Fall 1979

NARROW GAUGE ON A SHELf BUILD THE STREAMLINED "TRAIN OF TOMMOROW" A FREIGHT ~4~ STATION, " . ,~. :",,,,,, STEP·BY ·STEP

"----_iII_!MODEL

Fall 1979 Vol. 1~, No. 1. RAILROADING

/ Publishers Nick Siegel 4 NARROW GAUGE ON THE FRONT RANGE Sal Pizzoferrato Colorado's mountain railroads on a two-foot shelf Executive Editor: Robert Schleicher 10 A FREIGHT HOUSE (AND TWO "FREEBIES") IN HO SCALE Associate Editors: Bill Wright How to make the common kits into something special Albin Burroughs 16 STEAM POWER ON THE TONAPAH Charles Heperrle Railroads designed with the modeler in mind Managing Editor: Joe K. LeFort 20 DOUBLE-POWER DIESELS Art Director: Michael Minnix Top-notch power from Tyco's "toy" locomotives Assistant Art Director: Cricket Smith 32 THE TRAIN OF TOMORROW A snap-together model of an incredible train Production Editor: Vickie Petersen 38 BUILD A DOME-OBSERVATION CAR Typography: Type-Tronics, Inc. How-to build a fitting end to a streamliner 46 SIMPLE STRIPING FOR CARS & LOCOMOTIVES Model Railroading is published four-times a Two-color paint schemes and decaJ stripes the easy way year by Eastwood Publishing Company, 2901 50 TRACKPLAN: THE ROMFORD & JOLIET RAILROAD Blake St., Denver, CO 80205. Price per single Real railroading operation in just 4x8 feet copy is $2.50, $3.00 in Ca nada. SubSCri ptions are $9.00 in the U.S. or Canada. Unsoljcited 52 CONTAINER CARS man uscripts or photogra phs should be Some authentic pieces of rolling stock from the steam era accompanied by return postage and 58 KIT-CONVERSION: BUILD TWO CONTAINER CARS Eastwood Publishing Company assumes no Usin g kits and ready-builts to make one-off replicas responsibility for the loss or damage of such material. No part of this publication may be 64 MODULAR MODEL RAILROADS FOR N SCALE reprinted without written permission from A new system of cardboard-planning templates for N-TRAK the publishers. This publication is purchased 68 STRUCTURES AS SCENERY with the understanrung that the information The theater's concept of "fla ts" applied to miniatures presented is from many sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by 74 PORTABLE MODEL RAILROADING IN On3 the publisher as to the accuracy or originali ty The modular concept of "shelf" railroads really works or safety or completeness. Printed in U.S.A. 78 HOW-TO HAND-LAY YOUR OWN TURNOUTS © Copyright 1979 by Eastwood Publishing The right way to make prototype-perfect track work Company 82 DIESEL DETAIL CLOSE-UP Where to put those HO scale diesel detail castings ABOUT THOSE LABELS . ... 84 N SCALE STEAM CONVERSIONS BASICS FOR BEGINNERS Using what you have .to make what you can't get are a rtides that we fe el contain some of the 88 THE POPULATION EXPLOSION information that any beginner should know Using scale model people to add life to a layout when he orshe is builrung that first or second model railroad (there just may be a few things 91 SUBSCRIBE! thatthe "experts" ca n learn abo ut up-to-date YOl(r first chance to buy collectors items by mail mod eli ng methods, too). 92 GIVE US A HAND! NEW MODELING TECHNIQUES Our plea for YOUR help in getting it right are actually tested methods of making or 93 NEW ACCESSORI~S improving models. We call them " new" 96 NEW ROLLING STOCK because they probably will be new to most of you. These are the articles we feel are 99 NEW LOCOMOTIVES best-suited to "intermediate-level" model railroaders. FOR EXPERIENCED MODELERS OUR MISTAKES: artides are designed for those who have It seems that we got a few things wrong in the Spring 1979 issue: developed their skill s in the hobby by The old address for Live Stream magazine appeared last year; their new address succe ssfully assembling and paifilting several is P.O. Box 581, Dept. GW, Traverse City, MI 49684 and the correct annual of the "Craftsman" -type kits. It is assumed subscription ra te is $16.00 in the United States. that the modeler who follows these articles The models for the Aleo RSC-3 ruesels are the brainchildren of one Lee Riley. knows the basics of the hobby: painting, The fantastic water-front scene on pages 28 and 29 of the Winter 1978 issue was decal-application, simple soldering, etc., the work of Kevin Barnett. etc . .. We hope to make the hobby more interesting and a whole lot le ss of a mystery MODEL RAILROADING is publish~d quarterly at $9.00 per year by Eastwood for the newcomer with these labels . We do the Publishing Co., Inc. at 2901 Blake St., Denver, CO 80205. Application to mail at same thing when we show EVERY ste p. controlled circulation postage rate is pending at Denver, CO. Please, experts, be patient and remember Postmaster send address changes to Eastwood Publishing Company, 2901 Blake what it was like when you were learning .. St., Denver, Colorado 80205. NARROW GOAGE ON THE FRONT RANGEl

The cha,rm of 3-foot equipment on a 2-foot shelf

Robert Schleicher

There are at least a hundred model economical in times when labor was The very inefficiency of the narrow railroaders who talk a bout narrow guage relatively cheap annd ma terials were gauge is the root of its charm for the for every one that actually models it. relatively expensive. The distance modeler. Mostmodel railroaders want to Narrow guage railroading is , you see, a between the rails o£ a "standard" ga uge run as many trains as possible of a 3/4-size replica of real railroading during railroad's trackis 4-feet 81/z-inches; most reasona bly short length over a twisting the heyday of steam. That makes the real of America's "narrow ga uge" railroads and turning track system. That's just railrpads themselves models, of a sort, were built with the tops of their rails what the real narrow ga uge lines were and that makes them very appealing spaced 3-feet apart. The locomotives and forced to do. We do because it's fun, but indeed to anyone who loves model cars were about 3/4 the size of the it's rather nice to know that there was a trains. The narrow ga uge railroads were equivalent standard gauge equipment as time when this time of fun was an active built around the turn-of-the century well. This meantthatthe curves could be business. There is an aura of romance or when it was economical to have tight sharper, the bridges lighter and any cuts, charm a bout the narrow gauge railroads curves and steep grades. You might fills tunnels or other earthwork made that few standard ga uge lines can match. compare them to the country roads smaller. It also meant that the cars could That romance is heightened by the fact around the hills before the days of the only haul about half the weight of the tha.t a good many of the narrow gauge Interstates. The standard gauge , standard ga uge items and that the trains lines were built to bring gold and silver railroads tried to take the same kind of a them?elves were a bout half the length of out from the mountains to the mills in straigh t-ahead pa th through the the standard gauge trains of any given the flatlands. mountains that the Interstate highways time period. It took a lot of manpower to Narrow gauge is the segment of the did. The narrow gauge lines simply ran move each ton of freight over a narrow hobby that collects a major portion of the around those same obstacles. That ga uge railroad beca use more engines real "enthusiast" modelers. It takes a means that the real railroads built to a and, therefore, more engineers, fireman, good bit more care to get HOn3 narrower ga uge had more of the curves brakemen and other workers and equipment to operate nearly as well as model railroaders so desperately need to maintenance people were required. stay within the con vines of their la yout tables. The narrow gauge lines were, indeed, perfect prototypes for almost any model railroad. The engineers and surveyors who designed the real railroad systems found narrow gauge appealing when there was a lack of time or money to reach a particular destination by rail. Many of the narrow ga uge railroads of the 1880-1900 period were made obsolete when a standard guage line w'as constructed between the same towns but on a more direct route. In some cases, like much of the Rio Grande Railroad in Colorado and Utah, the narrow gauge track was simply replaced with standard gauge and some of the curves broadened. There are no freight-hauling narrow gauge railroads left in America today; they just are not efficient enough freight haulers to compete with either trucks or standard gauge railroads. Several tourist lines have taken over portions of the narrow gauge systems like the East Broad Top in Pennsylvania or the Cumbres and Toltec in Colorado. These railroads exist much like active ghost towns; to show the tourists some truly living his tory. The narrow gauge railroads were 4 Most of lim Miller's On3 locomotives are Most of the structures on the layout are brass imports equipped with PFM's sound sys­ scratchbuilt using Northeastern miffed wood tem. This is the master control panel but the sheets for the walls and Grandt plastic door and la yout also has walk-around throttles so the window castings. The railcar is a modified enginners can follow their trains around the Matchbox toy. la yout.

The Miller la yout was built on a two-foot lim prefers Colorado's narrow gauge but he wide sheff around the walls of the basement. likes them all including the west coast logging The turnouts were controlled by simple levers railroads' equipment liksthis tiny Shay beside the switch like this one. The handcar was locomotive aiJd the Durango Press kit for the built from a Durango Press-brand kit. Westside Lumber Company's logging caboose.

flexible plas tic track and ready- laid layout. A few hundred modelers are strictly for the guy who is willing to build switches for those who don' t want to lay building in Sn3 (V64 scale) which much of the equipment from raw their track a tie at a time. There are a reduces the 3-foot track ga uge to within materials. number of im ported brass locomoti ves in V16-inch of HO standard gauge track. On3 is the tenn used for 3-foot narrow HOn3 and Model Die Casting makes a The S scale narrow ga uge cars and ga uge built to a scale of 1/ 48 . The pair of inexpensi ve kits. E&B Models and locomoti ves are about the sa me size as popularity of On3 is alm ost as great as Rail Line even offer easy-to-assemble . medium-size HO scale equipment. It HOn3 even though 0 scale modelers, as plastic rolling stock and Kadee makes an takes a bit less work to make Sn3 a w hole, represent less than 1/ 10 of the HOn3 version of their superb HO scale equipment operate with as much total number of model railroaders. An coupler. Still, it takes some careful re liability as HO standard g ua ge. On3-model railroad can be built in about tuning; extra sliding contact shoes, Ready-to-run brass locomotives and the same space as a " mainline" HO scale regearing. and other close-tolerance flexible track (but no ready-laid layout because the narrow gauge curves work to get an HOn3 la yout to run switches) are available in Sn3 butit is still can be sharper. The locomotives and anywhere near as relia bly as an HO scale very much a scale and gauge that's rolling stock are, of course, much larger 5 The locomotive and caboose are PFM brass imports that Jim disassembled, adjusted, The same type of gauze and plaster material pain ted and deea led to ma tch specific Colorado used by doctors for plaster casts on broken arms & Southern prototypes from the forties. and legs was used to build the mountains on Miller's On3 layout. Some of the rock textures were cast in latex rubber molds taken from real rocks.

6 than HO scale. There have been dozens of On3 brass locomotives imported and there are many kits to build all types of rolling stock. On3, though, is a scale for experienced modelers who really want to build their equipment. If you are newcomer to model railroading, I must suggest that you try at least one layout in HO scale before attempting to model in narrow gauge. Many of the turn-of-the-century period rea l railroads had locomotives and cars with the same proportions as the narrow ga uge lines of the thirties. Yo u can capture most of the charm of narrow gauge without the need to build everything to the precise tolerances needed for narrow ga uge. The railroad you see on these pages was built by Jim Miller. Jim has been a model railroader since the fifties and he has completed several HO scale layouts before deciding to switch over to On3. Like many On3 modelers, he found he liked to build his own cars and The Colorado & Southern Railroad fitted most of their steam locomotives with "bear locomoti ves and, since he was building trap " smokestacks to catch the cinders and them in HO already, he might just as route them back to the roadbed. The system well do it in On3. He also had the apparently allowed the cinders to cool enough experience to know that a model ra ilroad to avoid burning trestles! built on the walls of a room, rather than in the middle of the the room, was the most interesting to watch and to operate.

The Miller layout played host to several of the area's· On3 enthusiasts each week. Here, Ed Frey 's rebuilt u.s. Hobbies Shay winds its way across an embankment supported on timber cribbing.

7 lim built the mine to fit the available area but he followed practices used in typical Colorado The Shay locomotive is spotting two empty mines including the timber cribbing to contain wooden hopper cars beneath the mine tipple. the "tailings" being dumped from the tiny mine All of Jim's locomotives have been reworked so tram cars. they will move at a barely perceptible speed for switching.

8 His On3 railroad, then, occupied three of the four walls of his basement. The railroad benchwork was mostly lx4 ltImber bolted to the walls and screwed together with woodscrews. The ya rd a reas were sheets of l/2-inch plywood with 1/ 2 Homosote wallboard beneath the hand-laid individual wood ties. The subase in the "country" areas of the layout was 1/ 4 x 2-inch lath strips placed on edge and spaced with V2-inch blocks of wood . This system allowed Jim to crea te smooth-fl owing curves and giga ntic radius turns rather than " pure" straight track sections. The code 100 rail was spiked to the ties with Kadee's special " Spiker" staple gun. The Miller empire was built in the

The Shay is ·ready to pull a loaded hopper from the mine spur as soon as the Rio Grande freight clears the "main line". All the track is laid with code' 100 nickel silver rails on indi­ vidual wood ties.

An outside frame 2-8-0 in the Rio Grande's C-21 class is just one of the locomotives that/im has detailed, painted and weathered to match a specific real railroad engine.

basement of his home in Longmont, Colorado on the plains below the "Front Range" of the Rockies. Jim was born in the area and he loves just about all the narrow gauge lines that ran into the Rockies . His layout is now dismantled because his employer suggested a move and a promotion to Phoenix. He took the structures, some bridges and all of the equipment with him and a new layout is alreac;ly under construction. The logging Shays, the Colorado & Southern models and the Rio Grande equipment will all have a new home. The mountains, though, will be the same Rockies as before, built from the same gauze and plaster material doctors use for casts on broken arms and legs. 9 NEW MODELING TECHNIQUES A FREIGHT HOUSE (AND TWO "FREEBIES") IN HO SCALE

Wherein we take three kits and Two of Tyco's "Pickle Plants are needed for the freight station and "Savy Machine Tool" shake ALL their parts together to structures. You will also need a Tyco "Sand­ come up with three structures house" or "Coaling Tower" for the small shed. that are truly custom-built but AHM, Pola and Lionel have also offered these same buildings in different boxes. true-to-life

You ca n increase the realism of your fea ture of the ki ts to build them in a Tool" and it's a fine building to house a layout considerably by paying just a bit different way from the kit illustration. consumer of box car loads of steel or of extra a ttention to the buildings. There There are a few kits on the market that wood.lthas no specific prototype but it's are hundreds of kits on the rna rket to have sides and roofs that can be moved a condensed version of machine shops make just about every ty pe of structure around, when the building is being and small manufacturing plants all over imaginable in any scale. The most assembled, with out any changes. Most the country. The building was p opular kits, of course, are the relati vely kits, however, will have to be cut-up a bit assembled from two Tyco (also labeled as inexpensive and quickly-assembled to alter the appearance of the finished AHM and Pola) "Pickle Factory" kits and plastic models. That populari ty almost p roduct. It's no 'big deal'; all you need to the shed from the same brands disqualifies aU of them for use on your add to your tool box is an X-Acto number "Sandhouse" or "Coaling Tower" . The layout. There are seldom two buildings 5 hobby knife handle with a number 235 same shed is in both kits. alike in the real world; even the dreaded razor saw bl ade and a medium-cut mill The conversion of three kits into three "tract" houses and the row houses in the file about 12-inches long. Armed with to ta II y-different buildings can cities are different fro m one area to the those two tools, you can do just about accomplish two very, very important nex t. When you simply slap a plastic kit anything with any plastic building kit things for any model railroad; the together and drop it on your layout; . .. for example ... buildings are, of course, different from you've just made your layout lOOk The slope-roofed shed and pl atform in any you ca n buy anywhere. The exactl y like the tens of thousands of the photographs is a model of the tool buildings are also much small er than others who have that same building. house or freight house that once stood those in the Pickle Factory kits and that's Even if you haven' t seen their layouts, on the Colorado Midland at Basalt, just as important. You can make your you've seen their buildings by simply Colorado. The little garage-like shed is a model railroad seem much larger than it looking at the box lids in the hobby store. tool house thatwas typical (and is) of just is if you use a number of smaller The solution to the problem is simple, about any rail road in 'the country. The structures ra ther than a few big ones. take adva ntage of the easy-assembly larger structure is the "Savy Machine When you co nsider that you bought 10 three buildings and you built three; that's a pretty fair deal. It's even better once you figure out what to do with the leftover parts - there are enough to build at least three MORE structures - we'll leave the design of those structures to your imagi na tion. We can give youa bit ofhelp th ough, use tpe leftover parts to alter the appea rance of a forth or fifth kit by mix ing ALL the parts together. . ..

SAVY MACHINE TOOL

FREIGHT HOUSE The lean-to building sides and ends and the steps to the freight platform from TWO "Pickle Factory" kits will be needed along with one of TOOL HOUSE the vat building'S roofs, one small door and one freigh t platform. The stack was borrowed from a Tyco "Sand House" kit. The Grandt-brand (Use the above cut-out signs for these structures) number 5-1 box car door is optional - you can use the freight door from the "Pickle Factory" (or the "Sand House" door) if you wish.

Cut the Pickle Factory's lean-to END wall The maximum height of each of the side walls along the vertical rib or "batt~n " just to the left is 1 31132-inch at the peak of the roof. "Cut the of the windows. Cut BOTH end walls in the right wall with the slope of the roof just a bit same place. shallower than the stock end. Use that as a pattern for the right wall. Note that the right wall must be a mirror image of the left.

The side walls from the Pickle Factory lean-to are also cut just to the left of the window and File the little round ejection pin lugs from the directly alongside the nearest batten strip. The back side of all the walls. The pins will interfere cutting will be easier and more accurate if you with the alignment of the walls when the back-up the plastic with a scrap of 1x4. buildings are assembled.

11 The vertical edges of all four walls must be filed (mitered) to a 45-degree angle with a medium-size mill file. The final fit of the parts depends on how accurate these corner angles are, so take your time.

The front wall must be 1 3I32-inch high to match the peaks of the side walls. Remove the excess material from the bottom of the wall. The rear wall should be cut with the razor saw to be about 1116-inch taller than the rear edges of those side walls. That last 1116-inch can be rp.moved by filing the upper edge of the rear wall to match the angle of the roof on the side walls. File the same angle on the back side of the front wall.

The roof is cut from the lean-to's "corru­ gated" plastic. The roof should be 114-inch longer and 114-inch wider than the TOP edges of the walls. The four walls and the roof are ready for assembly.

Cut the freight platform supports into a three-bay section as shown and cut an L-shaped "forth" segment (far right). Cut the top of the platform 1I16-inch longer than that three-bay section. Cut the right side riser off one of the platform step pieces (far left).

12 These are parts needed from the TWO Tyco Cut the side walls of the Pickle Factory to "Pickle Factory" kits to make the large "SA VY match the lengths of the side windows of the MACHINE TOOL" building. brown plastic roof skylight. This will place the cut right beside the fratnework for the freight doors.

Cut one of the roof sections from the larger The end walls and roof for the third building Pickle Factory roof pieces. Make it 1I2-inch (the "TOOL HOUSE'? are from the Tyco "Sand longer than the sides and make the lengthwise House" or "Coaling Tower" shed. Only the cut just at the edge of the corrugated detail as leftover side walls will be used from the Pickle shown in the photo. The other roof section is a Factory parts. Cut the side walls right at the bit longeri use one of the remaining roof pieces bottom edge of the window slot for the tool. from the lean to that apply the freight station house. parts.

Check to be sure that the vertical edges of ALL of the walls fit perfectly, then glue them together with TUBE TYPE liquid cement for Cut some scraps of leftover plastic roof to plastics. Run a very thin bead of the glue down reinforce the joints between the skylight and the inside edge of each corner so the glue won't the end walls of the SAVY MACHINE TOOL. ooze out the comers. Glue the brown plastic skylight to the end walls.

13 Assemble the parts for the "Freight House" The parts can be sprayed with aerosol cans of platform as shown at the left. Cut through the Pactra's "Flats" to speed-up the painting time. underside braces of the remaining portion of Tape the small parts to a scrap of wood and the the freight platform to make a ramp for the larger roof panels to a box lid while they are SAVY MACHINE TOOL building's freight plat­ painted. form. Cut the platform braces (bottom) to match:

We cut a section from the width of the Grandt 5-1 box car door and about 1116-inch from the bottom. The doors from the Pickle Factory could also have been used but the extra detail of the Grandt door was worth the trou­ ble. The worker is from AHM.

The freight platform was assembled on the wall with the overhanging roof. The SAVY MACHINE TOOL building needs only a sign to put it in business. The structure certainly doesn't look like it came from the "Pickle Fac­ tory" boxes . ..

14 Almost every real railroad has dozens of tool houses like the one we made From the leftover "Pickle Factory" lean-to walls and the "Sand House" parts.

Anyone of these three tool and handcar houses is similar to the one we just created. These charmers are located on the Southern Pacific Railroad at Paso Robles, California . ,,

15 STEAM POWER ON THE TONAPAH RAILROADS

The desert ra i I road s that connected Death Valley's gold mines with the outside world are perfect prototypes for any steam-era model railroad Photos from the collection of H. K. Vollrath

A model railroad is always the creation predessor railroads. Volume II has a You'll not find much in the way of of its builder. That task is often easier, roster of all the Nevada railroad rolling stock or locomotives for any of though, if you can find some real railroad locomotives. Each book sells for $15. these railroads. Central Valley andMDC that had most of the features you want Four railroads converged on the tiny have truss rod boxcars lettered for the for your model. It's tough to build a desert town of Beatty, Nevada at one Tonapah and Tidewater with the proper credible example of the smallest portion time or another during the early 1900s. oval herald. Champion decals offer the of the Union Pacific or Conrail mainline The Las Vegas and Tonapah reached words "Tonapah", Tidewater", "Gold" even in N scale. It's the branch lines of southeast from Beatty to Las Vegas, the and "Field." in their series of Private the big railroads that have the type of Tonapah and Tidewater ran due south to Name Decals. Kadee has a rib side features most modelers want. There are connect with the Union Pacific at hopper car in Tonapah and Goldfield even some small railroads, like the Crucero and with the Santa Fe at lettering for N scale modelers. That's it. Colorado Midland, the Virginia & Ludlow, Nevada. The Tonapah and It would be difficult, indeed, to duplicate Truckee or the Maryland & Pennsylvania Goldfield headed north to Goldfield and the various "Tonapah" lines' 4-6-0, that are alrnost"model" railroads in their then to Tonapah, Nevada. The LV&T 2-8-0and 0-6-0 steam locomotives in N own right. There are some obscure real followed right alongside the T&G to scale. The HO scale modeler will have it railroads that may suit your purposes for duplicate the route to Tonapah. The Las relatively easy, however. The majority of use as a prototype far better than those Vegas and Tonapah only lasted from the 2-8-0 engines owned by the T&G, three famous shortline railroads. The 1906 until 1918 even though it was the B&G, T&T and LV&T Railroads looked various real railroads that ran from Las largest of the three lines. The Tonapah very much like the Model Die Casting Vegas, Nevada north through the desert and Goldfield also became heir to its HO scale "old Time" 2-8-0 with a Model to Beatty, Rhyolite, Goldfield and competing Bullfrog and Goldfield Die Casting Vanderbuilt tender. The Tonapah are examples of such "obscure" Railroad in 1928 . The Tonapah and, majority of the 4-6-0s looked much like shortlines. Tidewater ran out of revenues and was the Locomotive Company HO scale The complete history of the railroads abandonded in 1940 before it would run number 10-21-30 kits or Arbour's number to Tonapah is covered in Volumes I and anything but a stearn locomotive. The 104 Sylvania Central 4-6-0. The 0-6-0s II David F. Myrick's RAILROADS OF Tonapah and Goldfield was abandoned could be duplicated reasonably well with NEV ADA AND EASTERN in 1948. The T & G was a steam railroad Model Die Casting's 0-6-0 kitfitted with CALIFORNIA. The 480-page books have too, but it did lease a pair of U.S. Army the cab from the MDC Old Time 2-8-0. hundreds of clear photographs, rosters Alco switching diesels during 1945-46. The Las Vegas and Tonapah had four of the locomotives and even track plans The Tonapah and Tidewater did, 4-6-0 locomotives that are virtually of the individual towns. Volume I covers however, purchase a passenger-carrying identical to Model Die Casting's number the Tonapah and Goldfield Railroad that Rail Motor Car (in 1928) that was 458 ten-wheeler. lasted until 1948 . Volume II covers the essentially a baggage/coach with its own These desert lines used mostly Tonapah and Tidewater and its diesel powerplant. wooden rolling stock and there is plenty 16 Tonapah and Tidewater number 7 2-8-0 had received a steel skin over its wood cab when this photo was taken at Death Valley Junction, California in 1940.

The T & T RR ten-wheelers numbered 9 and 10 were both built in 1907 by Baldwin Locomotive Works. The engines on these desert railroads burned oil.

Number 11 was a logging locomotive pur­ chased by the T & Tin 1945 and fitted with the typical Vanderbuilt tender to match the other T&T engines. Number 5(; looked almost exactly as it did when delivered by Baldwin to the T & G in 1905 after 43-years of service. It is very similar to MOe's HO scale model.

The T & G fitted number 52 with a Union Pacific-style headlight and covered the cab with steel sheathing during its 43-year lifetime. It was identical to no. 50.

T & G number 53 was formerly the Tonapah and Tidewater's number 7 (see photo of number 7 in 1940). This photo was taken just months before it was scrapped in 1948.

Numbers 56 and 57 were both built in 1907 by Baldwin for the Tonapah and Goldfield. The steel cabs and twin air pumps were probably "state-of-the-art" practice by 1907, just two­ years after the wood cabs and single pumps on numbers 50 through 52. 18 Number 269 had a very short life on the T & G; it was purchased used in 1944 and scrapped in 1948. The locomotive wa s- originally built For the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburg (a Balti­ more & Ohio predessor) so it's no wonder it looks very much like PFM's HO scale B&O 2-8-0 brass import model.

The Tonapah and Goldfield self-propelled gas electric rail motor call number 103 was very similar to their own number 102 and to the T & T Railroad's number 99. They could pull another coach for local passenger service.

- ,. - .. ~-::-- ~~~ -~ ,~,: ...." . ",

of tha t available in HO sca le. The 80-foot MOe passenger_cars a nd most of the LaBelle and Westwood kits would be fine for any of these lines. They interchanged with the Santa Fe at Ludlow, Nevada so there would be ample need for Santa Fe rolling stock on any Tonapah model railroad. You might even want to " lease" one or two of the sma II er Santa Fe locomoti ves for use on the railroad. Those four LV&T 63-inch drivered ten-wheelers are virtually identical to thei r counterparts on the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads. Merrick's books will provide all the illustra tions you might wan t of the locomotives, rolling s tock a nd s tructures . -- . .- of these desert lines . 19 NEW MODELING TECHNIQUES Q TyeO DIESELS III . ,-, ~ III o~ A- I III ..I ID ::::»

The 1947 "Train of Tomorrow" was also o headed by an f7 diesel. The train served the Seattle area with the addition of several cars. Q Photo courtesy Union Pacific RR.

You can double the power of first Union Padfic "City of San Most of the manufacturers of your Tyco locomotives with this Francisco" and the Santa Fe's "Super ready-to-run model railroading Chief" in the 1937-1944 period. These equipment, including Tyco, have a few simple snap-fit and screwdriver early diesels had noses tha t slanted standardized motors that they fit to conversion straight down at about a 3D-degree angle several different locomotive bodies. The from the headlight. The rounded noses Tyco HO scale model of the E7 firstappeared on the E7 diesels that were Eletro-Motive Division passenger diesel Models by Mike Mitchell produced right after World War II. This is an example of a model that has both a was virtually the same nose that had motoranda power truck thatis common There was a time when virtually every been used on the EMD freigh t diesels in to other models. In fact, all of the Tyco passenger train in America was pulled the FT-series built during the War. The HO scale diesels with 6-wheel trucks with bullnose diesels that looked like E7s lasted in production unntil 1949 share virtually the same power truck. these. Most of them had the six-wheel when the E8 and E9 engines tha t ra n in to Tyco fits two different sideframe castings trucks that identified the various the Amtrak era were produced. The E7 to this power truck; one to match the "E-series" passenger diesels made by and E8 are available in both HO and N EMD 12-wheel "road switchers" like the the Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of scales as ready-to-run locomotives. The Tyco SD24 and another truck that is a General Motors. The first E-units were E9is available onlyinHO butitis almost copy of no known diesel pattern. This the EA through ES models that pulled identical to the E8 except for the area strange truck sideframe is fitted to Tyco' s the pioneer streamlined trains like the surrounding the headlight. "GG-1 Electric" toy locomotive, to their 20 The Atlas N scale version of the f7 diesel repainted and lettered in Milwaukee Road col­ ors by Martin Fischer.

The Southern Pacific's Shasta "Daylight" was headed by an f7 f/etro Motive A unit and two B units in 1949. Southern Pacific photo.

21 Alco Super 630 and to their E7. The truck is as cl ose to the "A lco 6-wheel as anything else but it doesn't even resemble the proper truck for the E7. We've shown the Model Power model of the E7 tha t has trucks with the correct style. The Model Power HO scale ready-to-run model of the E7 has the correct trucks for the period. It, too, has only one truck powered.

22 Mike Mitchell installed two powered Tyco 5D24 trucks in this Tyco f7 and he repainted it in the Missouri Pacific's blue and grey color scheme.

,

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You can fit the trucks from Tyco's locomotives on new purchases and there Tyco offers the f 7 in several paint schemes S024 diesel to the E7 to obtain a were times when an out-of-place truck including this bright yellow, grey and red Union sid eframe that is, at least, the same as would appear so it's possible S024 Pacific " City of San Francisco" scheme. Mike that fitted sosome types ofEMO diesels. trucks were on some E7. At least, you Mitchell added two of the 5D24 power trucks to this one. The S024 trucks are n ot right either but ca n hide their appearance with some they a t least look something like the dark grey-black "weathering" paint proper E7 trucks. EMD did, in fact, fit a better than with the stock Tyco E7 trucks. very similar six-wheel truck to the rear of If you are going to cha nge them, we their rare FL9 electric/diesel-powered might suggest you buy twoofthe SO-24s locomotive but it had a fo ur-wheel front whil e you a re it a nd double the power of truck! Several railroads did trade-in your E7 . 23 Only one of the trucks on the Tyco E7 locomotive and two 5024 locomotives to body and a pair of "Alco" trucks; one (oron the 5024) is powered; the truck on build just one dual-powered E7. The with power and one without. You can the opposite end ofthe locomotive leftover pair of non-powered 5024 just snap those components together merely provides the electrical power trucks can be snapped back into one of and pretend that your railroad traded-in return. The trucks and their mountings the 5024 b"odies to produce a "dummy" an AIco diesel on that particular 5024 to are interchangable, however, so you can 5024. There will even be pickup wires explain its unusual trucks. We have a simply snap a power truck in place of an for interior and headlights if you want better use for those "AIco" trucks, unpowered one. The appropriate wires them. The dummy 5024 can be however; you'll see an article on how to must, of course, be disconnected and permanently coupled to a powered build an Alco RSC-2 diesel with those reconnected - that's what most of the 5024. The real railroads operate diesels Tyco trucks in the Spring 1980 issue of photographs on these pages describe. in multiples of two or more most of the this magazine. You will need to purchase one E7 time. That will leave you with one 5024

FOR DUAL-POWER REMOVING THE E7 TRUCKS

Use a screwdriver to gently pry the sides of the Tyco f7 body away so the small black peg (just above the steps) on the truck-mounting platform can be remQved. On first try, you'll probably remove the truck but not its mounting platform. The parts simply snap together, so leave the truck as-is and go after the platform.

24 Pry the sides of the body apart to free the fuel tank/weight unit. It's black mounting pegs pro­ trude through the body at the last UN" of Bur­ The truck-mounting platform is really a bit lington. easier to snap out of the body if the truck is out of the way. Again, push in on its peg with a screwdriver.

25 When the fuel tank/weight is out of the body, you can spread the body sides apart far enough to snap the rear truck out of its mounting slots in the sides.

The headlight bulb is retained by a clip force-fitted onto a plastic peg . Try to pry the Clip off the peg without breaking the peg but don't worry if you do.

The two trucks, the fuel tank/weight and the £7 body.

You'll need the truck-mounting platforms from the f7 to use with the 5024 trucks. Simply pry the platforms uo so they'll snap away from the trucks.

26 The wire will have to be removed from one of the trucks (using a Phil/ips-bladed screwdriver) so the two mounting platforms can be removed.

REMOVING THE SD24 TRUCKS

Grip the bottom edges of the SD24 running boards with your fingertips and pry (pull) the sides of the body apart to release the SD24's fuel tank/weight.

27 The trucks and the fuel tank/weight for the 5024 mount with the same type of pegs-inslots system used on the Tyco f7. The same screw­ driver-pry procedure is used tb remove the trucks and platforms.

Remove both trucks from TWO Tyco 5024 locomotives to obtain the "dual power" trucks for the f7.

Pry the mounting platforms from each of the 5024 trucks. Watch for that coil spring; you~1I need to reassemble the non-powered trucks to make the 5024 "dummy".

Remove ONLY the wires from the non-pow­ ered trucks on both 5024 sets of trucks. Again, you'll need to use a Phillips-bladed screwdriver.

28 The powered 5024 trucks also have the headlight bulbs attached to them. The two power trucks (right and left) are what you want for that f7.

The "ground" wire from one 5024 truck connects to the same Phillips screw as the light bulb wire for the opposite truck. Hold the con­ nections in place by hand while you test-run the two trucks onn your layout so you know you'll have the connections right.

The mounting platforms from the f7 must be over the wires before the wires are installed on the Phillips screws. Test-fit the platforms to be certain you have them right-side-up.

29 The "ground" wire from one 5024 truck can The f 7 two-piece mounting platforms will now be innstalled on the same Phillips screw snap right onto the 5024 trucks if you squeeze thats holds the headlight bulb for the truck on the truck and mounting plaform together as the opposite end of the locomotive. Position the shown. wire terminal vertically (as shown) so it won't interfere with the trucks' pivoting in their mounting platforms.

INSTALLING THE 5024 TRUCKS

Check each truck and mounting platform to be-cgrtain the truck swivels or pivots without binding. You may need to scrape away a bit of The headlight wires are not long enough to metal or plastic to get them tp pivot without any reach the original headlight mouilkng posts. binding. You can cut the wires and solder a few more inches of wire in place to make them longer. Most of us will settle for just taping the light mounting brackets to the roof of the f7 diesel body with plack plastic electrical tape .

The two powered trucks from the 5024 locomotives will snap right into the f7 body because you're using the original truck­ mounting platforms from f7.

30 The final step in the "dual-power" conver­ sion is to snap the fuel tank/weight unit into the body. The dual-power f7 with 5024 trucks. The same general steps would apply to providing "dua/~power" for any Tyco diesel locomotive because they all use a similar type of snap-in mounting platform for the trucks.

31 BASICS FOR BEGINNERS General Motors equipped their Train of To­ morrow with. all of the interior features that were to become standard on the streamlined passenger trains of the fifties including the dome-topped cars. Union Pacific Railroad photo.

engineer and fireman enjoyed. General Motors Electro-Motive Division was very interested, in 1947, in selling more THE diesels to the railroads who then preferred steam for most mainline work and diesels for yard duties. Electro-Motive Division was also interested, of course, in getting the TRAIN OF railroads to purchase their diesel locomotives rather than those of Alco, General Electric, Fairbanks Morse or Baldwin. A true train of the future was deemed to be the answer. General TOMORROW Motors' automotive styling people are said to be the ones that created the shapes of both the cars and the Albin Burroughs locomotives of the streamliner they called the "Train of Tomorrow". The train of the future was first completed as a model to show to railroad A careful selection of ready­ The streamliner you see on these executives in 1945. The designers tried to pages was one of the first all-dome place as much emphasis on effecient use to-run equipment can be used to passenger trains in the world. The train of interior space and comfort as they did dupl icate one of the first domed is said to have been the idea of some of in the exterior styling. General Motors the General Motors officials who wanted and Pullman-Standard completed the streaml iners in either HO scale the railroad passengers to have a chance four-car train in 1947. The train was or in N scale to see the same spectacular view that the painted a dark blue with silver trim. The 32 train toured the country to sell the concept of dome travel to the American public and GM diesels to the railroads during 1947, 1948 and 1949. A cutout scale model of the train even appeared on the kids' cereal boxes of the period. Every sea t in every car was placed opposite a large " picture" window; the smaller windows are either on aisles or in the crew's sections of the train. GM, true-to-form, dubbed their domes "As tra Domes". Each of the cars received a name as well; the firs t chair car was "Star Dust", the diner was "Sky View", the sleeping car was "Dream Cloud" and the observation-lounge car was "Moon Glow". The diner was the only dome diner in the world. All 'of the cars were, of course, equipped with full-time air conditioning from GM's Frigidaire division with other equipment from their Detroit Diesel and Delco Products divisions on the cars and locomotives. The Union Pacific bought the entire train in April of 1950 and repainted it in their own yellow, grey and red scheme.

You can duplicate the Train of Tomorrow in either HO scale or N scale using kits and ready-to-run equipment. The observation car requires some alterations, from a stock kit, to match the shape of the real car.

The Model Power HO scale £7 diesel in an accurate replica of the locomotive that pulled the Train of Tomorrow. Only the numbers need to be changed. 33 Con Cor's HO sca le passenger car kits snap­ together in a matter of minutes. Four of their number H702A "Regular ·Dome" cars and one number H770A Dome observation will be needed for the four-car train. The forth "Regu­ lar Dome" will be used to install the correct­ .shape dome on the H770A car.

The right and left sides of the ConCor H720A ferent cars in the Train of Tomorrow. If you "Regular Dome" car are different just as they really want to be dead-accurate, however, are on the real car. If you couple one car with its you'll have to shape a complete new set of right side showing and another with its left side windows for all four cars! The ConCor cars are showing you can simulate two of the three dif- close enough! 34 You can simulate the third car in the Train of Tomorrow by simply assembling the roof end-for-end when you snap it in place. 35 It takes a bit of extra effort to replace the dome in the ConCor observation car with one from their H720A cars but the effect of four matching domes is worth the trouble.

The train was placed into service on the corrugated-side "Regular Dome Car" in Portland-Seattle line with the addition of both HO scale (number H720A) and N a half-dozen or more additional scale (number 04321N) that are virtually non-dome cars, and two more identical in the shape of the dome, the locomotives. There are photographs of surfaces of the sides and other details to every ca r in the train, including in terior the full-size Train of Tomorrow cars. The views of the diner and chair car in the placement of the windows is the only 592-page book THE UNION PACIFIC obvious fault in these cars. STREAMLINERS ($40 from Kratville Unfortunately, Concor's Publications, Suite 516, Farnham corrugated-side "Dome Observation" Building, Dept. GW, Omaha, Nebraska cars in HO scale (number H770A) and N 68102) . The book also includes drawings scale (number 04051E) have a of major dimensions of the cars. different-style dome that is more vertical The only truly accurate models of any than thaton the other cars. You'll find an of the Train of Tomorrow's equipment article, in this issue, that describes how are the E7 locomotives available from to fit the proper dome to the observation Model Power in HO scale and Atlas in N car to complete the four-car Train of scale. ConCor, however, makes a Tomorrow.

36 THE AC' Fl

The Kratville hardback book THE UNION PACIFIC STREAMLINERS is rea lly a history of the heyday of passenger travel by rail from the first streamliners in the thrities right through to Amtrak times. It describes annd illustrates every car in the Train of Tom orrow. 37

i NEW MODELING TECHNIQUES

.. . --_~ • ..L..

BUILDADOME OBSERVATION CAR

38 You'll need two cars to make this one; the basic corrugated observation car is ConCor's number H771 " Dome- Observa tion" car (top) with the roof and dome from a number H711 "Regular Dome". We also used Evergreen .060 sheet styrene and .0 15 x .188 styrene strips and Micro Scale's number RH-ll0 Union Pacific stripe decals and number 4008 UP passenger ca r decals, with Scalecoat /I (for plastics) number 32 UP Harbor Mist Grey and number 22 UP Armour Yellow paint and Te stors' " Dulkote".

You can use these techniques to make a dome car out of any streaml iner and to alter any window-position

Albin Burroughs

There are at least 36 different sca le-length streamlined passenger car Cut the snap-in mounting tabs from both roof kits and ready-builts available from sections to make it easier to align them for later AHM, Athearn, ConCor, Herkimer, cuffing operations. Limited Editions and Classic Pullman Models. That assortment ca n be multiplied by about three or four when you consider the differen t railroad names and paint schemes avail able from those manufacturers. In spite of that HOW-TO: ADAPT A selection of almost 200 streamlined "DOME" ROOF passenger cars, there are still a great number of cars that are not avail able as kits. If you are trying to duplicate a particul ar train or even the cars from a particular ra ilroad, you may have to improvise a bit to get what you want. "Improvise", here, means to use the proven "conversion", "Cross-kitting" or Hold the standard dome roof and the dome­ "customizing" techniques that have observation roof side-by-side so you can see been d eveloped in the hobby to make - how much of the standard dome to remove to fit the rounded (and smooth-roofed) observa­ something - else - out - of - existing - tion end to it. Note that the standard dome is parts . 1 to ward the "square" end of the car. Mark the If you excl ude baggage and pos tal ca rs Hold the roofs against a block of 1 x 4 wood cut lines with a hobby knife and straight edge. and a rticul ated cars, mos t of the to back-up the plastic while you cut it. with a streamlined passenger cars were close razor saw. Cut about 1I64-inch away from the eno ugh to 8S-feet long over their buffers. final size to give yourself room to file and sand The principl e differences between the the cut end smooth and square. ca rs, then, was either in the use of one of two general types of corrugations, smooth sides, a smooth roof or one of two basic "short" dom~ styles and the placementand size of the windows. Yo u ca n sometimes interchange roofs and bodies to get the more-or-I ess correct windows under the right roof and/or d ome. That is one of the techniques you see illustrated here. It ca n be done with different bra nds of cars but it is ex tr.emely difficult - try to stick with the same bra nd of car when you go about roof-swapping. The placement of windows ca n be altered by cutting-out the incorrect area and replacing it with .060-inch thick Evergreen-brand sheet styrene plastic with (of course) the correct windows cut and fil ed in place. We'll show you h ow to fit a blank wa ll - the window cutting and filing- to-shape wasn' t required (whew!) on this pa rticula r ca r. 39 Hold the wood inside the roofwhile you file You may find it easier to square-o ff the cut the end smooth to remove any traces of the saw ends if you hold a piece of number 100-grit maries. Use a medium-cut mill file for the filing emery paper on a perfectly flat block of wood work. while you move the plastic across it as shown.

The dome-observation is cut right at the end of the corrugations - the standard dome roof will be used to replace the corrugated section of the dome-observation roof.

Cut the curved clear plastic portion of the dome-observation car so it will fit inside the car body when the newly-cut "new" standard dome roof is in place.

Test-fit the rounded end of the observation car against the new roof. Note, here, that about 7/ 76-inch of material needs to be removed from the joining end to align the end of the roof with end of the car. The rounded roof end is also about 3131-inch higher than the roof from the standard dome car.

Align the curved EDGES of the observation Wrap masking tape around the dome roof end and the shortened standard dome roof(the end to give you a straight guide line around the observation end will then be about 7/64-inch end of the roof. You'll need to remove about LOWER than the standard dome roof near the 7/31-inch from the curved end of the piece as center of the roof). Mark the edge of the obser­ well. When you're satisfied with the location of vation end where it needs to be cut to remove the cut line, mark it with a hobby knife and the excess material. remove the masking tape. 40 Cut along the line you just cut in the observa­ File-away any saw marks and smooth the cut Test-Fit the observation rooF end to be certain tion rooF end with a razor saw to remove the edge of the observation rooF end. you are not removing too much material From excess material From the end to lower its height. its joining surfaces.

A piece of lOO-grit emery paper and a Flat Apply liquid cement For plastics to the sur­ block of wood can be used, as a sanding block, Faces where the rooF pieces will attach to each to sand the joining surfaces of the observation other. Let the cement sit For about Five-minutes end Flat . until it soFtens the plastic surfaces.

You may need to File about 1/64-tnch From the center of the standard dome rooF so its The two rooFs should actually be glued to­ contour matches that of the just-cut observa­ gether with the car body as an alignment jig. tion ,end. The glue, however, must be almost dry when the parts are joined or it will cement the rooF to the sides. Use a rubber band to hold the stan­ dard dome rooF to the car until the glue dries between the observation rooF end and the stan­ dard dome rooF. 41 ConCor has been very helpful to the modeler in providing a removable roo£' on their streamlined passenger cars. They even offer a replacement "Budd" corruga ted roof to fit their cars that have smooth (riveted-panel) roofs so you can have a matching train of cars. ConCor also offers two differen t shapes of dOU1es but you must by a complete car kit to get a " differenl" one than the "standard" dome for each style car. The end of the car may also have to be reshaped a bit to match the " new" roof ends. Even with a bit of fil e-and fit work, however, the job of making a replica of a particular streamlined car is easier with the use of the Ca n Cor kits than trying to scratchbuild the same car. The stock ConCor kits, by the way, assemble so "easily that they are closer to ready-built Mark the window vertical dividers that are to be removed with an "X" so you don't cut models than kits . through the wrong ones. Back-up the plastic with a piece of 1 x 4 wood while you make the actual cut with a razor saw.

HOW-TO: BLANK-OFF & fach of the cuts should be about 1/64-inch RELOCATE WINDOWS away from the final line you wish to leave room for filing and sanding. Use the molded-in belt lines on the body as guides. If you are removing "short" windows like these two, cut along the belt line as shown.

Use a jeweler's rectangular (in cross-section)"- file to square-off the corners of the ends of ihe cuts and to file the vertical surfaces. This cut begins and ends at a window because we are merely blanking-off several "windows" in the side of the car.

Use the medium-cut mill file to smooth the Use a hobby knife to carefully scrape the cut surfaces and to make them perfectly inside of the cut to remove any burrs left from straight. filing or sawing. 42 Carefully shave away the remaining traces of Hold the Evergreen-brand .060-inch thick the raised window frames at each end of the sheet styrene plastic behind the cut-out portion cut. of the car side. Mark the locaton of the cut on the .060 plastic;. We're going to fill the "hole" with a single piece of plastic - if you were "relocating" windows, you would want to make several vertical window dividers to re­ place those you cut out.

Use a carpenters' or a machinists' square to Force the plastic over a sharp table edge that guide your knife while you make a single shal­ is aligned with the cut you just made - the low cut about 1164-inch outside the line you plastic will simply snap in two along the cuI line just scribed for the filler panel - the extra 11 leaving a very straight edge. 64-inch will leave room to fit the "filler" panel. The specific ca r we wanted to model was the Union Pacific observati on car nwnber9d15 "Moon G low". The ca r was part of the firs t Pullman-built dome train; the 1947 "Train of Tomorrow" (see a rticl e elsewhere in this issue, Ed .). The mediwn blue and silver cars (a nd locomotive) were repainted in Union Pacific Railroad yell ow, grey and red w hen the railroad purchased the complete train in 1950. We needed the fourth ca r of the tra in with a dome to match the other three. Frankly, the ca r

Hold the "filler" piece of plastic against the car side to see which areas need to be filed so the " filler" piece will fit tightly. It's easier to file the piece if you lay the file down and move the " filler " piece back and forth . 43 . we crea ted is only an approxima tion of "Moon Glow"; the windows are n ot in the righ t pl aces. The sha pe of the ca r, the corrugations, the bl ank right waU benea th the dome and the colors are correct, h owever. The finished ca r serves the purpose of completin g one of the first all-dome s treamliners quite nicely.

When the " filler " piece fits the hole in the car side perfectly, rub the filler piece over the file to remove any saw or file burrs from the face oF. the filler piece. Do NOT scrape or file th e edges or you may round them.

The filler piece should be a light force fit in the car side. Watch the upper edge of the car side to be sure it doesn't.bow upward when the filler piece is in place; if it does, you may need to remove a bit more material from the edges of the filler piece.

Glue the filler piece in place with liquid ce­ ment for plastics. Hold a block of wood inside the car so the surface of the filler piece is per­ fectly flush with the OUTSIDE surface of the car side. When the glue has dried overnight, smear a thin la yer of automobile body putty over the seams or any other rough areas.

Let the body putty dry for six-hours or so, then sand it flush with the car side using number 400 emery paper wrapped over the edge of a wooden ice cream stick.

44 The letterboards on the tops of the car sides should be twice as long as they are so the "Union Pacific" (or other railroad name) can be centered under the new dome location. Cut the new letterboard extensions from the .015 x .188 Evergreen-brand styrene strip. Scrape all of the raised corrugations from the letterboard area with a hobby knife as shown.

Scrape enough of the corrugations from be­ neath the new letterboard extensions so they will be flush with the originalletterboards.

Glue the new letterboard to the sides of the car with liquid cement for plastics. The seam between the new and old letterboards should also be filled with the automobile body putty and the dried putty sanded flush. The car is now ready to paint, stripe and letter . .. ,Corrugated or "fluted side" streamline cars were the exception rather than the rule on the Union Pacific. Most of the Union Pacific cars were similar to those sold by AHM and Classic Pullman Models. The corrugated sides of the four "Train of Tomorrow" cars will make a nice contrast to more common Union Pacific practice on our layout. The dome cars were so popular in Seattle-Portland service that another dozen cars were added to some trains of the fifties just to keep up with the demand for seats. Most of those cars were the smooth-sided (riveted) " typical" Union Pacific coaches. This was certainly not the only train on the Union Pacific to have a mixture of corrugated and smooth-sided equipment. The Union Pacific's use of the "Train of Tomorrow" cars is just one example of how you can mix the various brands of scale model streamliners and still know the real railroads did the same thing. 45 BASICS FOR BEGINNERS

.we L • I

SIMPLE STRIPING FOR CARS&LOCOMOTIVES The mu Iti-colored streaml iners can be dupl icated w ith a combination of masking and decaling techn iques Bill Wright

Don't le t those fancy diesei and The proper paint job comes first. The easier toapply d eca ls . lf yo u useFloquil, streamliner paint schemes sca re you; model mus t be almost surgica ll y clea n; a the model should be sprayed with a light there are a whole lo t of tricks tha t make single fingerprint wi ll leave enough coa t of clea r gloss paint like Testors' them easie r tha n you'd imagine. One of g rease so no type of paint w ill s tick C losscote. The C losscote is ava il a bl e in the real thlills the hobby off ers is tha t of prope rly. Wash the model with kitche n aerosol ca ns . If you try to a pply deca ls to seeing a new locomotive o r car that YOU cleanser (like Come t) a nd scrub it w ith an flat-finis h paints, the ro ug h s urface have jus t repainted and le tte red sitting old toothbrush. This w ill do two things; tex ture tha t gives the lack-of-shine keeps on the tracks. Yo u ca n buy ALMOST it will remove a ny traces of g rease a nd it . the deca l from s ti ckin g prope rl y a nd the evelY car and locomotive you might will roughen the surface slightly to give deca l may look hazy. The Glosscote ca'n want for your favolite railroad but· the re the new paint a " tooth " to g rabonto. It's be applied, of co urse, afte r a ll the colors will be a few tha t you' ll ha ve to p aint best to stalt with unpainted plasti c but Me painted for a ny two-colo r (or mo re) yourself. Half at the secret of doing the there a re times when removing the pai nt pai n t scheme. job is ha ving the ri ght ma te ri als; the will melt the model. At the very leas t, The pa int should be a ll owed to dry for othe r ha lf is using them prope rly. Oh, use some alcohol a nd a Q-Tip type of a bo ut a WEEKoruntil the re isa bsolutely there may be a few pe rcen tage points of cotto n swap to scrub the plinted-on no trace of paint s me ll w he n you hold the "skill" e nvolved but tha t w ill come with lette ling off so the lette ling won' t show model ne'( t to your nose. Then, the practice. The firs t things you need to through the paint (as a raised a rea). model ca n be mas ked fo r the (J pplica ti on know a re the techniques you' ll want to Whe n the model is cl ea n, handle it w ith of a second colo r. Scotch clea r pl as ti c practice. rubber gloves o r bend a rack fr om an old "Magic" tape works fine for most Firs t, do NOT use the us ual paper coa t hanger. Small pa rts can be held to a maskin g of fl at surfaces. The tape w ill " ma sking tape" fo r masking a model of scrap of wood or ca rdboard by applying no tconform to rounded s urfaces like th e any kind. The tape is far too thick for use masking tape sticky sid e up (tuck th e noses of E-se ri es d iesels. Scotch ma kes a with models - it a ll owsa'thick build-up ' ends of the tape under to hold it to the specia l ta pe tha t ,l utomobil e body paint of paint along its edge - mos t masking board). s hops use ca ll ed "Scotch Fine Lin e Tape tapes a re als o too s ticky fo r use on Most fl at-finish o r semi-gols5 paints o. 218 " . It's ava il a bl e in 118 o r 1I4-inch models. The rea l " tlick" to the use of a (for PLASTIC!) w ill s tick witho ut the widths a nd it is rela ti ve ly ex pensive a t masking techniq ue fo r a two-color model need fo r a prime r coat. Sca lecoat [[ and abo ut $3.00 a roll. It is almost as thin as is to get that first coat of pain t on TIGHT. Floquil 's Poll y S paints a re both in tended "Magic" tape and it ca n be s tre tched If you d on't, any kind of maskin g ta pe for use directly on most pl astics. Mo und th e curves of d iesel noses a nd the will pull the p ain t ri gh t w ith it. Prope r Virtua ll y any rea l railroa d colo r you like. tape and proper paint applica tion a re the mig ht want is availabl e fr om either firm . Do no t, ever, 'l ttempt to form a curve two ba sic "secre ts" to a ny two-color I prefer the SC(J lecoa t II because it leaves with ta pe, however; even with the pai nt job. a sli ghtly glossy fini sh that ma kes it re la ti ve ly ex pensive Sco tch product. [f 46 TWO·COLOR PAINTING TECHNIQUES

~i Ii iii 13

Conventional masking tape can be used for Always try to paint the lighter color first. The large areas like the windows in this Con Cor " Train of Tomorrow" · observation car was observation ca r from the " Train of Tomorrow" . painted dark grey and it will be very difficult to It's best, though, to use the thinner Scotch cover that color on the sides with the Union "Magic" tape at the edges nexf"to where the Pacific yellow. Here, however, the grey will color will be sp ra yed or brushed. serve as a "primer" paint between the silver plastic and the yellow paint. o

Use either Scotch clear " Magic" tape or Overlap the edges of the Scotch masking tape "Fine Line" tape to mask the edges of the (or Magic tape) with conventional paper mask­ color-separation lin e. Use the tape regardless of ing tape. Leave at least 1116-inch between the whether you are painting the second color with paper tape and the edges of tlie plastic masking a brush or spra y. tape.

you wa nt a cu rve (like that on the side of the Sa nta Fe "Super Chief" diesels, for exa mple), cut th e curve in the ta pe. Cover the entire area of the model with the tape tha n sli ce -through the ta pe to give the curve you wantand remove the excess tape. It'_ bette r to a pply the ta pe to a cl ea n sheet of glass a nd cutit the re if you have the pa tte rn for the curve you' need to cut. The fl exibl e ta pes a re . designed to hug the slight bulges that occur on the noses of those E-seli es a nd F- series diesels. A nothe r secret: afte r yo u have applied the ta pe and sprayed-on the second color; slice th rough that second color using the edge of the maskin g tape as your guide for the knife bl ad e. This eliminates a ny cha nce of the masking Apply the second coat of paint and let it dry tape pulling the second color coa t of paint until it is just a bit beyond tacky (it's better to with it. remove the masking tape before the second color is completely dry). Cut along the edge of One more secret: try to pick a the plastic masking tape with a hobby knife. two-color pain t" scheme (l ike those Peel the masking tape back over itself at this Uni on Pacific s treanlline rs) w he re the sharp angle to minimize the chance of pulling dividi ng line be tween two ma jar colors is the first coat of paint with the tape. 47 hidden by a thin stripe . You can then cover any slight irregul arities in your masking and painting with a decal stripe. Yo u may, incidentally, need to apply TWO layers of some types of decals to hide a darker pai nt color with a light decal s tripe color. The yellow deca ls on the dark blue Sa nta Fe diesels ca n sometimes be a doubl e-decal job. There is reall y only one CORRECT way to apply deca ls. You cannot skip a .step, but you can substitute various brands of decals or decal-softening fluids. The procedure is shown in the photogra phs and it MUST begin with that glossy or semi-glossy paint surface even if you do have to spray-on a coa t of clear gloss (like Testors' "Glosscote"). The decal procedure ALWAYS ends with a light application of cl ea r fl at-finish paint (like Tes tors "Dullcote" or, if you are modeling a bra nd-new streamliner, an application of a semi-gloss d ear paint (like Pactra's The proper tools and materials make it both " Cl ea r Fl at"). The dear paint is needed possible and easy to get the decals on properly: to match the "sheene (or lack of sheene) you'll need a paper towel, Facial tissue, scissors, of the deca l to that of the car side. It's the tweezers, a hobby kniFe, decal-soFtening Fluid ONLY way to hide the clear edges of the like " Micro Sol" and decals. The strong decal­ soFtening Fluids, like "Micro Set" should only be decal so the decal looks "painted on" . necessary For applyinng decals over ball-shaped The cl ear will also protect the decal from surfaces or over large ribs or other raised sur­ moisture so it doesn't begin to lift, fo g, or Face details. peel.

Even the best painters will leave a boo boo or The paint must dry For at least a WEEK beFore two; touch-up any rough edges or pulled paint you can apply the decals. The paint is not really with any brush . dry until there is absolutely no trace of paint smell on the surFace of the model itselF.

If the decal stripe is at the edge of the model you MUST cut right along the edge of the color - iF you don't, the water will Float the decal away From the edge. Any other decals can simply be cut From the decal sheet with scissors. Cut Walthers or Champa decals as close as pos­ sible to the COLORED portions. Cut the Micro-Scale decals apart just outside the CLEAR portions. Micro-Scale decals have only a Frac­ tion of an inch of clear beyond each decal - MOST OTHER BRANDS HAVE A SOLID SHEET OF CLEAR . 48 APPLYING STRIPES WITH DECALS

Dip the decal in water for about three-sec­ Do NOT handle the decal with your fingers onds then set it on the paper towel for about once it has been wetted with water. Position five-minutes while the glue-backing dissolves. Qoth the decal and its paper backing where you Coat the area to be decaled with decal-soften­ want it. Hold the decalin place with the tip of a ing fluid. knife while you pull the paper backing away with tweezers as shown.

If any excess decal glue or decal-softening You can blot-up any excess water or decal­ fluid is visible on the side of the car it. can be softening fluid with just the edges of a facial removed by scrubbing it (but NOT the decaD tissue. You may have to add more fluid, later, to with a damp Q- Tip; When the decals have dried allow you to move the decal into proper align­ for 24-hours or more, spray the model with a ment. Use enough fluid so you can "float" the light and even coat of Testors' "Dullcote" or decal enough to move it with a knife tip. You Pactra's "Clear Flat". The Pactra clear leaves a only have about five-minutes to get the decal semi-gloss finish on most models while Testors' aligned before the fluid makes it so soft it will leaves a very flat finish. crumble. If you botch it, let the decal dry and remove it with a piece of Scotch "Magic" tape pressed LlGHTL Y over the decal - the tape will lift the decal with it,

The name, number or herald decals should be The second stripe can be applied while the applied after all of the striping decals are in first is still drying. Work ONL Yon one side of place. Here, you can see the use of just the edge the model at a time; allow the decals at least of a piece of facial tissue being used to blot-up 24-hours to dry before you turn the model over excess water and decal-softening fluid from the to apply the decals on the other side. side of the car. 49 BASICS FOR BEGINNERS own armpits is about right fo r mos t of us. Yo u mus t, h owever, keep the width of . the layout d own to about 24-inches or A Pennsylvania Railroad local (or peddlar) freight at less beca use tha t' s as far as you' ll be able Elizabeth, New Jersey in June of 1930. Photo from the to reach. When you cannot bend at the Harold K. Vollrath collection. wais t to h elp increase your reach, the rear portion of the ra il roa d will be inaccessa bl e. If you must have a slightly wider layout, pro vide access holes or use a ladder or s tep s tool to climb up so you ca n bend at the waist to reach further back on to the layout. A 4x8-foot model railroad sh ould be pl aced in the " tra in room" so you can reach both of the 8-foot long sides. The Romford & Joliet Railroad is designed so that the 4-foo t end nea r Lea r would be against the wall. If you mus t h ave a single control panel to operate the rail roa d then it sh ould be pl aced on the 4-footend of the ra il road to the left of the plan . This ra il roa d woul d be more enj oya bl e to operate with some form of "walk-around" control so you ca n actually walk alongsid e your locomoti ve while it moves around the layout. You ca n put lO-foo t wires on a small p ower pack and use it as a walk-around control with a ten-foo t ex tension cord for the lIS-volt power. It's rea ll y better, though, to purchase one of the inexpensive THE separate "walk-around" controllers like Mod el Rectifier Corporation's (MRC) "Cab 55" or Troll er's "Transca b" that ROMFORD JOLIET simply add a speed and reverse control ~ in a box to your regular p ower pack. These controls are in a box about the size RAILROAD of a large bar of soap with a ten-foot long cable. The ca bl e connects to the regular power pack and you carry the wa lk-around co ntrols with you. The A track pl an fo r an action layout system a ll ows cl ose-up a ttention to all in 4x8-feet those tin y detail s you built-into your models . Walk-around controls also all ow you to use manual turnouts The difference between an oval of reason fo r ex is ting. The model ra il roa d (switches) ra ther than the track a nd an opera ting model rail road is builder has p recisely the opposite remote-con trol valiety because you're about nine-parts imagination and problem; too little space . Much of the always within reach of the turnout when one-part p roper planning. The Romford enj oyment you obtain from the hobby you need it. & Joliet Rail road is a " p roper" track plan will d epend on how well you ca n make a The Romford & Joliet Ra il road ca n be with virtually all of the basic ingredients little space look like a whole lot. The way opera ted in the time-proven method of ofa happy and s uc:cessful model ra ilroad the tra ins act in that space w ill have a running mainline trains endlessly fo r now and for the fu ture. This is one grea t deal to do with h ow .well they around the oval while a switching tra in ra il road you can begin today and enj oy co nvey the illusion of actuall y going works the sidings and indus trial/sites for several years before you d rea m of an from one pl ace to another like the rea'l near Jolie t. There is a much more even larger empire. The definitions of ones. in teres ting opera ting method , the ingredients of this layout are simple Tha t' s where scenery comes in; try to however ... Consid er operating the enough; it has a basic oval with a pl ace some type of visual barrier down trains from point-to-point; originating at doubl e-ended (passing) siding, a built-in the ce nter of a two-sid ed layout (l ike this RO Inford and worki ng their way th rough reversing loop track (th rough Sumne r) one) so tha t you ca n onl y see one side of Sumner (i n a counterclockwise direction and six s tub-ended industrial sidings. it a t a ti me . The barrier ca n be ei ther hill s past Lear), then to Joliet and finall y to Yo u ca n run trains en dlessly around the or tall build ings or even a simpl e sky Lear. The trains would then back-up to loop and use the va lio us sidings to store blue-painted piece of wa ll board to Joliet and reverse again to " layover" in a ca rs as though they were just so much back·· up lower scenery. The elevation of tunnel (or hidden behind industrial sce nery. Yo u can do that with an the tablework above the fl oor plays an build ings) at Apex w hil e a second train arowld-the-Xmas free layout with a important partin crea ting the illusion of s tarted the same trip . When train single siding - the Romford & Joliet has size. The small er the railroad, the higher number 2 arri ves at Lea r, train number much more to offer fo r those tha t like to it sho ul d be so you ca nnot see quite so one can be sent on back to Lear. The run their tra ins as th ough they were real. much of it at a glance . Some model locomo ti ve and anyone-directi on ca rs There is never, ever, enough space on ra il roaders even build their layouts at like baggage-coaches orobserva ti on ca rs eve n the largest of club model ra ilroads. about the level of their own chins. A can be tu rned using the reversing section Real railroad s ea t up space as part of their rail road about the sa me height as yo ur th ro ugh Sumne r. The passing siding at 50 APEX (LAYOVER SIDING) 3" 3"

.: I ,::5 & ... ,J ,f'" 05 ff LEA ~~?t1' INSULATED ~ REAL JOINERS BOTH • ,g§! ...... ii\·i .. iiiiiiiiiiiii\\i!U RAILS . 113 u\i\\iiii\\\li@\\HhllH\\Y \hm, ..\1.I1. .:,' . 3'" . ~ , !tilIl\\\I D 3" . ' .. •• .' ; \ \\iiii! !!!\\\!!\\!!!!!!nnH\~1 !1!H!l ll1I1iiUiiu U\\\\\\\U U\\\\\\\U ...... \\I .. .. iiiiliiill\\\\\I\\\1 Q\I\I\II\II\II\I\\I!\\II!\I!\IJ.\ ..... l' 2 " ""'l/Il/l/illiiiil!lil;Yiiiii';iiiiiliiiiiiilli,iiUlIJ' U\\\II\\M\\\ §!i!!!!!!!!\\!!!lII!!I\\!1\1\!i nm...1m...... ROMFORD

THE ROMFORD & JOLIET RAILROAD Romford and the single stub-end Siding several such electric switches so engines some of the sidings are eliminated and a will be enough to make-up or can be " held" on the Romford siding or different number of track sections used. break-down trains for the next trip to on one ofthe Joliet industrial spurs whil e You coul d buil d the layout in a 30 x Sumner/Joliet/Lear/ Apex and back to "mainline" tra ins operate. 60-inch area with N sca le track but, Romford. The various sidings near the Joliet frankly, it would be much more fun to If you wa nt to have Romford trains " Industrial Site" area will provide plenty keep it 4 x 8-feet and take advantage of return to Romford in the opposite of ac tion for a locomotive to switch cars the fact tha t the trains could be almos t direction they departed from; simply in and out of the industries in that area . twice as long in N scale as they would be back the train tha t is leaving Lear on The switchback siding into the area is in HO scale. There are no elevation through Joliet and Sumner (clockwise) very short so only one· switching changes on the plan so it could be built and have it pull into the La yover siding ' locomotive and a 50-foot or shorter car on a flat tabletop. If you feel at Apex engine-first to wait for its turn to can enter and clear the turnout. The adventurous, the curve around Lear appear again . These maneuvers give an siding in the corner of the ta ble nea r could be eleva ted and the siding end at operating sequence thatis almost exactly Joliet could bes t be utilized as an Lear depressed to tunnel benea th the like tha t used by the real railroads. We're "interchange" track where the Romford curve for another imaginary using that trackage through Sumner for & Joliet Railroad connects with some "interchange" with a mainline railroad. both a mai nline and a reversing track but major railroad line . The las t 9-inches or BILL OF MATERIALS you won't notice the overlap so much if so of the siding should disappearinto an Track sections required for the you install a backdrop or hill to hide industrial building or tunnel for tha t Romford & Joliet Ra ilroad to be built in a Romford and Sumner from Lear and "outside" connection. You can also use 4x8-foo t area with HO scale equipment: Joliet. When you hold a trainin a hidden that sa me track as a "fiddl e yard" to QUANTITY DESCRIPTION "layover" Siding like the one we're move cars or locomoti ves on or off the 3 Ph -inch straight track secti ons* designa ting, you help to enforce the ra il road . The las t track section should, (marked P h on plan) illusion that the trains on your layout then, be one of the "rerailer" sections so 12 3- in ~ h straight track sections really do "go somewhere". Don't doubt you can get the equipment on the rails (marked 3 on plan) it until you try it; the concept of with a minimum of fuss . 23 9-inch straight track sections (not out-of-sight-out-of-mind really works, No geographic area has been specified marked on plan) here . Your attention is devoted to train for the Romford & Joliet. It could be a 17 18-inch ra dius curved track sections number 2 long enough so you forget mining railroad with the "Industrial (not marked on plan) about number 1. When it's time, calling Sites" sidings into mines and ore 5 1/3-section 18-inch ra dius curve for number 1 to " re turn" to sight (and sa mplers or those sa me sidings could track secti ons (ma rked 1/3 on plan) mind) gives a real feeling that it just become "logging ca mps" on a 3 Right Hand 18-inch radius might be coming from "somewhere timber-hauling railroad . In those turnouts (switches) else"! instances, the "layover" track at Apex 4 Left Hand 18-inch radius turnouts We are not showing any wiring should be in a tunnel beneath a (switches) connections on this layout because there mountain. If you decide to make the 1 Right Hand curved (18 and 22-inch are several ways of wiring it depending Romford & Joliet Rail roa d a "city" line, ra dius) turnout on what types of turnouts you use. You then the entire Joliet and Apex area 2 Left Hand curved (18 and 22-inch MUST have a separate reversing switch should be covered with medium to la rge (a complete separate power pack is even ra dius) turnouts industrial buildings so the track at Apex 1 90 -degree crossing secti on easier) for the "ReverSing Section" at can disappear into and between the Sumner to avoid short circuits there. If structures. Sumner and Romford, then, *NOTE: the Ph -inch sections may have you are using sectional track (as the plan would be located in the "country". to be cut to size with some calls for), then you will need some The railroad has been designed for use bra nds of track insul ating rail joiners and an on-off with Tyco , AHM or Atl as HO scale track All track sections shown are Atl as, switch (like a Tyco " Bl ocking Switch" or sections with relatively sharp 18-i nch AHM or Tyco HO scale p roducts. Other an "S.P. S .T." switch from an electronics radius curves and switches. The sidings brands and sizes can be substituted with store) to hold a train at the Apex layover would be much shorter if number 4 or minor changes in the length of the siding while you operate tha t second number 6-size switches were used . The sidings and the loca tions of some train . You will eventuall y want to install plan can be used for Lionel 0-27 track if turnouts. 51 The railroads' ways of carrying just a " little " in a whole lot of car

Robert Schleicher

The term "containerization". was one of the new words of the six ti es. Briefly, it meant that small amounts of merchandise could be loaded into a box of some sort and handled as a "bulk" item. Containers reduced the amount of labor required to load or unload ships and railroad cars and trucks. The customer loaded the commodity into a container and the truck line took the container to the railroad and the railroad tookit to the seaport where, on the other side of the "water", the chain was reversed to deliver the container. Previous to the use of the con tainers, the commodity would have been handled, stacked, and unstacked several times. That meanta large amountofhand labor and the chance that the commodity might become damaged just from so much handling. Today, containers are a way of life with shippers and transportation companies of.a~1 types. There are standard designs that fit , special trucks, special railroad cars (like the "Trailer Train" flat cars) and special racks and tie-downs on ocean-going ships. Containers were not, howevet, so well standarized prior to the sixties. If you are modeling a "period" railroad in the steam era, the containers yo ur cars haul will look much different than they do today. LCL or "Less Than Carload Lot" shipments have always been a problem for the railroads. The problem was more accute, of course, when there were fewer trucks and the railroads were relied upon as the sole means of transportation for many industries. The most common solution to such a problem was to designa te a box car or two as an "LCL" car. Those box cars were, most often, the ones spotted at the railroad's freight houses. Here, one customer would load his shipment into the car and tie it These open· top containers were still in use in 7975. They are designed to fit a conventional securely in place. The railroad would gondola car, with both 40·foot composite gon· then move the partially-loaded car to the dolas (Milwaukee) and 50·foot all-.steel gon­ next freight house with a waiting "LCL" dolas (CTW) being used. Bill Darnby showed load. There was a limit to how long the how to build similar containers in August 7979 customer would wait for other partial issue of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine. S2 Northeastern Scale Models' HO scale leit number 702 builds a model of one of the very early wooden container cars with a truss rod chassis.

These Norfolle and Western containers are the same type used to carry coils of sheet metal in the forties and fifties. They are removable for transportation in most types of gondolas.

The Northeastem Scale Models number 703 Cushion Coil Car is a model of a real railroad "container" car built in the forties. It's an HO scale leit. loads, however, so the railroad often special flat cars or gondolas to carry container sys tem of the sixties brought sent the partially-loaded car on to its them. They became popular in the much of that lost business back to ·the destination. The car had to wait at all of twenties and thirties and seemed to railroads. The containers and the cars those various freight houses, though, . reach their peak of popularity in the that carried them have all but before it c;ould be moved and the lack of forties. Over 800 were still operating on disappeared from the real railroads. use was expensive. One of the railroads' the New York Central in 1954. It was then These cars, like ice-cooled refrigerator answers to their dilemma was to build that the trucks began to make their cars, are symbols of the age of steam in special steel boxes or containers. They grea test inroads into the business that railroading. If you like steam would leave a container at a freight was once left to the railroads alone. The locomotives on your model railroad, house or even truck it to the customers LCL business and other containe rized then, you rea ll y should have a few factory. traffic was one of the first areas to u se container cars in operation. The eastern railroads were the first to trucks ra ther than trains. The Northeastern's number 702 "NYC make extensive use of containers and the now-standard 20-fo ot and 40 -foot Con tainer Ca r" is a model of one of the 53 This AHM coil car is a model of a 1960-era "modern" car for transporting coils of sheet metal from the mill to the metal-stamping fac­ tory.

AHM's "Container Car", in HO scale, is a replica of a trussed car the chemical companies use to transport medium-size cylinders full of chemicals. It, too, is a car from the sixties.

Athearn's number 1653 Erie Railroad 50-foot gondola includes a "load" of six red cannisters. They're models of real railroad containers used to haul concrete. 54 The Athearn number 1676 Norfolk and Western 50-foot gondola has a "load" of six aluminum-colored containers that are used, by real railroads, to carry cold-storage foods. The Athearn containers will fit most other types of gondolas so you can have a wide vari­ ety of container car types. The ribs inside this AHM 50-foot gondola must be cut away to carry more than five of the Athearn "cold stor­ age" containers.

earl y cars from the 1920s with wood con ta iners and a truss rod co ntainer gondola. Wasbash Valley Models (ex­ Red Ball) has a model of a slightly later­ vintage car from the 1925-era that is all-s teel. Life-Li ke has a 40-foot gondola tha t is fitted with accurate scale models of steel con taine rs from the fo rties. Athearn has two contai ner cars; bc;> th 50-foot standard gondolas with round " cement" ca nnister (kit number 1653) or rectangul ar cold storage "containers" (number 1676 ). All of these cars are HO scale kits. Atl as has a gondola with round cannisters available in N scale . The con tainers that hold huge coils of steel and other metals are often mounted inside specia I gondolas or " Cushion Coil Cars". Both Ambroid (kit number S007) and Northeastern (kit number 703) have HO model of Cushion Coil cars with re mova bl e-style containers. The 6O -foot long coil cars off ered by AHM and Bachmann are not the type that have removable containers. AHM has an HO scale open-truss ca r and Mini-Trix (Model Power) has an N scale version of the same car designated as ~ ' C o nt a iner Cars". These car models do not include containers; their p ro totypes hold round metal containers that look like welding acetylene tanks fo r the tra nsport of Life-Like offers it 40-foot HO scale gondola va rious kinds of chemicals. These with removal containers in a choice of Waba sh, con t.a iner cars apparently were built Pennsylvania or Union Pacific Railroad colors d unng the six ties for very speda lized and markings. products. 55 The early fonns of "Piggyback" trailer-on­ flat car transport utilized the short truck trailer bodies of the thirties and forties mounted on flat cars. The trailers from the Mini-Lindy "toy" truck-and-trailer are perfect replicas of 1930- era HO scale trailer bodies. Just cement them to their own support post with plastic cement. The real railroad industry has a "bible" of car design called the CAR BUILDERS' CYCLOPEDIA. Newton Gregg has been reprin ting segments of these 4-inch thick volumes as part of his TRAIN SHED CYCLOPEDIA series. The TRAIN SHED number 71includes the largest section on containers in any of the complete "CYCLOPEDIAS". It's reprint of the 1943 edition and the containers used in both the Life-Like and the two Athearn cars are illustrated and described along with a dozen or so others. You'll see some alternate lettering and painting ideas, at least, for the existing containers. Some of the earliest "Piggyback" truck trailers on flat cars are also illustrated. All were forerunners of the current standard 20-foot and 4O-foot boxes you see on the modem-era 86-foot flatcars. The ideas you see in the The containers in the Life-Like car will also fit photographs for mixing and matching on a 40-foot flat car like Train Miniatures' container cars and containers were all model. The real railroads used both flat cars and derived from the 1943 CAR BUILDERS gondolas to move their various types of con­ CYCLOPEDIA. tainers. 56 NEW MODELING TECHNIQUES

--I COnV·R/IOn BUILD TWO CONTAINER CARS

Use the parts from four kits to build two cars you cannot buy

Robert Schleicher

One of the slickest ways of getting 40-foot length of the Life-Like model. If the many different manufacturers of more from any hobby is to build models you're going to have three or four containers like these. Some were that you cannot buy. The best way to do container cars, only one of them should designed for bulk merchandise of all it is to try to utilize parts from existing be a 4O-footer. Both Athearn and AHM kinds, others for specific items like kits or ready-built items. When you do make SO-foot gondolas that will make stacked bricks or Dolomite. The combine parts from two or more kits, the fine container cars. Life-Like containers should really be process is called "kit-bashing", The containers in the Life-Like 40-foot repainted black and lettered with N scale "customizing" or simply a cars are more typical of the containers of railroad names to vary their "conversion". The container cars you the 1930-1955 era than those in the two appearannce. Frankly, not many model see on these pages are perfect examples A thearn 50-foot gondolas (numbers 1653 railroaders would notice that Missouri of the art of the simple conversion. Here, and 1676) with containers. The Life-Like Pacific containers were riding around in we're using four very inexpensive kits containers are actually replicas of 135 a Norfolk and Western or an Erie and ready-builts to make two container cubic foot "LCL" (less than carload lot) Railroad car; did you? There's really cars. The remaining parts produce two containers for bulk materials as used by nothing to say that didn't happen "empty" gondolas and five "extra" the Missouri Pacific Railroad - and anyway, just as you might find Union con tainers to use as scenery so nothing is that's just what the lettering says they Pacific 40-foot truck trailer riding around wasted. Even if we did not find an are. The only feature that readily on Conrail 86-foot "Trailer Train" -style immediate use for the leftover parts, identifies. these containers as for "bulk" flatcars today. they would have been saved and loads (like sand or grain) is the slanted The Life-Like containers are molded in probably found use in some future bottom annd the drain pipes. The groups of three containers. That's just conversion project. That's part of the bottoms are hidden by the car sides fine if they are loaded in a car. When the fun. when the containers are in the car. If you containers are sitting loose, however, or The real railroad publica tions that didn't know better you would guess the if you want to have a car with just one appeared during the steam era of the sides of the container went straight "missing" container, then you should 1930 through 1955 period illustrate a down rather than tapering. . cut the Life-Like containers into great number of container cars. It would Most of the containers were simple individual containers. It's a bit more seem that the majority of the containers rectangular boxes a bout the same size (or realistic to.have a container car with one of the time looked very much like those half the size) of the Life-Like containers. or two "missing" containers. If you do in the Life-Like ready-built "Container" American Car and Foundry, operate your railroad like a real one; it's cars . Most of the actual cars, though, Youngstown Steel Door Company and more credible to leave a container car at a were a scale SO-feet long rather than the the Pennsylvania Railroad were among siding "for loading" when it has a place 57 The Life-Like HO scale containers are molded in groups of three. To remove one, slice carefully down the molded-in seam with a razor saw.

Use the razor saw to slice through the sup­ porting legs on the container and then across the bottom. The H-shaped plastic pipe molding must be removed and cut as a separate piece. 58 File the sides smooth to remove any traces of the saw cut. You can fill- in the opening with .060-inch Evergreen-brand sheet styrene plas­ tic if you wish.

Cut the plastic "drain" pipe even with the edge of the container's bottom and cement the pipe ends back in place as shown. fora load to be added . Besid es, if you cut find the containers are " missing" their at leas t one of the containers away, you ends along the cut. You can, of course, can load it and two of the Li fe-Like add the missing end from Evergreen groups of three into one of the AHM or sheet styrene plastic. Generall y, though, Athearn cars for a "full" load. the "open" ends ca n simply be placed When you do cut one of the Life-Like against other containers so nothing containers from the other two, yo u' ll unusual is vis ible. The ri ve t details on 59 the legs of the Life-Like containers must be filed flush with the plastic if the containers are to fit inside the slightly narrower AHM or Athearn SO-foot gondolas. The Athearn 50-foot gondola looks just like the photos of many of the real railroad's SO-foot " container" cars . Most of those container cars, however, had relatively low sides: You can match their appearance by simply slicing the flange from the bottom of an AHM or Athearn gondola so the bottom edge is straight. The cross ribs on the underframe will also have to be cut away so they do not hang below the car sides. The Life-Like 40-foot car will look more like a container car if you lower it by filing about Some of the container cars should be "miss­ 1I16-inch from the bolsters where the ing" a container or two. You can leave five in trucks pivot. The notch in the bottom of one of the Life-Like cars and use the "missing" each end will then have to be filed a bit container to "fill" an Athearn 50-foot car. wider to give the coupler more room to . swing from side to side.

The rivets on the legs of the containers must be filed flush with the legs'so the containers will fit inside the AHM or Athearn gondolas.

The large "cold storage" containers in the Athearn number 1676 Norfolk and Western gondola have been replaced, here, with seven Life-Like containers. Move the end containers in about 1/16-inch so the seven fit tightly against each other.

60 I The Atherarn 50-foot gondola willioak more like a real railroad's container car if the "fishbelley" or flange is cut from the sides. Use a razor saw and cut about 1I64-inch away from the final bottom edge to leave room for filing and standing.

Use a medium-size mill file to smooth the bottom edges of the A thearn gondola so they align with the straight edges o~ each end.

File the bottom edges of the vertical ribs at a 45-degree angle to match the bottom edges of the ribs near the ends of each car side.

Use a sharp hobby knife to scrape away the slight fuzz or burr that remains from the saw and file cuts. If you pick a black car, the black Ath.earn plastic won't show the cuts and the car will not need to be repainted. ' 61 Use the medium-size mill file, again, to smooth the saw cuts flush with the plastic. You can leave angled traces of the cross brace to simulate ribs.

The cross braces on the Athearn underframe will be visible below the modified car sides. Cut the cross braces flush with the sides of the un­ derframe.

Frankly, we'd suggest that you replace those "horn-hook" couplers with Kadee's number 5s before installing the trucks and underframe but it's not an essential step. The modifications to the Life-Like car alter its appearance considerably, especially when it is placed next to an modified Athearn 50-foot "container car" . Swapping the parts around produces two completely different cars. You'll need three of the Life-Like container cars, by the way, to provide enough containers for one "loaded" Athearn gondola and one loaded Life-Like car. You'll be left with five containers which will make a nice load for one of the remaining Life-Like cars. The third "empty" Life-Like car can remain as-is, it can be "loaded" with coal If you started with a boxcar red or brown car, or sand, or it can be "converted" into a you'll probably have to repaint it and apply new unique car by simply applying new paint decal lettering to hide the scars from the and decals to letter it for your favorite cut - we picked the black. Erie Railroad car real railroad. (number 1653) to avoid that problem. 62 The Life-iike gondolas sit about 1I16-inch too high to be accurate replicas of container cars. Pry the trucks off with a screwdriver and file the pivot point (the bolster) so it is flush with the two long centersills.

Remove the floor from the car by pushing in on the ends with a finger and pushing the tab upward from beneath the floor with a screw­ driver blade. File the notch where the coupler pivots wider so the couplers can move freely when the trucks are installed on the car.

The lowered Life-Like gondola now matches the height of the Athearn gondola. Both are loaded with Life-Like's containers. The round cement cannisters from Athearn's number 1653 gondola make a nice alternate "con­ tainer" load for the modified Life-Like car. 63 MODULAR MODEL RAILROADS

The bas ic NTRAK system fo r rear, only the 2' deep modules are shown in the dra wings. Modules with portable model railroads can the optional set-up track located behind also be use d (with . the skyboard and modules with the modifications) for HO o r 0 -27 optional "Mountain Division" track are layouts included in the dra wing set. A variety of special end, corner and "T" units have been worked out. These are more compact than the standard, 30 " Jim Fitzgerald mi nimum radius, corner modules, fo r w~ich drawings are also included. NTRAK is a sys~e m for building N available room space. They are printed Atlas 5" straight track sections are scale model train layouts. Display on ca rd stock for convienent handling. used for connecti ng NTRAK modules. lay outs close to 100 ' long using these Arrows indica te where to cut the sheets To gain some space on some of the modules have been featured at apart with a straight edge and Xac to special units, 93/4" radius track sections conve ntions, train meets and shopping knife or scissors . Scrap areas are have been used as the connecting malls. The same modules are often part indica ted by a grey tone. tracks. of a club or home lay out as well . About In the NTRAK system, two mainline The drawings are based on Peco 300 of these modules are in use around tra cks and a branchline are common to medium turnouts. No crossover tracks the world . all modules. Standard electrical, height, have been shown between the three To help in planning a modular layout skyboard and other features have been NTRAK common tracks. These should for home or club, a series of scale worked out. The dull specifications fo r be added as needed for your particular drawings ot the 2' qeep by 4' and 6' long the modul es are in a 28 page manual that track plan. Three module drawings NTRAK modules have been worked out. is available along with the layout have just the three tracks so that you The cut outs are an easy way to dream up planning cut outs and a sample of the can add your own design to your plan. a layout using the NTRAK modular NTRAK Newsletter for $2.00 pp from: Ha ve fun with the cutouts and if you concept. Drawn to a scale of 1/2" = Hoot, NTRAK, 2424 Alturas Rd, Atasca dero, come up with a good layout plan, tape they can be placed on graph paper and CA 93422 . the cutouts in place and make a photo different layouts ca n be tried until you While modul es may have an copy of the plan and send a copy to Model find several that will fi t into your additional 6" added to both the fron t and Railroading.

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This is an example of a simple home layout utilizing an NTRAK 2x6-foot..module in the center and two special 2 x 2 Yo-foot end-loop units to make a fO-foot long model railroad. The various cut-out planning modules in the NTRAK packet make it easy to plan any size la yout around the NTRAK modular concept.

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This layout is large enough to fill a single-car garage (11 x 10-feeQ. If the 6-foot modules on the longer side were replaced with a 4-footer, the layout would fit in 18-foot long garages.

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Th is 10 x l1-foot layout utilizes three stan­ dard NTRAK "side" modules and six NTRAK corner modules with a special (f 12) reverse­ loop module in one corner. The edge of one of the comer modules (C 3) has been cut-off to give access to the yard area.

66 The NTRAK module concept allows you to have anything from 2 2x4-foot shelf layout at home to a combination-of-module layout like this 82-foot long layout at the 1977 Denver convention of the National Model Railroad As­ sociation. 34 individual modules were used to assemble this layout in less than half a day. Photo by Hal Riegger. 67 views of Raton, New Mexico are the viewing angles you want to duplicate on your model railroad. There won' t be much of a problem with the realism of any foreground buildings because they are "all there" . The trick is to make the viewer think that the buildings at the back edges of the layout table extend onward for a hundred scale feet,Or so. Yo u can do that, and use almost zero layout space, by using what the theater arts people refer to as "flats" . Flats are simply very thin background scenery that suggests there is more than you can see. In the case of a "flat" that represents a building, only the front wall need be shown, the sides of the building would be hidden by other buildings or by trees. The front of the building should have windows, doors, platforms and other three-dimensional details. If the flats are more than two-feet from the viewer's eye, you can often" get away" with using photographs or photo murals for structures. The natural Three groups of city street scene building shadows in the photographs will give "flats". The use of peaked roofs, the visible ample three-dimensional effect if the vertical sides, the shadows and the camera photos are far enough away from the angle make the scene most toy-like. viewer.

Structures with slanted roof and peaked ends (like those on the right are poor choices for use as "flats" because it is impossible to hide the fact that there is no roof. 69 George Bates utilized two types of "flats" for this scene on his modular HO scale layout. The mountains are carved from scraps of wallboard and the buildings are cut from a cereal box with stripwood roofs. 70 Almost any building, whether kit or ready-built, can be turned into a "flat" by simply removing the si de and the rear wall. Those rear walls can also become flats as either the backsides of buildings viewed from an alley, or with new wjndows and doors so the "rears" look like " fronts". The buildings you see here are all "fronts"; either store fronts or the trackside walls of industrial buildings. Frankly, the all ey side of a business block is far more interesting than the street side. Modelers in England have made very effective use of such "alley" scenes on the shelf-size layouts that are so popular there. The real " trick" to using flats is to design them so that their lack of side walls is not apparent from any normal viewing angle . It's wise to pick fl at-topped buildings for fl ats. If you must have angled or peaked roofs, then model the structure from the "roof" side so you can build half of the roof and A Suydam-brand "Bekins Storage simply angle it more vertically than you Warehouse" was rebuilt using the rear wall to normally would. Showing the building double the length of the front wall. One side from the peaked end without a roof or wall was cut in half to make the L-shape of the with just an inch or so of roof is simply structure. It's an example of a combination of not very realistic as you can see in some both the "flats" and full three-dimensional of the photog raphs. This is one of the structures. rea sons why industrial structures and city business blocks make better flats than houses. The fl at-roofed types of "row houses" found in the cities are, of course, very effective. 55 Limited and Magnuson Models make kits for just his type of "flat" . The lighting you use on your layout can destroy the realism of building flats as well. The lighting must be arranged so the flats cannot throw their shadows on the backdrop "sky". You can avoid such shadows by placing trees next to the sides of buildings so that the tree blocks both the building's shadow and its own. Try to keep mos t of the roof lines of any building flats at the sa me elevation so the shadows of taller buildings are not visible on the "sky" above shorter buildings. You can add "extra" height to the lower structures with large signs, billboards, water towers, cooling racks or elevator or staircase covers. The effect of "flats" ca n also be achieved by using some of the painted backdrops like those sold by Campbell, HO West; (now Walthers' "Instant Horizons" ) and Detail Associates. These printed color backdrops are most effective, however, if similar-size three-dimensional "flats" are placed an inch or two in front of them. Your eye tends to loose the effect of three . dimensions when the object you are viewing is further away from you. With the combination of building "flats" (with their 3-D windows and doors) in front of the two-dimensional painted backdrops, This painting, by HO West, lacks realism the lack of the third dimension isn't when viewed from such an obtuse angle. Flats noticable. and two-dimensional background paintings, The use of both flats and painted like this, must be viewed from near eye level backdrops can give a shelf-size layout or and straight-on to appear to have the desired one of the N-TRAK or HO " modular" "depth". 71 This street scene, from downtown Raton, New Mexico across from the Santa Fe's station, is shown full-size for HO scale. You can cut it " out and tint it with earth shades of felt-tipped pens for use as an HO scale backdrop. Cement the scene to thick cardboard so it won't warp . • A port~oil of downtown Raton, New Mexico reduced to N scale for use as a backdrop on either N scale or HO scale layouts. lust cut it out and glue it to sheet plastic or still cardboard for use as a background building "flats".

The lack of sides and roofs is not obvious when the individual scenes are viewed from a different angle. Trees or additional buildings should be used to hide the vertical edges of such scenes.

layouts as much realism as a 16 x 60-foot "club" layout. The backdrops on the narrower model railroads must, however, be done properly. They just won' t work effectively unless the layout itself is elevated to somewhere near eye level. The lighting must be· arranged to avoid those shadows on any sky backdrops and trees or other "view blocks" must be positioned so you cannot see the sides of the buildings. Do it all right, and you' ll extend the "horizons" of your layout for fifty-miles or more. 73 PORTABLE MODEL RAILROADING IN 003 If you only have room for a portion of model railroad, bui ld one of these "modules"

Albin Burroughs

You can build a model railroad, even Track Modular Railroadil1g club has The concept of modular model one with 1148 scale equipment, in an area assembled his or her own idea of what railroading is almost as old as the hobby. the size of a bookshelf. The railroad you the ultimate model railroad might be. A 'group of N scale model railroaders choose doesn' t have to be some compact The segments or "modul'es" can be formed the incredibly successful industrial shortline either; it can be joined because each member follows the N-TRAK dub in the late sixties. There something as large as the mainline of the group's standards for overall size and for are several hUl1dred N scale modular Rio Grande through the Rockies. The the alignment of the tracks at the end of layouts all over the world and the 3D-foot long model railroad in the photos the module. The standards insure that concept has now spread to HO sca le and is assembled from several 2 x 6-foot any module can be bolted toanyotherto o scale as well. The concept of a modular modules and no more than two of them form a complete model railroad. The model railroad depends on a reliable set belong to anyone person. This is an modeler is free tQ do whatever he or she of standards so that each member's example of "modular" model railroading wants with the track and scenery "chunk" of the total layout will at its best. Each member of this 0113 between the two "standardized" ends. interchange with every other member's 74 "chunk". The track loca ti ons ateach end of the module must be at the p recise same place and made of the sa me type of materials so the tracks will connect. There are other, less obvious, standards like wiring connections, lumber sizes, table height and the like to be considered as well . The On3 Track Mod ular Rail roading group in California seems to have worked enough of the "bugs" out of their sys tern so a t least a dozen different modules now exis t. Mos t of them were assembled into the layout you see here at the Pacific Coast Region of the Nati onal Model Railroad A.ssocia tion' s The On3 Track Modular Railroading stan­ convention last June. Several of the dards include the specifications for this piece of "sectional" track that joins one module to the modules were still in the benchwork next. The ties are oversize (for purposes of il­ stage of construction with only enough lust~ation) where copper-coated printed circuit trackwork in pl ace to make the interface board is used in place of wood. (connection) with adjacent modules. A few had bare pl as ter scenery in place while others were virtua ll y complete ri ght dow n to hoboes and horses. The overall view s of the layout will give you a pretty good idea of all the va rious stages of construction that lead to a completed model railroad of any type. The various N and HO scale modular mod el railroad groups utilize six-inch pieces of plas tic sectional tra ck to connect one module's trackwork to that on the next module. Each individual module, then, has trackw ork that stops three inches short of the actual ends of the table. This has p ro ven to be the best system of connectin g the modules because it does give the necessary few hundredths of an inch misalgnment allowance that's needed . This all ows the modules to be moved without danger of damaging d elica te ra il ends p rotruding The portable na ture of a modular model rail­ from the ends of the tabl e. Finall y, it road allows it to be moved as soon as the makes it a bi t easier to connect the benchwork is done and the track is laid. This modules becj use the six -inch piece of pair of six-foo t modules has the basic ground track can be slipped in to place (by sliding and rock scenery in place but the folliage is yet its rail joinersl back) afte r the bench work to come. for the two adjoining modules is damped firmly together. There is fl exible track with nickel silver rail on plas tic ties avail able in On3. This track has scale size spike hea ds that are not as rugged as the relatively huge blobs of plastic that hold the rails in place on N and HO scale sectional track. In other words, the On3 fl exible track just isn't strong enough to serve as the six-inch track connection between modules. The On3.people had a better idea: they made their own "sectional" track pieces by soldering scale-size rail to pieces of copper-coated printed circuit boa rd. The tough printed circuit board was cut to the size of a sca le ra ilroad tie so it looks like all the other ties when it is painted and weathered. The copper covering is cut through to the fiber porti on of the ci rcuit board to electricall y insulate one rail The structures on most On3 modules are from the othe r so there are no short large enough so they must be removed from the circuits. A hol e is drill ed into the ce nter la yout when the la yout is being transported. of each of the ties so the piece of track ca n There 's a location for a planned pile of "junk" be pinned to the roa dbed to make it as for this module. 75 Color photos of Frank Barone's partially completed On3 module appear in the Volume /I of the MODEL RAILROADING HANDBOOK (Chilton). He has since added trees and dozens of tiny details like the broken wagon wheel.

Barges carry goods to the mill on Frank Barone's module where, in turn, the narrow gauge railroad takes them to the outside world. The pilings in the foreground are an "aban· doned" trestle. . rigid as the rest of the trackwork. The layout that can be expanded or railroads because the modular layout modules have all the ties needed to bring contracted to fit any size room he or she was designed to be portabl.e. Don't let the the track all the way to the edge of the might encounter in a present or future portable advantage scare you; these table but the one tie that is soldered to dwelling. It's been proven to work in N layouts are as good, in every respect, as the connecting track "section" is left off scale (see the article on the new N· TRAK any other type of model railroad. You as are the rails. This is one of the best modular planning "packet" in this issue. should, indeed, bolt the permanent methods of joining the track on sections ED.) and now it's working in HO scale layoutto the walls and/or floor to make it of portable model railroad modules we andinOn3as well. Many modelers build as rigid as possible. The modular layouts could imagine. If you are building a a complete modular layout in their own are setup as "island" style railroads at permanent model railroad, in fact, that homes and take just one or two of their shows like the PCR so that the operators might need to be moved, this same individual modules to dub meetings. It can run and maintain the railroad from system will provide a most secure, yet gives them the best of both worlds; a the inside access area while spectators eaSily removed, track joint across the " permanent" home layout and a view things from the outside. That's as seams between sections of the layout. "portable" one that can be connected to perfect a concept as possible for such There are many model railroaders who other modules to run longer trains and a public shows. At home, however, these are building "pelmanent" home greater variety of equipment than would same modules would be much more layouts using the "portable" modular be possible for any individual's la yout. effective placed against a wall. You could concepts. It's a great idea; in this day The grea test advantage of the modular duplicate an "around·the-wall" layout when many of us must move to satisfy layout concept is that you can build a like Jim Millers On3 railroad in this issue work requirements. The modular module and know you have a model with On3 modules bolted to the cellar concept tha t allows mini-model railroad railroad tha t will last "forever" if you walls. Unlike Jim, you could move your layouts from all over the country to be wantit to. There's no more fear that your layout with you. combined into a giant "empire" at meets layout might need to be torn apart if you There are no "universal" standards for like the PCR show will work on a home have to move. If and when that move modular model railroads. There are layout as well. The system, in effect, comes, the modular layout will be easier about a dozen differen t groups incl uding provides an individual modeler with a to move than most "permanent" model N-TRAK, Interail, HO-TRAK and 76 There is plenty of room for scenery on an On3 track module. There are no restrictions on the locations of the tracks (or the scenery) within the module just as long as the two ends match the standards to align with other mod­ ules.

a scale is large enough so you can see tiny details like that coffee mug and small wooden bucket without using a magifying glass. The trackwork has the rails spaced a scale three-feet apart on these On3 modular model railroads.

others; each with a set of standards so their modules will be interchangable with others. The most successful On3 group, to date, in the On3 Track Modular Railroading group at 9106 Bolsa Avenue, Dept. GW, in Westminster, California 92683. So far, they have only published newsletters buta design manual is in the works. . They wanted to have several years' worth of operating experience before they established their standards. The connecting track "section" is just one of the developments of those years of experimentation. Membership in the group is $3.00 per year. The manual will sell for about $2.00 when it is available. In the meantime, they have preliminary specifica tions (the same ones used to build their existing modules) that are part of the membership. 77 FOR EXPERIENCED MODELERS

HOW-TO HAND-LAY YOUR OWN TURNOUTS

The very best way to build smooth and flowing curves through the Willard Jones is an expert in derailment-proof trackwork turnouts and gradually-decreasing trackwork. He has even developed a "transitions" into both turnout curves clinic on how to lay track that is featured and regular mainline curves. When you at many of the Pacific Coast Region of the use the ready-laid track, every curve and National Model Railroad Association every turnout sta rts with a sudden conventions. It's Willard's wisdom that Models by Willard Jones train-jarring lurch into each curve. That you see in the photos and he learned can mean more derailments and it what he knows the hard way; bydoingit Trackwork means just that: "work" to certainly doesn't look like smooth train wrong often enough to find out how to many modelers. That's why the vast operation. What I'm trying to tell you is do it right. He has a ra ther unorthodox majority of the model railroads in the that the "work" part of hand-laid method of laying turnouts that is worthy world are constructed with the various " trackwork" is well worth the time and of your consideration when you're ready types of ready-laid snap-together track. trouble. The modelers that lay their track to start laying track the right way. The The truth is, hand-laid rail spiked to a tie and a spike at a time aren't "nuts", more-accepted methods of laying individual wood ties is really a better they're experienced modelers who have turnouts begin with the "straight" rail. way to go. The primary advantage of found out the hard way that you have to One of the various brands of do-it-yourself switches and other BUILD smooth trackwork, it's not for ready-to-buy frogs (the places where the trackwork is that you can maintain sale. rails cross over each other) is then spiked 78 Hand-laid trackwork begins with a pencil line on the Homosote roadbed to indicate track centerlines. Some modelers make-up a cardboard template to add lines indicating where the ends of the ties should go. The ties are then glued in place, followed by the ballast while the tie glue is still wet. A tip: the glue will hold better if you first "seal" the Homosote with a layer of glue and let that layer dry before adding a second coating of glue and the ties and ballast.

The ballast shoulders of mainline track should be cut into the Homosote before laying the ties or ballast.

Use needlenose pliers to hold the spikes when you are laying rail. Hold the spike just below the head at about a 45-degree angle for the first stage.

79 Push the spike through the tie and into the Remove the pliers from the spikes and close roadlied.- Holding the spike at this angle allows the jaws tightly. Use the tip of the pliers to push you to exert as much (or as little) pressure as you the spike down firmly against the base of the want. against the rail. rail. We're using one of Lambert's "ready-laid" HO scale turnouts in these photos but the spike-driving method is the same for individual wood ties and rails.

Willard lones lays the outer rails right on through any switches and on around the layout. Next, he comes back and adds the rest of the switch as described in the text. These switches have rather sharp curves because they are on the three-foot narrow gauge portion of his rail­ road. .

in place using track gauges to align the Willard files the moving point rails to a sharp frog and its adjacent tracks with the point and solders small nickle silver tabs (cut straight rails. The curved rail through the from scrap rail) to them to connect to the point-moving "throwbar" between the ties. turnouts is spiked in place last. Note the two longer ties that will support the Willard Jones builds the frogs for his prototype-like switchstand. He will notch the turnouts right on the layout. His outer rail base (so the turnout points will fit turnout-building methods begin with snugly against them) with a Oremel motor tool BOTH the "straight" AND the "curved" and cutoff wheel. outside rails. He then adds the "inside" rails that lead right to the "point" of the frog where the two "inner" rails meet. He files the rails so they meet in a true point and spikes them in place (without solder - for now). Next, he adds one of the "inner" rail extensions (called "closure" rails) that lead from the frog to the moving "points" of the turnout. This rail forms part of the guard rail for the frog . The guard rail directly across from the frog is then soldered to the "outer" raiL The last two steps are repeated to add the second "closure" rail and its . guard rail. The four adjoining rails at the frog are finally soldered together. The last step is to grind the base of the outer rails away so the moving "points" can make firm contact with the outer rails. Willard uses the "live frog" type of wiring system so the closure rails are cut through (with a cutoff wheel in a Dremel motor tool) to provide insulating gaps. 80 Short pieces of 22-ga uge bare copper wire are then soldered from the closure rails to the outside rails to provide posi tive electrical power to the closure rails all the way to the turnout points. Additional insulating gaps are often cut in the rails leading in to the frog but those depend on what type of tracks may lead to or from the frog side of the turnout. Smooth-flowing trackwork depends greatly on the proper roadbed and the proper location of the tracks. Homosote wallboard is generally co nsidered the best base for hand-spiked trackwork. Mostmodelers pencil-in the centerline of the tracks and use that as a guide for laying the ties. The ties themselves form the guides for laying the rails since the centerline is hidden by the ballast that is glued in place right after the ties are down. With this system, track-laying At least two Kadee three-point track gauges becomes very much a matter of eye should be used when laying any hand-laid judgement to be certain that you keep trackwork. We have not shown them in the the rails centered over the ties. Some photographs so you can see clearly where the modelers stick common straight pins rails go . Never drive a s,ingle spike, however, into the penciled-in track centerline right · without having a track gauge on the rail within after the ties are laid but just before the - VB -inch of the spike . .. ballas t goes down. If the pins are spaced about three-inches apart, they'll serve to loca te the centerline of the track accurately until that first rail is down. Track gauges then loca te the second rail, of course. You'll need at least two track gauges to hand-spike any type of track. The three-point type, like Kadee's HO sca le number 341 or Kemtron's number 256 or 321, are the ONLY gauges you should consider using for HO scale. Double-check your work by running an "NMRA Standards Gauge" over the frogs and guard rails.

Willard spikes the first "closure" rail in place. He then uses a track gauge to accurately locate the guard rail opposite the closure rail. The guard rail is then soldered to the outside rail as shown.

Would you really have known these were HO These two turnouts are as close td one scale turnouts if we hadn't told you? The flow­ another as possible. The points of the left turn­ ing realism of the rails is one of the advantages out just clear the frog of the right turnout. If you of hand-laid trackwork. look closely at the closure rails you can just see the #22 wires that connect them to the outer rails for reliable electrical current flow.

81 NEW MODELING TECHNIQUES DIESEL DETAIL CLOSE-UP: Baltimore & Ohio GP9 No. 6537

Eve ry ra ilroad adds its own special touches to its diese ls - here's how to dupl icate them in Nor HO sca le using off-the-shelf parts .. .

HO scale GP9 made by: Athearn and Lionel DA-2202 Wire Crab Irons $2.25/48 N scale GP9 made by: Atlas and Rapid o DA-220S Pre-formed wire Coupler Lift Bar HO scale decals: Hera ld King L-560, Walthers $2.0011 0 26-77 DA-2206 Eye Bolts, brass wire $2.50/36 N scale decals: (use, HO scale with smal lest NOTE: DA: Detail Associates, Box 197, Dept. numbers and letters) CW, Santa Maria, CA 93456 Paint: Sca lecoat and Scalecoat II " Ro ya l Blue" DW: Details West, P.O. Box 5132 , Dept. CW, no. 37, Floquil R152 Hacienda Heights, CA 91745 DETAILS (HO decals) K: Kemtron Corp., P.O. Box 360, Dept. CW, HM-421 " Diesel Cab Detail set" (cab shade and Walnut, CA 91789 windscreens) $1 .25 HM: Harold Mellor, Box 509, Dept. CW Parker, K-671 (two required ) air tanks $2.25 each CO 80134 DA-1003 Dual headligh t. Pyle, late $.85/pr. DA-1301 Cab sun shades $1.00/6 (included with The products the se firms offer are ava ilab le to HM-421 , above) any hobby dea ler so contact them first - if you DA-1401 Drop step $1.00/pr. must order direct, include $1.00 for postage and DA-1S01 MU Stand $.85/pr . hand lin g. You must purchase the full quantity DA-1S08 MU A ir Hoses $1.50116 per package shown . 82 DIESEL DETAIL CLOSE-UP: Denver & Rio Grande Western SW1200 No. 150

There is much confusion about this particul ar DETAILS (HO scale) diesel because bo th the Athea rn and Rivaross i DW-121 Cab and Body Vents $.75112 (Atlas) locomotives are labeled " SW1500" DW-124 "Super Non-Lifting" -sty le Spark Ar­ when they are close r in appea rance to the SW 7 res tors $ 1.50/2 (if the roof is rounded on the N sca le version). DW- 12B Bell, Fabricated Type $1.25/2 Both were made from El ectro-Motive Div ision DW-1S7 " Firecra cker" -type radio antenna blueprints of a full-size diese l th at w as proposed $ 1 .50/5 but never actually produced . Th e on ly visible DW-167 Fuel Filler pipe and cap $1 .00/4 differences betwee n the "SW1 500" models and HM-421 " Diese l Cab Deta il" set (cab shade and this SW1200 are the SW1 200's lack of louvers Windscreen s) $1.25 above the " Ri o Grande" . The roof of the DA-I011 Dual Hea dlight, Pyle-type $ 1.50/2 Ri vaross i N scale model must be filed round and DA-ll02 Lift Rings $1.00/6 a piece of .005 shim brass (as k a large hardware DA-1301 Cab Sunshade (included with HM- store) epoxied in place to provide the round roof 421, above) with the overhang. (DA-1S07 MU receptacles $.85/4 (the box must be made from scraps of pla stic) HO scale decals: Micro Sca le RH-28, Hea rld DA-1S0B MU A irhoses $1.50116 King L-42, Walthers 26-77 DA-2202 W ire Grab Irons $2 .25/48 N scale decals: Micro Scale RN-28 DA-220S Pre-formed wire Co upler life bar Paint: " Black";-Sca lecoa t and Sca lecoat II no. 1, $2.0011 0 Floquil and Polly S no. 10 " Engine Black" DA-2206 Eye bolts, bra ss wire $2.50/36 (note: most modelers prefer a drak gre y to actu al black - Sc alecoat and Sca lecoa t II and Fol­ quil's " Union "Pac ific Harbor Mist Grey" ca n be used as-is or mixed 50-50 w ith black)

83 FOR EXPERIENCED MODELERS

One of the side benefits of locomotive con­ versions is that you eventually end up with some spare parts to serve as "scrap" beside your roundhouse. There are ways of increasin g the nu mber of different N sca le steam locomotive models on your layout.

Bill Wright

There are about twice as many N scale model railroaders as there are 0 scalers but there are less than half as many N scale locomotives. It is a strange situation and one that N scale modelers complain about regul arly. The problem seems to stem from size; it takes a real jeweler-quality craftsman to make an N scale locomotive from any kind of kit. That talent-requirement is the reason why there are so few N scale locomotive kits on the market. Most of the N sca le 84 George Peter is a member of the Griffith Park N scale model railroad club. He specializes in very much converted Rivarossi 2-8-8-2 ar­ ticulateds. He adds a new dome, a' new cab front, a four-wheel leading truck and turns the locomotive around to become a Southern Pacific "Cab Forward" articulated. This tender was carved from plastic, but the Rivarossi tender can be cut to match the square-shaped Southern Pacific tender used on some of the Cab Forwards.

rolling stock and virtually all of the The MiniTrix (Model Power) Pennsylvania locomotives are mass-produced as 2-10-0 Decapod has become the basis for a ready-built items, not kits. Mass number of conversions including 2-8-2, 2-10-2 production means that a whole heck of a and other 2-10-0 N scale models. lot of them have to be sold (say, 100,000 or more!). That works out fine with a The Lima (AHM) 2-6-4 tank locomotive (with diesel that can simply be painted in 30 or the AT &SF on the tender) is another popular 40 different railroad colors and names. A basis for conversions. Ray Galli used a MiniTrix (Model Power) 0-6-0 for the number 1313 steam locomotive, however, is more camelback with a Rapido German-prototype distinctive and simple paint is not tender. enough to change it from a model of one ra ilroad's engine to a model of another's. . .. If you want to model in N scale with . models of the steam era, you' ll have to .. } -- "settle" for the locomotives now on the market (plus on'e big one that's coming next year) or modify your own for greater variety. Some of the members of the Belmont Shores Model Railroad Club in Long Beach, California have selected steam locomotives as their favorites. They also happen to prefer the extra-long and realistic trains that can be operated in a dub-size space in N scale. These guys have bought atleasttwo of every N sca le ready-built steam locomotive they like \. ; ••.• -.....;o...... ·v._·~ .-~ _____ and they still want something more. The solution? Simple; use the parts from - what IS available to make what is not ~C@gS;;:ttt?!' •.,t.:;;;;; ~ 85 available. Mix-in a few pieces from the hard-to-find kits and there's the possiblity of an endless array of "different" N scale steamers. Most of the models you see here were built before 1978. Since that time, a few cast metal detail parts for 1900-era steam locomotives have become available from Detail Associates and Dimi-Trains has a kit for a steam locomotive tender. The situation isn' t exactly paradise for the locomotive modeler but that's not what

Kadee makes a number of two-wheel pilot truck conversions for N scale steam locomo­ tives that include the wheels, the truck frame, a spoked pilot and a Kadee coupler. Ray Galli used one of the Kadee kits to convert his Mini­ Trix (Model Power) 0-6-0 into a ]-6-0. He built the tender from styrene plastic sheet and strip stock.

Ray Galli cut-down one of the Y6b ]-8-8-] Mallet chassis and added a superstructure from a Rivarossi (Atlas) "USRA Light Mikado" with a second sand dome cut from a second superstructure. The tender is from the Rivarossi (Atlas) 0-8-0 switcher with new sides, a ladder and a coal load.

The Rivarossi N scale model of the Norfolk & Western's class Y6b ]-8-8-] "Mallet" is the only articulated steam locomotive available in N scale. This one has been cut-down to a ]-6-6-] by removing one driver from each chassis and an equal amount from the superstructure. A smaller tender, from a MiniTrix (Model Power) Pennsylvania RR 4-6-] was substituted for the l]-wheeled Y6b tender. 86 This 4-4-0 was assembled from a Rocky Mountain Models (Box 175, Aspen, CO 81611) kit with a Fleischmann European-prototype tender. Bachmann will have N scale ready-to­ run models of the two 4-4-0 steam locomotives that metat Promintory, Utah in 1869. The chas­ sis and tender from the Bachmann locomotives could be used with this superstructure for a This 2-8-0 Consolidation is a simple combi­ modern 4-4-0. nation of a stock Rivarossi 0-8-0 switcher with a Kadee number 1042 pilot wheel and pilot con­ version kit.

The superstructure and tender from a Rivarossi USRA Mikado (or Pacific - there're the same parts) was used to disguise the Pennsylvania RR appearance of the MiniTrix (Model Power) 2-10-0. Ray Galli built the model.

draws most of us into N Scale in the first place. It's worth hacking-up the existing models for that "rare" locomotive as long as we can still have the "long train" operating advantages of 1/160 scale model ra ilroading. There isn't room, here, to show you " how?" all we can do is show you "wha t" others have done. If enough of our readers are interested in a single locomotive, we'll recreate it, step-by-step. If you really want to know, you' re going to have to ask .... 87 BASICS FOR BEGINNERS

All 26 of the new Life-Like pre-painted plastic "People" series. The samples we have seen are not as well-painted as these but the figures are inexpensive enough to make it worth the while to repaint them for any close-up scenes. Most of the figures have nice details and real "charac­ ter". The top eight are no. 01128 "People Walking" with no. 01127 "Farm People", no. 01124 "People Sitting" and 01123 "People Standing" in the other three rows. 88 Heritage Models offers their unpainted cast Two of the Heritage "Working Men" fixing metal "Gandy Dancers" in blister packs of ,8 up the outhouse from th.e Revell (AHM) "Farm­ figures for $2.95. Here are the "Trackworkers" house" kit. Most of the Heritage "Gandy arid (to the right) three of the "Loggl?rsf '. a total Dancer" figures are in "action" poses that will of 12 different series of eight are available. add life to any HO layout.

Suddenly there are almost a hundred new HO scale figures waiting to add I ife to your HO scale layout

There has been a marked increase in the number of American-prototype people available for HO scale model railroads. Until recently, only the Campbell (ex-Weston) metal figures, the cast metal S S Ltd. "LiI'Folk", some railroad crews from LaBelle and AHM and unpainted plastic Atlas and Bachmann people were available as American-prototype people. There are a few hundred different painted HO scale figures from Preiser, Merten and Kibri but they often have a distinctly European appearance. This season, though, there are 146 all -new American figures coming onto the market; 24 metal "Ragtimers" from Lytler and Lytler, 26 plastic pre-painted figures from Life-Like and a whopping 96 metal people from Heritage Models. What's even nicer, for many modelers, is that the Lytler and Heritage --. - - - - people are all from the 1860-1910 era; one Four of the "Station Passengers, Standing" that has been particularly neglected figures from Heritage Models. The modeler among existing figures. Those early-day must paint the figures but -the raised details make that fairly easy. Heritage offers a special workers wore pretty much the same "seN-shading" paint system through a hobby clothes that are seen today, though, so dealer who carries military models. The paints they will fit right in with a modem-era are water soluble so they dry quickly and railroad. clean-up is easy. 89 Five more of the Heritage "Working Men" on the platform of a Tyco (AHM) Rico Station. The poses offer just enough "action" to be believed but not as much as a tennis player in mid-swing.

The Lytler and Lytler "Rag timers" are un­ painted metal castings that are packed in groups of eight figures for $3.95. This dump wagon driver is part of the "Dignity of Labor" set. The wagon was modified from a Jordan Beer Wagon Kit. The horses are also Jordan.

Some of the "Larimer Street Merchants", from Lytler and Lytler's "Ragtimers" series. The walking man and woman are from their "Ladies & Gents" pack of HO scale cast metal figures.

A "Larimer Street Merchant" and one of the " Dignity of Labor" figures from Lytler and Lyt­ ler talk things over beside a Jordan-brand horse and " Light Delivery" wagon. 90 . .. SUBSCRIBE ...... SAVE A BUCK .. .

The fi rs t ten-years' issues of this magazine's predecessor titles; 1001 Model Railroad Ideas and the Great World of Model Railroading are now collectors' items. Our editors and contributors have articles planned that will make EVERY issue just as interestin g as this one. You'll find techniques and track plans and other model railroads in these pages that you'll never see anywhere else. Model Railroading is the only magazine that shows you EVERY step of construction. Model Railroading is the only magazine that doesn't "bury" half of its articles among ads - this magazine begins on page 1, not on page 50. Model Railroadingis the only magazine written with both the newcomer and the beginner in mind. You get more magazine for your money with Model Railroading than with any other hobby publication because this one is all articles. (We even want you to "use" the back of this page to give us your opinion of the magazine but we've fixed it so you won't loose any part of an article if you do give-us-a-hand ... ).

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91 QUESTIONNAIRE ... GIVE US A HAND! ... We put this magazine together to try to please you . Please, help us to find out where we have done a "good" job and where we have "failed". We talk to hundreds of model railroaders each year, but they are not you - whatdo YOU want to seeon these pages?Just makea check in the boxes and, if you feel so inclined, add a few comments of your own. You can tear-out this page without losing any part of any article because we've put a subscription order form on the back. (You could fill it out and add $9 to the envelope but we honestly promise to read your opinions whether you subscribe or not.)

I would like to see: We would also like to know a little bit about you so our authors and editors know just more less none who it is we are talking to . .. 1. Fully-sceniced private layout "Tours" 2. Tours of model railroad club layouts 34. I spend $__ each year at $ my local hobby shop 3. Portable or modular model railroads 35. (for model railroad items) $ a discount store 4. Sectional track plans 36. $ a mail order hobby shop 5. Track plans for modular layouts 6. Conversion articles on HO scale diesels 37 . $ a mail order discount firm 7. Articles on full-size diesels (Tell us how many . . . ) 8. Articles on detailing model diesels 9. Articles on building model steam locomotives 10 . Articles on full-size stea m locomotives 38. I presently own brass locomotives 11. How-to build models of freight cars 39. I presently own ready-built plastic locomotives 12. How-to build models of wrecke rs and work equipment 40. I presently own assembled or still-boxed kit cars 13. Articles on full-size freight cars 41. I presently own ready-built plastic cars 14. How-to build older passenger cars 42. 1 presently have feet of plastic track 15 . How-to build streamlined passenger cars 43. I presently have p lastic ready-laid turnouts 16. How-to build baggage and other head-end cars 44. I have feet of OPERATING model railroad track 17. Articles on ful l-size passenger cars 45 . I have hand-spiked feet of track on wooden ties 18. How-to build plastic structures 46. I have hand-laid turnouts 19. How-to build wood structures 47. I have pair of Kadee couplers on my cars and locomoti ves 20. Articles on full-size bUildings & sta tions 48. 1 have pair of pl astic "horn hook" (train set) co uplers on -my 21. How-to lay trackwork cars and locomotives 22. How-to build scenery 49. I have power packs with throttles 23. How-to apply decals and paint to kits SO . I have walk-around throttles 24. How-to model people, cars and trucks 25. Articles on model-worthy real railroads 51. I have locomotives equipped with sound systems 26. New products 52. I have approximately square fee t of model railroad table work 53. I have approximately square feet of scenery completed Answer questions 27 thru 30 with one of the fo ll owin g: kits, parts, scratch, plastic, wood, or metal. 54. I ha ve been a model railroader for yea rs 55. I prefer model railroads set in the peiod or year ------27. I would rather build my models from 56 . Most of my railroad is laid w ith code -size rail 28. The material I prefer most for my model locomotives is ______57. We would also like to know your. age ______29. The material I prefer most for my model passenger & freight cars ______58. your sex ______30. The material I prefer most for my model structures is ______59. your income ______Answer questions 31 thru 33 with o ne of the following: N, HOn2, HOn3, Ho.,Sn3, S, 60 . your second-favorite hobby ______On2, On3, 0, 0-27. 61. What is your favorite model railroad magazine ------31. Most of the models I build are in sca le 62. How many years have you lived at your present address ------63. Do you belong to a model railroad club ______32. My next model railroad wiJI be in sca le N 33. I would like to see MORE articles about scale 64. How many issues of this magazine have you rea d ______0\ NEW> A selection of buildings, books, scenery kits and power packs that should be on your dealer's shelves now n n m (IJ (IJ The Con Cor "Courthouse Square" Theater AHM's new all·plastic HO scale "Uncle Joe's kit in HO scale includes separate plastic cast· Barber Shop" kit has the fireplace escape on the ings for the window trim and fire escape. The kit street side ·of the sturcture. The $6.98 kit even is $17.98. has a pigeon coop on the roof. o rn (IJ

The fine brick detail and prototype buildings that are features of the ConCor "Courthouse Square" HO scale structure kits appear on the new· no. 909 "Theater;'. The plastic kit is $17.98. 93 , '~.., A.II.M'· "'. " ,-,- '" " ~ ' __r,"t . • ,',,', " : ,'.: uU(!gIr,.~p!Cr.c. '(I -.;)Cl!C!l " ~-: • • • THIS kIT FEAtU RES: Comple,,' "il or Water Tower, Maimenr Ail -iiiI:- IiO Scali' Laynul,

The "Ridge Pike Maintenance Group" of Lionel is offering easy-to-assemble plastic all-plastic structures, from AHM, sells for . building kits for 0-27 gauge model railroads. $6.98. The kit includes a water tower, handcar The kits include several small details like these house and the handcar itself. tools and workman that are part of the $2.00 no. 6-2718 "Barrel Platform" kit.

The all-plastic kits from Evergreen Scale You can have a modern structure for those Models utilize scratchbuilding techniques but Trailer Train vans with this Muir Models with pre-cut parts. The quick-drying advantage "Grand Junction Piggyback Depot". The HO of plastic cement allows you to assemble the scale kit is $14.95 and the N scale kit is $12.95. kits quickly. The number 803 "Triangle Build­ ing" is $19.95 in HO scale. Muir Models offers most of their structure kits in both Nand HO scales. This "Rifle Feed & Tack Co." is a scaled-down version of a real feed store. The HO kit is $17.95; the N scale kit is $14.95.

Clear Creek Models, 42 Greendale, Dept. GW, Saint Louis, MO 63121 has just introduced an HO scale model of the depot that was lo­ cated on the Silverton narrow gauge railroad at Red Mountain, Colorado. The HO scale kit con­ sists of five epoxy castings with mitered corners and both interior and exterior detail. The model is finished with Grandt windows and Campbell shingles from the $26.95 kit. 94 ConCor has introduced a series of nine HO scale 1931 Ford and 1926 Mack trucks that sell for $3.98 each. The kits build just one truck but JIIey include all the details and decals.

Model Rectifier Corporation's (MRC) new ser.'1!s of "TeCh II" power packs feature a tran­ sistorized system of "Proportional Tracking Sequoia Scale Models gallows frame turn­ Control" to provide smooth and slow locomo­ table kit includes pre-cut wood parts and metal tive operation. This "Loco-Motion 1500" has and plastic detail castings. The turntable is the power to run 2 average-size HO trains. available for HOn3 models or HO scale models at $19.95. The HO scale turntable will be needed to accomodate the longer K-se ries locomotives in HOn3.

There is no be tter place to find out precisely how and why a real railroad does what it does than in John Armstrong's THE RA I L­ ROAD-WH AT IT I S AN D WHA T I T DO E S. John is a model railroader writing to Life-like's newall-plastic kit for" AI's Gen­ real railroad employees. The 240-page paper­ A ready-m;lde waterfall! Color-Rite Scenery eral Store" features walls that are interchang­ back is $8.95 (the hardback is $14.95) from Products offers this 3 V, -inch by 8 V, -incn­ able with extra parts so the model can be Simmons-Boardman Publishing Co., 1809 semi-transparent plastic water fall at $3.90. "kit'bashed" or "Converted" into a building Capitol Ave., Dept. GW, Omaha, Nebraska Two of the waterfalls were used for this scene with a much-different appearance from the 68102. with some cotton to simulate the foam spray. stock HO scale kit. 95 NEW ROLLING STOCK The very latest in freight cars, passenger cars and maintenance"':of-way equipment kits and ready-builts

Lionel is now making freight cars for the Lionel offers this 0 -27 gauge "action" original American Flyer S gauge two-rail "toy" operating wrecking crane model for 1979. The trains. The 1979 models include a box car, a boom raises and lowers and the "big hook" is tank car and this number 4-9200 hopper car. moved up and down by turning a wheel on the back of the cab.

-- .. I[ f Amtrak •

Train Miniatures of 1IIinois is once again Amtrak is painting some of the freight and shipping many of the popular HO scale freight maintenance equipment they use a bright car kits from the original TM line. This is the no. orange.AHM offers both a GP 18 diesel and this 2106 "ARA Single Sheath" Rio Grande box car; $3.49 extended vision caboose in HO scale $3.50. Amtrack orange.

GSB Rail Limited, 8701 Colesville Rd., Dept. GW, Silver Spring MD 20910 offers these finely-detailed all-metal HO scale "General Steel Commonwealth" passenger trucks with working springs for $9.98 a pair.

96 Train Miniature's new series of 36-foot HO scale Offset 2-Bay Hopper cars are available in several steam-era road names including no. 2951 for the Baltimore & Ohio. The easy­ assemble kit is $3.50.

AHM has a complete series of ready-built HO scale freight cars from the 1870 and later era including these ventilated box cars and flatcar.

All of Kadee's finely-detailed N scale ready­ built rolling stock is offered with a choice of Rapido-style or Kadee couplers. This Kadee­ equipped 33-foot twin bay compositie hopper is $5.05.

You can build a complete green and orange Great Northern "Empire Builder" streamliner in HO scale with the $18.98 and $19.98 ready-built models from AHM.

N Gauge International's N scale passenger cars take a bit of building but they produce truly unique models like this number 111 7-foot Bag­ gage Car kit. The kit is $12.95 from fMC Inter­ national, 1025 Industrial Dr., Dept. GW, Ben­ senville, IL 60106. 97 AHM has duplicated the famous two-tone grey paint scheme used on the Union Pacific's "local" and secondary streamliners with a series of HO scale ready-built cars in nine dif­ ferent styles at $18.98 and 19.98 each.

Solid trains of hoppers and gondolas full of coal are a common sight on today's railroads. Model Die Casting offers this new HO scale "Bathtub Gondola" in a choice of six different road names at $3.98 each.

This modern rib-side flat-top 50-foot box car is available in either N or HO scale from MDC dealers. The HO scale kit is $3.98, the N scale kit (with smooth sides) is $4.95 .

.-: UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD Over 30 of the Union Pacific's streamlined •• cars are shown with interior and exterior •• photographs and lettering diagrams in Volume I of UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD PASSENGER CARS 1950-1964. The 333-page book is avail­ able from G.B. Davis and Asso., P.O. Box 135, D.T.S., Omaha, Nebraska 68 {01.

N scale and HO scale "twins", again from MOe. Their HO scale 50-foot high-side "unit train" gondola is $3.98 with the N scale kit selling for $4.95. 98 Every railroad needs at least one more steam locomotive or diesel and these are the new ones

The AHM Three- Truck Heisler logging and Each of the new Life-Like HO scale ready-to­ shortline locomotive has RP25 wheel flanges run locomotives includes one of these "Col­ for operation on scale-size (code 70) HO rail. lector's Series Traincards" that describe the The $199.98 ready-ta-run engine is available prototype for the model. This is their new for three different railroads as well as in an F40PH in Chicago's Regional Transportation undercoated version. Authority red and blue colors and markings.

The Amtrak maintenance of way orange The Rio Grande's articulated steam locomo­ color scheme is offered on the AHM GP 18 tives in the "Challenger" class are the pro­ diesel. The $19.98 ready-to-run model has totypes for AH M's latest ready-to-run HO scale RP25-contOfJr wheels for operation on code 70 locomotive. The 4-6-6-4 is $229.98 with a HO scale-size track. can-type motor.

Bachmann now supplies the scale model of the Southern Pacific's famous GS4 "Daylight" 4-8-4 Northern ready-to-run in HO scale for The dark grey smokebox and firebox and the $55.00 list. boxcar red roof of the C&O steam locomotives appear on AHM's ready-ta-run HO scale model of the K-2 class Mikado. The metal and plastic model is $179.98.

The Lionel 0-27 gauge GP20 low-nose diesel is available in Burlington Northern green and black for the 1979 season. It has operating knuckle couplers. 99