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May/June 2010 - O Scale Trains Magazine Online

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O<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> <strong>2010</strong> u Issue #50MAGAZINE<strong>Scale</strong><strong>Trains</strong>Celebratingthe art of1:48 modelingUS $6 .95 • Can $8 .95Display until <strong>June</strong> 30, <strong>2010</strong>


CENTERHOPPER1814 CU FT.CENTERHOPPER1533 CU FT.CENTERHOPPER1814 CU FT.OWNERSHIP SUBJECT TO A SECURITY AGREEMENTFILED WITH THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION2 INCH HFCOMP SHOES2 INCH HFCOMP SHOESPULL HERELIFT HERE JACK HEREPULL HERELIFT HERE JACK HERE286KPLATECCLEAN INSIDE GROOVES AND TOP OF SLIDE DOORSBEFORE CLOSINGA1814 CU FTSELF LOCK/UNLOCKGEAPS-GATESOPENCLEAN INSIDE GROOVES AND TOP OF SLIDE DOORSBEFORE CLOSINGA1814 CU FTSELF LOCK/UNLOCKGEAPS-GATESOPENCLEAN INSIDE GROOVES AND TOP OF SLIDE DOORSBEFORE CLOSINGC1533 CU FTSELF LOCK/UNLOCKGEAPS-GATESOPENCLEAN INSIDE GROOVES AND TOP OF SLIDE DOORSBEFORE CLOSINGC1533 CU FTSELF LOCK/UNLOCKGEAPS-GATESOPENOPEN HATCH BEFOREUNLOADING COMPARTMENTCLOSE HOPPER SLIDERAND ROOF HATCHESBEFORE CAR IS MOVEDCLOSE HOPPER SLIDERAND ROOF HATCHESBEFORE CAR IS MOVED09-11-95 WMHY82-10403DB-10LUBDB-20ABTNO11-95TRNBLT-11-95 -CLEAN INSIDE GROOVES AND TOP OF SLIDE DOORSBEFORE CLOSINGB1814 CU FTSELF LOCK/UNLOCKGEAPS-GATESOPENCLEAN INSIDE GROOVES AND TOP OF SLIDE DOORSBEFORE CLOSINGB1814 CU FTSELF LOCK/UNLOCKGEAPS-GATESOPENABDXLUBABDXNOBLT-11-95 REBLTRB 11-95PULL HEREJACK HERE LIFT HERE2 INCH HFCOMP SHOES2 INCH HFCOMP SHOESATLAS O MASTER TM 5161 CU. FT. COVERED HOPPERUnion Pacifi c (CMO)DM&EBNSFSouthern Illinois RailcarThe Atlas O Master tm Trinity 5161 cubic foot covered hopper features ahighly-detailed body style, authentically detailed paint schemes, road namespecifi c details such as hatch style, etched-metal roof walk and safety platforms,metal stirrups and grab irons, and die-cast trucks with rotating bearing caps.Minimum diameter curve (3-Rail): O-54; Minimum radius (2-Rail) : 36”Available in 3-Rail and 2-RailPRE-ORDER ANNOUNCEMENTwww.atlaso.com/o5161hopper1.htm(Webpage expected to go live the fi rst week of April)CSX* “Grain Express”GATXWHAT’S IN YOUR HOBBY SHOP TODAY?WHAATLAS O TRAINMAN ®U23B LOCOMOTIVEAlso avialable in Conrail, Missouri Pacifi c,Delaware & Hudson “Spirit of Freedom”, andLIMITED EDITION D&H “Grey Ghost”Features accurate painting and printing,separately-applied wire grab irons, scale dimensions,directional LED lighting, and more!Available in 3-Rail (Conventional or TMCC) & 2-Rail DCwww.atlastrainman.com/Locomotives/tmou23b.htm*CSX Licensed ProductProducts bearing Union Pacifc (UP), Missouri Pacifi c (MP), or M-K-T marks are made under trademark license from Union Pacifi c Railroad Company.To fi nd an Atlas dealer, go to http://locator.atlasrr.com Get a copy of Atlas’ Catalogs at your LHS or visit www.atlasrr.comAtlas O, LLC • 378 Florence Avenue • Hillside, NJ 07205 • www.atlaso.com


Celebratingthe art of1:48 modelingIssue #50<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> <strong>2010</strong>Ted ByrneCarey HinchVol. 9 - No. 3Editor-in-Chief/PublisherJoe Giannovariojag@oscalemag.comArt DirectorJaini Giannovariojaini@oscalemag.comManaging EditorMike Cougilleditor@oscalemag.comAdvertising ManagerJeb Kriigeljeb@oscalemag.comCustomerServiceSpike BeagleComplaintsL’il BearContributorsGene ClementsMartin BrechbielSubscription Rates: 6 issuesUS - Periodical Class DeliveryUS - First Class Delivery (1 year only)Canada/MexicoOverseasUS$35US$45US$55US$80Visa, MC, AMEX & Discover accepted. Call 610-363-7117 duringEastern time business hours. Dealers contact KalmbachPublishing, 800-558-1544 ext 818 or email tss@kalmbach.comAdvertisers call for info.www.oscalemag.com • ©<strong>2010</strong> All Rights ReservedPrinted in the U.S.A.O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>, ISSN 1536-9528, USPS 24457, ispublished bi-monthly in January, March, <strong>May</strong>, July, Septemberand November by OST <strong>Magazine</strong>, PO Box 289, ExtonPA 19341-0289. Subscription rates: US Periodical Mail,$35 per year, US First Class Mail, $45 per year; Canada orMexico, $55 per year; Overseas, $80 per year. Postage paidat West Chester, Pa., and additional mailing offices. POST-MASTER send address changes to O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>,PO Box 289, Exton PA 19341-0289.Contributors: O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> welcomes your feature articles,photos, and drawings. Such material should be sent to the aboveaddress for possible publication. If we accept, you will be notifiedimmediately. For more information concerning article preparationguidelines, please send an SASE to the above address andrequest our “Guide For Authors” or visit our website at: www.oscalemag.com.Cover: The D&RGW’s Royal Gorge crosses Horan Trestle.The trestle was modeled after a curved trestle on the ColoradoMidland’s Hagerman Pass line. The F7 units are by Key and thecars are from Pecos River Brass.O <strong>Scale</strong><strong>Trains</strong>Features4 Denver Society of Model Railroaders — Schmidt & LindgrenThe club celebrates almost 75 years running O <strong>Scale</strong> trains.12 Starting Over - Part 3 — Joe GiannovarioWith the trackplanning done, construction begins.21 Building A Center Cab Diesel - Part 3 — Capt. Tom MixTom starts building the diesel’s frame.26 Scratch Buildings — Jerry ZaretCustom built-to-fit buildings are easy to make.32 Jawn Henry in O <strong>Scale</strong> — Conley WallaceN&W’s steam turbine in O <strong>Scale</strong> is one awesome model.37 Rounding Out A New Roundhouse — Warner ClarkWarner explains the additional details he has added to his facility.42 In Paul Larson’s Honor — William W. DavisA scratchbuilt stock car in the finest traditions with a modern twist.53 Lehigh Valley’s Naples Branch Freight Depot — Harold RussellA medium-sized depot to fit any layout needs.58 Chicago March Meet Contest Models — OST StaffA look at O <strong>Scale</strong> modeling at its finest.60 <strong>2010</strong> O <strong>Scale</strong> National — Rod MillerA final roundup of details before the convention.Departments11 The Art of Prototype Modeling — Mike Cougill17 The Modern Image — Gene Clements19 Traction Action — Martin Brechbiel41 Reader Feedback46 Product News & Reviews64 Buy-Sell-Trade Ads64 Events Listing65 Advertiser Index66 Observations — Joe GiannovarioMAGAZINECenterspread: The Union Pacific’s westbound Pacific Limitedmeets UP Extra East 264 at the east end of Grove siding. TheE7s are from Key and the 2-8-0 is a heavily modified US Hobbiesmodel. The passenger cars are a mixture of brass models fromWasatch, PSC, and Sunset/3rd Rail.<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 3


Denver Society of Model RailroadersA Long History in O <strong>Scale</strong>Doug Schmidt, photos by Erik LindgrenA Sunset 3rd Rail CB&Q M-4 Colorado #6310 exits Grove Siding past the station. The station is a Builder’s in <strong>Scale</strong> model of a formerD&RGW Tennessee Pass Station.Denver’s Union Station has long been one of the city’sarchitectural and historical treasures. The cavernous waitingarea holds countless memories for hundreds of thousands oftravelers involved in greeting and saying good-bye to friendsand family members returning from or leaving to go to worldwars, family vacations, college educations and journeysacross the country. In its basement resides a truly marveloustrain layout that has been a part of the Denver model railroadingcommunity for 74 years. It is one of the oldest andlargest O <strong>Scale</strong> layouts in the United States, the ColoradoMidland.Union Station was built originally in 1881 and rebuilt aftera disastrous fire in 1894. In 1933, Cherry Creek flooded andfilled Union Station with a foot of water standing on the mainfloor with the basement filled to its ceiling. Lost were all ofthe records of the Colorado & Southern Railroad. A small O<strong>Scale</strong> layout had been on display on the mezzanine, but afterthe flood, a large storeroom in the basement was offered tothe Denver Society of Model Railroaders to build a muchlarger layout. All they had to do was clean out the mud, muckand the remains of the records, which was six feet deep ina 75’ x 90’ basement room. The club named the layout theColorado Midland and their handiwork depicts specific andcomposite scenes from the state. O <strong>Scale</strong> was the choice ofthe Denver Society as not much else was readily availablein model railroading at that time. Work on the design andimplementation began immediately after the cleanup wascompleted in 1935. The Colorado Midland is one of the pioneering2-rail layouts.There are two separate mainlines, one standard gaugeand one narrow gauge. The standard gauge line measuresapproximately 1200 linear feet, and the narrow gauge coversjust over 600 linear feet. The yards and sidings add almostanother 1800 feet, bringing the total trackage to just less than4 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’103600. It takes almost 30 minutes for a standard gauge train totravel the entire mainline and 25 minutes to travel the narrowgauge route.Much of the track laid in the 1930s and ’40s features tiesthat were nailed to the underlayment as adhesives were stillrather primitive and scarce due to the war effort. The track is98% handlaid with code 148 and 172 rail for the standardgauge and code 100 for the narrow gauge. The standardgauge curves are 72” radius with a 2-1/2 % maximum grade,and a 48” radius on the narrow gauge with a maximum3-1/2% grade. Army surplus B-25 bomber horizontal trimmotors were used to power some of the turnouts, and two stillfunction flawlessly today.The scenery is plaster over chicken wire and the layouthas been painstakingly scenicked with thousands of trees,hundreds of details, and many bridges and trestles. Graveland rocks from Colorado railyards, most from the area beingmodeled, are used throughout the entire layout. Industrialareas, railyards and small towns are spread throughout thelayout, and the attention to detail, especially on such a largelayout, is quite impressive. Almost all the traditional methodsof scenery creation have been used over the course of theseventy-four year history of this layout. The cottonwood trees,of which there are many, are made of Colorado sagebrush.Some pine trees were made by the ”Jack Work” method ofdrilling sticks to hold caspia branches and then spray paintingthe caspia. Members have also used the ”twisted two wire”method to create tree trunks. The towns of Sargent, CerroSummit and Marshall Pass are modeled as accurately as possibleto the real thing, and all structures are scratchbuilt.All the rolling stock and locomotives are owned by theclub’s members and on the monthly operating night, clubmembers can run a complete California Zephyr, Yampa ValleyMail, San Francisco Chief, The Prospector, a long Burlington


<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 5


The latest addition to the layout, built during the last 10 years, is this sceneof standard gauge Leadville in the foreground and Sargent on the narrowgauge in the distance.UP Extra East 264 passes the Grove station. The crowd on the platform iswaiting for the next westbound passenger train.The crew of D&RGW K-36 #489 chat before moving their locomotive awayfrom the Sargent coaling dock. The loco is from MMI and the coaling dockwas scratchbuilt using prototype plans.D&RGW K-27 #454 crosses over a trestle in front of a photo backdrop ofthe real Dallas Divide on the RGS.The eastbound UP Pacific Limited holds the main while a CB&Q M-4enters Grove siding.CB&Q GP9 #289 gets some spot-time as the crew ponders the nextswitching move. The Geep is from Red Caboose with a P&D drive.Many scenes are visible from any viewing spot. Here the narrow gauge is in theforeground with a UP passenger train leaving a tunnel while an ATSF GFX (GreenFruit Express) crosses a tall bridge and trestle over the Springs Colorado yard.6 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10The eastbound San Francisco Chief splits the signals headed towardMacIntosh and then Springs. The locomotives are from Key.


An MMI K-27 #452 slowly descends a grade trailed by a train of Grampstanks cars.Minor welding repairs are performed on a piece of work equipment.CB&Q O5B #5632 passes the Book Cliffs in western Colorado with atrain of equipment during WWII. This train is a favorite of the many kidsattending our open houses.K-27 #452 rolls past the front of the Grays depot.”A train of tanks cars is just not a good train to hop, no place to ride. I’llwait for the next train.”D&RGW Tunnel motors pull a double stack train under the Book Cliffs inwestern Colorado.Rio Grande Southern’s Galloping Goose pulls in for another load oftourists at Junction.Construction, reconstruction and improvements have been ongoing for years. Thisphotograph is from the 1960s as a large narrow gauge yard at Grays was removedfor better access to the trackage underneath. At the same time a new bridge acrossthe access aisle is being built.<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 7


A high trestle on the way to Marshall Pass on the narrow gauge isunder construction in the 1980s, towering over South Yard, also underconstruction.K-28 #473 switching at Junction.From the 1970s, All Nation F units pass an Amtrak passenger trainpowered by an US Hobbies FP45John O’Connel explaining the layout to a group of kids during an openhouse.The Colorado Midland’s roundhouse serving Springs and East Yard,photographed in 1954, was scratchbuilt to fit the space and is still in use.The CM #401 is a diecast 2-8-0 kit from the ”blacksmith” era of O <strong>Scale</strong>.8 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10


Fast Mail, an Amtrak train, and the Exposition Flyer. The CaliforniaZephyr consist is made up of cars built and marketedby club members Ron Keiser and Don Elliott as MidlandReproductions kits in the 1980s.Locomotives range from a classic 1939 Lionel Hudson thatis used on special occasions to products of US Hobbies, AllNation, PFM, Sunset 3 rd Rail, Overland, Key, P&D, and RedCaboose. The All Nation F units were painted with the lastgallon of Rio Grande Aspen Gold paint from the railroad’sBurnham Shops in Denver.Red Caboose, Atlas and Intermountain cars populate therolling stock roster with the remainder being made up ofbrass units built worldwide in the last 20 years. Models manufacturedin the 1950s have been removed from the layoutdue to a lack of detail.An operating session on the standard gauge line requiresthree engineers, a dispatcher, a yardmaster, someone in thestaging yard and a floater to move to any trouble spots quickly.Other members greet visitors and give tours of the layoutas the trains move along. The narrow gauge run requires threeto four other members in similar roles.Adjacent to the layout, there is a small meeting room anda large workshop with woodworking and modeling toolsavailable and several projects are always in various stages ofcompletion. New members are welcome to join as long asthey are willing to make the commitment to work on the layout.The payoff is the chance to run trains on one of the mosthistoric train layouts in the United States.What the future holds for the club and its layout is somewhatin question. The entire Union Station complex is underredevelopment with a variety of plans for the station andthe adjacent yards currently being discussed. The club hasreceived preliminary assurance that it will continue to be ableto house the layout as it has for the past 74 years. The memberscontinue to make progress on installing DCC control butto completely convert a layout this large will take some timeand money.Visitors are encouraged to attend operating sessions onthe last Friday night of each month from 7-9 pm., Septemberto <strong>May</strong>. The layout can be accessed by entering the lobby ofUnion Station and taking the elevator downstairs. Then lookfor the signs to the Colorado Midland. This is a trip worthmaking! The locomotives and rolling stock are outstandingin their detail and composition. The scenery and details areaccurate and complete, and the two hours of operations willpass quickly for a visitor who wishes to spend a pleasant eveningin this historic setting.More information and pictures can be found on the club’swebsite at [www.denveroscale.org] or by calling 303-572-1015. You can also watch videos of operating sessions bysearching the YouTube website [www.youtube.com] or linkingto YouTube from the club’s website. The addition of webcamsso that website visitors can watch operating sessionslive is in the club’s plans as well.Special thanks go to club member Chip Rovetta for hiswork in captioning the photos as well as adding his considerableknowledge to this article, and to Erik Lindgren for histireless photo work.uPrototype photo courtesy of Hundman Publishing. Similar to PSC #17565-1O <strong>Scale</strong> Brass Models - Limited ProductionThe C&O H-7 and H-7a 2-8-8-2s are in the works with our premier builder Boo-RimPrecision Co. of Korea. Models are scheduled for November <strong>2010</strong> delivery. Everypossible detail and innovative idea will be incorporated in these models. They willfeature dual motor system and all ball bearing drive to assure smooth running.Models will be available both factory painted and unpainted. Production is limited to50 units total between 5 versions. Don’t miss out! See a PSC dealer and order yourhandcrafted brass model today!Visit our website www.precisionscaleco.com for complete listing.Precision <strong>Scale</strong> Co. Inc.2383 Meridian Road, Victor, MT 59875Email: psc@ixi.net<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 9


When does mysubscription expire?Your subscription expirationis now printed on yourmailing label!East GaryCar Co.Dept OST3828 St. Joseph CtLake Station IN 46405They’re Back!Former Indianapolis Car Company sidesare now available from new tooling.Parts #100 & #200$3.00 eachOrders under $50 please add $4.50 for postage andhandling. SASE for updated list.NEW from SILFLOR ® ,Buffalo Grass Tufts... These new tufts have youngseasonal tone grasses growing at the base with last yearslonger dead and dry growth sprouting from the center.Tufts are mounted on an invisible base using the secretSILFLOR ® process that causes the tuft to stand up andfeather outward. Tufts may be placed individually orpeeled off in random clusters.175 Sheffield Dr, #100, Delmont PA 15626 • 724-468-3106Order On-Line: www.scenicexpress.comBF&MBaldwin Forge & MachineBox 5, Baldwin MD 21013How can we help you? Custom machinework, 3-R to 2-R conversions for steam,diesel or electric. Driver castingsmachined. General repairs to O <strong>Scale</strong> locomotives.Call Joe, evenings 7 to 9 PM.410-592-5275 or rrjjf@aol.comStevenson Preservation LinesO Gauge Kits and Parts from pastMaster ModelersCatalog 2005 Price: $3.00Baldwin Model Locomotive WorksLobaughAdams & SonsLenoirKansas City KitHines LinesAlexanderPearce Tool Co.Bob Stevenson, 2326 230th St. Ames, IA 50014http://RailsUnlimited.ribbonrail.com/email: railsunl@sbcglobal.net“We take time to give you full service”Unique O <strong>Scale</strong> models • Urethane cars; 40’ & 50’ boxcars,reefers, stock cars, milk cars, pickle car & circus cars.Full Service O <strong>Scale</strong> Dealer • Kits, DCC & Sound SuppliesBooks: new & out of print • Darkroom Services • Railroad PhotosModel Railroad Sales & ServiceNEW! Wagontop Boxcar & Gons for PRR and SALTed Schnepf126 Will ScarletElgin Il 60120-9524 847-697-5353 or 847-697-536610 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10


The Art of PrototypeModelingMichael CougillGo And See For YourselfIn the culture of a certain well-known Japanese corporationthere is a saying: Genshi Genbutsu (gen-she, gen-bootsue,the ”t” sound goes on the last syllable), or in English- goand see for yourself. This is a mindset of the company’sexecutives who feel that their knowledge of a situation willoften be incomplete and therefore, possibly even inaccurate,without first-hand knowledge. So they make a practice ofgoing to see for themselves what issues a supplier, or factoryworker might be facing. There is a parallel in modeling fromthe prototype. Our knowledge of a car, locomotive or locationwill be incomplete or inaccurate until if possible, we goand see it for ourselves.A case of going to see for myself, involved watching aswitching operation at a local plastics plant. It was one ofthose things where I had the time, the camera and the localshowed up while I was there. I finally hit a trifecta! What Ilearned was how much time and effort it takes for a crew tosort cars into the right order before spotting them at the plant. Iwatched as the locomotive would cherry-pick a single car outof a cut, park it somewhere and then go after another one andso on, until they were all in the order specified by the plant’straffic manager. This took a long time and the ground crewmust have walked for miles going back and forth to uncouplecars and throw switches. I watched this for a couple of hoursand they weren’t even close to being done when I left.This got me to thinking about how we do things on ourlayouts. Historically, the hobby focused on individual industriesand the more of them the merrier. Each layout had tohave a town, or preferably several, that featured one or moresmall industries that needed to be switched as the core ofoperating interest. This often led to the cliché of an industrythat was smaller than the train car spotted next to it. For thepast fifty to sixty years, this hasn’t really changed. We alwaysassume that more is better and stuff our layouts to the gillsaccordingly. What I saw last August proved to me that thisdoesn’t have to be the case. A single large industry, whendone right can be just as interesting to operate as a bunch ofsmaller ones, and probably will be more realistic too. I thinkthe implications for O <strong>Scale</strong> are that we can have a morefaithful interpretation of a scene in a smaller space withoutgiving up operational interest. This factory is seldom switchedthe same way twice. Traffic levels vary with the production ofthe plant. Sometimes they are switched twice a week, othertimes it’s less than once a week.Many times in this hobby, we assume that we know howthings are today or were done yesterday, but do we really?Often yes. However, there’s tons of stuff that I don’t knowabout trains or their operations and until I genshi genbutsu- go see for myself - my modeling won’t be as accurate as itcould be.Best regards,Mikeu<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 11


3close-up of the Creek Junction benchwork. I should note herethat Tom does not use dimensioned lumber in his benchworkexcept for legs. All of the wood used was cut from 3/4” birchplywood. Done that way the front frame rail at Creek Junctionis a single piece of wood and is much stronger.Photo 6 shows all of the basic benchwork in place. Notethe octagonal opening in the foreground. That’s for the turntablepit at Whitetop. You can see a similar opening in theAbingdon benchwork in the middle.6Backdrops mounted and seamed. This is looking toward Creek Junction.eral inches of overlap at the seams. The backdrops are printedwith these overlaps. We then used a straightedge and razorknife to trim the vertical edges and glued them together withstick glue. Photo 3 shows the seamed backdrops in place withthe top edge painted to match the sky.Meanwhile, Tom had not been idle. He had been designingand building the Creek Junction benchwork at his home workshop.Photo 4 shows a dry fit of the Creek Junction benchworkwhile we were still working on the backdrop. You will noticepainters tape at seam locations. Also note how the benchworksits on top of the ledger, not up against it. Photo 5 shows a4Looking from Whitetop toward Damascus over Abingdon.There was one additional piece of tricky benchwork that Ipresented to Tom as a requirement. My 2’ x 6’ workbench hadto store under Damascus. Tom solved this by building a special6.5’ section that is a 1” thick lightweight box spanning theworkbench storage area. You can see it in the back of photo6 where the top edge of the frame lifts up slightly to go overthe workbench. There is a 9” clearance on the work surface.Without giving too much away Photo 7 shows the workbenchextended into the aisle. The OttLites overhead provide morethan enough illumination for my modeling work.Dry fit of the unfinished Creek Junction benchwork with a 10 inch drop.5The completed Creek Junction framework. The holes are both to lightenthe benchwork and provide cable runs for wiring.My workbench stores under the layout at Damascus.I built a special frame with rollers. It works great.Next time... decking, sub-roadbed and track.u<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 13


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www.goldengatedepot.com / PHONE: (925)-820-7701/FAX: (925)-820-7709Sunset Models EMD E-7 and ...GGD Aluminum SetsABS Body And 9000 Series Pittman MotorHorizontal Drive For Smooth OperationGGD ALUMINUM SETS TO RESERVE100% <strong>Scale</strong> Aluminum passenger car sets with LED lighted & accurate interiors,molded windows, highly detailed die cast trucks and underbody detail. Close coupling,054 3 Rail, 48” 2 Rail Track.1948 20th Century Limited- NYC 1948 20th Century Limitied - <strong>2010</strong> (Sunset Models NYC E-7)- SP Daylight #98 - <strong>May</strong> <strong>2010</strong> (Sunset E7 SP Daylight)- PRR Congressional - Fall <strong>2010</strong> (Sunset Smooth Sided GG-1)- PRR 1948 “BROADWAY LIMITED” (Sunset Models PRR E-7)- B&O “COLUMBIAN” (Sunset Models B&O E-7)LIGHTER CARSLED LIGHTINGSP DAYLIGHTSOLD OUTB&O ColumbianPRR Congressional1948 Broadway Ltd.<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 15


CITY PEOPLEHO <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33101 • $9.50O <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33151 • $13.50COWS - BROWN & WHITEHO <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33102 • $9.50O <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33152 • $13.50COWS - BLACK & WHITEHO <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33103 • $9.50O <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33153 • $13.50POLICE SQUADHO <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33104 • $9.50O <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33154 • $13.50CONSTRUCTION WORKERSHO <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33105 • $9.50O <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33155 • $13.50MAINTENANCE WORKERSHO <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33106 • $9.50O <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33156 • $13.50CATS with GARBAGE CANHO <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33107 • $9.50O <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33157 • $13.50DOGS with FIRE HYDRANTHO <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33108 • $9.50O <strong>Scale</strong> • Item No. 33158 • $13.5018 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10


Building Traction Flat Trailers – Part 2Well, let’s see if we can pick up right where we left offwith the last column! Referring back to Photo #3 of the lastcolumn, we were installing the centersills and as you couldsee then, on the one car these were plain and straight whilethe other set were sort of a fishbelly style. In Figure 1, youcan get the dimensions that I used for making those parts insection A of the drawing. On that same car with the fishbellycentersill, I added a sideboard made from 2”x16”. But,3/32” spaced 1/32” thick scribed decking to the top and cutto fit flush all the way around. We’re coming into the homestretch, and now we need to start looking at the finishingdetails that are in Photo 2.One of the characteristic details for traction freight carsare radial couplers. These, combined with the rounded car2Fig. 1on the other car I thought I’d put a styrene wrapper aroundit to change the side profile from straight to fishbelly. I tooksome 1/2” wide 0.020” styrene (2 pieces) and wrapped thataround the sides of the car and from that got the end andslope dimensions in section B of Figure 1. I transferred thatdirectly off the car onto the styrene, cut and hacked, whichgot me to what is in Photo 1. Now, I could have added rivets,etc, and you certainly could, but I passed on that exerciseand moved on to attaching these two wrappers, whichby the way, do a nice job of covering up our plywood/leadassembly. To join these three mixed materials together, Iapplied a film of Walther’s Goo to the car side and a beadof medium viscosity CA to the styrene. This seems to workclose to instant contact cement, so get it right the first time!Going back to the other car, I applied some more 0.020”styrene in between those straight sides to cover up theplywood/lead assembly. Cross members, made from theleft-over 5/32”x1/16” centersills, were added on both cars.On the straight sided car these are beveled from 5/32” to3/16” to be flush with the 3/16” x1/16” side sills, whileon the other car these are not beveled but are mortised3/16”x1/16” to rest on the side sills flush up against the styrenesides. From there, flip the car back over, and add some1ends, really promote the ability to get around some verytight corners. In Photo 2 you can see the very nice commercialones from Q-Car (Part CB010) and some Kadee804 couplers that are wired and soldered to some flat brassstock. Precision <strong>Scale</strong> also sells some nice brass radialcouplers. Neither of the two commercial radial couplerproducts provides operating couplers, but they do reallylook nice. The shop-built 804-coupler version is operating;it is also admittedly not all that attractive. I put oneof each option on these cars to illustrate their installation.The Kadee version needs a 3/8”x1/16” mounting pad anda small wood screw to hold it in place. The Q-Car radialcoupler unit takes three small screws (and a little Goo). Iused some 3/8” #0 blackened screws that I ”shortened”.The other interesting detail to add is anti-climbers to eachend. Q-Car (Part CS334) is a soft white metal casting thatyou just bend to conform to the end of the car. A little Gooand CA, and not only are those mounted, but the seam inthe styrene wrapper is gone!After that, there’s not a lot more to do. I’ve added fourstirrup steps to each car and some stake pockets to sides ofthe one car to add a little interest (Grandt Line #83, #89).After that, a brake wheel on some 0.022” brass wire andthe accompanying ratchet & pawl (Grandt Line #42) prettymuch wrap these cars up. You are of course free to ”improvise”with detail parts. I don’t bother with any brake detailson these basic cars and you can easily add stakes to turnyour flat car into a gondola. I generally use Athearn archbar trucks with Intermountain wheelsets and those go oneasily provided you remembered to drill and tap those carbolsters.Next column we’ll get started on mapping out a CERAbox trailer. The NMRA library came through with yet somemore plans for these cars that I have to decipher (FUN!). u<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 19


5strips (think of a brass sandwich) make that 8” channel.The top and bottom sheets extend 3” over the sides, and areflush on the ends. Photo 7 shows this effect. The major portionof the frame is a piece of 1/8” thick brass stock milled toa scale 9’ wide by 37’ long. Mark out the truck’s wheelbase,which is 21’-10”, and drill a #44 hole to clear the 2-56 bolsterscrew. Mill out the open portions of the frame (with the bottomsheet soldered in place) as shown in Photo 8 to clear the topsof the gearboxes.768Fig. 1Spacing22 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10File for rowsclose together.My frame also has a large hole in the center for a speakerport. Use a two-flute mill for this as you can drill with it andfollow the scribed outlines for the openings. The bolster positionbetween the gearbox openings can be milled to be thinnerthan 1/8”. This may be necessary for the required 3’ 8” heightfrom railhead to bottom of the frame. As mentioned earlier, thethickness of the bolsters at the attachment screw will be a factorhere too. There will be a hole drilled at each bolster positionto pass the wiper wire to a decoder.I milled out a section on each end of the frame to solder astiffener piece on the bottom ends of the deck sheet. This stiffenerwill be drilled for the end handrail stanchions and uncouplinglevers. Photo 4 shows these stiffeners. Note also the shortpins in the center of each end. These ensure the screw holeswill be accurately aligned when securing the two sectionstogether. To set these two pins accurately, drill a 0.040” holecentered in the end of the deck plate through the stiffeners.Mark both the deck plate and the frame section so that each


end can be separately identified. I should mention here thatthis center cab had a front and rear although both ends lookidentical. The smoke stack at the cab with the horn is ”front.”The end with the bell is ”rear.” This is important because itaffects the detailing and assembly of components during thebuild.Clamp the deck plate to the frame making sure all is squareand even all around. Then drill through the frame using thedeck plate hole as a guide. Solder in a short length of 0.040”wire for the alignment pin. Photo 8 also shows all the openingsin the frame piece including the holes to attach the hood/cabassembly.If you plan on having sound, a space will be required for aspeaker enclosure. I wanted to be able to detail inside the cab,so a speaker couldn’t go there. But, what about underneaththe cab’s floor? Some quick measuring showed that a flat 1.5”speaker in an enclosure would fit, but the sound would comeout the bottom. What about those fuel and air tanks underthe frame, would they hinder the sound passage? I don’t thinkso. The tank assembly hangs down from the frame with someopen space at the top. You could consider drilling holes in thecab floor and have the speaker pointing up. With the cab doorsand windows, open the sound would be easily heard. But thismight be dangerous for the crew; with all those holes in thefloor somebody is going to break a leg!Fuel tanksTime to build the fuel and air tanks assembly underneaththe cab. The center fuel tank is made with two sections of7/16” tube 7’ 6” long soldered side-by-side with a piece of1/16” spacer between. Wrap them with 0.010” sheet then solderon the end pieces and file to give the appearance of onetank. The tank should measure 3’ 6” horizontally. The fillertubes, one each side, is a 3/32” brass rod slightly rounded onthe top with a tiny groove machined near the top to look like acap, then soldered at a slight upward angle. The two air tankswere made from thick walled (.032”) 7/16” tubing also 7’ 6”long. This thick wall allows you to gently round the ends togive the appearance of a manufactured air tank with a crimpedend. The center is a solid brass rod all the way through withconvex ends and 0.033” hole drilled each end for the air lines.The straps holding the tanks are 1/64” x 1/16” strip. Here is aneasy way to get that proper curve in the air tank straps. Chucka 7/16” thin walled (0.014”) tube and using a cut-off toolmachine off several rings 1/16” wide. These rings can be cutand bent with a 0.020 hole drilled for a wire so that it appearsto be a bolt holding the strap sections together. The hangersappear to be somewhat complicated but with a jig as shown inPhoto 9 they aren’t too hard to form. Before drilling, measurethe position of the suspended tank assembly under the frame.You will note that this assembly is offset 6” towards the enginefront.Photo 10 shows the fuel and air tank assembly together withthe straps for hanging from the I-beams. Photo 11 shows howthe assembly was soldered together with 3/16” I-beams and theattaching screws. This assembly must be removable in order toremove the trucks and the drive shaft. The tanks required somemodifications because of clearance problems for the drive shaftand universals. Photo 11 shows what I did. Yours may be differentif another gearbox system is used.With the frame made and the suspended tanks fitted thenext chapter will put together the motor and drive system. u91011JD’s <strong>Trains</strong> Exclusive Custom RunsComing Fall <strong>2010</strong> Atlas O Trainman PS-2 3 BayCovered Hoppers in FIVE new roadnames:Erie, Great Northern, Monon, Rio Grande, & Santa FeEach car will be factory painted light gray with black 70 ton roller bearingdiecast trucks & black pad-printed lettering. Visit www.jdstrains.com tosee photos of each paint scheme. 2 - 4 road numbers per roadname.Reserve today - only 100 models will be made per roadname.2 & 3 Rail - $45.95DID YOU KNOW? We offer competitive prices on Sunset/3rdRail, Atlas O, Golden Gate Depot, Weaver & Z-Stuff products.JD’s <strong>Trains</strong>, Inc. 9648 Olive Blvd #384 St. Louis, MO 63132Phone: 314-409-4451, Email: info@jdstrains.comSecure ordering at www.jdstrains.com JD’s <strong>Trains</strong><strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 23


Buy⁄Sell⁄TradeAOCC*Gem PRR B6 0-6-0, C/P or N/P, OB .......................$575.00WSM PRR J1a, 2-10-4, C/P, OB ........................$1,550.00WSM PRR M1, 4-8-2, C/P, Nice, OB .....................$1,150.00USH NYC J3a De-Streamlined 4-6-4 w/Centipede tender,C/P Ex, OB. ........................................$1,275.00Williams “Crown” PRR 0-6-0 B6sb, F/P, OB ................$525.00USH PRR M1a, 4-8-2, C/P, OB .........................$1,175.00MG NYC J3a, C/P, NOB From Tony Ambrose ............$1,395.00USH NYC S1b, 4-8-4, C/P, OB ..........................$1,250.00MG PRR J, 2-10-4, C/P, Icken Gears, NOB ...............$1,895.00USH NYC H10, 2-8-2, Mint, N/P, NOB ...................$1,275.00USH PRR L1, 2-8-2, N/P, LN, NOB ......................$1,175.00Gem PRR A5 0-4-0, C/P, NOB ............................$475.00Atlas EMD GP9, F/P UP, OB .............................$250.00OM N&W C630 High Hood, FM Trucks, New, OB. ........$1,195.00OM NKP GP35 N/P, LN, OB .............................$950.00Jim HackworthMODEL TRAINS(and Subsidiary JH Consulting)2631 Edgevale Road, Columbus OH 43221-1113Phone: 614-4514517 Fax: 6144514557Email: jhmtrains@msn.com • Web: www.jhmtrains.comConsignmentsAOCC*USH B&O C16a, 0-4-0, C/P, OB.......................................................$675.00PRB 50’ Airslide, F/P BN, OB...........................................................$250.00OM PRR PAPB Set, Late Run, F/P, New......................................$2,875.00OM #0445 C39-8, C/P, OB..............................................................$1,195.00OM NKP War Caboose, C/P, Wtd, OB............................................$295.00PRB 62’ PC&F Boxcar, F/P UP, OB.................................................$265.00<strong>Scale</strong> Mod Ind Roundhouse Kit.........................................................$159.00PRB Sealand Gunderson D. Stack set, F/P, LN, OB....................$1,525.00PRb APL Blue Thrall D. Stack set, F/P, LN, OB..........................$1,575.00RY Models (Yoder) Brass C&O Woodside Caboose LN, OB........$375.00USH PRR N5 Caboose, New w/Trucks, N/P, OB.............................$250.00OM PS2-CD Covered Hopper, C/P ATSF, OB, LN........................$319.00PRB SP Gunderson D.Stack Set, LN, OB......................................$1,495.00Sunnyside PRR N5c Caboose, N/P, OB ...........................................$309.00MG PRR N8 Caboose, N/P, NOB......................................................$250.00Alco PRR N6a, C/P or N/P........................................................each $225.00Layaway Available24 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10*All Offers Cordially ConsideredLSASE for Complete ListShipping Cost Based On LocationOhio Residents Add 6.75% Sales TaxEstates⁄LiquidationsCollection Reductions


RY ModelsFine Quality Brass Models Since 1999richyodermodels.comLiquid Carbonic Corp. CarMathieson Dry Ice CarClass O-17 36' Ventilated Box CarAtlantic Coast LineLimited Production Run $329 Reserve Now* Due Fall <strong>2010</strong>PennsylvaniaRailroadClass F-22Flat CarsACL DespatchFactory finished as shownabove with 3-car naval gunload. Flat cars availableseparately or as a two-pack.Body bolsters not includedon standard flat cars.ATSF Box Car BX3-6USRA 70-Ton Triple HopperC&O, NYC, VirginianReserve Now*Reserve Now* Due <strong>2010</strong>SP Stock CarsAs-Built&As RebuiltBaldwin S-12 Road Switcher• All-Brass Construction• All-Wheel Drive• Directional Lighting• Flywheel• DCC Ready>AVAILABLE NOWIn Stock Now! $329MCBA Class II ACF Type 7 Tank CarsA series of high roofwalk-style tank cars…In Stock Now! $3156,000-gallon Double DomeAvailable in O <strong>Scale</strong> or Proto:48SP Version (shown above) $625.Gray Primer, Black Trucks $469.Painted Semi-Gloss,Specify Black or Green $479.Custom DecoratedcallSeveral railroads and private company cars car names available.As delivered with O <strong>Scale</strong> Arch Bar trucks.* Reservations: A deposit is required to secure each reservation — freight cars, $50; locomotives, $100.7 Edgedale Ct, Wyomissing PA 19610 • Phone 610-678-2834 • E-mail richyoder@richyodermodels.com <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> • Direct <strong>Trains</strong> Sales • 25 Only


Scratch BuildingsJerry ZaretThere are some imaginative and well thought-out kitsavailable for O <strong>Scale</strong> modelers. However, you may want toput your own stamp of creativity on a building and be able topoint out to visitors that yes, you built it from ”scratch.” Yes,you can and it’s easier than you think.There are two starting points. First, you can design yourown building based on your layout’s needs. That takes a littleup front planning since you’ll have to work out the detailsof the design before ordering materials. If trying to come upwith an original building design leaves your brain and pieceof paper blank, here’s another thought: Check out the variousHO kit offerings or some of the great HO layouts online.There are dozens of wonderful building design ideas that,unfortunately, are not available in O <strong>Scale</strong>. And if you’rebuilding a large layout, using kits, as wonderful as they maybe, can easily break the bank. So what to do? Scratchbuildthem yourself.I started this process with some very simple buildingdesigns of my own and graduated to more ambitious buildings.None of these designs are available in O <strong>Scale</strong>. And,since there are some manufacturers whose instructions leavesomething to be desired, you’ll avoid the frustrations of tryingto figure out what you’re being told to do. Believe me,if you follow these steps, you’ll find out you are quite goodat scratchbuilding and that all you need are the right materialsand time. The more you do it, the more efficient you’llbecome as your talents develop. Finally, one of the side benefitsof this is that you’ll become familiar with virtually all theO <strong>Scale</strong> detail manufacturers that will add the ultimate detailto your building.The principles here apply to virtually any wood building,from easy four-walled buildings to more complicated designslike those shown above. For demonstration purposes, we’lluse Froggie’s Café as a step-by-step example.Step 1 – SuppliesStart with a generous supply of clapboard and board &batten wood sections. I generally use Northeastern <strong>Scale</strong>Lumber’s [northeasternscalelumber.com] clapboard (1/8”spacing) and various sizes of board & batten. You can alsoget excellent versions from Mt. Albert <strong>Scale</strong> Lumber Co. andMicro-Mark. You should also have a good supply of differentsized wood strips on hand, (e.g. 1/8” and 1/4” square, and1/8” x 1/32”) for interior bracing and external details like cornermolding (Photo 1).The other crucial step is to have a handy supply of styrenewindows of various types and sizes. There’s no magic to thisand following an HO design doesn’t mean you have to do126 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10


the windows and doors the same way. In fact, I rarely do.Often you can’t duplicate the HO window/door anyway, butthe building will look just as good. You can get as creative asyou want with doors and windows. My favorite suppliers forthese are Grandt Line [www.grandtline.com] and Tichy [tichytraingroup.com].You can also buy many of the Grandt Lineselections from Valley Model <strong>Trains</strong> [valleymodeltrains.com]at a discount. Tichy offers a much more limited selection buttheir prices can’t be beat. One thing to remember is to buywindows with casing. This will allow you some flexibility incutting the openings, as the casing will hide any missteps.Masonry windows don’t have any casings or frames so it’smore difficult to get a good fit without some space showingaround the windows. On doors, you can experiment withversions without frames since it’s very simple to build a framearound the door to hide any gaps after installation.Step 2 – Sizing & TemplatesIn your search for ideas, you’re just looking for interestingdesigns and shapes. Prototype buildings come in everyimaginable size, so model buildings do as well. (Hint: thesecret to what really determines the scale of a model are thewindows and doors and various details that go on the roof oron a loading dock.)Even those manufacturers that offer a kit in both HO andO <strong>Scale</strong>s vary the measurement scale. The O <strong>Scale</strong> footprintoften runs between 60%-80% larger, occasionally more,than the HO model. This seems to be a function of manufacturing,cost and how large the eventual O <strong>Scale</strong> model mightbe if they scale it up too much. If the HO specs are availableyou can use those print measurements as a rough guidebut, in truth, the overall size of the building is your personalpreference using the ”what-looks-good” method and yourlayout’s space.Again, you have some leeway here, so if your space allowsfor a deeper building or is restricted because your buildingis against track or scenery, just make the appropriate adjustment.If the building is basically head on to the viewer, thenarrower profile will hardly be noticeable, if at all.If you’re unsure about the measurements, the easiest wayto avoid having to discard your mistakes is to make a roughcardstock version of the building. This will help determinethe shape and size of the building and confirm that it fits inyour designated layout space. Cardstock, scissors, tape and afew minutes time are all you need. It’s not an essential thingto do, since you could eyeball the size pretty well but it doescome in handy particularly for cutting a roof section that willfit exactly inside a four-walled structure.Step 3 – Cutting the Wall SectionsNow the fun and fast part where you’ll see the wholething start to come together pretty quickly. Draw the wall’soutline on the clapboard or board & batten sections. Cuteach out with a very sharp hobby knife. I like to use an Olfaknife but there are scores, no pun intended, of similar cuttingtools. I prefer the Olfa knife because it is heavier thanthe usual X-Acto tool with a #11 blade and easier to control.They come with multiple blade sections that you just snap offwhen one dulls out.On clapboard, remember to have all the board overlapsfacing down and when you’re cutting opposite walls, to drawone section on the back (plain side) so that when you cut andturn it over it will be the mirror image of the first wall. Otherwise,you’ll end up with two walls exactly the same, one ofwhich will be cut wrong.The height is much easier. I use Northeastern <strong>Scale</strong> Modelclapboard sections that are available in 11” x 3” with a 1/8”spacing (there’s a 24” version but the width is 3-1/2”). Each3” section becomes one floor. For a second (or third) floor,just glue another section and brace it on the back for stability.Nail holes, wood cracks, painting and weathering will hidethe seams.Step 4 – Window and Door OpeningsDraw and cut in the windows and doors (Photo 2). Youcan measure the back of the window frame or with a small2diameter pen/pencil trace the outline under the frame. Eitherway, you may want to cut inside the line until you get used tothe process (which will take just a few minutes) so you don’tmake the opening too large. Use a metal straight edge witha thick side so your knife doesn’t slip. I like the Micro-Markstraight edge which has a small knob handle (item #60916) tohold the edge in place and helps avoid having your hand tooclose to the knife blade if/when the blade slips.Step 5 - BracingOnce you have all your cuts made, it’s time for some bracing.This helps avoid warping and also makes assembly easier.Glue some 1/4” or thinner square strips on both ends of theside walls. Don’t go to the top of the building side or you’llhave to cut the bracing to fit in the roof panel. You may alsowant to glue a few interior braces on all walls, but watch outfor the window and door openings; leave enough room toinsert the castings.For flat inset roofs, some interior bracing should be gluedaround all building’s sides, about 1/4” below the roof edge sothe roof can neatly slip in and rest on the bracing. Make yourbracing at least 1/2” inch short of the end of the wall to allowfor the bracing of the perpendicular wall to fit when gluedtogether. If your building has an overhang or peaked roof, thistype of interior bracing is not necessary. However, you maywant to cut some peaked bracing so the roof sections havemore surface area to rest on. Also, run a horizontal piece ofstripwood between the front and back bracing, providingmore stability and more gluing surface.Step 6 – PaintingNow for the finishing steps. Spray both sides of the wallswith some inexpensive gray primer (Wal-Mart’s brand is fine).After it’s dry, run a pounce wheel (Micro-Mark again or Dr.Ben’s) with teeth a little less than 1/2” apart down every wallto create nail holes. Then randomly use a sharp #11 bladeto pick up a few individual clapboards by inserting the knifeunder a board and gently twisting. You’ll get the hang of thispretty quickly.To finish the wall sections, apply your final paint color.<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 27


Inexpensive acrylic paints are available in dozens of colorsfrom craft stores like Michael’s. For a weathered appearance,apply the paint somewhere between the classic drybrushingtechnique used for weathering (where the paint is virtuallywiped off the brush before applying) and a fully coveredpainted wall. Basically, you want ”a bad-looking paint job”which of course, allows a lot of flexibility in terms of howyou want it to look. Using a 1/2” soft flat brush, apply thepaint but don’t cover every board perfectly. Let some of thegray primer show giving a weathered appearance (Photo 3). If3a drop of Elmer’s White Glue or Canopy Glue on each cornerof the acetate/window shade. After drying, you’ll be ready forfinal assembly.Step 8 – Assembling the Walls & RoofGlue the front and back to the sides, using a square tomake sure the walls dry straight. I like Aleene’s Tacky Glue forthis step. It dries clear, has a very quick tack, but takes awhileto fully set so you can make adjustments well before it cures.This step is easy since you have the corner bracing on thewalls for more gluing surface area. Add 1/8” x 1/32” paintedstripwood to create a corner molding. These can be the samecolor as the walls or for variation, a complimentary color.Make a roof template from craft paper, and then cut someblack cardstock for the roof. To make a tarpaper roof (Photo4), spray black craft paper with black paint to dull out the finish.Very lightly spray on some gray or white and finally, some4you don’t like what you see, either sand back the paint withfine sandpaper or apply more paint where it’s not coveringenough.Step 7 – Windows & DoorsPaint your windows and doors. I prime them with inexpensivespray paint then spray paint the final color. By foldingsome masking tape at the edges and attaching it to scrapcardboard, you can adhere all the windows and doors to thetape and paint them all at once. It will take about 15 minutesincluding the time to let the primer dry to the touch. You cando this painting by hand, but it will take longer to do. Unlessyou’re using a primer color, the spray cans won’t give you atotally flat finish. The flattest finish you can get is Satin, but afinal coat of Testor’s Dullcote will do the job. For some weatheringof the windows, add a very light spray of black or a lightwash of India Ink/alcohol (2 tps. or less to 1 pint alcohol).When the final coat is dry, glue in the windows and doors.Since they have thin frames, you may not want to use CA glueunless you use a small micro brush for application, which isa bit frustrating and time consuming, or you like your fingersglued together. I use G-S Hypo Cement (Micro-Mark or anumber of eBay sellers) that has a thin needle applicator. Theonly trick is getting the darn cap back on to the needle to sealthe tube. If you have trouble threading a needle, you maywant to find another solution like Canopy Glue (availablefrom many sources).Once your windows are in, glue acetate on the back forthe window glass. You can use the Hypo or Canopy Glue. Youdon’t have to cut these to exact size, just make sure you’recovering the window opening. Use colored craft paper forwindow shades, gluing them over the acetate on the backside.Again, any size will work (hint: make them differentheights which adds to the realism). If you want to ensureeverything stays in place after the building is assembled, add28 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10tan. Use a sweeping motion for these colors, keeping thespray can about 10” from the paper and in motion, passingback and forth beyond the edges of the paper. The paper canbe taped on the back so it will stick to a larger piece of cardboardfor easy handling. Cut strips about 1/2” wide and userubber cement to attach them to the roof. Cut a few piecesinto smaller sections so it’s not all uniform. Also, add a coupleof very small patches to suggest repairs on the roof andoutline them with thin lines of white glue to simulate tar. Fora final touch, weather with shades of gray, black and even tanchalk dust. This will further weather the roof’s appearance.One section of the building has a corrugated metal roof.This material is great for older sections and roof overhangs.The material is available from Sodders Enterprises, Buildersin-<strong>Scale</strong>and others. To weather the metal, prime it first thenpaint it grimy black, and then add weathering powders. Dr.Ben’s is a good source for weathering powders and liquids,including liquid rust).Step 9 – A Foundation (Optional)If you want a foundation, add some 1/8” or 1/4” woodstrips around the base of the building, slightly indented fromthe wall’s edges. These should be painted a concrete color(Poly<strong>Scale</strong> Concrete or Aged Concrete).Step 10 – Final DetailsFor a final touch, include some ads (Photo 5) and roofdetails. For the ads, sand the backside and apply Elmer’sWhite Glue then press in place. After a few minutes, run yourfingernail along the ad, sinking the paper into the grooves


5 6of the clapboard siding. For more weathering, the ad can bedrybrushed and weathered with an India Ink/alcohol mix orwith chalk. If you want a tin sign, mount the ad on some thinstyrene or wood painted black. For the ultimate in realism,drill some very small holes in each corner with a pin vise andinsert some nut/bolt castings available from Grandt Line orTichy.For the roof, add vents, chimneys, smokestacks, watertanks, billboards, etc. as desired. Virtually all these castingsare available from various manufacturers like Valley Model<strong>Trains</strong> [valleymodeltrains.com], Sodders Enterprises [soddersenterprises.com],Model Tech Studios [modeltechstudios.com],Berkshire Valley [www.berkshirevalleyinc.com],OST 05-10_Layout 1 3/15/10 9:01 AM Page 1Schomberg [schombergscalemodels.com], Turner ModelWorks [turnermodelworks.com], etc. To find resources,remember the axiom: ”Google is your friend.” While BarMills no longer makes billboards, many are still available oneBay and Blair Line [blairline.com] continues to offer a lineof O <strong>Scale</strong> billboards. They’re easy to construct and add terrificdetail to your rooftops. Or, you can make your own billboards,but maybe that’s a subject for another time. Garbagecans, boxes, newspapers, etc., are also great details to addaround the base of the building (Photo 6).That’s about it. The principles here will work with mostscratchbuilt wooden buildings although obviously somebuilding profiles and shapes are more difficult than others.But, the principles are the same. Have fun and get to work.You can do it!uNMRA “Gage” AssuresTrouble-Free Operationof Your Model RailroadT H E S M A L L T O O L S P E C I A L I S T SOver2,750items!1-800-225-1066Shop On-Line: www.micromark.comCheck for accurate O scale trackand switch dimensions, wheelspacing, flange depth, tirewidth and wobble...plusstructure clearance.#84632$19 95This is a precision stainlesssteel measuring instrumentmade by the NMRA.FREECATALOGIf youmentioncode 3734whenorderingPrice goodthru 5/31/10Berkeley Heights, NJ 079221-800-225-1066www.micromark.comEtched brass numbers SP-style, MSRP: $15.More brass numbers coming soon!Field parts for your interlocking tower: pipecarriers, crank stands and cranks. Visit ourweb site for details.The IrishTracklayer2682 W. Palo Alto AveFresno CA 93771www.irishtracklayer.comFOR THETOUGHESTJOBS ONPLANET EARTH ®1-800-966-3458 Made in U.S.A.© <strong>2010</strong> Gorilla Glue Company<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 29GORILLA_GG_2429.indd 13/12/10 5:08:05 PM


SumpterValleyDepot135 NW Greeley Avenue,Bend OR 97701● Specializing in O <strong>Scale</strong> 2-railmodel trains since 1985● We buy or consign brass modelcollections● Model reservations gladlyaccepted● Prompt, courteous serviceCheck our website for latestO <strong>Scale</strong> Listingswww.sumptervalley.comtrainman@callatg.comTel: 541/382-3413Fax:541/389-7237Hours:Mon. thru Fri 8:30 AM - 5PMand sometimes on Saturdays30 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10VALLEYMODEL TRAINSPO BOX 1251, Wappingers Falls, N.Y. 12590Credit Card Orders WelcomeOrder/Info(845)297-3866 Fax(845)298-7746American Model Builders O <strong>Scale</strong> Laser KitsDimensions: 9-3/4 x 4-3/4 x 4-1/2"Dock Adds 2" to Length484484 Elevated Warehouse Kit O.......................79.95 67.984896 x 4-1/4 x 6"489 Loft Barn Kit O.............................................42.98 36.55479 Long-Bell Lumber skid shacks 2/ O42.98 36.55Crow River Products Resin and Metal Kits.....308Footprint withloading dock3" X 10"Use in the yard,on a dock orindustry.308 Fixed Boom Crane O.....................65.00 58.50Includes utility tankshown on right - For usewith Derricks, Clam-Shell Derricks or asLogging Donkeys479 - 2 per pack3234 x 3 x 2-3/4"O111323 3-Drum Steam Hoisting Engine O .....80.00 73.60O111 Utility Tank O....1 ¼”L X 2 ½”H ........net 8.00Main Street Heritage Resin Kits.....5055 x 9-1/2" w/ boardwalk5-1/2 x 8" w/ sidwalks505 The Weekly Record O ...................66.95 61.60503 Bill's Place O..................................62.95 57.90Evergreen Hill Design O Laser Cut kitsFootprint: 9" deep (including both decks) 11" wide(including stairs) 8" high (including fire barrels)2007 Dollar Bros Motor Express Kit O5032007 Dollar Bros Motor Express Kit O 169.95 144.50lots of detail 2005Includespartspool table,cues, balls, 2011stove, radio2005 30's Gas Station O (4 x 6.25”) ......59.95 50.992011 Pool Hall with table O (5.25 x 6”)..69.95 59.50Add $8.00 S&H in 48 States • Others pay actualpostage cost • N.Y. residents add 8.25% sales tax.(prices are subject to change w/o notice)www.valleymodeltrains.comNow order online! valleymodeltrains.com Visit our website to see hundreds of HO and O <strong>Scale</strong> Craftsman Kits valleymodeltrains.com Now order online!The Public Delivery TrackCustom Run ItemsAtlas..SP 2 bay hopper car, large lettering...$65SP and SINCLAIR 8K tank cars..$63 eaMILW and RI "MDT" steel reefers..$55 ea52' gond's..WP, SN, Erie, DLW, SP, Rdg, THB, NYC..$45SP "Sunset route", Shasta, & Ogden Box cars &reefers...SP flat cars...WP box cars...reserveGolden Gate...Sleepers..Erie, DLW, SF, MILW..$119Coaches..PRSL, RG, Erie, DLW, MILW..$109-$119Head end cars..Erie, DLW, MILW, NYC...$119Weaver..RPO & Bag..Erie, CNJ, SF, PRSL..$75-$9035' trailer/flat car..PIE, Erie, DLW, B&O, SP, SF..$60-$65LocomotivesAtlas..U-23, GP-15, RSD's, Dash-8, RS-3..$179-$299RS-1's, GP 7/9, F-3's..$399-$449. SW's..$199-$359GP-35's, SD-35's, SD-40's, D8-40b's..$329-$449Alco Century's..PRR, EL, CN, ACL, L&N, BRC..$349-$4493rd rail, Sunset..Call for current availabilityWvr/Wms brass..PRR K4, A5, B6, others..callWeaver..SD-40, C628/630, E-8, Sharks..$199-$399K-line..GP-38..CNJ. RS3..Rdg, NYC, WM, SP, PEE's..NYC, SP, CN; F's..PRR, NYC, Amtk....$249-$429Passenger & Head EndGolden Gate..70' Bag, RPO. 80' Combine..$119Sleepers..Pullman, PRR, Erie, DLW, SF, MILW..$109-$119Coaches..LIRR, PRR, C&O, CP, + custom..$109-$119Diners and obs cars..10 road names..ReserveAluminum streamliners..NYC, SF..$599/6 car setSP Alum articulated sets, PRR congo sets...reserveAtlas..Industrial Rail..SF, GN, PRR, PRSL..$49New 60' coach, Comb, Bag., RPO..8 roads....$65Horizon cars..Amtk, NJT, Septa, Condot, MNR..$85-$95CALIF ZEPHYR 80' domes and sleepers..$129MTH sets..Amtk, UP, NYC, CZ, others..$249-$329Weaver..60' baggage or RPO..PRSL, Erie, CNJSF, PRR, NYC, NH, UP, CN, N&W, B&M..$65-$90Box CarsPecos River..B&O, Erie, NYC, SF, SP, T&P..$35-$45Atlas..40' Woodside..40+ roads!!!...$55-$6540' Steel..Rebuilts, or AAR..20+ roads..$49-$5540' & 50' Trainman, 1970's (refurbished)..$30-$40X-29's..$50-$62. HyCubes..60'..$69. 40'..$3550'..Siide or plug door..$55-$60 60' auto parts..$55Weaver..40' PS-1, 50' modern, Steelside, Outside braced40+ roads..Old ones our speciality..$25-$40Refrigerator CarsWeaver/Crown..30+ roadnames in stock..$25-$4057' Mechanical..15+ roads..no sound..$35, sound..$50Atlas..53' xprs..$65. 40' steel..$49-$5936' & 40' woodside..oldies, newies, custom..$55-$12540' plug door..Trainman, 1970's refurbished..$30-$35K-line..Woodside..same detail as Atlas..$45-$60Covered HoppersWeaver PS-2 & AC-2..old & new..30+ roads..$25-$40Centerflow or Grain..old and new..25 roads..$25-$40Atlas..3 bay PS-2..$35. ACF 2 bay..$55-$65New Trinity 5161..$66-$70 Cylindrical 40'..$45-$55Airslides and PS4427's....20+ roads......$45-$55Hopper CarsAtlas..3 bay..WM, SOU, BN, NH, Rdg, RG..$35Ore cars..CN, UP, DMIR..$25. H21a 4 bay..$50-$582 bay. usra or Panel side..10+ roads...$50-$60Weaver..2, 3, 4-bay..30+ different roads....$25-$40Tank CarsWeaver...40' & 50', new & old, 20+ roads...$27-$35Atlas..33K..Propane, Delta, CNTX, Union Tex..$5517K..Trusweet, ADM, GATX, SHPX, Stauffer, more..$658K..Navy Gas, Woburn, Staley, Taylor, more..$55-$5911K..SHPX, UTLX, Dow, 20+ roads..$55-$59Flat CarsAtlas..Double stacks..$129-$289. Pulp flats..$49Front runner..$45. 89' flats..$60-$65. Trailers..$27-$35Weaver..40' & 50' flat cars...20+ roads..$25-$4035' TOFC..Yale, Carolina, PRR, REA, Rdg, NYC..$55GondolasAtlas..52'..15+ roads..$30-$35. 40' composite..$55Wvr..LV, RI, SF, UP, NW, Rdg, B&M, MEC, PRR..$29Atlas Track..2 rail, 3 rail, 3 rail steelIndustrial Rail .. Locos . cars . trolleys . sets . trackDealers..request our wholesale listwww.PublicDeliveryTrack.come-mail us: pdtrains@earthlink.netPA 610-259-4945 • CA 805-226-0320


Custom Building, Repair & Painting Services Available Buy-Sell-Trade, Consignments-Appraisals, eBay SalesWebsite: www.alleghenyscale.com • Email: oscale@alleghenyscale.com470 Schooley’s Mountain Road, Suite 8-117, Hackettstown, New Jersey 07840 • Voice - (908) 684-2070 • Fax - (908) 684-8911SteamOverland, C&O F-19 4-6-2, CP, EX, Early, Pro Paint, Road #494, "Geo. Washington" . $1,395C&LS, C&O H6 2-6-6-2, FP, New, 12 VB Tender, Road No. 1477 .......................................... $3,795USH, C&O H8 2-6-6-6, CP, V/G, Jerry White Drive, Lights, Weathered, #1647 ............. $1,250Sunset, C&O J2 4-8-2, CP, V/G, Fair Paint, Postwar Scheme Road No. 549 ........................$895PSC 17161-1, CB&Q S4a 4-6-4, FP, Mint, Road No. 4002, Upgraded ................................ $2,595Sunset 3rd , CB&Q S4 4-6-4, FP, L/N, 2 Rail, Elesco FWH, Open Cab, Road #3007 .... $1,025GPM No. 1385.2, C&NW R-1 4-6-0, FP, Mint, Road #1385, 7500 Gal. Tender .............. ReserveKey, D&RGW L-105 4-6-6-4, FP, New, Postwar Mod. Version, Black Boiler, #3700...... $3,695PSC #16857-1, D&RGW L-131 2-8-8-2, FP, L/N, Black Boiler, No. 3600 ..............................$3,895PSC #16857-2, D&RGW L-131 2-8-8-2, FP, L/N, Green Boiler, No. 3607 ............................ $3,695PSC #17247-4, D&RGW M-68 4-8-4, FP, New, Green Boiler, Road No. 1804..................$2,895Max Gray, Erie K5 4-6-2, UP, New, Unassembled, Spoked Drivers - 1 of 10 .................$2,695USH, Indiana Harbor Belt 0-8-0, CP, EX, Road No. 5603 ...........................................................$995Sunset, GN S2 4-8-4, UP, L/N, Jerry White Drive, Open Cab Version .............................. $1,495Sunset, GN S2 4-8-4, CP, EX, Glacier Park Scheme, Lights, Road No. 2588 ................... $1,295Sunset 3rd, LIRR (PRR H6sb) 2-8-0, FP, New, 2-Rail Version, Road No. 301 .......................$775USH, L&N M1 "Big Emma" 2-8-4, CP, L/N, Pro Paint, Road No. 1970 ................................ $1,095Precision <strong>Scale</strong>, NYC F-12 4-6-0, UP, New, PSC #16267, 7,000 Gallon Tender ............... $1,295OMI No. 0109, NYC J1E Hudson 4-6-4, UP, L/N, Original Version ..................................... $1,695Westside, NYC J1E Hudson 4-6-4, CP, EX, Can Motor, Road No. 5330 .............................$1,195Kohs, NYC J3a Hudson 4-6-4, FP, New, Scullin Disk Drivers, Road No. 5425 ............... $3,795Westside, NYC J3a 4-6-4, CP, L/N, Pro Paint, Original Version, Rd#5405....................... $1,095Westside, NYC J3a 4-6-4, CP, L/N, Pro Paint, Fully Streamlined, Rd#5447 ....................$2,295Westside, NYC J3a 4-6-4, CP, L/N, Pro Paint, Mod. Streamlining, PT-4, No. 5451 ......$2,295USH, NYC J3a Destreamlined 4-6-4, CP, EX, PT-4 Tender, Road No. 5447 .................... $1,095Sunset, NYC K5 Pacific 4-6-2, CP, L/N, Pro Paint, Jerry White Drive, Road No. 4931 ..$1,195USH, NYC L2a Mohawk 4-8-2, CP, L/N, Pro Paint, Can Motor, Road No. 2730 ............. $1,250USH, NYC L4b Mohawk 4-8-2, CP, EX, Can Motor, Road No. 3148 .................................... $1,025PSC, NYC S1b Crown Niagara 4-8-4, CP, New, Pro Paint, Rd#6021, Exquisite ..............$4,095Sunset, NKP USRA 2-8-2, CP, L/N, Pro Paint, Extra Details, w/Box Car and Cab.......... $1,250PSC #15699, N&W Class S1a 0-8-0, UP, L/N, Road Nos. 200-244 ........................................ $1,595Glacier Park, NP S-4 4-6-0, FP, Mint, 11C Tender, Road No. 1369 ................................... ReserveOverland, NP Z8 2-6-6-4, CP, EX, Coal Version, Weathered, Road No. 5130 ................$2,295Gem-Heike, PRR A5s 0-4-0, CP, EX, Extensive Custom Rebuild, Road No. 94 .............$2,895Williams, PRR B6sb 0-6-0, FP, EX, 2 Rail Version, Lights, Road No. 6380............................$425Sunset-Heike, PRR H9s 2-8-0, CP, EX, Extensive Custom Rebuild, Road No. 1145 ..... $2,595Key, PRR H10 2-8-0, FP, L/N, Pro Details, Weathered, Road No. 8014 .............................. $2,495Overland, PRR HH1 2-8-8-2, CP, New, OMI No. 139, 1 of 10 Produced ............................ $2,595Westside, PRR J1a 2-10-4, UP, New, 210F84 Tender w/Custom Antenna, .................... $1,695ALCO, PRR K4s 1938 Strmlnd, CP, L/N, Pro Paint, Rd#3768, Broadway Limited ......... $1,095Kohs, PRR K4s 4-6-2 Prewar Version, FP, New, 130P75 Tender, Rd#3863 .......................$4,195PSC-Heike, PRR K4s Postwar Ver, CP, L/N, Ext Custom Rebuild, Rd#1329, Unique .... $2,795Westside, PRR M1 4-8-2, UP, New, Last Run, Full Backhead ................................................ $1,495Max Gray, PRR M1a 4-8-2, UP, Mint, Late Run, 210P75 Tender ...............................................$995Overland, PRR M1b 4-8-2, FP, Mint, 210p75 Tender w/Antenna, No. 6753 ....................$2,295Max Gray, PRR N1s 2-10-2, CP, New, McCafferty Paint and Weathering ........................ $1,695Westside, PRR Q2 4-4-6-4, CP, EX, Pro Paint, Weathered, Road No. 6148 ..................... $1,495Westside, PRR Q2 4-4-6-4, UP, New, KTM Japan ..................................................................... $1,995Sunset 3rd, PRR S1 6-4-4-6, FP, L/N, Deskirted Version, Lt. Weathered, #6100 ...........$1,195Weaver-Heike, RDG G2sa 4-6-2, CP, L/N, Complete Rbld, Exceptional, Rd#112 ......... $2,495Overland, RDG T1 4-8-4, UP, Mint, w/Decals, OMI 0150....................................................... $1,595Westside, SOO Line (B&O P7) 4-6-2, CP, V/G, Early Version, Lights, Rd#2726 .............. $1,095PSC #16915-1, SP F-4 2-10-2, FP, New, Postwar, Road No. 3679 ..........................................$2,195PSC #17347-1, SP GS-4 4-8-4 Postwar Version, FP, New, Black, Road No. 4436 ..........$2,695Sunset /3rd, SP MT-4 4-8-2, FP, New, 2-Rail, Daylight Scheme, Skyline, Rd#4352 ..... $1,395Sunset, SRR USRA 2-8-2, CP, EX, Vanderbilt Tender, Weathered, Road No. 6636 ..........$995USH, SRR USRA 0-8-0, CP, L/N, Pro Paint, Green & Gold, Road No. 6531 ...........................$795OMI No. 0167, SP&S Z-8 4-6-6-4, UP, New, Oil Version, Road Nos. 910-911 ..................$2,695Sunset, UP Early 4-6-6-4, CP, EX, Cockerham Drive, Pro Paint, No. 3939 ......................$2,395USH, UP C Class 2-8-0, CP, EX, Can Motor, Oil Tender, Road No. 329 ..................................$795Key, UP FEF-3 4-8-4 "Kit", UP, EX, Assembled Mechanism, Coal Version ..........................$995USH, UP FEF-3 4-8-4 Oil, CP, EX, Pro Paint, Kleinschmidt Drive, Black, #839 ............... $1,695USH, UP TTT Class 2-10-2, CP, EX, J. White Drive, Lt Weathering, Rd#5078 .................. $1,895USH, UP TTT Class 2-10-2 - Custom Rebuild, CP, EX, BL FWH, Sweeney Stack,Larger Tender, No. 5305 ................................................................................................$2,195DieselOriental, ALCO C-420 Phase II High Hood, UP, New, High Adhesion Trucks ....................$750OMI Nos. 0356/0356/0358, ALCO FA-1/FB-1 Units, UP, New, Per Unit .................................$595OMI. Nos. 0544.1, AT&SF END SD75m, FP, New, Warbonnet, Road No. 221 ................. $1,995Sunset 3rd, D&RGW ALCO PA/PB Units, CP, EX, J. White Drive, Pro Paint,Yellow/Stripes, No. 1112 .................................................................................................$1,150OMI Nos. 0304/0305, EMD E8 A/B Units, UP, L/N, Per Unit ....................................................$595Oriental, EMD GP-9 Phase III, UP, New, Samhongsa Korea .....................................................$825OMI Nos. 0393-0397, PRR FA-2/FB-2 - A-B Units, CP, New, w/Ant, Tower Drive .......... $1,595OMI No. 0201A, PRR DL600B High Hood, UP, New, w/Antennas, 2 Available .................$695OMI Nos. 0425, 0426, 0425 PRR BLW RF-16 Shark Nose A-B-A Units, UP, Mint ........... $2,995Atlas O, P&LE GP7 Units, FP, L/N, 2 Rail DCC/Sound, Powered and Dummy Units .......$575Atlas O, SRR F3 Phase 1 A/B/A Units, FP, L/N, 2 Rail DCC/Sound, Freight Scheme ........$895OMI No. 0201, UP ALCO U-50-C, UP, New, $1,025OMI No. 0354, UP Standard Turbine, UP, Mint, Round Tender, Rare ...............................$2,695Atlas O, WM F3 Phase 1 A/B Units, CP, Gold DCC, Fireball Scheme, Nos. 51A/B ............$695Rolling StockPSC, GN HWT Empire Builder 9 Car Set, FP, New, PSC #16981 ............................................$7,595Beaver Creek, C&O Old Time Passenger Car Set, CP, L/N, Pro Paint, Combine,2 Coaches, Business, w/Interiors ............................................................................... $1,250Custom Brass, PRR B60 Baggage Car, CP, EX, CNJB No. 702-O ..............................................$295Sunset 3rd, PRR BM54, P54 Commuter Cars, FP, New, 2 Rail, Baggage, Combine,Coaches, Price Each ............................................................................................................$250Sunset 3rd, PRR B60, P70, Baggage, Coaches, FP, New, 2 Rail, Price Each ........................$275PSC #16389, SP Business Car "Los Angeles", FP, New, Two Tone Gray, WBM Korea .......$595Sunset 3rd, SP Lines 70' Harriman Baggage, Coach, FP, New, Plmn Green, Each ..........$295Sunset 3rd, UP 70' Harriman Baggage, FP, New, Two Tone Gray, #3030 ...........................$295The P. Co., PRR X-42 Mail Storage Car, CP, New, Shadow Keystone, Rd#2541 .................$350Overland, GPEX 47' Pfaudler Steel Milk Car, UP, New, OMI No. 0700 ..................................$295PSC #16089, Hoods 41' Pfaudler Wood Milk Car, FP, L/N, Road No. 802 ............................$350RY Models, B&O USRA Steel Gondola, CP, L/N, Black, Road No. 255416 ...........................$325Div. Point #104, C&NW Wood Side Door Cab, FP, New, 4 Window Cupola, #11401 ......$350Div. Point, N&W CF/CH Cabooses, FP, New, Several Versions Available ............................$395W&R, NP 24' Wood Caboose, FP, L/N, 2nd Run, Version 3, Interior, Road No. 1644 ......$295Overland, Palace Poultry Car, UP, L/N, OMI No. 0055, W/Trucks ..........................................$575NJCB, PRR Class N5 Cabin Car, UP, New, w/Antenna, PRR Caboose Trucks, Korea ........$325RY Models, PRR GLca Fishbelly Twin Hopper, UP, New, AB Brakes ......................................$275Overland, PRR H32 5 Bay Covered Hopper, UP, Mint, OMI No. 0015 ...................................$425Overland, UP CA-1 Wood Caboose, UP, New, OMI No. 0797 ..................................................$225Hallmark, B&O M-53 Wagon Top Box Car, UP, Mint, Plain Door, No Tarnish, Korea ......$350PSC #15117, Berwind (PRR) Glca Twin Hopper, CP, L/N, RYM Trucks, <strong>Scale</strong> Cplers........$295Hallmark, B&O Wagon Top Covered Hopper, UP, Mint, No Tarnish, Korea ......................$325Car Works, Marion Model 40 Shovel, FP, New, O <strong>Scale</strong>, Steam Powered ..........................$550Keystone, PRR Hopper and Gondola Cars, U/P, Mint, H21, H25, GS, Others ......................CallVarious, New Collection - Brass Rolling Stock, CP, Pacific Ltd, PSC, etc. ..............................CallVarious, Intermountain - Red Caboose Kits, FP, Box Cars, Reefers, others .........................CallVarious, Craftsman Structure Kits, UP, T. Yorke, Stoney Creek, Others ................................Call


The Jawn Henry in O <strong>Scale</strong>Conley WallaceEver since Julian Cavalier’s drawing appeared in the October,1976 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman, I’ve toyed withthe idea of scratchbuilding the Norfolk and Western steamturbine Jawn Henry. Thirty years later I bought a copy of RailsRemembered, Volume 4, The Tale of a Turbine by Louis M.Newton and after reading it from cover to cover, I decided itwas about time to get started.Lewis Newton was an employee of the motive powerdepartment at the N&W and spent a year at Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton overseeing the construction of the new steam turbine(completed in 1954), and the next year riding along asan observer. He took volumes of detailed notes that allowedhim to write his excellent book. The railroad designated theloco class TE-1 for turbine-electric and numbered it 2300. Itwas generally referred to as John Henry or Jawn Henry.The TE-1 burned coal to produce steam from a 600psiboiler. The steam powered a turbine, which turned generatorsto produce electricity for traction motors. One can quicklysee the differences and similarities between diesel-electricand turbine-electric.Testing of the locomotive began in 1954 and was conductedover the various divisions of the railroad. I was in thefourth grade and living in Keystone, West Virginia when thetesting began on the Pocahontas Division. This allowed meto see it pulling a freight train every day for a short period oftime. It really was an impressive sight.The success of the experimental loco was mixed. It performedwell in most respects, but its complexity and frequentbreakdowns caused the railroad to abandon the project afterthree and a half years. TE-1, number 2300 was retired andscraped in 1957.As I contemplated the construction of such a long loco, Iwondered if it could ever run on my layout without its overhangdestroying everything along curved track. I made a footprintof the loco’s carbody of 1/4” plywood and mounted iton four passenger trucks with span bolsters that were spacedthe same as the loco. As I pushed this contraption around thelayout, I was surprised to discover that it cleared everything!Later I read that the prototype was designed to have no moreoutside overhang than the largest N&W articulated or moreinside overhang than an eighty-foot passenger car. My model32 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10railroad has the same requirements so I happily have noproblems running the turbine.I made the loco’s body of styrene in three separate sections(Photo 1). That piece of plywood in the photo is the template1I used in testing for track clearance. The body’s sides are0.040” styrene glued to a number of interior bulkheads forstrength. The horizontal and vertical ribs are applied styrenestrips and the louvers are cut from styrene clapboard sheets.After the basic carbody was assembled I added another layerof 0.040” styrene to the inside of the sidewalls for strength. IfI were doing this again, I would simply use 0.080” styrene.The 0.040” material was just not rigid enough.Photo 2 shows the method I used to achieve a uniformcurve to a very long roof. That black piece is the clerestorysection of a plastic passenger car roof. It was cut into shortsections and glued between each set of bulkheads. All ribswere filed away and an overlay of 0.020” styrene was used2


for the finished roof.The series of vents along the upper part of the loco werefashioned from material used on F7 vents and the rear ventswere brass-screening material (Photo 3). The trickiest part ofthe basic body’s construction was the nose. I used a table saw36). The cab roof is removable and was made from a piece ofaluminum flashing. I used this instead of styrene because it iseasily curved and will stay curved without gluing.The pilot for this loco is identical to the pilot used on theN&W Class A but I could not locate one. I bought a UP BigBoy pilot from PSC and soldered a brass sheet over it. I filedthe overhang flush with the casting and added a door for thecoupler.The loco is powered with two Pittman can motors withflywheels via a chain drive. The trucks are Alco freight dieseltrucks and were manufactured by Kemtron/PSC. Thechain drive system and trucks are available as kits from P&DHobbies. The two outside axles on each truck are poweredwhile the center axle is an idler. The trucks are connected byhomemade span bolsters and mounted on a brass frame thatfits into the body. It runs well but it is noisy with two chains(Photos 7 & 8).78to cut a blank with the properangles, using a piece of cherrybecause it is tight grainedand stable. Photo 4 showsthe blank and the completednosepiece. The door andscreens are made of styreneand aluminum screen. Thewood was carefully chiseledout to accept the door andscreens. The top was cut andsanded to match the roof, thensealed with sanding sealerso the grain would not showwhen painted. The installednose and other detail may beseen in Photo 5.When I began to adddetails to the loco, I realizedthat I did not have enough information to complete theroof or the interior of the cab. I belong to the N&W HistoricalSociety so I contacted John Snidow to arrange a visit tothe society’s archives in Roanoke, Virginia. My biggest treatcame when he arranged for me to meet Louis Newton whois now retired and living in Roanoke. Mr. Newton was ableto answer a number of my questions and I remain indebtedto him.The cab’s interior isdetailed with all the equipmentI could identify. It hasthe fireman’s console, theengineer’s console, and acabinet, brake stand andthree chairs. The third chairwas original and was designatedfor the observer (Photo456The headlight is battery powered, operated by a switchhidden in the firebox grate. The tender was made of sheetbrass. I chose brass over styrene because of the sharp bendsbetween the sides and top (Photo 9). I was afraid the styrenewould break down in time along the bend. The water treatmentequipment (Photo 10) was made of styrene as a separateassembly and screwed to the tender deck. The treatedwater tank was made from two PVC pipe caps I picked up ina plumbing supply store. The trucks are from MTH, the onesused on their N&W Class A.I painted the loco and tender with Floquil’s Loco Blackwith some white added to show details better. Lettering isfrom Microscale. The cab interior is a shade of tan similar tothe tan found on an ordinary metal file cabinet. That’s the wayMr. Newton described the color to me and he should know!u910<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 33


SMR TRAINSVirginia & TruckeeIn stock now!Photo by Get Real ProductionsYour source for:Motive power, rolling stockand structure plans(since 1975)Quik-Signs sign sets<strong>Scale</strong> industry directoryPaper Creek ModelsSend $2.00 for catalogUnderground Railway PressP.O. Box 814OSBrevard, NC 28712-081436 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10Tell our advertisersthat you saw theirad in O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong><strong>Magazine</strong>. We’dappreciate it!Model Building ServicesModels built by Stu Gralnik264 Marret Rd • Lexington MA 02421Ph: 781-860-0554stu@modelbuildingservices.comCoal Mine byK&P Brickand BuildingAssembled buildings from any manufacturer’s kit.Kitbashed, painted and detailed...“Just Like Real!”www.modelbuildingservices.com


RoundingOut ANewRoundhouseWarner Clark,photos byRich BourgerieIn OST #45 I talked about the new roundhouse for my P48Clover Leaf Route. In this issue I cover the support facilitiesthat are often found nearby on the prototype.Most model railroads have an engine facility. If steamlocomotives are involved, then you will need water serviceplus coal and sand delivery at a minimum. Cinder dumps,covered inspection pits for servicing inside bearing locomotives,along with the means for starting fires and repairingrunning gear will be added touches along with the use ofcompressed air and steam to run various items. If diesel locomotivesare involved, all you need is a fueling, water andsand delivery plant. The one I built is constrained by limitedavailable space, and by my childhood memories.By the mid-Forties, Toledo had become a backwater terminalfor the NKP. The facility provided running repairs (bearings,tire shimming, brake shoes, bulbs, gaskets, bushings,and change outs of boiler jewelry); and on rare occasion,boiler washes and 90 day locomotive inspections when thefacilities at Delphos and Frankfort were not available. Thestoreroom was always stocked with several grades of lubeoils, grease sticks, cotton waste, bearing brasses, etc.Starting with the roundhouse, I added interior lights andmetal forming machines from OMI. Western <strong>Scale</strong> Modelssupplied the belt driven radial drill press, engine lathe, and50HP electric motor. All the figures are by Arttista. In the frontoffice, enginehouse foreman, John Hoeger is giving the ”kid”the latest engine line-up while machinists Pat Bends and OreSwan work on returning NKP 597 to service (Photos 1-2)To round out my compact facility, I added a small cardepartment repair shop to do wheels, draft gear, brakes andsafety appliances (Photo 3). Remember, it wasn’t until dieselsand roller bearing trucks were well established that theindustry changed from joining steel with rivets to welding andHuck bolts. The building itself is a limited edition of Stoney12<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 37


364The inbound enginehouse track has an 11’ X 20’ cinder pitthat is 8’ deep (Photo 7). I cut a metal running board from aforty-foot boxcar in half to run on the outside of the runningrails. The rails are CA’d to 2 ft. high I beams. On the right sideof the pit is a tool rack for cinder hoes and steam cleaninglines. To the right of this is an underground utility box housingair and steam connections.7Creek Designs kit #4, light industrial building. I had a friendmake a decal/sign for the front, and I added a lean-to on theback. The jack stands, bottle jack, Whiting trolley crane andtruck dismantling trestle were made from styrene shapes andCC Crow castings (Photo 4).Water service is provided by a column that serves boththe enginehouse lead and the mainline (Photo 5). I pasted anenlarged photo of an early 20 th Century water tower onto thefour sides of a square column that holds up the dining roomfloor. The water treatment plant, a single story brick building,nestles up to one corner of the tower/pillar.5Just beyond the cinder pit is the sandhouse, which startedout as a Model Tech Studios kit. I changed it around to belike the one I remember from my childhood. It will require aline from the compressed air plant (Venturi) to move the sandfrom a rail car to the ”green” sand storage, then to the stove8Coal service is provided by a locomotive crane with aclam shell bucket that transfers coal from gondolas to thetenders. The crane also cleans out the cinder pit, and with itsblock and tackle, can also remove/replace parts on a locomotive.A most versatile machine to have around a service facility(Photo 6).38 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10


and into the tower. The entire structure could also be scratchbuilt.No two were exactly alike from what I’ve seen (Photo8).A small wood rack is found on the outbound ready track.I cut up a bunch of flat toothpicks to represent the four-footlong freight boxes split up by the personnel at central storesin Lima, Ohio. The wood along with oil soaked cotton wasteis used for restarting fireboxes when making locomotivesready for service (Photo 9).91112The elevated steam, condensate and air lines can be sitedat a number of points (Photo 10). On my layout, the steamplant is in the roundhouse, while the air plant is in the lean-tobehind the car department building. Both these facilities used10steam and air along with the sand plant and the drops to eachside of the ready track (for cleaning and Alemite lubrication).The condensate/water line is 1/16” styrene rod. The air lineis .045” brass wire. I used elbows, globe valves, and jointsfrom a Walther’s Cornerstone Series #933-3105, HO gaugepiping kit to detail the lines. The poles are 12” square basswoodstrips about 20’ high and spaced about 25 to 29 feetapart. They hold a 4’ long cross arm about a foot and a halffrom the top, with the water/steam lines hung under the crossarms using 0.010” wire hangers and bails, with the air lineresting on top the cross arms. The steam and water lines werepainted a light color and the poles and air line were painteda grimy black. Be sure to paint the lower part of the poles adirty white color so employees don’t drive into them (Photos11-12-13).The steam line is a 3/16” styrene tube (Evergreen #426).The expansion loop is formed on the jig shown in Photo 14(page 40). The steam line expansion loop jig is made of 1inchPVC pipe cross-sections. A hot air gun set on low heat was13<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 39


14RY ModelsArch BarOnce common under freight equipment, the Arch bar truckwas banned from interchange service in December 1939.$30/pair O <strong>Scale</strong>used to bend the styrene tubing around the jig.The last item is the diesel fuel stand, which I built from a photo of a homebuiltone found in a Classic <strong>Trains</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> (The M&StL at Peoria). Near thestand is a cabinet housing the pump controls and metering device for fuel storedin a nearby 8,000 gal. company owned tank car (Photos 15-16). Other detailsinclude fireplugs, fire hose cabinets and three-phase electric service.Many roundhouses also had a bunkhouse (usually from an old doublesheathedboxcar) available to visiting train crews. The track department mightalso be present, storing snowplows, camp cars, tool cars and emergency trackmaterials. Be judicial in the junk and scrap you leave around. No tripping orfalling hazards, and small enough that you don’t need a 250-ton wrecking craneto lift the pieces off the ground. Another rule of thumb offered by our assistantvice presidentof grunge, RichBougerie: ”If it is alight color – giveit a liberal dose ofalcohol thinnedIndia Ink, and ifit is a dark color,drybrush it withan off-white paintto bring out thedetail.”u15Andrews L SectionAndrews trucks were produced from 1910 through the 1930s.A single-walled truck, the big selling feature of the Andrewsdesign was that journal boxes from older Arch Bar trucks couldbe reused in new Andrews trucks.$30/pair O <strong>Scale</strong> or Proto:48VulcanVulcan cast trucks were produced in the 1920s. The re-use ofjournal boxes from Archbar trucks was an economical way toupgrade a freight truck, and the Vulcan sideframe was acommmon choice. $30/pair O <strong>Scale</strong>1640 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10Andrews Caboose TrucksThis style came onto the scene in 1910 and remainedpopular through the 1930s. $33/pair O <strong>Scale</strong>Other Trucks Also AvailableBettendorf Caboose$33/pair O <strong>Scale</strong>50-Ton Bettendorf $30/pair O <strong>Scale</strong>, $32/pair P:48National B1 $30/pair O <strong>Scale</strong>, $32/pair P:487 Edgedale Ct, Wyomissing PA 19610richyodermodels.comE-mail richyoder@richyodermodels.comPhone 610-678-2834 Direct Sales Only


The Right StuffMy grandniece likes the ”doggies” on the magazinemasthead. I like the mix of prototype, craftsman, andreflections on the future of the hobby articles. You aregoing in the right direction. Money is tight these days but Iam ”voting” with my subscription renewal.Richard Swart, WASmall Is BeautifulJoe, read your piece on the redesigned layout. Realitydoes set in after awhile, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, it is usuallyafter we have spent a small fortune pursuing illusionsof grandeur. I have done some layout redesign of my own.Small is beautiful, especially if you don’t want to spendevery free hour working on the layout or running trains.When I was single I could do that. Not now. Not onlydoes a small layout take less time, money and space tobuild and maintain, but it also can have variety by differentperiods and by changing industries, thereby justifyinga wider selection of cars, with one limitation: 50 footersjust don’t work, nor do locos with long wheelbases. So theearly ’60s is as far as I can go with this layout. Which isokay. I go back to the 1950s and remember steam enginesin my youth. This is as much about nostalgia as it is aboutrealism.So that raises for me one question about the layoutyou settled on. Will it afford you enough switching interest?Since it isn’t a loop you can’t be into just runningtrains, so what’s the justification for moving freight fromone place to the other? It looks a little thin in that regard. Iwill be looking forward to what comes next.Sarah Flynn, VT(Joe replies: That’s a great question and I will answerit in detail in the series when I discuss the track plans atAbingdon, Damascus and White Top. I spent a lot of timelooking at maps of the areas and I have thisgreat booklet put out by the N&W calledAlong the Right Of Way that lists every stop onevery division where the population was greaterthan 100. The descriptions tell you whatwas going in and out at that depot. That’swhat drives the freight out and back.A Riveting SuggestionI was reading your review of the MulletRiver kit [in OST#49]. This simple tool [www.mike.calvert.btinternet.co.uk/RiveringTool.htm] is good for etched kit rivets. For foldingetched parts, sometimes it helps to openup or deepen the fold lines. To deepen, use ascrawker [a.k.a. a scriber-Ed.]. Olfa makes onefor scribing plastic sheet, but it works fine onbrass. Pull along the half etched line until yousee a faint ridge on the other side, then it willfold easily. If it does not fold to a 90° bend,use a file to open out the slot.Lee Marsh, UKRivets Part IIOne other answer to the rivet issue with the MulletRiver boxcar frame is the rivet decals by Archer. They workwell, are easy to use, and I highly recommend them forareas where wear is not a problem. Got this idea from JimZwernemann, young man full of ideas. FYI,Jesse Patton via e-mailGoing P48 or 3-Rail?I, and others at the O <strong>Scale</strong> Club, am concerned aboutthe direction OST seems to be going: P48. It’s a free countryto choose this but as one of the more articulate memberssaid: ”O <strong>Scale</strong> is such a small market, why fracture itmore, and all for what, about 1/16th of an inch?” Most ofus build models, run trains, and a few of us do prototypestyle operation (me included).So, I’m going to ”wait and see” (before renewing) whichis too bad because you have the best photos and somereally good modeling.Frank Hillman, OR(Joe responds: My goodness! Where do folks get theseideas? First, people accuse us of going 3-rail. Now theyaccuse us of going P48! Neither is true.While it is true that Capt. Mix’s article is about buildinga P48 center cab diesel, it’s focus is the scratchbuilding,not the P48 part. Mike models in P48 and writes aboutprototype modeling, which anyone can learn from regardlessof the track gauge. If you have read my Starting Overseries, you know I’m building the new layout using Atlas Otrack and switches. The last I checked, they’re not P48.What we are doing is attempting to provide a balancefor all O <strong>Scale</strong>rs. Our Servo Decoders Can• Switch Turnouts• Animate Semaphores• Lower Crossing Gates• Anything that MovesDCC/DC/ACAll <strong>Scale</strong>sSee the Reviewin this Issue!www.tamvalleydepot.comGreat Electronics for Great Model Railroads<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 41


In Paul Larson’s HonorWilliam W. DavisLike so many of us I grew up in the 1950s and early ’60sand I had my heroes. You may remember the Lone Ranger,Superman, and Mickey Mantle just to name a few. But I alsohad some other heroes that most kids didn’t. These were guyswho built model trains. You know, John Allen, Jack Work, BillLivingston and Bill Clouser. I was lucky enough to meet acouple of these guys but that’s another story.There was another guy that greatly influenced my modeling.I’m speaking of Paul Larson. His HO models and layoutin ’50s was in many ways, ahead of its time, but it was hismodeling after he made the switch to O <strong>Scale</strong> that influencedme most. Recently there was a discussion about Paul on theP48 list and this got me to dig out the old articles from RailroadModel Craftsman. Among them was an article in theApril 1967 issue on building a ”Super Stock Car.” This car wasexceptional for the times and I decided I’d build one based onhis car and letter it for his railroad (Photo 1).Now much has changed in the 42 years since that articlewas written. At that time styrene was just coming into vogueand they didn’t have the sizes and shapes we have today. Hedidn’t have the castings either, so he labored under a disadvantagecompared to us, and yet built a spectacular model.With today’s advances I could only hope to build one as nice.I would suggest you get a copy of the April 1967 RMC to learnmore about how he built this car. You can get a copy from thelibrary of the NMRA for a small fee.Getting startedFor me the first step in building the stock car was to decidehow I was going to add weight. Since the sides are open, Ijust couldn’t add a washer or other type of weight inside as Iwould on a boxcar. That just wasn’t going to work! Paul filledthe centersill with Cerro Bend but I want an open design thereso that also was out. To solve my problem I made a sandwichtype construction for the floor and ends. To build it I cut twopieces of Evergreen 0.020” thick x 1/8” spaced scribed sheetinga scale 36’ long x 9’ 2” wide that would represent thefloorboard’s tops and bottoms. Next I added 0.015” x 0.188”styrene strips around the edges and filled the middle with apiece of 0.015” brass sheet (Photo 2). Finally I finished thefloor by scribing the ends of the floorboards on the edge sothe sandwiching wouldn’t show. This took a little time, but thiskind of attention to the details makes a finished model lookbetter. As an added bonus, the sandwich construction gave astrong flat surface for building the rest of my car. For the endsI simply cut two pieces of scribed sheeting and put a piece of0.010” brass between them, using CA to adhere everythingtogether. Since the edge of the finished end wasn’t going toshow I didn’t need the strips (Photo 3).The next step was to detail the ends. This was really a fun12342 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10


part of the project because I got to try something I have neverdone before. I built the Z braces by cutting a piece of 0.010” x0.060” styrene strips, gluing them 12” from each side of center.I also cut pieces to form part of the corner angles on theedges of the ends. Next, I added two pieces of 0.060” angle tocomplete the Z bracing and a piece of 0.100” channel for thesway braces. I cut a piece of 0.030” thick for the end fasciaarea with a piece of 0.080” strip at the bottom (Photo 4).Rivets are always a challenge and I hate doing them.4decal rivets. I also added the bearing plates and side bearersto the body bolster at this time. I built two other channels thatgo between the body bolster and center frame supports using0.010” x 0.125” strip and 0.010” x 0.080” strips to form achannel. These were located in line with the side post locationsbetween the center post and body bolster. I added theangled channels in the corners after cutting out the frame endsfrom a sheet of 0.020” styrene. The poling pocket was piece ofstyrene tubing. Lastly I added the supports for the brake cylinderand all the brake rigging, and then gave the underframe acoat of boxcar red paint (Photo 5).Car sides5However my friend David Reed came to my rescue. He suggestedI try using a product from Archers Fine Transfers [www.archertransfers.com] that would give me the needed rivetdetails but are actually decals. Decals? Could there be a solutionthat simple?Well the answer is yes and it turned out to be the perfectsolution. They were no more difficult to use then decal letteringand once set they leave a little bump that represents arivet. These aren’t for every rivet application and I didn’t usethem everywhere on this project. However, I can see that I’llbe using them and other surface details from this company onmany other projects in the future. (See the product review onpage 48.)UnderframeNext I started detailing the underframe by cutting out thelocations for the sidewall supports so that the finished underframewould be 8’ 9” wide. I made the sidesills by cutting twopieces of 0.188” styrene channel the length of the floor, gluingthem on edge at the cutouts. Next I made the centersill channelsfrom of 0.020” x 0.250” styrene strip for the web withtwo pieces of 0.010” x 0.080” for the top and bottom flangesfor the two channels that make up the centersill. I centeredthem on the underframe 12” apart with the flanges facing out.I made the body bolsters by cutting eight pieces of 0.020” x0.250” that matched the angle between the centersill’s heightand the sidesill’s height. I located the body bolster five feeton center from the car end. I also cut four pieces for the twocross bearers near the car’s center, located 3’ from the centerto correspond with the doorposts. I covered these with piecesof 0.010” styrene sheet cut to size and shape and added theNow I was ready to build the sides. I knew this part of theproject would be the most challenging as I had to drill for allthe carriage bolt heads on the Z bracing and I wasn’t lookingforward to that. I drew a very rough drawing of the boardspacing and glued it to a piece of foam core to which I’dspace and pin the sideboards to for assembly. I built the carsides from pieces 0.015” x 0.100” styrene strips, held togetherwith 0.010” x 0.060” strip for the flat part of the Z bracing.Just like the ends, I added the 0.060” channel to completethe braces. I added a strip of 0.060” x 0.100” for the fasciaarea. For the carriage bolt heads I used Tichy 0.030” rivets. Tocomplete each side I added grab irons, ladders, doorstops; thedoor track and the letterboard. You’ll note in Photo 6 sometemporary pieces across the bottom of the door openings,which hold the sides together until they’re installed on theunderframe.The doors are 6’ wide x 8’ 4” tall, built the same way as76the sides using the Tichy rivetsto represent the carriage boltheads. I added Grandt LineD&RGW door hangers formounting them on the doortrack (Photo 7). I waited untilinstallation to complete someof the end details for the crossbraces and the door handle.Okay, we have the ends,the underframe, the sides anddoors all built. It’s time to putthis all together. Now this wasbit tricky. I decided to assemble<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 43


a side and an end to form an L and then glue these to theunderframe and each other. This actually worked out verywell. I also at this time added the decal rivets where the side’sZ braces meet the underframe. Next I finished the brake wheelplatform and installed the doors after I cut out the support bar,which was no longer needed (Photo 8). I added the door lockdetails and was ready to move on to the roof.8x 0.100” strips to represent the side and end fascias. I built therunning board end supports out of 0.010” x 0.040” styrenestrips. With this my car is basically finished and ready to headfor the paint shop.Painting and weatheringLet the fun begin! I like building models with that beenon-the-road-working-hardlook. Not that they are abused,but have been out in the elements and it shows. The first partI wanted to paint was the roof. I wanted it to show the mostwear from the steady beating of the sun over the years and Iwanted that to be obvious. So after priming, I sprayed the roofwith a coat of Testor’s Model Master # FS33613 Radome Tan(a military color). Once dry, I gave it a wash of Folk Art #476Asphaltum, again, allowing that to dry overnight before givingthe roof an uneven coat of boxcar red leaving many areasbare. The next day I sanded the roof and running boards with100 grit sandpaper, which evened out the colors making itappear like the paint had peeled over the years. I gave the roofa wash of Rustall’s Blackwash, which really gave me the effectI was after (Photo 10).10RoofSince the subroof wasn’t going to be seen, I built a simplesupport system from six pieces of 0.060” x 0.250” styrenestrips and 0.080” x 0.080” strips lengthwise, doubling thecenter strip (Photo 9).9After I had painted the carbody I needed to get the rest ofthe car to look like the roof. I knew I couldn’t do the sandingmethod I used on the roof because of all the details. I decidedto paint the weathering! I did this by drybrushing the car sidesand ends with the Radome Tan and the Asphaltum. After I washappy with how it looked, I gave the car a wash of the RustallBlackwash (Photo 11). For lettering, I used a Champ stock cardata set and an alphabet set I got from my friend Mickey. I let-For the roofing I glued 0.020” thick by 0.100” spacedscribed sheets back to back so I’d have board detail top andbottom. This turned out to be a waste of time, as the undersidedidn’t show. So I could have simply used a piece of 0.040” x0.100” scribed sheeting. Oh well live and learn!However I did have an advantage doing it this way. I cutthe top piece the full 10’ 3” width of the car. I then glued thelower pieces so there was a very slight space between themat the center. This actually worked out quite well when I bentthe roof and glued it to the car body. For the running boardsI used Simpson supports (I believe) I had in my parts bin.Lastly, I added the 0.030” x 0.188” boards and two 0.010”x 0.040” pieces across the walk to represent the metal jointcover details. I felt I needed a better fascia, so I added 0.015”44 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’101112


tered the car CMR&P, which was Paul’s road name and gave itthe number 41967, which is the month and year of the articleby Paul. I weathered the lettering with a light wash of theAsphaltum so it wasn’t so white. At this point it was lookingreally good but the underframe need some weathering. I hadnoticed that Gene Deimling had gotten some very nice effectsby over spraying his cars with flat lacquer and then using theRustall Rust color and Blackwash. I’m no chemist but the Rustallproducts don’t like the lacquer and created a weatheredchalky effect that looks like weathered metal, so I thought I’dgive this method a try. It works great! (Photos 12-14.)Well that’s it! This was a challenging but fun project. Onethat has given me a unique car for my railroad and also anopportunity to honor a man who gave so much to the hobby13and who greatly affected my modeling. I hope that you mightalso be able to build a car that will maybe honor a fellowmodel railroad hero of yours.u14<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 45


NEWS: Norfolk Southern Coal Cars on CD; MSRP: $19.95plus s&hHighlands Station, LLC, 600 Dudley St, Lakewood, CO80215-5407www.HighlandsStationLLC.comHighlands Station,LLC, has just released its15th digital book, NorfolkSouthern Coal Cars, byDavid Casdorph. The digitalpublication features 440pages of new, never beforepublished, informationdetailing Norfolk Southern’scurrent coal car fleet,including those from predecessorroads that were stillon the roster as of late 2009(Conrail, Norfolk & Western,Reading and Southern).With over 200 highresolutioncolor photosand extensive historical data, this book provides the mostcomprehensive examination of NS’s coal fleet ever published.Casdorph documents the physical characteristicsand dimensions of all of the various types and classes ofNS coal gondolas and hoppers. Also included is a briefoverview of available HO and N <strong>Scale</strong> models. This CD is avaluable research tool for both modern-day Norfolk Southernmodelers and rail historians.Presented in PDF format (Adobe® Reader® 5.0 or laterrequired), all text is fully searchable, and all the 600 dpihigh-resolution color photos can be zoomed in on for closeexamination of every detail. The CD requires a computerwith a CD drive and cannot be played on a DVD player forviewing on your TV. Pages may be printed for personal use.Retail price is $19.95 plus $4.85 S&H per order (US). S&Hvia International Priority Mail to Canada and Mexico is$10.45, $13.45 for all other countries.NEWS: O <strong>Scale</strong> Figures; MSRP: $21.99 and $22.99Woodland Scenics, PO Box 98, Linn Creek MO 65052573-346-5555 • www.woodlandscenics.comWoodland Scenics ® is introducing two new O <strong>Scale</strong> ScenicAccents, shipping in April. Scenic Accents scale figures,accessories and animals are sculpted and hand-paintedin fine detail and add color, detail, personality and life toany layout, project or diorama. The new O <strong>Scale</strong> ScenicAccents are:A2759—People Sitting: This set includes two womenand four men. One man sits on the ground with his backto a wall. A man and a woman sit reading books. One manand woman seem engaged in friendly conversation, whileanother man sits close by, arms crossed. MSRP: $21.99A2760—Shootin’ Hoops: Six boys enjoy a street gameof hoops. Set includes backboard and hoop. MSRP: $22.9946 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10


Book Review: Alco Locomotives, by Brian Solomon;MSRP: $40.00Voyageur Press, 400 First Avenue North,Minneapolis, MN 55401800-458-0454 • www.voyageurpress.comReviewed by Brian ScaceWith the possible exceptionof the Civil War, there isprobably no field of AmericanHistory so replete withbooks as railroading. For usas modelers, a photo bookshowing hitherto unpublishedimages of a favoriteprototype or locale (in thevein of Morning Sun) is ofgreat value. For the rail historianor the student of the history of technology, if a workisn’t a personal reminisce in the vein of John Orr’s Set UpRunning and Stuart Leuthner’s The Railroaders, a treatment ofsome narrow subject in great depth (Bill Edson’s books cometo mind) really is the useful ground to cover. Today, I wouldargue that there are far too many ”light” railroad books beingcranked out (not unlike Thomas Kinkaid prints) for any oneperson to digest.Overall Impressions, Layout, and OrganizationIt is with this preconceived notion perhaps too firmly inmind that I review Brian Solomon’s Alco Locomotives, publishedby Voyageur Press. The book is organized in chronologicalorder, starting with a snapshot of the formation ofAlco, vignettes dealing with the author’s cull of significantsteam types, and a similar treatment for diesel production.More of the book is spent on diesel production than on allother subjects combined and some significant areas, suchas Alco’s wartime activities and export models, beyond atouch of Canada and Mexico, are unexplored. The qualityof the printing and of the photographic reproduction is verynice. My only real comment about the layout is with regardsto the occasional printing of photos across the spine, a petpeeve of mine in a book, and the swapped assignment of acaption or two.The PhotographyAlthough well presented, one asks what sets this bookapart from the vast number of railroad books out there suchthat it deserves a place on the shelf? Given the breadth of thesubject, the modeler probably won’t find the photos as usefulfor their purposes as a photo/caption book on their favoritelocale. Sure, there will be one or two from a favorite railroad,but not much more. Once the time period shifts from steam(and the detail clarity of the black-and white 3/4 perspectiveor builder’s shot of the era) to diesel, color creeps intothe book. While quite a few of the color shots from the ’50sare historically worthwhile and interesting from a modeler’sviewpoint (ever seen a photo of the rear of a DL109?), thephoto selection gets a bit ”art-sy” by the time we start lookingat the survivors in the ’90s and beyond. While lovely to lookat from an aesthetic point of view, many of the modern-eraphotographs (in the reviewer’s opinion) are more in keepingwith a casual reader’s coffee-table book rather than what istouted by the publisher as a ”comprehensive history”.The TextThat being said, let’s look instead at what’s offered in thetext. The publisher’s blurb states in part, ”This comprehensivehistory includes a collection of …photos and…imagescomplimented with primary research examining the gamutof Alco locomotives…”. Given that, I found myself lookingfirst at the bibliography, which tells a different tale; most ofthe sources are previously published works and periodicals,not primary material in the traditional sense. That’s not a badthing, really, for there is always opportunity to go for a freshinterpretation and advance some new conclusions.After giving the book a good read (Remember the snowsof February?), I had to conclude that no risks were taken here.What I held in my hand was a good thumbnail summary of thechronology of American Locomotive, as good as any out thereif one is looking for a single volume as a general treatment ofa very broad subject. Perhaps I was expecting too much, but Ifound precious little in the text not already advanced by others.Here also, I’ll advance the idea that perhaps the publisher’sblurb, in its zeal, had far overstated the author’s intent. I’ll admitdisappointment, here, for American Locomotive is a subjectthat, thus far, has only been touched on in the narrow confinesof the railfan interpretation and really could have used the treatmentHirsimaki gave Lima Locomotive.As an example, the book addresses Alco’s exit from the US marketplace,but loses an opportunity by merely repeating the sameinterpretations as have been advanced before. There could havebeen some real gold for the digging, here. A look at the events in thecontext of Alco’s overall business model compared to its competitorsand of the health of the customer base as a whole might yield afar different (and more balanced) interpretation of the events leadingto Alco’s exit from the marketplace. As it is, the blame is laid on theusual suspects. War Production Board allocations during WWIIallowing EMD some sort of permanent advantage over Alco is onesuch conclusion, repeated here. Just how the ”WPB advantage”,which casts Alco (and Baldwin, for that matter) as the Johnny-comelatelyin the road-diesel game to its permanent detriment, reallybears up is questionable especially in light of subsequent historyseeing GE (the Johnny-come-even-later) jumping in the road-dieselgame, much to GM’s detriment. A fresh look at this one, pro or con,would have been worth it.Also given a quick re-polish is the notion that permanentdamage was done to Alco by the rush to get the 244 primemoverinto production. Comparing Alco’s 244 experiencewith EMD’s survival of similar teething issues with new models(the turbo-charging of the 567, the initial problems withthe frames on the GP40, and the issues with the 20-cylinder645 in the SD45 come to mind) would also have been aninteresting area to explore. Alas, not here.ConclusionsFrom a modeler’s perspective (unless one is collecting orbuilding examples of significant Alco models over the years)one will not find the wealth of photos for a particular projecthe would find in a region or railroad-specific photo book. Alsonot to be found is anything like the dry but useful tabulationsof orders, dates, and builder’s numbers that railroad modelersand historians dearly love, as one finds in Hirsimaki’s Limabook or as the Dolzalls presented in their Baldwin diesel book.From a historian’s perspective, this is a fine compilation ofpopular interpretation (and I can’t help but think this was theauthor’s true intent), however there is precious little new groundexplored.<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 47


Review: Decal Rivet Details; MSRP: $14.95 per sheetArcher Fine Transfers, PO Box 1277, Youngsville, NC 27596919-570-1026 • www.archertransfers.comReviewed by William W. DavisAnyone who has scratchbuilt or kitbasheda locomotive or piece of rollingstock knows that one of the more difficultparts of the project is adding therivet details. Over the years there havebeen many different ways to createthese rivets. There are pounce wheels,commercial rivet machines, convertedsewing machines or drilling holes andplacing individual rivet castings toname just a few of the methods available.All of these methods have theirstrengths and weaknesses.Recently I took on the challenge of building a stock carfrom scratch (See page 42). I was discussing my frustration withmaking the rivets with a friend who said he had a solution tothe problem that would ease construction. He suggested I tryArcher Fine Transfers’ decal rivets and sent me part of a sheethe had for me to try. I had never heard of Archers Fine Transfersbefore, however this isn’t a new company as they have beenproducing both dry and wet transfers since 1989 and untilrecently their products were designed only for military modelers.This changed when they expanded their line to include surfacedetails of various types. In addition to the aforementionedrivets, they also have various types of weld beads, wood grain(both distressed and non-distressed), diamond plate, fabricweave and raised panel lines. All these details are useful to usas railroad modelers.They have four sheets of rivets available in O <strong>Scale</strong>:(#AR88032) 7/8” Rivets (#AR88033) 5/8” Rivets, (#AR88034)Review: Sensa-Trak II IR optical sensor; MSRP: $9.95/$12.95TCH Technology, 1076 41st Drive Chanute, Kansas 66720620-431-7150 • www.tchtechnology.comReviewed by Joe GiannovarioI have been developing anumber of simple control circuitsfor the new OST layout andyou will get to see these in theJuly issue. My search for off-theshelfcomponents led me to TimHatch’s TCH Technology website.TCH has been making IR optical detectors for model railroadapplications since 1995. Hatch is himself an N <strong>Scale</strong> modeler.The principle behind an optical detector is fairly simple. Thefirst such detectors relied on visible light. Block the light hittinga sensor and the detector would let you know that by lighting alamp or other indicator. That does not work well in dark placeslike tunnels or hidden yards, so newer detectors rely on infraredlight supplied by an onboard source. These days that source is anIR LED laser.The Sensa-Trak II optical detector line uses a source/detectorpair as shown in the photo. The units are available in threeheights (A - 5/8” for N <strong>Scale</strong>, B - 15/16” for HO <strong>Scale</strong>, and C- 1-1/4” for O <strong>Scale</strong>, shown on the right) or with a 5/8” source/sensor on a remote cable (D type shown on the left). The A-B-C48 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10Alternative Center Rivets for freight cars with thinner sides and(#AR88035) offset rivets commonly found on tank cars. Thesedecal sheets cost $14.95 each plus shipping on orders under$50.00. Orders over $50.00 are shipped free. They also haverivets in N and HO <strong>Scale</strong>s. Yes I know that this is a review forO <strong>Scale</strong> modelers, but I mention the other scales because rivetscome in many sizes and spacings and the smaller scale rivetswill work for situations with a closer spacing on our models.I actually used a sheet that was not scale specific on my stockcar project as the ones I needed weren’t available at the time Ibuilt my model.This is a relatively new technology that I had never seenbefore. It is molded three dimensional resin details on cleardecal film. You apply these details like any other decal but thedifference is you have a raised detail such as a row of rivets whenfinished. A standard sheet of rivets contains at least 116 inches ofthree-dimensional cast resin rivets in four different spacings mostcommonly found on railroad equipment. One of these sheets isenough to do a typical piece of railroad equipment.Unlike the other methods of adding rivets to a model, youadd these toward the end of the building process. I built mybasic subassemblies from styrene. When completed, I sprayedthese with a primer coat and then applied the decal rivets.Once they were applied I set them with a typical decal settingsolution. Then I completed the assembly process and paintedthe final color on my car. I have to say that the end results wereimpressive and greatly reduced this otherwise difficult part ofbuilding the model.This is a very unique product that has a wealth of uses for usas model railroaders. I have only used the rivet details so far butI know I’ll be using some of the others as well, especially theweld line details, which is another very difficult item to reproduce.I highly recommend this product. I know that there are acouple tank car projects that have moved up on my “to do” listbecause of these rivets. If you are a diesel person, Archer justadded 3 different sized louvers to their line.units are $9.95 each while the D unit is $12.95. A piece of heatshrink tubing is supplied to cut down on extraneous reflectionsthat might give a false trigger. The board requires the use of a9-24 VDC regulated and filtered power supply. You cannot usethe Accessory terminals on most typical DC power supplies.While the Sensa-Trak II is designed to operate an LED panellight to indicate when a block of track is occupied, it can beused for other devices as long as you do not exceed the currentlimit of the board. If you have any doubt about your application,email Tim through his website and he will work with you to providean answer.My tests showed the Sensa-Trak II units work perfectlyalthough I did have one source/sensor pair that was DOA out ofthe box. Stuff happens. The heat shrink tubing around the source/sensor pair is a must. Without it, slight changes in illumination orreflections will trigger the detector. With it, the detector is rocksolid and only triggers when the beam is interrupted in its line ofsight. If you choose the D unit, make sure the cable is pluggedfirmly into the main board. There’s no detent on the plug and it’seasy to wiggle loose.I am interested in determining if I can make a slit opening toimprove the line of sight detection without compromising thesensitivity. At these prices, I can afford to experiment. Other opticaldetectors on the market sell for up to four times the cost ofthe TCH units. That makes these a great bargain and you get TimHatch’s expertise to boot!


Review: Mt. Albert Fire Station: MSRP: $170 plus s&hMt. Albert <strong>Scale</strong> Models, PO Box 1218 Mt. Albert OntarioCanada L0G 1M0905-473-3161 • www.mtalbert.comReviewed by Dick NagleWith over 60 years as a model railroader and 50 yearsas a firefighter my attention was immediately drawn to anad in the Sept/Oct ‘09 edition of O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>for a fire station kit. This was the fourth in a series of limitededition craftsman kits offered by Mt. Albert <strong>Scale</strong> Models. Itarrived the day after Christmas just in time to do some holidaymodeling.The kit included laser cut plywood and basswood,which, with one exception, was very well done. Plasticdetail parts were also included along with 5 pages of printedinstructions by Roger Malinowski and an accompanyingCD-ROM with construction photos. I had never used a CDin this manner before and it took a little getting used to, butin the end, it worked out fine.While Floquil was the recommended paint, my localhobby shop does not carry that brand. I substituted Tamiyaacrylic colors instead. I also could not find Dr. Mike’s Model-n’Crafters Glue and used Zap’s CA with great results.Assembly went pretty much as described in the printeddirections. I did run into a time consuming stumbling blockwhen I came to Photo 21 with the instruction to ”assemblefour main walls and floor.” After much back and forth tryingto match the intersecting ”tabs” on the walls I finallyresorted to applying some wood strips in each corner andattached the walls to them (see photo). The instructionssuggest attaching the six add-on wall sections to the mainbuilding as the next step. I held off on this almost to the endof the project as it made for easier handling of the mainstructure. It was also suggested that a doorstop be addedinside the front main door. This is best done before puttingthe walls and floor together.Instead of the roofing paper included with the two small,attached structures I chose a green paper grocery bag forthis step. I also sprayed the main roof with a matte greenchalk spray to get away from the black color which I foundoverpowering. The Tamiya flat red acrylic paint I used forthe door and window trim also gave a brighter ”firehouse”look to the piece.Assembling the tower presented its own set of problems.The ”tabs” proved troublesome and I ended up removing allof them with an X-Acto knife, and sanded the edges to a flatsurface and installing as such. It worked fine.I used Minwax wood filler wherever necessary. It driesfast, sands easily and accepts any paint applied to it.I have not added the roof rafter ends as directed becauseI am still trying to figure out how to model and attach leadersand gutters. On my layout it rains several times a monthand I like to have a place for the runoff to be directed so Idon’t flood the firehouse. Leaders and gutters are not includedin the kit. Neither, for that matter, are hinges and lockingmechanisms for the main door. I’m looking in model shipcatalogs for the proper hardware to finish off the doors. Andhow about a flagpole? Every firehouse I have ever seen hasa flag flying out front. As soon as I find one I’ll add it.The big sign on the front of the building is a little too”showy” for my taste. After installing it I realized I hadplaced it a little lower than where it should be. I will probablychange it out sometime in the future, maybe when Iadd the gutters and flagpole.The fire engine that is included in the kit is great! It is,admittedly, just slightly off-scale but it sure looks nice sittingon the front ramp of this beautiful, classic, Americanfirehouse.This was a great kit, (despite my picky comments), and Itruly enjoyed the challenge. (And it was a challenge!) I havefound that as I age my eyes and fingers have more and moredifficulty with HO <strong>Scale</strong> and I find myself now embracingO <strong>Scale</strong>. Also with age comes a certain acquired wisdom.There is no need to rush through a project. Take it a little bitat a time, and enjoy the experience of building a structureof which you can be proud. Thank you Mt. Albert <strong>Scale</strong>Models, for creating a terrific model.<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 49


Review: Singlet Servo Decoder; MSRP: $18 assembled/$15 kit formTam Valley Depot, 4541 Hidalgo Ave, San Diego, CA 92117www.tamvalleydepot.com • dmcree@tamvalleyrr.comReviewed by Joe Giannovario1When I started model railroadingin earnest during the early 1970s,the switch machine of choice wassolenoid operated. About the onlyway to improve their performancewas to build a capacitive dischargepower supply. Later came the stallmotor switch machine that seemsto be the current object of favor forturnout control. I tripped over DuncanMcRee’s Tam Valley Depot websitewhile searching for something elseand discovered what I believe will bethe ”next big thing” in terms of switchmotors.What Duncan has done is builda special board, which makes anRC servomotor usable as a switchmachine. RC servos are inexpensiveand even the micro servos are powerfulenough to hold an O <strong>Scale</strong> switchpointclosed. Duncan developed hisfirst controller for use on his own HO<strong>Scale</strong> layout.The Singlet Servo Decoder (Photo1) is designed for use with DCC systemsbut works with straight DC justas well. The Singlet board houses amicroprocessor, a pair of miniaturepush buttons and two yellow LEDs.The microprocessor decodes the pushbutton presses and actuates the servo.The LEDs indicate direction and assistin programming the servo.I was amazed at the functionalitycompressed into this tiny board. Withjust the two push buttons you can(and need) to adjust the throw of theservo arm. Each side is independentlyadjustable, i.e., one side can throwmore than the other if that’s required.You can also adjust the speed of thethrow from very slow to moderatelyfast. Finally, if you are using a DCCsystem, the unit can be programmedto accept a DCC accessory addressand function independently of thepush buttons.An assembled unit comes complete,ready to use with a micro servo.The kit requires you to buy the servoas an extra and solder in the pushbuttons and LEDs. I opted for the kitbecause it allowed me to replace thepush buttons with sockets and dosome circuit development that youwill see in the next issue. The socketsalso permit you to mount the decoderboard next to the servo while the pushbuttons can be remotely mountedanywhere within reason.2The servo is quite small (Photo 2) soI mounted it to a piece of hardboard(with the hardware that’s included) foreasier handling. I mounted a turnoutto my roadbed and bent up a piece3of 0.040” brass wire as my switch rod(Photo 3). I inserted this through mybenchwork and based on its locationI mounted the servo and bent the restof the wire to fit through a hole in theservo arm (Photo 4). I don’t think theinstallation took more than 10 minutestotal.Once installed, I followed theinstructions to adjust the throw andthe throw speed. That took another10 minutes. In my tests, the servodecoder and servo work great together.I did not test the unit with a DCCsystem but I would be amazed if thatdid not work as well as the rest of thissystem does. I was so impressed withhow this works and how it looks inoperation that I bought enough unitsto power every turnout on the newlayout.I have not seen any articles aboutusing RC servos as switch machines inthe mainstream model railroad press. Ido predict, however, that we will hearmore about them as more modelersdiscover how easy they are to use withthe Singlet Servo Decoder.Tam Valley Depot also makesQuad, Octopus and Dual 3-Wayservo decoders. The Octopus is a DConly device while the Quad and Dual3-Way, like the Singlet, can be programmedfor a DCC address. Check itall out online.450 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10


Review: Atlas TRAINMAN 60’ Heavyweight Baggage, RPO,Combine and Coach; MSRP: $84.95Atlas O, LLC 378 Florence Ave., Hillside NJ 07205.www.atlaso.comReviewed by Tom Houlebodies are identical. The underframes and trucks are alsoidentical. The car bodies are a one-piece injection moldeddesign with the side steps cast onto the body. The doors donot operate.The rivet detail is clean and crisp throughout. The grabson the sides and roof are made of stiff wire. The TuscanBeing a Chicago & North Western fan, I was intriguedwhen Atlas added a heavyweight car series based onC&NW prototypes to their Trainman offerings. The heavyweightline consists of a coach, combine, baggage and anRPO. All cars are 60’ long. Current road names: Boston &Maine, Chicago & North Western, New Haven, Santa Fe,Lackawanna, Lehigh Valley, NYC, and D&R G. This reviewcovers the RPO and baggage cars.The PrototypeI was asked to review these cars from the standpoint ofthe C&NW prototype. Joe Pierson and Joe Follmar both ofthe C&NW Historical Society helped me out here. Joe Piersonprovided RPO car photos and a drawing from the Winter1989 North Western Lines magazine. I used an article byJoe Follmar that ran in the <strong>June</strong> 1988 Mainline Modeler plus,I found additional photos on the Internet.Beginning with the baggage car, it appears that Atlasfollowed the American Car & Foundry cars built in 1910.These were equipped with six-wheel trucks. In 1913 and1914, additional cars were built with four-wheel trucks.The C&NW subsidiary, Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, andOmaha, rostered six of these cars with four-wheel trucks.The original cars were painted yellow and green with darkred roofs. Later they were painted overall dark green. Inthe Fifties, some of these cars were repainted back into themodern green and yellow scheme. The C&NW operatedthese cars in all runs except the Streamliner, Twin Cities,and Peninsula 400 trains.Pullman Car Company built the first all-steel RPO carsfor the C&NW in 1911. These cars had six wheel trucks andwere also originally painted yellow and green with dark redor aluminum roofs, and later repainted dark green. In theFifties, some of these cars were painted green and yellow.At least one of these 1911 cars was painted in two-tone graywith white pin striping for service on the Chicago - Omaharoute. In 1921, American Car & Foundry built two additionalcars with six-wheel trucks for the Chicago, St. Paul,Minneapolis, & Omaha.The ModelOther than window and door arrangements, the two carpaint has a satin sheen and doesn’t obscure the details. Thelettering is crisp and opaque. The black roof is too shiny tosuit me. A coat of Testors Dullcote will tone down the shine.Both cars have interior floor inserts. The baggage car’sinterior is minimal. There is a lavatory compartment in onecorner and what looks to be corrugated flooring at the centerof the car. The RPO car doors have mailbag hooks separatelyapplied. Inside are sorting desks and bins.Two incandescent lamps provide interior lighting. Thelamps are powered by pick-ups on four wheels of eachtruck. The leads are connected in parallel inside the car.Either truck provides power to both lamps. The lighting isnot constant, but a Miniatronics light kit would be easy toinstall. I’d attach Miniatronics lamps to the lamp towersinside the car.I did have a problem with the RPO’s interior lighting.When I set the car on the rails and applied power, mypower supply tripped out, indicating a dead short somewherein the wiring. I discovered I could avoid tripping theprotector if I used only one truck to power the lighting. Thatfigured out, I reversed the two pick-up leads on one truck,which eliminated the problem. The leads are polarized witha white dot on one of the connectors. On the baggage car,the two white dot leads are on the same side of the car. Onthe RPO, one white dot ended up on the LH side and on theother truck is on the RH side. Compared to the baggage car,the dots on the RPO are reversed, but it works.The underframe, battery box, air conditioning, and brakecomponents are the same casting on both cars. There are<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 51


shallow fishbelly centersills molded to the underframe. Theyare not correct for the C&NW cars. They had straight centersillson the coach, combine, baggage, and RPO cars. Fivescrews hold the car body to the underframe.The trucks are gorgeous, very nicely done. The sideframes are two-piece die-cast metal, softly sprung, and are anear perfect match to the C&NW photos. The wheel diameteris 36”. The wheelsets checked perfectly on my NMRAgage. All six wheels on each truck are insulated. The outsidewheel faces are blackened. The treads and flanges are naturalbright plating. The trucks rolled freely and easily coastedthrough 36” radius curves.The Atlas couplers are approximately a 1/8” too lowwhen checked with the Kadee 804/805 coupler heightgage. When I removed the couplers on one of the cars Idiscovered the Atlas coupler box mounting hole spacing isapproximately .030” less than the Kadee coupler box holespacing. Why the centers don’t match is a mystery. I alsodiscovered the underside of the underframe is right at theKadee recommended coupler box height. You can easilyadd Kadee couplers with a minimal amount of rework.These cars come with long and short diaphragms. The2-rail cars come with the long diaphragms attached. Whencoupled, the diaphragms on my two cars compressed andmated up perfectly. There was no air between them. WhenI ran the cars through 36” curves, the diaphragms stayed incontact. The short diaphragms are intended for the smaller3-rail curves. Both cars weighed in at a hefty 1 lb – 6 oz.Atlas offers two car numbers for each of the C&NW cars:8611 and 8619 for the baggage and 9425 and 9429 for theRPO. These car numbers are correct.Fidelity To <strong>Scale</strong>Other than the underframes, the car bodies, truck sideframesand wheelbase checked out perfectly with theC&NW and Mainline Modeler drawings and photos. TheAtlas cars scale out at 60’ 3” in length, 9’ 9” wide, and 10’6’ height. These dimensions are spot on. The only dimensionaldiscrepancy I found is both cars are approximatelysix scale inches lower than the drawings. Coupling the Atlascars to my scratchbuilt C&NW and Lackawanna head endcars verified this discrepancy. Raising the body 1/8” can beeasily done by backing out the truck mounting screws andadding 2 - 3 washers and there is enough bolster materialto allow this. The change in car height will also require theaddition of 1/8” styrene or basswood shims to the couplerboxes.CompatibilityI placed one of the Atlas cars on the rails and lined it upwith a Lackawanna baggage car and a C&NW combinewith open-end platforms. Other than the difference in sillheight, the Atlas diaphragms aligned with my cars. I alsocoupled the Atlas car to a Walthers baggage car. In thiscase, the sill height difference was minimal and the diaphragmsmated perfectly. The Atlas cars should operate finewith the other coach and head cars out there.ConclusionsAtlas has hit a home run with these cars. They are accuratelyscaled to the prototype, are well built, detailed, lettered,and painted. $84.95 might seem like a hefty pricefor one of these cars, but if I were to scratchbuild this car,which I was considering before I saw these, it would costme at least the retail price for materials, trucks, paint,decals, and detail parts, not to mention time at the bench.The only negatives for me were non-constant lighting andAtlas couplers that should be replaced with Kadees. Bothitems are easily corrected. A string of these cars would lookgreat behind a C&NW class R-1 4-6-0.11 Years in business specializing in DCC & Sound!Battery & Track PoweredO • On30 • On3 • Fn3 • G • #16997 CR 5, Ridgway CO 81432 • 970-626-3733www.rgsrrhobbies.com52 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10


Lehigh Valley’sNaples Branch Freight DepotHarold W. RussellBackgroundThe Lehigh Valley’s passenger depot in Naples, NY waslocated at the corner of Academy Street and West Avenue.The separate freight depot (drawn here) was located just northof that. The area also had a small yard, a coal and lumberbusiness, facilities for engine servicing and a turntable forturning. We are indebted to Mary Hamilton Dann for theinformation about this branch that is contained in her book,Upstate Odyssey, The Lehigh Valley in Western New York.The Naples area is particularly fertile. The region producescabbage, pears, beets, carrots and various grains in abundance.It has been reported that in the 1890s as many as 700car loads of cabbage were shipped from Naples to the Sauerkrautmanufacturing plants up the line in Phelps, NY. To getproducts to larger markets at Geneva and Canandaigua, farmersresorted to horse drawn wagons and the steamboats thattraveled the lakes. In winter however, such transportation wasdifficult if not virtually impossible. There was much rejoicingin 1892 when the Middlesex Valley Railroad was builtnorthward from Naples to Stanley, a major railroad junctionfor the Northern Central, the Sodus Point and Southern andthe Geneva, Seneca Falls and Waterloo. The Middlesex ValleyRR was 21.9 miles long and the running time to Stanley wasless than two hours. In 1894 the line was extended to Genevawith an interchange to the Lehigh. Two mixed trains ran tworound trips daily. Significant station stops were at West River,Middlesex, Valley View, Rushville and Gorham. As opposedto some railroad’s ”cookie cutter” depot designs, the Middlesex’sdepots each had a distinctive architecture. Business wasbrisk. Many farmers had their own sidings and small pickupstations were located at many crossroads.When the Lehigh Valley RR acquired the Middlesex Valleyin December 1895, major improvements were made to theline including ballasting the roadbed. The running time wasreduced and ridership increased dramatically. By this time theNaples annual fair provided an added incentive to ride theline. The Lehigh’s better years prevailed on the Naples branchas well. The line was free from competition and profitable.Eventually however, the public used the highways. Passengerservice was discontinued in 1938. The line from Naples toRushville was abandoned in 1970, with the remainder of theline to Geneva taken out of service in 1972 and dismantledin 1978.Little remains today of the Lehigh’s branch that ran fromGeneva to Naples. The depot at Gorham is slowly beingtaken over by vines that are undermining the stucco. Thefreight depot at Naples is in decent repair probably becauseit has been occupied by various businesses from time to time.When I measured it for this drawing, it was vacant. Today theNaples, NY area is noteworthy for its abundance of grapevineyards and wineries.Modeling the Freight DepotSuch a small building can be an easy modeling projectthat can be made from commercial shiplap siding and conventionalasphalt shingle roofing. The interior of the depothas been modified many times to accommodate the variousbusinesses that occupied it since the railroad’s demise. Onecan speculate that the south end contained offices while thenorth portion held the freight. There was no evidence of platformsrunning along the sides of the building. Boxcars wereprobably unloaded with a ramp from the building’s door intothe car and trucks were similarly serviced on the other side.A small storage shed is located at the north end of the depot.This was further punctuated by a large privy that rested on theground without a foundation, while the buildings rested ona concrete slab. When I first measured them, the depot andshed were painted dark green with dark red trim; the privygray with red trim. A later trip revealed that one failed businesshad painted the south end blue with maroon trim. uThis structure served as the freight depot for the Naples Branch ofthe Lehigh Valley in Naples, NY. The southern end of the buildingcontained offices while the northern end held freight. After therailroad left town, the building has served as home for severalbusiness including a food co-op and craft store.A small storage shed was added to the depot at a later time. Theprivy is typical of what was still found around some railroad facilitiesin the 1940s and beyond.<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 53


12'-0"10'-4"6'-4"9'-0"12'-4"8'-4"NOT TO SCALE9" 3"54 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10


4'-0"NAPLES22'-0"20'-2 1/2"6'-10"40'-3"34'-3"12'-0"10'-8"14'-8"16'-0"9" 3"NOT TO SCALE28'-5 1/2"<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 55


56 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10


TWIN WHISTLE SIGN & KIT CO.31 Turnberry Dr., Arden, NC 28704 (828) 684-678512.5”l x 4.5”w x 4”hBuy Directly from our e-store!WWW. TWINWHISTLE.COMASSEMBLEDBUILDINGS AREAVAILABLE!Kit: $69.95Laser-Cut Body2 Billboards2 Gas Pumps1 1934 Guitar1 Rocking ChairMany CastingsAssorted Graphicse-mail:twinwhistle@hotmail.com<strong>2010</strong> O SCALE NATIONAL CONVENTIONWhy Attend? Up to 300 trading tables of 2-rail O scale items, about 40 home and club layouts open, banquet, CaliforniaState Railroad Museum tour, contests, clinics, convention cars, O scale layouts on site, videos. Fly to a majorwestern city and drive a DYI Grand Tour between there and the convention, visiting model and real railroads, museums,national parks, and other attractions. Complete information is on the web site (see below). Convention sponsoredand managed by O <strong>Scale</strong> West.Where:Santa Clara, California (San Francisco area)When: <strong>June</strong> 30 - July 3, <strong>2010</strong>Location: Hyatt Regency Santa ClaraRoom rate: $109 plus tax for 1 - 4 occupancy, Regency rooms $145 + taxRegistration: $35, $40 after April 30, registration includes spouse and children under 18Table Rentals: 30" x 72" tables are $45, $50 after April 30, electrical hook-ups are freeBanquet: Friday July 2, $50 per plate including gratuity and tax, sign up by <strong>June</strong> 20Tour:Wednesday <strong>June</strong> 30, California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, $60 per person includes roundtrip train ride between Santa Clara and Sacramento, museum admission, sign up by <strong>June</strong> 1Overall Schedule:<strong>June</strong> 27-July 4:<strong>June</strong> 30:July 1-3:July 4-onWeb Site:E-mail:Telephone:layout visitsregister, set up, layout visits, videos, clinics, museum tourregister, sales/exhibits, contests, layouts, clinicslayout visitswww.<strong>2010</strong>oscalenational.cominfo@<strong>2010</strong>oscalenational.com650-329-0424 please call between 9AM and 8PM Pacific timeThe registration form can be downloaded from the web site. To receive a paper form, send an LSSAE with 1 oz. ofpostage to: Registration Form, <strong>2010</strong> O <strong>Scale</strong> National, 876 Boyce Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301-3003.<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 57


Chicago <strong>2010</strong> March Meet Contest PhotosPassenger 2nd Place: This AT&SF 60' baggage wasbuilt by Terry Nelms from an American Standard CarCo kit with a custom screen door. It has a full interior andworking lights.Passenger 1st Place: Cityof Beckley. Ed Bommer builtthis car from an AmericanStandard Car Co. kit. It hasa full interior and addedunderbody details from KeilLine. The model representsa 1969 appearance.Traction 1st Place: ThisChicago Surface Lines 1700series was scratchbuilt byWes Moreland from styrene,brass, white metal castingsand some commercial parts.Wes did the paint scheme,one of several CSL used toshow support for WWII. Wesalso designed and commissionedthe decals.Traction 2nd Place: This ChicagoSurface Lines work motor #W14was scratchbuilt by Rich Nielsen.It is made mostly from wood andpowered with NWSL trucks.Steam 1st Place: Louis Bartig took first place steamwith this scratchbuilt N&W Y6b made from nickel silverand brass. Louis has over 4000 hours in the model. Hehandmade the drivers! The model sports all-wheel drivewith helical gearing. It also won Best of Show.58 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10


Structres 2nd Place: This LS&MS (NYC System) tower diorama wasscratchbuilt by Randy Swanson from photos using scale aircraft plywoodand stripwood. The original was demolished in 1948. The tower featuresa full interior and lights.Structures 1st Place: J. Hunter Mercantile wasscratchbuilt by Roger Malinowski. Roger builteverything you see including the gas pump.Freight 1st Place: Ed Bommer built this LehighValley M-80 dbl-sheath boxcar with left-openingdoors using styrene with InterMountain parts. Theflour "sacks" are painted Chiclets.Freight 2nd Place: This Susquehanna& Chesapeake caboose was scratchbuiltby Ed Bommer from Northeastern milledwood, stripwood and brass. The modelhas a full interior and complete air brakepiping and rigging on the underframe.Diesel 1st Place: Another Ed Bommerwinner. This B&O Class DS-13F, FM H10-44 is a "scale-ized" MTH unit from the early1990s. Ed rebuilt just about everything onthe unit and added an NCE 5-amp DCCdecoder.Diesel 2nd Place: This ConrailGP-10 was kitbashed by PatrickWelch from a Red caboose GP-9.Patrick rebuilt it to match the Conrailprototype. The model is custompainted, custom detailed and builtto Proto48 standards. You will seeexactly how Patrick did the rebuild ina future issue of OST.<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 59


<strong>2010</strong> O <strong>Scale</strong> National Overviewby Rod MillerThe <strong>2010</strong> O <strong>Scale</strong> National Convention will beSanta Clara, California (San Francisco Bay Area)held <strong>June</strong> 30 - July 3 in Santa Clara, California (nearSan Hyatt Francisco). Regency Santa Your Clara. Room convention rate: $109 plus host tax for is 1 - O 4 occupancy <strong>Scale</strong> West.Twenty-years old this year. O <strong>Scale</strong> West has the reputationof being fun and well managed. Please see30" x 72" tables are$45, $50 after <strong>May</strong> 31. Electrical hook-ups are freethe ad elsewhere in this issue for more information.www.<strong>2010</strong>oscalenational.comClinics will start on Wednesday and will beinfo@<strong>2010</strong>oscalenational.comoffered 650-329-0424, twice. please Contests call between include 9AM and 8PM favorite Pacific time model,favorite photo, and a juried model contest. We willhave movies by Don Olsen of Catenary Productions.It is always entertaining to hear Don’s commentaryduring the movies; he was a railroader and has interviewedmany other railroaders to aid the accuracy ofhis products.The banquet offers four choices of entree, includingvegetarian, for $50 a plate including tax andtip (equivalent to a $40 meal not including tax andtip). The speaker will be Mr. Art Lloyd, a long timerailroader and active consultant in today’s railroadingenvironment. We are offering a tour of theworld-class California State Railroad Museum. Thetour includes a round trip ride on Amtrak’s CapitolLimited, a tour of the museum with possible accessto the ”back lot”, and some time to enjoy nearby OldSacramento. The tour takes the entire day of <strong>June</strong> 30.At the time I write this, we have 56 local andremote layouts that will be open for you to visit. Weare in the process of recruiting more remote layouts(see Grand Tour below), and expect a total of 60+layouts to be open for visiting before, during, andafter the convention! (Local layouts are open duringthe convention. Remote layouts are open beforeor after the convention because their distance fromSanta Clara.)Gary Schrader’s layout, shown in the photos, isone of the many local layouts that will be open duringthe convention. Gary models the AT&SF and SPin the 1947-1951 timeframe. The layout’s size is 20’x 40’. There is a double track mainline, a large yard,Union Station, and a 14-stall roundhouse. All track ishandlaid. About 50% of the scenery is done includinga large curved timber trestle. All engines and carsare super-detailed. DCC control is by NCE radio control.Some engines now have Soundtraxx’s Tsunamistunning sound in O <strong>Scale</strong>. Things to look for are thecomplete, accurate 14-car Daylight and 11-car SuperChief with lighted drumheads, and several nicelydone scratchbuilt and kitbashed bridges.With so many local layouts open, it is a challengeto see them all. We are asking the owners to be openmore times and to be open before the conventionstarts. We expect to have them open as early as <strong>June</strong>27, the Sunday before the convention. Up-to-dateschedules for all layout visits will be maintained onthe convention’s web site.Some of the layouts are S and HO scale. S becausethe O <strong>Scale</strong> West meets for the last four years have60 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10Why Attend? Up to 300 trading tables, clinics, tour of the California State Railroad Museum, videos, convention car, contests, six O modular layoutson site, about 40 home and club layouts open for visiting ,fly into/out of a major western city and drive a Grand Tour between there to and/or from theconvention and visit dozens model and real railroads, national parks, and other attractions. Convention sponsored and managed by O <strong>Scale</strong> West.Where:When: <strong>June</strong> 30 - July 3, <strong>2010</strong>Location:Registration: $35, $40 after <strong>May</strong> 31, registration includes spouse and children under 18Table Rental:Banquet: Fri. July 2, $50 per plate including gratuity and tax, sign up by <strong>June</strong> 20Tour: Wed. <strong>June</strong> 30, California State Railroad Museum, Sacto., $60 per person, incl train to/from Sacto. and admission, sign up by <strong>June</strong> 1Web Site:E-mail:Telephone:A free newsletter with registration information will be available on the website for download after February 1, <strong>2010</strong>. To receive a hardcopy, send anLSSAE with 2oz. of postage to: <strong>2010</strong> O <strong>Scale</strong> National, 876 Boyce Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301-3003.<strong>2010</strong> O <strong>Scale</strong>NationalsuccessfullyConventionincluded S <strong>Scale</strong>rs. Their part of the event is called SWest. We include HO layouts such as Jack Burgess’s and Jim Vail’sbecause they are stunning examples of the evolution in layout designand construction that has taken place. Two live steam layouts, onelocal, one remote, will be open.The other layouts are on the Grand Tour, which is a do-it-yourselftour of layouts, railroads, museums, national parks, and other majorattractions of the West Coast. The area of the Grand Tour layoutsis bounded by a line from Durango, CO to Seattle, another linefrom Durango, CO to Los Angeles, and the Pacific Coast (none inHawaii...) Much more information about the Tour is on the web site,[www.<strong>2010</strong>oscalenational.com] The site is frequently updated andyou can get complete up-to-date information about the convention,so re-visit often for the latest info. If you don’t have Internet access,call Rod Miller at 650-329-0424 between 9AM and 8PM Pacific Timeto get your questions answered.I know for some of you the West Coast is a long way to come. Iencourage you to make your convention experience part of a largerfamily trip that includes the many attractions of the Western U.S. Ilook forward to seeing you at the convention.Photo 1: ATSF Prairie 1875 leads Northern 3758 across a totally scratch built doubletrack curved timber trestle. There are thousands of Grandt Line NBW castings in thetrestle. The 1875, a PRB import, was the subject of a super-detailing article in OST. Itis now sound equipped. The 3758 is a much modified Sunset ATSF 3751 brass model.Photo 2: The ATSF&SP engine terminal features a 14 stall 132’ roundhouse scratchbuilt from ATSF plans, 18 garden tracks, a scratch built sandhouse, PRB ATSFwater and oil tanks, a PSC SP water tank, and lots of extremely super-detailed brassengines. The turntable is a super-detailed Diamond <strong>Scale</strong>. The string of tank cars arePRB ATSF brass cars with Santa Fe’s colorful banding denoting contents. All track ishand laid steel rail on real wood ties.


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PLE H-10 2-8-2 1245Santa Fe 2900 Class 4-8-4 1345Virginian 2-10-10-2, EOB 1899UP FEF 3 Versions 1199In-Stock 2 or 3 RailNYC J3a Super Hudson 1245SP 4-6-0 M-6, M-9 Mogul DEAL!CP 4-4-4 Jubilee TMCC 9992-10-4 “Colorado” 2 Heaters CallDMIR, B&LE, CB&Q DEAL!1938 Dreyfuss Hudson EOB 1175SP AM-2 Cab Forward, EOB 1675PRR O-1 2-Unit Electric, TMCC 899Golden Gate DepotIN-STOCKNYC 21” 6-pk 575 2-Pk 259P70 20” Coach 4-Pk 399LIRR, PRSL, PRR 12#Heavyweight 20” 4-Pk 399PRR 20” Head-End Set 359Pullman 12-1 Sleeper 109PRR & PullmanCoaling Tower $195Reserve21” SP Daylt Alum 5-Pk 575SP Articulated Diner Set 57520” Diner/Observation 2-Pk 249Weaver Models 2009REA or B&O Express Troop2 or 3 R $70 3/$200 3#MR 4-6-4 J6a Baltic, 2# 999Troop Sleeper 6# 85Troop Kitchen 4# 85Troop Hospital 4# 85Any 6 for 489 DeliveredMOW Troop Cars 50 2/$95Monon, N&W, CB&Q, C&O,GTW,Erie,WM,L&N,LackWartime Gondola $25 or 4/$90 4#N&W, MEC, Sou, LN, B&MNew Haven I-5 TMCC/EOB 99980’ Alum 5-Car $549PRR, NYC, NP, GN, L&N,AK. CNJ, CN, GTW, N&WUP Gray, SLSW, KCS, LV 4-Pk 299K-Line Circus ’0918” Heavyweight Car 89#70 CT, Advert x2, Obs x 221688 18” Heavywt Coach 2Pk 177Gold Unit Replica Tractor Set 38Combo Flat w/Boxcar & wagon 45Wood Gondola w/Cicus Equipment 4822250 Dining Dept Billboard Reefer 65Combo Flat/Stock Car w/Wagon 38<strong>Scale</strong> Dining Woodside Reefer 59K-Line 2009 ProductBroadway Lmt 18” 4-Pk 425Broadway Lmt 18” 2-Pk 222Southern FM Trainmaster 359Southern 18” Alum 4-Pk 425Southern 18” Alum 2-Pk 222<strong>Scale</strong> Smoking Caboose 59MR, Southern21” Alum 2-Pk 259 Coach 132Milw Rd, Grt Northern18” Aluminum Business Car 119NYC, SF Black Mesa<strong>Scale</strong>21667 Red River Co. Boxcab 7821639 Pan Am Railways Boxcar 3721640 UP Modern Steel Reefer 3521643 PRR Die Cast Gondola 48PRR 16 Wheel Flat w/Transform 6221645 SP 43’ Alum Mod Hopper 5922414 Linde Box w/Alum Tank 4722447 Wabash DC 2-Bay Hopper 42Rutland Milk Car w/Platform 111Mtn View Creamery Milk Depot 87GargravesO Gauge37” Flex Tin $5.55 Cs 50 25937” Flex Stainless Phantom Case 30542, 72, 100” Tin Switch Man 34 Rem 53Above w/DZ-2500 TMCC $59RC Uncplr #107 $23 Op. #108 $28Gantry Crane Track $20 Stainless $2290 Degree Crossing $19 DVD 9Now with Wood TiesCircle 032/ $39 042/ $45 054/ $59063/ $62 072/ $67 080/ $85089/ $90 096/ $92 106/$99Call on DZ ProductsTransformersLionel ZW 425 180W Brick 75MTH Z-4000 385 Z-1000 Brick 59DCS System 255 Legacy #990 299TMCC Cab-1 68 Command Base 68TMCC Command Set 125TPC 400 165 TPC 300 124Williams <strong>Trains</strong>Golden MemoriesF-3 AA $239 ABA $335Wab,IC,B&O,MR,Sou,NH,RG,CPWP, SF Red/Sil, SF Blk/Red, TS, NYC15” Aluminum 4-Pk 229 2-Pk 119GG-1 Girls Freight Set 335Steam Girls Freight Set 379GG-1 Girl’s Passenger Set 33518” Alum Animal Car 102 2-Pk 199 1520W F-3 Texas Special Set 2851464W UP 50 th Anniversary Set 3202-car add-on $80 Full Set $395PRR GG-1 Congressional Set 41018” Aluminum Coach or Shop Car 1192-car add-on $115 Full Set $51515” Aluminum Advertising Car 85N&W 4-8-4 J Class Steam 259GG-1 179 PRR x 4NW-2 C&O, SF, Seabd 155FA-1 AA 225 B 80 ABA 299B&O, LV, L&N, NYC, PRR, RI,SF,WM,LNE,GNPA-1 AA 225 B 80 ABA 299SF, PRR, RG, UP, D&H, NYC, CPF-7 AA 205 B 70 ABA 269Am, ACL, B&O, Burl, C&O, GN,Lack, NH, PRR, UPShark AA 219 B 75 ABA 289B&O, D&H, PRR x 2, NYC, DemoE-7 AA 245 B 105 ABA 345ACL, B&O, Burl, C&O, NYC, UP,Prr Tuscan, Sou, MR, Tex SpecDash 9 Power 149 BNSF, CSX,NS, SF, UP, CNW, Amtrak, Con, SPGP38 139 Dmy 80 BNSF, Chessie,NH, NS, SF, GT, AK, GM&O, DTI, PCBL-2 Powered 139 BAR, B&M,C&O,C&EI,GMDemo,FEC,Monon,RI Red/Black, WM-Fire, MPFM Trainmaster 155 CP, JC,MR, NYC,Rdg,SP,Wabash,N&WNW-2 155 B&O, Con, LV, NYC,PRR,UP,MR,GN,Monon,JCU33C Power 149 CSX, D&H, MRSF, SP, UP, NH, PRR, Reading, WPSD90 Power 149 BNSF, CSX,Demo, NS, BN, Con, Amtrak, SFUP,MP,CNW,MKT,RG,SP,WPGenesis Power & Dmy 219Die Cast <strong>Scale</strong> Hudson 369NYC, B&O, GN, SF, JC, CPGG-1 <strong>Scale</strong> Electric 255PRR x 5, PC, CREF-4 Rectifier 165 NH, CR,N&W, VGN x 2, PRR Blk72’ (18”) Streamline 4-Pk 19572’ Madison 4-Pk 239 2-Pk 12060’Amfleet3-Pk 155 Amtrak x 22009 Lionel ProductVision LinePRR 0-8-8-0 CC2s Steam 1399SF 2-10-10-2 Steam 1799Buy both PRR & SF get $300GE ES44AC Evol Hybrid 699Die-Cast ShellUP 3GS21B Genset Switch 539Die-Cast, 3 smoke unitsBuy both diesels get $50Op. Wind Turbine 3-Pk 185Ethanol Tank 3-Pk, Sound 216Ethanol Tank 3-Pk 152PRR Op. Stock Car Sound 120Can National Coal Train 639Stourbridge Lion Set 385Anthracite Coal 2-Car 95Wabash FM, Legacy 415N&W GP7, Legacy 419NH EF-4 Rectifier TMCC 315SF SD-40, TMCC 323Rotary Dump w/Conveyor 49950,000 Gallon Water Tank 113Sunoco Industrial Tank 52Standard OUP Bathtub Gondola 3-Pk 139Husky 2-Pk Maersk, UP 159CA-4 Heritage Caboose 70DRG, SP, CNWNortheast Cab N&W, Wab 67SF Wedge Plow Flatcar 67SF Idler Flatcar w/Load 56ATSF Water Tank Tank 52SF Tool Car 60WP Heritage 60’ Box 63Freight $60 SF Tool , N&W 3-BayDRGW DS Box, DT&I Reefer,DRGW 40’ Flat, B&M Coke FlatKaty or MP Heritage Hopper 60Wabash PS-4 Piggyback Flat 73In-StockMikado WP, UP, SF, MR 699TMCC, Railsounds, Odys2-8-0 Rdg, NYC, B&O, WM 389TMCC, Railsounds, Fat Boy, CruiseUP FEF w/Legacy Grey only 989NYC F-12e 4-6-0 Ten Wheeler 575


MTH 2009 Vol II2 or 3 Rail SteamMTH 2009 Vol IIDiesels Power 359 Dmy 169MTHUP M10000 Diesel Passenger 649M1000 Coach $85 2#2008 DAPAtlas 2-RailNYC 4-4-0 Empire State 639Pass Set $222Orient Express 2-3-1 Pac. 999Black, Green, Brown re-runNYC Mohawk 2 or 3 Rail 999L-3a, 3b, 3c L-4a, 4bL-4a Mohawk Freight Set 1079DMIR 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone 1299Yellowstone Freight Set 13994-6-0 Camelback Steam 819JC, NYO&W, ReadingPrincess Coronation Steam 1079London, Midland, & Scot, BritishLMS 4-Car 365 Bag/Pass 95GP38-2 B&M, BN, CP, D&HAlco PA ABA 639 ABBA 755Southern, DRG, UP B 139FT ABA 639 ABBA 755Erie, NYOW, Seaboard, MoPacF40PH 3-R Power 389 Dmy 169Alaska, Amtrak, CAR, VIAPremier Passenger Cars 5-Pk 3352-Pk 137 Full Vista 77 RPO 77GP-7 359 Dmy 169 BAR, ErieR-11 Subway 4-Car 449 2-Pk 175N&W J Passenger Set 10792-Car 137 RPO 77 Vista 77N&W J Express Mail Set 1079NH East Wind EP-3 Pass Set 819Zephyr 4-Unit Sets 2 types 649FEC SD70M-2 Twin-Stack 649UP SD70ACe Twin Stack Set 649Maersk GP-60M Twin-stack 649Amtrak Superliners 335/172Sharknose AB $488 A 145NYC, PRR, B&OKCS 5pk 335 2pk 137 Vista 75Santa Fe 2-10-0 Decapod 899Railking<strong>Scale</strong> Diesels Pwr 259 Dmy 129FMVGN, Chessie, JC, SP2111 Reading GP-35, DC 3# 2502113 Savannah & Atlanta 2502114 WM GP-35, DC 2502115 NKP GP-35, DC 250GP-35 also in PRR, CNW, GARS-11 LV, Conrail, NH, SPVO1000 Autotrain, PRR, NKP, CNWMP15DC Am, NS, G&W, BNSFF-3 ABA 425 B&O, MR, Wab, WP2235 MR Hiawatha Power B 2502-10-0 Russian Decapod 899Erie, Pitt Shaw& N, W. Md4-6-4 Royal Hudson 899BC, Southern, CP-Royal TourGP-9 359 Dmy 169 C&O, UPNJ Transit ALP46 399 Dmy 1890-6-0 USRA Steam 519Erie, VGN 2-8-8-8-2 Triplex 1299N&W 4-8-4J-Class 999 2 #’sDiesels 2 or 3 RailNJ Transit ALP44 389 Dmy 169PRR Modified P5a $489PRR FF-1 $599B&O GE I/R Box Cab 399SW-1 259 JC, RI, C&O, GNBrill Trolley w/PS2.0 199NYT, Pitt, Phila Sub Trans, MTASW-1 Switcher 259 CNW, MR,<strong>Scale</strong> Diesels Pwr 259 Dmy 129GP-7 GN, L&N7890 Ann Arbor RS-1, DC 299Other RS-1: NH, RI, C&O7805 Jersey Central SD-35 2753GS21B Genset 389 <strong>Scale</strong> 399CSX, BNSF, NS, Army, UP, NREDiesels 389 Dmy 169 <strong>Scale</strong> 399ES44DC KCS, CSX, CN, NSSD70Mac AK, BNSF, CSXAEM-7 Electric 389 Dmy 169Amtrak x 3, MARC, SeptaAmfleet 4-Passenger 277 2-Pk 142Septa, MARC, Amtrak x 2EP-3 Electric 739 NH x 34-6-4 Royal Hudson 899BC, Southern, CP-Royal Tour60’ Flat w/Trash Containers 57East Carbon x2, Gen. Am., Joe TransEuropeanGP-9 Buff & Pitt, CNRS-3 Erie, LV, NH, SP&SFP45 Maersk,MRL,SF,MR7822 CSX SD-35, DC 2757823 Penn Central SD-35, DC 275Dash 8, DC Und, UP, BC, SP 299Dummy for above 195Dash-8W CN, CSX, SF, UPDash 8Conrail, CSX x 2, UPU30C Chessie, MR, PRR, SPGP-35 PRR, NYC, GN, AK, GMOC&O M-1 Stm Turbine Pass Set 899SD45 MR,GNx2,SF,UPSD70ACeSD70M-2BHP Billiton, KCS, UPNS, CNES44AC 399 385 169Demo, CP, UPSpecialty SetAm. Freedom PA Passenger 599GE Evolution Hybrid Set 449/479GN 2-8-8-2 R-2 Freight Set 1399NYC J1e Hudson Passenger 999CNW E-4 Streamlined Pass 999SP Cab Forward Freight Set 1389Erie Triplex Freight Set 1389PRR P5a Beer Train Set 819AA16 NOHAB 3-R 399 2-R 449GN, Denmark, GM Demo, Norway,Belgium, Luxembourg, HungaryTRAXX F140 AC2 399 2R 449Demo, SBB Cargo, Veolia, Europe64’ 19 th Century Coach 76LIRR, B&O 3-Pk 2252009 Dealer AppreciationLimited QuantitiesUP DDA40X Diesel Loco 649UP Pass 5pk 335 2pk 137 Vista 40BMT 2500 Subway 3-Car 399/269R40 Subway 4-Car 445 2-Car 175 Engineering Version Orient 999VO1000 Power259 NP, UP,Burl, Patapsco & Black Rivers2008 Vol II RailKing<strong>Scale</strong> Size Diesel 255 Dmy 129C628 D&H, LV, N&W, SFRailKing – <strong>Scale</strong> Size0-8-0 Steam Switcher 359IC, Sou, NYC, NKP, NP, PLEGP-9 USCG, FEC, PRR, SP 255MP-15AC CP, CSX, MR, UP 255RS-11 DW&P, NYC, NP, PRR 255R142A MTA Sub 5-pk 369 2-pk 125<strong>Scale</strong>Trax -INSTOCK10” 3.00 O31 or O54 Curve 3.00O72 3.75 O80 4.45 1 ¾” 4-Pk 7.7530” Rigid or Flex 8.65 ITAD $2390, 45 or 22.5 Xing 16 Op. Track 16Remote Switch O31, O54 or O72 $38Switch #4 $44 #6 $51 Bumper 137840 BNSF Patch Job -8, DC 2997841 BNSF Patch Job Dmy 1957848 GE Demo Dash 8, DC 299GP60M SF, DC 299All Atlas RollingStock $25-$4020-3279-2N&W Class A 2-6-6-4 1150K-Line 2-R Shay $499Lackawanna, PLCwww.justrains.com


Just <strong>Trains</strong> TM Free Shipping over $200 on all Korber Orders (888) 453-9742 Made in USA www.justrains.com302 One Stall Diesel Shed w/Shop 69901 Action Machinery 6 x 8 25917 Gen Lt & Power Sub Station 32959 Midland Supply 8x6 35304 3-Stall Roundhouse, 30”D 189304A Xtra Stall or 304B Extender 45902 Jaybar Company 6 x 8 27921 JLC Manufacturing 65960 John’s Cutlery 6x8 25305 Sandhouse, 16 x 6 45966 Lehigh Engineering 6 x 8 25903 Skyline Steel 6 x 8 25950 American Flag Co. 14x9 69306 2-Stall Diesel Shed 25 x 11 69306A Extender 12.5 x 11 27905 Blackshear Refrig. Transport 59967 Shoe Co. 7 skylts 20 x 9 x 11 69307 3-Stall Trolley Barn 23 x 11 95953 Joe’s Pickle Factory 14 x 9 69968 Freight Terminal 8 x 15 49308 Quincy Mining Co. 47908 Shanahan Freight 20 x 8 x 9H 75954 Buck Island Canning 8 x 12 59969 Gen Lt & Pwr Office 6x13x12 65310 Mitchell Textile Co. 39911 Perfect Tool Co. 8 x 16 55955 RJK Tool&Die 9x14 55P56 Cut Stone P81 Random Stone 103115 Grain Silo, 7 x 34 x 22 H 135912 Roller Bearing Co. 9 x 28 89P83 Concrete 10 P57 Double 13957 Lewis & Sons Machine Shop 25915 Quaker Foods 9 x 12 49D929 Roof Top Water Tank D30 12315 Grain Silo, 7 x 19 x 22 H 85956 James Company 13 x 8 x 9H 55320 3-Stall Roundhouse 26” Deep 159916 General Light & Power 48”L 175958 Mill Works 11 x 7 w/Tower 49New Modular System Kit 74.95Unlimited configurations 24 wallsJust <strong>Trains</strong> (888) 453-9742


Buy–Sell–Trade EventsBuy-Sell-Trade ads are $5 for 30 words plus your address information. Additional words are $0.25 each. Subscribers are permitted onefree ad per subscription cycle . All B-S-T ads are prepaid. You may send ads by postal service with a check or money order. Ads sent byemail or called in must use a credit card. See our contact info on page 2.THE O SCALE KINGS are looking for newmembers. The present members are good butwe need more good members. Send LSASEfor “O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> Shows” flyer and “ProjectsList” flyer to Bob Retallack, Dept. OST, 2224Adner Ct, Columbus, OH 43220.WANTED: Small N&W custom-built or scratchbuiltsteam. Especially looking for N&W 4-8-0by Bill Lenoir. Also 2-8-0, 4-6-0. Also lookingfor N&W brass parts, e.g., pilot, cylinders,domes, tenders, etc. Contact Joe Giannovario,jag@oscalemag.com or call 610-363-7117.WANTED: Ambroid special run 50’ Milw.boxcars, Hallmark comp gons, Sunset WWIIemergency boxcars, PRB WWII comp gons,Lobaugh 50’ reefers, WWII era boxcars whathave you? Mail only. Jim Seacrest, PO Box6397, Lincoln, NE 68506-0397WANTED: LTD AMT Steam/Diesel era GN,NP, C&NW, CM&O engines, passenger cars,freight cars, MoW, cabooses, What have you?Mail only please. Jim Seacrest, PO Box 6397,Lincoln NE 68506.FOR SALE: Southern Pacific by PSC F?P, mint& TRO: AC-12 #4294, $4950; MT-5 #4370(latest run), $2750; P-10 (Skyline casing/deskirted) w/120 C-8 tender & Soufie drive,$2500; P-8 w/120 C-8 tender & CockerhamTo ensure your event listing makes it into the proper issue, please note the following deadlines for publication:Jan/ Feb issue: November 1 of the prior year. March/April issue: Jan. 1. <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> issue: March 1. July/August issue: <strong>May</strong> 1.Sept. /Oct. issue: July 1. Nov. /Dec. issue: Sept. 1<strong>June</strong> <strong>2010</strong>30th to July 3rd: Santa Clara CAThe <strong>2010</strong> O <strong>Scale</strong> National is being heldin lieu of the <strong>2010</strong> O <strong>Scale</strong> West. The hotelroom rate is $109/night plus 10% room tax,for up to 4 people in the room. Registrationis $35, $40 After April 30, <strong>2010</strong>. Vendortables (72”) are $45, $50 after April 30,<strong>2010</strong>. A banquet will be held at 7:30 PMFriday outside the hotel. For more details,contact the O <strong>Scale</strong> National Convention,c/o 876 Boyce Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301-3003 or call Rod Miller at 650-329-0424between 9:00 AM Pacific Time and 9:00 PMPacific Time. Email: rod@rodmiller.com.July <strong>2010</strong>10: Merchantville NJCherry Valley Model RR Club Open HouseCherry Valley Open House during the MerchantvilleAntique Car Show, 1 PM to 7 PM.At Grace Episcopal Church, 7 E Maple Ave.No admission but donations accepted. Contactjdunn8888@hotmail.comdrive, $2500. ATSF Pecos River Brass - F/PStock cars; F/P Heavyweight: latest run;Horse car, Cafe/Obs, Combine, (2) 70’Baggage, Business car, Lounge, diner, earlierrun: F/P RPO and U/P: (2) A/C chair cars,non A/C partitioned coach. Request prices.Reasonable offers considered. Call BruceAntell,650-347-4402 or email bantell@pacbell.net.Bruce Antell, 50 S San Mateo Dr, Ste105, San Mateo, CA 94401-3857FOR SALE: Berlyn 20-ton gantry crane, F/P$725; Sunset NYC S1b F/P, $925;SunsetUSRA 4-8-2, C/P $825; PSC NYC 4-6-0 F/P$950; OVL F-3 Phase B C/P NYC $550;Weaver VO1000 F/P NYC $225; CB RS-1C/P GN $500; Atlas SW8 F/P NYC $250,Atlas GP35 DC F/P $325, PFM GN 4-6-0F/P new $1600. WANT Atlas C-424 F/PWabash. Phone 423-772-4401, or write:Norm Reaume, 129 Hamby Rd, Roan Mt, TN37687-0004FOR SALE: Kohs GG1, Dark Green, 5 stripe,Gold Leaf, Clarendon, Fixed coupler #4821,TRO, beautiful condition, $2950; WestsideSanta Fe Mikado, mechanically rebuilt byGary Schrader, $1100. Bill Pierson, 133Wheatland Rd, Lewisberry, PA 17339-940811-18: Milwaukee WINMRA National Convention & 75th Anniv.The National Model Railroad Association(NMRA) will be celebrating its 75th birthdayin <strong>2010</strong>. As part of the festivities the NationalConvention will be held in MilwaukeeWisconsin, the birthplace of the NMRA.We are planning a, rip roaring Midwestern,good time for all, both model railroader andgeneral interest attendee alike. Dates for theconvention are Sunday July 11th to SundayJuly 18th. On Sunday the 11th, we are goingto kick off the week with a Beer and BratFest (a Milwaukee favorite) at Zeidler UnionSquare Park, just a stone’s throw away fromthe convention site and hotel. Contact KenJaglinski, Vice-Chair. Contact mjaglinski@wi.rr.comAugust <strong>2010</strong>7: Strasburg PAStrasburg Train Show Two-rail swap meet atthe Strasburg Fire Co., 203 W. Franklin St., 9AM to 1 PM. Admission $5 (Wives/Children/Active Military w/ID, FREE).Tables: $25 firstone, $20 each additional table. Great food,modular layout, clinics. Call John Dunn,609-432-2871. Contact jdunn8888@hotmail.comFOR SALE: Sunset UP 4-4-2, new, $599. Call650-759-9054 or mail to James J Herdrich,3220 Upper Lock Ave, Belmont, CA 94002-1317WANTED: Rich Yoder “Crown 70-tonTrucks”. Contact Bill Pierson at 717-766-1234or wmp@abwe.org, or Bill Pierson, 133Wheatland Rd, Lewisberry, PA 17339-9408WANTED: SP steam and diesel, AmtrakOverland cars and diesels, PSC Pullman cars.Email: lima4449@yahoo.com or call 619-593-0886 or mail to Albert E Espinosa, 316 ECamden Ave, El Cajon, CA 92020-4504WANTED: 1/43rd Autos: Matchbox ‘40Ford pickup, ‘66 Fairlane, Solido ‘36 Fordpickup, ERTL ‘57 T-Bird, IXO ‘56 Ford 4DR,TINSTOYS Ford Excursion, MAISTO FordFusion, any vehicle lists. Contact D. Girebel,PO Box 6602 Dherwood AR 72124FOR SALE: O <strong>Scale</strong> cardstock buildings, qualitymetal and plastic detail parts, backdrops.Free catalog. Pioneer Valley Models, 35 YaleSt, S Hadley MA 01075, 413-533-5350, oremail boudreaurobert@hotmail.com.October <strong>2010</strong>2: Gardner MASouthern New England O <strong>Scale</strong> Model TrainShow Show held at Chestnut Street UnitedMethodist Church, 161 Chestnut Street,9:30 AM to 4 PM. Admission - Adults $5,Children 5-12 $1, Family Max $8, Tables:$20 - 8 ft, $15 - 6ft. O scale, Hi-Rail, NG,P:48, books, videos, food and a layout. Callor email Larry Grant, 508-337-6661. ContactBigBrotherLar@netzero.net9: Strasburg PAStrasburg Train Show Two-rail swap meet atthe Strasburg Fire Co., 203 W. Franklin St., 9Am to 1 PM. Admission $5 (Wives/Children/Active Military w/ID, FREE).Tables: $25 firstone, $20 each additional table. Great food,modular layout, clinics. Call John Dunn,609-432-2871. Contact jdunn8888@hotmail.com64 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10


<strong>2010</strong> O <strong>Scale</strong> National 57AAA Turntables 16Allegheny <strong>Scale</strong> Models 31Atlas OIFCBachmann 18Baldwin Forge & Machine 10BTS 20Bullfrog Snot 10Custom Signals 14East Gary Car Co. 10Get Real Productions 65Golden Gate Depot 15Gorilla Glue 29Guide to Modern O <strong>Scale</strong> 16Hackworth Model <strong>Trains</strong> 24Just <strong>Trains</strong> 61, 62, 63JV Models 10Keil-Line 10Key Model Imports 14LaBelle Woodworking Co. 30Micro-Mark 29Millhouse River Studio 57Model Building Services 36Model Rail Scenes 10MTH Electric <strong>Trains</strong> IBCMullett River 46NCE Corp 24O <strong>Scale</strong> Realty 57O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> 14P&D Hobby Shop 14Public Delivery Track 30Rails Unlimited 10RGSRR Hobbies 52Rich Yoder Models 25, 40Scenic Express 10SceniKing 57SMARTT 56SMR <strong>Trains</strong> 36Stevenson Preservation Lines 10Sumpter Valley Depot 30Sunset⁄3rd RailBCTam Valley Depot 41Twin Whistle Sign & Kit 57Underground Railway Press 36UpBids.net 36Advertisers IndexHoward Zane 10Pieces of the Puzzle 16Valley Model <strong>Trains</strong> 30Irish Tracklayer 29Precision <strong>Scale</strong> Co. 9Weaver 56JD’s <strong>Trains</strong> 23Protocraft 16Woodland Scenics 45<strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 65


Joe GiannovarioA “Golden” IssueThis is issue #50, our ”golden” issue. I think the mix of articlesin this issue reflects the ”golden” age of O <strong>Scale</strong> that we’reliving in. Never before have we had access to so many qualityitems for our hobby.If you are a ready-to-run fan, there are tons of models foryou to purchase and plunk down on your layout and beginoperations immediately. If you are a kit-basher, there are tonsmore models and kits to purchase that you can bend, fold andspindle to your heart’s desire. If you are a scratchbuilder, thereare more materials than you can possible use on any givenmodel that will yield your desired result. Oh, I know there aresome folks who miss the cast bronze doorstops and paper carsides, but I don’t.The response to Capt. Tom Mix’s scratchbuilding series hasbeen extremely positive. His work inspires people to achievemore with their own model building. There hasn’t been a serieslike this since Mel Thornburgh wrote for MR and Tom certainlyhas earned the right to Mel’s mantle. Tom’s third installmentappears in this issue.I’ve also been surprised at the positive response to my seriesStarting Over. Many of you have sent short notes sympathizingwith my situation and expressed a great deal of interest in howI developed the new trackplan. In this issue you’ll see how weprepped the room for the benchwork. Some of you have askedabout the operations and I will discuss that in later issues. I’llget specific about each destination.Bill Davis’s article on scratchbuilding a stock car is a goodexample of the new materials I mentioned above. Bill’s car isbuilt from styrene, one of my favorite mediums, but he alsouses Archer resin decal rivets. If you have not seen these, youneed to visit [www.archertransfers.com] and check out theircomplete line of surface details.The rest of the issue is more scratchbuilding and kitbashingby the likes of Conley Wallace (Jawn Henry), Warner Clark(Roundhouse) and Jerry Zaret (Scratch Buildings). I think there’ssomething here for everyone. I hope you enjoy our 50th issueand I promise well be around for the 100th.A New VentureI want to take this opportunity to announce the formationof a new enterprise; OST Publications Inc. Mike Cougill and Ihave joined together to create a publishing company that willfocus on the needs of the intermediate to advanced O <strong>Scale</strong>modeler in terms of fine craftsmanship. First up, Mike authorsa trackwork book. Our second project will be a Proto48Handbook. There are other titles in the works and when we’vedecided on the next one we’ll let you all know. In the meantime,watch for the ad announcing Mike’s new book.Pet PeevesI’ve been meaning to get this off my chest for a while. I’vebeen a member of eBay since 1998 and while I am not aneBay ”powerhouse” I do look at it every day for things I aminterested in buying. One of my pet peeves is people whocannot seem to fathom the idea of a category. I have O <strong>Scale</strong>bookmarked and one of the categories under O <strong>Scale</strong> is BrassImports. So, will someone please explain to me how a diecastLionel Hudson belongs under brass imports? Or for that matterwhy plastic tubing, or books, or a plastic freight station is there?I find it most annoying.Is There Life Beyond <strong>Trains</strong>? (Gasp!)For those of you who live in the Northeast corridor, youknow we’ve had a record snowfall this season. As of today,we’ve hit 7 feet of snow since December. As a result, Jaini and Ihave spent a lot of this winter indoors with the pups (talk aboutcabin fever!).Between doing OST administrivia all-day and working onthe new OST layout, I have to take a break from trains and dosomething else. That something else is video games.Yes, Jaini and I are hard-core gamers. We play virtuallyevery evening for a couple hours. We’re Xbox users (which isamazing because I’m a Macintosh computer die-hard). We gothooked on the Xbox because of a game called HALO, a firstpersonshooter (FPS). We have all four HALO games and we’rewaiting for the new HALO: Reach beta to debut in March.Other games that we’re especially fond of are: Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic (aka KOTOR I) and KOTOR II bothrole-playing games (RPG); Mass Effect 1 and 2 (another sci-fiRPG); Metal Arms: Glitch In The System (a platformer); and ournewest favorite, Borderlands, which combines elements of anRPG with an FPS.But the one game we’ve played consistently for nearly twoyears is Civilization: Revolution. It’s a strategy game that canbe played in as little as 20 minutes or as long as three hours,depending on the goal and difficulty level. Civ: Rev is aboutresource management and problem solving. It’s an easy gameto start playing but it takes a long time to understand all thenuances of the choices you make during a game. Not to go intotoo much detail but any given game involves 5 of a possible 14civilizations, each with unique abilities. You can win a game bydominating the others (war), amassing 20,000 gold and buildthe World Bank, create a strong culture and build the UnitedNations, or with technology by building and launching a starshipto Alpha Centauri.I bring this up because the choices we make early on indesigning and building a model railroad will have consequenceslater on down the road. Playing Civ: Rev has given me anappreciation for planning and resource management as appliedto my hobby.So, I’m wondering if anyone else has a non-train hobby thathas lessons applicable to trains? If you do, let us know and we’llshare them with everyone.Another SurveyI’ve set up a second OST Reader’s Survey. I would appreciateit if everyone reading this would take a few minutes tocomplete the survey online. Go to the OST website [www.oscalemag.com] and you will find a link on the front page tothe survey. We’re interested in knowing more about who ourreaders are, how they model in O <strong>Scale</strong> and what they’d like tosee in future issues of OST.Keep Highballin’u66 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - <strong>May</strong>/<strong>June</strong> ’10


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