Modeling ScaleScaleScale for the O Scale TTTrainsrainsrains Craftsman OOOIssue #3 • US $8.00 NickNick Biangel’sBiangel’s On30On30 NorthernDivisionNorthernDivision CC ofof GaGa DoorDoor && aa HalfHalf BoxBox CarCar inin Proto48Proto48 WWorkingorking WindowsWindows && Hatches...Hatches... PartPart 33 BuildingBuilding aa PRRPRR B8a...B8a... PartPart 33 PfaudlerPfaudler MilkMilk CarsCars NarrowNarrow MindedMinded AndAnd lotslots more...more...

USUS $8$8 •• CanCan $10$12 Fine Quality O Scale Brass Models RichRich YYoderoder ModelsModels

GE 70 Ton Switcher

Our model will feature all brass construction, all wheel drive, fly wheel, directional lighting and Kadee couplers. Models offered painted black, painted primer or unpainted brass for $299.

Models are due September 2002.

pilot model shown

C&O 37000-37299 C&O 44000-44999 Gondolas

Our model will feature all brass construction, Kadee couplers.

Models are due Fall 2002.

prototype photo shown

C&O 90700 Series Wood Side Caboose

Our model will feature all brass construction and Kadee couplers. The caboose is available factory painted, lettered (four numbers available), with trucks and couplers for $275. Its also available undecorated for $260 or unpainted for $245.

Models are due November 2002.

prototype photo

7 Edgedale Court, Wyomissing, PA 19610 - Phone: 1-610-678-2834 www.richyodermodels.com Modeling for the Scale O Scale Craftsman Issue #3 OTrains July 2002

Editor/Publisher Joe Giannovario Features

Design/Assistant Editor 4 Colorado Southern in On30 Jaini Simon Nick Biangel’s narrow gauge layout is part of a larger system.

Contributing Editors 10 Working Windows, Hatches & Doors - Part 3 Bobber Gibbs Harry Hieke shows us how to make sliding hatches. John C. Smith Gene Deimling 31 Door and a Half Boxcar Conversion Gene Deimling alters an InterMountain kit to P48 standards. Subscription Rates: 6 issues United States US$36 35 Beginners Kitbashing Canada/Mexico US$50 David Dent’s easy conversion that’s great for beginners. Overseas US$75 Mastercard & Visa accepted 36 O Scale West Call 610-321-0858 during Jim Ferreira shares the history of the event and some photos. Eastern time business hours 40 Building a PRR B8a 0-6-0 - Conclusion Dealers write for terms. Advertisers write for information John Sauers concludes his construction of the Pennsy switcher. or visit our website. 43 Dealer Importer Roundtable O Scale Trains ISSN 1536-9528 Five brass importers hash it out at the Chicago March Meet. www.oscalemag.com Published bimonthly (6 times a year) by 50 Fifty Foot Pfaudler Milk Cars O Scale Trains Magazine, Ben Brown takes us through the “ins” and “outs” of Milk cars. PO Box 238, Lionville PA 19353-0238 © 2002 OST All Rights Reserved Printed in the U.S.A. by R J Miller Printing & Sign Departments Contributors: O Scale Trains 13 The Modeler’s Shelf - Readers’ Photos welcomes your feature articles, photos, and drawings. Such material should be sent to the 14 Narrow Minded – Bobber Gibbs above address for possible publication. If we accept, you will be notified immediately. For 16 Product News & Reviews more information concerning article preparation guidelines, please send an SASE to the above 17 O Scale Hall of Fame – Bob Smith address and request our “Guide For Authors” or visit our website. 23 Advertiser Index

COVER: A modified Bachmann On30 2-6-0 23 Events Listing steams through a cut on Nick Biangel’s Northern Division. More photos and the whole story starts 34 Crapola From The Cupola - John C. Smith on page 4. CENTERSPREAD - Pg 28: “Roaring Through 38 Reader Feedback – Letters to the Editor Town” by Jeb Kriigel. When this UP Big Boy came through town everything rumbled... even 42 Buy, Sell, Trade Ads the seats in the theater across the tracks. Gloor 54 Observations – Joe Giannovario Craft and Korber facilites were built and weath- ered by Jeb. He also slightly detailed and weathered the locomotive. O Scale Trains • 3 ColoradoColorado SouthernSouthern inin On30On30

Number 7 with its recently painted “Beartrap” from Precision Scale Co., doing some switching into the station. Nicolas Biangel very dependable. People in these parts builder). They sent him to the Southern It is 1924 and New York is booming were more concerned about making a Division, to design and work on engines with Broadway Shows and,most impor- living than worrying what was the latest and locomotives. The next was good tant, a new hit from a young guy named hit on Broadway. As a matter of fact, with people and keeping a team spirit George Gershwin. Everyone is raving most people here were still whistling (great public relations), and he was sent about his new piece of music, “Rhap- “Yankee Doodle Dandy” from George to the Central Division, to make sure sody in Blue.” Back in 1920, he wrote M. Cohan written for the Great War that all divisions kept the same goal of the song “Lady, Be Good” which placed back in 1917 or so. proper communications. And, the last him in the spotlight! These were good This is a story of three friends of one, the one who could get information times, especially for the “Socialites” of almost twenty years. All three grew up and parts for the railroad, especially the times. in the South and decided to go out West from Denver & Rio Grande, was sent to As this was going on, in another part to get a job on the railroad. One was a the Northern Division. of the country, in the heart of the Rock- great machinist (excellent scratch- These three friends model the Col- ies, it was a totally different world. An isolated world, a world of harsh weath- er, machinery to maintain, and a sched- ule to keep. This was a world of railroading, making sure to have every- thing in order and to keep the customer happy. That or go out of business. Times were not easy here at all! Communica- tion with the outside world was only through the railroad and this was not By the engine house, we can see a combine in the process of being converted into a Doodlebug. 4 • O Scale Trains Number 72 heading east an hour late toward Shelf Canyon, gave Mr. Richard as he was leaving his office the opportunity to view the new “Reefers” (Rio Grande Hobby) that the RR had acquired. orado & Southern Railroad in the mid 15’ room, there he also paints and club. He finished it up in his 12’ x 20’ 20’s. Their version of this railroad is scratchbuilds rolling stock and engines family room. Out of all three divisions, divided into three parts; the Northern, for all three divisions. His layout is L- the Central is the smallest in size but has Central, and Southern Divisions, three Girder type and his main line is based the most beautiful scenery. different model layouts with one theme. on a folded dogbone. The largest division is the Northern The proprietor of the Southern Divi- The second gentleman lives between run by Nick Biangel. He has creativity sion layout is Geraldo Diaz. He lives the Southern and Northern divisions. in designing layouts and shopping for geographically most southerly of all Mike Font is the proprietor of the Cen- parts. The Northern Division is estab- three layouts, hence the Southern Divi- tral Division. He is an outstanding lished in a 22’ x 26’ two car garage. It is sion. Geraldo (Jerry) is an exceptional model builder and has the talent to keep a shelf-type layout with a peninsula in scratchbuilder and model builder. Jerry the group together. Communications the middle with two main lines. It has has been a model railroader all of his between the divisions are great because an 11 foot yard with an adjacent engine life and has worked in all scales. The of him. Eighty percent of his layout facility six feet long. Southern Division is installed in a 15’ x came from our previous HOn3 modular In the summer of 1999, Nick got the

“Hobo Harry” just passed by the new storage facilities of the railroad. The boxcar needed new trucks and at the time the “RR” did not have the means, so they decided to convert it into a parts storage and situated near the engine facilities.

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Name: Colorado & Southern Turnouts: Peco #6 (#4 in the yard) HO with Peco Solenoids installed. Scale: On30 Mainline : 212 ft of track Size: 22 x 25ft Grade: 3% (in the peninsula) Location: Colorado Scenery: Styrofoam, Hydrocal for the rock molds and over the styro- Time: 1920's-30's foam Layout: Shelf-type around the walls, table-top peninsula Backdrop: Painted drywall Benchwork: Table top with 1/2" and 3/4" plywood. Control: Digitrax Chief II with Soundtrax decoders on each engine. Track: Atlas HO code 100 Radius: Min: 22"

6 • O Scale Trains Last train for the day heading out of Gunnison to pick up the miners “Big Bob”, the engineer likes to take his time through crossings, so and bring them home for the weekend. I hope there is nobody really hurt in that ambulance. bug for an On3O Bachmann set. There was much debate the rolling stock and motive power are from Bachmann. because he had a lot of HO scale rolling stock and didn’t There are a lot of plastic buildings which are being replaced know whether to change everything or not, so it was post- with wooden scratchbuilt buildings. poned. In January 2000, the bug hit again. After some discus- Scenery is made out of styrofoam, stacked and carved into sion with the Southern and Central divisions, since they were shape. The texture of the scenery is an assortment of real and modeling HO and HOn3, all three divisions were making commercial materials, including plaster rock moldings, real plans to order Bachmann On30 sets. By the end of the month, rocks, and various grades of ground foam. Most of the trees we had a fleet of freight and passenger rolling stock in On3O. are from commercial sources such as Architrees. In the All three had to do some minor adjustments in their layouts. future, the friends will make their own pine trees since it will Two years later, they are all very pleased with their decision. take more than 2,000 trees to complete the layouts. All the layouts have Atlas code 100 HO flex track and Peco These guys are still in the growing stages of building their #4 and #6 turnouts. As time goes by the track will be replaced layouts. Typically, there is no end in sight. There is plenty to with true On3O track. All three layouts have Digitrax Com- be built. ◆ mand Control System with Soundtraxx sound decoders. All

After a day of derailments and a cranky engine, Gene is ready to Pat, Nathan, and Neil are unloading the moving van onto the clock out and go home for the day. exchange platform across the street from the passenger station. This packages will be loaded up onto the train later, eventually ending up in Salt Lake City, Utah. All the crates and barrels are HO Scale.

Tuesday morning in Gunnison and people are already hustling and bustling as we see people heading toward work and a mailman being chased by a dog.

O Scale Trains • 7 North view of the engine facility from a nearby hill. The boys at the shop are taking it easy this afternoon as they are seating by the sandhouse chatting away.

Here is the east side of Shelf Canyon. The background is made out of beaded foam with rock molding over the foam. This whole wall (6 ft long) is made out of two rock molds. That’s all I had at the time.

The heart of Gunnison is made out of 3 ceramic houses (2 are shown here). I bought these at Wal-mart 2 Christmases ago for $9 a piece. They are very close to scale. I weath- ered them and did a lot of scenery around them. In the background are your typical flats with photos from magazines on the windows to make the interiors. I apologize for the dog doing his thing while I took the photograph.

“Termite Tim” lost his leg in a railroad acci- dent. He was not being “safe,” so he was demoted. Now he is in charge of Safety Meetings for the railroad and a Safety Crossing Guard for the road.

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O Scale Trains • 9 Working Windows, Hatches & Doors Part 3 Harry Hieke, Eagle’s Nest Miniatures

Working Roof Hatches can be a tedious task at first. The best the next in rotation until all four sides way to do this is to hold the Dremel tool are cut to an equal depth. Once through, Hatch Opening like a pencil and position the outside of tap the old center portion out and file the Usually early brass engines had a the hand and the small finger against the edges clean. Examine the hole for roof hatch soldered directly to the roof cab roof as a brace. This way if a slip squareness and neatness and proceed to with two flat square bars as tracks. To occurs it will only be a small short slip. the next step. remove these, hold the part in question Using the foot switch get the Dremel Constructing the Hatch Tracks: with the forceps and apply heat in a tool into the low RPM range, about Most roads used C channel for the slow circular fashion about half flame to 1000-1200 rpm, and touch the cut off hatch rails. The smallest C channel the part in question only, gently lifting wheel to the inside of one of the scribed available from Special Shapes is 3/64 as the heat is applied. As soon as one lines. Practice this on a piece of scrap inch. This is about right. Cut the channel part lifts free set it down and go to the brass before going to the actual cab roof. to the proper length and square the next part using the residual heat build up The correct motion of the Dremel tool edges. Tin the sides and jig or hold in from the last part to shorten the heating should be a general rocking motion par- place while soldering as noted in the time for the next part. Once the old allel to the scribed line from one end to technique described in Part 2. The flat hatch and the tracks are removed, use the other until the pilot holes are side of the channel should be the side the brush and heat technique to remove breached. It is not necessary to go all the facing the hole and should be flush with all the old solder then quench the roof way through the roof at this point. the side of the hole (see Fig 12). with the squeegee. Repeat this process on all four edges. When you are satisfied that the chan- The next step is cutting the hole for One trick that I use here is to save my nels are parallel and firmly soldered in the working hatch. If you have the cor- old cut off wheels after they’ve been place, it is time to construct the actual rect prototype drawing, determine the worn down a bit, so they’re quite small cab hatch. There are several ways to hole size and position and carefully in diameter, maybe 3/8 of an inch in construct the hatch. Every railroad had a scribe them using a scribe or X-acto diameter. This way small slots can be cut different style. Some of them had rivets knife and straight edge on the roof top. with more accuracy. on the ends, some of them bolts which If you do not have the prototype draw- Cut first one side, then the next, then held guides in place, some had angle ing and are satisfied that the old hatch iron stiffeners, others had wind deflec- and tracks were correct, then simply fol- Drilling Diagram tors in the rear, while almost all had a low the inside solder edge of the old drip ledge along the front, and some had track and go to the end of the old solder stops constructed of angle iron in the Hole track for the front hole and use the hatch Positioning rear or the front. Examine photos of the Hatch itself to determine the length of the hole. Opening actual hatches which you desire to Again using a scribe and straightedge model to determine which style to scribe all four sides of the edge opening. make. I like to use .020 brass to con- Depending on your proficiency with the Cut struct hatches as it has good structural cut off wheel you can immediately pro- Path integrity yet can still be formed and riv- ceed to cut the opening, or if you are not eted with hand tools. The way I like to that confident, drill four safety holes at bend sheet brass is to score it using a each corner (See Fig 11). small thin cut off wheel and a straight Using the drawing, drill the holes Incorrect edge. The best straight edge that I have inside the scribed lines so that there is found is available from MicroMark. no hole outside any of the scribed (A note when scoring brass. Use the edges. Use the cut off wheel and this Fig. 11 straight edge as a guide only. Don’t let

10 • O Scale Trains Tin making a C shaped piece with holes drilled in it through Surface which a round brass bar can be slid after the cab hatch has been put in place (See Fig-15). This can be accomplished remote from the cab so that no heat has to be applied to the existing cab roof. A third method is to simply use a pair of scissors to cut the .020 brass. The cab hatch will be flat and there will be no bends on this one. Next, two “C” channels are cut the length of the cab roof hatch. These will be soldered to the hatch and are placed so as to interlock with the tracks on the Hatch cab roof. Opening Method 1 Keeper Assemble the entire cab Fig. 12 roof hatch, that is the two side the cut off wheel touch the edge. If you press the cut off wheel rails and the top cover as against the straightedge, it won’t be straight any more and use- shown in Fig 15. To jig the less as a guide.) parts in place it is only neces- You have to experiment to find how many times to score the Fig. 14 Method 2 brass so as to produce a nice straight bend yet still have enough Keeper integrity so that when the bend is accomplished the brass does- n’t snap off. Generally, three to six strokes is all that is neces- sary. The bend can be accomplished using needle nose pliers to make a perfect right angle. If the hatch has been properly meas- ured it should fit over top of the rails but not be so tight that it is difficult to move it. If the rails are not exactly parallel, the hatch will bind. Once it is determined that the hatch is fitted properly and slides without binding. the next step is to determine the method of holding it in place. Regardless which method is used, it is Tin Surface 1/16” required to solder a C shaped tab to the inside of the hatch roof. Care must be taken to apply only the correct amount of heat in this process and a proper fit must be guaranteed before the guide is soldered to the hatch. Here’s one method. The cab should be laid on its roof with the hatch properly secured into the channels. To do this, lay a Hatch piece of brass on top of the hatch and use masking tape hold Opening Tin that piece to the cab roof. This will prevent the masking tape Fig. 15 Surface from melting when heat is applied to the inside of the roof. Next lay the keeper on the inside of the hatch, (see Fig-14). The sary to place some weight on the actual hatch itself to hold keeper should be tinned and the inside of cab should be painted all the parts steady. I usually just lay a small file or some tool with liquid solder flux. The keeper should be as far forward on which will not solder to the roof on top of the hatch to gently the hatch as possible and flush with the front edge of the hatch. hold it in place after everything is aligned. Now carefully When heat is being applied the flame should be down very low paint the edge where the “C” channel attaches to the hatch and applied only long enough to get the solder to flow onto the plate and apply heat one side at a time. Once the first side is hatch from the keeper. This may only take a few seconds and soldered immediately quench, go to the second side apply must be immediately quenched. some more solder flux and heat this side until a bond is Now turn the cab upright, remove the masking tape and secure. assess how easily the hatch moves. If its satisfactory, the It is very easy to get a cold solder joint if the joint itself is process is complete. If it’s unsatisfactory, reposition the keeper not carefully observed during the soldering process. A com- and repeat the process. plete joint must be made the whole length of the C channel A second method is to make a removable hatch. This entails along the length of the cab hatch. (A cold solder joint is sim- (continued on page 12) O Scale Trains • 11 Working Windows, Hatches & Doors to bend it is to grasp the edge with the curvature with a pair of long nose pliers with a straight edge against the bend. Lay the ply a weak or ineffective joint for the purposes of this article.) other side against a wood surface and gently bend this to a 90 At this point we should have a pair of working windows and degree angle. The next thing to do is to tin the inside edge of a working cab hatch. Some cab hatches have a water seal or drip rail along the Move hatch to full open W when soldering front edge. The following technique will outline a method for constructing the forward water seal. Take the cab itself and lay the rear “visor” end on a piece of cardboard (See Fig 16a). Using a pencil outline the curvature of the cab roof on the card- board. Carefully cut a 1 or 2 inch section along this curvature and retain this as a template. Measure from the top of the roof

Paint flux here 1/32” .020 C Channel

Cut from curvature template Fig. 16-b

this where it will butt against the “C” channels with a small drop of solder (see Fig-16b). Slide the roof hatch back to its farthest open position and Trace curvature for place the drip rail in position. Close the cab roof hatch and the Fig. 16-a template drip rail should gently seat above the top of the hatch. Assum- ing this all fits, reopen the hatch and paint the drip rail and to the very top of the cab hatch. This measurement should be front of the C channel tracks with liquid flux. Heat this area taken at the point of the attachment of the “C” channel of its and when the flux starts to boil slowly flash the heat from the most forward point (see Fig-16b). This should come out to be roof to the drip rail. After doing this two or three times touch about 3/32. the solder to the joint between the roof tip and the lower edge Measure the width from one “C” channel face to the other. of the drip rail. The solder should immediately wick across This will vary from cab to cab. Call this dimension “W” on Fig the joint. At this point remove both the heat and the solder to 16b. On a piece of .020 brass lay out the width distance W and avoid excess solder on the roof and quench the heat. the height, which in our example is 3/32 inch. Also mark a fold A brief note here, if more than one cab hatch is desirable line about 1/32 inch above the height of the C channel used to then the proper construction sequence would be to first install make the tracks. Scribe a second line about 1/16 inch above the all of the roof rails after the holes are cut, then install the fold line. Using this top line and the dimension W take the hatches as described. The reason for this step would be that straightedge and construct a box which will be cut out and used more heat is required to install a roof rail than is required to for the drip rail. construct and fabricate a roof hatch. So that the possibility Using your roof template give the bottom edge of the box exists in installing subsequent roof rails of de-soldering the curvature of the roof. Mark this and use a Dremel sanding already finished roof hatches. drum, or other bit, to reproduce this radius. Check it against the (Next month: Finishing up cab details.) ◆ roof periodically until you are sure that you have matched the roof radius exactly. Cut this piece out and bend it at the fold line. The best way

12 • O Scale Trains Modeler’s Shelf Photos of our reader’s models

Reed Artim (O Scale Realty) built this replica of the C&O Hinton coal dock for Jeb Kriigel (Get Real Productions).

The structure is about 24" high and is made mostly from wood. Narrow Minded O-Scale Decal Sets B&M P Q         RF&P     Union Pacific       Florida East A Narrow Gauge Train For Under $100. The Hustler Coast P Q  P   Q      Virginian   !   "   !    # !  I noticed recently that the current There may have been a tiny “Hus-   # Atlantic Coast Line P$ %Q    asking price for an On3 brass D&RGW tler” somewhere in your past and of Great Decals! TM William Mosteller, P.O. Box 994, Herndon, VA 20172 K28 is now somewhere around the course I’m referring to the old Athearn SASE for list, or see www.greatdecals.com $2,000 mark for an unpainted, slightly HO Plymouth Hustler with the elastic Central’s Latest Releases tarnished model without sound. My band drive that ran at about 140 mph if it GP38-2, GP40-2, SD40-2, SD40T-2 & SD45T-2 own K28 runs like a thoroughbred and started at all. Well, there’s a much better with its professional paint, light weath- choice now that Model Power produces ering and sound system, it’s a joy to a Porter Hustler that runs slowly right own and operate, even though it out of the box, has directional lighting requires a reasonably large layout to do and can often be found for less than $15. GP40-2 it justice. It certainly is satisfying to Choose the #6708 in gray (SP) or #6709 The finest in modern O Scale Brass. 2 or 3 rail operation. Machined brass frames and fuel tanks, Pittman motor with dual flywheels. Your watch a Mikado hauling a long string of in primer red (PRR) because they have choice of gear ratios, wheelsets, detail parts, etc. Custom built to your specs. Kits $650 - $800. Custom built, painted and lettered freight cars or a short passenger train very little lettering to remove. This tiny $1100 to $1400. through typical Colorado scenery but jewel has a geared drive, four-wheel Central Locomotive Works 17525 Alder St Ste 46 ¥ Hesperia CA 92345 I’m going to show you how you can pickup and, although only the rear axle ph 760-244-9222 ¥ fax 760-244-9322 create a narrow gauge industrial feeder is driven, it pulls far more than it should e-mail [email protected] line on your standard gauge layout for and never stalls out on Peco switches. www.centrallocomotiveworks.com less than $100. The 30 ton, standard gauge HO TRACKSIDE "O" NEWSLETTER In North America, there were some diesel is going to look much like a tiny Hard To Find 2rail SS PRR S1 w/Skirt ORIG $1900.00 prominent 24" gauge railways and con- 8-10 ton O scale narrow gauge Ply- SS ClinchField 4-6-6-4 Ptd $1700.00 SS ERIE 0-8-8-0 Camelbck $1380.00 siderably more 36" gauge operations, mouth critter after you make just a few GEM Reading 0-6-0 Mint NIB $575.00 New Intermountain Assembled Cars but there were also a few 30" gauge that simple modifications which will be well N.C.& St.L.Box Car (Red) $34.90 blossomed briefly before they faded within the abilities of the average O HARBOR Tanker (Blk) $34.90 PFE Reefer UP/SP Logo $34.90 away. It is therefore conceivable when scaler. UTLX 8000G Tank $34.90 Also In Stock – Running Low modeling a fictional industrial line to Before you remove the body shell, I Navy-Shell Tank (Silver) $34.90 NP Reefer (Yellow) $34.90 choose from any of these three gauges recommend that you install the HO B&O Sentinel Box Car $34.90 and still be “correct.” knuckle couplers of your choice using a NYC Pacemaker(Red/Gry) $34.90 L&N Hopper (Tuscan) $34.90 Every O scaler probably knows by suitable HO coupler gauge. Place the E-Mail: [email protected] Send $1.00 (refundable) for Catalog now that HO gauge track scales out Hustler upside down on your work- Trackside "O" Specialties almost exactly to 30" gauge in 1:48 and bench, remove the two screws on the PO Box 635, Cornwall, PA 17016 On30 is currently the fastest growing bottom of the chassis and remove the segment of model railroading. Bach- bottom plate by lifting up the front first. UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP mann Industries has developed a superb Do not disturb the wheel/axle assem- line of On30 products at unbelievably blies. Install the couplers, then reassem- low prices, including a 2-6-0 mogul and ble and test the couplers. an exquisite little Porter 0-4-0 steamer. Removing the Shell Z N TT HOn3 HO But we’re going to kitbash an inexpen- Notice the holes in the front and rear On30 S O 1/20.3 G/No.1 sive little HO diesel locomotive into a of the body shell and remove the one- Send $2.00 for 16" sample great little On30 industrial switcher just piece shell by gently prying the four cor- HomaBed over 14' long and 66" wide, with 24" ners away from the chassis. Carefully PO Box 970 • French Camp, CA 95231 diameter wheels. disengage the wiring that may be glued 209-234-9486 Voice • 209-234-6487 FAX www.homabed.com continued on page 27 14 • O Scale Trains Overland Models delivers . . . TheThe FinestFinest ‘O’‘O’ ScaleScale DieselsDiesels ss SignalsSignals Our family-operated business is pleased to deliver the finest handcrafted brass scale models on the market today to your model railroad. We work hard to bring you all of the details you’ve come to expect from OMI . . . no matter what the scale. Our staff travels far and wide to find new and unique projects for your favorite road. We also enjoy visiting with modelers at the many train shows around the country to learn just what you want us to produce. You can count on Overland Models to be there with the very best in model railroading!

CANTILEVER SIGNAL BRIDGE with two signals facing opposite directions, factory painted black with black targets and silver control box. Can easily be illuminated with the addition of lights (not supplied) — OMI #0808.1 Other Signal Bridges are available, check our website www.overlandmodels.com for complete details.

EMD “SD70M” Demonstrator Nos. 7000, 7001 and 7002. Factory painted gray/maroon/silver, completely lettered, and equipped with operating head and ditch lights — OMI #0625.1

CONRAIL “SD70” Nos. 2557 and 2580. Factory painted blue/white/black, completely lettered, and equipped with operating head and ditch lights — OMI #0627.1

NORFOLK SOUTHERN “SD70” Nos. 2559 and 2573. Factory painted black with white sill stripes, completely lettered, and equipped with operating head and ditch lights — OMI #0627.2 Overland Models, Inc.

Email: [email protected] • Website: www.overlandmodels.com • 3808 W. Kilgore Avenue • Muncie, IN 47304-4896 U.S.A. • 765/289-4257

O Scale Trains • 15 Product News & Reviews

NEWS: Modular Building Kit REVIEW: B&O Wagontop Boxcar Ultra Scale II, P.O. Box 217 Sunset Models, 37 South Fourth St. Redmond, WA 98073, 425-788-8680 Campbell, CA 95008 www.choochenterprises.com [email protected] 1-800-3RD-RAIL www.3rdrail.com Reviewed By J W Mathews Ultra Scale II offers the Penn Cove Modular Building in O Prototype History Scale. The modeler can kitbash this kit in several ways, such The “wagontop” boxcars were designed by, and unique to, as a rectangular or triangular structure. The limited edition kit the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The “wagontop” name came comes with five walls, Grandt windows and doors and brick from their resemblance to the Conestoga wagons used in the corners. Cast in resin and easy to build. Available direct only 1800s, due to the inverted “U” shaped ribs running from floor from Ultra Scale II. level upward over the roof and down to the floor on the other Kit#627: $100.00, #627A painting fee $45.00; S&H $8.95 side of the car. A few experimental cars were built starting in 1934. Mass production of the car began in December 1936 and ran to June 1937, when 1290 wood-sheathed cars were stripped to their underframes and rebuilt as Class M-15K and M-15L wagontops. Construction of the largest class, M-53, began immediately thereafter and continued until March 1938, with a total of 2,000 cars, numbered 380,000 - 381,999. Model Information Rollin Lobaugh offered a wagontop boxcar kit prior to World War Two. International Models Products (IMP) of New continued on page 18 NEW Numbered Limited Edition Limited Edition of just 200 kits.This kit features highly Two-Stall Enginehouseg Kit in O Scale detailed hydrocal castings, laser cut wood and acrylic parts, pre-cut Mt. Albert Scale Lumber and Ever- green Styrene and com- plete finishing instructions. 12" by 24" – $169.95 retail. This kit is sold out at the factory but contact us for a list of stores that may still have one left.

Coming soon, a small re- run of our Addams Ave. block set featuring all new signs. Call to reserve today!

DOWNTOWN DECO 4319 Rainbow Drive ❏ Missoula, MT 59803 406/251-8005 ◆ [email protected] ◆ www.downtowndeco.com

16 • O Scale Trains O Scale Hall of Fame 620 Wright Loop Williamstown, N.J. 08094 — 2-RAIL

Bob Smith SS PRR I-1 2-10-0 Original Unpainted ( SHORT TDR. ) $1120 SS PRR Q-2 4-4-6-4 F/P $1480 Central Locomotive Works SS PRR Q-2 4-4-6-4 C/P LGT. Weather $1580 1997 marked the 50th year of contin- use lost-wax technique to produce the SS PRR S-1 6-4-4-6 F/P Shrouded Unshrouded $1500 uous operation for one of O Scales fore- many detail parts for the PS-4. Thus SS PRR P5a F/P $750 each SS PRR B-1 F/P $750 most institutions: Central Locomotive was born what has become perhaps the SS PRR E-6 4-4-2 Original U/p and C/P $725 Works. CLW was unique in several finest steam engine kit ever available to SS PRR Tender 210-F-82a 16 Wheel Long $350 ways. Throughout all those years, just model railroaders. SS LI/PRR P54 TRAIN 3 CARS F/P $770 set SS PRR T-1 4-4-4-4 F/P $1575 each one man – Bob Smith, operated CLW. Bob moved to Florida in 1956. He SS PRR N-1 2-10-2 C/P light weathering $1250 Even more remarkable, in contrast to later went to work at the model shop at SS PRR N-1 2-10-2 F/p $1150 the few other firms that go back that far, the RCA computer plant near West SS PRR H-6 2-8-0 F/P $850 Bob Smith as CLW was still doing Palm Beach. His alertness to new devel- CB PRR T-1 4-4-4-4 C/P Light. Weathering $3500 WSM PRR Q-2 4-4-6-4 U/P $2500 exactly the same thing he did 50 years opments led him to design his own gear- WIL PRR T-1 4-4-4-4 U/P 2 Railed by Trackside $1100 previously – making the highest quality boxes out of an extremely tough, wear WIL PRR K-4 4-6-2 F/P $550 O Scale locomotive kits. Over those 50 resistant but self-lubricating plastic. WIL PRR L-1 2-8-2 2 Railed by Trackside $750 WIL UP USRA 2-8-2 Grey boiler rare $550 years, Bob developed, engineered, and Bob, in the CLW shop behind his Custom PRR M1-a 4-8-2 Custom built (jack Ferris ) ?? $625 introduced significant innovations and garage, carefully assembled every gear- OMI PRR M1a 4-8-2 U/P Mint $ 2300 USH PRR M-1a 4-8-2 C/P Reworked front end, $1500 advanced technologies that were rapidly box. Bob’s later diesel kits introduced ALC PRR K-4 4-6-2 U/P Broadway Ltd Streamlined $1400 adopted by the entire model railroad “triple etching” for body parts. Another Miscellaneous: industry. innovation was tabs on the etchings to KIT PRR T-1 4-4-4-4 #12 Mrkd by Towsen Hobbies $750 Bob’s model railroad manufacturing help the modeler fit parts together in Call 856-629-9702 Between 6 and 10 PM EST career began in 1940 when he machined exact alignment. drivers on a second hand lathe. He Bob Smith’s engineering excellence became quite well known in the Chica- and innovations changed and improved go model community for his custom the product lines of many other model machine work. This led to a commis- manufactures in all scales. Bob was one sion by ALCO to custom make a model of the first inductees to the O Scale Hall of the brand new PA diesel. Central of Fame. Over 50 years many hundreds Locomotive Works got its start when of O Scale modelers were grateful to O Scale Bob decided to produce kits of the PA Bob for enabling them to be able to say Realty diesel. Next came power trucks. Bob’s with pride, “I built it.” Realistic Weathered Structures in redesign of diesel mechanisms included Central Locomotive Works was sold O Scale Scratchbuilt From Your a chassis mounted motor with a transfer Photos, Plans or Ideas! in 1999 to Lou and Bette Houlemarde (Will also build & weather your kits) box on the end axle transmitting power due to Bob’s declining health. ◆ Reed Artim 973-472-7456 • [email protected] to the wheels. This is the pattern that 75 Woodridge Rd, Clifton NJ 07012 has been followed by other manufac- T-BONE MODELS tures ever since, and is just one example of Bob’s many innovations copied throughout the model railroad industry. In 1950, Central Loco Works absorbed the Lenoir/Saginaw line of locomotive “O” Scale kits, and then the ScaleCraft O Scale CUSTOM PAINTING & REPAIR line in 1951. Dealer for Pacific Limited Sunset & Weaver The famous PS-4 locomotive kit T-Bone Models James Christensen began with a request for a custom made 32264 Cleveland Cottage Grove, OR 97424-9381 model. Other O Scalers heard of the email [email protected] project and also asked for a model. The 541-942-5237 decision was made to make patterns and Send SASE for information O Scale Trains • 17 Product News & Reviews ...continued from page 16 York City imported the first brass mod- more prototypical appearance than the about five miles, from the town of els of these cars circa 1950. The IMP factory’s red-painted interior and black Wellington on the west side through the cars were unpainted, with little under- floor, and provide a good reason to oper- 2.63-mile tunnel to the east portal. After body detail, and had the plain doors ate the car with the doors open, to “show an avalanche wiped out Wellington, used on some of the prototypes. Sun- off” the interior detail. three trains and over 100 lives in March set’s brass models, with corrugated The models are available in several 1910, the railroad constructed several doors, arrived in February 2002. road numbers, most of which are correct miles of concrete snow sheds, which Offered in both 2- and 3-rail ver- based on my review of a couple of Offi- still stand today. sions, the Sunset models are well made cial Railway Equipment Registers. One In addition, the railroad made plans and sturdy, but also heavy at 28 ounces. number (Murphy’s law... the one I hap- to bore a longer tunnel, at a lower eleva- Unfortunately, there are some serious pened to receive), 38045, is missing a tion, to eliminate many miles of grade detail omissions. These can be dealt digit. There should be three digits after and curvature, and to extend the electri- with to some degree, depending on the the zero. I think there is room to squeeze fied territory as well. While the new tun- desires of the buyer as discussed below. in a “1” after the zero. This would num- nel was under construction, in 1926, the The model has nice underbody ber the car as 380145 in the prototype electrification was extended 21 miles detail, including the AB brake system number series, and fill in an unsightly westward from Wellington to parts and piping. One omitted detail, space as well. (See photo.) Skykomish. When the new 7.79-mile which I think should have been includ- Otherwise the model seems to be let- Cascade Tunnel was opened in January ed, is the retainer valve and pipe on the tered reasonably accurately for an “as 1929, the wire extended east to Leaven- “B” end of the car. (That’s the end with built” car. The “built” and “new” dates of worth and eventually to Wenatchee, for the brake wheel on a conventional rail- 11-37 fall within the construction period a total distance of approximately 60 road car, for readers unfamiliar with the of the M-53 class. On most roads at the miles. (The new tunnel was the longest term. The other end is called the “A” time, lettering practice included a hori- in the Western hemisphere for about end.) Given the “state of the art” for zontal line above the reporting marks sixty years, until the Canadian Pacific brass models today, I think this detail (road initials) with the car number under- drilled a longer bore under Rogers Pass should have been included. (It was pres- neath and another horizontal line below in eastern British Columbia.) ent on Sunset’s B&O wagontop cov- the number. Some of these B&O cars The first two Y-1 electrics, of 1-C+C- ered hopper imported at the same time... were an exception, however, as the 1 wheel arrangement, were delivered an excellent model, in my opinion.) model’s lettering is correct per a proto- from General Electric in late 1927, with The most serious error, I feel, is the type photo in the 1940 Car Builders’ two more arriving early in 1928. Four omission of the two vertical ribs at the Cyclopedia. (Persons modeling equip- more arrived in 1931. Numbered 5010 - right of the door opening on each side. ment of around 1950, or later during the 5017, they were the first of their wheel The ribs are present on the opposite side diesel era, might want to reletter the car arrangement and the most powerful sin- of the car and continue over the roof, with the “13 States” herald or large gle-unit electric locomotives at the time but stop at the upper door slide bars. On “B&O” letters as appropriate.) the first were built. As motor-generator the prototype, and on the IMP car of In conclusion, I think Sunset’s model locomotives, they were capable of fifty years ago, these ribs continued is well built and reasonably priced, regenerative braking, feeding current down the car side. The door slide bars measured by today’s price levels for back into the overhead wires on down- were located outside the ribs, with the brass cars, but I do wish it had been grades. doorways “framed” so the car would be made more accurately. The Y-1s served the GN well until watertight with the doors closed. Photo on page 21 diesels took over and the wire was torn With the doors closed, the Sunset down in 1956. In August of that year, model does not “look right,” to put it REVIEW: Great Northern Y-1 the locos were sold to the Pennsylvania. bluntly. Competent scratch builders (PENNSY FF-2) Electric Locomotive Number 5011, which had been wrecked could rebuild the car sides, but there is Sunset Models, 37 South Fourth St. and rebuilt with a streamlined carbody an easier solution to the problem. The Campbell, CA 95008 and F-unit cabs at both ends, was used doors on Sunset’s model can be opened, 1-800-3RD-RAIL www.3rdrail.com for parts and the other locomotives were so just run the car as an “empty” with numbered one through seven. Used the doors open! Reviewed by J W Mathews mostly as freight pushers on the east- Further, the floor can be removed Prototype Background & History bound grade from Thorndale to Paoli, which allows the interior to be detailed The Great Northern electrified its first the FF-2s served a few more years. One to simulate wood interior sheathing and tunnel through the Cascade Mountains was scrapped in 1960, one in 1962 and floorboards... a subject for another arti- during the first decade of the 20th Centu- the rest in April 1965 cle. A detailed interior would create a ry. That electrification extended only for Model Information 18 • O Scale Trains Unlike the CB model, the Sunset found they operate well together. At 12 ing Y-1 that operates reliably. (I just wish locos came factory painted with glazed volts, the scale speed of both models is the firm could be persuaded to produce windows. The green color strikes me as about 60 miles per hour, in keeping the streamlined 5011, but Scott Mann a “forest green” which is a darker shade with the prototype. The Sunset model doesn’t think enough 3-railers would than the olive (coach) green used on the weighs six pounds, with room for a lit- want that version to justify the cost of the prototypes through World War Two. The tle more weight in the carbody. I do special carbody required.) color may be closer to the Pullman think though that if both models were Photo on page 21. Green used with the orange color adopt- weighted the same, the CB model ed during the postwar years with the would have more pulling power due to REVIEW: Red Caboose Wood advent of the streamlined passenger all its axles being powered. Refrigerator trains. The Sunset model, however, is The Sunset version does have a few MSRP - Kit $ 37.95 / RTR $ 49.95 painted solid green. The lettering peculiarities, however. Each end has http://www.red-caboose.com appears correct per prototype photos. both headlights and classification Mechanically, Sunset’s model differs lamps. Both headlights are on all the Reviewed by Buck Dean considerably from the CB model. The time. I think this is incorrect, and plan In the Beginning... CB import used a large Pittman can to install rectifiers to allow the lights to I’m a reefer junkie. If I had two nick- motor (9000-series) mounted vertically operate only in the direction of travel. els to rub together when I was 14, I over each truck, driving the center axle The class lamps are another story. One would have bought one — a real one! I via a worm and gear. Delrin chains and end has green lamps, rectified to illumi- remember really long lines of wood and sprockets transmitted power to the other nate only in forward motion. I have wood and steel refrigerator cars white- two axles on each truck, powering all designated that end as the “front,” by lined, going to scrap, in the storage yards drivers. scribing an “F” on the underside of the in Kansas City’s west bottoms during Sunset’s models use smaller can leading truck at that end of the locomo- my misspent Saturdays. It really broke motors (Pittman 8000-series size) tive. my heart to see these go away. They mounted horizontally at each end of the The lamps at the other end are also were, and still are, much “neater” than carbody. Each motor drives a tower rectified to operate when that end is the the mechanical cars that replaced them. transmission connected to a gearbox on “front,” but those lamps are red! I plan Way back at the dawning age of car the center axle. A drive shaft connects to change the rectifier so those lamps kits, we all struggled with wood and that gearbox to a gearbox on the outer illuminate with the green lamps at the cardboard sided kits and flatly made do axle of the truck. The inner axles are other end. Then, each pair of class with just about anything to feed our unpowered, which I think is unfortu- lamps should have a small switch to need. If you wanted a “fleet” of cars, the nate. My guess is that this drive system turn them on or off independently. The chore it took to create a representative may have been necessary to accommo- green lamps can be on to indicate a fol- reefer block would almost make you date short-radius curves for the 3-rail lowing section, or off to indicate a want to quit railroad modeling for some- versions. scheduled train or when the locomotive thing else... like golf! A solution to the Both the CB and Sunset models have is pushing. The red lamps can be on problem had to be found. sprung drivers, with the former seeming when the loco is pushing at the rear of a In recent years, with the move to a bit softer. The Sunset model does track train, turned off when that end is cou- extensive use of plastics in kits, reefers well, however, mine has operated on pled to the train or when that end is at have been offered in a variety of forms, four different layouts, including a mod- the “front.” but none still can come close to the fine ular pike with superelevated curves and Unlike the prototype, which could detail offered by the subject in question. a home layout with two percent grades have the classification lenses changed Truly, most of these cars eventually find and curves on the grades. when reversing direction, with no need their way to 3 rail layouts and that’s The leading trucks on the CB models to turn the locomotive itself; our model great, but... Red Caboose stepped up to were pivoted too close to the outer ends class lights do not have interchangeable the plate in the wake of Intermountain’s of the chassis, with a resulting undesir- lenses. Therefore, to operate with the all-steel offerings with a truly excellent able tendency to angle the wheels into classification lights following prototype model of a wooden car. the rails on curves and picking frog practice, the Sunset Y-1 would require Of course, the urethane car kits avail- points at switches. The CB models turning if the green lamps are to be lit able by Rails Unlimited and Chooch required reworking of the truck yoke to indicate a following section. If the Ultra Line II are wonderful for those pivot points in order to track reliably. class lamps are not needed, as for a “special” cars and untold thanks to each Sunset’s models do not have this prob- scheduled train, the loco could simply of them for filling in gaps, but Red lem. In several hours of operation, my be reversed without turning. Caboose saw the need and came to the model did not derail once. Aside from the peculiar wiring of rescue with their version of the all wood The Sunset model started a bit more the headlights and classification lamps 30 ton wooden refrigerator car, some- quickly than the CB model, probably and the paint color being perhaps a little thing the HO mavens have been enjoy- due to the different drive systems, but I off, Sunset has produced a good-look- continued on page 20 O Scale Trains • 19 Product News & Reviews ...continued from page 19

ing for some time. Now we O Scalers Finally, to add insult to injury, the Agri- Several cars with CDLX markings still can enjoy them, too. cultural Reform Act of 1958 virtually existed in the late 1950’s — all tankers Not just another pretty face... killed off the balance of privately operat- of one sort or another. Just how long The model itself represents a PFE R- ed refrigerated rail transit business. In Italian-Swiss Colony was able to ship 30-12-9 and R-30-9 prototype car. essence, the act provided for the elimi- bulk wine in these rebuilt tankers before Original 30 ton cars were built in 1923 nation of a previous barrier to transport switching to trucks is not exactly as an R-30-12 and the overall series was of fresh foodstuffs (meat, fruit, produce) known, but the cars are not listed in the rebuilt into a 6" taller car from 1938 in interstate commerce by truck. There- ORER from 1954 on. through the early ‘40s and became a R- fore, overnight, almost the entire private- Those nitpicky things... 30-12-9 class designation. A few years ly operated refrigerator car business in Red Caboose wooden refrigerator later cars from other classes, like the the country dried up and went away. A kits, and subsequent read-to-run models rebuilt R-30-13-9, were all lumped into dark era in history to be sure. assembled in China, feature reasonable one class with the R-30-12-9 and a new Un saluto alla buona vita base body colors and crisp, clean class designation was given to all, R-30- (A Salute to the Good Life)... screened lettering. Over the last couple 9. Between 1938 and 1939, Pacific The Ready-to-Run car furnished for of years of releases, RC has produced Fruit Express began a monumental this review is one lettered for the Italian- them in faithful reproduction of Pacific reconditioning program of it’s refrigera- Swiss Colony Company of Asti, Califor- Fruit Express, Merchants Despatch tor car classes. These 30 and 40 ton cars nia. Red Caboose offers this particular Transit, Northern Pacific, Burlington (through the 14th to 16th revision) were car in brilliant colors including Italian Refrigerator Express (and subsidiary originally built in the teens and twen- Swiss Colony’s trademark “TIPO” let- lines: Colorado & Southern, Ft. Worth ties. The cars were worn out and needed tering and basket weave wine bottle in & Denver), Undecorated (basic reefer to be rebuilt. very clear and faithful graphics. Italian- orange and brown), Roma Wines and In the case of the 30 ton wooden Swiss Colony is no longer in business in Italian-Swiss Colony. However, the cars, the result was the “dash 9” car, or its original form, but many readers will extent of lettering schemes available are the R30-original#-9. The rebuilt cars remember the advertising blitzes of the only limited to the modelers airbrush had more modern appliances, stronger 50’s and 60’s for what became known as and decal supply for other, similar, frames and sidewall construction, new “The Workingman’s Chianti.” These wood cars for FGEX, WFEX, NRC, trucks, EquipCo mechanical enhance- ICC class TW cars are actually older GARX, MDT “Orangesides,” etc. ments, end mounted hand brakes, and a cars, a number of them from the R-30-5 The RTR version comes complete taller loading door opening. Several of class, sold to other companies rather with metal wheelsets, Kadee couplers, the original design series were lumped than placed in the major PFE rebuild brake hoses, all details, painted and into the R30-9 and strongly resemble program. The Italian Swiss Colony pro- ready to place on the track. P48er’s most wooden refrigerator cars built or totype car was one of a number of R-30- would find the wheel and couple swaps rebuilt during this time frame by the 5 cars sold to California Dispatch Line, easy and the car rides nicely through all likes of Indiana Harbor, Burlington’s then its own company based in San sorts of trackwork on its own. shops at Havelok, Nebraska, PC&F, Francisco. On the downside, the model does not ART, GATX, URTX, and others. Sometime Between 1933 and 1935 have enough weight. Assuming that Over the last couple of years, Red the prototype for this car was rebuilt into there are weights added to the built up Caboose has offered the “one size fits an insulated car by removing the ice models, the car does not have the 16 all” R30 in PFE, MDT, and various ver- hatches on the outside and the ice ounces of weight that most O scalers sions of BREX, as well as a couple of bunkers inside. The car then received six like to add to cars for mass. While vino haulers – the actual subject of this 1000 gallon tanks so that wine could be adding weight is no problem with the review. transported in bulk. How the loading and model when built from a kit; in RTR Wooden cars with wooden ends last- unloading was accomplished is unclear form adding more means taking the car ed into the late 40’s only because WW2 as where and in what range these cars apart. This will become apparent when came along and large numbers of cars operated. one is trying to couple between heavier were needed. Some of the wooden cars After the Second World War, accord- cars, or making that tricky back-up were eventually rebuilt this time with ing to several collected Original Railway switching move through a reverse curve. steel ends and eventually all of the ice Equipment Registers (ORER), Califor- On the upside, the stirrup steps and cars were replaced with mechanical nia Despatch Lines (CDLX) equipment gingery grabs, and details seem to units. The icing platforms that served was bought or merged into General somewhat resist the inadvertent squeeze these cars then vanished (save a few American Transport’s pool of refrigera- and snap so prevalent with many other here and there for company service). tor cars with private reporting marks. plastic kits’ details (replaced by most

20 • O Scale Trains modelers with brass or spring wire). For the ISC version, RC has appropriately blanked over the roof hatches following the prototype practice. However, the same can’t be said for the air lines as they’ll vanish at just a glance. Another plus is the packaging of the RTR cars, something usually overlooked in reviews. Thoughtfully, RC, has provided not only a well fitted Styrofoam cradle, but a “plug”, if you will, which is remov- able for the extraction and replacement of the car into the cra- dle without the typical trying to squeeze 10 lbs. into a 5 lb. bag problem (Known is some circles as a “blivit” - Ed.). A clear plastic, fitted, cover adds to the protection of the car and B&O Wagontop Boxcar the whole package slides neatly back into the box for safe storage or shipping. The Chef recommends... Red Caboose has a winner of a model here and the earlier sell out of the MDT “red-white & blue” cars is evidence that O scale modelers are serious about collecting their fleets of reefers, early and in quantity. Nobody can say what might be next, but cer- Great Northern Y1 (photo courtesy of 3rd Rail) tainly offerings of these cars should inspire us to begin our collections of these fine models right away. Plus, if we buy more, you see, Red Caboose can justify running more in other private opera- tor names (Hint! Hint!) for a varied fleet to park by that Jolly Green Giant packing plant on our pikes. For those running the iced variety of Red Caboose cars, a nifty added detail is to apply the bunker drain pipes in all four corners of the underbody making sure the trucks are not fouled. Cut bars for the couplers and some extra detailing here and, whether kit or RTR, this car offers a great unfilled niche in O scale railroad models and the rest of the fun is on you! No self-respecting O scale road should be without several, if not a bakers dozen or more of these babies running in a long perishable, or parked beneath some nifty icing dock. Underside & roof detail of Red Caboose reefer. continued on page 22

O Scale Trains • 21 Product News & Reviews ...continued from page 21 Finally, the whodunit... ved B I couldn’t have written this review without help. Who en k knows everything these days? So, thanks to the following r chwor books, periodicals, historical societies and individuals for all u their help and enlightenment. If you want to know more about

C Let Us Help You Build refrigerator cars and operations I strongly suggest the follow- Your Railroad Today! ing minimum reading assignment: Pacific Fruit Express, by Thomas, Church & Jones Rails The Great Yellow Fleet, by John H White $6/Linear Ft. American Car & Foundry Company, by Edward S. Kaminski Modules Burlington Bulletin #12 – The Reefers; Burlington Route Starting at Historical Society $30/ Linear Ft. Official Railway Equipment Register; various editions Custom GATX: A History of the General American Transportation Modules Corporation 1898-1948, by Ralph C. Epstein, North River Built to Your Press, New York. Imagination! The other list of suspects includes: Archives of the Atlantic Coast Line & Seaboard Air Lines Spare Room Short Line Railroads Historical Society, Inc. Starting at $30/ Linear Ft. Archives of the Southern Railway Historical Association, Designed to Fit Your Space President’s files (FGEX) The Refrigerator Car Historical Society Tom Thorpe - 610-485-1236 Yahoo!® Steam Era Freight Car Group members: Bryce J. 3768 Foulk Road, Boothwyn, PA 19061-1802 Sunderlin, Paul Faulk, Richard Hendrickson http://www.curvedbenchwork.com A huge thanks goes to Red Caboose/Bill McClung for pro- viding us with information and the car itself to review. ◆

WANTED — Parent/child team to write a regular column for beginners. Start with the very basics with an eye toward advancing skills. Some illustration or photography of subject matter is required as well as the ability to use a computer for word processing. Don’t get too hung up on illustrations; we can make a simple drawing look pretty good. Interested? Contact us by snail mail, phone, or email us at [[email protected]]. Limited Edition by Atlas O - exclusively for Mickey’s Model Works Frisco Extended Vision Caboose

2 Rail $67.95 3 Rail $62.95

#1275 Mandarin Orange and White #257 As Delivered in Tuscan Red

Mickey’s Model Works Hours 611 Court Street, Suite 4, 501-450-9423 Fax 501-327-6634 1:00~5:00pm Conway AR 72032 email: [email protected] Tuesday thru Friday

22 • O Scale Trains door prizes, model contest, clinics, Florida O O SCALE TRAINS Scalers modular layout, SMRC Club layout. OM AT&SF SD70M F/P W/LITS N.I.B. $1,995.00 Advance registration fee of $25.00 includes Events OM CSX SD80MAC F/P W/LITS N.I.B. $1,995.00 Saturday lunch buffet and one six foot table. July 2002 Contact Allen Novak, P.O. Box 1667, Tallev- OM 89’-4” TRLR TRAIN FLATS C/O not decaled $385.00 Florida, Fort Lauderdale ast, FL 34270-1667, [email protected], OM NP W5 2-8-2 F/P W/LITS $2,850.00 19-21, Florida O Scalers [FLOSS] will have home: 941-351-9927, work 941-359-7583. OM NP W3 2-8-2 F/P W/LITS, TALL STACK $2,795.00 their modular layout at the NMRA National OM BNSF SD75M F/P W/LITS N.I.B. $1,995.00 Train Show. O scalers are needed to man the Rhode Island, Warwick OM AMTRAK SUPERLINER II DINER F/F $565.00 layout. Anyone with NMRA compatible 2 rail 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8, 22nd Annual National Nar- O scale modules is invited to bring their mod- row Gauge Convention, Crowne Plaza Hotel OM AMTRAK SUPERLINER II DEXUX SLPR. $565.00 ule. Please contact Marty Megregian 321-453- at the Crossings, 801 Greenwich Ave OM AMTRAK SUPERLINER II SLEEPER F/F $565.00 (401/732-6000; $119/night). Trade show 2691 or e-mail [[email protected]]. OM B&O 2-10-2 ‘NEW DRIVE’ C/P “SUPER” $2,985.00 (all scales), clinics, contests, etc. Info: 22nd OM LMX DASH 8-40B C/P W/LITS $1,825.00 National Narrow Gauge Convention, P.O.Box August 2002 80573, So. Dartmouth, MA. 02748; (508) OM ‘OAKWAY’ SD60 C/P W/LITS $1,995.00 996-0174; Email ATL UP GATX AIRSLIDE COVERED HOPPERS $55.25 California, Pleasanton [[email protected]] or 4, Alameda County Central Railroad Society’s ATL RALSTON PURINA WOOD REEFER $49.50 [http://www.22ndnngc.com/] 2d Annual O Scale Summer Get-Together and ATLAT&SF WOOD SIDE REEFERS $49.50 Swap Meet (O Scale only) - Alameda County Oregon, Portland ATL NEW” 24” MOTORIZED TURNTABLE $138.50 Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. 10 am to 4 pm. 21, 1st Pacific Northwest O Scale Meet (2- ATL PRATT TRUSS BRIDGE - DBL TRACK - KIT $115.75 Info: George Cumming, O Scale Trainmaster; Rail & 3-Rail O Scale) hosted by the Oregon ATL PRATT TRUSS BRIDGE - SGL TRACK - KIT $92.75 (415) 442-1198; Email [[email protected]]. O Scalers at St. John’s Episcopal Church, ATL BRACH’s GATX AIRSLIDE HOPPER $55.25 2036 SE Jefferson - This is an exclusively an Maryland, Timonium ATL B&M 52’ DPD BOX CAR F/P RTR $51.25 O scale event with 2 and 3-rail’ers welcome. 7 & 18, Double Show: The Great Scale Model Includes layout tours, a silent auction, clinics, ATL WAYNE FEED PS4427 CVRD HOPPER F/P RTR $58.50 Train Show & The All-American High-Rail & train videos and dinner. - Fri 3 pm to 6 pm; ATLEVANS 52’ DPD BOX CAR F/P 2 RAIL READY $51.25 Collectors Show, Maryland State Fairgrounds - Sat 9 am to 6 pm, dinner 6 pm; $12 advance ATL CONTINENTAL PS COVERED HOPPER F/P $58.50 3 acres of trains separated into sections, Scale registration, $15 at door. Info:Dick Bublitz, (by gauge) and Hi-Rail. Seven hundred plus ATL AT&SF “LTD EDITION” W-V CABOOSE F/P $62.50 12803 NE 100th St, Vancouver WA 98682; tables in the Scale area; 500 tables available ATLAT&SF PS4427 COVERED HOPPER F/P $58.50 email [[email protected]]. in the Hi-Rail/Tinplate section. ATL SP SW9 SWITCHER F/P W/LITS $245.00 The Harrisburg O Scalers will have their dis- New Jersey, Merchantville play there. “COME VISIT US AT OUR WEB SITE!” 28, Cherry Valley Model Railroad Club Annu- al Fall O Scale Only Train Meet - Grace Epis- WWW.SUMPTERVALLEY.COM September 2002 copal Church, Maple Ave & Center St - 9 am Florida, Sarasota to 1:30 pm; $4, spouse & kids under 14 free; ATL BNSF DASH 8-40B F/P W/LITS $338.95 7 & 8, Florida O Scalers Meet — 2 rail only — 1st table $16 (includes 1 admission), addi- ATLAT&SF DASH 8-40B F/P W/LITS $338.95 Sponsored by the Sarasota Model Railroad tional tables $12 each. Info: Cherry Valley ATL SD35 UNDECORATED $300.00 Club, Ramada Inn Airport, 8440 North Tamia- Model Railroad Club, PO Box 192, Maple mi Trail, Sarasota, FL 34243, 1-941-355- Shade, NJ 08052; Chuck Jacobs (856) 234- WSMWM 3-TRUCK SHAY OB N/P “MINT” $3,450.00 7771, toll free 1-888-420-9704, room rate: 1898 or Dave Richter (215) 639-7290. $70.80. Features display and sales tables, WSMB&O 4-6-2 P-7 N/P OB $1,275.00 Continued on page 45 CW On3 PCRR PLYMOUTH SWITCHER $525.00

CW 40Ton CLIMAX F/P O-STANDARD $1,255.00 Advertisers Index CW INDIANA RAILWAY POST OFFICE TROLLEY $725.00 PSC NP Z-5, 2-8-8-4 MANY VERS. F/P $3,659.00

BTS 26 Overland Models 15 PSC LINCOLN FUNERAL TRAIN, LOCO + 2 CARS F/P $3,215.00 Central Locomotive Works 14 Pecos River Brass BC Chicagoland 9 Precision Scale Models IBC Downtown Deco 16 PRR Brass 17 $$$ BRASS COLLECTIONS WANTED$$$ Get Real Productions 45 Public Delivery Track 42 Great Decals 14 Red Caboose 9 • • • MANY MORE • • • Jim Hackworth Model Trains 44 Rons Books 30 135 NW Greeley Ave., Bend Ore. 97701 Harry Hieke 45 Rich Yoder Models IFC 541-382-3413 FAX 541-389-7237 HomaBed 14 Russ Briggs Design 17 InterMountain 24 Sumpter Valley Depot 23 Mickeys Model Works 22 Sunset Models Inc. 53 NCE Corp 26 T Bone Models 17 Norm’s O Scale 49 Tom Thorpe Curved Benchwork 22 O Scale Kings 27 Trackside O Specialties 14 O Scale Realty 17 Weatherman 24

O Scale Trains • 23 TheThe WeathermanWeatherman

Custom Weathering As Seen Here Light • Medium • Heavy • Omigawd! Freight Cars $20 - $40 Passenger Cars $30 - $50 Diesels $40 - $60 Steam $60 - $100 (Includes Disassembly & Dynamic Chassis Weathering)

Guaranteed 1 Week Delivery Call 757-485-1337 The Weatherman, 329 Big Pond Lane, Chesapeake VA 23323

NEW O SCALE

USRA DROP BOTTOM GONDOLA

• Laser Cut Wood Sides and Floor • Kit or Assembled • O Scale or Hi-Rail •New Roadnames Monthly • Kit $31.95 • Assembled $49.95 Another Work of Art from InterMountain Railway Company P.O. Box 839, Longmont, CO 80502-0839 For photos and complete list of InterMountain products visit our Web Site: www.intermountain-railway.com For information call: 1-800-472-2530 or Fax: 303-772-8534. E-Mail: [email protected]

24 • O Scale Trains Modeler’s Shelf Photos of our reader’s models

SIRT #489 is an ALCO S-2 by NJ Custom Brass. The Staten Island Santa Fe Refrigerator Department’s experimental Stainless steel Rapid Transit was a key B&O terminal freight handler in NYC until reefer #13000 was one of a kind. The model was built using Athearn 1985. Ed spent a full work day on a roustabout assignment with the reefer parts and Evergreen styrene using a photo and info from the real #489 in June 1956. It was a memorable high school graduation 1952 Car Builder’s Cyclopedia. It has full brake rigging and piping. present from an SIRT engineer who was a neighbor (with the SIRT Champ decals were used over Floquil Bright Silver. The “E” and superintendent’s permission). “West” were hand painted to match the prototype.

Chicago Great Western gas electric “Doodlebug” assembled from an A scene from Randy Pepprock’s (Downtown Deco) Shangri-La West American Standard Car Co kit about 9 years ago. It is shown leaving Lumber Co — a Pacific northwest setting with lots of redwoods. Loco the town of Ginia with a rural farm scene in the background. is a custom built On30 Heisler. All the track is hand laid.

A customized Red Caboose GP9 by Pete Trunk. This picture was taken by Pete on his O scale Philadelphia & Erie RR.

O Scale Trains • 25 More O Scale Stuff from the B.T.S. Laser!

MoW Shed 22' x 29' Footprint E.B.T. Saltillo Station 46' x 38' Footprint Boot Repair 15' x 24' Footprint #17501 $49.95 #17123 $119.95 #17230 $34.95

Shotgun House Cabin Creek 17' x 52' Footprint Coal Tipple #17300 $49.95 #18105 $549.95

All kits consist of laser-cut basswood, ply- wood, and card stock. All detail parts and signs shown are included in the box. Ground cover and track is not included.

Web: www.btsrr.com P O Box 561 * Dept. OS32 www.master-creations.com Seffner, FL 33583 E-Mail: [email protected] Phone: 813-643-1105 S.A.S.E. for price list. Fax: 813-681-7326 $5.00 s&h on all US orders. Celebrating over 20 Years of Service since 1979 Full Catalog - $5.00

26 • O Scale Trains Narrow Minded continued from page 14 to the inside of the cab roof. engine cover can be filed off or carefully modified to become As shown in the photo below, cut down across the cab roof four doors on either side with each set of two doors opening in line with the front of both forward side windows and then out from the middle. make one horizontal cut across the back of the cab to eliminate The New Cab both rear corner posts and the spaces between the rear win- Most readers of O Scale Trains Magazine have sufficient dows and the door, including the posts dividing the side win- skills, experience and individual tastes to appreciate the fol- dows. File and smooth the edges of the cuts as necessary. lowing direction: Scratch up a simple cab of your own design Remove what remains of all handrails on the rear cab wall. File to fit over the existing cab base. For the adventurous, either off what remains of the roof hatches and rivets. What remains mount the red rear light vertically on the roof as a warning of the roof will form the instrument panel in the new cab. light or horizontally through the rear of the cab. My own preference for an industrial critter would be to install insulated, tinted glass to cut down on the glare of the sun and eliminate the need for a cab interior. Freight Equipment On my standard gauge O scale layout, one major customer is the Payne Pipe Plant that produces 48' lengths of 51" diam- eter pipe. The large sections are transported on a 30" gauge industrial line from the factory to a spur where they are trans- ferred into 50' standard gauge gondolas. This requires one flatcar to carry each section of pipe in a cradle and a spacer car on either end. Roundhouse Shorty Flatcars are perfect and scale out to about 19' long and 66" wide with about 19" diam- eter wheels. Create a cradle that allows sufficient clearance Remove the front and rear steps and decide if you wish to above the spacer cars and use some 18mm (3⁄4") PVC or ABS remove all side rivets. Cut a piece of styrene to fill in the side conduit in 12" lengths. Three sections of pipe fit nicely into a steps. Carefully drill out the circular cooling fans with a 7/16” 50' gondola. Be sure to anchor the pipes with chain, straps or drill and fill the spaces in with styrene or body putty. The head- cables during transportation. For variety, you might utilize the light scales out to about a six inch lens so you can use it or Roundhouse Log Car with modified chocks for your pipe car- replace it as you wish. rying car and the Shorty Flats for spacers. Six tiny cars and The eight access doors and louvers on either side of the two sections of pipe make for an interesting sight, especially if they have to snake around some tight curves and ess curve past some nearby buildings. Make up different cradles for different diameter pipes and the variety of loads will be unlimited. Finally, detail, paint, distress and weather appropriately. Track Use Peco On30 flex track, HO flex track with most of the ties sunk into the ground or hand lay your own light rail and for well under $100, you can have a couple of industrial critters, a string of flatcars and a short industrial feeder line to add variety and operation to your layout. In addition, you might just enjoy kitbashing and scratchbuild- ing enough to create some other special cars with their own unique character. What should surprise and please you is that the equipment should run slowly and faultlessly and, who knows, you too might become really narrow-minded. Bobber Gibbs [[email protected]] ◆ O Scale Trains • 27 Copyright 2002 Get Real Productions

Check our updated, fully secure Web Site regularly for specials available.ronsbooks.com only on the web: www Ron’s Books e-mail us at: P.O. BOX 714, HARRISON, NY 10528 YOUR ONE STOP BOOK AND VIDEO SHOP [email protected](914)967-7541 11AM to 10PM EST; FAX (914)967-7492 24HR Discount Prices & Never a Shipping Charge within the U.S. Special Offer - DVD’s For Railfans “WHAT’S NEW?” PRR Color Guide to Frt. & Pass. 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Equip. . . . .49.50 In Search of Steam Donkeys h/c ...... 49.50 Santa Fe Waycars (Priest) ...... 55.00 A History of RRs in Western New York - Dunn . . .31.50 Island Timber-Comox Logging Co.-Vancouver Is. 36.00 Scenes Along the Rails -Del. Lackawanna &Western 40.50 A Photo History of the Prince Edward Island Ry . .23.25 Locomotive Facilities CNW & CSt.PM&O Vol 1 . . .40.50 Set Up Running-Life of PRR Engineer 1904-49 . . .36.00 Along the ET & WNC Vol 1 or 2 each ...... 27.25 Locomotive Facilities CNW & CSt.PM&O Vol 2 . . .44.50 Shay Logging Locos at Cass, WV 1900-1968 . . . .25.00 Altoona Action: PRR, PC, CR Horseshoe Curve . .40.50 Milwaukee Road 1928 - 1985 (Scribbens) ...... 54.00 Sherman Hill: A Railfan’s Perspective ...... 18.25 American Car & Foundry ...... 65.00 Monon Route - Hoosier Line ...... 45.00 So. Pacific Pass. 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Kramer) ...... 17.25 Boston & Maine - Forest, River Mountain ...... 72.00 Railway Prototype Cyclopedia Vol 7 ...... 23.25 Trackside Around Buffalo 1953-1976 ...... 48.00 Boston & Maine in the 19th Century ...... 18.25 Railways of Latin America in Historic Postcards . .32.00 Trackside Around New York City 1953-68 ...... 48.00 Boston & Maine in the 20th Century ...... 18.25 Rio Grande Color Pictorial Vol 1 1930’s - 50’s . . . .55.00 Trolley Buses 1910-2001 Photo Archive ...... 27.25 Bridges 3000 Years of Defying Nature ...... 18.25 Rio Grande Nar. Ga.-Final Years Alamosa to Chama . .26.00 UP and Omaha Union Station ...... 23.25 Bridging the Hudson-Poughkeepsie (NY) Bridge .s/c 22.25 Rockville Bridge- Rails Across the Susquehanna .27.25 Unifying the Subways ...... 17.25 Budd Passenger Cars Vol. 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 . .each 36.00 Royal Blue Line - Harwood s/c ...... 21.25 Union Pacific Challenger (Dorin) S/C ...... 18.25 Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh - Pietrak ...... 23.25 Sacramento Northern Gallery ...... 26.25 Union Pacific’s Turbine Era ...... 50.00 C & O/ B & O Cabosses ...... 15.25 Santa Fe Steam Vol 4 1200 series 4-6-2’s ...... 21.25 Western Maryland Trackside With George Leilich .48.00 Caboose - Solomon ...... 32.50 Seaboard Dining Car Book ...... 23.25 Western New York & Pennsylvania Ry - Pietrak . .23.25 Canadian Nat. 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Bicentennial Queen Engine 4449 s/c-Wright . . .20.00 CSX Transportation Freight Equipment ...... 23.25 Arcade & Attica Railroad - Lewis ...... 60.00 Destruction of Penn Station ...... 36.00 Locomotive Terminals & Railroad Structures . . . .17.25 Best of Maine Railroads - Johnson ...... 50.00 Detroit’s Michigan Central Station ...... 18.25 A Logger’s Lexicon ...... 45.00 Buffalo & Susquehanna Railway - Pietrak ...... 100.00 E-Units: Electro-Motive’s Classic Streamliners . . . .20.25 Logging Railroads of the Saco River Valley ...... 23.25 Cars of the Pennsylvania Railroad - Wayner ...... 45.00 EMD’s SW 8 America’s Medium Switcher Choice 18.25 Louisville & Nashville Steam Locos (Prince) . . . . .54.00 Chesapeake & Ohio Diesel Review - Shaver ...... 85.00 Flxible Bus Photo Archive ...... 27.25 The Magor Car Company (Kaminski) ...... 51.25 Colorado Rail Annuals 1963 - 1968 ...... each 20.00 Freight Terminals & Trains (Droege) S/C ...... 40.00 Mil. 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Vol 2 St. Louis-NYC .55.00 Keystone Steam & Electric - PRR - Edson ...... 60.00 Oldies But Goodies - Limited Quantities New York Harbor Railroads in Color (Flagg) . . . . .44.00 Putnam Division - NYC ...... 25.00 Benelux Railways ...... 21.00 New York, Susquehanna & Western in Color . . . .48.00 Pennsylvania Logging set 13 books + addendum Empire of the Trolleybus - Russia ...... 25.00 Northern Pacific Color Pictorial Vol 5 ...... 60.00 & Maryland Logging ...... 425.00 Meyer Articulated Locomotives ...... 32.00 Northern Pacific in Color Vol 1 1949-1959 ...... 48.00 Santa Fe 1988 Motive Power Pictorial ...... 30.00 Mr. Beck’s Underground Map ...... 23.00 Northern Pacific - Steam to Diesel h/c 40.50 . .s/c27.00 Steam in the Alleghanies - Grenard ...... 25.00 No Need to Ask (Underground) ...... 26.00 Pacific Electric -Vol 1 Northern Division - Duke . . .27.00 Trains to the Russian River - Stindt ...... 45.00 Pacific Fruit Express (Church) ...... 68.00 Union Pacific 1977-1980 - Cockle ...... 85.00 Origins of the Garrett Locomotives ...... 18.00 Union Pacific Motive Power Review 1968-1977 . .75.00 Paris Metro ...... 20.00 Passenger Cars # 1 Plans & Pictures, Wood & Hvwt. 30.00 Pennsy Electric Years in Color Vol 2 ...... 48.00 Milwaukee Road Under Wire - QP # 2 ...... 40.00 Pleasure Trips by Underground ...... 30.00 Rio Grande Diesels 2 vols. - Strapac ...... 100.00 Swiss Railways ...... 27.00 Pennsy Steam Years Vol 3 (Pennypacker) ...... 44.00 Pennsy Railroad Color Pictorial Vol. 1 or 2 . .each 45.00 Steel Cabooses of the Chesapeake & Ohio ...... 45.00 Tourist Railways of France ...... 18.00 Trolley Sparks # 95, 97, or 99 each ...... 100.00 Underground Pioneers - London ...... 34.00 Pennsylvania RR Steel Open Hopper Cars ...... 21.25 Pere Marquette Revenue Freight Cars ...... 32.00 Westchester’s Forgotten Railway - Arcara ...... 30.00 World Gazetteer Part 4 North America . . . .25.00 We have many more titles in stock. World Metro ...... 22.00 Pittsburgh & Lake Erie RR in Color Vol 1 1976-1992 .48.00 Porter Steam Locomotives: Light & Heavy s/c . . .69.00 Please send us your “want” list. Send $2.00 for latest list. All orders must be paid in U.S. funds. NY residents please add correct sales tax. Print your name, address and phone number. Credit card users add card number and expiration date. Allow 4 weeks for delivery. For delivery 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 SASE will be answered. Prices subject to change. WE BUY COLLECTIONS 30 • O Scale Trains Door and a Half Boxcar Conversion Central of Georgia Gene Deimling

Every now and then you come across finish the model. You will find a list of with .033” brass wire prior to installing an article or photos of a piece of railroad items that were used in the construction the center sill and cross members. Use equipment that stirs your imagination to of the model at the end of the article. the styrene part as a bending guide. the point of sitting down at the work- Temporarily install the couplers and bench and trying to recreate it. One such BODY MODIFICATIONS: trucks of choice. Check the height of the car is the Central of Georgia door and As with most kits, I start by doing the car. You will have to account for the half boxcar with its eye-catching letter- carbody modifications first before thickness of the roof walk in this meas- ing. The C of G placed an order for 700 applying any details. The first step is to urement. The car should measure 14'6" cars built to the 1937 AAR standard remove the ridge and rivet immediately from the railhead to the top of the roof (10'0" interior height). This series num- to the left of the door opening. This will walk. I have been using Red Caboose bered 6300-6999 were built in 1946 but allow the new half-door to fit properly. trucks on some of my Intermountain to the pre-war design. The combination The second step is to modify the side cars and found that the cars measured of the door and a half and the flashy bill- sill under the doors. This can be done around 14'3". This model uses San Juan board-style lettering captured my inter- with a model knife and a steel ruler. You AAR Double Truss (Bettendorf) trucks est and the result is what you see in this can score the styrene initially using the that have a slightly different height. I article. ruler as a guide for the blade. Once a ended up turning a brass truck mounting I built my model to operate on defined line is established, you can con- plate threaded for 1-72 to fit a shoul- Proto48 track. I used San Juan trucks tinue to lightly score the material until dered screw. This allowed me to raise specifically designed to accept Proto48 the blade cuts through. Take your time the height while at the same time pro- wheels. Proto48 uses a track gauge of 4’ with this step. Fabricate a new side sill vide a smooth pivot for the trucks. The 1 8 ⁄2", wheels that have a scale-sized using a 0.30" by 0.215" (10 scale inch- coupler pockets will need a spacer to flange and a scale 5" tire width. It is a compensate for this change. If you use departure from the traditional gauge and the San Juan working AAR Type-E cou- wheel profile yet it operates just as plers, you should shift the draft gear smoothly. mounting hole out approximately The basic thrust of this article is 0.160" to account for the fact that it is focused on creating a unique boxcar out es) styrene strip. The dimensions are smaller than the Kadee. The San Juan of a readily available Intermountain kit. shown in Figure 1. coupler is scale in size where as the You can apply the ideas expressed in this This is what the car side should look Kadee has been enlarged to work with article to their single door boxcar as like once the grab irons, ladders, doors variations you find in track, coupler well. The underlying idea is to refine a and details, and the sidesill modification mounting and side play in the trucks. good basic model by modifying the kit You can use the stock Intermountain parts, replacing out of scale parts with trucks if you want. Intermountain sells aftermarket items and to scratch build metal wheel sets permitting you to what you can’t buy. upgrade the trucks. I like the looks of To start with, you will need to gather steel wheels with polished wheel treads together some basics. The first is an showing. It adds a touch of realism to Intermountain 1937 AAR boxcar with the finished car. “W” corner posts and an extra set of Youngstown doors. You will need to are done. DETAILING THE CAR: order a set of dry transfers from Greg The next step is to install the under- Now that all of the modifications are Komar and collect the usual items such frame parts according to the instruction. done, you can settle in to applying the as coupler, wire, detail parts and paint to I usually replace the plastic trainline continued on page 32 O Scale Trains • 31 detail parts. I would suggest that you start with narrowing the (AH-305). They are brass with a flexible rubber hose just like half-door. I estimated that this door is approximately 4' wide the prototype. If you extended the coupler box out, you can since the car has a 10' total door opening according to the Offi- add a 0.060" styrene angle to the top of the coupler box. Fabri- cial Railroad Equipment Register (ORER). You will need to cate and install three gussets from 0.020" cut in the shape of a remove approximately 24 scale inches from the center of the triangle to the angle equally spaced. door. I did this by scribing two lines 20 scale inches apart on The car ends should be tackled next. Start by glueing the the backside of the door. Using a new single-edged razor kit-supplied end grab irons in their appropriate holes. Cut off blade, I cut through the door casting using light pressure on the grab iron flush with the body. Drill out the filled hole to the blade and a straight edge to guide the cuts. If you mess up, accept a new 0.015" wire grab that you can bend out of brass Intermountain sells a pair of doors for $1.95. I would suggest wire. The prototype had a drop-style grab so make sure you you buy several sets before you start construction. put a 90° bend in the part. Install the ladders next. I fabricated Now, you can sand the two parts until you are at the proper mine from 0.032" square brass and 0.015" brass wire. They width and you have a smooth and even joint. Bond the door were soldered together in a simple jig that held the entire parts together using MEK or Testors liquid cement. You want assembly square. You can save yourself the work by buying to get both sides of the joint wet to a point where the plastic Chooch’s boxcar detailing set that includes accurate Delrin® starts to soften. Push the two sides together and place on a ladders and grab irons along with a bunch of other parts that smooth flat surface to harden. It will take a while for the plas- can be used on this car. tic to cure. The “B” end is a little more involved with the brake wheel The next step is to sand the joint smooth on both sides. I and associated parts. painted some gray primer on the joint to help with the final I used the brake platform and platform braces from the sanding. Finish sanding with some water and 600-grit paper to Chooch set, the kit-supplied Miner brake wheel, a short length achieve a nearly invisible joint. The next step is to rebuild the of chain and some brass wire to complete the details. The upper and lower door tracks. You will need to extend the exist- retainer valve came from the Chooch set as well. ing upper and lower tracks for the half door. I capped the door I didn’t like the way the roof fit the end. I shaved off the tracks with strips of 0.010" x 0.030" styrene strips. cast rivet on the roof casting and covered the seam with a 0.010" x 0.060" styrene strip that was impressed with rivets. The sides can be done next. Add the ladders and bracketed grab irons. I made my grab iron brackets from small pieces of 0.010" and 0.015" strips of styrene. I finish the part off with the addition of a length of 0.015" wire flattened at the ends. The Chooch set has these parts and can save you a lot of time. You can add the door details next. I initially built the model with modified door guides that came with the kit. I later changed these parts out when I got my hands on some castings At this point, I would recommend you detail the underbody that were includ- followed by detailing the carbody. This will reduce the risk of ed in an Ultra damage to some of the more delicate details you might apply. Scale II X-31b I replaced the kit-provided AB brake set and rigging with an kit. The Chooch aftermarket set. The AB set is from San Juan Car Company as parts are exquisite are the brake clevises. The levers were from a Grandt Line AB but, alas, aren’t set that I had previously raided for pieces. Chooch Enterprises available sepa- is selling a detail set that contains new scale ladders, bracketed rately at this time. grab irons, brake rigging, and other parts. The set contains I used some enough parts to do 4 cars (See the Product News notice in 0.020" wire to OST#2). I used some of the parts from this set to do the end simulate the door platform located below the brake wheel. You can use the Inter- handles. mountain parts as a guide for locating the AB parts and piping. Lastly, you can The interconnecting pipes and brake rods were made from add the tack 0.020” brass wire. Pre-drill the AB parts before installing boards to doors them. The air hoses and angle cocks are from the Back Shop and the ends. The

32 • O Scale Trains Seal the dry transfers before starting MATERIAL LIST AND SOURCES: any weathering. I used Floquil Flat Fin- 1937 AAR Boxcar kit (#20199) Inter- ish with good results. The weathering Mountain Railway Company P.O. Box 839 Longmont, CO 80502 was done with an alcohol wash called http://www.intermountain- RUSTALL. I used black and rust colors. railway.com/index2.html This material allows you to build up Central of Georgia Dry Transfers (# CG the colors slowly. The weathering effect 373) GREG KOMAR DRY TRANSFERS 15532 Woodway Drive, Dept “N” TAMPA, FL 33613 RUSTALL weathering finish- KURAS DESIGN GROUP 112 Point Lobos Avenue San Francisco, California 94121 U.S.A. Phone: (415) 752-5724 FAX: (415) 387-7568 http://www.rustall.com/ Couplers (#5102), trucks (#215P) and AB Brake Set (# ) - SAN JUAN CAR COMPA- stirrups were left over parts from the NY P. O. Box 1028 Durango, Colorado Chooch/Ultra Scale II NP War Emer- 81302 Phone: 970-385-5256 gency boxcar kit. You could bend them 1937 AAR Boxcar Detailing Set (#610) up out of flat wire. The stock stirrups are Chooch Enterprises, Inc. Ultra Scale II incorrect for the car. can be removed if you don’t like the end P.O. Box 217 Redmond, WA. 98073-0217 425-788-8680 fax 425-788-4170 email: The car is equipped with working results. If you study the photos of the [email protected] http://www.choochen- bottom operated cut levers. The idea for finished model you will see the chalk terprises.com/ this came from Scott Spears. My levers markings I added using a white art pen- PROTO48 33” Wheels Protocraft 3165 were bent from 0.019" steel wire and cil. It is an idea that came from reading California Street San Francisco, CA attached with a small Details Associates one of Richard Hendrickson’s article on 94115-2412 APEX Roof walk (DP HO lift ring. You will need to enlarge the 0841) Des Plaines hole at the bottom of the drop pin. Hobbies 1468 Lee The roof walk is the last detail to add. Street Des Plaines, I used an etched stainless steel Apex IL 60018 style available from Des Plaines Hob- 847-297-2118 bies. I added 0.010" x 0.030" styrene strips to the top of the roof walk sup- ports. This provides a wider surface to mount the steel part to the plastic roof casting.

PAINTING, LETTERING AND WEATHERING: The process starts with washing the model in warm soap and water followed by a wash in alcohol. I painted my model with Poly Scale Oxide Red. It is a water-based paint and produces a very smooth matte finish. Greg Komar Design produces the lettering. The letter- ing is very sharp and is properly spaced on the backing film. It is best to cut out a large section and tape it on one edge to the carbody. This creates a hinge that will allow you to lift the backing without losing registration.

O Scale Trains • 33 Crapola need plans, data, photos and for me, varia- In two hours, I was on the phone to Paul and tions. Getting a set of plans out of a book is we started business that night over the tele- one thing. How do you know if they are phone, based on my friend’s recommenda- from the right? Because they were published? You tion that Paul and I were soul mates, half an need to know class numbers, capacities, earth away. Pecos River Brass’ first import build dates, colors, etc. You need to know was a Santa Fe tank car, Tk-G, Tk-H, Tk-I Cupola what the prototype looks like on the other and Tk-J in HO Scale, built by Paul side on the same day. You get a photo of box Berntsen’s Model Company in Auckland, John C. Smith car #10056 taken in June 1944, and a photo New Zealand. There were 400 total, but the Pecos River Brass of the other side of box car #10058 taken in first 100 arrived in December 1984, and March 1936. Same class? Probably. Same were sold out at $75 retail before they ever Chapter III paint scheme? Maybe. Same details? Per- arrived. This was going to be easy, and my haps the brake system was changed from builder spoke English... sort of. I was a charter member of the Santa Fe KC to AB in 1940. Perhaps this car had a Paul hired 4 people to work in his facto- Modeler’s Organization, and before that, a map on one side and a slogan on the other, ry, and built the 400 HO SF tank cars over 4 member of the previous Santa Fe modelers but the map was changed in 1942. You are in months for me. Then he did 100 of the Tk-I group out of Massachusetts. When that a lot of trouble unless you either know, or and Tk-J class in O Scale. They were also an organization needed administrative help, I know Richard Hendrickson. instant sellout. volunteered as I had time on my hands and I All of these people were very important, It was time for a locomotive. I had could type. Soon that position moved me up but they didn’t know the business or much always liked my HO Santa Fe 2-6-2 1800 into the presidents office (merely a figure- about it. That was the next step. Richard’s class prairie and thought that would be an head job at that time.) My year to lead the first suggestion to me was a Santa Fe tank excellent choice in O. Because there were organization was 1984, and at the conven- car in 4 classes that was very important to many common parts to the Santa Fe 4-4-2, tion in Albuquerque, NM, I did my job, and Santa Fe Modelers. It was a Santa Fe car we had an instant follow up. I did my home- at the end of the convention, met with only, and probably will never be done in work and worked with several O scale Richard Hendrickson in my hotel room. I mass production. Richard Polouse was “experts” to get the drive right, the right asked Richard about his ideas on what drawing the plans and Richard Hendrickson motor, the right everything and got started might be a welcome addition to the brass had all the photos and data I needed. Would I can tell you this. I have one out of the world, and he exploded with ideas. Most of it sell? How many should I build? Where first batch of SF 2-6-2s, and after about an them were Santa Fe freight cars in HO Scale should I advertise? Which one of the Korean hour of work on it, it ran terrific and still because there is nobody more knowledge- builders should I use? does. However, Paul was a custom builder able about Santa Fe freight cars than Dick. I then got very lucky. A friend from New and did things a little differently than we That was fine, he fit right into what I want- Zealand was visiting me in the states and were used to seeing out of Japan and Korea, ed. suggested I use a New Zealand builder and the model met with a lot of resistance Even better, not only did he know what named Paul Berntsen. I had never heard of here in the USA. I will defend it to this day, was needed, but he knew where to get the him, and my guest knew little about him but the arguing about it was one factor that information. He could provide some data except for reputation. I had another friend, a made Paul decide to stop exporting. More and knew where to find the rest. I had done New Zealand native, who was about to come important, he was a model builder. He soon enough post graduate work to understand to the states for another business trip. I called found himself doing office work, and his not only research, but one very important him that night and found out he would be four employees were building the models. thing. It’s not as important to know every- leaving in 48 hours for the states. I told him He didn’t like that and closed his small fac- thing as it is to know where to find out what that I would pick him up at the airport, IF he tory. He is still a friend and still a custom you don’t know. Guys like Richard Hen- would find out everything he could about builder with more work in New Zealand, drickson, John B. McCall, Charlie Slater, Paul Berntsen before he left. England and Australia than he can do, but Tom Chenoweth and Loren Martens were That night, my friend and his wife had no longer does any production for anyone very helpful to me. Of course there were tea with Paul Berntsen and his wife and saw that I know of. others, but now I had more ideas than I had first hand his operation. When my friend I was back to looking at Korea for my builders. arrived at DFW airport, I was there and we model factory. ◆ This involves step one... the data. You discussed Paul all the way back to my house.

34 • O Scale Trains BBEEGGIINNNNEERR’’SS KKIITTBBAASSHHIINNGG -- You Can Do It If I Can

David Dent

It was a dark and stormy night. The met the SP in El Paso, Texas.) One can to try this until I was fortunate enough storm had kept me awake so I finished still buy stock in the land company that to attend a seminar at the national in reading an article by John C. Smith (of holds the right-of-way from the old Stamford, Connecticut last summer. Pecos River Brass) in an old O scale T&P (Symbol: TPL). George Losse encouraged me by show- magazine. He described how to use the These interests collided to make a ing that even a little change can produce Weaver PS-2 covered hopper as a start- desire to build a T&P covered hopper. I big results. So I took on the project. ing point for making other covered found I could use the Weaver hopper as In his article, John described filling hoppers including one with square a starting point. I found a friend in Greg the holes left by the removal of the hatches. John had mostly noted Komar who made the dry transfer sets round hatches from the Weaver PS-2 hopper. His suggestion was to sand the whole roof. However, I found it easier to simply cover the roof with a thin sheet of styrene to get a new flat and smooth surface. Then I glued the square hatches into place. Next were the sides. Weaver had the right spacing on the ribs but a center rib needed to be added. Using a flat strip and then a round styrene of appropriate size did the trick. Paint, the dry transfers, and dullcote finished the model. changes to Santa Fe models. I thought used to letter this model with most For a first try, I thought it came off to myself, “Gee, I wish I could do that.” excellent results. Then, I needed square very well. The Lionel trains I had as a kid hatches. I attended my first O scale The point is not that this is a great went around the Christmas tree as did national convention in Denver, Col- model. The point is that if you can most everyone’s. After marriage, I dab- orado. Caboose Hobbies there has imagine it, YOU CAN DO IT. bled in HO as my son was young and I everything imaginable and I found the Now, get to it and happy railroading! thought he would take an interest. He square hatches. ◆ did but so did his playmates. The car- I still had not mustered the courage nage that resulted took many hours to repair. When I reached the bifocal age, I discovered an Atlas O scale boxcar at the hobby shop and I was hooked. I live in Shreveport, Louisiana. On the way to work each day, I would pass the old Texas & Pacific passenger sta- tion. It still stands today. This sparked an interest in the T&P. I found that Congress in the late 1800’s had granted the T&P a charter to lay rail from Shreveport to California. (Eventually, it

O Scale Trains • 35 “The Rebel” CM&O Alco G109 Southern Pacific “Daylight” PAs Fred Townsend, Fullerton CA 2000 Carl Becker, Felton CA 2000

Sierra Pacific Logging (On3), Depress Center Flat with Cat 4-4-0 Inspection Locomotive “Ethel” No. 470 Fred Verrier, Cupertino CA 2000 3rd place Winner Larry Peterson 2000 Maintenance of Way

Rod Miller, originator of OSW and meet seller Union Pacific Big Boy owned by Bill Galagher. 2002 3rd place winner-Steam Locomotives

Union Pacific Wrecker Crane, UP906761 Baltimore & Ohio 4-6-2 “President Grant” Errol Spangler, Sunnyvale CA 2000 2nd Place Winner Errol Spangler, Sunnyvale CA 2002 3rd Place Winner (tie) Maintenance of Way Steam Locomotive

36 • O Scale Trains O SCALE WEST by Jim Ferreira Photos by Jim and Leonard Ferreira

In the late 1980’s, after attending sev- facilities which are part of the Santa liaison duties. Errol Spangler handles the eral O Scale meets, Rod Miller noted that Clara Convention Center. OSW 2000, meet car selection, production, and sales all of the recent, and up coming O scale 2001 and 2002 also were held at the while Don Olsen assigns exhibitors to meets, with the exception of one in Texas, Westin Hotel. tables and puts on a wonderful movie were ‘east’ of the Mississippi River. The The three day meet consists of the tra- program. John Houlihan recruits and national O scale convention was occa- ditional dealer’s room, movies, model- manages the clinics, Scott Irby is in sionally held in the west, the last in 1986 ing clinics, model and photo contests, charge of door prizes and Bob Dupont in Burlingame, in the San Francisco Bay and layout visits. The convention is handles scheduling and organizing of Area where Rod lives. Strange, he advertised as a two day meet, Friday and layout visits. Rod handles the pre-regis- thought, as much of O scale comes from Saturday, however on Thursday, along tration front end, along with writing the California and the West. Rollin Lobaugh with registration, clinics are typically newsletters and arranging publicity, this started in the 1930s in San Francisco. given and movies are shown. Layout vis- in concert with Bob Bunch running the Minton Cronkhite lived in Southern Cali- its are scheduled for all three days, plus pre-registration back end and handling fornia. Max Gray was in Santa Clara (SF one or two days before and after the walk-up registration at the meet. Bay Area). USHobbies was based in meet. There are also several modular Committee member Gary Schrader Fresno, in the San Joaquin Valley. layouts displayed and operated during produces the layout visit maps that are Athearn was in Los Angeles. Precision the meet. now printed in color by PARC. Jim and Scale Company was in Woodland, near OSW continues to attract manufac- Leonard Ferreira are the official photog- Sacramento. And on and on. turers and commercial model dealers raphers, and take care of posting selected In 1989 Rod decided to organize an O from all over the country, making the photos on the Internet and to interested scale meet for the following year in the February meet the place to see and hear magazines. Dick Bettinger is the record- San Francisco Bay area. O SCALE about all of the latest offerings in O ing secretary for the monthly committee WEST (OSW) seemed appropriate scale. Local model dealers and individu- meetings. He also takes on the duty of enough a name. Mid-February was cho- als make up the bulk of the swap meet, running the model and photo contest dur- sen for the date as it was distant enough however attendees from as far away as ing the meet. And of course there are from end-of-year holiday festivities, Canada, Australia, Japan, Korea, many more un-named committee mem- Super Bowl, and all of the usual O scale Switzerland, England and Belgium can bers that help out as needed before, dur- events. Unfortunately, the Bay Area expe- be found. Local and regional clubs and ing and after the meet. rienced a sizable earthquake in October historical societies often sponsor tables The well attended 2002 meet had of 1989 which seriously impacted the as well. almost 200 dealer tables and four operat- regions infrastructure, and the meet was Rod firmly mans the OSW helm, but ing modular layouts. Over three hours of called off. he is quick to credit his devoted crew of movies were shown. Nine clinics were As it turned out, postponing the first volunteers for the success of each meet. given on a variety of subjects ranging meet for a year allowed more time for The O Scale West Committee, as they from the construction of cantenary over- local O scalers to get the word that a meet are known, can only be described as the head to DCC. And this year 23 home and was in the works for 1991. Many came proverbial well-oiled machine. The club layouts were open for attendees to forward offering their assistance which Committee meets several times through- visit the day before the meet began, dur- eased the burden on the core group of out the year, each member reporting on ing the meet, and three days after the volunteers assisting with organizational progress in their area of responsibility. meet ended. details. And to assure that committee meetings OSW 2003 will again be held in the Rod recalls that the first OSW was begin promptly, the last member to same location as the last three meets - the worrisome, as there was no way of know- arrive is delegated the all important duty Westin Santa Clara on February 13th ing whether the meet would pay for itself. of providing cookies for the next com- through the 15th. An LSSAE to OSW, As it turned out, the first meet, like all that mittee meeting. Needless to say, meet- 876 Boyce Avenue, Palo Alto, CA have followed, was well attended by sell- ings seldom start late. Rod indeed runs a 94301-3003 will get you the October ers and attendees alike. The first three tight ship. 2002 newsletter which will contain full meets were held in San Mateo, the 1994 Committee member Dwayne Coate, details on the 2003 meet. You may also meet in the East Bay, in Union City. The who recently moved out of the Bay visit the O Scale West web site at next three meets were again held in San Area, developed the hotel liaison process [http://www.rodmiller.com/osw.shtml]. Mateo. In 1998 OSW moved to the Santa for the meets and worked as hotel liaison And photos from the OSW “Favorite Clara Convention Center just north of for past meets. Dwayne still sets up the Model” contest are also posted on the San Jose. The facilities were sufficiently meet budget and does the accounting. web at large that all of the selling tables could be Bob Plageman is Event Manager during [http://www.lafterhall.com/oswmod- placed in a single large hall. The follow- the meet, he also works closely with Neil elphotos.html]. ing year OSW utilized the Westin Hotel Chichizola, both now taking on the hotel ◆

O Scale Trains • 37 Reader Feedback

Dear Joe, Trains” arrived today and I’m impressed with the erated it at will, my J1 could start and keep it I just received my first issue of O Scale Trains increase in size and the skyrocketing circulation rolling but not accelerate the train. and I have to say I am very impressed. I read the you reported in the accompanying letter about During the Fair running, Bill and I would be issue cover to cover, and I enjoyed each feature. Buy-Sell-Trade ads. (If you’re going to have a on a shift by ourselves and we had 3 main run- More specifically I like the way you feature a lay- problem, this would seem to be the kind to have. ning loops and we would run 6 trains at once, 2 out with enough facts to fully understand the lay- Your solution seems very sensible). on each loop. Them tuscan red cars were running out construction and materials, yet deliver the I have two little comments: (1) I have everywhere. Those were the days. flavor of the project. I like the liberal use of large searched, but cannot find any indication of publi- Dick Bregler format color photos so the details of the subjects cation date in either Issue #1 or #2. Have I missed Dick, Thanks for the extra info about Mr. Wolfer. can be seen. The features are interesting and it. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to appear someplace informative and the departments are instructive for purposes of posterity if nothing else? (2) I Dear Joe: and thought provoking. I like your approach hunted and hunted for a caption of the beautiful Just wanted to let you know that issue number detailed in “Observations.” I believe your analy- centerspread picture of PRR 3750 in the Premier two of O Scale Trains made it to my mailbox yes- sis of the two rail Hobby is accurate. My friends issue, but haven’t found it (if one’s there). When terday. Now, allow me to “rate” issue #2. On a and I will attempt to get some material together #2 arrived, I thought at first that there again was scale of 1 to 10, it would be about an 11! The arti- for you. Again all the best to you and your staff, no centerspread description, but then I spotted it cle on converting a 3 rail MTH GE diesel to 2 rail We will eagerly await the next issue. in a box in a block of advertisements on Pg. 26 was really well done and with expert craftsman- Bill Young, Rochester, New York two pages ahead of the picture (nearly missed it). ship and skill on the part of the modeler. All of the These are not complaints. I am enjoying the content seemed to be well done. The parts that I Joe, magazine “muchly.” Just thought as an old editor enjoy the most are the construction articles, prod- The magazine is just great and will be suc- I’d pass along these comments. (I expect at this uct reviews and the photo spreads. Speaking of cessful if you keep with it. Patience. The articles stage you’re still involved with a lot of fine-tuning product reviews, I hope for their sake that Atlas O from your readers will come. Like the large for- and “tweaking.”) 2rail turnouts are really going to be available next mat on the pictures and the articles by John Smith Best wishes, Norm Wright month because that is when I will be placing an and especially Harry Hieke. Incidentally, Harry Norm, you are correct, there are no explicit dates on order for some turnouts and crossovers. If the redid a Joe Dorazio PRR K-5 Pacific for me last issue #1 or #2. However, you can infer dates from the UPC Atlas stuff is actually available then, I will split the month and it is out of this world, but you know code. The far right side shows a two digit code. Issue #1 was order between them and Old Pullman (You really the work he does. It’s okay to “preach to the "03" for March and issue #2 was "05" for May. The copyright got to get Beat Hug as an advertiser) otherwise choir.” After all, we are the ones in the “pews” inside gives you the year. However, as you can see from the Old Pullman will get the entire order. The articles and we came to listen. contents page of this issue we now include a month and year. by Harry Hieke are really informative and I appre- Ernie Burkart As for the centerspreads, reader feedback suggested we not ciate the fact that he does not mind sharing some clutter up the spread with any text. So, we have to find space of his “tricks of the trade” so we can all improve Hi Joe; as best we can for the info. There was no caption for issue #1. on our modeling skills. Issue #2 is great, keep it up. I have a comment As of today, the final touches are being com- about the Kriigel photos. This is not criticism but Joe, pleted in our shop/train room. All the insulation a wish. The picture at the bottom of page 8 needs Issue #2 arrived in Irvine, Calif. It was just and drywall are in. The drywall is being taped some revision! Drop the bridge, get rid of the great and I especially appreciate your write up on and mudded as we speak which will be followed buildings and water tank, replace the J3a Hudson my ole buddy Bill Wolfer. by paint and a floor in the train room. After the with my scratchbuilt Erie K-1 Pacific and a pair Bill joined our O Scale club at the Orange benchwork is in I will send you some construc- of Car Works Stillwells and drop in a second County Fairgrounds when he came out here in tion photos if you would like. track. Then you would re-create a scene that I 1980 and shortly after that we lost our building Pete Klick saw every morning on my way to school in there and club disbanded. So Bill and I joined the Tenafly, New Jersey in the late 40’s. Pomona club and together we would roll the Hello Joe! I spotted Reed Artim’s station from across the Pennsy stuff until the rest of the club members Letting you know that your magazine arrived room at the Stamford “O” scale meet last July. became jealous with envy. I am the guy who Friday, 5/10/02. Thanks for the good service and He did a magnificent job of building the station made all the brass passenger car sides that Bill an interesting magazine. I enjoyed both of the as it was originally. It went through several transi- made his cars from and it seems every few weeks issues that I have received. Keep up the Good tions over the years, but someone finally got the the club members would see a new passenger Work! In living memory, there has not been a idea to put it back the way it was built. It’s too train rolling on the layout. Model RR magazine publisher who communi- bad the Northern Branch (formerly ERIE) is now This club seemed to be made up of members cates so well with his subscribers. I think this a single track CSX freight only line and the sta- who only ran their equipment during the 2 week goes a long way in building trust, reliability and tion is a commercial property. Fair time. Bill and I ran our trains every Tuesday loyalty in you and your magazine. It’s a pleasant Bob Garrelts, Tarpon Springs, Florida night. I have a Westside PRR J1 that has pulled feeling. Again, thanks for a “breath of fresh air” Bob, contact Jeb directly. He can recreate any scene you 136 cars on our layout. It has the original open in the O Scale world! ◆ desire. That's what Get Real Productions is all about. field motor and I will not change it until it quits. Bob Plageman Bill had a French brass electric body that he Hi Joe, adapted to his GG1 chassis, just the drivers, and The copy of the second issue of “O Scale that loco pulled the same 136 car train and accel-

38 • O Scale Trains Modeler’s Shelf Photos of our reader’s models

Don Grabski calls this “Ten Evenings In A Seattle Motel Room.” He says, “My company often sends me out of town for training and not being a bar or Sight-Seeing-Alone person I knew I would have time on my hands. I gath- ered materials, loaded them in my van with my tools & luggage and spent ten evenings constructing this diorama. I used one section of Atlas O scale flex, an MTH Full length Vista dome car, Atlas Station Platform Kit, and the MobileGas Station came last birthday, a gift from my wife. [The diorama] now resides on a file cabinet in my office at home. It is not finished... someday! ” Check out Don’s website at: [http://www.daylightdon.com]

This is a scene from Ron Lucock’s layout in Steel City, Pa. He is modeling the railroads that served the city of Phillipsburg, New Jersey. (There’s 12 in all.) Ron scratchbuilt nearly every structure on the layout. We will have a feature on Ron’s layout soon.

Another scene from Ron Lucock’s layout in Steel City, Pa. This is the passenger yard serving the terminal in Phillipsburg.

O Scale Trains • 39 Building a PRR B8a 0-6-0 John Sauers - Conclusion Left Side Details (Fig 12a). Fig. 12b Carefully study photos of the selected locomotive for placement of details. Add a non lifting Nathan injector and water line to front of tank. The brackets are made from brass,and lots of cast nuts and bolts. Add the lagged line from the cab to the air pump. I filed some of the lagging off as per the picture. The lagged steam line from the steam dome to the generator is added next. A control rod from the steam dome to the cab with universal joint was added at this time. The sec- tioned sand dome (from Part 1 of this series) with sand valves was next.

Fig. 12a pipes to the front of the engine, air line to the pilot, sand lines (Fig 14a), and for effect the cab door is opened. The air lines

The sand line piping from the sand dome down to the driv- ers is made in two parts. Part one extends from the sand dome Fig. 14a to just below the running boards. Part two is attached to the frame so you can disassemble the loco. The air control lines to the pilot are different for each application. Number 2796 in run over the top of the tank, down in front of the steam dome, 1957 has a glad hand on the front. Others had a quick discon- along the top of the boiler and into the cab. Each one is con- nect (See Fig 14b). On the rear, I added a quick disconnect. trolled by a globe valve. Next the generator lines are connected. See Fig 12b for Ashpans (Fig 15) front left for generator lines. The headlight is a small light. I Allow 6 scale inches used a modernized PRR headlight and used just the rear to extend beyond the reflector section as this looks firebox sides. I added about right. Add bell and air vertical pieces to the line to cab. Add a rope to whis- bottom of the firebox. tle. Oh! The whistle, relief The ashpan and door valves and water hatch are was constructed accord- from Precision Scale. ing to the drawings. You could make the whole Right Side Details (Fig 13) thing operate,I think, but The right side details are I settled for just looks. arrived at by looking at other Let’s face it, who really B8a engines and improvising. knows how the linkage (Don’t tell anyone and I won’t works? If you do, let me Fig. 13 tell either.). On my B8a I put Fig. 14b know. 40 • O Scale Trains Rear Bunker & Sill (Fig 17) Add handrails as shown, lift bar, brackets, tools, tool sup- ports, and rear steps.

Fig. 15

Brake Rigging (Fig 16) A single brake cylinder is mounted vertically between the frame just behind the cylinders. The brake shoes are mounted Fig. 16 Fig. 17 Various Brackets (Fig 18) These drawings show various brack- ets used on the B8a as well as other PRR engines. That’s it! ◆

Fig. 18

(John has told us he is working on a PRR E1 and will probably submit it as a more detailed construction article. If you have comments on John's methods and would like to see more of his work, please let us know. - Ed.) on an assembly fabricated using the drawings as a guide. The whole assembly is mounted as one piece to the rear driver retaining screws at the back and the brake cylinder at the front.

Handrails Assemble the handrails, add unions and junction boxes as necessary per your photos.

O Scale Trains • 41 The Public Delivery Track Locomotives - 2 rail and 3 rail Buy, Sell, Trade Atlas..New..RS-1..NH, NYC, Rut. PRR, LIRR..$319-$359 SW's..SusyQ, Raritan, LV, Rdg, PRR, B&M, EL..$225-$349 SD-35's..SusQ, B&O, UP, BNSF, WM, CNJ, CR..$299-$379 Dash 8's..$309-$349. AEM-7..$225...w/ 3 pass cars $349 Nickel Plate/48: models, decals, parts for ern, others. Over 100 lines of trains items Weaver..Sharks, C-628/630, E-8's, SD-40's..$249-$429 ...2-8-0 Consolidation..$469-$549. RS-11's...$235-$295 NKP O-Scalers. War baby cabooses, and related. Fax: 412-766-4213 or write: ...RS-3/RSD-5..Rdg, Erie, NH, CNJ, WM, D&H..$235-$295 ...U25-B's..RDG, LV, D&H, PRR, MILW, BN....$179-$295 NKP-WLE 60 ton offset side hoppers by Mail Order Trains Plus, 349 Roosevelt ...GP-38's..CSX, MMID, L&N, RDG, ICG, CP...$235-$295 Yoder, NKP-C&O hoppers, NKP Passen- Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237-1024 MTH Premier..E-8's, FA's..$449-$549. PRR P5a..$449 ..H10-44, Centipede, GP-30, AS-616, C30-7, SD-60.....call ger cars. Sign on for newsletter-mailing ..F40, F59, SD-60, GP-7/9/20, FM, EF-4, BL-2..$249-$349 Brass..0-6-0, B-6, L-1, Niagara, NKP Berk...$395-$695 list: M. David Vaughn, 13732 Lakeside FOR SALE: USH UP 4-8-4, 2 tone grey; K-line..B-6's, E-8's, F-3's, GP-38's, RS-3's....$249-$525 Dr, Clarksville, MD 21029-1345 Passenger Sets w/Interiors Sunset Cab in front AC5 w/Vanderbilt Weaver..New..Pullman-Bradley "American Flyer" cars- tender; Overland UP M-10000 stream- ..NH, LV, B&M, CNJ, PRR, RDG..$419. 2-car add-on $219 MTH Railking..CNJ, D&H, Rdg, NYC, PRR..$129-159 FOR SALE: Westside Pennsy J1; USH liner; PSC SP cars. 925-935-1199, Bill Premier..CNJ, Erie, LV, PRR, NYC, NH, Amtk..$189-299 K-line - PRR, Reading, NYC, LIRR, Amtk..$299-449 Pennsy M1a; MG B&O EM-1; OVL B&O Kennerley, 1330 El Curtola Blvd, Box Cars - 2 rail and 3 rail S1a; Pennsy Brass Cabooses. 704-814- Lafayette, CA 94549-6016 Atlas..50'..ACL, SF, BAR, L&N, RG, MILW, SAL..$55-$60 New..Wood Sheathed..B&O, CNJ, NYC, PRR, SP..$45-$50 0175, David Gale, 114 Sardis Mill Dr, New..40' MEC, B&M, PRR, MILW, NYC , more..$25-$39 50' plug..PLM, FEC, IC, CNW, Purina, BM, UP..$32-$50 Matthews, NC 28105-6507 FOR SALE: Ptd/Ltrd RTR w/Athearn 60'..DT&I, MKT, NS, CSX, 50th Aniv, B&O, EL,..$35-$47 trucks, Kadees; MG505 Composite twin Pecos River..Erie, NKP, KCS, CBQ, NYC, WAB..$39 New..C&O, B&O, WM; 50' w/end door SF, UP, NYC..$44 FOR SALE: Espee Steam, MG, USH, Sun- hopper Lehigh Valley; PSC 15117 PRR Weaver..40'..ACL, ATSF, BAR, B&O, B&M, CBQ, CNJ, CGW, CN, CP, CV, D&H,DTSL, Erie, GN, IC, LV, NH, NP, set, Overland, Westside, Precision, GLa twin hopper ltrd Jamison Coal & NYC, PC, PLE, PRR, Rdg, SOU, WM, UP, more..$25-$30 50'..BAR, CR, LV, PRR, SCL, SOU, UP, oldies...$25-$30 Lobaugh, etc. Any condition. Also brass Coke Co. $185 ea. SSAE for list. 949- Refrigerator Cars - 2 and 3 rail diesels, small to large, old and new. 857-0880, [[email protected]], Dick Wvr/Crown..NYC, B&M, PRR, LV, BAR, REA..$25-$32 [[email protected]] Albert E Bregler, 14851 Rattan St, Irvine, CA New..57' Mechanical...$27.95, with sound..$37.95 Schlitz, Century, W/house, Hoods Milk, Squirrel Peanuts, Espinosa, 316 E Camden Ave, El Cajon, 92604-2909. Edelweis, Heileman,Dubuque, Monarch, Pyramid..$27-$30 Atlas..Erie, MDT, Niblets, WP, Boote, Kraft, others..$55-$90 CA 92020-4504 Covered Hoppers - 2 and 3 rail FOR SALE: Harrisburg “O” Scalers 14’ x ¥¥Weaver PS-2¥¥ Bakers, Jack Frost, Wayne Feed, Boraxo Revere, Goiden Loaf, BN, CBQ, CNJ, CNW, CP, CSX, D&H WANTED: Saginaw H10 and Saginaw E- 53’ Modular (sectional) “O” Scale layout. EL, LV, MEC, NH, NYC, PRR, Rdg, UP..20+more..$25-$30 Wvr C'flow or Grain..CR, LV, NYC, PC, PRR, Sask, 6, as well as Saginaw E-6 tender. Also Layout includes four 4’ and eight 8’ Sunbeam, Amoco, Sclair, BN, UP, SP, RI, CNW..$25-$30 Erie Stillwell coaches made by The Car Atlas..Ches, NYC, BN, IT, TPW, K-M, Sterling..$33-$39 straight modules, plus ten modules form- Airslide..LV, D&H, SF, CSX, PRR, UP, F'stone....$35-$44 Works. 203-762-3829, Bob Morgan, 190 ing both ends of a double track oval. PS-4427..Wayne Fd, SOO, BN, SF, Cont., Carb..$54-$60 Coal Hoppers - 2 and 3 rail Sharp Hill Rd, Wilton, CT 06897-3126 Includes 24’ tandem axle trailer plus car- Atlas..ACL, CNJ, C&O, D&H, LV, NS, Rdg, WM.. $45-$55 rying/storage racks for entire layout. Lay- K-line...D&H, PRR, LV, CNJ, DLW, EL, Rdg...$40-$45 Weaver..B&M, CBQ,Chess., Clinch'fd, CNJ, C&O, DLW, We can make your model railroad out has been seen by thousands at Great ICG, CR, NH, NYC, NS, PRR, Rdg, UP, VGN, WM..$25-$28 New..Composite..B&O, C&O, PRR, RDG, CBQ....$24.95 dreams come true. Phone: 608-839- Scale Model Train Show, Timonium, Md. Tank Cars - 2 rail and 3 rail 4939, email: [[email protected]] For details, call Barry: 717-259-7176 or Weaver..BN, GULF, Herc., Trusweet, Allied, ADM, Army Ethyl, Diamond, Hooker, DuPont, W/hse,Bakers..$29-$35 Train Guyz LLC, 622 Oak St, Cottage George: 717-259-7078. MTH..Tank Train, Domino, Propane, Englehard...$25-$35 Atlas..Propane, ACFX, CNTX, Tech, Pfax, UTex,.$33-$50 Grove, WI 53527-9713 Flat Cars & Other Stuff! FOR SALE: SS 3rdRail Rio Grande Chal- Atlas...Auto Carriers, $85-$99. Pulpwood flats..$44-$49 New..Front runners..VTR, Xtra, CSX, Burlington.$59-$65 Reserve Weaver before it sells out and lenger. ?? Hours running time. Make Weaver Flats..B&O, CSX, CR, Erie, LV, BN, UP..$20-$30 Stock cars..CNW, Armour, PRR, Rdg, Erie, etc..$27-$32 might not be rerun. Firm reservations offer. If it’s too low, I’ll say “No thanks”, if MTH Premier..Snow Plows..CR, PRR, NYC...$30-$40 only. Fax: 412-766-4213 or write: Mail too high, I’ll counter. Ed Reutling. Flats/trailers-NS, BO, PRR, Rdg, CR, D&H, NYC..$25-$35 Schnabel, Cranes, Jord. Spreader, dump cars etc....call Order Trains Plus, 349 Roosevelt Rd, Ph: 423-467-5790 or email: K-Line Diecast Dbl-Stack $49.95. Coil cars.....$35--$40 16 wheel flat w/load..NH, Rdg, EL, PRR, WM, UP..$54-$59 Pittsburgh, PA 15237-1024 [email protected] Gondolas - 2 rail and 3 rail Atl/Ptsen..CNJ, N&W, PRR, GN, Rdg, C&O, NKP..$31.95 MTH - NH, SOU, D&H, LV, RDG, PRR, UP, B&O..$25-$45 FOR SALE: Autos, light, medium and SUMMER SALE: Send Self Addressed K-line..45' diecast..PRR, B&O, EL, Rdg, CNJ, CR..$32-$45 heavy trucks (40’s and 50’s modern). Cabeese - 2 rail and 3 rail Stamped Envelope to John Sauers, 620 Wvr..CP, B&M, IC, NH, NYC, Erie, LV, D&H, Rdg..$20-$35 Brooklin, Bruce, Arnold, Conquest, Wright Loop, Williamstown, NJ 08094 Atlas..BN, N&W, CR, DH, DMIR, RG, MEC, SF..$52-$60 MTH..ATSF, BN, D&H, UP, PRR, Rdg, CR, NYC..$30-$60 Durham Classics, Eligor tractor/trailers, K-line..SOU, NYC, Rdg, PRR, CR, D&H, EL, UP, NKP.$42-$75 Weaver cars w/Diecast Trks/Couplers, add $8.95 Light Duty, Madison, Small Wheels, USA The Public Delivery Track Models, US Model Mint, Victory, West- PO Box 1035 • Drexel Hill, PA 19026 610-259-4945 • [email protected]

42 • O Scale Trains Dealer Importer Roundtable The March O Scale Meet in Chicago has interested in doing good quality work. The prices year and half I’ve had fun with this, I hope that you become one of the premier events in the O scale are going up. The logistics are more difficult guys have bought things from me appreciate what community. Mike Hill of Hill’s Hobby is host for because the airline security issues and shipping and you got. I hope that you have enjoyed that and had the show and does a great job of mixing educa- freight and customs and duty. The bottom line is the opportunity to see what my builder has been tion in with the buying and selling. getting more difficult. It is a real challenge and it able to do. In general, I would like to say thank you This year, Mike moderated an evening takes a lot of persistence and perseverance to stick and continue to look for product coming from us in Roundtable Discussion with five brass importers. with it. But the other side of it is still a good chal- the near future. The discussion was lively and went for over an lenge and we still have fun doing it. Hopefully this hour. It is clear that the brass import market is in year it will be a turnaround and some of the basic Mike Hill: Just to get a little more insight, briefly, flux and competition for the consumer dollar is business concerns will smooth out a bit. let’s get some dealer’s viewpoints here. We have to fierce. Very fine plastic O scale, die cast and take it two ways; dealers that have stores and those brass products from China are making inroads Mike Hill (to Steve Grabowski):You just jumped in that don’t have stores and sell through the mail or at into what has been a strictly Korean market (who when the seas were really rough. shows like this. What’s your sense, Norm [Norm took it from the Japanese in the 70’s and 80’s.) Pullen of Norm’s O Scale]of the brass situation? Clearly, no love is lost between the 2 rail Steve Grabowski:Yeah, good timing. We made our And, parallel to it, what I see if I were importing importers and 3 rail importers, as you will see. contract on Sept 8 and the Korean was still in my brass models the threat of plastic models. residence when he was ready to go back on Sept 11. Mike Hill - moderator But we still went ahead with the project. We have Norm Pullen: It is a hard thing to say, I have not Introductions Brian Marsh with Overland Models gotten great support from everybody and decided to been in it that awfully long but in the time I have George Kohs with Kohs & Company Steve still continue on. We’re struggling, of course, to been I primarily started out with all brass and I Grabowski Keystone Model Works Henry Bultman build a real quality model. What George said is cor- could sorta see the hand writing on the wall a little Car & Locomotive Works Rich Yoder from Rich rect that prices are really not going to come down. earlier. I was behind Atlas from the very beginning Yoder Models Everyone thinks because of the way the Koreans and worked with them very closely. I saw what was work [prices will come down]. But [the prices] are available at the time, I’m talking about 3 or 4 years Mike Hill - It has been an interesting year to say the still going to be there, the labor is there, the standard ago. Brass was just escalating in price. There are least since we last meet, I am speaking as a of living is there. If you want quality models the cost people who want exact models and are willing to dealer,from my perspective things have been very will be there. I am just starting out, I have a rough pay the price. But the majority of the people don’t fluid. The prices of brass models have not been sta- road ahead but things are looking good for me any- have the pocket book for that and are willing to set- ble, a lot turmoil, a lot of changes. New model way. I am trying to continue on - I have a lot of tle for a little less. announcements, probably in some cases less, at the things planned anyway. Atlas has really opened up a whole new area and same time we had some new entries, new people, I think has done more for increasing the value and bringing in models, Steve for one, Rich started Mike Hill (to Henry Bultman): How long have you popularity of O scale than any manufacturer yet. about a year ago. We will keep the questions one at been at it... three years? People ask me what is happening with O scale and I a time. If any of you importers would like to make a see nothing but positive [effects]. My own business statement about where you think things are today in Henry Bultman: No, six years and I wish I could be has increased each year and the popularity of the the industry. Briefly, if you would like to say some- that optimistic. I am having talks with a new builder, plastic and the quality of the plastic has been out- thing about the industry and the brass situation Boo Rim [Henry’s Korean Builder] has decided that standing. Dollar for dollar... I like brass, and I know today? Brian? I am too difficult and my business style doesn’t we all like brass. But I am telling you if you are an match what he feels is conducive to a good future operator, if you are just a modeler and you are put- Brian Marsh: It has been a hellish year, by all plan. I can’t do his business and he doesn’t want to ting stuff on the shelf, then brass has a definite place. means. Business has been crazy, we are involved in do my style of model. He’d rather to do an easier But if you are an operator and you are looking at HO, N and O scale. Things are starting to come project and make his money that way. This new your trains and models from 2 or 3 feet away and if around for us in two of the scales, one of the scales builder is coming over April 3 - 9 to see my busi- you weather them, you will have a tough time (O) is kind of flat. We have done some sales but ness. He will look at the Boo Rim product and once telling the difference. Personally, I would just as hopefully there is some light at the end of the tunnel he sees what I really want, and understands where soon have 10 freight cars in plastic than 2 brass. and we can move out of it. But it has been definitely Boo Rim has been deficient, then I will sign a con- That is just one man’s opinion, I like brass. I sell a tough year filled with frustrations and a lot of hur- tract with him and the future for me hopefully will brass. I buy brass and I will continue to do so. But as dles that I don’t think any of us ever expected. be better. I am [currently] working with someone far as the popularity [of plastic] in the business is who really doesn’t want to do his best, and he just concerned, I feel that the plastic manufacturers, like George Kohs: It really has been a difficult year for a wants to have it as easy as possible. So with the new Atlas, have done such a great job, I think that O lot of reasons, probably the most obvious thing was builder, hopefully the future will be a little brighter. scale has a very bright future. I see it now with their after September 11th, what was already a rough But after six years its very disappointing, to have announcement of their two rail track system, which year from a business standpoint got even worse gone through all this aggravation, teaching, learning, I told them, if anything, coming out with an inte- which was not a lot of fun to deal with. The imme- new tools, trying to understand each other culturally grated two rail track system, that is going to help O diate issue was the terrorism attacks and to try to and then realizing that it doesn’t mean anything. The scale more than anything. It has been announced the maintain a small very focused dedicated business bottom line is money. How much does he have to prices will come out next week. The first product during that period was a real challenge because do for how much money. And he wants to do less will be delivered in June. The following product will most people did not want to talk about model trains for more. And its just impossible. be coming out in December, other switches. It is a or any thing of the like. If you try to talk to your brand new system, it has nothing to do with the old friendly banker and try to go through your normal Rich Yoder - I jumped into this a year and half ago, Atlas [O scale track] that you are familiar with. It is business routine that you normally do at other times, and unbeknownst to a lot of you, I had a lot of irons a whole new integrated track system. The switches it was extremely difficult to get things done. In terms in the fire a year and a half ago. Some projects take will be automatic or they can be manual. The whole of building models, it is more difficult now, today, more time than others, and some projects are a bit thing is an integrated system. People keep asking than it has ever been and I have been doing models more rewarding than others. Personal satisfaction why are they still doing the 36 in radius curves and for almost 14 year including the time with my can be measured in a lot of different ways. it’s not 40 in radius curves in sectional track. Obviously, brother. There are fewer builders, there are fewer always monetary. I’ve been appreciative the support they are looking ahead. We need to get the young competent builders, there are fewer builders that are that you people here have given me and over the last continued on page 46 O Scale Trains • 43 This little cutie belongs to Ed Modeler’s Reutling who built it. The super- structure is all cast urethane plastic. The loco Shelf represents a B&O Photos of our reader’s models H class consol.

The frame, drivers, side and main rods, valve gear, and couplers are metal. The plans used were in a Main Line Modeler. Ed says he must have done something right because at a show one fella walked up and said, “I didn't know anyone ever imported a B&O 2-8-0”.

Ed made the masters for the molds of various materials. The motor and drive are NWSL and the drivers are from the U.K.

Jim Hackworth

Buy/Sell/Trade MODEL TRAINS Consignments (and Subsidiary JH Consulting) 2631 Edgevale Road, Columbus OH 43221-1113 Phone:614-4514517 Fax:6144514557 E-mail: [email protected] MG SP GS 4-8-4,C/P Daylight ...... 1,695.00 SS FM Trainmaster, C/P SP Bloody Nose ...... 1,495.00 Fulgurex Stephenson Rocket N/P, OB ...... 1,995.00 OL GN 2-D-2 #5001/5002 Set C/P ...... 2,495.00 USH L&N 2-8-4,LN N/P OB ...... 1,295.00 CW FM H-20-44, N/P, OB, LN ...... 629.00 MG SP 2-6-0 w/Icken Gears and PSC Tender C/P ...... 1,495.00 Atlas C&O 2-Bay Hopper ...... 49.00 USH PRR K4 4-6-2,Late Run C/P, OB ...... 1,250.00 PSC# 15011 2-Bay OS Side Hopper C/P, Wtd, C&0 ...... 195.00 USH NYC L2a 4-8-2,Excellent, C/P, OB ...... 1,575.00 OM #0020 50' Flat, C/P ATSF ...... 295.00 PRB ATSF 4-6-4 F/P New ...... 1,095.00 PL #300 PRR R-7 Reefer C/P ...... 295.00 USH PRR 11 2-1 0-0, Nice C/P OB ...... 1,300.00 Priester C.Built Morrell Reefers each ...... 159.00 SS USRA Light 2-8-2,C/P Southern, OB ...... 795.00 MG # 120 TT Flats, C/P PRR w/USH RB Tks (30 available) each ...... 149.00 MG PRR E6 4-4-2,C/P NOB ...... 1,475.00 PRB 60' Greenville Boxcars Various Roads each ...... 300.00 MG SP MT4 w/lcken Gears C/P ...... 2,395.00 PRB 62' PC&F Boxcars Various Roads each ...... 300.00 ALCO PRR St.Lined K4,N/P, OB, Mint ...... 1,275.00 SS UP CA-1 w/side door F/P OB ...... 179.00 OM NP A5 4-84,C/P, Mint ...... 3,595.00 OM #0166 NP Z Class 4-6-6-4, C/P, Mint ...... 4,195.00 OM #0717 Reading Caboose LN N/P, OB ...... 285.00 USH AC 12 4-8-8-2, C/P ...... 3,495.00 OM #0752 NP Caboose C/P ...... 375.00 USH B&O 0-4-0, N/P OB ...... 495.00 Alco PRR N6a C/P or N/P each ...... 225.00 BLW D&RGW M64 4-84, F/P New ...... 1,450.00 PRB #4861B ATSF RPO #84,F/P, LN, OB ...... 595.00 OM #0434 ATSF H-10-44, C/P ...... 1,795.00 PSC C&O 10-1-2 Pullman Sam Houston, C/P ...... 625.00 OM #0429.1 Amtrak F40PHPh1, F/P Not Ltd OB ...... 750.00 PSC C&O 8-1-2 First Citizen C/P ...... 625.00 CW H16-44, C/P ...... 1,795.00 PRB Flats, Tanks, Plastic Boxcars ...... Call OM #0561 ATSF FM Erie Built AB Set F/P ...... 3,095.00 Leetown D&C 2-Truck Shay, C/P Blt by Lee Snover ...... 1495.00 OM #0561 ATSF FM Erie Built A Unit F/P ...... 1,795.00 (Above in ABA Set $4,550.00) PRB 1951 Super Chief Write MLW Bi-Polar, Klienschmidt Drive C/P ...... 3,395.00 5 Car CP Passenger Train w/MG 4-4-0 or call USH(KTM) GP35, Poor Paint, OB ...... 375.00 14 Car SS Congressional Limited Complete for USH(KTM) FP45, C/P Amtrak Fair Paint, 0B ...... 555.00 13 Car Lionel Smithsonian NYC 20th Cent Set, w/or w/o Key PAPB more info

LSASE for Complete List Estates/Liquidations Layaway Available Shipping 6% - $6.00 Min., $12.00 Max Collection Reductions Ohio Residents Add 5.75% Sales Tax Get Real Productions Events ...Continued from page 23 Prototypical Model Railroad Photography October 2002 Through the use of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City lighting, smoke, 4 & 5, Southwest O Scale Meet at Oklahoma City Community College, 7777 S May Ave., Oklahoma City, OK, Hotel: Ramada Limited - Reserva- fog, and steam, our tions: (405) 682-2211, Fri: 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Sat: 9:00 am to 4:00 photographs project pm. Info: George Wallace, 11937 Stratford Dr, Oklahoma City, OK special moods and 73120, (405) 751- 7649, Email [[email protected]]. portray the romance Massachusetts, Gardner of the rails. Our 12, Southern New England Model Railroad Club’s O Scale Train Show & artistic images are Open House at United Methodist Church, 161 Chestnut St. Dealers, dis- all photographed in plays, food; open house: features 20’x70’ DCC O Scale layout - 9:30 am to 4 pm; $5, family max. $8; tables: 6 foot table $15, 8 foot table $20 our studio and are before Labor Day. After Labor Day: 6’ table $20, 8’ table $25. Info: Bob unretouched for Jones, PO Box 272, Ballouville, CT 06233-0272; (860) 774-8622 or added realism. email [[email protected]] [http://www.snemrr.org/]. • Prints • Calendars • Posters Maryland, Timonium • Greeting Cards • Postcards • Custom Orders 12 & 13, Double Show: The Great Scale Model Train Show & The All- American High-Rail & Collectors Show, Maryland State Fairgrounds - 3 Call or write for our color brochure. acres of trains separated into sections, Scale (by gauge) and Hi-Rail. “Our photos make model trains look real!” Seven hundred plus tables in the Scale area; 500 tables available in the Get Real Productions Hi-Rail/Tinplate section. 11 Out of Bounds Road The Harrisburg O Scalers will have their display there. Palmyra VA 22963 Voice: 434-589-2660 • Fax: 434-589-4898 • [email protected]

December 2002 New Jersey, Pleasantville 7, 2-Rail O Scale Train Show sponsored by the Tuckahoe O Scalers at the Epiphany Lutheran Church Hall, Franklin Blvd & Tunis Ave - Sale 10 am to 4 pm; Clinics; $3, family $5; tables $15 for 1st table, $12 for each additional table (supports O Scale Layout Project at nearby Tuckahoe Railroad Museum; dealers checks payable to John P. Dunn, Sr.). Info: John P. Dunn, Sr, 38 E Revere Ave, Northfield, NJ 08225; (609) 484- 8125; email [[email protected]]. Got an event coming up? Make sure you send us the details.

O Scale Trains • 45 “Daddy, why doesn’t our stuff look like that?” [Lots Dealer Importer Roundtable ...continued from page 43 of laughter] First thing I say is, “Yeah Dad, why people interested in O scale. We don’t want them to what is available in trains. Every show I got to, I take doesn’t your stuff look like that?” The other [mixed] go to the 3 rail market. Atlas, I know, is going to be an O scale car with me and put it on my table, and I show in the Springfield meet up in Massachusetts. coming out with sets, now that they’re doing the can sell it to a Lionel guy when he finds out what it This year attendance was down but the put almost track, they’ll be coming out with sets in O scale. You is. Next week there is a show at Rockford, NMRA 19,000 people through that show in 2 days. It’s a are going to get the young group in and eventually show, 5000 people are going through that show. I mix, all scales, 3 rail, and O scale. The most impres- they will go to the bigger stuff. Atlas hasn’t forgot- will take about 10 pieces of O scale. and if every- sive thing there is a scale stack train. The crowd that ten us. They’re doing 40 inch flex track. They’re body in here would just go out, get to the public and train draws is phenomenal. So, while it’s nice to doing 7 1/2 switches and according to their popular- tell them what is available in trains. I call Lionel toy have the exclusivity of pure O scale meets, it’s hard ity they are going to be increasing that more and trains. I call O scale “trains” I think that the most... to draw new people into it [2 rail] if you’re exclud- more. after working on the real thing for 35 years and I see ing them right off the bat. In terms of pursuing I know Sunset is not here tonight. We do a big the cars that are built in brass, they’re the most real shows where you actively try to draw HO people in [business] with Sunset, too. They are not producing thing you can have in your house. I don’t care if its a as well as 3 railers and show them what’s available at the quality of Overland, obviously the best, but wood freezer or a brass freezer, they are just so much [in 2 rail] would be a major plus. they are doing a decent job on factory painted brass more realistic. In order to get this train thing rolling, cars that are selling for $160 to $170. Take a look at we have to get it really publicized and it’ll sell more. [From the audience]: I’d like to ask the panel, how them and you will be surprised. They really really high are you going to raise the bar in the amount of are nice. Sunset is also doing a very good job with Mike Hill: Well, that’s one of the missions of O detail that you incorporate in your models? George, their engines pricewise and in quality. They’re doing Scale Kings when we started back in Atlanta a few I just took delivery of one of your N&W Y6bs and it it for the three rail market as well as the two rail years ago to promote O scale. The advertising is the most beautiful piece I’ve ever seen. Henry, market and that enables them to produce the quan- money that has been directed, not the O scale maga- I’ve seen your stuff and there’s a little more detail tity necessary to get the price attractive. I can tell zine [O Scale News], we already know what that’s than Overland does. I know Steve [Grabowski] is you right now that out of the box their engines, for about, but at [Model Railroader and Railroad Model really into taking it [detail] to the next level. So, the price, run as good as anything I have ever seen. I Craftsman, and others] is to help spread the word. where are you going with that? How far do you go am not talking about 5 years or 3 years ago. I’m We who are taking O scale products to these 3 rail before it gets so expensive that nobody will buy it? saying in the last couple of years their product, out shows, mourn... but not a lot. The 3 rail world is of the box, runs very very nice. If anybody has any very much aware of it [2 rail O scale] and when we Steve Grabowski: There are two limitations, of questions, I would be happy to answer them? get into conversations, and this is something I always course, One is the actual physics of what you can bring up, I always get this into any conversation I build into a model, The other is how much informa- [From the audience]: Are they [Atlas] going to do a can with 3 rail people. They start talking about get- tion you have to get the detail to put into the model. steam engine? Norm: They won’t really tell me ting realism in their engines in 3 rail. I say where do These days you can do almost anything. I’m striving what they’re going to do. But, everybody thinks that you think that all came from? It came from O scale. (as most of us here are) to have brass at the top (of they are going to do a steam engine and I hope they O scale has been the greatest influence for your 3 rail the detail heap). There are different levels here do. Undoubtedly they will do... sometime, when I trains to be more realistic. which is good because that means there is a price don’t know. They are going to do the whole nine range for everyone. yards, no questions about it. [From the audience]: Our CB&Q Society has a train day once a year and I volunteered to go and set the Henry Bultman (shaking his head in disagreement): Mike Hill: I think the Atlas situation holds promise. train up and run it. People looked at that train and There is a “no man’s land” in the middle. You have a I saw a lot of 3 rail in the store and they were mak- asked what kind of train is that? I said it’s a K-Line. price range that a lot of people can afford that have a ing it known that Atlas 2 rail was coming. The reac- They said, well, where’s the Lionel trains? I said, maximum limit. No matter how much or how little tion is interesting. A customer that is buying a scale Lionel is like toys. detail you put in, they’ll never be able to afford it. hi-rail engine, cars, what have you, is over satisfied Price dictates their sale. For me, I’m looking for a right now. These people are now looking in the Mike Hill: I think the entry of plastic in the world in new builder, because for what I pay for my models, direction of the Atlas system and it is something O scale is a negative and a plus on both side of the my builder under-performs by at least thirty percent. they can take and get it in operation almost as fast as column, depending on where your perspective hap- I can’t compete with George [Kohs]. George is the 3 rail operation. They are looking more in the pens to be and where you are in O scale hobby. But going to “clean my clock” each and every time. If I direction of O scale, not the 3 rail version. So I think in the long run, I certainly to think that brass models pay something close to what George pays and my 3 years ago here in this room, we took a vote about are going to disappear. Where brass models are model has 30% less detail than his, there is no way 3 rail coming into the show and I think we had 6 really going to hold the line are car and engine spe- that I can stay in business. people for it and everyone else against it. [Lots of cific. With plastic they’re going to produce a lot of Laughs[. That is fine and it is going to help you keep one type of car and you’re going to get in every road [From the audience]: George is only building 100 this pure O scale atmosphere that we have had and on earth whether that road had it or not. That’s the pieces. wanted. But it could be a real interesting blend com- way its been. I just don’t see plastic getting as proto- ing from a 3 rail room and leaving the 3 rail behind. type specific as what you can get in brass. And, if Henry: I’m only doing 60 pieces of the SP 5000. Any questions that’s the case, brass will survive and we will have importers bringing it in. George? Steve: Quantity is a factor. [From the audience]: I have been at this about 5 years now. I work for the CB&Q for 35 years now George Kohs: One topic I want to pick up on, having Henry: The builders have a project price and what- as a conductor out of Aurora, Illinois. I didn’t really a vote about having 3 rail involved with some of the ever the quantity is, you divide that into the project care about the model trains or the railfans. Then, my select O scale meets. While I understand the ration- price. If they want $250,000 for an O scale project, son gave me a membership to the CB&Q Society ale behind that, in a large part that’s been a very large divide 100 or 200 pieces into that, whatever the five years ago. Right away I jumped into HO, then negative in terms of promoting O scale. There are a quantity is. But, in O scale you can’t sell 200 pieces Lionel. I went to a train show and a guy had an O couple of shows that are unique around the country of one thing. So as the quantity gets less and less, the scale model. I discovered O Scale. I bought the car. I where O scalers come in immediate contact with 3 price goes higher and higher. got about $25,000 in HO scale brass and Lionel. railers, one of those being O Scale West, because What I think we’ve got to do to get this O scale while O Scale West is going on, one of the largest 3 Steve: and, of course, that affects how much detail going... only a fraction of the public knows about O rail meets in California is going on. So you have an you want. The more detail you want, the more the scale trains. Look at the age of everybody that’s in interchange of people and it’s interesting to hear the project costs because more patterns have to be here. My boy is 38, I am 65... everybody is old. You comments from the 3 railers and the children of the made, more stampings have to be made... It’s seems have got to get it out to the public and let them know railers who come in to look at the scale stuff, over the past several years that people want to see

46 • O Scale Trains more detail on the brass. We can’t go back to the ing, pouring over drawings, flying back and forth to or steam engine in our current state. We have a rea- Max Gray era. the other side of the world — I might get my head sonable amount of other products. Soon as we clean chopped for this — the other folks that we’re talking out that stuff, yeah I’d like to do other stuff, AC- Henry: My builder wants the biggest price possible. about are people that take the work we do, speaking 4400’s, AC6000s, nice modern locomotives and let So, my customer is going to pay the same money as of MTH and all those other folks, put it on their little these guys slug it out over steam engines. he would for a Kohs piece. And it should be the computer and then “slam, bam, thank you ma’am, There are things that I’d like to do, I just don’t feel same quality. And, if I don’t have a builder that is you’ve got a #80 coal turbine for a $1000 bucks. comfortable in the economy the way things are right going to give me that reliably, each and every time We’ve got a $6000 coal turbine that we made 50 of now. A year, six months from now I sure hope we without standing over him with a shotgun, then I and people come into the booth and ask, “Oh, is that can bring some of this stuff back out and get going have to find someone new. a Mike’s Train House?” Well that’s because Mike’s again. I’m a modern diesel guy, that’s what Train House uses our models, uses Challenger Overland is known for and that’s what we do well. Mike Hill: Let’s try this scenario. Let’s suppose Models, Kohs models, probably Car & Loco mod- you’ve got Overland’s Powhattan Arrow cars, state- els, every damn one of us, to make their prototypes [From the audience]: I think one of the things that of-the-art cars, up to date for today, in every respect and they use photographs of our models in their ads. we need to remember, Brian Marsh is up here and and with an up to date price [Ed. note: The Overland And, we’ve got some O scale importers doing the Overland has been in the model making business for Powhattan Arrow cars go for about a $1000 each.] same thing. I realize there’s an economy. There’s a 26 years. You talk about someone who has raised the Now, let’s suppose there aren’t any Sunset high price to what we offer up here. I think we all try standards in our hobby it has been Overland. We Powhattan Arrow cars which are relatively easy to our damnedest to go out and make sure everything went from Max Gray and US Hobbies to an find. Let’s pretend they’ve never been made and is right. Overland has made some mistakes. We’ve Overland and that raises the bar tremendously. And we’re going to bring that car out as the economy been around for 26 years, yeah, there’s a bunch of when we look at someone who has been here for us model. Do you think it would sell? [Ed. note: the crap out there in some cases. There’s some things for 26 years we shouldn’t be upset because they Sunset cars bring about $400 to $500 each, are we’ve done that are really good. decide to see where the market is going. The chal- unpainted, have no interiors, and no lights.] The people that are represented here are here for lenge will be for the other four [importers here] to be a reason. We’ve been here. We’ve been fighting to here in 26 years. We need to commend Brian, and [From the audience]: Isn’t that what Weaver’s doing? do this. To say that Overland has not done anything, his father, Tom. [applause] that any of the folks up here have not done anything Mike: Well, yeah, they are [doing the Arrow] but to [further] the hobby... We try to bring in younger Mike Hill: I want to make a comment real quick rel- they’re not doing passenger cars in brass. Let’s have people, we’ve done AMD 103’s, SD40-2’s. C44-9’s, ative to importing brass models. I got involved a a show of hands, do you think an economy model Amtrak Superliner cars, all, kinds of thing for young project and made a very small contribution to getting train, in brass [would sell], after somebody like folks. Yes, it’s expensive. This hobby is very expen- that model produced. I put something on the order of Overland has brought out that [higher] level? sive. You can’t bring a teenager into this hobby with 18 to 20 hours and I didn’t think it would take that what we do. They don’t have that income. They’re long. I thought it would be a snap. I had almost all [From the audience]: If you can’t afford that top line worried about girls an cars. Most of you folks are the information I needed, and enough photos from brass, what’s your choice? professionals with extra income, hopefully have the my collection. Eighteen hours later, this is not a kids out of the way. So, that’s who we cater to. snap! I thought, “Wow, if that’s 18 hours worth, Mike:You don’t have an option if you want brass. what does these guys do for the whole project?” You can buy extruded aluminum cars, but I didn’t [From the audience]: I want to ask Brian a question. They must put in mega-hours. Keep that in mind. see everyone thundering into the store to buy those. Are you going to do anymore O scale? Give us a That’s part of the reason we pay the prices we do. So, will economy brass work in today’s world? Will commitment because I hate to see you get out of it. it keep the brass importer and the brass builder [From the audience]: I’d like to ask the importers happy because they’re bringing in and building more Brian: We canceled the projects that we did this about bringing in models other than rolling stock. units? December or January. Because, quite frankly,m the Overland brought in a bent truss bridge. But we builder was ready to put it out but I wasn’t ready to don’t have a nice brass through truss bridge. What [Audience]: What’s the point of brass, then? sit on 80% of the production. It’s a business deci- do you think about more models like that? sion. Luckily, my builder was willing to “stop the Mike: Probably what’s going to happen here, we’re presses” after he had started producing stuff because Steve: I looked into that, and as Henry said earlier, going to have high quality brass models, relatively, Overland models can’t afford the commitment right the Koreans work off a project price, will it be and they’ll be developed at lower volume. The next now to stock 70 or 80 percent of the production. It $70,000 or a $100,000. So, in order for us to look at importer who brings in a steam engine with the con- wasn’t something I wanted to do. The builder had that, and I have, we would have to sell $70,000 densate dripping on the ground, that’s it guys! already made the sample, spent $25 to $30 thousand worth of bridges which is a lot of bridges. One of the dollars. I said let’s wait, put it in the box and put the questions then becomes, “How much are you will- [From the audience]: It’s called Live Steam. brakes on it for a while. ing to pay for a bridge? Are we going back to the Overland has put stuff on sale and we continue to “economy” concept here? Are you looking for a Steve: When you say “economy” models, you have do it. We do it with cars and everything else in the $600 bridge, an $800 bridge? The research that goes to understand that a brass model is hand assembled, world, things go on sale. The economy dictates into a project like this runs several thousand dollars, hand punched, on a one by one basis. It’s not like what happens. We try to maximize our numbers to not counting the hundreds of hours that go into get- assembling automobiles where it’s mass produced. minimize our price. It’s very hard to do in this mar- ting it laid out just working with the builder. And So, when you say “economy” what type of price ket because when you put out a product, like all of then putting the money up to get it started which range are you talking about? us do up here, you’ve got to have a high level of could mean you’re into the project $70,000 before detail, a high level of accuracy, and try to find that the bridge is even started. [From the audience]: Under $1000, and $2000 and price. Sometimes the most expensive things will just up. walk out the door. Then the stuff we put out at a Norm: Like Steve is saying, and I’ve talked to other minimum price, like the USRA 2-8-2’s, we brought importers, why don’t they make smaller engines? Steve: For how many cars? One car, two, three? in a whole bunch, the crazy thing is, nobody wants It’s the same price doing those as the big articulat- the model when its there. If we just hide it for a eds. So, they’re going to do the big engines. It’s the Brian Marsh: I think what’s going on... what we’re while then everyone thinks “gotta have it, gotta have same amount of money. trying to say... the gentlemen that are up here, and it.” We can produce and produce and produce I’m not trying to put myself up on this huge pedestal, because everybody says they want it, but when we George: The big engines sell. The smaller engines we are the people that go out and research it. We’re do it, then what? don’t sell. But, I wouldn’t say it’s the same amount the people that spend countless hours trying the I want to keep up with O scale. Right now it of money. It’s not a proportional reduction, dollars to gauges are in the right place, going out and measur- doesn’t make good sense to bring out another diesel continued on page 48 O Scale Trains • 47 Dealer Importer Roundtable ...continued from page 43 size. The bottom is, if somebody is spending 3 or 4 production is complete because I don;t want to have the extra income to buy the extra details and the extra thousand dollars, or 2 or 3 thousand dollars, they to inventory them. If I have to start inventorying quality but they are not as great in number as the want one of the “glamour” engines - a Daylight, a them, then the prices are going to go up. And, at that [customers] with limited income and, therefore, Niagara, a Hudson, they want a C&O Berk or T1. point, if I have to start inventorying them, frankly can’t afford the more expensive models. Those [lim- Whatever it might be, they don’t want to spend I’m making bad choices and would probably stop ited income buyers] are increasing so the [importers] $2550 or $3000 for an 0-8-0. This is something I doing models. On that basis, I could not afford to like the Sunset style, the lower end are now improv- am questioned about at every show I go to, “Why exist; that’s how tight the margins are. It seems like ing their ability to sell out a product. They can do a don’t you do this or that?” My entire business, at you’re producing toys, so what’s the big deal? The greater quantity which gives them a lower price, or this point, is governed by people who are buying Y6b we just did was a half a million dollar project. they can improve on quality and keep the price the things from me. People will say, “Why are you That’s more than my house is worth. If I make a same. So, they’re putting pressure on my market. I going to do a Big Boy? Everybody’s done a Big miscalculation, if I screw-up a major feature on that believe that importers who are in the middle, in Boy.” I’m doing a Big Boy because I can’t tell you model, the model hits the market and the word gets between the inexpensive models and the super the number of people who said to me from day 1, out, “Hey, that Kohs Y6b, this is wrong, that’s detailed models, are going to be in “mo man’s land.” “When are you going to do a Big Boy? When are wrong...” and people stopped buying, I’m screwed. It’s going to be death. The [customer] at the low you going to do a Big Boy? When are you going to I’m dead and it’s just that simple. You can be on top [income] end can’t afford the model, and the people do a Big Boy?” If I decide not to do a Big Boy, I’m of the model world today, and one major faux pas on the high [income] end won’t but it because it a fool. and you’re dead tomorrow unless you’ve got a huge doesn’t have the detail. So you lose customers both The same with the C&O H8, the number 1 sell- cash reserve and most of us don’t. way. Your market will shrink and that’s where I am, ing locomotive of any prototype going. From Day right in the middle. So, for me to exist I either have 1, “When are you going to do an H8? When are [From the audience]: Would somebody really quick to go down to the bottom or up to the top. you going to do an H8? When are you going to do explain to me what is this new AC 2 rail? an H8?” I hear from people at shows, “Why are [From the audience]: I have an observation. you going to do an H8? Precision Scale and others Norm: It’s powering the rails with AC and getting all Everyone is here because they love model trains. It’s have done H8s.” Why? Because that’s what the the sound and bells and whistles as 3 rail. a passion. It’s an important part of your life. I had a people who are spending the money are asking for. friend of mine who kept squawking about cost all If I don’t produce what the people who are spend- George: The whole concept was started because a the time, no matter what it was. And I said to him, ing the money are asking for, again, I’m a fool. In magazine that thought the greatest thing since sliced “No one goes into a hobby to save money.” [laugh- my littler world, doing 100 pieces at a time, I’m try- bread was Lionel Command and Control system ter] If it’s important to us and there’s a model we ing to produce exactly what the people who are and thought, “Gee, it works so well for Lionel, want, for my part, I’m going to buy it no matter what spending the money are asking for. And the people wouldn’t it be nice to use that in 2 rail?” The idea it costs. If it’s a model I really want, a model that’s who are spending the money with me are not all being to run scale two rail on AC power. important to me, I’ll find a way. very well off. I would say the vast majority are peo- ple that have to plan well advance their acquisition [From the audience]: Is it that much better [than Henry: It’s a basic consumer decision. and they, very sparingly, have to set the money DCC and Sound modules]? aside to make that acquisition. Certainly, there are [Someone says]: They’d like to have about 200 of some people who own square blocks of Manhattan George: It’s an effort to bring the Lionel Command you! [laughter] where money is no object, and they will buy five and Control system from 3 rail to 2 rail. locomotives at a time, but that is atypical. [From the audience]: Just out of curiosity, these high So, basically, everything I do on a day to day Henry: I’d like to address that. The strides in 3 rail detail models, what percentage of them ever run. If basis is governed by what I hear from customers. are a result of competition between lionel, Mike’s you make 60, are 59 of them just sitting there to be That’s why I try to make communication as simple Train House and K-Line that has improved the qual- admired? as possible, whether it’s email, the website, fax, ity, the detail and the value. It’s that competition that phone, whatever, I try to listen as carefully as possi- drives 3 rail. For me, from my perspective, I see the George: It’s hard to say because the term “operator” ble to what people are telling me. If I don’t, that’s market becoming more polarized between the least is relative. I can talk to my customer in California going to be the end of me. What I hear from people expensive model and the models that are super who purchased several Y6bs from me. He’s a serious at this point,m at least what they’re asking from me, detailed. And the customer’s choice will be predi- operator. His tightest radius is 102 inches. I can talk is as much detail as possible and they want the cated by what he can afford. So, ultimately, if you to somebody on the East Coast who says he’s an model to run. If they have a problem, and invariably don’t have the expendable income to spend, you’re operator and what he means is he has two or three somebody is going to have a problem, and as hard not going to be able to afford these expensive mod- lengths of Roco or Atlas track on a bench and a as I try there are always problems. With each proj- els. The reason I’m switching builders is because my transformer and he runs the loco back and forth. ect we’ve done there have been fewer and fewer. builder has a certain project price and if I wanted to That question is difficult and imposing for me to ask, We’ve learned more and more. We try to make the do a lower cost model, or a 2-8-0 or smaller engine, “How serious are you? Are you just pretending or models more detailed and more complex with each for the price that he wants, no one would be able to are you seriously an operator?” It’s really hard to project, and you open yourself up to potential disas- afford it. So, I’m being forced out and rather than know. ter in doing that, but that’s what my customers are wait until the end comes and hits me, I’m making asking for. And, if they choose to run it, it damn the change now. [From the audience]: I’m thinking that the really well better run and run well. If it doesn’t and they Ultimately, it’s going to be China, Eventually, the super detailed model doesn’t get run. call me on the phone, then I need to respond, I need quality of the models... as it went from Japan to to make it right, whatever it takes to do that. Most Korea, it will go from Korea to China and maybe George: Why not? people understand that if there is a situation where five years from now we will experience better qual- they have a problem, as long as I’m willing to deal ity and lower prices. They’ll be able to make the [From the audience]:You don’t want to handle it. with it and as long as they don’t get the usual models that the Koreans won’t. They’ll make th 2-8- You don’t want any accidents. runaround (It’s UPS's fault), as long as I’m there to 0s and the 0-8-0s because they are more aggressive. deal with the issue and make it right, the customer They have something to prove. Henry: If they track well, why should you have to is happy. It’s a very simple business plan from my I have no other experience than one builder. I handle it? perspective. loyal to this builder hoping to establish a level of So, why am I not doing 0-8-0s or consolida- quality and detail so I wouldn’t have to keep rein- end ◆ tions? Because that’s not what I’m being asked to venting the wheel with every project bouncing from do. And my focus is to produce 100 pieces and one builder to the next. This has now come back to have the 100 pieces sold as quickly as possible after haunt me. I see the future.. some [customers] have

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ACF 3-Bay Cylindrical Hopper 3-Rail Version Airslide Covered Hopper 6351 Delaware & Hudson 3-Rail Version 6353 Rio Grande 6300 Undecorated * For Quantity Orders, 6354 Santa Fe Reg. $49.95 Ea. 6307 Kerr McGee Call For Special Price! 6308 New York Central (This group only) Sale 6309 Sterling Salt 6310 Toledo Preoria and Western All Reg. $49.95 Ea. Price: ACF 6-Bay Cylindrical Hopper 3-Rail Version 6300 Undecorated 6337 Burlington Northern (silver) 3 rail 6338 Norfork & Western 6339 MP / UP Merger All Reg. $49.95 Ea. ACF 60’ Parts Box Car – 6530 Undecorated $24 Single Door 6532 Erie Lackawanna 3-Rail Version Reg. $52.95 Ea. ACF 60’ Parts Box Car – 6550 Undecorated each Double Door 6551 Grand Trunk Western 3-Rail Version 6553 Southern Reg. $52.95 Ea. 2 rail add $7 for conver- ACF 33,000 Gallon Tank Car 3-Rail Version 6402 Pyrofax Gas sion kit 6403 Royster 6405 Technical Propellants 53’ Evans Double Plug 6501 Boston & Maine 6407 CNTX (black) $31 6503 Evans Products 6408-1 ACF Demonstrator #1 Door Boxcar – 3-Rail Version 6505 Tropicana 6408-2 ACF Demonstrator #2 All Reg. $52.95 Ea. Reg. $49.95 Ea. (Demonstrator cars have one road number per car) each

Sale! 2 Rail Complete Sets $329 Please AEM-7 / ALP-44 Locomotives – 2 & 3 Rail Version Give 6200 Undecorated AEM-7 6201 Undecorated ALP-44 Engines Only: 2nd 6202-1 Amtrak AEM-7#908 Reg. List $495 6202-2 Amtrak AEM-7 #911 Each Choices 6203-1 Marc AEM-7 #4900 6203-2 Marc AEM-7 #4902 6204-1 Septa AEM-7 #2301 Super Sale: 6204-2 Septa AEM-7 #2305 $229 Each 6205-1 NJ Transit ALP-#4402 All 6205-2 NJ Transit ALP-#4405 Cars Please note: New! 2 rail Conversion Kits – Set Includes Engine Plus Three Cars Have Convert Any 3 Rail Car to 2 Rail. Undecorated - Comet II List Price for Set and Engine: New Revised Coupler & 36” Wheels Sets Marc - Comet II $735 2 Coming This Fall – Septa - Comet II NJ Transit - Comet II Road Add $7.00 to Sale Price Cars Only MBTA (w/Amtrak Engine) - Comet II Sale: $329 #s • Shipping and Handling Extra • Dealer Inquiries Invited 207-655-2550 • fax 207-655-8550 e-mail [email protected] Norm’s “O” Scale Trains P.O. Box 147 • Rt. 302 Visit our website at So. Casco, ME 04077 www.normsoscale.com

O Scale Trains • 49 Fifty Foot Pfaudler Milk Cars Ben Brown, New York enty five dollars. Unpainted brass cars show up in the three hundred dollar range. Your final cost will depend on where Background you start and how much detailing you add. For those who model rail lines that serve larger cities, the Reference materials for these cars is quite limited. Plans for operation of milk trains can add a new dimension. From the the car were published in the April 1986 issue of Mainline beginning of the 1900’s to the 1960’s milk traffic served many Modeler. Prototype articles appeared in the February and cities including Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, and Boston. March issues of Railroad Model Craftsman. Photos can be Smaller roads that did not reach the hubs directly interchanged found in NYO&W Milk Cars, Mixed Trains and Motor Cars with those lines that did. Examples of this would be the Belfast by R. E. Mohowski. Bob’s Photos just published photo essays and Moosehead Lake, Maine Central, Barre and Chelsea, and entitled Railway Milk Cars, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Individual car the Rutland. This article will touch on the modeling of one photos may also be obtained from Bob’s Photos. Additional style of car that was used in the transportation of milk. milk car information may be found at the Rutland website at The fifty foot wooden style milk car known as the Pfaudler www.ultranet.com/~jimdu4/Milk References.htm tank car was built by General American in their East Chicago, Painting and lettering the cars can be a challenge. Generally Indiana shops. These cars were primarily owned by the Gener- they were painted Pullman Green. Others were painted Coach al American-Pfaudler Corporation. Each of these cars con- Green or white. In later years, because so many cars were tained two large tanks having a total capacity of 6000 gallons. leased, they were lettered with simple dulux gold lettering. The cars were built like refrigerator cars with tightly fitting This would be easy to duplicate today with computer printers siding and doors, but lacked ice hatches and bunkers. The and laser copiers, but that is subject for another article. Champ tanks were made of steel and lined with enamel using a special and Walthers both made decals at one time, but no longer. coating process developed by Pfaudler. The enameling process Champ claims to be able to make copies of older sets but that resisted corrosion and allowed the regular steam cleaning nec- is a very short term opportunity as the owner is retiring. For essary for proper sanitation. After testing, Milk was thorough- my own tastes, I liked the older billboard schemes used when ly chilled and pumped into the tanks at the creamery. This bulk these cars were first built. That meant drawing my own art- quantity was large enough, and along with the car insulation, work and making dry transfers. However, my source for trans- allowing only a one degree drop in temperature during the nor- fers is gone and I have been unsuccessful in finding a mal shipment between the creamery and the bottling plant. replacement. I am working to convert my art to decals and I Kits to build a fifty foot style Pfaudler car have been around am hoping to make several schemes available in 2002. for many years. First they were offered by Scalecraft, then by Main Line Models. Later that firm sold to Ye Olde Huff and Construction Puff. I believe that the Huff and Puff line is still sporadically These are the steps and suggestions I would make for build- manufactured today. All of my kits have been purchased at O ing kits. Glue the body parts together using yellow carpenter’s Scale meets as late as the 2001 National. The kits build into a glue. Clamp with rubber bands until thoroughly dry. Then coat very basic car. Once you have built one you will note that if the wood parts with a wood sealer and sand off the fuzz and you had the roof, floor and scribed siding, you could easily any glue protruding from joints. Sealing is especially impor- make up your own ‘kit.’At one time Northeastern Scale Mod- tant to prevent the wood from picking up moisture and chang- els manufactured basswood shaped stock for many styles of O ing dimensions. If you have never built one of these kits Scale roofs and flooring. This firm is not making the stock before, you will note that the sides are prepainted and have silk now but the new owner might run it again if there is enough screen lettering. Sometimes the sides are in several pieces and demand. Some shapes are still available from current invento- you are expected to edge glue them together. Then the com- ry. Meets are still a good source for the kits. (I have been active pleted side is supposed to be glued to the body. Therein lies the in O Scale since 1947 and I am amazed at how much stuff has problem. If you follow the instructions you will later experi- been bought and squirreled away with good intentions, only to ence split sides on a finished car due to differential expansion show up for sale for bargain prices later.) of the wood parts. Unfortunately, the sides are cross grain to Kits are regularly seen for ten to fifteen dollars. Rails the direction of major expansion and will split unless you Unlimited (Ted Schenpf) offers a resin body kit today for sev- cross laminate an extra piece of wood to the back of the sides

50 • O Scale Trains prior to mounting on the body. This step is shown in Photo (6). steam lines and hoses, signal lines and hoses, air lines and Because I prefer my own lettering, I usually sand off the hoses, safety chains, buffers, brake levers, valves, cylinders, factory lettering and part of the finish. If the underbody has adjusters, tanks, steam traps, etc. Choose as much detail as been well sealed, I have been successful in laminating scribed you want to include. Most of the parts are available commer- cially. The tanks come from Q-Car Co. or I use styrene tubing. Trucks can be found depending on your choice of proto- type. I prefer John Keil’s equalized Commonwealth trucks. Keil Express trucks also work well. To make this truck more typical of those used under Pfaudler cars, the wings should be filed off and rounded over. You may also use a modified Preci- sion Scale Co. truck. The PSC truck is part# 9120 and has a 5’ Laminated siding to prevent future splitting. 10” wheelbase. It is called a Commonwealth High Speed truck. To backdate the truck, remove the equalizer strut and styrene for flooring to the wood surface. I use very thinly reshape the upper side frame to represent the older style truck. spread GOO. With scribed sheet and strips so readily available If you do not want the roller bearings also file them off and it makes a very nice upgrade to a kit or scratchbuilt model. I replace with plain bearing covers. should note here that it is possible to also make the body Since I model a freelance shortline, I use several milk trains frame from styrene or acrylic and avoid wood altogether. It to expand my original schedule. My shortline takes milk to an just takes a little more work. Most of the cars had a tar paper interchange and receives empty cars back. Of course, I had to or canvas roof covering. My preference in modeling is to use find an unused corner in which to build a creamery. I hope that black tissue paper bonded with white glue. I know there are you will consider this type of operation and model for your several methods that can be used, but I prefer to mix white own railroad. ◆ glue with water to a milky consistency. I paint it on the roof (Color photos on next page) surface, then apply 1 inch wide strips of black tissue paper. The paper can be found in arts and craft stores. Lay each strip overlapping the previous one. You will see that the paper is very porous and soaks up the thin mixture rapidly causing wrinkles. Just touch your finger to the surface and smooth it out, working from the roof center to the outside edge. Let it all Mainline side pieces. dry and then trim off the overhanging excess later with a razor blade. I like the look of the tissue paper without painting it. The Pfaudler cars had a heavy fishbelly underframe and additional steel channel side sills. Here styrene comes to the rescue. I use .020” scribed styrene floor sheathing as men- tioned earlier, add 3/16” channel turned inward for the side sills. The fishbelly underframe parts are made from .060” styrene. Using styrene bonded with MEK (Methyethyl Ketone) makes this step quick and easy. Beyond the basic structure, I add details to suit myself. I Wood sub body, scratch. should mention that my philosophy in building rolling stock models is to bring them up to a stage I call “good enough.” The primary reason is that I have a basement size layout with similarly detailed track and structures. It is one thing to build a highly detailed model. It is quite another to build everything on the layout to the same level. There is just not enough life- time left for me to both build and operate. So, I build to a point that satisfies me greatly. Note that these cars were used in passenger service, and as a result, have an underframe that has a lot of gear, including: Resin body available from Rails Unlimited.

O Scale Trains • 51 Mainline kit side view. Note joint just to left of logo. The slight color Styrene sheathed body. shift and joint mismatch are typical.

End comparison, wood versus styrene sheathed. Mainline kit side view. Note joint just to left of logo. The slight color shift and joint mismatch are typical.

United Farmers scratchbuilt car White Brothers scratchbuilt car

Assembled Mainline kit, Hoods prepainted.

52 • O Scale Trains “LAST CALL” CALL NOW FOR THESE FINEINE SCALE OFFERINGS

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UP and D&H Early Challengers - Only 60 UP and 20 D&H Built - Unique Tenders, Boilers for each Road - Pittman Powered with “Quiet Drive” - Sprung Drivers with Steel Tires - Directional Illumination - Full Cab Interior Detail - 60” Radius or larger O Scale Track - Kadee Coupler Ready Mounts - Suggested Retail $1599.95 + S&H OR DEALER YOUR Y! CALL Y TODA 408-866-1727

SUNSET MODELS INC. 37 South Fourth Street á Campbell, CA 95008 á 408-866-1727 á fax to 408-866-5674 á www.3rdrail.com Observations Joe Giannovario, Editor/Publisher

OH BOY! Did we ever goof! I’m looking for some feedback on a couple items. I’ve been In issue #2 I talked about Buy-Sell-Trade ads on the last thinking of running a layout contest. I’ve got this 17 x 46 base- column of page 13 (bad omen, huh?). I said that we planned to ment and all I can come up with is a folded dogbone. So, I was mail the Buy-Sell-Trade ads by first class mail to subscribers. I thinking of putting the floor plan in the magazine and offering pointed out two potential problems, not enough ads to warrant a “reward” for the best layout design to fit that space. If you a separate mailing and/or too many subscribers. think this is a good idea and would like to see the entries in the Well, guess what? Scenario 2 has happened already. When I magazine, drop me a line, call me or email me about it. wrote that piece we had about 200+ subscribers, so I was look- I’ve not been able to find an historian to chronicle the devel- ing at about $70 for the mailing. After I sent the magazine to opment of 2 rail O scale in the U.S., so that has been put on the press, the mailing for the O Scale National hit the streets with back burner. I’m having similar feelings about the Hall of our flyer in it, and Boom! The subscriptions started flowing in Fame. I’d really like to know if we should keep the Hall of and we’re now well over 500 subscribers and still climbing. Fame and continue to pursue an historian columnist. A first class mailing of Buy-Sell-trade ads now would cost As always, please let us know how we’re doing on the mix us over $200 per issue. And, we don’t have but 10 ads at this of articles and features. Remember, if you don’t tell us what writing. So, I must apologize with my tail between my legs you want and what you’re willing to contribute, you’re going and retract the offer to mail Buy-Sell-Trade ads separately to learn more about the N&W than you ever thought you from the magazine. It is just not economical. would (he says smiling). Buy-Sell-Trade ads will appear printed in the magazine I want to relate two amazing things that happened in May. starting with this issue and about 2 - 3 weeks after we mail an First, I walked into our local bookseller (an independent, not a issue they’ll be posted on the website. That’s the only way that chain store) looking for a copy of Railroad Model Craftsman makes financial sense right now. (the only model mag I don’t subscribe to). I noticed a new However, we’ve also instituted bar coded labels which has magazine on the rack and it took me a moment to realize it made a dramatic improvement in speed of delivery through the was O Scale Trains! I was most pleasantly surprised, and even Postal Service. Magazines made it to the West Coast in 11 more so when I noted there was only one copy on the shelf. days and that includes 2 weekend days. Since then I’ve had people tell me they purchased OST in a As always, we’re interested in your comments and feed- Borders and in a Books-A-Million store. As I promised, we’re back, so don’t be bashful. If you think you have a better way to getting the word out beyond the hobby shops. I’ve no sales fig- handle B-S-T ads, let us know. ures yet (it’s much too early), but we’re certain the magazine We’ve had a few changes to the magazine. Bruce Black- will be as big of a hit outside the 2 rail community as it has wood has dropped his Dealer’s Corner column, but we’ve been inside. added Gene Deimling to write about Proto:48. Gene is an out- The second amazing thing is that we sold out of issue #2 in standing model builder and we’re pleased to have one of his just four weeks. Thirty-five hundred magazines... gone! So, articles in this issue. Be sure to check it out. We wrap up John we’re printing more this issue. I am looking at ways to get Sauers’ PRR B8a article but John has promised us he’ll be reprints of issues #1 and #2 into the hands of those who really back with more scratchbuilding articles. There are two On30 want them, but I haven’t decided how best to do that yet. pieces this issue for the narrow gaugers. Bobber Gibbs spells Errata from issue #2: out how to get started in On30 for less than $100 and Nick Page 9 – Jeb Kriigel’s phone number was stated incorrectly. Biangel’s On30 layout is the feature this issue. We’ve got a It should have been: 434-589-2660. article on building an On30 “critter” planned for issue #4. Page 16 – The caption should read “A spot on David Stew- There is an unusual article in this issue. At the March Meet art’s ‘Appalachia & Ohio’ railroad in Greeley Colo. Photo by in Chicago, Mike Hill (of Hill’s Hobbies and host for the Bob Sobol.” Look for Dave’s layout in a future issue. meet) moderated a brass importer’s Roundtable Discussion Page 17 – The bottom photo belongs to Marshall Vine, not (see page 43). This discussion affords us a look into the issues Martin. You’ll see Marshall’s Kingsbury Terminal in OST#5. that affect importer’s decisions on which brass items to import. Page 53 – The photo of the D&RGW Fowler car is cap- It’s a little dry in spots but I think you will be as fascinated by tioned incorrectly. It is a San Juan kit not a Chooch kit. the discussion as I was. Keep Hi-ballin’! ◆

54 • O Scale Trains Announcing the S.P. 4-8-4 GS-4 and GS-5 in O scale.

Prototype photo courtesy of Harold K. Vollrath. Similar to PSC #17345-2. 17345 S.P. 4-8-4 GS-4 with skyline casing and skirts. No paint. 17349 S.P. 4-8-4 GS-5, skyline casing & skirts. No paint. 17345-1 Same, painted #4444 Daylight with large SP lettering. 17349-1 Same, painted #4458 Daylight with small SP Lines. 17345-2 Same, painted #4449 Daylight as running today. 17349-2 Same, painted #4458 Daylight with large SP lettering. 17347 S.P. 4-8-4 GS-4 with skyline casing, no skirts. No paint. 17351 S.P. 4-8-4 GS-5, skyline casing, no skirts. No paint. 17347-1 Same, ptd #4436 black and graphite with large SP lettering. 17351-1 Same, painted #4459 black & graphite w/large SP. 17347-2 Same, ptd #4439 Daylight cab and tender with large SP lettering. O Scale Milwaukee Road 4-6-4 F-6 and F-6a Hudsons

PSC Photo of HO scale model. From 1930 to 1954, from Chicago to Omaha, to Minneapolis & Kansas City, these 4-6-4s pulled everything from the “Olympian Hiawatha” to suburban commuter trains. If your road is the Milwaukee, if you collect the finest brass models, PSC offers you the F-6 and F-6a Hudsons exquisitely handcrafted in brass and super-detailed per prototype. #17335-1 Milwaukee F-6 as delivered, boiler tube pilot, painted #6400, #6402 and #6409. #17337-1 Milwaukee F-6 as shopped, steel pilot, Box Pok, drivers, Mars light, painted #135 & #138. #17339-1 Milwaukee F-6a as delivered with boiler tube pilot, painted #4614, #4617 and #4620. #17341-1 Milwaukee F-6a as shopped with steel pilot, painted #141 and #142. #17343-1 Milwaukee F-6a as shopped for commuter service, generator on pilot, painted #143.

Also coming In O Scale is the ABRAHAM LINCOLN FUNERAL TRAIN! The C.C. & C RR #13 Nashville 4-4-0 locomotive with two cars; The “United States” and The “Officers”. Fully Painted and decorated. Limited Quantity! See a PSC Dealer Today! All PSC O Scale Brass Models Feature; Prototype details per road number, full cab interior, lights, machined open frames, brake rigging, prototype valve gear, complete tender details and under bodies, sprung and semi-equalized drive system, ball bear gear boxes and drivers, etc.. SEE A PSC DEALER TODAY AND ORDER THE PSC SUPER-DETAILED BRASS MODEL OF YOUR CHOICE!

O Scale Trains • 55 New In Stock - from Pecos River Brass SANTA FE HEAVYWEIGHTS • 80’ Combine, • 60’ Baggage, • 60’ Storage Mail, • 70’ Fishbelly Baggage, • 80’ Horse Car, • 70’ Baggage Mail (2 versions), • 85’ Cafe Observation, FP Green or 2 Tone Grey. Large Selection of PRB Brass at closeout prices • Check website or send SSAE for list. AAR 50’ Plastic Double Door Box car available in 2 or 3 rail at new price of $40 each. Some kits are available at $30. SF Pass, SP, NYC, SRR, KCS, CB&Q, SF Frt, SSW, Erie, NKP, MP Express, Wabash, MKT & SF MofW. Coming Soon C&O, B&O, PM, WM, UP and PRR. Modular Railroad Structures by Pecos River are ALL IN STOCK. IN PRODUCTION NOW FOR AUGUST 2002 ETA DRGW 1951 PROSPECTOR & ROYAL GORGE NOWNOW WITHWITH LIGHTSLIGHTS && INTERIORSINTERIORS

CALL NOW FOR RESERVATIONS. VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES. Check out our website at http://www.pecosriverbrass.com 560 E. CHURCH • LEWISVILLE, TX 75057 Pecos River Brass Phone and Fax: (972) 219-0202 [email protected] • visit our NEW website at http://www.pecosriverbrass.com