Scale - O Scale Trains Magazine Online

Product News & ReviewsNEWS: Des Plaines Hobbies1468 Lee StreetDes Plaines, IL 60018847-297-2118, www.desplaineshobbies.comDes Plaines Hobbies is pleased to announce, effective April11, 2004, the purchase of Bob Rsaza’s Custom Finishing O Scaleparts line. Bob will be keeping his HO line and name, and the OScale line will now be sold under Des Plaines Hobbies’ new OScale America line. Part numbers will not be changed, only thename and location. Because of the move from Massachusetts toDes Plaines, it will be a couple of months before parts suppliesare replenished.Time permitting, parts formerly sold under the Des PlainesHobbies O Scale label will be added to the newly launched OScale America line.NEWS: Underground Railway Press216 S. Broad St., PMB 4 05Brevard, NC 28712-3702.The UndergroundRailway Press hasreleased the third seriesof Quik-Signs whichare multiscale, full-colorpaper fence and structuresigns. The signs are:URP-735, Chewing &Smoking; URP-736,Fruit & Vegetables, SetNo. 3; URP-737, Beer &Booze; URP-738, Softdrinks,Set No. 3; URP-739, 1900-1905 Era, Set No. 2; URP-740,WWI Era, Set No. 2. The sets are $4 each, available direct or atyour hobby dealer. On direct orders, add $2.50 p&h and salestax if appropriate. For a complete list of of all 26 sets, send anSSAE.REVIEW: MagnaForce MF615 AC Power SupplyDCC Specialties.com210 E Front StTraverse City MI 49384800-671-0641, www.dccspecialties.comreviewed by Ted ByrneThe companies that sell DCC systems typically note that theirproducts require an input of 12-18 volts AC. Sometimes, in thefine print, they offer to sell a transformer to provide this power.Modelers often cobble together a power source using a transformerfrom an electronics supplier plus other odds and ends. It isfastened to a scrap of plywoodwith only a few layers of electrician’stape between 110 voltsand the unwary. It’s a safety hazard,a fire hazard and a discreditto the model layout.Now DCC Specialties hasprovided another solution. TheirMagnaForce MF615 is a 15 volt,6 ampere AC transformer in a durable and safe, ventilated boxwith an illuminated on/off switch, a grounded power cord andplug, and a heavy duty output cable to connect to the DCC controller.A thermal overload cutout protects the output. This is thebest type of protection as it allows a brief overload but protectsfrom a short circuit or prolonged overload. Six amperes is sufficientfor many smaller O-scale layouts, or for each power districtof larger layouts.The unit sells for $44.95, which compares favorably with thecost and aggravation of doing it yourself. The included instructionstell how to connect to Digitrax, Lenz and NCE but other DCC connectionsshould also be simple.More information on the MF615 and several other DCC supportproducts can be found on their website, or contact them by phone,fax at 231-947-1411, or by e-mail.REVIEW: Precision Products Vacuformed Styrene SheetApplied Imagination International, Inc.763 Cayuga Street, Unit #2Lewiston, NY, 14092716-754-2997, www.appliedimaginationinc.comreviewed by Brian ScaceWhile attending a Large Scale meet, I ran into a gent by the name of John Hutt. John, under the name of Precision Products, has beenmaking vacuum formed styrene sheets of important things like brick, wood flooring, stone block, and the like, in six different scales. For allof us who have been scrambling about every time someone wants to peddle a couple sheets of old H&R brick, this is great news. Here’swhat John has:For $8 a sheet, you get 15" x 15" (usable) of .025" styrene crisply vacuum formed into such useful things as 6" lap siding, 9" woodflooring, brick, or that stone block that the PRR used for just about every retaining wall and bridge abutment they ever built. John isworking on masters for other things in 1 ⁄4" scale, such as corrugated metal roofing, and expresses the desire to expand the O Scale linewith such things as Spanish tile roofing, and clear vacuum formed window assemblies and trim details.Also in his line is a foam core material, used to make the basic building shape. This stuff is a little different, too. Instead of paperskins, such as the artist’s stuff we use now, this material has a white styrene skin over a high-density expanded polystyrene core. Thefoam core material is 5mm thick, and you get six sheets of 16" square material for $15. While you’re at it, John has the proper glue tolaminate the vacuum formed sheet to your foam core shell.I would suggest that you get his master catalogue (for $2) first, because there are many other sheets made for other scales that wouldbe useful in O, with a little care and imagination. Looks like Scace is back in the structure building mode. How about you?Currently available specifically for 1 ⁄4" scale are:SKU#14001 New Brick SKU#16006 Small Stone Block SKU#14006 Medium Stone BlockSKU#14008 6" Lap SidingSKU#14010 12" Lap Siding SKU#14016 9" Wood FlooringSKU#14017 12" Wood Flooring SKU#14018 Flagstone Paving SKU#14028 Gravel RoofSKU#14057 Medium Stone Block CornersIn the works are: two more sizes of lap siding; 12" board and batten siding; six different roofing styles, such as fishscale, corrugatedmetal, Spanish tile (for you Santa Fe types!), asphalt shingle, slate, and wood shake; two sizes of tin ribbed roofing; detail sheets of windowsand doors, which can be had in either white or clear styrene; and tunnel portal and bridge material.46 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’04