see very similar construction to the two- making a $300 junk pile. rail truck, with the notable exception of the wheels. That’s what Luckily for us, several U.S. companies now use standard makes this conversion easy. Now, with the motor and three-rail parts from Korea, Taiwan, and China to construct a locomotive’s running gear. Of the conversions I have tried, I like Weav- er two-rail trucks used in a three-rail model. A phone call to Weaver will get you to the service people and they’ll know just what you need. I have noticed Weaver trucks will fit most Wil- liams, K-Line and MTH models, but Atlas trucks should be used to convert Atlas locomotives. The Atlas trucks are reversed from the Weaver trucks. The Weaver trucks, at $75 a pair, include motors, gears, wheels, contacts, and pilot. A three-rail model of an engine doesn’t need much (if any) modification to accept the Weaver trucks to make it into a two-rail model. The truck replacement type of conversion is the easiest, though it is certainly possible to re-wheel a three-rail truck with wheelsets from Northwest Shortline (It is critical to electrically isolate the wheels on one side of the truck from the truck body so as not to cause a short. It is not as straightforward as what I am showing here, but not difficult either). Note that I am using a two-axle truck. A wheel conversion is probably necessary for a three-axle truck separated, you will be able to simply fit the new two-rail truck. A three-axle two-rail truck with the correct shape to fit a truck to the motor and reinstall the Phillips screw to hold them motor is very hard to find from any manufacturer. together. Don’t forget to lubricate the base of the worm gear in Similar, Yet Different the two-rail truck! The new two-rail truck gears will not come I am modeling some 1970s L&N equipment for my layout, so lubricated. the Weaver U-25b will fit right in with the Atlas GP35 I paint- “She’s Got No Power, Captain!” ed. The deciding factor for a type of conversion is the fit of the You are now about halfway through your conversion of a trucks. If you have ever seen an O Scale motor off the truck, as three-rail locomotive to two-rail operation! Doesn’t sound that in Figure 1, you will notice the half round bottom with a turning great, does it? Actually, that’s not all that bad, since what’s left radius stop cast into the base. This keeps the trucks from freely is merely the rewiring for power pickup. A two-rail truck gets spinning in the frame and twisting the wiring around the motor. power in the same fashion as a three-rail truck. The big difference is that the third-rail roller is gone and a brass wiper is put

• O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 in its place, hence the need for electrical isolation in a wheel All that you DCC folks have to do now is drop in a decoder replacement conversion. Once the truck is installed, you can and begin programming CVs. With all that room between the A Simple Diesel 2-Rail Conversion push the long slot-head screw back down into its hole. The motors, you’ll just have to install sound, too. Just remember that A Simple Diesel 2-Rail Conversion screw should pass through a small plastic insulator cap on top, a low-amp decoder is no match for the high amperage draw of then a large plastic insulator underneath, the brass wiper, and a twin motored O Scale locomotive and 25 weighted cars. the metal bottom plate supplied with the two-rail truck. Figure I am using AC power on two-rail track with Lionel Train- CCaarreeyy HHiinncchh 3 shows the various parts of the power pickup. Next, the short Master™ Command Control (TMCC) as my system of choice. slot-head screw attaches to the top of the truck, just as it did on TMCC uses a wireless command control technology with the three-rail truck. If you have everything installed as it should sound capability built on the board. It is the same TMCC as be, the wires will pass from the truck back through the frame in the 3-Rail world. I purchased a TMCC SAW 1.5 controller as before. The truck now has a different wiring scheme, but is board with Railsounds 4.0 from Train America Studios (www. getting the same track power to the electronics as the three-rail tastudios.com). SAW stands for Sunset, Atlas, and Weaver con- configuration. You have now completed the electrical hook-up troller board. It featured GE sound, but equal to a modern Dash of the two-rail truck! But, there’s more. 9. Well, a U25B does not sound like a Dash 9, however, Lionel AC Theory and DC Operation makes a U30C with TMCC and a more appropriate sound for These wires will surely be attached to something electronic our purposes (I’ll try not to get too far off base here). Thanks to on the other end. The AC electronics of a three-rail engine can’t the Internet, I was able to locate a U30C sound chip from a Lio- tell the difference from two-rail AC. You still have AC “hot” and nel repair dealer. I pulled and replaced the sound chip installed “ground” feeding the electronics. I have never tried this, but you on the Railsounds 4.0 board; just match the orientation of the could power the two-rail track with AC and have an engine with new chip to the old and gently push it home. All Railsounds QSI sound or simple forward/neutral/reverse. One consideration 4.0 boards are the same, but it’s the sound IC chip that gives is that the frame of the locomotive is no longer “ground”, so any the distinctive sound. A computer chip puller is handy here. wires screwed to the frame will have to be removed and con- The puller is cheap, and you can get it at Radio Shack. nected directly to the electronic unit in the locomotive. Once the electronic surgery was over, I installed the SAW The more common alternative is to simply remove the three- board according to TAS’ instructions. The installation was pain- rail electronics. The locomotive can then be operated with less (my fourth to date). If you can install a DCC decoder, or conventional DC power. Snip the wires as close to the elec- wire a switch machine for that matter, you can install a TMCC tronics as possible, remove the boards, and connect the wires board in any locomotive. from the motors to the wires from the trucks. These wires are Finishing not always color-coded. Generally, the motor wires are blue The trucks I ordered from Weaver came with new pilots for and yellow and truck wires are black and red, however, this two-rail use. This allows you to install a pilot on the frame, does not hold true on the inexpensive Lionel Diesels and on which provides a mounting pad for the coupler and better earlier K-Line Diesels! As long as you connect the wire from appearance. Two screws hold each new pilot in place with the the truck’s wiper side to the same side of the motor, you will be coupler at the correct height. It is possible to build a pilot from correct. If you connect each motor to one another in parallel, brass or styrene for more detail, if you choose. In a locomotive jumping the terminals on the same side of both motors, you will consist, I find the level of detail I get from the stock pilots is greatly enhance electrical pick-up. (Also, if you wire the motors more than sufficient for believable appearance. In Figure 4 you in series, rather than in parallel, you can reduce the maximum can see how I used the truck conversion method to build a two- speed of these types of drives if your railroad uses conventional rail Atlas TMCC Dash 8-40B. The three-rail truck has just been DC control. In this scheme, wire the two wiper leads to, say, removed and the two-rail truck is a “drop-in”. Figure 5 shows the left terminal of the forward motor. Run a wire from the right how I had to remove a section of the three-rail pilot so it would terminal of the forward motor to one of the terminals on the fit back onto the frame. Figure 6 shows how the coupler box rear motor. Wire the remaining terminal of the rear motor to fits into the pilot. A cosmetic spacer between the pilot and the both non-wiper leads from the trucks. Check the motors to see frame gives the correct height and scale detail. I reworked the if they both run in the same direction; if not, reverse the leads on the rear motor. Then, check the drive with another locomotive to see if they both run in the same direction. If not, trade the wiper pickup leads on the front motor with the non-wiper leads on the rear motor. –Ed) DCC and TMCC You have now created an electrically isolated platform for your choice of command systems, be it Digital Com- mand Control (DCC), a radio system like Loco- linc, or TMCC.

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • handrails to extend down onto the pilot. All I ordered for this conversion was a pair of Atlas two-rail trucks ($24.95 each), a couple of two-rail pilot spacers ($.50 each), two-rail coupler pockets ($.50 each), and four screws labeled as “2-Rail Pilot Screws” (two sets at $.50 each). I found all the necessary hardware in the Atlas on-line web catalog. Still not sure? If there is a particular three-rail model you would like on your two-rail layout, then convert it. Some of the electronics intended for the three- rail world may not work in your DC/ DCC environment but, if you acquire a TMCC model, gut it and sell the TMCC portion on Ebay to regain some expense. If you model two-rail TMCC, it is possible to pick up a three-rail TMCC locomotive and convert just the trucks as I described on the Atlas model. A simple truck replacement makes conversions even cheaper. I cannot stress enough New two-rail TMCC engine how good Ebay (www.ebay.com) is for converted from three-rail TMCC. finding deals on TMCC locomotives, but don’t forget the many fabulous merchants out there that offer great deals on train equipment. Even if you don’t have a computer to surf Ebay, or the Internet in general, you can find phone numbers for great hobby shops in OST and many other model train magazines. Give a hobby shop a call and check some prices. You’ll be glad you did. ◆

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• O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 Once again, it’s time to admit that tension created by your insane desire to that hung over the sidewalks in front of I can’t come up with a single thought letter a USRA boxcar end in one try by various stores back in the not-so-old upon which to expound for this issue’s holding the thing between your knees, days. Go look, and make some points column, so we present (once again) hunching over, and rubbing furiously in the process. another edition of Scace’s Short Fur- with a toothpick. Worse, try getting Furniture rows. the tender capacity lettering down pat, The architect trade uses ?” to the foot Really Obvious Tips which invariably requires some part of as a standard scale, and they have all Many moons ago, we came up with the transfer to be burnished under the kinds of neat stuff they use for architec- this category, in which you, O Gentle end ladder. tural models. They have lots of furni- Reader, are invited to share your wis- The solution? Get some clear decal ture. Go out on the Internet and search dom with the masses. It’s kind of funny, paper, lay out all the tiny fussy stuff for architectural modeling supplies. I but the concept never really took off. on it, rub it down on a nice flat sur- found all the stuff I needed to furnish Perhaps we’re so competitive that we face, spritz it with some clear lacquer, my O Scale brothel (you can’t model hold our nifty little secrets to ourselves, and use the result like any water-slide a seaport scene without one!) for less or maybe we just don’t feel we have decal. You can position the little stuff than the cost of yet another freight car. the ability to put them into words. It’s nicely, put the bigger lettering down The best part is that all the pieces came time to resurrect this most wonderful dry, and all the fonts match. painted. Go ahead and laugh; ever of concepts (No conceit here!) because By the Way… tried to paint a dozen O Scale beds? I want to learn something from you Speaking of decals, don’t you just Those #%@ Little Screws (Revisited) folks, just as you expect the self-anoint- hate it when a decal manufacturer Here’s another trick about dealing ed Oracle to ply you with knowledge, prints white lettering on white paper? with those pesky little screws all the wisdom, and snappy patter. Here are a It sure makes it difficult for old bleary brass importers use. Keep a jar of cheap couple of examples. (cause unspecified) eyes to trim out the petroleum jelly on your workbench. Tiny Dry Transfer Issues decal before throwing it in the water. Put a tiny dab on the screwdriver and For many years, the good folks at Meanwhile, you have that old light- stick the screw to it. Now, you can CDS and Clover House, to name a few, box from your slide-collecting days reach down between the sideframe and have been supplying us with dry trans- sitting in the closet. Drag it out, plug the gearbox to drive that puppy into the fer lettering. For those who are new it in, and throw that decal sheet on frame without losing the #%@ thing. to the trade, these lettering sets are the thing. The design pops right out So, What’s My Motivation? used by trimming out the design, lay- in front of you, ready for your exper- Send me some Really Obvious Tips ing the transfer on the model, and rub- tise with scissors or hobby knife. If you (email them to [email protected]). bing them on using a burnishing tool don’t have one, you can make one by They can be a sentence or two, or a half- of some sort. The advantage of transfer stopping off at the plastic supply house page with a photo if you dare. You get to lettering over decals is the lack of a film on the way back from the hobby shop bask in the glow that comes with all the you have to hide with clear overcoats, (that 20-mile trip to get the above-men- adulation due from the masses who have weathering techniques, or other forms tioned dry transfers. By now, you are benefited from your wit and wisdom. of voodoo incantations. The disadvan- incantation proficient!) and get a scrap Best of all, the congregation will hold you in utmost regard, merely because tage lies in the positioning precision of soft milky white translucent plastic. you have helped fill this page, thus pre- required before burnishing. If you don’t Set it up with a lightbulb underneath to venting Scace from going off on another have it right, you can’t move it around get the same effect. one of his tirades about O Scale behav- like you can a decal. You take it off Nifty Sign Material ioral issues. (sometimes requiring more incantation) While prowling the local craft store, Let’s go Exploring! ◆ and do it again using a single letter making big points with the wife, I spied from another set that you have to drive with my little eye something beginning 20 miles back to the store for, brushing with, “Wow! I can use that!” The scrap- up on your incantations on the way. book people have all these nifty little This gets really annoying when you are things they glue on the various pages, trying to put those li’l bitty numbers on like little fish, trees, even bottles. These the end of a car. Even a couple snorts designs look to be made from very thin of one’s favorite libation won’t ease the wood, and are ideal for those old signs July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 31280 Groesbeck,‑ Fraser, MI 48026 586-296-6116 Open Mon-Fri 10-8, Sat 10-6, Sun 12-5 Hobby Shop Fax: 586-296-5642 P&DP&D HobbyHobby ShopShop www.pdhobbyshop.com P&D Hobby F Unit Sale Model shown is #8001

POWERED F “A” Units: Reg. $350, SALE $289.99 POWERED F “B” Units: Reg. $315, SALE $264.99 #7001 EMD F3-Ph4, F7-Ph1 early , 36" low fans, 36" #3001 EMD F3-Ph3, F7-Ph1, 36" low fans, 36" dynamic dynamic brake, 2 portholes,horiz grilles brake, 3 portholes,horiz grilles #8001 EMD F7-Ph1 late, F7-Ph2, 36" low fans, 48" dynamic #4001 EMD F7-Ph1 (late), F7-Ph2, F9, 36" low fans, 48" brake, 2 portholes, Farr (vert) grilles (shown above) dynamic brake, 2 portholes, Farr (vert) grilles #9001 EMD F9, 36" fans, 48" dynamic brake, 2 portholes, Farr (vert) grilles

UNPOWERED F “A” Units: Reg. $225, SALE $189.99 UNPOWERED F “B” Units: Reg. $200, SALE $169.99 #7002 EMD F3-Ph4, F7-Ph1 early , 36" low fans, 36" #3002 EMD F3-Ph3, F7-Ph1, 36" low fans, 36" dynamic dynamic brake, 2 portholes,horiz grilles brake, 3 portholes,horiz grilles #8002 EMD F7-Ph1 late, F7-Ph2, 36" low fans, 48" dynamic #4002 EMD F7-Ph1 (late), F7-Ph2, F9, 36" low fans, 48" brake, 2 portholes, Farr (vert) grilles dynamic brake, 2 portholes, Farr (vert) grilles #9002 EMD F9, 36" fans, 48" dynamic brake, 2 portholes, Farr (vert) grilles

F Unit “A” Body KITS: reg. $99.95, on sale $82.99 F Unit “B” Body KITS: reg. $94.99, on sale $79.99 #7000 EMD F3-Ph4, F7-Ph1 early , 36" low fans, 36" #3000 EMD F3-Ph3, F7-Ph1, 36" low fans, 36" dynamic dynamic brake, 2 portholes,horiz grilles brake, 3 portholes,horiz grilles #8000 EMD F7-Ph1 late, F7-Ph2, 36" low fans, 48" dynamic #4000 EMD F7-Ph1 (late), F7-Ph2, F9, 36" low fans, 48" brake, 2 portholes, Farr (vert) grilles dynamic brake, 2 portholes, Farr (vert) grilles #9000 EMD F9, 36" fans, 48" dynamic brake, 2 portholes, Farr (vert) grilles

All kits include brass etched grills, appropriate detailed parts, and preformed grab irons for indicated model. These kits include only the parts above the frame. Interurban lines are usually thought of as people movers, as indeed most were. But a number of lines saw right away just how lucrative the freight market could be and positioned themselves to be competitive players in that market. Humble Beginnings Starting with small box motors such as #102, they carried packaged goods, milk cans, papers, fresh bread and all the stuff needed in the next town. When these small box motors proved to be inadequate, the interurbans acquired bigger ones or rebuilt passenger cars to motors such as #112, built Texas Elec- tric style, with outside hung doors. Mail was also an important moneymaker, so they had cars (like #304) that also accommo- dated loose goods. Freight Cars & Freight Realizing that it makes more sense to let someone else do the loading and unloading, the interurbans began to acquire more powerful motors which were intended to pull interchange freight cars. Motors, such as #402 which was modeled after a steel motor from the Crandic, met that need. The bow-type trolley is just whimsy on my part as I have never seen one mod-

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • eled and I wanted to try it. It works just fine. The next stage designed a loco like #412. This design was used subsequently was reached when the lines bought steeplecabs, like #403-404 by several other linesvi that needed extra power with the flex- (modeled after OA&E engines), and boxcabs, like #407 (mod- ibility to negotiate those tight interurban curves. eled after P&N loco #5100). These motors were powerful, but Serious Freight Haulage were soon overwhelmed by longer and longer trains. Then, When the trains were long, the tunnels longer, the mountains a very bright engineer on the Piedmont & Northern came up steep and the revenue large, even some major steam lines tried with a way to harness the power of two engines together, and out electric locomotives. A couple of examples shown here are #437, a Boston & Maine early locomotive, and #417, a GE locomotive made for a Mexican railroad. Yes, it really did have three trucks, as does the model. The Models These models are all O Scale, made from a variety of materials. Several started out as LaBelle body kits, which are easy

and fun to modify. Quite a few have Q-Car trucks, the best in the business. Others are scratchbuilt, with trucks that incorpo- rate NWSL motors, gears and wheels and sometimes have Q- Car sideframes and parts. My motto is not just “light-rail”, but “light-amperage” also. These engines provide that. I also run with DCC decoders in all cars and engines. “Light-amperage” means I can use HO-size decoders. These engines have provided me with many years filled with the fun of design, historical research and the pleasure of sitting at a workbench, which has got to be the best of any leisure activity. I use the name of a fallen-flag railroad which ran from my home in Rapid City to a town called Mystic. About 35 miles long with over 100 bridges, the Rapid City, Black Hills & Western provided a bridge route through the Black Hills between the CB&Q to the west and the C&NW to the east from about 1907 until 1947. Yes, I know it was a steam railroad, but in my world all the trains are electric. We interurban modelers should be thought of just like the live- steam guys. We do it the real way. ◆

References “Texas Electric Railway”, Johnnie J. Myers, CERA Bulletin 121, p 74-75 “Iowa Trolleys”, Norman Carlson Ed, CERA Bulletin 114, p 12 Cars of Sacramento Northern, Interurbans Special 32, p 82 Piedmont and Northern Fetters & Swanson, p 26 & p 170 Illinois Terminal, The Electric Years, Paul Stringham, p 112 Electric Locomotive Plan & Photo Book, NJ International When the Steam Railroads Electrified, 1st Ed, William Middleton, p 379

10 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 The times, they are a-changing. Recent events in the railroad business have proven that people still can make tragic mistakes. Whatever the circumstances may be, system wide changes to operating rules have taken effect. Railroads that try to operate “in the black” cannot maintain a seamless integrated network to monitor every switch motor on the rail system. It would cost millions. When it comes down to getting cars spotted in sidings the best and cheapest old-fashioned way is the train crew. I say “old-fashioned” because, repeater at a given location and a distant dispatcher can now see the switch is in the high-tech and highly competitive world thrown for a diverging route. What is more important here is to know a com- of railroad equipment, there are several ways puter can also track this switch, which is now set to a diverging route, and a railroad can now keep watch on remote alert an approaching train that the track ahead is not clear. There is a reason switch movement. The question is how can for all those short antennas on a modern Diesel. Safety is what it’s all about. the average O Scale modeler capture the feel Modeling this scene is straightforward. A switch motor and small relay cabi- of a realistic scene if there are no physical net can suffice. Again, connect the relay box to power lines for added realism. switch stands or ground throws present? Well, The action of this scene is handled from inside the relay cabinet. By including there are, but not in the traditional sense. This a small piece of wire protruding from the top of the relay cabinet to represent kind of modeling means your turnouts will an antenna, your work is done. probably be thrown from under the table by Solar powered switch machines are going to be harder to explain to your DC motor or mechanical means. friends. The device doesn’t really appear to be a switch machine at all. As you Satellite telemetry is the upper end of might be thinking, the scene looks pretty plain. A simple metal box, measur- switch motor technology. In extremely ing 2.5’ x 2.5’ x 1.5’, houses the entire unit. A pole, approximately four to five remote locations, switch motors can be mon- feet tall with a flat plate on it, represents the solar cell panel. The solar panel itored and controlled via satellite. The switch simply recharges the batteries that power the switch motor, whether remote direction can be seen, system-wide on com- control as described or operated by local manual input. As you might guess, puter screens at every railroad operations this switch machine is for remote locations where there is no power. Use it in center, in real time. This is the modern ver- the mountains or any extremely remote location. These switch machines can sion of Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) in a get fancy by continuously tracking the sun throughout the day, and pointing nutshell. A switch motor in Atlanta, Georgia, the solar panel towards the sun as it moves across the sky. Pretty neat. These can be operated from the CSX office in Jack- machines require batteries, and I used a large battery vault casting from Keil- sonville, Florida, by sending an encoded sat- Line to represent this feature. ellite transmission. This is a common practice Next time, what is a modern freight car from 1966 doing on the road today? on Class 1 railroads. The switch motor itself We’ll take a look. ◆ is not very different than a normal mainline switch motor. There would be an adjacent relay cabinet, power line connections, and an antenna connected to the relay box. You, o: Get Started in 2-Rail Scale as the modeler, can make it look as high-tech How T Realistic • Accurate • Affordable as you want, but these would be the minimal Come Discover Modern O-Scale Models at These 2-Rail O-Scale Meets requirements to depict the scene. One antenna would cover a yard of switch motors. February 2 - 4, 2006, San Francisco, CA area Sept 30 - Oct 1, 2005, Oklahoma City, OK area 16th Annual O Scale West Meet Southwest O Scale Meet Switch motor and relay cabinet models can LSSAE for information to: LSSAE for information to: be purchased from several manufacturers. I O Scale West, Dept. OSK George B. Wallace, Dept. OSK have used Keil-Line Manufacturing’s metal 876 Boyce Avenue 11937 Stratford Drive Palo Alto, CA 94301-3003 Oklahoma City, OK 73120 castings for mine. Look for their ad in this issue for contact information. July 17-23, 2006, Parsippany, NJ June 15- 18, 2005, St. Louis area 2006 O Scale National Convention 2005 O Scale National Convention One step down on the technology ladder LSSAE for information to: LSSAE for information to: is localized remote control. This approach Robert Lavezzi C/O New York Society of Model Engineers 2005 O Scale National, Dept. OSK is similar to CTC control of a mainline, but 341 Hoboken P.O. Box 4357 St. Louis MO 63123 this is territory where no computerized CTC Carlstadt, NJ 07072 is present. A locomotive, equipped with 2.4 September 23 - 24, 2005, Indianapolis, IN area November 19, 2005, Cincinnati, OH area Indianapolis Midwest "O" Scale Fall Meet 2005 Cincinnati Meet GHz wireless signaling equipment, can acti- LSSAE for information to: LSSAE for information to: vate a switch motor from the cab either by James Canter, Dept. OSK Frank Koch, Dept. OSK dialing a phone number and then a select 1203 Rotherham Lane 4769 Silverwood Drive sequence of numbers or by typing switch Beech Grove, IN 46107-3323 Batavia, OH 45103 Look for 2-rail O scale at local train shows O scale modelers exhibit, and set up operating 2-rail layouts. numbers onto a keypad/remote control. It can be done with the same electronics that Visit www.oscalekings.org for links to many 2-rail O-scale sites. This ad runs twice a year, so check it in 6 months for meets that have been added or changed dates. are inside your cordless home phone. It’s just For an illustrated brochure please send an LSSAE #12 envelope to: O Scale Kings, 304 Christopher Place, Union, MO 63084-2931. that simple. All the while, the switch indica- Ad sponsored by O Scale Kings and the above listed 2-rail O scale meets. tor is connected to a phone line or cellular

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 11 NEW PRIMA BEER 40’ WOOD-SIDE REEFER

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12 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 TTimelessimeless SStructurestructures

1 Carl Cornish building the foundations on ⁄4” board, which will make instal- [Publisher’s note: We received a nice letter and a couple lation on the layout location easier when the time comes. The CDs full of photos from Carl a while back. His buildings are so foundation is then laid up one stone at a time. The stones are spectacular we had to share at least one with you.] then grouted in the same fashion as you would a tile project. After a ten-year absence from model railroading, my long- Next the exterior walls are constructed with the proper siding time friend, Gary Patterson (Cherel Valley RR, OST#16), called selected by myself or the client. I use board-and-batten, lap, 1 and suggested I return to model building. I took his advice and scribed and board by board. I glue all the sidings on ⁄16” poster have decided to build custom O Scale structures. With my love board to avoid warping later. The windows and doors are cut in before the roof is installed so that the glass and any protru- sions such as cranes and lights can be anchored through the wall on the inside. I use scale 2 x 6 lumber to construct the various roofs, much like any full size buildings. The roofing material is then glued over the framing. I use cedar shingles, corrugated metal and roll roofing on the different structures. When I finish the roofing, I install all the chimneys, vents, and smoke stacks. I then select the posters and proper sig- nage for the various buildings or whatever is ordered by the client. Almost all of my building are circa 1930s through 1940s. I build them to look as weathered and as old as possible. I go to great lengths to construct these buildings crooked and out of square. The porches and loading docks always sag and lean, and the main building walls are out of plumb, sometimes as much as a quarter-inch. I pick-up samples of old wood and metal roofing and match my paints, stain, and chalk to them for realism. I’m not building prototype structures, but creating my own designs or the ideas of the client. This way I can make everyone’s dream come to life in a small way. I make it a point to use for building and railroading, this was an easy decision. I the best materials avail- decided to call this new venture “Timeless Structures”. able. The scale lumber Having been in the construction business for a is from Northeastern, number of years, I decided to institute many of the roofing is by Build- same building practices in the construction of e r s - I n - S c a l e , my custom structures. I design buildings with as t h e w i n d o w s many different elevations and separate additions and doors are that I can to make them functional and pleasing to the eye. I then draw scale prints to take the measurements from during the construction layout.

I start

Grandt L i n e , a n d castings from a variety of vendors. If you would like to see more photos of the newest structures, go to my website at TimelessStruc- tures.com. Anyone who would like to share their dreams and ideas of structure building may contact me by e-mail at [[email protected]]. ◆

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 13 Keil-Line O Scale Products Irish Tracklayer Now available: a rail insulator .010" thick for code 148 rail, $2.00 inc. S&H. Check our website for brass steam and diesel castings. Type SA Under development: a highly detailed Searchlight double slip switch, complete with signal kit, switch motors. A true plug and play includes bi- installation. color LED. Kit# 48-484, WWW.IRISHTRACKLAYER.COM $18.95. 2682 West Palo Alto Ave Kit# 48-483 Fresno, CA 93711 Aux signal head, $8.95. Stevenson Preservation Lines NORM’S $3.95 shipping O Gauge Kits and Parts from past Hundreds of Master Modelers detail items O SCALE available. Catalog 2005 Price: $3.00 Baldwin Model Locomotive Works Trains & More Lobaugh Adams & Sons Lenoir Buy, Sell, Trade! Kansas City Kit Hines Lines www.normsoscale.com Alexander [email protected] Pearce Tool Co. Keil-Line, 6440 McCullom Lake Rd., Wonder Lake IL 60097 41 Roosevelt Trail, Route Current catalog #10 SSAE Bob Stevenson, 2326 230th St. Boone, IA 50036 302. S. Casco, ME 04077 (2 stamps) plus $3. FAX Orders to 815-728-0595 Ph: 207-655-2550 Lineside Details Nickel Plate Models Deichman’s Depot O Scale models, parts, decals, newsletter for Nickel Plate and related roads. O Scale 2-Rail NKP War Emergency Cabooses 7461 NW SS Box $48.00 Road Numbers 1343-1362, brass, from Ajin. Beautiful. Limited run. Unpainted: $279. Factory- 7462 Reading SS Box Car $48.00 painted “High Speed Service”. 7486 Susquehanna Steel Rebuilt Box $52.00 $369 each plus $15 shipping. Parts, O5w and 7679 NH NE-6 Caboose $68.00 Proto48 trucks also available 7766 Port of Balto. 55 Ton Hopper $48.00 NKP 1900 Series Flat Cars 7780 PC MOW H21a Hopper $59.00 Exclusive from Red Caboose. Painted, six new 9019 Southern Star 36' Reefer $57.00 numbers. Assembled, metal wheels. Also available 9115 Banana Dist. Co. 40' Reefer $57.00 painted black, unlettered. W&LE decals available 9125 Fairmont Creamery 40' Reefer $60.00 separately. $42.50 each, plus $7 shipping; $255 for 9154 Oak Grove Butter 40' Reefer $57.00 six-car set, plus $20 shipping. 9311 TH&B DS Box Car $48.00 Upcoming Projects 9505 Bar-Bee 40' Steel Reefer $52.00 9509 PFE 40' Steel Reefer $52.00 NKP Rider Cars (Converted Boxcars) Brass from Ajin. Limited run of 25. 9654 Staley 8K Tank Car $54.00 NKP/NYC 40 Ton Double Sheathed Box Cars S&H $8.00 for 1 car, $10.00 for 2 cars, Brass from Ajin. Limited run. $11.00 for 3 or more cars. Dolomite Containers (for gondola loads) Back by Popular Demand - CUSTOM RUN Brass. Painted and letter NKP only. Our Mother’s Cocoa 40' Woodside Steam-Era Write, call or email for order form, product list or Reefer; 3-rail $62.95, 2 rail $65.95 NKP O Scale newsletter. plus S&H. Due in late Oct. 2005. Nickel Plate Models Place your order now! M. David Vaughn & James Canter 13732 Lakeside Dr Deichman’s Depot Clarksville MD 21029 110 Ivyside Dr, York PA 17402 Ph: 717-755-1108 • Fax: 717-840-9650 301-854-3200 [email protected] [email protected] www.deichmansdepot.com

14 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 Important notice regarding First Class Mail subscription availability.

Many of you have asked us to provide a First Class Mail subscription. Well, your pleas have been heard. We now offer First Class Mail service for $40 a year. We will also upgrade those of you with current subscriptions at $1.65 per issue, but you will have to call the office to find out the exact cost since that will depend on how many issues you have left. So, if you’ve had bad postal service in your area, you may want to upgrade your subscription.

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And The New All-American High-Rail & Collectors Train Show ™ July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 15 Building a Small O Scale Layout Part Four Michael Culham

In Part 3, you learned how to spike rail. Since a turnout is Rail braces, part # RB25 (one set) really only a bunch of rail that is spiked down, you should be Gauge plates, part # GP25 (one set) ready to tackle one here in Part 4. Now I admit there are a lot I’ve shown everything listed in Photo 1. You will also need of parts to a turnout, stock rails, wing rails, points, guardrails the tie plates for turnouts (part # TPF4), some regular tie plates and frogs (See Fig. 1). In the old days (and even today), some and four of the insulated joiners. If you remember, back in modelers will toil away at filing the frog, points and stock rails. Part 3, I said to take photos of some prototype turnouts. This is I take the easy way out, using frogs, guardrails and points that where they become a handy reference, to see where each part are ready made for you with all the detail of the real thing. of the turnout goes. For the turnouts on this layout, I use the components made by Making a Point Right-O-Way. The first thing I did was to build the point assembly, using all With all the nice rolling stock and engines coming out with the parts shown in Photo 2. Shown are the left- and right-hand all sorts of great detail, doesn’t it make sense to have your track points and the throw rods. I like the points manufactured by work looking as good? Now, let’s get started building a turnout. ROW, as they are made to look and work like the prototype. List of Materials They fit perfectly into the stock rails, so you don’t have to file First, gather up all the parts for the turnout. I have put a list notches in the stock rail to accommodate. together as follows: Assemble the throw rods per the manufacturer’s instructions. Points, part # P25-16 (one set) On one set, cut off the casting on the side (see Photo 3). Once Throw rods, part # TR (two sets) the throw rods are assembled, drill a hole large enough for a Frog, part # FB25-5 (one) straight pin to go through, in the center of the two wings that Guard rails, part # GR25 (one set) come out from the side of the points. Do this on both points.

1 2

16 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 Insert the wings into the pivot part of the throw rod, then insert bar connect. I usually make about four point assemblies at a a straight pin through the hole at the bottom so that the pointy time, so I have them ready for a tracklaying session. end is sticking out of the top. Do this on all four wings, as Now that the point assembly is ready, start filing any cast- shown in Photo 3. Next, put a drop of ACC glue at the point ing flash from the frog, guardrails and rail braces. Next get the gauge plates ready, per the manufacturer’s instructions. All your 3 turnout parts are now ready, as you can see in Photo 5. Building a Turnout The ties have already been glued in place and painted, so you are now ready to build your turnout. Place the turnout template on the ties, and align the mark that shows the start of the points with the center of the first long tie used for the switch stand (See

where the head of the pin and the throw rod touch (on the bottom) to hold the pin in place. Once the glue has dried, cut off 1 the excess pin about ⁄32” above the top of the throw bar (see Photo 6). The straight side of the template should be aligned Photo 4). Put a small bit of ACC where the pin and the throw along the guideline. With a colored pencil (I used a white one), mark the V at the back of the frog on the other end of the tem- 4 plate. This will give you the location of the back of the frog. Put the straight stock rail along the template, using map pins to hold it in place. Do the same with the curved stock rail. (See

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 17 Photos 7-8). Remove the template and put map pins on the the long tie plates. other side of the stock rails to keep them in place. Next, install the regular tie plates under the straight stock rail If you are going to use a turnout motor (I use Tortoise slow- and spike it in place, making sure to check the gauge between motion machines on my layout.), you will first need to drill a the frog and the stock rail. While spiking the stock rails, remem- hole for the connecting rod from the machine to the throw rod ber to accommodate the contact area between the points and (See Photo 9). Once drilled, paint the inside of the hole so it the stock rail. Find the first long tie for the switchstand and count ten ties toward the frog end of the turnout (See Photo 11). 9 Do not spike or put ties plates in this section. Here is where we’ll use the gauge plates, rail braces and long tie plates. I will talk more about these later. Now, attach two insulated joiners between the frog and the rails closest to the points (See Photo 12). As the frog must remain insulated from the rest of the turnout, you’ll need to attach insulated joiners at the other end of the frog as well, before you start laying rail past it. Slip the point assembly into place and cut two lengths of rail to make the wing rails that fit between the frog and the point assembly. Bend the curved wing rail to the radius required and doesn’t stand out. 12 Now you can start to install the frog. Before spiking it in place, solder an electrical feeder wire to the bottom of the frog

(See Photo 10) and feed the wire down through a hole drilled in the roadbed. Make sure the hole is actually under the frog so the feeder wire remains hidden. Align the frog, using the guide- then put both wing rails in place. Using your three-point gage, lines and the V you marked, on the ties. Spike it in place using spike the straight wing rail (Photo 13) between the frog and the

11 14

joiner on the pivot part of the points. Then, spike the curved stock rail (See Photo 14) , again leaving the contact area for the

18 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 15 17

18 points clear as we did for the straight stock rail. Using the three- point gage, spike the curved wing rail (See Photo 15). Install the two guard rails, checking that the back-to-back clearance

checks with your NMRA gage (See Fig. 2). Apply ACC glue on the ends of the four spacing taps to hold the guard rails to the 20 16

stock rail. Your turnout is now in place. Roll a truck (Did I mention gauge plate and cardstock in place with ACC. that you would need a truck?), through the turnout to see if any Next glue the six rail braces along the side of the stock rail, adjustments are needed (See Photo 16). as shown in Photos 19-22. The last thing we have to do is install At this point, all that is left to do on the turnout is to add the and spike the long tie plates as shown in Photo 23. For electri- details at the point end (See Photos 17-23). This includes the cal power to the wing rails, solder jumpers from both stock rails gauge plates, rail braces and long tie plates. This is why I said to their corresponding wing rails, as shown in Photo 24. Glue not to put any regular tie plates or spikes in this section. Gather on the fake joint bars where needed, file the groove and then up all these parts and have them handy. To start, we will install do the final painting as we did on the other trackage in Part 3. the two sets of gauge plates on the two long ties. The flat part of Congratulations. You have installed your first turnout. Now the gauge plates slide under the points and stock rails with the you know how easy it is. On the average, it will take about bolt detail parts meeting in the middle of the ties. Insert a piece three hours per turnout to install. of thin cardstock in between the halves as an insulator. Glue the Wiring the Layout July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 19 21

22 24

What type of control system you use on your layout is up to you, be it conventional or command-control. On a layout of this size, if you decide to run with conventional DC, you probably won’t need to wire in blocks, given that you would only run one train at a time. I do recommend that you attach feeder wires to every section of rail to get the best current flow possible. This also goes if you decide to use DCC or another command-control system. I am using DCC, as I had it all ready from my last layout and my engines have decoders and sound already installed. I ran two #14 gauge bus wires under the layout and have attached #20 gauge feeder wires to every length of rail. I do not rely on rail joiners to carry the current. Well this is the last of the trackwork sections in this series. I hope you have enjoyed it and have learned something. Starting in Part Five, I will talk about ballasting and how to do basic scenery. So until next time... Happy Modeling. ◆

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20 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 Carfloat Elevator With a bit of help from Bruce Temperley

My layout, the Bay Ridge Har- bor Railroad (BRHRR), does not have a staging yard. Instead, off- layout traffic relies on carfloats to feed the railroad. Now, O Scale carfloats are not exactly small, and manhandling a fully loaded one off and on the layout is not for the fainthearted. Already, a couple of boxcars have ended up on the floor in pieces. A solution had to be found. After looking at endless articles and fiddling with different ideas, from a large table down to a small trolley on wheels, my good friend and operator Bruce and myself were sitting in the room adjoining the train room imbibing in our favorite beverage. Suddenly, while glancing across the room, Bruce suddenly saw what proved to be the answer. There sat the wife’s sewing machine, which disappears neatly away in a cabinet after use. If we could do a similar thing with the floats, we would have the problem solved. 5 The photos show the end result, built out of ⁄8” thick laminated chipboard, standing 47” high, 56.5” long and 35.5” wide and sitting on four adjustable caster wheels. The elevator can hold three carfloats, but I use the lower shelf for loads at the present time. We have plans to build a series of trolleys to hold carfloats that can be brought from under the layout to the elevator. This way we will have plenty of storage. Now the publisher, Joe G., is a nice bloke and quite gen- erously allows me a page every issue to let me share my ideas with you guys and a car float elevator would take many pages to describe. If anyone is serious about building this very handy device, I could supply you with limited additional information ( g e n u i n e c a l l e r s only). (Of course, we would invite you to write it up as a feature article, Neville! By the way, was it Foster’s that provided you guys with the illumination?–ed) Thanks to Bruce Temperley for his idea, drawings, and for machining the metal parts.

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 21 is not a great model of a D&RGW three- foot gauge C16 due to the gauge. Model- ers have told me that it was not easy to regauge. NarrowNarrow On the tender, the rear HO knuckle coupler is set at HO height, about 19” in O Scale. The front coupler is a dummy O Scale coupler set higher at the correct 26” MindedMinded height. On30 models should be designed Bobber Gibbs so that HO couplers can be used on both front and rear at either the HO height or We will take possession of our new I welcomed this model because I felt it the regular 26” height, and it should be a home in two weeks and I will report on would attract many new modelers to nar- simple matter to substitute On3 couplers. construction progress on my new North- row gauge, O Scale, DCC and sound. Despite these minor faults, the BLI way Railroad in the next issue. The BLI 2-8-0 was available painted On30 2-8-0 Consolidation is an excellent OST Is Growing and lettered for #278 with fluted domes, example of what can be built, with DCC With the good news from our pub- for #268 with rounded domes, for #268 and sound, at a reasonable price. lisher that O Scale Trains Magazine has in the “bumblebee” paint scheme, and Bachmann E-Z DCC increased to 72 pages, I hope that we will painted and unlettered. It was also avail- Coincidently, just about the time I see more narrow gauge contributions and able painted for Rio Grande Southern, ordered the two Consolidations, I was photos submitted from our readers. I urge New Mexico Lumber Co., Nevada afforded the opportunity to review the you to practice with that new digital cam- County Narrow Gauge RR and Montezu- Bachmann E-Z Digital Command Con- era and take a few photos that you might ma Lumber Co. trol system. The DCC equipment arrived share with us at OST. Taking photos of For some reason, the model was only first. Down on the floor went a bunch of your work and studying them will help offered in On30 and there was some Bachmann track from several On30 sets make you a better modeler. talk about it being easily regaugeable to and I got my first introduction to com- If you have a home computer, I hope On3. The models soon began appearing mand control. you will also check out some of the O in hobby shops and at train shows. They The Bachmann DCC introductory set Scale Internet communities listed at the were heavy and very impressive. includes an HO GP40 with decoder, so end of this column. No matter what your On30 has attracted a lot of new model- I quickly got used to operating the Diesel O Scale interests, you will find a surpris- ers to O Scale, but the largest locomotive and its lights. The next day, I received a ing number of people on the Internet for most has been the Bachmann 2-6-0 DCC-equipped Bachmann Davenport, who love to discuss their projects and Mogul. Not many On30 modelers have that I had purchased from a friend, and share their knowledge. You will also learn layouts big enough to properly accom- I enjoyed learning how to operate two how quickly and easily you can research modate the larger C16, nor do they own powered units independently on the same almost any topic, if you’d care to submit properly scaled D&RGW freight or pas- track, even if they were two different an article for publication. This is my 21st senger cars. Even so, BLI apparently pro- scales. It was especially unique to see one consecutive column and OST is a great duced four runs of this model. locomotive running eastbound to clear magazine to write for. Recently, the BLI C16 has been adver- the main line while a train approached As an OST columnist, I have appreci- tised for $120 by one of the big hobby dis- the turnout running westbound. ated the opportunity to review several counters and, when I learned of that price Two days later, the C16’s arrived and I new O Scale locomotives and I am cur- (with DCC and sound), I had to order two entered the fascinating world of DCC and rently conducting tests on the Bachmann of the undecorated models. sound. After a few hours of testing and E-Z Command DCC System. It seems like The BLI 2-8-0 will readily negotiate sharing with a few friends, we agreed that a sensible and inexpensive way to operate my 12” radius test curves, although it the next step has to be to get some Diesel a small one- or two-person layout. looks better on 18 inches. It has constant sounds for the Davenport and some of my BLI C16 directional lighting and operates nice- other On30 locomotives. Once I get it up In early 2003, Broadway Limited ly at slow switching speeds. The sound off the floor and moved to our new home, Imports began providing HO mainline is superb and there is a special tool that I will be installing some decoders in my steam locomotives at attractive prices, you can use to adjust the sound volume standard gauge Diesels and running some especially since they included the Quan- through the water filler pipe. It is simply tests to share with you in my next column. tum sound system right from the factory. amazing to me that so many different Also, after we get settled, I will be testing The sound system featured two speakers sounds can be heard in random mix while and reviewing several Fast Tracks tracklay- and not only included a synchronized the locomotive sits there, not moving. The ing products described at www.handlaid- chuff, but also whistle, bell, squeal- whistle sounds better than any other whis- track.com. ing brakes, Doppler effect, air let off, air tle I have used on several different sound In the meantime, I hope you did not pump, blow down, pop off and blower systems, and the bell is also far superior. miss out on the fantastic price for the hiss sounds. They operated on DC and With the built-in DCC decoder, operation BLI C16 and that you will think seriously introduced a lot of HO modelers to ready- is nicely enhanced by the sound. about sound and DCC for your O Scale to-run sound. Most of the piping on the boiler is cast trains. BLI followed up with more HO steam on, but that is not apparent from normal Happy rails to you, from Bobber. ◆ and Diesel power. Then, in August of viewing distance. The finish is excellent 2003, they announced their first and and the undecorated locomotive looks http://groups.yahoo.com/group/otrains/ only O Scale offering, the D&RGW nar- good with a string of Bachmann freight or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proto48/ row gauge C16 Consolidation, including passenger cars. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/on30conspiracy/ Digital Command Control decoder and It is great On30 model of a Baldwin http://groups.yahoo.com/group/On3/ full Quantum sound at a MSLP of $270. Consolidation locomotive, however, it http://groups.yahoo.com/group/omule/

22 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 ron507thrd.qxd 5/2/2005 11:43 AM Page 1

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Bonds Trackside in the Erie Lackawanna NJ Commuter Zone ...... 48.00 Trackside with EMD Field Rep. Casey Cavenaugh 1960-1962 .48.00 Cabeese - 2 rail, 3 rail scale wood, stone, metal, Trains to Yosemite- Burgess ...... 60.00 Wvr.. BM, NH, NYC, Rdg, Susq, LV, DH, more..$25-$45 ceramic & more! Virginian Railway in Color ...... 48.00 K-line..NYC, EL, Sou, CR, CNJ, D&H, B&O..$45-$50 Visalia Electric Railroad – SP’s Orange Grove Route ...... 50.00 MTH..PRR, NYC, C&O, Susq, Erie, CR, more..$45-$60 Incredibly strong and Vista Dome – North Coast Limited ...... 68.00 Atlas..NH, CR, NKP, RFP, Rut, GN, C&O, RG, SF..$37-$75 Warbonnets & Bluebonnets – Mc Millan ...... 58.50 REQUEST YOUR FREE *$18.00 MINIMUM order for free shipping in the USA. Send $3.00 for latest Weaver, K-line, MTH, & Atlas 2-rail trucks in stock list. All orders must be paid in U.S. funds. NY residents please add cor- INFORMATION KIT! rect sales tax. Print your name, address and phone number. Credit card e-mail us at [email protected] users add card number and expiration date. Allow 4 weeks for delivery. For de- PO Box 1035 • Drexel Hill, PA 19026 www.gorillaglue.com livery outside of USA please add $8.00 for the first book and $3.00 for each additional book. Make checks payable to Ron’s Books. Only inquiries which include a 610-259-4945 • VISA•MC•DISC•AMEX SASE will be answered. Prices subject to change. WE BUY COLLECTIONS 1-800-966-3458 July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 23 The Ultimate Series of Laser-Cut Kits from

The McCabe Lumber Company in O Scale! Slatyfork Sawmill is a double bandsaw mill that can handle the load! This Master Creations kit consists of laser-cut basswood, plywood, and lots of detail castings. Interior walls, stairs and floors are included as are removable roofs. And the standard features of B.T.S. kits are there... peel & stick window sashes, positionable doors and window sashes, slot and tab construction, brass door knobs, and well-engineered construction providing fast and easy assembly.

Most modelers want interior machinery components. The machinery is not included in the sawmill kit, but will be offered as a separate package with lost-wax brass bandsaws, edgers, rollers, etc., combined with urethane, white-metal and laser-cut components to complete the mill. The footprint of the mill building over the loading docks is about 118' x 85' with the jackslip extending out into the mill pond another 60' – it stands about 54' above the mill pond. More photos are on our web site along with information about the other kits in the series.

This is a very Limited Edition kit available direct only from B.T.S. The mill is due to start shipping in March 2005 with the interior coming later. #18300 O Scale Slatyfork Sawmill $ 850.00 #18301 O Scale Sawmill Interior $ TBA

Shipping: $5.00 in the U.S. $6.00 in Canada Actual Cost elsewhere Call in your order today!

Shown above is the HO version of the sawmill. All McCabe kits are sold direct only from B.T.S.

P O Box 856 Web: www.btsrr.com Elkins, WV 26241 E-Mail: [email protected] Full Catalog - $5.00 Phone: 304-637-4510 Fax: 304-637-4506 Celebrating over 25 Years of Service since 1979 24 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 Are you looking for a simple rolling stock project on which someday I’d build this car and that day has finally come to pass. to cut your scratchbuilding teeth? Well, here’s a project that a First built by the Pressed Steel Car Company in 1902, these neophyte O Scaler can build from the rails up, from basswood composite gons became so popular that, by 1930, over 30,000 and/or Styrene, with a basic set of modeling tools. Also, you’ll GR class cars were in service. Approximately 14,000 GRa gon- have some fun in the process. Over the years, I have relied on dolas were also built. You can correctly run this car with arch four golden rules of scratchbuilding. I’m sure there are others. bar trucks behind early steam, or operate it well into the fifties 1) Measure twice and cut once. 2) Make repeated light cuts into with steam or Diesel power and Bettendorf trucks. There were the material rather than one heavy pass, and always use a guide two nearly identical classes of this car, class GR and GRa. The such as a cork-backed steel ruler. 3) Keep a fresh blade in your only difference between the two classes is overall length. The GR modeling knife. 4) Use glue sparingly. Come to think of it, plenty is 40’ and the GRa is 43’ long. of light at the bench is a good thing, too. The Pennsylvania Railroad termed this car a tight-bottom drop- All the materials to build my car are available from well- end gondola. The drop ends and a removable brake staff allowed stocked hobby shops, catalog houses, and online sites. A few the car to be end loaded with pipe, farm machinery, telephone evenings, and some time spent behind an airbrush or spray can, poles and the like. Over its history, I imagine this car carried just will net you a nice looking car for a minimal amount of expense about every kind of lading. By the fifties, many of these cars were and time invested. Also, you’ll hone your modeling skills in the operating in Pennsy work train service. Virtually identical cars saw process. Perhaps this project will inspire you to attempt a more service on the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. complex car or structure. So, assemble your tools and let’s get The Pennsy gon is essentially a flat car with a planked deck on with it. and pressed steel side sills. The 30” tall board sides were mount- I’ve always been attracted to the look and simple construction ed on the car with pressed steel braces. The side sills are unique of the Pennsy class GR and GRa gondolas. Years ago, I copied in that the top and bottom edges are radiused by the pressing and filed away an O Scale drawing of the GR gondola from and forming process. The three boards making up each side are 1 the Janu- ary, 1948, issue of Model Railroader. I knew 10” high and 3 ⁄2” thick. There are no stake pockets to attach the t h a t

PRR Gondola photo: Hagley Museum and Library, Collection of Ted Culotta July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 25 The publisher and reproduce these plans for personal, non-commercial author grant use. use To these plans at full size for permission O Scale have to them enlarged by 125%. All dimensions shown are actual size for an O Scale model.

26 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 Full size for O Scale. sides. Pressed Steel Car, instead, utilized pressed steel braces that were riveted to the side sills and boards. Both classes initially carried stake pockets mounted on the wood sides that allowed the sides to be extended. In the 1930s, these stake pockets were removed. I left them off my car, as I’m operating my car in the mid-1950s. There are many sources of prototype data for this car. I have listed the online and magazine sources that I used to build my car. I’m sure there are other sources as well. I chose to build the GRa class for this article, however, you can easily build a model of the GR class by 3 simply removing a scale three feet ( ⁄4” in O scale) from the center of the car and shortening the sills and sideboards accordingly. Let’s get started. We’ll begin with the center and side sills. To replicate the side sill riveting, I riveted and then laminated 0.010” Styrene sheet to smooth 0.040” Styrene sheet. This yielded clean rivets and the correct sill thickness. Using a 0.5 mm lead pencil, I drew the side sill outlines and rivet lines onto 0.010” Styrene sheet. See the sill drawings. Do not cut out the side sills until after you have done your riveting. The plastic will stretch and curl as you rivet. Doing the riveting on a large sheet will minimize the stretch. I use a seamstress’ pounce wheel with 0.070” tooth spacing to make my rivet rows. Place a few sheets of paper under the Styrene to enable the rivets to fully develop under the wheel. You’ve never done this before? Practice a few rows, and keep an even pressure on your pounce wheel as you go. When the side sills were riveted, I left a generous outline around each sill and then glued the 0.010” sills to a large sheet of 0.040” smooth Styrene. I used Plastruct Plastic Weld liquid plastic cement and a soft brush to bond the 0.010” Styrene to the 0.040” Styrene. Press the 0.010” Styrene firmly onto the 0.040” Styrene substrate and let the side sills cure overnight. Using a cork-backed steel straight edge as a guide, I then cut the finished side sills from the 0.050” laminate. Remember to cut lightly and make several passes. There you have it, a pair of riveted side sills. They didn’t turn out as well as you liked? No problem, just make another set. It’s no big deal and only a minimum of time is needed to repeat the process. I block- sanded a radius into the top and bottom edges of the side sills to simulate the rounded edges on the prototype. The two center sills are cut from 0.040” Styrene sheet, just like the side sills, but no riveting is required. The center sills are notched at the ends to accommodate Kadee 804/805 couplers. Set the four sills aside for now, and we’ll make up the end sills. 7 The end sills are simple ⁄32” channels. I was unable to find

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 27 this size in the Evergreen Styrene catalog, so I made my own from 5 3 3 a strip of ⁄16” Styrene channel. I removed a ⁄32” strip from the center of the channel and then glued the two channel halves back together. A five-inch length of channel will be long enough to make both sills. Take your time and be prepared to throw away the channel if it doesn’t come out right. After the glue has cured, 1 3 cut a ⁄16”deep by ⁄4” wide notch in the bottom of the end sills to clear the Kadee coupler box. We’re ready to assemble the frame. I built my frame upside down over the frame “top-view” drawing. Place the drawing on a 12” square piece of ceiling tile and cover it with waxed paper. 1 1 Pin down the ⁄16” x ⁄4” center cross-brace and then the side, center, and end sills. Straight pins will hold everything in place (see Photo 1). Next, add the crossmembers. I made mine using so longer than my car. I edge-glued the deck halves together using 0.040” Styrene. When all my parts were vertical and square, I a CA glue (see Photo 4). Make sure the glue doesn’t seep onto the 1 deck face. I taped the completed deck, scribed face down, to a flat surface. Then, I positioned and held the upside down frame

flowed Plastruct cement into all the joints and let the frame cure overnight. Yours should pop right off the waxed paper when you remove the pins. I inserted basswood filler blocks between the center sills at the to the underside of the deck. Holding down the frame with one coupler and bolster locations for the trucks and couplers. I used 5 hand, I applied slow-setting CA glue (with the other hand) to the Red Caboose trucks, which required ⁄32” thick bolster pads to set sill tops and cross-members where they met the deck. A few sprits the car at the correct height above the rails. You may have to of CA “kicker” instantly cured the glue joints. Be sure you have tweak the pad thickness for other truck brands. The rail-to-deck 31 even contact over the entire frame with the deck before you add height is 46”, or ⁄32” in O Scale. the CA and kicker (see Photo 5). After trimming the deck ends to The center sill and bolster flanges are added next. I used 1 a ⁄32” overhang, I glued several one-ounce wheel weights to the 0.020” x 0.125” Styrene strips. The bolster flanges are cut in underside of the deck. Now, we can move on to the sideboards. wider pieces from 0.020” stock. I didn’t add brake parts or pip- Most wood-sided gondolas relied on steel stake pockets and ing as they are invisible at my layout viewing height (see Pho- wooden stakes to hold up the sides. This car is a bit different. tos 2 and 3). 1 1 Decking is next. I used ⁄16” thick ⁄8” scribed basswood for my 5 deck. The basswood contrasts nicely with the steel look of the 5 Styrene sills. I cut two lengths of 2 ⁄16” wide basswood an inch or 2

28 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 1 Pressed steel brackets riveted to the boards and the side sills were The sideboards on the prototype are 3 ⁄2” x 10” boards, three 1 7 used to mount the sides. My drawing shows how I replicated boards per side. These scale out close to ⁄16” x ⁄32” in O Scale. To those unique pressed steel braces. I thought for a long while get the correct board height, you’ll have to strip the boards from 1 about the best way to make the pressed braces before I actual- ⁄16” thick basswood or Styrene sheet. I used basswood. ly began construction on the car. For me, pre-planning, lots of Cut the six boards an inch or so longer than needed, so they sketches, and mocking up sub-assemblies pave the way to simpli- can be taped down for assembly and addition of the side braces. fied construction and a pleasant lack of surprises along the way. I edge-glued my boards using Elmer’s white glue. I like these little I also enjoy the creative challenge of engineering ways to turn bottles because I can control the amount of glue flowing from the the prototype into modeling reality. Perhaps that’s the essence of adjustable tip. Use the glue sparingly. You don’t want it running scratchbuilding. onto the board faces. If you do get a smudge or two, wipe away I found the construction of the pressed steel side braces to the glue with a damp cloth. To minimize the chance of warpage be the most challenging, and rewarding, aspect of this project. while the white glued dried, I pinned my board sides to a piece I made my braces from 0.010” Styrene sheet and 0.060” x 1/8” of ceiling tile to ensure the boards didn’t take on a twist. When Styrene strip. The 0.010” sheet requires some rivet rows, which the boards were dry, I taped them to the bench and drew the 7 are done by drawing ⁄32” wide strip outlines on the material, then pencil lines on both sides to locate the side braces. adding two rivet rows before the strips are cut from the sheet. The assembled side braces are glued to the board sides using a It would be practically impossible to add two rows of rivets to pair of tweezers and some slow setting CA glue. Use the CA spar- 7 a ⁄32” wide strip. Its much easier to do, and there’s no curling, ingly; only a very thin film is required. The tops of the pressed 7 if you rivet the 0.010” sheet and then cut the ⁄32” wide riveted steel braces are aligned and glued flush with the board tops. The 1 strips from the sheet. The rivet lines should be centered ⁄8” apart overhanging ends will be attached to the side sills and will hold 7 on the ⁄32” strips. Make your strips as long as the Styrene sheet up the sides just like the prototype. After all of the braces were 9 will allow, then mark off the length of each brace. You’ll need 24 attached, I cut the two sides to their final length of 10 ⁄32” (see 7 1 strips ⁄8” long, and four strips 1 ⁄8” long. Take your time. If you Photo 7). I made a tick mark on the deck at one end of the car to mess up a rivet row, draw and rivet another strip. Don’t cut the indicate where the board sides end. Be sure you do this before strips from the Styrene sheet just yet. We’ll make up the gussets you attach the sides. and glue them in place before the finished braces are cut from I considered different ways to attach the board sides to the car the 0.010” sheet. before settling on building up the sides as braced sub-assemblies. 1 The ⁄16” thick pressed steel gussets have a tapered outline. To make 28 identical upper angle cuts, I used a Northwest Shortline 7 Chopper. I taped a plastic cutting guide to the Chopper surface, which matches the angle of the upper cut. Then I fed a length of 0.060” x 0.125” Styrene strip under the Chopper blade, cut the 1 angle and left about ⁄2” excess to allow final trimming of the gus- set to the correct length. I cut the lower angle by hand with an X-Acto knife. When all the angle cutting was done, I rounded the 3 outer edges of the gussets with a ⁄8” wide flat file and polished away the file marks with progressively finer grades of sandpaper. A final spiff with 400 grit will leave a clean smooth radiused finish to the Styrene. When you’re satisfied with the gussets, glue them 7 to the centers of the ⁄32” wide .010” Styrene strips (see Photo 6). Let the glue joints cure for a few hours before you gently cut out the finished braces with a fresh blade and a straightedge. To be honest, the pressed steel side braces are the most tedious part of the car assembly. Follow the drawing (with a willingness I could have glued the board sides to the deck and then added the braces, but I was cautious about glue possibly seeping onto 6 the decking and side sills. I was also concerned about keeping the board sides square to the decking while the glue cured. My method seemed to minimize the potential glue problems. Now it’s time to attach the sides to the rest of the car. I began by taking the first side and coating the two overhanging ends on the longer braces with Plastruct glue. That done and with the car on its side, I pressed and held the two long brace ends to the side sill until the welds had set up. At this point, the side probably won’t be dead square to the decking and it doesn’t have to be. Since we’re not gluing the bottom edge of the car side to the decking, the board side will flex while we glue up the rest of the side brace overhanging ends. Its an easy matter using a small sable brush to flow Plastruct glue beneath each short brace overhang and then press and hold the overhang to the side sill. As you work your way along the car side, the board side will square itself to the decking. When all of the brace overhangs were firmly glued to the first to discard less than optimal brackets), and you’ll end up with the side sill, I turned the car over and repeated the process on the next best thing to Pennsy pressed steel braces. Your spouse may second side. The addition of the steel (Styrene) ends provides even ask you how you did that. alignment and support to square up and strengthen the sides. The July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 29 neat thing about this method of assembly is that the car sides are 10 not attached to the decking, which follows the prototype. Inci- dentally, this car can be built with either the more modern steel ends that I used, or the earlier three-board end. Both styles are drop-end. My drawing shows the steel end. After making sure all the brace-to-sill joints had cured, I built up and installed the 0.020” Styrene ends. A tiny amount of CA glue along the outside bottom edge of the car end and at the side- to-end joints will hold the car sides square to the ends. Don’t be concerned about these joints. The joints are hidden beneath rein- by Badger, straight from the bottle. I applied three or four light forcing angle strips of 0.100” Styrene (see the drawing and Photo coats, curing each coat thoroughly between passes with a hair 8). All that’s left is to add the hardware, such as the brake wheel dryer set on low heat. While I was at it, I shot the Red Caboose and staff, grabs, coupler cut levers, and stirrup steps. truck sideframes. After the car had cured for a few days, I shot the 3 I bent up all my grabs from 0.015” brass wire. They are ⁄8” sides with a spray can of Testors Gloss Cote. If you’ve made your wide. See the side and end drawings for the locations of the end sideboards from Styrene rather than basswood, you can probably skip this step. Badger Model Flex paints, over Styrene, cure with 8 enough sheen to accept decals without the Gloss Cote. The Pennsy decals came from a Walthers O Scale Pennsy Freight Car set. The lettering and keystone logos scale out perfectly for this car. You’ll have to piece the Pennsylvania lettering in three-letter sequences between the braces. It’s a bit of a pain, but worth it when you’re done. To keep my three-letter sequences aligned, I rested a steel straightedge on the braces. The car number I used may not be exactly correct, but it is pretty close to the prototype series, and you can cut this number in one piece from the Walthers decal sheet. I used Micro Scale decal solvents (first the blue label, then the red label) to snuggle the Pennsy lettering and logos into the basswood grain. It took a few applications of sill and car side grabs. I drilled 0.018” holes and locked the grabs the red label to eliminate the last bit of decal silvering. in place with minute applications of thin CA glue. The distinctive I weathered the car with a medium I hadn’t tried before, CMK Pennsy coupler cut levers were bent up from 0.015” wire and Star Dust weathering pigment. This finely ground pigment is held in place with some handrail stanchions I had on hand. The applied and spread with a soft brush. I understand it can also be brake wheel staff is 0.030” brass wire. I drilled a 0.030” hole in mixed with acrylic thinner and sprayed on. There are probably an Intermountain brake wheel and CA glued the wheel to the top many ways to apply it. I brushed it on into the areas I wanted to of the staff. The stirrup steps are also from Intermountain, and darken and streak. I found the more I loaded up the brush the are CA glued to the inside faces of the side sills. The car is now quicker I darkened the work. A little of this pigment goes a long ready to be rolled into the paint shop for painting and lettering way. Don’t over do it. Unlike weathering chalks, Star Dust pig- (see Photos 9 and 10). ments don’t lighten up when over-sprayed with a flattening coat. I shot the entire car with a prime coat of Floquil spray can What you see before you spray the flattening coat is what you get primer. To maintain rivet detail and individual board outlines, I after you spray. I used a Star Dust color called “Black Smut” for most of my 9 weathering. Honest! That’s really what it’s called! Odd name, but it works well. My car is probably a bit over-weathered, but hey, it was built way back when and it’s now 1955. After hauling its share of machinery, pipe, coal, pig iron, scrap steel, and who knows what else across the country, this car has earned it’s old and weary look. Next time you see it, it might be coupled to a Pennsy big hook in work train service. I shot the car with Testors Polly Scale Flat, which Testors recommends thinning 10% with water before applying with an airbrush. I shot three coats. In between, I has- tened the curing time with a hair dryer set on low heat. After installing a pair of Kadee couplers and Red Caboose trucks, I added the car to my layout roster. It’s now hard at work hauling Wisconsin-built John Deere tractors and other farm machinery from my CNW and Soo interchange across the heart- land to all points East and West. It seems like you see these Penn- sy cars everywhere. ◆ sprayed a thin coat, just enough to color the car an overall gray. Several days later, I airbrushed the car with Badger Model Flex Light Tuscan Oxide Red acrylic. I sprayed, as recommended 30 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 Bill of Materials — PRR Gondola Decals and Weathering Evergreen Styrene Walthers Pennsy Freight Car decal set 0.010” sheet #77001 2007 O Scale 0.040” sheet CMK Star Dust weathering pigment 0.020” x 0.125” strip Black Smut #SD10 0.060” x 0.125” strip CMK Star Dust weathering pigment National 0.100” angle Dark Earth #SD08 5/16” channel Pennsy GR and GRa Gon References Northeastern Scale Models Basswood Internet Convention 1/16” thick 1/8” scribed siding Ted Culotta’s freight car site - http:// 1/16” x 7/32” strip www.steamfreightcars.com/gallery/gon/ Indianapolis, Hardware prrgon 0.015” brass wire Rob’s PRR Page, Pennsy Freight Car 0.030” brass wire Diagrams - http://prr.railfan.net/ Ind. Intermountain stirrup steps Magazines Intermountain brake wheel Model Railroader January, 1948 September 20 Kadee 804/805 couplers Railroad Model Craftsman October, Red Caboose trucks 1988 Paint Mainline Modeler February, 1990 -22 Floquil Gray Primer #130009 Badger Model Flex Light Tuscan Oxide Registration Red #16-14 Testors Gloss Cote #1261 Testors Polly Scale Flat Finish #F404106 $30 Tables $40

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The finest in modern O CUSTOM PAINTING & REPAIR Scale Brass. 2 or 3-Rail Dealer for Pacific Limited operation. Machined brass frames and fuel tanks, Pittman motor with dual flywheels. Your choice of gear ratios, wheelsets, detail parts, etc. Sunset & Weaver‑ Custom built to your specs. Kits $650 - $800. Custom built, painted and lettered $1100 to $1400. T-Bone Models James Christensen 32264 Cleveland Central Locomotive Works 905-939-0694 PO Box 1231 • Hesperia CA 92340 Cottage Grove, OR 97424-9381 ph 760-244-9222 • fax 760-244-9322 email [email protected] e-mail [email protected] O Scale Detail Parts and 541-942-5237 www.centrallocomotiveworks.com Send SASE for information

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 31 S o O cale icag Me ChContest Winners et

Steam, 1st place Louis Bartig, Rutland Pacific, scratchbuilt w/handmade drivers. Steam, 2nd place PRR K2sa w/70P78 tender built by Frank Miller, entered by Ray Machler

Traction/Electric, 1st place Traction/Electric, 2nd place Tom Froehlich, North Shore Line Merchandise Car Myron J Weber, freelance electric switcher

Freight car, 1st place Freight car, 2nd place Jim Zwerneman, scratchbuilt Chicago, Illinois & Midland 40 ton Mather boxcar Robert Leners, scratchbuilt Swift Reefer

Passenger Car, 2nd place William Flint, scratchbuilt GN baggage car #340

32 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 S o O cale icag Me ChContest Winners et

Structure/Diorama, 1st place Marc Knou, scratchbuilt C&O switch tower at KC Junction Structure/Diorama, 2nd place Brady McGuire, double-track deck truss bridge

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 33 Shops—additional movements can be run between the terminal and the six-track car barn located a half-mile away. Thus, the terminal suggests a high-density line suitable for frequent, multi-car trains though not of “subway” or “elevated” frequency. There Searching for Inspiration: The Power of a Single Photograph could be constant action, as A single photograph is all it takes to provide the inspiration empty trains have to get out of the way of new arrivals and depar- needed to start building! tures, while showcasing several cars on the storage tracks. In my last column, speaking of Bang’s new book on the New Pleasing context York, Westchester, & Boston, I mentioned how inspired I was by Although compact, the Scranton terminal is dwarfed by its the book’s photographs and the trackplans of the line’s terminals urban environment in a very convincing way. The terminal is and stations. My idea was to create modules of key locations, nestled under the adjacent Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western which could be moved from house to house as I migrate around railroad station on a viaduct, and backs up against the positively the country, connecting the modules with “main lines” adapted to huge shops of the DL&W. the size and shape of specific layout rooms. Adding visual interest is the fact that the DL&W shop building Recently (without expecting too much), I did a Google search is not perpendicular to the traction terminal. Instead, the building on “Laurel Line”, the nickname of the Lackawanna and Wyoming is at an angle, which draws the viewer’s eyes to the left. In addi- Valley Railroad, which ran between Scranton and Wilkes Barre, tion, the DL&W station’s platforms and tracks are curved to the PA. The first URL that appeared, however, was a home run; I was right, which further draws the viewer’s eyes away from the termi- rewarded with a wonderful view of the line’s Scranton terminal, nal, making the setting appear even larger. In addition, there is a located in the shadows of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and West- long ramp extending the length of the Lackawanna’s station, lead- ern Railroad’s steam railroad terminal ing to the freight interchange with the traction line. The contrast (http://www.davesrailpix.com/odds/pa/htm/lwv01.htm). between the level station tracks and the graded interchange adds The photo was so atmospheric and so perfectly scaled that I yet another visual element to the scene. am going to use it as the basis of the “outer” terminal of my next Best of all, the setting could primarily consist of a combination traction layout. (The “inner” terminal will be based on either the of painted backdrops and very shallow buildings. Since the curved NYW&B’s Bronx terminal, or the East Boston terminal of the Bos- station platform and roof is so prominent, only a few inches of the ton, Revere Beach, and Lynn.) Laurel Line’s terminal building would need to be created. Here are some of the reasons I found the photograph so inspir- Options ing, and why you might want to consider a similar terminal for The Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley’s terminal could be built your layout. in stages. Stage One would consist of the original passenger terminal. Stage Two would add the six-track car barn at the end of the line’s double-track terminal trackage. Stage Three would model the line’s freight house and active interchange with the DL&W. Freight played a large role in the Laurel Line’s Scranton terminal operations. Incoming traffic consisted of manufactured goods and empty hoppers. Outgoing traffic consisted of filled hoppers and gondolas. The line’s motive power included several freight locomotives of unusual design. Frequent five- and six-car freights would be appropriate, mixed in with the passenger operations described above. This could be definitely a traction “hot spot,” serv- ing several purposes: • Interchange of passengers with mainline trains • Passenger train assembly/breakup/storage • Interesting mix of local and express passenger trains • Interchange of incoming and outgoing freight traffic Compact and interesting • Optional express traffic The Scranton terminal is large enough to be interesting, but Conclusion compact enough to be practical. I could see the terminal creat- All in all, I’m pretty excited by the potential offered by the ed in an area about 12’ long and about four feet deep at its wid- Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley’s Scranton terminal. It’s not est point, becoming narrower after the station throat. The track so big that it’s unmanageable, and it can be built in stages. Most arrangement is basically a return loop with three storage sidings important, the setting provides a logical reason for the terminal’s located at the end of a double-track section of mainline. Although existence as a freight and passenger interchange point with a larg- relatively compact, and do-able (since only six turnouts are er steam railroad (permitting static display of favorite models). required to get started), this arrangement was designed to handle For more information, locate a copy of James Henwood’s and multi-car trains running on 20-minute headways. The following John Muncie’s Laurel Line: An Anthracite Region Railway, pub- operating scenarios are possible: lished in 1986 by the Interurban Press. This “classic” traction book Continuous operation—trains enter, loop, and immediately depart. contains several photographs of various cars in the terminal, as Storage—after arrival, trains complete the loop, and back into one well as a detailed track plan on page 79. Although out of print, an of the three storage tracks located within the loop area. online search at www.alibris.com and www.amazon.com reveals Configuration—cars can be added or removed from trains to accom- that used copies are available at a premium. (The book is so use- modate changing traffic levels. ful, however, that it’s worth it.) ◆ 34 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 All Items On This Color Page Are O-Scale May Vary Compatible!

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July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 35

NEWS: Atlas-O, NEWS: Clever Brothers Models 378 Florence Ave, Hillside NJ 07205 1205 W Sherwin #810, Chicago, IL 60626 908-687-0880 • www.atlaso.com 773-844-3072 • www.clevermodels.com AtlasO has announced a new lower-cost line of O Scale Thom and Dave Miecznikowski, partners and owners of Clev- products, TRAINMAN™. The initial TRAINMAN™ offerings er Brothers Models have released their first six highly detailed include an RSD-4/5 locomotive, 40’ sliding door boxcar, 40’ card model kits and over 30 high resolution textures under the plug door boxcar, 40’ stock car, 52’ gondola, and an extended Clever Brothers Models label. “Card modeling is addictive, plain vision caboose. The Diesel will cost between $370 for 3-Rail and simple,” says designer Thom Miecznikowski, “At the recent with TMCC and $230 for 2-Rail DC operation. The cars run Midwest O Scale Meet we sold everything we brought, includ- $40 for 3-Rail and $43 for 2-Rail. ing our built up samples. People kept reaching out to touch the models. They couldn’t believe they were made of paper. We NEWS: DSL Shops Cast Urethane Kits encouraged people to pick them up because, even though they DSL Shops • 630-858-1803 • [email protected] are paper and have no internal structure other than more paper, the models are not fragile. Amazingly, once you start folding, the paper becomes very rigid. We go through a lot of design and testing to insure that the kits are fun and easy. The end results are structures that have great dimension and character. Because our kits are created photographically it would be impossible to achieve the finish of our kits with traditional techniques. Paper is a superior modeling material, easy to work with and in most cases more scale than wood or plastic. Add to that the original photographic sources we use. It’s a whole new way to think about modeling.” Clever Models kits are available online from the Clever website and range from $2.50 for a heavy timber loading ramp to $28 for the newest kit, the Jefferson Ice Co. Kits are printed on heavy card stock. The library of textures are printed in high resolution on acid-free self-stick paper and are $2.50 each.

REVIEW: Code 148 Rail Insulators, $2 for a pack of 25 Irish Tracklayer 2682 W Palo Alto Ave, Fresno, CA 93711 [email protected] • www.irishtracklayer.com reviewed by Joe Giannovario Every once in a while you stumble over a product you didn’t know you needed. These rail insulators are one such product. Kit #O206, The Riv- You see, I’m about to lay track and install both AtlasO and cus- erside Apartments, is a tom-built switches on my layout. 3 Now, track switches require electrical iso- 1 ⁄4” relief kit in urethane. Overall size is roughly lation to avoid short circuits. On the AtlasO 12” x 12”. The kit fea- switches an air gap is provided at the frog tures separate windows area. However, the gaps are inconsistent in for easy painting, ornate width and temperature changes over time can brickwork, a unique cause the rail to creep resulting in an electrical architectural style and short circuit. This can be one of the most difficult shorts to locate because one rarely thinks to look for two rails touching each other. The Irish Tracklayer Rail Insulators provide the positive separation needed to insure the elimi- nation of electrical shorts from this hidden source. I opened each gap with a razor saw and then inserted the IT insulator with a dab of plastic cement. Now I don’t have to worry about the gaps closing. The custom-built switches will get the same treatment. In fact, I’ll be using the IT insulators wherever I need to isolate rail blocks. Each package contains 20 white and five orange rail insulators. The orange insulators are recommended for use in signal- decorative entranceway. It includes Styrene for roofs, clear plas- ing blocks. tic for windows, and paper window dressings. MSRP: $99.95. Visit the Irish Tracklayer website and find out about the other Kit #O207, The Music Store, is a nouveau brick two-story great products they offer for O Scalers.

38 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 REVIEW: Proto-48 Frogs and Points, MSRP $10 per pack A set of Code 125 Points P-25-16-6 American Switch and Signal, 1945 North #7 Code 100 Bolted Frog FB-10-7 Highway 300 West, Winamac, IN 46996 #7 Code 125 Bolted Frog FB-25-7 574-946-7667 #7 Code 125 Manganese Insert Frog reviewed by Brian Scace FRB-25-7 John Pautz, of American Switch and #8 Code 125 Manganese Insert Frog Signal, stopped me at the Chicago Show FRB-25-8 back in March (It wasn’t hard. I was in the #10 Code 125 Bolted Frog FB-25-10 bar.), and handed me a little package with #10 Code 125 Manganese Insert Frog his latest additions to his P48 product line. FRB-25-10 For those of you who don’t know, John #10 Code 138 Manganese Insert Frog FRB-38-10 makes some of the nicest and most neu- away at residual flashing. rotic switch (er, turnout) components avail- As you can see in the photo, the pattern work is highly detailed and the cast- John also showed me a completed able. Here’s what was in the bag, from top turnout built using these components. It to bottom in the accompanying photo: ing is extremely clean. These come ready to spike down, with no tweaking or filing doesn’t get more convincing than this. REVIEW: Athearn O Scale Ford C Series is used for the side mirrors, fuel tank, mud not removable. Something I have seen at Tractor, Van, and Fire Engine flaps, fifth wheel, and drive shaft detail. All model train shows is a set of LED lights 1 Athearn products are available through three vehicles are ⁄50 scale. When paired that mimic the modern strobes of bar-type 1 1 your local hobby shop and are distrib- with a ⁄50 figure the look is correct. A ⁄43 emergency lights. Also simple 1.5 volt uted by Horizon Hobby figure will be noticeably larger than the slow flashing lights could also be added to reviewed by Carey Hinch vehicle, as expected. the main light bar and rear lights with a Athearn has now produced a Ford C The Ford C Series box van is similar to little modification to the body. Series Tractor, Ford C Series Box Van, and the C Series tractor in detail, but the box Purists among us may snort at the dis- Ford C Series Firetruck–Pumper in diecast van has a longer frame and wheelbase to proportionate size, but most O Scale mod- 1 accommodate the diecast box. The addi- elers will welcome the Athearn vehicles. ⁄50 scale. The sample vehicles I was able to look over were very impressive. The tion of this diecast box makes the vehicle Athearn produces the Ford C Series trac- detailing on all three models is very well heavy and it really is nice and solid. The tor lettered and painted for CF, Advance, done and, while not overly ornate they van includes cast-on safety placards that Delta, DiSalvo; coming soon are D&RGW, are very realistic. The Ford C Series tractor read “Please Drive Safely”. The Ford C Rhode Island, Fredrickson, and Branch. model has a diecast cab and frame. The Series firetruck model uses the same frame The Ford Series C box van is lettered and tires on all three models are rubber. Plastic as the box van. The entire body is diecast painted for Great Northern, Southern and most of the detail is cast on the body Pacific, Penn Yan, Western Pacific; com- as well. A few extra ing soon are D&RGW and Rhode Island. plastic details deco- The Ford C Series firetruck is lettered and rate the firetruck. painted for Riverside, Chicago, Wash- The ladder and fire ington DC, Boston; coming soon are San hose details are Francisco, and Detroit.

NEWS: The W&A General 4-4-0, $1249.95 (3-Rail); $1299.95 (2-Rail) SMR Trains Inc. PO Box 753, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 www.smrtrains.com Dave Schneider, CEO of SMR Trains, stopped by with Serial Number 1 of the production run of the Western & Atlantic General. This is the locomotive of Civil War historical fame that started what is known as the Great Locomotive Chase. Unlike other models of the General that have been offered previously, SMR’s version is of the locomotive as it was on the day the chase took place on April 12, 1862. SMR is also offering W&A box cars at $280 each or $530 a pair. Two-rail O Scalers will need SMR’s two-rail conversion trucks at $33 a set. As of this writing, only nine of the initial 20 two-rail General’s were still available.

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 39 REVIEW: K-Line Switcher (MSRP: $99.95) electrical pickup and Kadees. The lighting circuit would be yours K-Line Electric Trains, PO Box 2831, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 to do. This estimate is based on three hours of labor and the rest www.k-linetrains.com is parts. So, as I mentioned to you on the phone, the conversion 2-Rail conversion by Joe Foehrkolb – Baldwin Forge & Machine, labor makes the cost of the engine almost double and a lot of 4711 Long Green Road, Glen Arm, MD 21057 modelers will balk at paying that much. reviewed by Brian Scace “As an alternative, I could provide the NWSL wheels bushed I just can’t resist this sort of review. The folks at K-Line have for the K-Line axles, and the pickup block with mounting screws recently released a little industrial switcher that bears looking at. and pins (the modeler can use his own spare Kadee springs) for This is a small four-wheel industrial Diesel with a diecast body $25.00 I use Micarta for insulation of the wheels. NWSL provides and frame, only available in 3-Rail. Since it has promise, we’ll a plastic bushing for insulation of their wheel sets but I feel that the look at it much like the Lionel 0-6-0T review we did last year. Like material they use is too slippery for use on drive wheels and could the 0-6-0T, we wanted to check out one of the folks who do con- begin to slip under load. The Micarta bushings work with the Loc- versions to 2-Rail; this time it was Joe Foehrkolb of Baldwin Forge tite 609 Retaining Compound and, once the wheel is place with and Machine. this treatment, I believe it will stay there permanently. A bottle of First, let’s look at the locomotive as it comes from K-Line. This the Loctite will cost a modeler about $13, so that adds to his cost is a hefty little guy, and crisply done. The steps and such on the of the conversion also. He will only use about two drops to do the ends are much improved in treatment over the Shay we reviewed job and will have plenty for other uses.” recently, and it comes out of the box with Kadees installed (for I like Joe’s conversion because of the simplicity and robustness those who want them, the typical three-rail couplers are also pro- of the pickup system he has designed. Also, I think he sells his vided). This is touted as a Plymouth switcher; a quick look through conversion a little short here, as I took his switcher out for a spin my meager Diesel library failed to come up with a prototype, but on my railroad. I found no ill behavior regarding stalling at all, it has a good generic “critter” feel if it doesn’t precisely follow one even with only two wheels per side. It trotted nicely over my old of the myriad of FRH designs. Certainly, it is a vast improvement Roco #6 (dead frog) turnouts with nary a hesitation. The pickup over the absolutely huge AHM or Roco Plymouths we’ve been block design works extremely well. used to. Back to the switcher, itself. I found the operation to be quite As it comes, there is a tiny little fan-driven smoke unit (Joe and controllable using an MRC Controlmaster 20. The top end is (as I talked about a diode array so that the smoke unit could be still expected) a bit frisky, but the 0-10 Volt range yields good operat- used after conversion; the fan has to rotate in the same direction ing characteristics using a commercial “electronic” throttle such regardless of the direction the locomotive is traveling). Also, there as the Contolmaster. By the way, this thing is a little horse, kick- is a certain amount of circuit board stuff inside to deal with the AC ing six or seven brass freight cars about with aplomb. Not bad for operation in 3-Rail. The issue, for most of us, is that K-Line only such a little guy! offers this model in 3-Rail. No big deal, as Joe was playing with Here is another opportunity to add a decent industrial sized one at the same time we got our sample. He graciously allowed locomotive to our bag of tricks. It needs no apologies and is easy us to borrow his prototype after he finished it, so we could com- on the wallet. pare it with an un-modified version for your benefit. Here’s Joe’s comments: “I had the Plymouth running on my layout yesterday. Today I plan on getting the Kadees properly mounted and perhaps installing a lighting circuit. Your diode idea would work for the fan motor. However, as an experiment I plugged the smoke unit boards back in and tried running the engine on straight DC. A small component on the smoke unit actually exploded! I have no interest in the smoke feature (especially now!) but some modelers may want to try to keep it operational. I don’t know if K-Line would provide a suggested wiring diagram for a two-rail conversion of the smoke unit electronics but, without an under- standing of the circuitry, it is not going to be an intuitive thing to do. On a positive note, the little engine is pretty quiet and, running light, my amp meter does not even register a current draw. I think it will require clean track for proper operation since it only has two wheels picking up on each rail. Wipers could be added, but I can live with it as it is. “The (conversion) cost would be $70.00 including wheels,

40 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 REVIEW: USRA 0-8-0 & PRR H3 2-8-0 matches the G1 drawings as do nearly all the other dimensions. M.T.H. Electric Trains I have to wonder how the N&W came to own a locomotive so 7020 Columbia Gateway Drive, close to a PRR design. Perhaps it was Baldwin (from Philadel- Columbia MD 21046 410-381-2580 • www.railking.com phia), with their close ties to the PRR, who copied the design #20-3149-2, NKP, 0-8-0, $599.95 - C&O, NKP, VGN, NH & for the N&W in 1897 after the PRR had moved on to bigger and UP better 2-8-0s. It’s a mystery. #20-3141-2, PRR, H3 2-8-0, $699.95 - PRR or Long Island RR The one big difference I can see in the H3 model, comparing with two different cab numbers and paint schemes. it with photos in Al Stauffer’s Pennsy Power, is the tender. The reviewed by Joe Giannovario restored locomotive at the museum has a low-side tender. The O Scalers have been clamoring for smaller locomotives. model has a high-side tender that was more typical of the type Well, their pleas have been heard by M.T.H. Offered here are delivered with the H3 when they were originally built. Other two small locos that will fit any size layout. than that, the model looks excellent. I have the fancy striped NKP USRA 0-8-0 version and it sure is purty! It’s going to be a shame to strip it for First up is a standard USRA-design 0-8-0 switcher offered in conversion to the N&W G1, but a man’s gotta do what a man’s five different road names. The locomotive has a diecast boiler gotta do. 1 The H3 is all diecast with added details and all the same and tender and is built to ⁄48 proportions. The model is accurate to the drawings in the MR Cyclopedia, Vol 1. The M.T.H. pro- opening and sliding features as the 0-8-0. Both the H3 and 0-8- motional material for this switcher says it was designed so that 0 have blackened wheels and axles. the tender deck can be swapped out to model different tender Performance styles, but the tender is the same for all five road names offered. Two things finally came together so that I can do testing The review model is painted and lettered for the Nickel Plate myself and not have to send M.T.H. locomotives off to someone Road. Both paint and lettering are excellent. else. I have some track down on the layout (I’ll have a progress The USRA 0-8-0 was the basis for C&O’s C16 class switcher, report later) and I managed to latch onto an M.T.H. DCS sys- which later was copied by the N&W (you knew I’d go there, tem. right?). I hauled out my Precision Scale Company brass N&W First, I ran both the 0-8-0 and 2-8-0 on straight DC. Well, S1a 0-8-0 (retail about $1800) and compared it to its diecast not as straight as I’d like it to be. All I had on hand was an cousin. Both locos have opening smokebox fronts. Both locos old MRC power pack from the ‘70s. Nonetheless, both locos have sliding cab hatches and cab windows. Both locos have ran well off this unfiltered anemic DC power supply. At about removable sand box hatches attached with chains. Both locos eight volts, the sounds came on and the front headlights lit. As have truck chains on the tender trucks and both tenders have I increased the voltage, both of the locos started to creep for- opening water hatch covers. Both also have a wealth of added ward at around 9 volts. The 2-8-0 ran smoother and slower than hand-applied details. The M.T.H. loco is painted and lettered. the 0-8-0, which seemed to have a very minor hitch in the gid- The S1a will have to be disassembled for painting. The M.T.H. dyup at slow speed. However, the 2-8-0 experienced a minor has chuffing sounds, brake noises, pump sounds and smoke short circuit while traversing an Atlas #5 switch. One insulated while running on straight DC. The S1a is silent. (Hmmmm, how driver tire touched the brake cylinder on the frame while going much does this thing cost?) through the switch frog. This will need to be addressed later, PRR H3 2-8-0 but isn’t a serious problem. I also noticed, while running the 0- Next we have a diminutive 2-8-0. The prototype for this 8-0 for the slow speed test on DC, that the smoke units on these model is a PRR H3. The only remaining example of this loco- MTH locos suck up quite a bit of current. I turned off the smoke motive resides at the Pennsylvania State Railroad Museum in unit, with the tender switch, while the loco was running and the Strasburg, PA. The H3 was the first PRR steam engine to receive speed picked up immediately. the trademark PRR Belpaire firebox. It was built in 1885 at the Next I switched over to the M.T.H. DCS system and put both PRR’s shops in Altoona, PA. Production of the H3 continued locos through their paces. I have to say I was impressed with all until 1897, when they were superceded by the heavier H4. the functionality provided. Just about everything is controllable I did not have drawings for the H3, but this loco is a dead- from the handheld wireless controller. Interestingly, once I put the ringer for (wait for it!) an N&W G1 2-8-0. I gathered up my locos under DCS control, all the manual settings I made for sound N&W info to compare to the PRR model. Both the H3 and G1 volume and smoke production were overridden by the remote. I have 50-inch drivers. The driving wheelbase on the H3 model had to dial back everything on the remote, especially the smoke volume (which was prodigious). Both locomotives have the same

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 41 generic sounds for steam exhaust, whistle and bell. brass importers would be smart to copy. The level of detail is Most O Scalers do not care about the top speed of a locomo- every bit as nice as a brass import and from two feet away you tive as most models usually run too fast anyway. Both the 0-8-0 cannot tell the difference. and 2-8-0 were programmed for a top speed of 120 scale miles One thing I’d like to see added is a deck plate between the per hour (smph). Both of these prototypes would be lucky to hit cab and tender. That means getting rid of the fat cable running 30 mph! I dialed them back to a more prototypical 25 smph. between the tender and the loco. There has got to be a better I then set about to determine their best slow speed. The 2-8-0 way to bring power from back-to-front. came out better in this test, since the mechanism seem more Both of these locos have removable cabs. I’d like to see some finely tuned. The H3 started to move with the remote set for enterprising company make replacement cabs. A new cab is all 1 smph. The 0-8-0 needed a setting of 2 smph to move and 3 the H3 needs to make it a reasonable facsimile of the N&W G1. smph to run smoothly. I calibrated the remote’s readings by tim- A new cab and tender deck for the 0-8-0 would make a C&O ing the locos run over a measured distance. I found the remote’s C16 or N&W S1 feasible. Other cabs would be appropriate for display to be very accurate. The slowest I was able to run the other roads. 0-8-0 on straight DC was 2.5 smph. The DCS command system works very nicely, but is prob- Just for grins I made a “lash up”, as M.T.H. calls it, with the lematic for those of us with non-DCS equipped locomotives to 0-8-0 and 2-8-0. Without referring to the manual, and using run. Where do you get new DCS receivers to install in those only prompts from the handheld, I was able to “consist” the two locomotives? That’s a question I posed to M.T.H. that has not yet locomotives in about a minute. On application of power, they been answered. It would also be nice to have specific sounds ran in synch up and down my test track. Cool! for each loco. Also still an issue for those with reversing loops Impressions are the polarity-reversing characteristics mentioned in previous Well, for someone who owns more than a dozen brass steam reviews locomotives, I can say that I am very impressed with both the Overall, these are outstanding offerings that will fit any bud- level of detail and operating performance of these less-than- get and layout in a field usually swamped by Big Boys and $700 models. The paint and lettering are excellent. Both slow- Alleghenys. I’m keeping the H3 for myself. It’s a jewel. and medium-speed operations are smooth. The blackened wheels (including the tires) and axle ends are a nice touch that

REVIEW: Scenic Accents figures A2723, $17.98 set of six figures Woodland Scenics PO Box 98, Linn Creek MO 75052 573-346-5555 • www.woodlandsce- nics.com reviewed by Joe Giannovario Woodland Scenics sent along a pack of their new O Scale figures from their Scenic Accents line. Since the figures were trackworkers and I’ve been getting ready to lay some track I posed them on a section of test track I had laying around. You can see the results for yourself. These are great figures that will spruce up any scene on a layout. There are a dozen different sets to choose from ranging in price from $17 to $18. Ten of the sets are people. The other two are cows and tomb- stones. Go figger!

NEWS: The Laifong Store, Kit #1, $179 plus shipping. Wright Model Works, c/o Dwain Wright 1139 Missouri Flat Rd, Grants Pass, OR 97527 541-846-4125 • www.wrightmodelworks.com

The Laifong Store represents a real structure of the past. It was typical of gold mining and timber towns of the West. Kit #1 is cast in Hydrocal with soldered and rolled roofing, Grandt Line windows and doors, Jaks pewter castings, special decals made from historical magazine ads and much more. The building has a bordello upstairs, a drygoods store downstairs, storage, laundry, water and benzine for the then-new horseless carriage. The roof can be made removable so that an interior can be constructed if desired. The kit comes with complete instructions, email and phone support, painting instructions and the history of the building.

42 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 REVIEW: GP60M Variac/rectifier system, and fired up my GE/IR boxcab that Jerry Atlas-O Snow repowered with a nice horizontal drive. Although perhaps 378 Florence Ave, Hillside, NJ 07205 an unfair comparison, it was the only other Diesel drive I had on 1-877-473-1968 • ww.atlaso.com hand. The single horizontal motor drive behaved as we would all MSRP: GP60m/GP60B-Various ATSF/BNSF schemes- expect, and the twin (vertical) drive fairly leapt out of the starting $439.95 DC/DCC ready gate. Score one for the single drive. $479.95 w. TMCC Next, I took one of my MRC Controlmaster 20 commercial reviewed by Brian Scace throttles and clipped it in. Here is where things got interesting. Atlas-O has brought out a new body style to complement their Using this supply, I found the GP60 to be very satisfactory in its GP60, previously reviewed in OST. This version, the GP60m, behavior. The high end was still, as expected, a bit frisky. The was the wide-cab modification ordered by the Santa Fe, origi- starting behavior was quite tame and controllable, something that nally for use on the crack intermodal trains headed east with all my old Variac system just couldn’t manage. those nifty Pacific rim products we love. Just for fun, I then re-wired the twin motor drive from series to Our sample arrived painted in the original Santa Fe warbonnet parallel, as some suggest as a solution to the speedy-syndrome. scheme; very classy. Packaging, paint, and detail levels are all up What I found was, although top speed was reduced, starting to the standard we expect from Atlas-O. Since the mechanics are behavior was not really affected with either the Variac power sup- the same as those found in the standard-cab GP60 we reviewed, ply or the Controlmaster. My conclusion? Look at a more modern there really wasn’t anything new to report here, either. For those power supply as a possible means to satisfactorily operate these who are joining us here, these are highly detailed, well painted, twin-motor drives. If you insist on keeping that old Marn-O-Stat and tightly assembled models. Atlas-O is a benchmark in the O you’ve been happy with for fifty-odd years, yet you like these Scale Diesel-era niche. new modern Diesels, you might prefer to buy the unpowered ver- Since our very snappy sample is the straight DC/DCC-ready sions from Atlas-O and have Jerry put horizontal drives in them. version, an opportunity presented itself for a some experimenta- Although I still prefer single motor horizontal Diesel drives, I find tion and this slightly “off-axis” review. There has been much dis- that a little thought in tailoring power supplies to the task yields cussion and debate about the behavior of the current twin-motor quite decent operating characteristics with the newer twin-motor “power-truck” drive design on existing railroads with conven- designs. tional DC cab control. I’ve been a proponent of the older single- motor prop-shaft drive, and I still am, however a theory came to mind about the current twin- motor drives, such as used by Atlas-O. My railroad is designed so that the various control systems I need for locomotive reviews can be clipped in and out with relative impunity. First, I clipped in an older

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 43 REVIEW: Troop and Express cars run models you’ll pull out of the box, hence the (at first blush) Weaver Models rather stiff MSRP. On examination, the price is not only reason- PO Box 231, Northumberland, PA able to me, but a bargain compared to the work involved in 570-473-9434 • www.weavermodels.com‑ assembly and the complexity of the die-work. These are pre- Troop Sleepers and Kitchens, $89.95 mium cars. MOW cars, $79.95 Our samples, the troop kitchen and a postwar express con- Express Cars, $64.95 version, were painted and lettered cleanly and appropriately. reviewed by Brian Scace Assembly is clean, squared, and tight. Although they are as Let’s talk a little history here. During WWII, the majority of heavy as Weaver’s Osgood Bradley coaches, they roll smooth- troop movements were by rail, whether to training areas inside ly and freely. Now that I mention the Osgood Bradleys (the the United States or to ports of embarkation for deployment so-called “American Flyer” cars), I’ll make a point. Although overseas. This put an incredible strain on the supply of passen- they were welcome and excellent cars, I was disappointed in ger equipment on US railroads. One solution was the manufac- the windows, which were merely a sheet of thin plastic glued ture of the Troop Sleeper and Troop Kitchen cars featured here. against the inside of the carbody. One of the hallmarks of the Unlike standard passenger equipment, these cars were Flyer coach was the flush-fit windows that added to the stream- based on a 50’ boxcar design. The sleeper version had bunks lined appearance. Of course, I whined a bit, replaced them in tiered three-high and placed laterally, water tanks placed just four cars with Chooch flush fitting window kits, then regained under the roof, and weighed significantly less than their civil- my composure with the aid of strong drink. The good folks at ian counterparts. Allied “Full-Cushion” trucks were applied Weaver took the whining most graciously. What makes this to make the ride tolerable, though these cars were famous for tirade germane to our discussion is the fact that Weaver didn’t their rocking ability while traversing less-than-optimal bolted repeat this method here. Rather, they bit the bullet and made track. They were operated for the Government by the Pull- dies for flush-fitting windows (a significant investment, by the man Company and freely intermixed with the more traditional way) for this series of cars. I like to have the ability to say this designs of sleepers and day-coaches that carried the majority sort of thing, and I like to see a company who is progressive of troops during the war. The kitchen cars, based on the same about improvements with new offerings. design, were operated by the various railroads, and staffed by There are lots of add-on details on these cars. The dual the traveling military unit’s cooks and KP’s, rather than by rail- brake system is very nice, another improvement. Kadees are road dining car personnel. After VJ Day, these cars remained supplied, again by customer request (Weaver has their own in their intended service until after the troops had re-deployed design of knuckle coupler). The whole car feels solid, looks back to the US and had traveled to the various military posts good, and is a good representation of a historically significant for release from the service. prototype. Also, they represent a noticeable and significant That task completed, most of these cars were sold off to notching-up of the fidelity and attention to detail of the plastic the various railroads, who converted them into express box- offerings from the Northumberland crowd. cars and MOW equipment (bunk cars for track crews, for A field day can be had with these cars, for the inveterate example). Some kitchen cars were retained during the Korean kitbasher and tinker. Some express conversions had outside- conflict, re-equipped for use in hospital trains. As express cars, hung corrugated boxcar doors, some had the ends replaced they were quite successful; the only issues involved the Allied with boxcar ends and the end-doors removed, and those of you trucks, which were declared not acceptable for interchange modeling the post-Allied truck years will want to experiment in the 1950s. Cars remaining in interchange service had them with appropriate replacements. Meanwhile, those of us who replaced, usually with a high-speed “bettendorf” design. model the WWII era are drowning in our own drool. Sorry, Joe, These models are very intricate. The troop versions have full I got my hands on the troop kitchen first! interiors and flush-fitting windows. There are lots of parts that required a lot of assembly to make these up into the ready-to-

44 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 Vince Waterman It is appropriate that, among the product announcements and reviews found on these pages, we bring to your attention the passing of Vince Waterman, the long-time proprietor of Trackside Specialties. Trackside was always one of the vendors I visited at any show, rooting through the array of castings, parts, wheels, and all the other parts we O Scalers thrive on. If Vince didn’t have a particular part, he’d find it for me. It always amazed me how he could remember where any part was, in and among all the little boxes and bags of castings, screws, and trucks. I guess it was about ten years ago or so, when the Watermans sold the HO inventory to Greenway, and reduced the scope of Trackside to just O Scale. After something like 50 years in the business, the remainder of Trackside Specialties was sold to Dave Clendenin. Vince retired at that point, though he (with his darling wife, Edith) continued to hold forth with Dave at most of the major meets. Vince is a member of the O Scale Hall of Fame, inducted at the 2004 O Scale National in Washington, DC. Vince passed away on May 8, at age 78. Our very best wishes to Edith and the rest of Vince’s family, from the staff at OST and the O Scale community. — Brian Scace, Editor.

1-877-531-5275 TOLL FREE

[email protected] P.O. Box 3337 Spring Hill, FL 34611

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July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 45 T h e y always seem to be available. Wheth- er on Ebay, at model railroad swap meets, or even through a dealer who is liquidating used equipment or eliminating old store stock, the old 70s-era AHM line of rolling stock still can be easily found today. This line included a 40’ boxcar, gondola, reefer and a flatcar. AHM, in competition with the old Atlas/Roco line, produced some very useful items in those days, although the AHM cars made no attempt to follow a particular prototype. While it appears that AHM imported their line (made by Riva- rossi) in only one huge batch, the Atlas line of rolling stock was cal, with very minor detail differences, and the AHM caboose re-issued by Bev-Bel Corporation and P&D in the 1980s. The didn’t have a removable cupola. AHM rolling stock was always viewed as a cheap alternative Then there is the flatcar. Spare in details, of course, such as to the more expensive Atlas rolling stock of the era. As bad as lack of a brake wheel and staff, they are quite fixable. We will be these cars tend to look out of the box, they are a source of great doing that with this latest project car, a stretched version using kitbashing material. One AHM car-type, the flatcar, did not two stock AHM 40’ flatcars (see Photo 1). You will notice that have its opposite number in the Atlas/Roco line. both cars are marked for cuts, since I wanted to end up with a 53’ The AHM 40’ boxcars weren’t so bad once you made some car. I merely measured off 26.5’ on each car, and used a Sharpey detail changes, and at least offered a little roof-height variation marking pen to make the marks. The resulting lines are easy to in the average man’s consist of Atlas, Athearn, and All-Nation see as I’m running these cars through my small table saw. cars. The same was true with their 40’ reefers, which weren’t First things first. Let’s disassemble the cars, which is fairly easy really mechanical reefers at all. You could easily add those to do. Like most AHM cars, the entire frame assembly pops right details to change all that, though. Then there were the gon- out. If your AHM car came still in its original box, there will be dolas, well detailed for what they were. Although they could some type of plastic wooden crate sitting on it for a load. You will stand some detail upgrades as well, the gondolas were the best need to remove this as well. Once the cars are disassembled, we detailed of the entire AHM line, with the possible exception of are ready to make the all-important cuts (see Photo 2). the caboose. AHM also offered a four-wheel bobber caboose, I used a very small table saw that I got from Harbor Freight; it along the lines of the Atlas caboose. The two are almost identi- only uses a four-inch blade. A similar one can be purchased from

2 46 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 Micro Mark. I like this method instead of trying to use a hobby knife. This little saw cuts through plastic like butter, and I’m able to better control my cuts, and the result is very clean and square. Any of my future projects involving major body modifications to plastic rolling stock will involve the use of this saw. For those of you who don’t have access to a power saw, you’re going to have to use the good old hobby knife or hobby saw. The old method isn’t bad, of course. It just isn’t very quick or as precise. Whatever method you choose, be careful and make as straight a cut as pos-

5 will be removing that little tab they snap to later on when we add the couplers. Now, it’s time to glue the body halves together. This should be an easy step. If you made your cuts correctly, the body will go together and fit like a glove. If not, then you have more cleanup work to do to get everything straight, clean and true.

3 sible through both bodies (see Photo 3). Back to our sawcut cars, you will notice the reason that straight clean cuts make our life a bit easier. When you butt

4 the two parts together, you’ll have much less of a seam to worry about hiding during re-assembly (see Photo 4). You will, of course, have some sanding and fitting of the pieces to be joined, but utilizing the saw in this instance made for much less work. By the way, if you have a ten-inch table saw, that also can be used to cut plastic. Just be sure you use a blade made for the purpose. Above all else, be safe with it. 7 After you’ve cut the body shells, reach over and grab one of the frames. Cut the frame in two places, just behind the bolsters As you can see in Photos 6 and 7, I was able to do it with a (see Photo 5). You will need both of these ends for this con- minimum of cleanup work. Once I had the body halves glued version, and they will provide the bolsters. Although I re-used together, I glued a couple of pieces of scrap Styrene over the the original trucks, you may use whatever trucks you wish. For joint to help hold everything together and to provide some me, the AHM trucks work just fine, especially when properly additional strength. I set it aside and surfed the Internet for a screwed in place. little while, while everything dried. The next step is to glue the short pieces of underbody ends The next part of this project is to add a sub floor. I had origi- back in place under the car halves. Be sure to clean up the raw nally intended to use Evergreen Styrene car siding; I do have cuts where the saw did its work, then snap the ends back in as some around here somewhere. I also had a brand new package if they still constituted the full frame on a 40-footer. Next, glue of Plastruct planking. This material comes with two sheets to a them down. The reason for gluing them down is because we package, and several varieties of plank widths are available. I had just picked up a package at my local dealer, thinking that I July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 47 could use it one day. I guess I was right. I knew how I wanted it to face, with the planks going across

8 10 the bottom of the body (see Photo 8). Since the planks run the long way on the sheet, I had to use two pieces. I used the full 8.5” of width for the first piece, which lapped well past the joint in the body shell. The shorter piece was added to complete the job. At this point, I wanted everything to set up and the joints to dry properly, so I set everything aside. After letting everything dry for a few hours, I checked the assembly for visible flaws and seams. The main seam for the body shell

9a was almost invisible, however, it could still be seen. I decided to fill it in with putty (see Photo 9/9a). I didn’t have a readily available source for Squadron Green or White putty, so I used the next best thing, automotive glazing putty. This can be found at any auto parts store, or at Wal-Mart in the automotive department. You will also notice the mounting holes that were made at the factory to attach that horrible plastic wooden crate. It’s time to fill those in as well. Since we now have a sub floor under- 13 neath the deck, filling these holes is fairly easy. Just use your Kadee couplers, and will provide a nice little place for the cou- putty. Although it usually takes about thirty minutes for the putty pler to nestle against (see Photos 10-13). to fully harden, I would give it several hours in case you gobbed Now its time to install a new underframe. This will accom- it in a little heavily. plish two things. First, it will add the strength needed to insure Now that the putty is completely hardened, its time to trim that this flatcar will be able to handle any weight added to it, and sand it (just like doing bodywork on your automobile). for example the loads available from Chooch Enterprises. Sec- Now, I don’t have a miniature Sureform tool to contour the ondly, it will be easier to sleep at night, knowing that the frame putty, but with my picks and my #2 hobby knife with a chisel is under the car with all the details you would expect to see. blade it’s not very difficult to work the putty to conform to the One route you could take, if your not particularly interested contours of the body shell and deck. in scratchbuilding the frame, is to use the center section cut out At this point, I also removed the tabs that normally hold the of the old underbody. It would serve the same purpose, adding frame to the body shell. It’s a fairly easy part to remove; just the needed strength, but it just wouldn’t stretch all the way from score it and snap the piece off. This will enable you to install bolster to bolster. For cars used in operation, this is perfectly 48 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 acceptable. For those who want all the detail there, it proba- boxcar. I copied those particular pieces by making a mold and bly won’t cut it, especially for those who just want to have that casting them in resin (see Photos 15 and 16). peace of mind from knowing its “all there”. For my purposes, the bottom detail could remain very lim- Here’s the way I normally do this. Start with fairly thick sheet ited. This intended as an operating car, not a museum piece, so Styrene, say 0.060” to 0.080” thick strips from Evergreen or Pla- the detail didn’t need to be everything that would normally be struct. Since I don’t have a real close supplier of Evergreen or found underneath a real flatcar. As you proceed, just remem- Plastruct, I often use some of the scraps I buy from a local plas- ber that certain brake parts must be oriented in relation to the tics dealer. For this project, I cut mine out of 1/8” thick Styrene “B” end of the car (“B” end as in brake wheel end). I used flat sheet, using my little table saw. pieces of Styrene sheet to make the platforms for the various 1 I started by cutting two ⁄4” wide strips from the sheet. I then brake components. You, of course, can detail the underbody to cut both pieces to fit between the bolsters. Oops, it looks like whatever level is satisfactory. I didn’t cut these pieces very straight; I’ll have to sand them Once the brake system is in place, turn the car over and we’ll down a little to even them out. After sanding and forming the

17 14 proceed with some more plastic surgery. In this instance, the frame rails, I glued some Evergreen C channel face down over cast-on grabs, which look unsightly by today’s standards, need the frame rails (see Photo 14). After they’ve dried, I added the to be worked off. Then, you can replace them with some decent cross members. I used some smaller I beam strip for the larger wire grab irons (see Photo 17). I used an #5 hobby knife with a cross members, and flat strips for the rest of the smaller cross chisel blade, and lightly shaved the cast-on grab irons off. I then members. The next thing to add is the brake hardware. I’m sure almost everyone has some brake hardware sitting in the scrap box somewhere, but (of course) I couldn’t find any in mine. Luckily,

1 drilled out the holes for new grabs bent from ⁄32 wire. I would 15 normally use smaller wire, but I’m a little short on the smaller wire at the moment. Use whatever diameter pleases you. As you

16 while I was building this car I was also building an All Nation 19 July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 49 drilled the hole all the way through the body. This may sound like a sacrilege, but I was using a fairly small drill. I only reamed it out on the bottom side to get things started, then mounted the first coupler. Then I mounted the truck and checked for adequate clearance between the wheels and the coupler box. I then repeated the procedure on the other end of the car, and then checked for proper coupler height. The height turned out to be high (of course). I don’t have a

20 can see, it actually turned out pretty well (see Photo 18). Once I had all that done, it was time to mount a brakewheel. I used a common brakewheel normally used on boxcars. I imag-

coupler height gauge, so I check it against my “standard car”, which I know to have the correct height. Off with the couplers! Glue a couple pieces of scrap Styrene sheet between the small 21 frame rails and the coupler box until the knuckle height is just right (see Photo 23). ine the prototype does the same thing. I mounted it sideways on At this point, finishing the car is a matter of individual choice the “B” end of the car (see Photos 19 and 20). and taste. The management of my freelanced Withlacoochi Now it’s time to paint the car. As you can see in Photo 21, I Railroad debated long and hard about what colors our flatcars painted the underside black. I didn’t really worry about doing should be. Finally, they decided on a dark green body and yel- all the undercarriage detail, since this car is for operation, not low or Dulux gold lettering. The only green I had on hand was Pullman green, however, so I painted the car with boxcar red for the time being. The deck of a flatcar, or any car with a wood floor, for that matter, is fairly easy to simulate with some painting tricks. I started with a base coat of Floquil Foundation. You can find any other wood simulation color that works for you. Since we are simulating wood using plastic, we only need to start with an overall wood color; the weathering effects will take care of the rest. I used thinned washes to weather my car. Here are a couple of ways to make a black wash. One way is to use a good airbrush thinner, such as Testors Model Master, 22 and Model Master flat black. Mix about one part flat black with ten parts of thinner; you can add a few more parts of flat black to the mix if you want to add more black highlights. Another for winning contests. I wasn’t overly concerned about how the way is to use the same mixing ratios, only using water based frame looked, since my main concern is the appearance of the chemicals such as black India ink and denatured alcohol. The visible parts of the car. same ratio changes apply if one wants to enhance and high- On the topside, I used gray primer to see how well I did with light the details a little more, and make the deck look more like the seam work. As you can see in Photo 22, the seam is invis- wood that has suffered the ravages of time and nature. ible, which is exactly what I was looking for. Had there been For those who are a little more adventurous, there are kits on any parts of the seam still visible, I would have had to do more the market for replacing the plastic wood floor inside of Inter- filling and sanding. Fortunately, that wasn’t necessary this time. mountain boxcar kits with a real wood floor. It works as a lami- Now its time to mount the trucks and couplers. For the nate. It is very possible to do the same thing to this car. Scribed trucks, I used the original equipment (those AHM trucks don’t sheet wood or individual planks can easily be used, should you look bad at all). When properly mounted, they work well. I rec- decide to go this route (Sounds like another job for our little ommend that you use screws to mount the trucks, but make table saw!). Then, it’s just a matter of staining the deck to look sure you mount your couplers first. I used Weaver couplers this real. time, however there is always a chance that I will change over This has been a fun project. It’s not difficult, and certainly to Kadee couplers in the future. is easy on that meager train budget! I still need to get some let- To mount the couplers, I first laid out the screw placement tering for my car. However, I can’t resist putting this car into using the top piece of the coupler box as a template. I then 50 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 No Tables Here cars over to 2-rail. All of this is the door ship scale modeling club die to almost Enjoy your mag. When I get some to allow people to cross over to the scale nothing when its members did not want areas sceniced on my O Scale layout will world. There are a number of command to share there talents with others because submit some pics. control versions out there that allow you it would make them look bad at shows. In Issue #19 Carey [Hinch, Modern to run your trains with ease. Then there is “Museum Quality” which Image] begged the question when he When I got started in model railroad- is a subject for another time as this will stated “Every railroad, regardless of size, ing many years ago a very good friend drive new talent out when every thing used [turntables].” At least one good helped me build my first scale steam they do is knocked down before they can sized railroad, the Northern Alberta Rail- engine. It started with a Lionel scale Hud- even get started. ways (900 plus miles) used wyes and son and then detail was added, I wish I My conclusion is to be open minded didn’t have a single turntable anywhere still had that engine but it is long gone. It and welcome all because with change on the system. (I’m in the midst of author- was my first taste of scale and it has not you can still have scale quality. I can ing a book on the system.) While many gotten away from me. The engine was be contacted and will be willing to do did use [turntables] they were a head- modified with scale couplers and ran on articles on what I call “Super High Rail” ache to maintain and even in the steam- 3-Rail track as were some of the modi- which is 3-rail with scale couplers and era there were instances of a wye being fied cars and, yes, some scratchbuilt cars or wheels and scale rendering of cars used to replace a cantankerous turntable. as well. and engines along with scenery. If you Keith Hansen (via email) I am moving to a new home and will are open minded and would like me to have a room for my trains. Here is what write a column on this subject I would be Keep An Open Mind it is going to be like. I am going to use interested in that option as I see that the I found your article [Easements, MTH scale track (3-Rail) and my cars blend of 3-rail and 2-rail will advance O OST#19] very interesting on the O Scale are going to be as close to scale as I can Scale to new heights. world. I am responsible for designing the make them. I will kitbash all my cars Daniel M LePage [dan@emeraldsta- control system used on the San Diego and engines and add as much detail as tionstudios.com] 3-Railers layout at the San Diego Model I can. I have done some tests and find Train Museum in Balboa Park. Some that the MTH scale track is as close as I Joe G responds: Thanks for the offer would say, “Only a three rail’r; that’s a can get to scale and still be able to run Dan but we already have our own Hi- toy train guy”. I have been interested in my 3-rail engines along with my 2-rail Rail columnist. However, we’d entertain O Scale for years. I did my turn at build- engines. Yes, I have found a way to have any articles you might wish to submit. 1 ing scale model ships in ⁄96 scale and the best from both worlds. I have a train And I wholly agree on being open-mind- found that just sitting on my bookshelf repair business and have converted 3-rail ed about 2- vs. 3-Rail. Whatever gives was not enough so I put remote controls engines and cars to 2-rail with great suc- you the most enjoyment of your trains is in them. I have found that there is a big cess. But I do have some 3-rail engines what matters the most. decision that has to be made by someone that I do not want to convert. I want to when building models. It is how much run as much scale operation as I can so I Contest Entry? detail you are going to want to put into have come to a compromise. As a loyal subscriber/reader of your the project. There are those that feel that this is fantastic magazine since issue #1, I am At the museum, I have found that there dumbing down the hobby. I heard that obligated to help you in the “2K5” photo are those that want to help you learn same [argument] in ham radio about contest and wish to do so by sending about scale modeling and those that want the reduction of Morse code. This move beautiful photographs for you to use. to hold their talent to themselves and not opened up the hobby and more people Since I do not have a digital camera at share with the younger generation. I have have come into the [ham radio] hobby. It this time, I will gladly accept one from always wanted to share my talents with is interesting to note that Morse code still you. the younger generation or those that just has a place with these new operators. Please send the bill to Scace, as he want to learn new skills. I have a 13 year You have to be willing to accept change seems to have plenty of money for Scotch old that is just fascinated by scale model- to see your hobby grow. and other nefarious pursuits. I shall wait ing and will guide him in that direction. I had given my son the opportunity for your package along the mainline I have seen model railroading grow to learn about scale modeling and he which will be known as the Reading in the last few years and now the man- was coming along very nicely until he Railroad. ufactures are beginning to come out passed on in 1994. In his memory, I have Don Dissinger with scale equipment. M.T.H. has scale dedicated my life [by giving] those that Lebanon, PA (land of bologna and engines that are the same price as the want to get into the scale world a place other Dutch wonderments) 3-rail engines and also has some scale to learn about scale modeling. I may not engines that can be run on either 2-rail know all the answers, but I am promoting or 3-rail track. Atlas and K-line also have what I know. And you bet you can learn conversions kits and engines in scale also for the younger generation also. offered in 3-rail and 2-rail and also have I feel that it is important that those in kits that allow you to convert your 3-rail scale modeling be open minded. I saw a July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 51 THE WESTERN RESERVE “O” SCALE TRAIN SHOW CLEVELAND, OHIO Saturday, November 5, 2005 9:00 a.m - 2:30 p.m. Admission: $5.00 6’ Tables - $35.00 LAKELAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE I90 and ST.RT. 306 (S.E. Corner) Held in the Auxiliary Gym / Athletic Center 24 Hr. Police - Public Welcome - Free Parking - 2-rail “O” scale only - Please no other gauges THIS SHOW IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE WESTERN RESERVE O SCALE COMMITTEE WHO ANNUALLY PUT ON A SIMILAR SHOW BOB FRIEDEN - 9695 CHILLICOTHE ROAD - KIRTLAND, OHIO 44094 - 440-256-8141 - FAX: 440-256-1749 - E-mail: [email protected]

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Call days or early evenings... Bill Davis Unlike any other model of the famous General ever made, SMR’s all-new model is not based on later reconstructions. This is the first time the famous engine Email [email protected] stolen during the “Great Locomotive Chase” has been modeled as it really looked in 1862! All-Brass, 1:48 Scale, Superb Detail! 2- or 3-Rail. Matching Boxcars. Phone/Fax (262) 560-1619 VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES REMAINING! WWW.SMRTRAINS.COM American “0” Scale Professional Services Schneider Model Railroading, Inc. PO Box 575 P.O. Box 753 Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 Waukesha, Wl 53187-0575 52 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 VERLAND MODELS INCORPORATED www.overlandmodels.com 3808 W. Kilgore Ave. · Muncie, IN47304 · U.S.A [email protected] Telephone: (765) 289-4257 O Fax: (765) 289-6013 Jim Hackworth

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July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 55 Special Edition “Late” Allegheny Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-6

Nothing could be finer than the most beautiful of all steam engines produced by the best artisans in the Orient in 100% life-time brass.

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SUNSET MODELS INC. 37 South Fourth Street · Campbell, CA 95008 · 408-866-1727 · fax to 408-866-5674 · www.3rdrail.com Choose Wisely “Buyer Beware” is a phrase that is Has it been modified? How does it run? hunt. They learn everything they can often used to alert prospective buyers Is it a good puller? Who has owned it? about the item. Staying focused on that of some unknown and lurking doom. The old tinplate rules of “he who dies quest, they do not let themselves be dis- It is a warning that someone or some- with the most trains wins” no longer tracted or purchase items just because it thing is amiss and it is a flag of caution holds true. You simply cannot even try may be “a good deal”. Sooner or later regarding shady business practices. You to collect one of everything. Still recov- the item appears and, because they may have heard the caution at a train ering from a recent trip to York, I note have waited and not purchased a bunch show, about a seller on Ebay, or even a big difference between these groups. of trains, they are able to acquire it. This at a local train meet. “Buyer beware”, Hirailers tended to fill their cars with is a much more mature approach to in this context, is directed at you, the trains... all great deals. Certain O Scale buying trains. They choose wisely and buyer. You need to “be aware” of what visitors were seen leaving with only a only buy that which they really, really you are doing. few purchases. Some did not purchase want. Just because it is a beautiful big I am a HiRailer in transition, trans- any trains. Here in the scale world green giant, if you are not modeling that forming my layout and trains in the words like “quality” and “fidelity” are railroad it might not be a wise choice. It direction to be more and more scale. used, instead of “quantity”. More is not probably is not a good fit. Pass on that Oh, I still run some HiRail, but I am necessarily better. This scale thing is a purchase. It is okay. Save your funds for learning that it is the O Scale trains that whole new ball game and I suggest it what you really want. bring me the most pleasure. It is not an is major league. My observation is that In the third movie of the “Indiana easy trip and at times the ride can be this is not necessarily bad, just different. Jones” trilogy, entitled The Last Crusade, quite bumpy. Transition implies that you It requires a lot of thought and patience, an old knight guards the Holy Grail. All are changing. For a while, you probably but it can be rewarding. As a “buyer” of the grails are on display, much like will find that some of your old tinplate you have to “beware” of yourself, in the trains lined up on a table at a train sale. and HiRail friends aren’t as friendly. You O Scale context. He cautions each explorer to “choose may hear, “Now, why would you do I have come to appreciate my O Scale wisely.” Some choose the biggest and that?” or, “Have you lost your mind?” friends’ buying habits. Almost all of them the best, the one with the most jewels. Your new scale friends may not totally practice selective collecting. They focus They let their eyes and emotions con- accept you either, at first. Because you their buying power on one or two favor- trol their selection without any rational once had trains that required an extra ite railroads or even a regional theme. decision. This ends in failure. The hero, rail, you may be viewed as different. This helps them limit their purchases on the other hand, chooses rationally You may be the man in the middle for to what they can afford. Yes, some of and very carefully. He chooses the a period of time. This is not easy. It just them are fortunate to have some expen- one that he feels is most appropriate takes time. sive brass, but it is something that they from his research. He remembers what Buying O Scale items, like engines decided that they really wanted and it advice he has gotten from his elders. and rolling stock, is not easy either. forced them to make some very seri- This leads to success. The same rule That trip can be all uphill for someone ous decisions during the acquisition. applies here with O Scale purchases: who is in that same transition mode. It My HiRail friends would brag they have “Choose wisely.” is not at all like purchasing 3-Rail and 25-30 locomotives on their layout. I ask, “Buyer beware” and “choose wisely” the HiRail trains in my past. A Hudson “How many of those locomotives would are two principles I have come to appre- is a Hudson is a Hudson in HiRail. You it take to equal an expensive high qual- ciate, as I continue my transition into the know what you are getting. It is either ity brass scale locomotive? My answer O Scale world. It is a learning experience mint in the box, test run, or used. I would be, “About three-and-a-half!” It to be sure. After all, this is supposed to be know how to buy and sell HiRail. I is all relative. Planning is required. It is FUN. Good luck in your quest, whether have done it most of my life. your choice. You can afford the best. Just you are a HiRailer, a transitional hobby- O Scale Acquisition 101 is, by choose wisely. Think long-term. Make a ist, or a member of the O Scale old guard, nature, much more of a science. It cer- mature decision. and always remember to choose wisely. tainly is more sophisticated. Mention Serious scale guys only buy exactly It is quite an adventure. Stay tuned. This Hudson and immediately questions are what they want. It may take several ol‘ hobo will share more ideas in the next raised. When was it made? Who made years to find a particular item. It is that issue. ◆ it? Who painted it? Who detailed it? age-old hunter instinct. They love the

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 57 warts, ScaleCraft, Lobaugh, and Walthers, quickly resumed production of their lines and began adding new (and often improved) items to their catalogues. But this series of columns is about retailing, the place where the average modeler obtains the means to Your Local Hobby Shop—II model, and it was here that some of the most striking World War Two disrupted model railroading as it did almost every changes occurred. Many of the veterans and former defense workers other aspect of American domestic life. Historians have pointed out had saved their pay (there wasn’t much to spend it on, anyway, other that although many of the austerities required by the Office of Price than riotous living) and, although some used it to begin the manufac- Administration and other Federal regulatory agencies were not really ture of hobby products, others decided to open a hobby shop. Hence, essential and contributed little, if anything to the war effort, the psy- the late 1940s through the 1960s probably was the golden age of the chological effect of total involvement of the entire population contrib- local hobby shop in the United States. Small Business Administration uted to maintaining the common commitment to ultimate victory. I loans and generous credit policies under the GI Bill encouraged indi- am just old enough to recall meat rationing tokens, gasoline ration- viduals to think about “being their own boss.” Perhaps military service ing, and saving tinfoil. Model railroading was one of many activities had soured many on having to take orders from a supervisor. Others, deemed non-essential to winning the war, and had the lowest prior- remembering the Depression experience, [erroneously] concluded that ity for obtaining critical resources, primarily metals and the manufac- the best protection against getting laid-off was to own the business. turing capacity to machine them. Since plastics were in a primitive Most of us O Scalers are of a certain age, middle to late-middle, so stage at the time (and Styrene would have been restricted, too, as it is it is most likely that, during this period, our interest in model railroad- a petroleum derivative), that meant only wood and paper were readily ing first took hold. Can you remember your first REAL hobby shop? available for hobbyists. Even paper was not so easily obtained, nor of For me it was Howard Ruth on Genesee Street in Buffalo, NY (and so good a quality; if you have copies of Model Railroader for the war I suspect there are at least a dozen readers of this very column who years, you will note issues are thinner (partly from fewer advertisers) will mentally remark “Oh, yes. Ruth’s!”). Every time my family would and the paper becomes steadily cruder. drive into the big city to visit relatives, I would walk the mile or two to Retailers found that stock that had been gathering dust on their drool over the trains in the cases, perhaps saving up for the occasion- shelves sold quickly. Some even engaged in speculation, charging al car kit. For my high school graduation present, I chose an HOn3 higher prices on the grounds that when something sold out, it could PFM caboose from Ruth’s, my first (but hardly last) brass piece (it cost not be replaced. There was a brisk market for second-hand trains, and $8.95, as I recall). Each visit, I would stand around, listening and being the increasing level of detail that modelers had been growing to expect ignored by the clerks as they talked with their buddies about model during the 1930’s became less important. Those of you who have been railroading (Is that also a familiar experience for those who were around a while will have heard of Bill Walthers’ famous barrel, for he gawky teenagers back then?). At the time, it was usually necessary to loyally continued monthly advertising in his friend Al Kalmbach’s mag- drive to a fair-sized city to find a real fully-stocked hobby shop or to azine, even when he had no new products to announce. By scraping mail-order, from the display ads in the magazines, from such places the bottom of that barrel, he found older stock, re-manufactured items, as E&H in Philadelphia (founded by several brothers who were veter- and substitutes from non-critical materials. At the time, model railroad- ans) or AHC in New York City. In smaller cities, the older practice of a ers became less picky than they had been before (and certainly less toy or hardware store stocking a limited selection of scale model kits than we have become since). Except for a handful of manufacturers persisted. Everyone seemed to understand the economic reality that whose lines were primarily of wood and paper construction, all of the there had to be a substantial customer base of walk-in trade to make usual model producers went entirely into war work as they possessed the enterprise profitable. Only a generation later would hobby shops the specialized machine tools and skilled staff to produce precision move to suburban locations, not only following the population shifts components for defense contracts. Hobby shops eventually had little in America, but recognizing that motivated customers were willing to or nothing to sell. O Scale items from the war years tend to be collect- drive a ways to find what they needed. ible only as curiosities. Although some hobby shops were of some age, many were start- On the other hand, after the rigors of the Depression when many ups, and what made it possible for an intelligently managed store to had little disposable income for a hobby, defense industry offered full support the owner and his family was a vanished concept called Free employment for those who were not already in the armed forces. Even Trade Pricing (which was a misnomer, as so many bureaucratic sub- with strict wage and price controls and surtaxes on income, those who terfuges are). What that meant was that the list price established by were working had considerably more funds than they were used to. the manufacturer (which determined the wholesale markup and retail Unfortunately, there wasn’t much in the way of consumer goods to profit margin) was pretty much cut in stone. Retailers discounted from spend it on. Although a private or seaman didn’t earn much (I suspect the list price at their peril. If the supplier (and it might be the whole- some of the readers will recall being in that situation), his expenses saler, or “jobber” in the jargon, probably because they dealt in job were also negligible, and often his pocket money was greater than he lots, who enforced discipline rather than the manufacturer) discovered had had as a civilian during the 1930s. Nonetheless, not only were that a retail outlet was selling merchandise below the dictated price, there few model railroad items to buy, but frequent moves and limit would be cut off. That was the reason for trading stamps (the best- ited personal space did not permit him much scope to practice his known being S&H “Green Stamps”) which the alert retailer could issue hobby (although the magazines of the period report some ingenious with each purchase, and the buyer could paste in books until she or he solutions to the problem). It has been suggested that the ascendancy of finally could redeem the books of stamps for merchandise. This was a HO Scale after WWII (to the detriment of O) was a result of the smaller time when it helped to have a friend or relative, who worked for the homes built by developers for returning GI’s. I wonder if some part store or the manufacturer, who was authorized to buy at discount from of the preference for a smaller size did not begin with the problem of the retail price. Even there, there were supposed to be restrictions on how to move one’s trains from one military post to another, or how to who was entitled to that privilege. For many years the courts supported store one’s tools and kits on a ship. this system, so there was no recourse; “suggested” list or retail prices After VJ-day, there came the release of an enormous pent-up appear only after the courts finally changed their minds. demand for all the consumer products unavailable during the war. Ser- Normally, the only way one could buy an item for less than the vice members and defense workers had, for four long years, been think- published price was if it was somehow less than perfect, perhaps a ing about and planning for what they could produce if the resources damaged box, or missing some small part, or a “return.” This created were available. Many new products appeared in short order, notably problems for the retailer who wanted to dispose of slow-moving stock, Gordon Varney’s $100 4-6-0 (and his trucks) and Irv Athearn’s line of as he could not hold a “sale,” as this would violate the terms of his freight cars, but with many other offerings as well. The pre-war stal- franchise. Usually he could return the merchandise to the wholesaler 58 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 (assuming it was not shop-worn), but by then skilled ones went bankrupt (and tended to VALLEY MODEL TRAINS he would have had his capital tied up in the blame everyone and everything except them- PO BOX 1251, Wappingers Falls, N.Y. 12590 stock while it sat on his shelves. One of the selves). Credit cards were very few, and used www.valleymodeltrains.com exciting differences about a long-established only for limited purposes. I well remember Order/Info(845)297-3866 Fax(845)298-7746 shop like Ruth’s was that he had some discon- when I graduated from college in 1963 and Micro Scale Models O Scale kits ...... tinued stock, which he COULD unload at less received a letter from an oil company, telling 605 than the list price (just the thing for someone me I was approved without a credit check for with details on a tight budget). Every dealer had to sell the one of their charge cards, and how special it same item at the same price, so each could made me feel. At the other end of the spec- pretty well determine what his sales had to trum were the American Express/Diners Club be for a given period with some assurance. charge cards, whose substantial annual fees Manufacturers advertised new products in the meant only senior executives of prosperous magazines and one went to one’s local hobby corporations could justify them. The astute 605 Never Peel Paint Co.10”x 18”....295.00 265.50 shop, hoping to find them there. It was here retailer dealt with the disparity between desire Scale University O Scale (Laser cut wood kits) that the differences between a well-run and and ability to pay with another long-gone 1001 1003 a lackadaisical operation became evident, concept, the lay-away plan, whereby one as the competent owner would have antici- could buy something through time-payments. pated the need/desire and have ordered the The difference, for you younger readers, is new product as soon as it was announced. that the buyer did not actually GET the item The larger shops attended conventions to until the full price had been paid; an attractive Visit our website - hundreds of O Kits learn about projected offerings, and even the plan for buyers was one in which ONLY the 1001 General Store w/signs 5 1/2" x 9" ....69.98 64.40 smaller, if they had a good aggressive whole- cost of the item was charged, without interest 1003 Freight Station..5 1/2" x 9 3/4"...... 59.98 51.00 saler representative, would know about them or fees. I bought my first locomotive that way, Brennen’s Model RRing O Scale (plaster) before they were announced to the general six months of fifty-cents a week. public. I find I have used up my allotted space USII If there was a choice among hobby outlets, for this issue in describing how things were the efficient one with the most current offer- when I got into the hobby. The reminiscences ings would usually be the preferred stop for may evoke nostalgia for some, and provide modelers with money in their pockets. There new and exotic information for those young- was always a choice, in the sense that one er. Perhaps in the next column: How we got could mail-order, but there would then be a from There to Here. ◆ delay (no websites or even credit cards back then) of perhaps several weeks, and Ameri- USI Universal Supply Inc...10” x 12”...... net 129.00 cans were learning that deferred gratification Model Tech Studios O Scale (laser cut wood) was not all it was claimed to be. It just wasn’t the same as being able 402std to physically inspect what you wanted to MTH 2-RAIL LOCOMOTIVES buy before you bought ORDER ON LINE www.valleymodeltrains.com it. If a hobby shop ATSF NORTHERN ...... $1150 owner tried seriously CNJ BLUE COMET ...... $1200 402std B&OStd Frt/Pass Sta.5.5 x 17.5” 130.00117.00 to obtain new products CNW S/L HUDSON ...... $900 American Model Builders O Scale (laser cut) and the wholesaler kept C&O GREENBRIER ...... $975 Diarama size letting him down, there 488 20x20x8-1/2 was also competition NKP BERKSHIRE ...... $1100 among wholesalers. PRR CENTIPEDES ...... $1250 On the other hand, PRR T-1 #6110 ...... $1200 if a product was in N&W CLASS A ...... $1150 demand and supplies SP AC-6 CAB FWD ...... $975 were limited, manufac- SP 4-8-4 DAYLIGHT ...... $1250 turers tended to favor UP BIG BOY ...... $1350 488 Martinsburg Coal Mine 20” x 20”....99.98 85.00 the wholesalers who DSL Shops O Scale (cast resin building front) UP GAS TURBINE, 3 units ...... $850 took the largest quanti- Visit our website - hundreds of O Kits ties and who paid up WVP&P SHAY ...... $1000 O206 most promptly, and the ATSF F3 Warbonnet ...... $500 pattern was repeated C&O F3 A-B-A ...... $550 in dealings between NYC F3 A-B-A Lightning Stripe ...... $650 wholesalers and hobby Alaska F3 A-B-A ...... $550 shops. Between 1945 T&P GP9 ...... $325 and 1965, the hobby All Locomotives new in original boxes . business reflected the Additional locos and cars available - call . general merchandising Railroad Collectibles O206 building front patterns of the larger deep 1-3/4" by tall 11-3/4" by wide 12-3/8" society. Enthusiastic, 86 W . Johnson St . www.valleymodeltrains.com O206 The Riverside Apartments building front.99.98 well-organized retailers Philadelphia, PA 19144 Add $6.00 S&H in 48 States • Others pay actual postage who knew their spe- cost • N.Y. residents add 8.25% sales tax. cialty were successful, Voice: 215-438-4330 • Fax: 215-438-7322 (prices are subject to change w/o notice) www.valleymodeltrains.com and the eager but less- oguage .railroad@verizon .net

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 59 SpringSpring PowerPower TransferTransfer

By Daniel L. McCaffery & Robert B. Morgan A few years ago, a Hines’ 2-8-2 was acquired by R. B. Morgan, installed. Other lost wax castings for the tender included a rear one of the authors. These engines were sold in kit form during headlight, markers, a water hatch, rerailers, a poling pole, steps, the 1947-48 era. We understand that the design of the parts and foot boards, and coal door parts (see Photo 2). the molds came from William Lenoir, who was a master model locomotive builder. It’s believed that Pearce Tool Co. acquired this 2 line of engines and, today, Stevenson Preservation Lines is offering parts (if not a complete kit) for the engine. One notable difference between the original Hines’ engine and Stevenson’s version is that the latter’s frame will be designed for sprung drivers whereas the Hines’ engine has the driver axles placed in drilled holes within the bronze frame. The Hines’ engine is a good representation of the USRA heavy Mikado. The boiler is made from thick sheet brass. The cab is a bronze casting, as is the frame, cylinders, and rods. The drivers are machined cast iron and insulated for two-rail operation. Because some of the parts were relative crude bronze castings (air pump, etc.) it was decided to have D.L. McCaffery, the coauthor, install additional details and replace the bronze air pump and some other parts with lost-wax castings. Dan also added driver brake- The locomotive, itself, uses about 15 lost wax castings that shoes, various steam lines, mounted the linkage for a lubricator were bought from Precision Scale. Their installation was based that was installed, made adjustments for assuring smooth opera- upon the details seen in the photos. To conform to the proto- tion of the mechanism, and painted the locomotive. type engine, a new lost wax air pump was installed on the right The engine was modified to look like an Erie class N-2 loco- side of the pilot and, where the air pump was initially placed, motive (see Photo 1). These were USRA heavy Mikados, of which an Elesco feedwater pump was installed. The Elesco feedwater heater was placed on top of the smoke box. Also, to increase the weight of the engine, lead was melted and poured into a brass tube (that was part of the waste water drain from a wash basin) 1 that served as a mold. The lead weight was placed in the boiler and secured by screws. When the boiler was removed from the frame we noticed that the method of delivering torque from the motor to the worm gear was by means of a handmade spring. This was done by using two brass mandrels, one at the motor and one at the gearbox, with the spring mounted between them. A hole was placed in the large-diameter sleeve of each mandrel and the end of each side of the spring was bent to fit into these holes. The smaller diameter shaft-part of the two mandrels served as an internal the Erie had fifteen. About half of these engines used Worthington guide for the spring. feedwater heaters and the remainder used Elesco feedwater heat- Electric power was given to the motor to see how well the ers. A number of photos of Erie class N-2 engines were obtained spring served while delivering torque to the worm gear assembly. to assure accuracy in applying details. An important aspect of It worked well. Initially, thought was given to replacing the spring correct detailing a model is the use of prototype photos. In this with two universal joints via a shaft between them, but this could case, photos were obtained from Dan Biernacki, of the Erie Lacka- not be done due to the limited space between the motor and the wanna Historical Society, and Harold Vollrath, a noted dealer of gearbox. We then decided to continue using the spring torque- locomotive photos. delivery system, but with a new machine-made spring. The local Three of the Erie’s N-2 engines had their original USRA four- hardware store had a large selection of springs, and several were axle tenders replaced with larger six-axle tenders (from Erie class bought to determine which would work best. One was chosen S-1 and S-2 engines that, in turn, received larger ones yet). The with the spring wire slightly larger than the homemade spring. chosen prototype engine for modifying the Hines 2-8-2 had The new spring worked well until the boiler was reattached to one of these six-axle tenders. One was made using the sides the engine. Electric power was applied to the engine and almost of a Lobaugh tender (bought at a train show for a few bucks; it immediately the motor stopped. When the boiler was removed came from one of their 2-8-4 kits). The tender’s coal bunker was two things became obvious. First there was some slight interfer- straighten (removing the roll at the top), a new frame from brass ence between the new lead weight and the brass mandrel at the stock was made that included I-beam side sills, and beading was gearbox that supported the spring. This was easily corrected by added to the top edge of the tender sides. A set of Precision Scale removing the lead weight and cutting away some of the lead castings of six-wheel Commonwealth trucks were assembled and where it caused interference. Second, it was noticed that the

60 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 spring was permanently distorted, some of the turns being larger on the worm. The boiler was again affixed to the frame, and the than the rest of the spring. When the engine goes in one direc- 2-8-2 was then tested. The engine ran quietly and, on a test run it tion, the overall spring diameter wants to shrink. Conversely, easily walked away with 43 freight cars (each varying between 10 when the engine goes in the opposite direction, the spring diam- and 16 ounces) on level track. Spring Power Transfer eter wants to swell. We still believe that a double-universal system, with a shaft To avoid repetition of this effect, a stronger spring was installed between the two universal joints, is the best solution for applying that had the same overall diameter but with the spring wire being torque to the gearbox. If space doesn’t allow this type of application, a spring may be a good substitution. A number of locomo- By Daniel L. McCaffery & Robert B. Morgan 3 tive manufacturers use Neoprene or rubber tubing for delivering torque between the motor and gearbox. After a period of years, the tubing dries out and must be replaced. If you have such a torque delivery system, and there isn’t sufficient space to install universals, you may wish to use a spring for a permanent torque- delivery system. We found this system has worked well. We also applied it in a U.S. Hobbies Erie K-5a heavy Pacific. When doing so additional weight was placed in the boiler. Like the 2-8-2, Dan updated and added details and paint (see Photo

5). The Pacific easily took eight heavyweight passenger cars (averaging three pounds each) and a couple of lighter headend cars up a 1.8% grade. ◆ Pecos River Modular Railroad Structures STILL AVAILABLE Several Different kits are available or you can Figure 1 buy the parts to design your own structure to fit your space. Visit our webpage for availability.

slightly larger (see Photos 3 & 4, and Figure 1). The hardware store identified the spring as a #128. The new spring was tested in the Pecos River Brass unassembled engine and it worked fine. Then the boiler was reattached and, again, testing was carried out. The engine was slightly 560 East Church St noisy when running light. The boiler was again removed and adjustment made to the Lewisville, TX 75057 spring-mandrel arrangement. The spring was slightly compressed, causing the worm to push against the front of the gearbox (result- [email protected] ing in excess friction and wear). One of the mandrel’s set screws http://www.pecosriverbrass.com/ was loosened and then the mandrel was slightly pushed back. This released the tension in the spring thus eliminating the thrust force July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 61 for him to create the roofs and add trucks and power. After powering, and adding window glass, he would return the cars to me for final painting. Arthur Ford as Craftsman, Arthur completed the cars by rounding the roofs, adding Wagner trucks, and wiring them for “pole-reverse”. At the end of the run, the Mentor, and Friend rear trolley pole would be lowered, and the other raised. Headlights and running lights would then automatically change for operation By Roger C Parker in the other direction. Arthur even painstakingly switched my Ken Kidder open cars from single-pole, to dual pole-reverse operation. To this day, the ritual of lowering one pole and raising another provides pleasure. In addition to the custom finished and powered LaBelle kits, I am fortunate to own several custom cars that Arthur Ford built for me. These were mostly models of cars preserved at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunk, ME, where Arthur was an active member. My favorite models are the two-car Montreal and Southern Counties train and the City of Manchester single-truck parlor car. There is also a custom-built model of the Boston and Albany “Bobber” scaled from photographs. This car ran on a former steam branch in Boston’s western suburbs. Arthur also encouraged me to follow my instincts when painting the cars. I have never been a fan of the “right out of the paint shop” school of model building, instead preferring heavily weathered cars. Although it may have occasionally bothered Arthur, he encouraged my weathering cars by first painting cars a dark gray, then adding washes of the final color before the gray coat was dry. Since the gray

Arthur Ford, left, with fellow trolley craftsman Jean Deschenes, who is presently restoring the cars Arthur built for author. For over twenty-five years, I was privileged to know Arthur Ford. With his patient support and fine model building skills, Arthur helped me create a fleet of trolleys that are, only now, going to have a layout to run on. US Mail Car For decades, Arthur ran Model Railway Interchange, a hobby One of Parker’s favorite Arthur Ford models. Like most, it incorporates shop that backed up against the Middleborough, MA, railroad sta- pole reverse and directional lighting. tion and yards. His shop was located in a garage, which was entered through the first six feet of an actual wooden trolley that Arthur had rescued from destruction. First Visit I had forgotten Arthur’s address when my (now) wife Betsy and I arrived in Middleborough from downtown Boston. We got instant directions when we stopped a police car and asked the officer, “Where’s the hobby shop located in a trolley?” He immediately knew who we were talking about. The trolley has since been moved to the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunk, ME, where it is dis- played in the visitor’s center. For over twenty years, Arthur’s trolley was the destination for numerous visits from Boston and, later, New Hampshire. When we were living in Vermont and in Seattle, WA, we kept in touch by mail and UPS. Happy were the days when a new custom car arrived! Lessons From a Craftsman Arthur taught me numerous lessons. One of the most important was that there was no reason to spend time involved in aspects of the hobby that didn’t provide pleasure. It was always better to con- City of Manchester centrate on what you did enjoy doing, and delegate the less pleasur- Luxury on rails, ready for the charter! The City of Manchester is a able aspects to others. Accordingly, I spent more than twenty years surprisingly smooth runner, one of the few models without pole building LaBelle wooden trolley car kits, sending them to Arthur reverse.

62 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 Montreal & Southern Counties Arthur Ford scratch built this two-car train for the author from drawings made at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunk, Maine. Jean Deschenes is presently building the matching freight motor, also at the Seashore museum.

Weathered not lettered The author’s preferred way to weather cars, lacking only custom dry- transfer lettering.

Model photographs courtesy Gene Paltrineri, [www.genepaltrineri.com]. Paltrineri, Gene courtesy photographs Model Boston & Albany age those with limited time to consider concentrating on the parts Arthur Ford built scratchbuilt model of the Boston & Albany shuttle of car or layout construction that please them, and look outside to which operated for years on a branch near Newton Lower Falls, MA. others for help with the other tasks that must be completed. Arthur taught me that lesson while he did all those things that weren’t and the color blend together and soak into the wood, it creates the as satisfying to me as working with wood and building the basic sun-bleached effect that reflects how I think of wooden cars. car bodies. In the bargain, we forged an invaluable friendship. Status Today ◆ It is amazing how well the cars have stood up over the years. Occasionally an underbody part requires reattachment, but the cars have survived numerous coast-to-coast moves, as well as a horrific house flood caused by a hot water hose which burst on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, while we were away. Recently, some of the cars have been experiencing electrical problems due to the pole-reverse system. At a Boston Trolley Meet a few years ago, Richard Ford, Arthur’s son, had to perform emergency surgery on one car. Last year, thanks to the every-other-year Boston Trolleymen’s Meet, I was fortunate enough to connect with Jean Deshanes. Jean had originally helped Arthur with many of my cars. Recently, Jean has been going through the cars, lubricating and adjusting the Wag- ner power trucks, and troubleshooting cars with connection problems in the pole-reverse system. And, continuing the tradition, Jean is increasing my fleet with a couple of new “always wanted” custom built trolleys, including the Piedmont & Northern’s four-truck freight engine I’ve always wanted. Arthur’s models are a legacy that I’m proud to own. I encour- July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 63 OST Builds A Layout - Update

Back in OST#13 (March/April 2004) I gave you a first look at the layout I’m building here at OST Intergalactic Headquarters. If you recall, it’s a modest space about 14' x 22'. The plan was developed with Clark Thorp and is based on a John Armstrong layout designed around the N&W.

A B

Well, progress has been good. I started by attaching 1 x 4 ledger boards to the walls at the base layout height. Everything else is attached to those. If Dick McCloy and Rex Desilets are reading this, some of this benchwork will look very familiar to them. It came from my HO scale layout built in 1978. Never

throw away good layout benchwork! The rest of the benchwork was constructed of inexpensive 1 x 3 framing lumber in L-girder style with 2 x 4 legs. Joists were installed every 18 inches made from the same 1 x 3 framing lumber. That was a mistake and if I were to do this over I’d use 1 x 4 S4S (surfaced four sides). But it’s too late now, so I’ve had to make adjustments here and there. 1 3 The base for all level track is ⁄2" plywood with ⁄4" Styrofoam glued over that. All raised track is on spline and lattice sub- 1 roadbed of my own design with ⁄4" Styrofoam over it. The top three photos at the right show basically the same spot on the layout (Point A on the diagram) at different stages of construction. The last photo was taken from Point B. We’re at the point where we need to build six or seven curved switches. After that I can finish laying the AtlasO flex track. I will keep you apprised of our progress. ◆

64 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 Martin Brechbiel sent this photo of a small O Scale station that will be the subject of two clinics at a local NMRA division meet. In the first clinic all the parts will be painted and stained. At the second clinic the parts will be assembled into this structure. What a great way to promote O Scale!

Jay Duke is 79 and has been involved in O Scale for the better part of 70 years now. His current (and 14th) layout, the Orange Grove Western, was completed in 1979. This photo shows a PRR M1 below while a Lionel 700E passes overhead, pulling a Delta Lines boxcar. Pete Trunk took the photo.

Old #4 is pulling up to the trainorder office on the yard lead to pick up their orders for the day. The photo was taken on Pete Hess’ On30 Swamp Valley RR. Old #4 is a weathered Bachmann Shay. To see more of the Swamp Valley, visit: http://home.att.net/~svrr65/svrr.html

Am Espee freight train with six axle Diesel power passes a CTC signal bridge. The SD9 has an LED-headlight powered from the digital-control unit. The brass signal bridge is also modified with dual color (red/green) LED lights. All the models are detailed, painted and finished by Juerg Luetscher of Switzerland.

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 65 The fireman climbs aboard D&RGW FT 546 at the start of the day. Photo by John Morley.

Three giants sleeping at Shamokin on Pete Trunk’s Philadelphia & Erie.

Photos are available Whitehall Hobbies on request . Specializing in Brass Locomotives ————————— Ask about new unlisted 1431 Windrush Circle, Blacklick, Ohio 43004 items . We carry nearly Voice: (614) 861-0018 - Fax: (614) 861-3034 every imported brass [email protected] line .

Key NYC E7 A-A, latest run F/P, new, never run ...... $2595 Key UP FEF3 4-8-4, unptd, coal version, rare ...... $2295 Oriental GN N3 2-8-8-0, F/P Glacier Park, new, never run . . . .$2395 Key D&RGW L95, 2-8-8-2, F/P #3400, grn boiler, new, never run . . .$3600 Key PRR E7 B unit, F/P Tuscan, buff stripes, new, never run . . .$1250 PSC D&RGW L-131, 2-8-8-2, FP Rd#3600, black boiler (one of a kind), boiler tube pilot and tri-color herald w/D&RGW spelled out . PSC SP AC-9 2-8-8-4 Coal 222 R-1 Tender F⁄P - Black Boiler New . . .$3195 new, never run ...... $3895 OMI UP FEF-3, F⁄P, Road# 844, new, never run ...... $2350 OMI UP FEF-3, F/P #835, w/triple stacks, new, never run . . . . .$2495 PSC C&O T1 2-10-4, C⁄P, like new condition, reduced ...... $1400 Key UP FEF-2, F/R #825, two tone gray, silver stripe, new . . . .$2795 OMI UP DD40X F⁄P Road# 6931, like new w⁄Cockerham drive . . .$1795 PSC DM&IR M4 2-8-8-4, F/P w/black jacket, Worthington FW s/n1 . . . $5000 Kohs & Co ., PRR GG1, F/P #4913, 5 stripe, gold leaf and Tuscan, Fine Arts NYC passenger cars,‑never out of box, CALL (only 4 left) . ea $800 new, never run ...... $2800 Key PRR F3 A-B, latest run, F/P Brunswick Green, new never run . . . $2495 PSC NP Z5 2-8-8-4, F/P Rd# 5006 ...... $3295 Key PRR FP7 A-B, latest run, F/P Tuscan 5 stripes, new, never run . . . $2495 Key UP Challenger, 4-6-6-4, FP Rd#3977, oil version, two-tone grey, silver stripe . New, never run ...... $3295 Key C&O FP7 A-A, latest run, F/P, new, never run ...... $2595 Key UP Challenger, unptd, coal version . New, never run . . . . .$2895 Key C&O FP7 A-B, latest run, F/P, new, never run ...... $2495 PSC NYC F12e 4-6-0, 5000 gal . tender, F/P, new, never run . . . . .$1195 Key C&O FP7 A-B,-A latest run, F/P, new, never run ...... $3850 PSC VGN AG 2-6-6-6 with Cockerham drive and paint, new . . .$2695 PSC SP GS5 4-8-4, latest run, F/P Daylight Rd #4458, new, never run . . $2995 Key PRR E8 AA, FP Brunswick Green, gold stripe, new . . . . .$2695 Key B&A K3n 4-6-2, latest run, F/P Rd #506, new never run . . . . . $2550 OMI NP A4 4-8-4 with Cockerham drive, new, u/p ...... $1750 Key UP FEF-3 4-8-4, F/P #8444 Black & graphite, new, never run . . . $2295 Kohs NYC J3a 4-6-4 F/P #5437, builder's photo edition, 1 of 10 Key UP FEF-3 4-8-4, unpainted, new, never run ...... $2150 with white tires and running board ...... $3200

66 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 Advertisers Index AAA Precision Turntables 15 Hackworth Model Trains 54 Pecos River Brass 61 Allegheny Scale Models 6 House of Duddy 12 Public Delivery Track 23 Amer. Prof. O Scale Services 52 Indianapolis O Scale Meet 31 Railroad Collectibles 59 AM Hobbies 12 Irish Tracklayer 14 Rons Books 23 AtlasO IBC Just Trains 69 Russian River RR Co. 14 Auel Industries 52 Keil-Line Products 14 San Juan Car Co. 20 BTS 24 Key Imports 55 Scaled World 35 Central Locomotive Works 31 LaBelle Woodworking Co. 14 Schomberg 31 Clever Bros. 12 Model Building Services 52 SMR Trains 52 Custom Signals 12 M.T.H. Electric Trains IFC Stevenson Preservation Lines 14 Deichman's Depot 14 NCE Corp 54 Suncoast Models 45 Diecast Direct 35 Nickel Plate Models 14 Sunset⁄3rd Rail 56, BC Digistar 45 Norm’s O Scale 14 T Bone Models 31 Dominion Models 15 O Scale Kings 11 Valley Model Trains 59 Eagles Nest Miniatures 35 O Scale Realty 63 Weaver 33 Ehobbytools.com 55 Old Pullman 43 Western Reserve Train Show 52 Get Real Productions 67 Overland Models 53 Whitehall Hobbies 66 Gorilla Glue 23 P&D Hobby Shop 8 Great Scale Model Train Show 15 Paper Creek Model Works 55

July/Aug ’05 - O Scale Trains • 67 A current list of events is now available at our website [http://www.oscalemag.com]. If you have an event you’d like listed, we have a submission form at the website (the preferred method), or EventsEvents you can mail the info to our office address given on page 3. August 2005 October 2005 6: Denver, Pennsylvania 15: Gardner, Mass. USA Eastern “O” Scalers Swap Meet at the Denver Fire Hall, 4th & Locust Sts. Southern New England Model Railroad Club O Scale Train Show. Loca- - 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Adm. $5; (spouses & children under 14 are free), tion: Chestnut Street United Methodist Church, 161 Chestnut Street, tables are $16.00 for the first table (includes one admission) and $12.00 Gardner Massachusetts. Show hours are from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Free for each additional table. Dealer’s set-up Friday evening 6:00 p.m. to Parking. Show features Dealers, Displays, Food and Southern New Eng- 9:00 p.m. and Saturday morning 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Info/reserva- land O-Scale operating layout. Dealers please contact Bob Jones at; bob- tions, SASE – EOS, PO Box 1781, Bensalem PA 19020; (215) 639-3864. [email protected]. Admission is $5.00 or Family max for $8.00. Bring an index card with your name, address etc., for $1.00 off your Contact [email protected] admission. Contact [email protected] website November 2005 September 2005 5: Wind Gap, Pennsylvania 3: Merchantville, New Jersey Eastern “O” Scalers Swap meet at the Plainfield Fire Hall, 6480 Sullivan Cherry Valley Model RR Club Swap Meet held at the Grace Episcopal Trail – 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Adm. $5; (spouses & children under 14 are Church, 7 E. Maple Ave. Merchantville, NJ. Admission $4.00 (spouses & free), $16.00 for the first table (includes one admission) and $12.00 for children under 14 are free), tables are $16.00 for the first table (includes each additional table. Dealer’s set-up Friday evening 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 one admission) and $12.00 for each additional table. Info/reservations, p.m. and Saturday morning 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Info/reservations, SASE – CVMRC PO Box 192, Maple Shade, NJ 08052, Harry Hieke SASE – EOS, PO Box 1781, Bensalem PA 19020; (215) 639-3864. Bring (856) 625-5506 between 6 & 9 pm or Dave Richter (215) 639-3864. an index card with your name, address etc., for $1.00 off your admission. Contact [email protected] Contact [email protected] 17-18: Dothan, Alabama 5: Kirtland, Ohio Wiregrass Annual Model RR Show and Sale at the National Peanut Fes- Two-Rail Train Meet of the Western Reserve. Dedicated to the memory tival Fairgrounds, US 321 S, Dothna, AL. Admission: $5 adults, children of Gil Stovicek. Two-Rail only meet (no tinplate, Hi-Rail or other scales under 12 are free. Open from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday and from 10 allowed). Admission $5, under 12 free. Show hours from 9 AM to 2:30 am to 4 pm on Sunday. Contact Danny Lewis, 491 Ashley Circle, Dothan, PM. Six foot vendor tables are $35. Vendor entry at 7 AM. Not affiliated AL 36305, PH: 334-792-0728. Contact [email protected] with the former Western Reserve O Scale Committee. Contact Bob Frie- den, 440-256-8141. Contact [email protected] 23-24: Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis O Scale Fall Meet. Two day O Scale swap meet with over 19: Cincinnati, Ohio 250 tables in one large hall. New and collectible 2-Rail trains and prod- O Scale (2-Rail only) meet sponsored by the Cincinnati Model Railway ucts available. Also includes model contest and display layouts. Registra- Club at the Cincinnati Holiday Inn North at I-275 and Rt 42 (Sharonville). tion by August 15 gets custom name tag. Dealer tables $40 by 8/15/05, open 10 am to 4 pm. Table $20. Admission $5. Contact Frank Koch, $45 after that date. Admission $15 per person, good for both days. Con- 4769 Silverwood Dr, Batavia OH 45103, PH: 513-634-4264. Note: This tact Jim Canter for more information: 1203 Rotherhma Ln, Beech Grove, meet replaces and continues the 24 year tradition of the Western Reserve IN 46107, 317-782-3322. Contact [email protected] O Scale Meet of Robert Boeddner and friends. Contact fjkoch@hotmail. com Buy–Sell–Trade Buy-Sell-Trade ads are $5 for 30 words plus your address information. PRR, Frisco, Espee; box cars: B&O Sentinel, B&O Timesaver, EJ&E, Additional words are $0.25 each. Subscribers are permitted one free ad Monon, NC&StL, Western Pacific. SASE for lists. Ph: 727-3914- per subscription cycle. All B-S-T ads are prepaid. You may send ads by 3135, John Clemens, 5273 97 Way N, St. Petersburg, FL 33708- postal service with a check or money order. Ads sent by email or called in must use a credit card. See our contact info on page 2. 3752 KEYSTONE MODEL WORKS: PRR H-25 quad hoppers; PRR gon- FOR SALE: USH PRR L1 2-8-2 CP; Sunset PRR pass. cars, P70 coach, dolas, PRR drop-bottom gondolas; PRR scrap tin gondolas. Scale B60 baggage; CW PRR N5 caboose CP; OMI Erie gas-electric; versions only at dealer cost. Much more brass, SASE for three page Atlas SD-35 WM; Weaver Pullman-Bradley coaches ptd GM&O. list. Ph: 727-391-3135, John Clemens, 5273 97 Way N, St. Peters- Bob Burns, 330-758-1561. burg, FL 33708-3752 FOR SALE: Six pages of freight car listings for SASE: Keystone WANTED: Overland Models Milwaukee Road EF-1 boxcabs in O Model Works, Intermountain Railway, Max Gray, Overland Models, Scale. Will pay $5000 per pair. Bob Harris, 219-921-0932. Pacific Limited, Pecos River Brass, Precision Scale, Rich Yoder, Sun- set Models, US Hobbies, and more. Ph: 727-391-3135, John Clem- PECOS RIVER BRASS painted cars: $189, tank cars, Clinchfield ens, 5273 97 Way N, St. Petersburg, FL 33708-3752 cabooses, Airslide covered hoppers, 50’ grain cars, Santa Fe TOFC flats, Santa Fe flat cars, Pullman-Standard covered hopper. Listings FOR SALE Weaver: PRR L1s $675; PRR K4s $675; LVRR FA/FB SASE, Ph: 727-391-3135, John Clemens, 5273 97 Way N, St. $195. USH PRR M1a $1250. Atlas Seaboard SDP35 $265. Key Petersburg, FL 33708-3752 RS3 ptd PRR $750. Sunset PRR chlorine tank(s) on flat $120. Ph: 770-967-9813, Richard Morhard, 5964 Williamsport Dr, Flowery WANTED: Those interested in Sunset doing the 2-6-6-4 that SAL sold Branch, GA 30542-3958 to B&O; both 2-Rail and 3-Rail O Scale. Also SAL E-4 in citrus. Ph: 336-886-9106 Robert L Youngblood, 4331 Hoover Hill Rd, Trinity, FOR SALE: Case lot closeout of Pecos River 50’ AAR Boxcars in 3 NC 27370-8554 versions. Visit http://www.pecosriverbrass.com/ for sale information. [email protected]. INTERMOUNTAIN built-up gondolas: C&O, NYC, CB&Q, MoPac,

68 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 Jus Atlas O Gauge K-Line 2-Rail Offerings Lionel Trains C424/425 2R 389 TMCC 415 SuperStreets Motorized Roadways K-Line Shay, DC Powered 719 Close-outs Orders (888) 453-9742 EL, RDG, DH, BN, CP, NW Dmy 209 Vehicle & Oval 44 Vehicles 20 Undec, Lack Coal , Pac. Lumber Swing Bridge 175 Lighthouse 69 Coke or Heinz Complete Set 99 Info 302 453-0465 Fax 368 6447 Erie-Built 2R 349 TMCC 389 Woodside Reefers for $47 4/$185 Del #41 Army Switcher 115 Speeders 40 CNW & NYC 185 P/D 555 Service Station or Delivery Van Set 75 NW, PFE, Heinz, McLhaney, Peacock, 14173 Small Operating Drawbridge 65 * M-F 10-6 Sun 12-5* Dash 8 2R 369 3-R 389 Dmy 195 New 4-6-6T Tank Engine Oppenheimer, Roberts, Chateau, Nash, 2005 Volume I 313 Newark Shopping Center BC, SP, Und, UP, CR Conventional $395 TMCC $525 Century, Robin Hood, Merchants AC-12 SP Cabforward 1295 Newark, DE 19711 SW’s TMCC 329 Rdg & Blue Mtn CNJ, B&A, NYC, IC, Rdg, GT, Phila, *Atlas 2-Rail Track* N&W J 1059 Chessie S-4 329 Free Shipping over $180 Custom SW B&O TMCC 299 Berkshire Whis 639 TMCC 759 US Prototype Track System, Code148 N&W 18” 4-Pk 395 2-Pk, Diner 215 Most orders shipped within 24 hours Alco RS-1 2R 339 TMCC 375 B&A, IC, ATSF, SP, LIMA, B&M New 45 & 49” Radius Curve E-6 Atlantic 4-4-2 PRR, PRSL 449 MC VISA DISC. AMEX CNW, NH, SF, Ann Arbor, NP, PRR K-4 Whis 639 TMCC 759 7024/5 #5 Turnout (36”) 42.95 BB Electrics PRR, LI 539 Alco RS-1 TMCC, RS 3-R 389 Early, Late, Late w/Smoke Deflectors 7021/2 #7.5 Turnout (40.5”) 47.95 18” Heavywt 3-Pk PRR, PRSL, LI 285 Weaver Models B&O, Rut, C&EI, PRR, Susq, BL&W 2-Truck Shay Whis 589 TMCC 719 Wye Switch 39.95 Switch Machine 8.75 F-3 ABA UP, E-L 725 Pwr B 252 36" Radius Full Curve 3.70 Half 2.55 MR Brass Little Joe 735 Cmd 835 RS-1 JC, RI, A&EC TMCC 349 Lack, PLC, NYC, Sou & Iron, Undec Aluminum 4-PK UP, N&W 395 40.5 Rad. Full Curve 4.35 1/3 2-Pk 5.15 DC Pacific 2R/3R 649 Cmd 779 GP-35 2R 299 TMCC 325 RS-3 CNJ, WMD 299 Aluminum 2-Pk UP, N&W 215 40” Flex Track 8.75 Case (18) $149 VO1000 w/TMCC 319 WM, LV, BO 2003 Locomotive of the Year F59PH Metrolink, Sounder, VRE 299 Aluminum StationSounds Diner 215 10” Straight 2.60 Case (48) $119 Rdg, BN, SP, Sav & Atl, WM, NKP F40PH Cal Train, Tri-Rail 299 GN U33C 372 Reading U30C 372 Tinplate Steam Era Canopy $329 4 ½” Straight 2.00 1 ¾” 4-Pk 5.25 GP35 TMCC 355 CN, Burl, E-L GP38 SF, UP, PRSL, LIRR, PC 299 Docksider Bethlehem Steel, NYC 89 Baldwin 2-8-0 Blow-out TMCC 399 Crossings: 90 or 45 Degree 11.40 SD-35 TMCC 375 PC, SP, N&W LIRR 18” Alum 4 -Pk $339 0-4-0 w/Slope Tender C&O, SF 135 UP, CN&W, B&M, C&O, LV We stock Entire Line in 2-R Pullman-Bradley “Am. Flyer Cars” Berwick 60’ Hi-Cube 2R 65 3R 60 F-7/3 AA 4 motor, TMCC, Cruise 419 TMCC Crane UP, Conrail 269 Type G Signal 2-R 52 4-Pk 195 Blow-Out 4-Car $325 2-Car $180 CR, MR, N&W, RG, SF B&O, GN, MR, NYC, PRR, Rdg, SP, UP Boom Car with Crane Sounds 162 SD-35 Dmy 185 DC 349 Pullman, LV, Rdg, CNJ, NH Blk, BAR, 53’ Evans Box 2-R 52 3-R 48 B-Units $109 ABA $515 UP, Conrail, SF, PRR, MOW, NYC CSX, PC, SP, N&W Pwr/Dmy $525 KCS, SP, UP, St. L SW, C&O, GM&O Lou. Pac., Mtn Pine, Ogden, UP, BC Texas Spec F-3 AA, Cruise, Cmd 425 Train Sets Tex Special 18” (4) 339 (2)179 (6) 509 Diesel Locomotive 2R 259 Cmd 309 50 Ton War Hopper 3R 44 4/172 Atlas Engine Sale 31956 Thomas the Tank 124 SF ABA F-3 Black F-7 Red/Silver 499 RS-3 or RSD4/5 CN, L&N, NKP, Army GA, L&N Alton, Arbor, B&O, C&O SW DMIR, Rdg, Susquehanna 199 30012 Thomas Expansion Set 74 PRR Exclusive 8# 49 4/190 8/370 Passenger Sets Alco RS-11 Sou, MEC Orange, CVT SD35 TMCC JC, ACL, WM, VMV 315 31936 Pennsy Flyer Set 142 Custom War Bonds 2 New # Heavyweights Madison Style Rolling Stock Buy 4 get 1 Free SD35 DC 275 B&O, PRR, WC, Op. Freight or Passenger Exp. 74 60’ Auto Parts Box 3R 48 4/185 18” 5-Pk ACL, Pullman, NYC 265 N&W, Con, GA, L&N, MRL 31966 Holiday Set 152 Add-on 74 Reading G1 2-R 499 TMCC 499 CN, C&O, WM, RDG, UP 4480C PRR Broadway Lmt 6-Pk 309 2-Car 80’ Alum 125 SP, GN, CNW, UP RS-1 TMCC PRR,LIRR, SF, 315 31990 Copper Range Mine Train 162 E/V Caboose 2-R 59 3-R 56 4480D Penn-Reading Seashore 4-Pk 215 RS-1 DC JC, MR, RI 299 31977 NYC Flyer w/Trainsounds 189 Third Rail Brass Chessie Safety red or yel, RG, SF, Rdg 4880G PRR 15” Madison 6-Pk 229 Dash 8 CB, UP, Susquehanna 275 Op. Freight or Passenger add-on 74 15” Madison 4-Pk $159 In-Stock Free Shipping Middle Division PRR H21a 3R 59 Over 100 2-R TMCC Engines in-stock 31976 Yukon Special Freight Set 189 H21a Hopper 8# 2R 55 3R 52 RG, SF, MR, Rdg, UP, CNJ, B&A, PRSL PRR K-4 2 Versions cmd 729 GP35 TMCC Und, GMO, EMD, WP325 31960 Polar Express 205 Xcar 42 N&W, PC, Virginian 8# 399 3-R Aluminum NP, SP&S Z-8 only 50 made 1799 GP35 DC BN, SP, N&W, Rdg, NYC, 31946 Disney Train Set 219 USRA Dbl Sheath Box 3R 43 4/169 4610 B&O 21” (4) 365 (6) 549 (8) 729 B&M R-1, B&O T-4 4-8-2 999 Demo, GM&O, WP, Undec HN 335 31985 SF Fast Freight Set 240 4610F B&O 15” Columbian 4-Pk 309 UP M10,000 TMCC, EOB 1025 B&M, FEC, M&St.L, NYC, TB&H, Rut 30001 SF El Capitan 299 B-unit 72 4630-40009 SF 21” Business Car 99 GP35 Dummy N&W, SP, BN, GMO 185 UP Challenger 4-6-6-4, TMCC 1495 40’ 1937 AAR Box 2R 50 3R 47 30000 TMCC Keystone Super Frt 375 4630A/B SF 15” 4-Pk 309 6-Pk 449 40’ Airslide Hoppers 42 4/159 PRR Q-1 4-6-4-4, skirted 1399 C&O, GM&O, UP, WM GN +$3 31993 TMCC NS Black Diamond 415 4630J, K SF 21” Bi-Level 2-Pk 219 PRR, CSX, Brach’s K-3 4-8-2 w/QSI N&W, RG 875 70 Ton Cov’d Hopper 2R 55 3R 52 Chessie Steam Passenger Set 415 4630L SF 18” Midnight Chief 4-Pk 329 PS-1 50’ Box Car 50 4/189 PRR T-1 Duplex 4-4-4-4, QSI 1149 NPR, Boraxo, C of GA, CB, NH, UP Chessie GP-30 Diesel Freight Set 599 4630M, N SF 18” 2-Pk 179 All 8 for 669 2# per Road RG, B&M, WM Cruise Control & RS Reserve Now NE-6 Caboose 2R 63 3R 59 31737 Napa Valley Wine Train 769 4630S SF 21” Bi-Level 4-Car 429 Ext. Vision Caboose 50 2/95 Budd Cars Pwr 449 Dmy 299 P&LE, Shaw, M&E, NPR 31739 #13150 NYC Hudson Set 885 4630P,Q,R 21” Super Chief Streamliners Burl, DM&IR, Chessie, SF SP P-8 & P-10 4-6-2 899 40’ Wood Reefer 2# 3R 52 4/205 31742 #2544W SF F3 Super Chief 695 (2) 189 (4) 365 (6) 549 (8) 729 USRA Single-Sheathed Box Cars 46 DMIR Yellowstone 2-8-8-4 1699 Atlas, Phenix , Merch., Bourke, Fairmont Passenger 2-Pk 157 Sound Diner 215 4643K MR 21” 6 -PK 529 CRR of NJ, Rdg, WM C&O Greenbrier, 4-8-4 999 36’ Wood Refrig. Car 3R 52 4/205 Steel-Sided Reefer PFE, NP, NW 43.50 21” Alum 6-Pk 529 4-Pk 365 10/ 879 Sunset B&O S1a 2-10-2 1049 Burlington Hudson 3 Versions 999 Krey’s, Nuckoll’s, NKP, Pluto, Sou Star, Reefer 3-PK 3# PFE, NP, NW 96.00 4633B/C GN Empire Builder Sunset SP 4-10-2 1199 SP M6 or M9 Mogul 699 Crown, Meyer, Rath’s, Wilson 3-Bay ACF Hopper 47.50 4670L/M NYC Empire State Sunset Q-2 4-6-4-4 Skirted 1195 SF 2-10-2 3 Styles 1199 8K Tank Car 3R 49 4/189 D&H, NYC, DMIR, WP 4688E/F Southern Pacific Daylight Sunset Erie 0-8-8-0 Camelback 995 N&W K-2a 4-8-2 Streamlined 1199 Navy, Shipper’s, Staley, Wolf’s Head Double-Door Boxcar 46.50 Sunset Burl O-5 2-10-4 1049 PRR E44 Electric Dmy 699 TMCC 849 11K Tank Car 3R 52 4/205 Gulf, 4680 PRR 21” (4) 365 (6) 549 (8) 729 NYC, GTW, Rio Grande 44 Tonner SF, SP, PRR 275 Flying Scotsman A-3 (1/43) 1499 Pyrofax, Shipper’s, Sunray, CA Spencer, 18” Business Cars 99 SP, PRR, SF PS-1 Box MKT, Rutland, PRR 45.50 All Weaver Rolling Stock is Available NYC J3 Empire State Hudson 999 Col. Sou., Hooker, Solvay, Tank, Warren 18” Alum 4-Pk 339 6-Pk 509 (8) 669 PS-4 Flat P&LE, Rdg, WP 39.25 K-Line 21” 6-Pk $529 10-Pk $879 USRA 55 Ton Coal Hopper 3-R 43 4643F/G/H MR 4680R/S/T PRR Weaver G1/G2a Reading 4-6-2 499 2004 Volume II Pullman Bradley Cars 399 2-pk 205 C&O Late Allegheny, Ltd No. 1699 C&O, Lack, NH, NYC, P & Shaw 4/169 4681D/E/F Rdg 4690E/F/G UP 30002 Greendale Set 529 CNJ, LV, Pullman, Rdg, PRR MP54 Electric 499 BN City Trailers #3 2R 240 3R 235 15” Aluminum Passenger Car 6-Pk 31728 Elvis Steam Freight Set 335 89’ Intermodal Flat 2R 63 3R 59 4633A GN, 4670N NYC, 4688G SP 449 K-Line Blow-Outs 31736 CP Diesel Grain Train Set 569 Golden Gate Depot Erie-West, FEC, SF, WP, TT, P&W, 4681 Reading (4) 309 (6) 459 (8) 599 4603A Amtrak 21” Alum 2-Pk 125 Alco PA AA NH, RG 575 ABA 689 PRR P70 ABS Coach 4-Pk 359 RG, Southern, Tex Mex, MEC Bombardier Commuter Car 4-Pk 4603B Am 21” Alum Horizon 2-Pk 125 0-8-0 Steam NP, B&A, CB&Q 529 8# for $699 2 or 3-R 45’ Pines Trailers 23.95 4/92 4636A/B Cal Train 4636C/D Metrolink Both Sets $229 BN, CC&P, FEC, RG, Seabd System FA/FPA NYC, CN AA 499 ABA 615 Gargraves (USA) 4636E/F Sounder 4636G/H Tri -Rail Making F40PH w/TMCC for $279 2# CSX SD80, SF –9, BNSF SD70 215 3-Stall Roundhouse 30”L 152 37” Flex Tinplate $4.25 Cs 50 199 4636J/K VRE 18” 365 21” 429 4680E PRR FOM Alum. 15” 4-Car 175 Op. Zoo, Gas Station, Firehouse 109 24” Motorized Turntable 125 37” Flex Stainless Phantom Case 239 Voltmeter Car 44 Op. Milk Car 95 4602-20003 Alaska 16” Business Car 69 Alum FEC, SF, B&O, SP, PRR 2-Pk 207 Deck Bridge 2 or 3 Rail 79 42, 72, 100” Tin Switch Man 27 Rem40 New Porter Steam Engines 75 C&NW 21” Bi-Level 18” Alum StationSounds Diners 207 40” Bridge 95 Dble 125 Add-on 32 RC Uncplr #107 $20 Op. #108 24 UP, Lack, Raritan, U.S. War, Heinz 4-Pk 299 2-Pks 169 All 8 $549 Diesel Railsounds Railbox Boxcars 79 Circle 032/ $38 042/ $43 054/ $53 Type G Signal 3-R 45 4-Pk 169 Plymouth Switcher 75 PRR, UP, Making CNW E-8 AA to Match Speeder Shed 24 Op. Lumberjacks 45 063/ $56 072/ $62 080/ $75 089/ $79 Remote Switch, Steel or Nickel 44.95 MR, Peabody, NYC, ATSF, Coke, SP, 4688A SP Daylt 15” Alum 2-Car 99 Op. Zoo, Gas Station, Firehouse 109 O36 O45 O54 O72 Wye DZ-1010 Crossing Gate Set 69 Sou., Hooker, Timken, Strasburg, NHV Spirit Of 76 Blow-Out Rolling Stock Convert to 2 -Rail #5 Double-Slip Switch 119Freight 4-Pk for Porter or Plymouth DZ-1020 Crossing Signal Set 49 RS-3 w/TMCC, RS, Smoke, e’cplr PS-2 Covered Hoppers 41 2-Pk 82 O72/O54 Curved Switch or #5 55 UP, Lack, Raritan, War, Timken, Hooker DZ-1200 Station Announcements 82 13 Colony State Cars: DE, PA, NJ, GA, Clinchfield, B&M, N&W 7.5 (O81) High Speed Switch 58 Plymouth Set WC, Ford, Rdg 109 DZ-1220 Trolley Stop & Control 69 CT, MA, MD, SC, NH, VA, NC, RI, NY Offset 2-Bay DC Hoppers 44 2-Pk 88 40” Rigid 11.00 Case (12) $125 Miller Plymouth Keg Set 99 GN, GB&W, B&O DZ-1260 Water Tower Animator 34 13 Premium Cars & Caboose $215 40”Flex/Concrete 12.00 CS $135 15” Interurban Pwr/Dmy 185 DZ-1265 Fueling Station Animator 36 Complete Set ($850) for $425 31714 Amtrak Acela Set 1649 10” or O54 2.95 Case (48) $135 PRR, Rdg, CSS&A (Dmy 2-Pk 120) 31720 FEC Champion Pass Set 929 Downtown Deco O27 Curve 3.30 3 Circles (24) 75 Woodside Reefers 44 4 for 172 Del Op. Swing Bridge, Auto Showroom 119 51008 Burlington Pioneer Zephyr 929 DD31 Importer 99 Delivered O36 Curve 2.95 2 Circles (24) 68 AP, Carnation, Doggie, IGA, Kingans, Speeder Shed 105 Grist Mill 62 DD25 Wrong Side of Tracks 4 kits 119 O45 Curve 3.30 2 Circles (24) 75 Libby’s, Hennery, Banana, Columbia, Korber Models MRC Transformers DD202 Rainbow Beverage 5” x 36” 65 O63 Curve 3.70 2 Circles (32) 114 MC, Monarch, Rath, Wilson, Blatz, NW, 304 3-Stall Roundhouse, 30”D 189 AH501 Pure Power 130W 145 DD3 Palace Hotel, DD8 Fireworks 59 O 72 Curve 4.35 2 Circles (32) 132 PFE, McLlaney, Peacock, Oppenheimer, AH601 Dual Pure Power 270W 225 DD32 Apartment Building 59 O81 Curve 5.10 1 Circle (16) 77 Roberts, Chateau, Nash, Century, Robin 304A Xtra Stall or 304B Extender 45 305 Sandhouse, 16 x 6 39 AG990 Power G 10 Amp DC 169 Background Flats 50” L x 2” D 129 O90 Curve 6.00 1 Circle (16) 102 Hood, Merch., Armour Kohr Bros 47 MRC312 Sound Station , 18 sounds 59 307 3-Stall Trolley Barn 85 Pillow Fact., Urban Housing, Fish Mkt O99 Curve 6.90 1 Circle (16) 104 Licensed Reefers 47 4 for 195 Del MRC6200 Trainpower 6200, 3.6 Amp 79 315 Grain Silo, 7 x 19 x 22 H 69 DD36 2-Stall Engine House 139 Blow-out White Hse, Goehring, Baby Ruth, Planks, MRC444 Control Master 20, 5 Amp 159 DD38 Rocky Flats Station 59 902 Jaybar Corporation 23 Mix & Match 3R 39 any 4/149 O Henry, Butterfinger, 10 Heinz, 5 Miller Merchant’s Dispatch WS Rfr 5-Pk 219 903 Skyline Steel 23 Airslide Hopper 4# PRR, Brach’s 2# We are the largest dealer Walthers Cornerstone 905 Blackshear Refrig. Transport 49 PS-4427 Cov’d Hopper Our Custom Runs Theatre w/Op. Marque 99 Del. 908 Shanahan Freight Company 67 in the country for Atlas, 4# BNSF, MR, LV, Prod 2# WM+$5 Amtrak F40PH 2#, Cmd, Cruise 279 rd Silver Dollar Café, Melissa’s Deli 30 912 Roller Bearing Company 79 Interlocking Twr 34 Sur-Sweet 42 PS-1 50’ Box 2# B&M, WM Add 21” Amtrak Heritage 4-Pk $229 K-Line, Korber, 3 Rail, 916 Gen. Lt & Power, 12 x 48 93 Phoenix Fuel Oil 37 Water Tank 37 Pulpwood Flat 2# Frisco, IC, LN B&O E-8 AA Cmd, RS, Smoke 449 917 Gen Lt & Power Sub Station 32 Gargraves, & Williams. Crazy Ken Auto 42 Lumber Yard 48 40’ AAR Box Car Sale 4#/159 B-Unit w/smoke 125 ABA 559 Pumping Station 49 Speeder Set 28 Erie, NH, Pere Marq., SP CNW E-8 AA Cmd, RS, Smoke 449 921 JLC Manufacturing 49 Our customer service, Trackside Struct. Set 40 3-Bay Cyl Hoppers $25 4/95 Add 21” Bi-level 6-Pk 449 8-Pk 599 950 American Flag Co. 14 x 9 65 reliability &quick shipping Gold. Valley Depot 49 Xing Gate 24 K-M, Sterling, TP&W W.MD Fireball Plymouth Set 129 953 Joe’s Pickle Factory 14 x 9 59 Rte 66 Motel 69 Motel Cabin 20 CNJ Ribbed Hopper 4-Pk 145 Del. 969 Gen Lt & Pwr Office 6x13x12 59 have earned us thousands of Dave’s Super Service Station $40 www.justrains.com B&O 4-Bay Exclusive 38 4/140 Del USA Made Family Operated customers. We know trains. Magazine News that we take for granted. Even inside China, there’s com- As you may have noticed, we’ve added eight more petition for those materials that drives up the prices; do pages to the magazine. It was getting to the point where it you use the oil and commodity metals like copper, tin and was very difficult to do the layout, stuffing all the content zinc for constructing new infrastructure or to make toys? we had into 64 pages. Plus, we felt we had been leaving Chinese workers want a better standard of living, too. They out many great “Modeler’s Shelf” photos to make room for expect their wages to increase, which will make our toys articles. So, here we grow again! We’ve also made other even more expensive. I read where the Chinese market for changes you can’t see. Our new printer is Village Press, television sets is larger than the entire US market for the the same people who print and publish Live Steam Maga- last 20 years. That’s a lot of TVs to sell. One thing is for zine. Not only do these folks know printing, they know sure; we live in interesting times. about magazine publishing and distribution and trains, A Shift in Emphasis too! We expect our distribution and mailing processes to Okay, you say, let’s not assemble those US made parts. improve markedly. We are looking into obtaining a Peri- Let’s put them out as a kit. Here’s my take on that idea. odical Class mailing permit to speed up your subscription There’s been a distinct shift in the model railroading hobby delivery. away from model building to model railroad building. This It’s A Global Economy shift has been driven by the “majority scales” (HO and N) I’ve had some interesting conversations with manufac- where the model railroader wants instant satisfaction, i.e., turers and importers over the last few months and I’m still ready-to-run models. What this means in a practical sense is trying to make sense of what they’ve said. For example, that “modern” (say, post 1970) hobbyists no longer develop one source told me diecast locomotives are “out”, at least the mechanical skills necessary to assemble complex and for them. They can’t sell enough units to make diecasting complicated models. They don’t learn to drill, tap, and sol- pay off, so it’s brass short runs for them. der. They develop a completely different skill set oriented Next, a different source tells me Korean brass has gotten around operations and electronics. So, the market for kits too expensive, so this person is looking at different manu- shrinks until it’s not justifiable to produce a kit. facturing methods to produce models here in the States. Meanwhile, “classic” O Scalers mourn the demise of The labor cost to produce Korean brass goes up 10% a the kit and kitbuilding. The O Scale market is so small, year regardless of any other factors, plus the rising price of compared to HO and N (and some say G), that it does oil makes it more expensive to ship goods from overseas not make economic sense to produce kits in such small to the US. Here’s an example. At the Chicago show, Over- quantities just for O Scale. Compare the cost of an exqui- land was showing a sample of their GE 132-ton centercab site Chooch PRR round roof boxcar kit for $150, which Diesel. Brian Marsh told me this model will sell for close needs to be assembled and painted, to an AtlasO ready- to $3000. to-run PS-1 boxcar for $63.‑For many modelers, that’s a So, I talked to a good friend of mine who has a passing no-brainer choice. interest in trains and owns a very modern machine shop. We, here at O Scale Trains Magazine, are trying to keep I asked him what he thought it would take to produce the classic model building skills alive by bringing you our own train models in the US. His answer was that we articles that require you to use and develop those skills to could competitively (even against China) produce all the build the models we feature. Tom Houle’s Pennsy gon, in parts necessary, but that we don’t have the cheap labor this issue, and my N&W caboose, in the last issue, are two to assemble those parts into finished models. For the time examples. These models are not difficult to build. They being, it looks like we’re going to continue to have our do take time, effort and some tools, but your investment models manufactured overseas and we will likely see the is rewarded with a model you can truly say is yours. Once costs of those models rise, maybe significantly. you build a model from scratch, kits are a piece of cake Getting back to the price of oil, one reason for its and it’s likely you’ll scratchbuild something else. increase is the increased global demand, particularly When no manufacturer/importer makes the model you from other countries with rapidly growing economies (like want, or the cost of that model is too high for your per- China, where many of our toys are made). My daughter sonal finances, then your other option is to make that has been to China several times on business, and she model yourself. Try it. You may discover a new aspect of says it’s like the early 1900s over there. The Chinese are this hobby. expanding their economy so quickly that they’re sucking Keep Highballin’ ◆ up many of the commodities, like oil, steel and concrete,

70 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’05 O 17360-1937 AAR-IBC-OST-0505 5/12/05 2:02 PM Page 1

TWO GREAT FREIGHT CAR RELEASES FROM ATLAS

O ACF® 17,360 Gallon Tank Car – New Paint Schemes! O 1937 AAR Single-Door Box Car – New Road Names!

Keep the good times rolling on your layout with the prototypically detailed and designed ACF® 17,360 Gallon Tank Car and 1937 AAR Single-Door Box Car from Atlas O. Head down to your local hobby store and pick up yours today!

3-RAIL 2-RAIL ITEM # DESCRIPTION ITEM # Item #9560 O ACF® 17,360 GALLON TANK CAR 8250 Undecorated 9250 8257 Occidental 9257 8258 Olin-Mathieson 9258 NEW O 1937 AAR Single Door Box Car 8259 PPG 9259 PAINT Features Include: 8260 SHPX 9260 • FREE! Optional 3-Rail Scale Adjust-A- O 1937 AAR SINGLE-DOOR BOX CAR SCHEMES! Coupler™ System included 8550 Undecorated 9550 • Wire grab irons • Die-cast ladders 8556 Lackawanna 9556 O ACF® 17,360 Gallon Tank Car Features Include: • Weighted chassis • Etched metal roofwalk 8557 New Haven (Script) 9557 • Scale handrails • Metal safety bars, tank fittings and safety placards • Improved roof attachment 8558 Nickel Plate 9558 • Accurate painting and printing • Separately-applied details • Bettendorf trucks 8559 Union Pacific† 9559 • Die-cast stirrups • 100 ton roller-bearing trucks with rotating bearing caps • Prototypical painting and lettering • Minimum diameter curve (3-Rail): O-45 • Minimum radius curve (2-Rail): 24" LIMITED EDITION • Scale 33" wheels (2-rail) 8560 C&EI* #1, #2, #4, #5** 9560 • Minimum diameter curve: O-36 (3-rail)

- Four road numbers are available per road name. - Please note: Atlas "O" scale couplers can also be used on both 2-rail and 3-rail versions. - *Case includes one of each paint scheme - Item #9257 Matching RS-1 loco is available separately Item #9556 - **CSX Licensed Product - †Union Pacific licensed product

NEW Item #9258 Item #9557 ROAD NAMES!

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