!OST #14_rev - O scale trains

sion that entails adding a block of metalunderneath the table to support the femaledie, adding rollers to guide a moving table,a simple table and a set of dies.The dies are made from steel drill rodand a threaded steel rod. While they arenot hardened, they will punch nice rivetsin plastic, card stock and thin brass. It ispossible to adapt the NWSL die set to thismachine if you want a more durablematerial.The machine takes full advantage ofthe sewing functions like the claw underthe table that drags the material through. Itengages the table and pulls it through. Iadded masking tape to the bottom of thetable to enhance the motion. You can setthe spacing of the rivets by adjusting thestitch control on the right side. You basicallytape the material to the table and runit though. I have found that by placing asmall weight on the table it will produce anice even pattern.We will continue the discussion of rivetmaking next issue. Issue 15 will coversome techniques for producing embossedrivets in all sorts of applications.Latest NewsWe mentioned in the last issue about arumor of new gondola from San Juan CarCompany. I saw John Parker, San Juan CarCompany owner, at O Scale West andconfirmed that he is busy working on twoversions of the Southern Pacific G-50-20general service gondola and the compositeversion G-50-23. The later version waspurchased in the late 1940’s to haul sugarbeets. You can expect to see the cararound mid-summer. The G-50-20 has asteel side and is very similar to cars on theUP and others lines. The sugar beet car istruly unique to the SP. John mentioned thathe will do the ASF A-3 truck that is correctfor the car. Outside of the very expensiveimports like those from Precision Scaleand Pacific Limited, there hasn’t been acar like this in O scale. With all of John’sstandard gauge models, you will be ableto buy the model in Proto48 and O gauge.◆URLs of the Resources Mentionedwww.grandtline.comwww.tichytraingroup.comwww.galtran.comwww.nwsl.comAs a serious railroad modeler for the last 50-plus years, I have beenamazed and awe struck by some of the attitudes and actions of somefellow hobbyists. You could call it the old Hatfield and McCoy mentality:the 2-rail vs. 3-rail syndrome where scale rivet-counters on oneside face toy train people on the other. Each side is quite vocal to theexclusion of the other. Each side is actually hurting the growth of thehobby by sending mixed messages to manufacturers about where themarket is at the moment.I am a HiRailer in transition and represent a fast-growing group ofmodelers who actually enjoy running their trains. We are not seasonalhobbyists with only a 4x8 layout that runs around the Christmas tree.HiRailers realize that operating a scale layout takes a lot of thoughtand planning. To be a HiRailer you have to be interested in scale.Operating on O54 curves doesn’t cut it. But, owning and operatingscale-sized locomotives and rolling stock doesn’t necessarily makeyou an O Scaler anymore than sitting in a roundhouse makes you alocomotive!Some O Scale modelers, on the other hand, do not have layouts.They are technical and talented but remain arm-chair hobbyists. Thesemodel railroaders view their pure-scale pieces from glass displaycases. Their quality hobby time is spent looking at the particular pieceand dreaming about what it would actually look like if it ever had theopportunity to run on track, but then they can’t or won’t build a layout,so it stays on the shelf.HiRailers and O Scale operators have the best of both worlds:appreciation for the models, detail, and operation in a scale environment.Sure Hirailers sometimes feel like they’re running in circles...and they probably are. Many O Scalers operate in a point-to-pointprototypical plan. Both use highly detailed and ballasted track withappropriate backgrounds making the trains look prototypical. HiRailersdon’t seem to notice that little center rail and I venture to say thatone day it will be gone!My point is this: depending on your perspective, shunning modelerswhether they be 2-rail or 3-rail will only hurt the growth of the hobby.We need to band together as O Scale ambassadors. This is an openforum for the exchange of information and ideas.The Capital Area ’O’ Scalers have done just that with a fantastic jobof planning for the upcoming O Scale National Convention this July inWashington, D.C. (See the ad and registration form elsewhere in thismagazine.) They have included several HiRail layouts along with thescale layout tours being offered. Serious modelers from both sides ofthe tracks have been invited. It will be a great show and I look forwardto seeing you there!HDH◆May/June ’04 - O Scale Trains • 53