US $5.95 • Can $7.95 - O scale trains

Reader FeedbackPower G & Sewing MachinesThank you for the info about the newMRC Power G power supply. I got one,itworks! Went back and got another onefor the second mainline and when I dosome future planned expansion, I willget some for that as well. And perhaps aspare or two backup as nothing lasts forever.A Big Boy and a Challenger pulling80 Atlas hoppers on 160’of mainline isno problem for the packs!A thank you to MRC for making thispower supply, too. Others I know, uponmy telling them/recommending the MRCpack to them, tried it and liked it, so they,too, are happy campers as well. Noteveryone can afford or perhaps want allthe expensive electronic gizmos, someprone to failure with expensive repairs.Some people I know have actually turnedoff the sound units in their new locos dueto the racket several would create run atthe same time.Re: George Ritter’s question aboutrigid trucks. About a year or so back,I got some Atlas trucks that had beenmodified by removing the top retainingplate from the top of the truck andthat allowed them to become “sprung”.However, the person who modified themdid not seem to know, or be aware of, orperhaps didn’t care, that the side frameswould not stay in alignment without thatcast plate.After some experimenting after I foundthat a pin could be inserted in a smallhole drilled through the tab on the sideframe and the bolster. Bend the pin overand it cuts the side frame play to almostzero. However, a little further experimentingshowed one could remove thetwo screws holding the top plate on the“new” Atlas Andrews trucks that come ontheir steam-era box cars and the truck isnow “sprung”. The Andrews trucks seemto be better made than the roller bearingand Bettendorf trucks and the side framesseem to stay true for the most part. Ifthere is a problem with the sideframestwisting, resort to the pin method.After reading more of the new issue,I have two cents about rivet machinesmade from old sewing machines. IrvLange showed me how he used a 1 ⁄8”thick piece of lead sheet as guides, oneon each side fastened to the table. Itwould be advanced by the “foot” justas cloth is. Use a Dremel cut-off disk toshorten and make the end of a needlesmaller. With a little experimental trialand error to get it the right length andsize, the machine makes fairly good rivet44 • O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct ’04impressions quickly. You do not want anew machine made of plastic and castzinc. You want an older machine, suchas a Singer or White. Sometimes they canbe found at second-hand stores, garagesales, etc. I found White machines workbetter as they “bit” twice on the downstroke.Likewise, one that has “zig-zag”can make staggered double rows of rivets.Carl PhillipsMore On TrucksReferring to George Ritter’s questionabout Atlas trucks. One thing to dois remove the truck mounted couplerbracket. This will let the trucks flex alittle. After that it looks like cutting offthe tabs on each side frame would finishthe job (haven’t tried this yet), sincethe truck bolster actually goes throughthe side frames and is held there by thesprings just like any other sprung truck.If he is real careful using a fine toothedsaw, he might be able to do this withouttaking the springs out and disassemblingthe trucks.Bob HayesTrucks: One More TimeReader George Ritter asked aboutfreight trucks. My experience is thatAthearn and Weaver trucks with Intermountainsteel wheels make an excellentchoice for trackability, both stayingon the rails and rolling. Also the carshould be weighted to NMRA standards,5 ounces, plus one ounce per inch oflength. A forty foot box car should weigh15 ounces.Do rigid trucks track well? Yes, Ihave several 21-inch K-Line passengercars converted to 2-rail using the originaltrucks with added 36-inch wheel sets.They track well on my layout which hasless than 48 inch radii.On the AtlasO cars, I usually changethe trucks to Athearn or Weaver becausethey look better. The AtlasO truck ismade for 3-rail wheel sets and therefore,is too wide. I am in the process of changingall plastic wheels to Intermountainsteel wheels. They roll well and don’tpick up dirt as much. And they soundlike the prototype.Bill Krueger, Cincinnati, OhioMystery Photo Revealed!I believe the picture in O Scale Trains#15, pg 45, is of a track-alignmentmachine. The folding assembly that trailsbehind carries mirrors, and the main unithas a light source, probably a laser beambecause it won’t spread out but remainsa narrow beam. The main machinemeasures the location of the beam thatis reflected back to it and so measureswhether the main machine (and thereforethe track it is on) is properly aligned withthe track behind. The forest of hoses inthe center indicates a set of hydraulic tietampers to tamp the ballast around andunder the ties to hold the track in theproper position.Essentially this system is doing whatthe track gangs of an earlier age did bysighting down the rails, moving the trackwith crowbars, and tamping the ballastby hand.I have never seen a description ofthese things, but I found one a few yearsago and was able to study it and (I think)deduce what it does. I think that of allrailroad equipment, track maintenanceequipment is the weirdest, least documented,most mysterious, and hardest tofigure out.Edward C. MillerLoves the MagI loved the photography throughoutyour magazine. I look forward to TheWorkshop, Easements for the LearningCurve, Traction Action, Modeler’s Shelf(which gets more interesting). I can’twait to see what you come up with next.Man, this is very therapeutic, if you will!I salute Editor/Publisher Joe Giannovarioand Art Director Jaini Simon, also AssociateEditor Brian Scace. I read the magazineeveryday over and over and overagain. I might read an article 2 to 3 times.No, I am not looking for a check in themail (smile). I am just thrilled and satisfiedas to how far O Scale has advanced.How, you have more than just arrived.Now after all this I am sending money forA Guide to Modern O Scale.I went to Springfield, Mass., TrainShow and, hopefully, I will make the2004 O Scale National Convention inWashington, D.C.Ted Hardwick, Brooklyn, NYWhelove CommentsBob O’Neill’s article about the lateBob Whelove brought back fond memoriesof my trip to the 1970 NMRANational Convention at St. Louis. I hadthe pleasure of seeing the club pike atWebster Groves, and was able to visitthe Wheloves at their home, thanks toMrs. Whelove’s kindness in acting aschauffeur. They were fine people, and