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Modelingfor the O ScaleCraftsman

Modelingfor the O ScaleCraftsman

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OScaleTrains

Nov/Dec 2003 ◆Issue #11 ◆ $5.95OScale

TrainsNov/Dec 2003 ◆Issue #11 ◆ $5.95OScale

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Nov/Dec '03 - O Scale Trains • 3

ScaleTrainsO

Features4 New Orleans Public Belt Railroad

Richard Gardner’s superb OST Layout Contest entry.

10 O Scale Small LayoutWho says O scale requires a large space? Not Norman Hills.

16 Acrylic InnersidesHere’s a slick way to build up those old passenger car kits from the 40’s and 50’s. Nick Pulskamp details his methods.

22 Babbitt Atlantic Mods: Part 3Bob Garrelts details the Babbitt tender.

26 Building a PRR N2saTake a USRA 2-10-2 and add a Belpaire. John Sauers makes it look easy and it is if you don’t have to build a tender.

38 2004 O Scale National Convention - An OverviewBrian Scace fill us in on the 2004 convention in Washington, D.C.

50 Building a GP-9Tom Houle and Jerry Roy marry a Red Caboose superstructure to an Atlas/Roco F-9 drive. Voila! Motive power on a budget.

56 Indianapolis Midwest Fall O Scale MeetPhotos from the recent show.

Departments12 Traction Action – Roger Jenkins14 Easements for the Learning Curve – Brian Scace19 Proto48 – Gene Deimling34 Crapola From The Cupola – John C. Smith35 The Workshop – Neville Rossiter 36 O Scale DCC – Ted Byrne37 Narrow Minded – Bobber Gibbs41 Reader Feedback – Letters to the Editor44 Product News & Reviews59 Buy-Sell-Trade Ads60 Events Listing60 Ad index61 OST Dealers List62 Observations – Joe Giannovario

Modeling for the O Scale

CraftsmanIssue #11Nov/Dec 2003

Vol. 2, No. 6

Editor/PublisherJoe Giannovario

Art DirectorJaini Simon

Associate EditorBrian Scace

Contributing WritersTed Byrne

Gene DeimlingBobber GibbsRoger Jenkins

Jeb KriigelNeville RossiterJohn C. Smith

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O Scale Trains ISSN 1536-9528www.oscalemag.comPublished bimonthly (6 times a year) by O Scale Trains Magazine,PO Box 238, Lionville PA 19353-0238© 2003 OST All Rights ReservedPrinted in the U.S.A.

Contributors: O Scale Trains welcomes your feature articles, photos, and drawings.Such material should be sent to the above address forpossible publication. If we accept, you will be notifiedimmediately. For more information concerning articlepreparation guidelines, please send an SASE to theabove address and request our “Guide For Authors” or visit our website.

Cover: Tom Houle’s Soo Line GP-9. Tom describeshow he built the loco on page 50 this issue.

Centerspread: A scene from Woody Grosdoff’s Proto-48 layout. The switcher is an Overland Models Alco S-2 that’s been highly modified for Proto 48 operation.The tankcar is a PSC 8000 gal. car custom painted andlettered by Woody. The VGN boxcar is an Intermoun-tain kit. Both freight cars ride on modified RedCaboose trucks equipped with Grabowski wheelsets.The trackwork is code 100 rail handlaid on Grandt Linetieplates with HO/HOn3 spikes on basswood ties.

OST is a proud Member of the Model Railroad Industry Association

ScaleTrainsO

4 • O Scale Trains - Nov/Dec '03

importantly, it was designed to address the complicated tariffissues of freight service for numerous railroads in a congestedcity. Today, the NOPB services no less than 73 industries aslisted on their official web site. This is probably just a fractionof the traffic that was present during the late forties. There aredozens of wharfs and warehouses along the river and muchmore is found tucked into the fabric of this most exotic of cities.

Have I mentioned the French Quarter yet? It is still ascharming as it was a hundred years ago and the railroad stillruns through it. An engineer can stop his train, walk across thetracks to Decatur Street and get a café au lait at Café duMonde. Dense urban traffic with charming ambiance is justthe teaser for inspiration.Operating The Layout

In such a small room, we can get only a snapshot of thecomplexity of the city traffic. But what a snapshot it is! Thedesign only wraps around two of the room’s walls, but there isroom for some really neat warehouses big enough to look likethey could use some train service. I’m talking big here; theNapoleon Ave. warehouse is almost four feet long. Otherindustries are four and five stories tall, not bad for O scale.

Schematically, the railroad follows the river corridor aroundand beyond the room limitations. Large mirrors at each endcreate the illusion that you are seeing but a small portion of agreat expanse. Operationally, we will be bringing in a trainfrom an interchange yard such as the Kansas City Southernyard on Airline Drive. A three level “elevator” staging yardaccomplishes this task. Note: this was discussed in detail in theModel Railroad Planning 2001 published by Kalmbach. Eachtrack can hold six 40 foot freight cars. The tracks can be raised

ConstraintsThis layout design contest couldn’t have come at a more

opportune time. Having just rekindled the O scale fever, I wasgrappling with the all too familiar real estate challenges thisking of scales presents. This contest has become a personaltest of how much I could squeeze into a relatively small envi-ronment. The news of the minimum radius change camesomewhat after I’d completed the preliminaries, so I was ableto loosen up the design and allow more space to structures. Itbecame downright enjoyable after that.Concept

O scale trains are big! The sheer mass and weight enablethem to couple and un-couple with remarkable reliability. Thismakes this scale inherently suited to switching. That’s a con-venience for this layout because there’s not a lot of room torun around in. If we want to do a lot of switching in a smallspace, the city is where to go.But Not Just Any City!

I’ve lived in New Orleans since the early ’90’s and onlyrecently come to appreciate the wealth of railroading opportu-nities in the area. It has been home to dozens of railroads overthe years but the one thread that ties the whole scene togetheris the New Orleans Public Belt (NOPB) Railroad. The compa-ny was organized on October 8, 1904 and acquired commoncarrier status in 1911. Initially formed as a non-profit organiza-tion jointly financed by the participating railroads, it is nowowned by the City of New Orleans and managed by the PublicBelt Railroad Commission.

The NOPB is probably most famous for constructing theHuey P. Long Bridge across the Mississippi river. But more

O Scale Trains Magazine’sDesign-a-Layout Contest

O Scale Trains Magazine’sDesign-a-Layout Contest

entry submitted by

Richard L. Gardner

Here you go...another great entry from


and lowered as needed to provide accessto the cars. This staging yard enters thelayout at the end near the Alcoa Shippingbuilding. We will be bringing in our cutof cars to be switched in this particularsection of the right-of-way. An ambitiousoperator may double-up and bring intwelve cars or more!

Plenty of variety abounds for yourmodeling and operating pleasure. Start-ing up-river (on your right as you comein the room) there is a large machiningand manufacturing building that may

large ship can be painted on the back-drop between. The main portion can bemodeled in bas-relief. I can envision aneat mini-scene showing laborersunloading bananas from an open door inthe hull. I’ve run across many pictures ofjust such a thing in my research.

Continuing down river we come tothe American Sugar Refinery (nowDomino Sugar). Tank cars come in withsyrup from the many sugar plantationsnearby. Boxcars of bagged products willbe shipped out. A little further down the

ship and receive not only boxcars but anoccasional flatcar loaded with heavymachinery. Just around the corner arethe Alcoa Shipping Company and thePoydras St. warehouses. Boxcars forcoffee and bananas are the norm. Areefer or two might be handy to handlemore perishable cargo. The NapoleonAve. terminal continues the theme withmost anything likely to be loaded orunloaded from one of the ships. By theway, there is enough room between thewharfs to model believable buildings. A


linewe come to the

Douglas Public ServiceWarehouse. This was a really big

facility in the French Quarter betweenDecatur St. and the river. Lots of traffic is requiredfor this impressive building.

Finally, what respectable layout would not

have a team or less than carload (LCL) track. Anything goes here. There is one that I pass regularly that routinely spots atank car to fill waiting tank trucks. Once a rather large piece of machinery arrived and it took most of a week with the

help of a crane to load two flatbed trailers. Stretching the imagination, I would envision a localfarmer taking delivery of some prized bull. There’s another mini-scene. Picture a

stock car sitting on the siding complete with a makeshift chute funneling saidanimal into a waiting pickup with livestock trailer. There you have it.


fascia is shown as a solid dark green. This could be a curtain as well. The backdrop is 36" high with a painted sky and theaforementioned ship.

There is a valance that comes down to the six-foot level. A Masonite top spans the valance and backdrop to support lightsand is painted white to reflect light back into the layout. There are 16 lights planned in all and have been digitally represented

in the presentation drawings. Seven are fill lights. These are bare bulbs in the popular sunlighttemperature (5400º Kelvin) for an almost blue white. They are mounted snug against the topand run down the middle of the layout. Seven regular spot-lights (3200º K) are mounted as close

to the valance and as low as possible to cast a warm

We even snuck in a stock car for operations.Layout statistics.

The layout was designed for the 11 x14’ room as speci-

fiedin the contest rules.The minimum radius is 36" with4" centers. This comes to 36, 40, and 44" for thebig curve around the Napoleon Ave. warehouse. The line tostaging is 36". All turnouts are designed to use stock #5’s fromAtlas. Most will drop right in without hassle. The two back-to-backturnouts in front of the “up-town” commercial district will need just alittle trimming around the throw bar. Seven right hand and four left handturnouts are required.

The layout height has been set at 54" for optimum viewing. The front


accent light. Individual wattages need not be very high allowing you to use a standard householddimmer to facilitate nighttime operations. The final two spotlights are located over the modelingdesk. The valance / lighting combination provides a shadow-box effect drawing you right intothe scene. The renderings support this nicely.

Summation.I’ve taken a unique prototype, added diverse functional

operations and packed a lifetime’s worth of

modeling and operating enjoyment into a small 11' x 14' room with room left over for a respectable modeling bench, not to men-tion the drop-dead graphics!


References:French Quarter Manual, An Architectural Guide to New Orleans Vieux Carré, Malcolm Heard, Tulane School of Architecture.

New Orleans, Then and Now, Richard and Marina Campanella, Pelican Publishing Company, Gretna, Louisiana.

Louisiana Photograph Collection — http://nutrias.org/photos/

New Orleans Public Belt Railroad — http://www.nopb.com/

The Louisiana Rail Site — http://lrs.railspot.com/r-nopb-s.htm ◆

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O ScaleSmallLayout

O ScaleSmallLayout

When I retired, I decided that I wanted torenew my involvement with model trainsand at the same time interest my two grand-sons in the technical challenges of O scalemodeling as contrasted to that of toy trains.The choice of O scale was partially based onmy age and failing eyesight.

I live in a large house with lots of spacebut I was urged by “she who must beobeyed” to make use of the basement roomthat had recently been emptied of our com-mercial computer equipment. My O scalelayout, therefore, is in a small room thatmeasures 14 feet x 12 feet 9 inches, whichwould be considered by many as inadequatefor the 48 inch radius that I chose for theminimum. Discussing this project with seri-ous O scale modelers, their immediate con-cern was for the lack of space for anyappreciable length of straight track.

The entire layout was built following theprinciples of modular construction with thehope and expectation that I may eventuallybe permitted to move to more adequatespace, at which time I will build expansionmodules to fit between the existing ones. Inthe meantime, I am able to explore variousmethods of construction and logic circuits tosense the turnout positions and appropriatelycontrol power to the track sections alongwith the associated trackside signals.The Mobius Loop

Track plans usually have a style designa-tion such as point to point, loop, walkaround, dogbone or folded dogbone. Thetrack plan shown is what I call a MobiusLoop. I believe that the use of Mobius Loopas a style designation is original and requiressome explanation. To better understand theMobius, take a piece of typing paper and cutfrom one edge a strip about 1 inch wide.Mark both ends of this strip with a dot onthe same surface. Then glue or tape the two

dots together noting that a half twist to thestrip is required. The product of this process

is shown below.Now hold the loop down on a table sur-

face and draw a continuous line on the uppersurface. Keep going until the end of the linehas joined up with its start. If you have fol-lowed these instructions properly then youwill note that despite your attempt to drawyour line on one side only, your line is on allthe surfaces of the strip. Your strip no longerhas two surfaces, but is one single surface as

shown in the picture below.You may have difficulty in visualizing

how this relates to the track layout, probablybecause we do not expect the track to do ahalf twist or roll over. To overcome this,think of each edge of the mobius strip as athin line representation of the track andcompare your mobius paper strip to theillustration at the bottom of this column. Theuse of the Mobius Loop in effect doubles thelinear length of the loop, making it equal to a

simple loop in a room twice the size.Benchwork

My approach to design is to let the avail-able materials make design decisions forme. The computer disc drive cabinets fromour business had an internal height meas-ured 27 inches which was ideal for a table-top height of approximately 30 inches fromthe floor.

The table top sections consist of a pictureframe of 3/4" x 31/2" boards on edge, to thetop of which has been nailed a panel of 1/2"inch plywood. Salvaged shelving made of1/4" particle board was sawn to 31/2" widestrips for straight sections of roadbed. Largerpieces were cut using a circle cutting attach-ment on my bandsaw with an outside radiusof 493/4" and an inside radius of 461/4". Toboth edges of all of these pieces was added achamfer. I have since read that the roadbedshould be cork for sound and vibration pur-poses but was relieved to see in issue #4 ofOST where another modeler had usedmilled spruce with beveled edges forroadbed. I assume that the properties of myparticle board would be somewhere betweenthose of cork and milled spruce. However,were I to start anew I would use cork.

The layout was made modular to facili-tate a non-destructive tear down. The 1/2"plywood working surface of the benchworkis outlined in orange in figure 3. Eachorange line going from the inside edge outtoward the wall represents the two edges ofadjacent modules that are joined togetherwith two 1/2" bolts through the matingboards. One exception is the structure sup-porting the double crossover, which ishinged as a gate to permit access withouthaving to crawl under the layout.

At each interface, everything has to be abutt joint to permit parting along that line ofseparation. The roadbed, every rail and everyelement of scenery has to be cut along thatline, although the rails have a joining piece toensure alignment of the track.

TrackTrack is a mix of flex and hand-laid.

Since the flex is old style Atlas code 148, itwas fastened to the roadbed with nailsthrough the holes provided in the plastic ties.

The hand laid track is code 148 nickel sil-ver from Old Pullman, using Old Pullmanspikes to homemade ties. The ties weresoaked in a water solution of dark brown

O ScaleSmallLayoutNorman A. Hills

1

2

3


grade. At each change of grade from levelto 3 percent up or down, I actually have 3changes of grade. There is a change from 0to 1%, 1% to 2% and then 2% to 3%. Thespacing between these grade changes are asfar apart as the length of my longest loco orrail car.

At the locations where the lower railpasses under the upper, I have an elevationdifference of 7.4 inches. The NMRA stan-dard for vertical clearance above the railsis 51/2 inches for O scale. With carefuldesign of the structure supporting the railspassing over and above at these places, thevertical elevation difference could easilybe reduced to 61/2 inches, permitting areduction in the grade.Power

The computer salvage included a 16volt regulated power supply with morecapacity than my layout is ever likely torequire. I was concerned about having somuch current capacity that arcing onderailment could result in items beingwelded together. However, this has nothappened, yet. I have two power busses,one for auxiliary power such as lights,logic circuits, track relays and signals. Thesecond is for track power. I would haveliked to have used solid state circuitry tocontrol track power whenever the turnoutpositions made it unwise for the locomo-tive to proceed. Because I was not ready toinvest in DCC, I chose instead to utilize anumber of 2 and 3 pole 12 volt dc relaysalso salvaged from the computers, operat-ed by a logic circuit board of my owndesign for controlling track power andtrack polarity.Conclusion

I have been well pleased with what Ihave been able to accomplish to date with-in a limited space. With a long list of proj-ects that I would still like to incorporateand skills that still need to be acquired orimproved, I have become quite content tocontinue for some time to work within thelimitations of my present space. While asmall layout may not be as visuallyimpressive as a large one, the same skillsof execution are required and ampleopportunities for innovation are alwayspresent. ◆

turnouts on the artwork are all #5 and themain line overall length for these turnouts isexactly equal to the length of two straightsections, 20 inches. This is certainly a con-venience where one may wish to removestraight track and replace it with a turnout,but this overall length of 20 inches exceedsNMRA standards. A pair of Old Pullman #6turnouts are 151/4" long. The turnouts andcrossover on my layout are all #6 and con-form to the Old Pullman dimensions, so thisresults in the layout as illustrated appearingto be a little tighter than is the actual layoutas constructed.Elevations and Grades

I chose to keep the grades to 3 percent orless. Each of the three elevations have anassigned color on figure 4 as do the twograde sections joining the three elevations. Itis important to avoid any abrupt change in

RIT dye, slightly darkened further with atouch of RIT black.

My hand laying practice was to lay onerail first with 2 spikes at every third or fourthtie, taking care to ensure that the rail waseither straight or conformed to the desiredcurvature. Lay the second rail with twospikes into the same tie as the first rail, mak-ing certain with the track gauge that thespacing was within the “go/no-go”allowance. By skipping several ties, I wasable to speed up the hand laying process andcould add spikes to those intervening ties tofine tune the rail spacing where required.

The scratch built double crossover in Fig.4 was the subject of an earlier article pub-lished in the July 1999 NMRA Bulletin.Turnouts

The track figures were created using thefree Atlas Right Track Software. The

4


For putting up wire over double track ona curve, I use the Rivers Traction & Trolleyscasting B-615. The span wire is fed into theholes on the wings and folded back on itself.The end of the wire that attaches to the poleis wound around that once and brought backand wound around itself next to the pole.The hanger should be over the center of thetrack to start but as you proceed around acurve, the hanger is over the inside rail orclose to it. A test car can be used to makesure the running wire fits in the pole shoe.

From the first ear casting to the next outover the second track, a short wire is used toconnect the first one. The next wire carries tothe opposite pole. Between poles on a curvea span wire is usually placed from pole topole to anchor the in-between pull-offs, asthe castings are located about six feet aparton curves. The span wire is attached to thespan wires from the castings and the parallelspan wire keeps everything taut.

Remember to use the reverse tweezers Imentioned last month to hold the runningwire and castings together so they can besoldered. The tweezers act as a heat sink,too, so the wire does not become untem-pered. Cross spans need not be anchored topoles on the curves, but can hold onto theparallel spans that run between poles. Everyother span can end at the innermost castingif you cut off the extra connection on theoutside where the loop is, making it a cloneof the real half-hangers seen in the photos.As can be seen, there are several half-hang-ers on the curves, with some full hangersproviding the tension. The pictures showwire over single track but the job is the samefor double track, only using more poles andwire in the process. The end result shouldcome out okay with a little patience.

[email protected] ◆

TractionAction

TractionAction

Roger Jenkins

The photo below wasinadvertently left out

of Roger's lastcolumn. It shows theway poles are put in

neatly along asidewalk. My

apologies - Ed.

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This issue’s column fires a broadsidedirectly at our new folks from the N and HOworld who have found the one and true faith.Of course, the rest of us may find enlighten-ment here as well. We’re going to put a littlethought into the use of scenic elements in Oscale, and a bit of a perspective shift fromwhat you’ve been used to in your formersmaller world. Behold! The Oracle Speaks!

First, let us accept the premise that mostof us have a comfortable reach over about32" of benchwork, and that aisles should bewide enough to accommodate the passingof two full-sized people at the same time.These are some of the human elements toconsider in layout design, totally independ-ent of scale of choice, and the parameterswe must work within for a successful com-fortable design.

That 32" reach in the smaller scalesallows for an enviable depth of field.Indeed, N scale has it all over O scale inscenic grandeur, because you can model theFeather River Canyon, put Keddie Wye inthe middle of it, and STILL reach over thewhole thing before you touch the backdrop.In the larger scale world, that 32" depth offield becomes restrictive, especially afteryou’ve used a third of that for trackage. So,we have to think a little differently. Thereare two things to consider here. Make theeyes move to take in a scene, and use sometrickery to attract the eye’s attention to thoseelements you want folks to look at, so theydon’t notice the spatial liberties you’vetaken. Here are some thoughts to get thejuices flowing:Mind What You Cast Shadows Upon

More so than in N or HO, shadows in Oscale become a real believability issue.When that Hudson casts an O Scale shadowon a scenic backdrop as it goes by, it totallyruins the illusion you’ve tried so hard to cre-ate. Blocking these shadows with a grove oftrees or a building is no solution, becausethose oaks or that factory will cast their own

issues we’ve previously discussed. Tallthings make the eyes wander up and down totake it all in. We want that, so the viewer’seyes are not looking fore-and-aft or side-to-side and seeing all the tricks we’ve pulled tocreate the illusion of depth and distance. Tallbuildings are useful in the urban setting forthis reason. A tall grain elevator in a ruralsetting attracts the attention away from thelack of depth that our 32" gives us.

We’ve taken great pains to distract the eyefrom our depth-of-field issues, so now wemust attract the eye to the good stuff before itcatches on. A grove of trees is useful (By theway, trees are a foot tall in this scale, notthose little scraggly weeds we all seem tomake. If you model the C&O in West Virgin-ny, little lichen bushes register a negativenumber on Scace’s Neurotic-O-Meter!).Overpasses are better than grade crossings.Getting eyes working in a vertical planekeeps them busy, making our scenes “feel”bigger and deeper in the horizontal. Insteadof a parallel road next to the track, try itbehind and higher than the track. Get thoseeyes moving up and down! Stuff in Front, Too

Putting things out in front of the track,such as trees, a detailed interlocking tower,even tall structures, is another trick to aid inour illusion. These items tend to stop the eyefrom wanting to follow the long horizontalplane established by the track. Then the eyeis free to be attracted to the up-and-downdirection or to some detailed vignette wherewe want it. Foreground scenes and itemsbreak the scenes up, stop the eye from travel-ling horizontally for long distances, andallow the trains to run through an area, ratherthan in front of an area. It all looks muchmore believable, which is the whole point.The Big Lesson:

Don’t be afraid to build scenery and sce-nic elements, just because you must usesome more subterfuge to avoid scenic pit-falls in the larger gauges. When you are donewith a section, break out that digital camera

shadow right in the same place. Solutions?Plan your trackage, buildings, and big treesto be farther away from the backdrop orother two-dimensional scenery. Raise thelight source so as to shorten the shadows.My vote for the best solution is to use build-ing flats instead of the traditional hills andclouds backdrop. Buildings (even two-dimensional ones) can have shadows castupon them with impunity.Space Eaters and Space Savers

Another big problem with the traditionalhill-and-cloud backdrop is that the threedimensional foothills leading the eye to thetwo-dimensional purple mountain’s majestyeat up more of that now precious fore-and-aft 32" than we can afford. Scenic transi-tions are space eaters. Of course, thosewonderful building flats need no such tran-sitions from three to two dimensions forbelievability. If it sounds like I’m pushingan urban setting rather than a rural one, it’sbecause I am.

If a rural setting is required, plan yourtrackage and large buildings and trees wellforward. As you encroach on the back, cutswith rock faces serve the same function asflats. Sidings with stored freight cars canwork. The trick is to gain height quicklywith the three-dimensional stuff so thatwhen you do transition to two-dimensionalscenery, you’re out of the shadow domain.That 32" gets eaten up quickly in this scale,so get climbing! If you really must modelthe flatlands of southern Indiana, I’d suggestthat you build your railroad in a series oflight-boxes so you can valance-light thescenes from noonday straight up. Turn outall the other lights in the room and cast noshadows at all.Go Up, Young Man

Now, it’s time for the curve to be thrown.Although it may sound counter-intuitive tothe thread of our discussion, bear with me.The fact that our stuff is taller than in HO orN can be played to advantage, so long asyou are aware of the placement/shadowing


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you use to sell all your HO stuff on Ebay(without the flash if possible so you can seethe normal lighting effects on the sceneyou’ve created), and take a few frames.Look for problem areas in the pictures, thenshow them to your friends or spouse fortheir opinions. I’m sure they’ll be appropri-ately merciless.

Although this may sound a little off-the-wall, you may have noticed that you arefaced with many of the challenges that set-designers face in the movie and theaterworld. If you know folks in that trade, picktheir brain a bit for new ideas. You may findit useful to visit a community theater, oreven take a course in set design. After all,their trade is illusion, which is our goal.Conclusion:

In N or HO, our 32" depth is the “wideopen spaces”. In O, you have to give a littlemore thought in how you invest that depthto create the illusion of distance to the hori-zon. We’ve discussed before the problemsof making a modest sized O Scale railroadlook large enough to be believable, butdon’t neglect the same tricks while dealingwith those scale-independent constraintswhich define the depth of scenes we build.Let’s go Exploring! ◆

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Acrylic“Innersides”HOW TO

by Nick Pulskamp

Acrylic “Innersides” Add Strengthand Make Great Windows

Several JC Models heavyweight pas-senger car kits recently came up onEbay and ended up in my shops. Theyare from the 1930’s and were among thebest models available at the time of thebest prototypes of the era. The roof,floor and ends are wood. The sides andend wraps are what printers call chip-board—that’s the thick “cardboard”sheet on the bottom of notepads. Theyare beautifully embossed and diecut torepresent a wide variety of prototypes.We’ve seen these cars at shows withtheir warped and collapsed sides.

Haven’t we all wondered if these statelybeauties could be saved somehow?

Now we can construct the survivingkits—and maybe even rebuild someexisting cars—so the sides will keeptheir shape for a very long time evenwith rough handling. Indeed, the kitused for this article had water damage tothe sides that caused some warping .Let’s Open The Kit.

The assembly method described in thekit’s instructions is typical of the era, afour-sided wood frame with paper sidesattached, the interior sealed forever. Justlike boxcars, reefers and other housecarsof the era, build the frame, cover the sidesand handle with great care! There is noth-ing wrong with this method. Many beau-tiful models were produced and somestill survive pretty well.

But, what if the beautifully embossedsides were also strong enough to with-stand rough handling and humiditychanges for decades without loss of

integrity? We can do now what our fel-low modelers could not do in the ’30s,’40s or ’50s when these kits were popu-lar. We can build these sides to perma-nently rival steel sides in strength anddurability.

The key is using 3/32" acrylic sheet asan “innerside”. Acrylic is clear, color-less, smooth, strong, flat and easy towork with. It is also easy to form,

machine and bond. Some prototypewindowpanes are made of acrylic sheet.If the real world can use it so can we!Let’s Build The Car.

First we need to make room for the3/32" thickness of the “innersides.” Take3/32" off each side of the bottom and


ends. Don’t worry about the flanges onthe ends, take them off. Move each roofeave channel in 3/32" or take them offentirely and replace them with strip-wood later. Paint the floor, ceiling andends—but not their edges.

Build the box square starting with thefloor and ends.

Cut the acrylic slightly oversize (notethat the kit sides come slightly overlong,too.) One long acrylic edge needs to be

as straight as possible. Work the acrylicas you do styrene. Scoring and breakingworks great with a little practice.Remember the acrylic is more rigid thanstyrene so score a little on the deep sideand clamp the full length of the break.The edges can be sharp!

After dry fitting the innersides with

the roof held in place (not glued), gluethe innersides to the floor and ends witha bead of glue along the outer edges ofthe wood so that the innersides extendbeyond the floor and ends and butt upand seal against the roof eave.

File, sand or grind the innersides toconform to the end configurations.

You now have a strong box withsmooth transparent sides and a remov-able roof. The construction phase of theproject can be considered nearly com-plete. You will file the bottom edge ofthe innersides after you mount the outer-sides. What could be simpler? The restcan be considered decoration.

Follow the kit instructions for paint-ing the embossed chipboard (the “outer-side”). Do not trim to length yet. Paintboth the inside and outside of the outer-side now. You won’t get another good

chance! You might seal the chipboardwith a coat or two of shellac (white pig-mented) which seems to “raise the

grain” less than other sealers or paints.Then paint for color, flat inside andgloss outside (for decals.) Decorate andseal with something clear.

Now mount the painted and decorat-ed outersides to the innersides. Carefully

apply a line of bonding agent on the out-side face of the innerside at the periph-ery of the ends and floor. Put a smallbead of glue along the top of the insideof the outerside. Position the outersideon the innerside with the roof in place soyou can butt the outerside up against theroof eave to close that seam. Take carethat the outerside is positioned length-wise so as to conceal the wood of theends. Weight, clamp or whatever you

prefer to do to maintain intimate contactbetween the outerside and the innersidewhile your bonding agent sets. Withcyanoacrylate glue I use my hands beingcareful to avoid getting any CA on theskin! Especially with warped sideshands seem to give a greater sensitivityand adaptability to clamping.

Cut and carefully sand the outersidesto conform to the ends. The top edge con-forms because you butted the outersideup to the roof. The bottom edge will con-form as soon as you sand or file the bot-tom edge of the acrylic (which you leftoversize and that is now sticking out fromunder the outerside) to conform perfectlywith the bottom edge of the outerside.


Paint and apply the car end wraps perinstructions or make your own from.010" styrene. Now is when I do thoselittle touch-ups that keep us all humble.

Add trucks, couplers, details of yourchoice and paint all that stuff.

You now have a beautiful car from aclassic kit that will withstand abuse andwon’t even notice normal handling. The

windows reflect exterior light andimages sharply and clearly while almostdisappearing from view on the inside.The roof lifts off for furnishing andmaintenance. This method works equal-ly well with stamped metal-sided cars.Some Notes & Asides

✔ If your CA “smokes” the acrylicuse some ammonia-containing Windex

to remove the discoloration.Apply some to a soft clothand rub gently—like wash-ing a window(!)

✔ To bond acrylic towood I use either CA orGorilla Glue. CA is fasterand neater. Also scratch theacrylic with some sandpaperwhere the glue will go.

✔ To bond chipboard toacrylic I use CA gap-fill-ing glue only at the edgeswhenever possible. Someplaces might require shim-ming where the embossed

chipboard does not lay tight againstthe innerside. Shims should be keptat the peripheries wherever possibleto keep them out of sight from theinside. Remember you will want tofurnish these beautiful cars withlights, walls, people and other stuff!

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GENEDEIMLING

PROTO48 MODELINGPROTO48 MODELINGAssembling San Juan Freight Car TrucksAs most of you know, San Juan Car Company pro-duces an extensive line of freight car trucks in bothO gauge (1.250”) and Proto48. I have had several

folks ask for ideas on assembly of these beautifultrucks. It is a bit of a departure from the pastcolumns but you may find this information usefulwhether you work in Proto48 or standard O. Thesteps and techniques are the same. I will go througha few a pointers that will hopefully make assemblyeasier. The truck being described is an AAR DoubleTruss (Bettendorf) freight truck. The photo depictsmost of the parts provided in the kit. There is a sec-ond set of trucks parts as well as the spring plank,lower spring plate (used as alternative to spring

plank) and linkage between the brake beams.Bolster Preparation

Over the years I have seen all sorts of wood andmachine screws used to attach trucks to a model.Rather than using a 4-40 or 2-56 screw, I like to use1-72 machine screws to mount the trucks. There isno need for the large screws since the San Juantrucks are very light even with steel wheels. Smalldiameter screws have a tendency to be difficult tothread through the closed bolster assembly. I add a

short length of 3/16" styrene tubing to inside of the bolster bottom. Ialso add a .040" by .125" styrene strip to the bolster top . I pre-drill thisstrip so as to avoid damage to the thin bolster top.Journal Lids

Installing the lids goes quickly if you use a model knife to break theedge of the mounting hole located on the journal. It also helps to keepthe lid attached to the sprue until the pin is partially drive home. Youcan tweak the lid alignment using a smooth jaw plier. Brake Rigging

The brake rigging can be tedious to assemble so you need to bepatient. The brake beams need to be cleaned up with a razor blade ormodeling knife. Drag the blade along the four sides of the beam end.This will remove the flash on the parting line, but more importantly itadds a slight taper so the beam will mate with the brake shoe with aminimum of pressure.Leave the brake shoesattached to the sprueuntil the beam isinserted. Make sureyou support the shoeon the backside whenyou are inserting thebeam.

Mount the brakelever on the beam andadd the brake hangers. The brake rigging is placed on the workbenchand the truck is placed over the top. Using a pair of tweezers, positionthe hangers in the mounting tubes on the back of the side frame. Don’tapply too much pressure or you might dislodge the hanger from thebrake shoe.Springs

San Juan uses a molded engineering plastic spring instead of theusual fine wire springs. The spring looks more realistic since the wirediameter is more prototypical in size. I have had trouble installingthese springs in the truck. I started installing some old Athearn wiresprings on the inside positions where you can’t see them and the scalesprings on the outside. The truck shown at the beginning of the articlewas assembled using custom made springs. Weathering

I usually airbrush the trucks with Floquil Weathered black. It is awarm-gray-black color that shows up the detail very well. I used KurasRust-All washes for the rust highlights.

Hopefully, this description will help you complete your San JuanCar Company trucks quickly and accurately. ◆

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The tender that is supplied with thesmaller Babbitt kits is the originaldesign that came with the General Mod-els/All Nation B&O Ten Wheeler. Notmuch has changed over the years exceptthe ladder, marker lights and truck side-frames. It appears they have fallen vic-tim to worn out dies and are now madeof different materials than the originals.

Many years ago I put rivets on one ofthese tenders by drilling hundreds of#70 holes, inserting brass pins with theheads cut off. A good dose of Hercules“Swif” (a 50/50 solder ground in an acidflux) on the inside and a torch spread thesolder all over the inside. Some timewas spent to file down the pins then awire brush finished the job. In a momentof “stupidity” I sold that tender to JoeRanker and it has spent the interveningyears in Cooperstown, N.Y. I have nointention of doing that again. We haveother ways to deal with the situation.

Start by assembling the tank, top deck,front coal sheet and the two mountingplates that hold the tank to the frame. Itwould be difficult to do after installingthe wrapper. Make sure that you file anyexcess where the bottom plate tabs comethrough the sides. We want the tank to beas smooth as possible.

The next step is somewhat up to thebuilder. Select the brass you want to usefor the wrapper. I happened to have athree foot long sheet of .010" brass so Icould make a one piece wrapper. Itcould just as easily be done in two

pieces with the joint in the middle of thetank rear. The thickness of the brass isimportant. Too thick and it will be hardto impress all those rivets. Too thin andit may deform and not take impressionswell. Another criterion to be concernedwith is hard, soft or half hard brasssheet. I didn’t think about this at the out-set and I shouldhave. The mar-velous sheet I hadwas apparentlyhard brass. When itcame time to bendthe front piecesaround the waterlegs it started to actlike spring brass. Ittook a lot of per-suasion to get it togo around thecurved water legs.

Select the rivetpattern you want. Several choices areappropriate such as two double rowsfrom front to rear. Another alternative isvertical double rows. No matter whatpattern you decide on be prepared topunch a lot of rivets (see sketches).

Rivets can be pressed in brass veryeasily. My first rivet tool was madeabout 50 years ago. I assembled it fromscrap brass and a piece of drill rod. Itserved its purpose at the time. Sometime in the 60’s Precision Manufactur-ing (not Precision Scale) made a verywell-built punch with dies in several

sizes. It occasionally comes back on themarket. Jerry Snow of Accurate O Scalerecently marketed a rather sophisticatedmachine (Photo #1) with changeabledies. It also includes a long table that isadvanced by a lever. The advance dis-tance can be adjusted. It’s long enoughto do a passenger car. Many people have

made punches from drill rod and diesfrom all kinds of things and used a drillpress and a fence clamped to the table tomake rivets. North West Shortline’sSensi Press can also be equipped topress rivets (Photo #2).

The way to layout the rivet pattern isto clean the brass with lacquer thinnerthen coat it with blue layout dye on whatwill become the inside of the wrapper.You should be able to buy layout dyefrom tool stores or one of the mail ordertool suppliers. Starrett Blue Dye comeswith a swab attached to the lid and

Detailing the Babbitt Small TenderDetailing the Babbitt Small Tender

OR...SOLDERING REALLY IS FUN!Bob Garrelts

Accurate "O" Scale rivet machine with finished sheet.

1


makes fast work of coating the brass.Scribe the pattern you’ve chosen with aruler and a scriber. Start by scribing thelong lines (in my case, horizontal), thenusing a slotted ruler, scribe the shortcross lines. A stainless steel ruler offeredby Micro-Mark with slots works wellfor laying out staggered rows. It comesin 6" (#81565) and 12" (#81569). Wherethe lines intersect is where you punchthe rivet. Remember the old carpentersadage, measure twice, cut once. In mycase I should have measured at leastthree times. I goofed on the pattern butit’s too late to do anything about it.Besides, you only see one side at a time!(Photo #3)

Set up good light, that’s why Iworked in the kitchen over the objec-tions of, well, you know who. You mightwant to practice on a piece of scrap.Eventually you will develop a feel forthe pressure needed to impress the rivet.Get a soothing drink and punch away.

This is a very boringprocess. If you get tired orif things aren’t going well,get up and walk away.Come back when you’rerefreshed. Don’t trim thetop edge of the wrapperuntil you’ve finished sol-dering it in place. If youlook at the photographsyou may see rivets thatwent through and left asmall hole. That comesfrom being too heavy hand-ed with my little ball peenhammer and maybe the“hard" brass. The patternisn’t perfect either, but then

I don’t have the patience of Job. Actual-ly, I’m counting on paint to kind ofcover my slight errors.

When you have completed the rivetpunching clean the layout dye from thebrass sheet with lacquer thinner. Youmay find, like I did, that the sheet brasstended to curlslightly. Before Itried to solder it tothe tank I spentsome time flatten-ing the piece with asmall block of softwood and a smallhammer. Even fin-g e r p r e s s u r eworked. Polish thebrass with somefine sandpaper.Clean the tenderbody with thinnerand use some sandpaper to get rid ofanything that would keep solder from

adhering. Spreadrosin flux on thetwo pieces. Bythe way, makesure the lacquerthinner has evap-orated. It’s veryflammable.

Start at thetender rear. Posi-tion the tank inthe center of the

wrapper. Bend the sides along the tankside. Make sure the bottom edge linesup with the bottom of the tank. Put aspring clamp or two to hold the twopieces together. Alignment is critical atthis point to keep the wrapper square tothe tank. Heat the work with a smalltorch and hold 60/40 solder to the jointsat the bottom and the top. Keep the torchmoving and the capillary action will pullthe solder into the joint. Don’t overdothe application as you may have to undoit to straighten the whole thing out. Youcan always add more solder later. Bendthe sides around the front water legs andrepeat the process (Photo #4).

It should be possible to locate thehandrail holes from the inside of thetank with a scriber. Re-drill and solderthe handrails in place. I didn’t make animpressed piece for the top of the tank,but that was personal choice — laziness.I also decided not to put a bead aroundthe top edge of the finished tankalthough it would probably look better.

The die cast frame is the original Var-ney design. It doesn’t need much workbut it does afford the opportunity to usedifferent trucks. What becomes impor-tant is the truck bolster height. If it’shigher than the original trucks you haveto file down the mounting bosses. Ofcourse, if lower, shim up the boss withbrass washers. The idea here is to get thecoupler height correct Depending on thetruck bolster you might have to makeyour own shouldered screw by taking ascrew, a washer and a piece of brass tub-ing all soldered together. Of course if

2

Our "Chief Engineer" checks over the tooling.

3

Brass Sheet with the rivets is an ERIE Berkshire smokebox wrapper.

4

The wrapper is clamped to the tank for soldering. The tin of Nokofodeis at least 60 years old. The torch is fueled with Ronson lighter gas.


you’ve been at this for over 50 years likeI have you save every shouldered screwyou can get your hands on.

The coupler mounting area is notmilled out for a Kadee coupler box. Ifyou have a vertical mill, no problem. Itis possible to order the tender from Bab-bitt milled for the Kadee box for a nomi-nal charge. If you can’t widen the area totake the draft gear box use the couplerwithout the box and rig a small spring tohold it straight. The corner steps that areincluded in the kit are the original Var-ney parts. Since they are held to theframe by 2-56 screws, it’s easy to substi-tute several different styles. If you haveaccess to a Precision Scale catalog thereare quite a few to choose from. It’s allbuilder’s choice. I got lazy again andused the kit steps.

The rear ladder is easy to assemblewith a touch of a soldering iron. You canlocate the threaded holes to hold the bot-tom of the ladder to the tank or, since it’snow brass, solder it to the tank. Noticemy ladder is missing. I screwed it upand I’ll have to order a new one. Well,no one’s infallible.

Painting and lettering are not one ofmy happiest tasks. Obviously anythingyou’re going to paint must be clean anddry. I started with a good bath of lacquerthinner to get rid of all the flux residue. Agood scrubbing with detergent helps too.Several light coats of paint are better thanone heavy coat. Depending on the brandof paint I use I like to put heat on it tohelp it dry. Floquil especially likes to bebaked. One easy way is to get an infra-red bulb and place it several inches fromthe piece. Get one with a socket and wireguard. Those bulbs get mighty hot. I’vefound you can bake stuff for severalhours and it really speeds up drying time.Lettering? Well, since this engine willundoubtedly end up on a railroad otherthan mine, I’ll let the recipient have allthe fun of messing with decals, decal setand clear flat lacquer.

If I were going to do this again I’dprobably do the wrapper in two pieces.It would be easier to handle. I think I’dgo to .008" brass and I’d make sure itwas half hard or on the softer side. I

probably would go to a smaller punchand die, too. If your local hobby shopcan’t supply you with either .008" or.010" sheet brass try Special Shapes Co.They stock sheet brass in convenient 6"x 12" sheets.

After all this nonsense I must tell youthat the diecast tender supplied with theWeaver 2-8-0 is available separately andwould probably go quite well with theBabbitt Atlantic. It sells for around $110plus $10 shipping. But think of all theFUN you would miss! Especially thepart about dropping a blob of hot solderin your lap while wearing shorts. That’sthe usual mode of dress in my work-shop.

As a final comment, there has been alot of talk about inexpensive smallerlocomotives. It doesn’t take a mastermodeler to build a Babbitt kit. Theopportunity to detail them is almost end-less. Armed witha Precision Scalecatalog and a lit-tle imagination,a very crediblelocomotive canbe built. Maybeit’s not equal toimported brass,but it’s at a costtha t i s qui tem a n a g e a b l e .Besides, put alocomotive onthe rails with atrain and theonly way you

can see how detailed it is would be tostop it and inspect it for half hour.

Now, it’s time to get back to buildingErie Berkshires! After all, that’s what Imade that trailing truck for! (SeeOST#7).

Resources:Accurate O Scale, 38623 Orchard St.,Cherry Valley CA 92223Micro-Mark, 340 Snyder Ave, BerkeleyHeights NJ 07922, www.micromark.comNorth West Short Line, PO Box 423,Seattle WA 98111, www.nwsl.comPrecision Scale Co., PO Box 278,Stevensville, MT 59870, 406-777-5071Special Shapes Co., P.O.Box 7487,Romeoville, Illinois, 60446-0487, Phone 1-800-51-SHAPE. ◆

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MODEL TRAINS(and Subsidiary JH Consulting)

2631 Edgevale Road, Columbus OH 43221-1113Phone:614-4514517 Fax:6144514557

Email: [email protected] • Web: www.jhmtrains.com

Layaway AvailableEstates⁄Liquidations

Collection Reductions

LSASE for Complete ListShipping 6% - $6.00 Min., $12.00 MaxOhio Residents Add 6.75% Sales Tax

USH Erie K5 4-6-2, N/P, Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,875.00SS C&O J2a,4-8-2 w/Extra Detail, N/P, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,395.00SS ATSF 2-10-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,295.00MG PRR 2-10-2, L/N, N/P, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,875.00 USH C&O 2-8-4, C/P, Runs good, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,450.00MG NYC J1e 4-6-4, Nice, N/P, NOB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,475.00MG NYC J3a 4-6-4, Nice, N/P, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,475.00 MG N&W Y6b 2-8-8-2, Can Motor, N/P, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,475.00USH PRR M1a,4-8-2,C/P,OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,375.00USH NYC L4b, C/P, Kleinscmidt Dr, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,195.00 MG B&O 2-8-8-4,C/P,NOB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,450.00USH PRR L1 2-8-2, C/P w/Sound, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,200.00SS N&W J 4-8-4,Rebuilt w/sound, C/P, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,700.00USH PRR K4 4-6-2,Late Run, C/P, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,250.00MG PRR E6 4-4-2, C/P, NOB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,275.00MG SP MT4 w/Icken Gears, C/P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,895.00USH NYC H10,2-8-2, Mint, N/P, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,575.00 OM NP A5 4-8-4, C/P, Mint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,895.00OM #0166 NP Z Class 4-6-6-4, C/P, Mint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,995.00USH AC12 4-8-8-2, C/P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,595.00USH UP 4-6-6-4, Can Motor, C/P, NOB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,395.00PSC PRR K4,4-6-2, Slat Pilot, N/P, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,350.00PSC PRR B-6,0-6-0 w/Straight Cylinders, LN, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,450.00SS PRR I1 2-10-0, LN, 2-Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .each $1,150.00Atlas GP35’s, New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $350.00CW H16-44 ,C/P ATSF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,495.00USH GP35, N/P, LN, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $495.00

OM American Hoist Ditcher, LN, N/P, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $495.00OM #0515 UP SD40-2, C/P Lts, Beacon, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,095.00Custom Built PRR GG1, Ptd Green, 5-Stripe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $575.00SS FM Trainmaster, C/P SP Bloody Nose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,295.00OL GN 2-D-2 #5001/5002 Set, C/P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,495.00USH SD45, C/P SP, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $695.00 USH #401 48' Gondola,N/P, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $149.00USH #305 Single Dome Tank w/Platform, N/P, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $149.00MG #702 3-Bay Hopper, Rnd End, N/P, NOB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $199.00USH #705 Panel Hopper, N/P, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $199.00 USH #402 52' Gondola, N/P, NOB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $149.00USH #302 D. Dome Tank, N/P, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $139.00PSC#16059-1, 2-Bay C&O Hopper, F/P C&O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $195.00USH #505 2-Bay Composite Hopper, N/P, OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $149.00 PL#300 PRR R-7 Reefer, C/P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $295.00Priester Custom Built Morrell Reefers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .each $159.00MG #120 TT Flats,C/P PRR w/USH RB Tks(25 available) . . . . . . .each $129.00PRB 60’ Greenville Boxcars,Various Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .each $300.00PRB 62’ PC&F Boxcars,Various Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .each $300.00MG PRR N8 Caboose,N/P,NOB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250.00PSC PRR Stock Car,N/P,OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250.00OM#0752 NP Caboose,C/P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $375.00Alco PRR N6a,C/P or N/P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .each 225.00ALW ATSF Chief Pullmans/Diner/Observation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .each 475.00CB PRR N8 Caboose,N/P,OB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $295.00PRB 50’ Boxcars SD,End Door & DD Kits,Undec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $37.50PRB 50’ Boxcars,Built,DD,End Door,SD,C&O/B&O/PM/WM . . . . . . . . . . $47.50

(UP & ATSF End Door/ CB&Q & Erie S.Door)


BuildingA PRRN2sa2-10-2

BuildingA PRRN2sa2-10-2

Text and models by John SauersIllustrations by Carey Hinch

During World War 1 American railroads were taken over bya government agency, The United States Railroad Administra-tion (USRA). Under USRA control, railroads were prohibitedfrom developing any new locomotives. Instead, the USRAdesigned standard classes of locomotives: 0-6-0, 0-8-0, 2-8-2,2-10-2 light and heavy, 4-6-2 light and heavy, 4-8-2 light andheavy, 2-6-6-2, 2-8-8-2. All were equipped with radial stayfireboxes.

The demand on the Pennsylvania RR was so great duringthe war that they could not keep up without acquiring addi-tional locomotives. In 1918 and 1919 they took delivery of120 USRA 2-10-2 heavy locomotives, and classified them asN2s. This group served the PRR well and after the war theyacquired an additional 10 engines. The N2’s were used acrossthe Pennsy system.

In fact, the PRR liked them enough to rebuild them in 1923.They cut away the radial stay fireboxes and replaced themwith Belpaire fireboxes and PRR standard smokebox fronts.These locomotives were reclassified as N2sa. I have alwayswanted to build an N2sa with a long-haul tender. I eventuallyfound a photo of #8919 showing an N2sa with this type of ten-der. However, most N2sa’s kept their as-delivered USRA ten-ders. Some of those USRA tenders were rebuilt by the PRR toincrease coal capacity.

Since there has never been a USRA 2-10-2 made in Oscale, I had to scratch-and parts-build this locomotive. So, let’sget started. The first thing we need is a set of plans. I lookedeverywhere for a set and was unable to find any. I took a draw-ing of a USRA heavy 2-10-2 from a Locomotive Cyclopediaand modified it by adding the Belpaire and a few other Pennsydetails (Fig A next page). Don’t worry about the valve gear.We will use a different type than in the drawing.Frame

The frame and drivers were made by Locomotive Work-shop. We will use the same technique to complete the framesas we used on the PRR E1 buildup (OST#7). Solder thesprings to the top of the frame, one over each driver (Fig B).Fabricate the equalizers that will go in the frame cutouts. Sol-

N2sa w/tank cars, courtesy PRR,J. Giannovario collection

FRAME

DRILL FOR .040”CAST BOLTSALL LOCATIONS

Fig B.


der the equalizers in place. Next attach long bars from thesprings to the rockers.

Now, assemble the two sides of the frame and install thedrivers. Make sure you order crescent counter weights on thedrivers. Set the frame aside and we will start the boiler.Boiler

Using the templates provided (Figs C & D) cut the boilersections from .015" brass and bend to shape (photo 2). Do theBelpaire first. Carefully draw the lines for bending and shape

Fig A. General Arrangement PRR N2sa 2-10-2This drawing is 70% of actual O scale size.

N2SA #3

1st a

fter

smok

ebox

#2

smok

ebox

#1

#5

N2S

A #

4

Fig C.Half size for O scale

Fig D.Half size for O scale


the Belpaire (Part #5 in Fig D). The front of the Belpaire willbe made by soldering brass across the top of the boiler and fil-ing it to shape.

I usually solder a piece of brass to the inside of each courseso half of it is sticking out to attach the next course. I use 1/4

inch wide pieces. Start with the Belpaire. Solder the nextcourse to it and continue foreword until you are at the coursejust before the smoke box (Part #2 in Fig C).

Insert the smoke box into this course and solder it in place.Make sure it is perfectly round.

Now go back and solder the front pieces to the firebox(Part#6 in Fig E). These I usually make up by pressing rivetsin carefully placed rows. Bend to match the front of the fire-box. Add a piece of brass to the back of the boiler for the back-head. We will detail this later.

Your boiler should now look like Fig E.Cab

The template for the cab is shown in Fig F. Lay out the riv-ets and emboss them. Carefully cut out the cab, cab front andcab rear out of .020" brass. (BTW, this is a "stock" USRA cab

and drawings for it can be found in many references.) Thewindows must be cut out and window frames made. TheUSRA windows have more sections than typical Pennsy win-dows. These are drilled first then filed to desired shape. Thefront of the cab is attached to the boiler.

Using the template for the cab floor (Fig G), cut out asshown and bend at the proper places (Photo 4). Solder to theboiler. Don't worry about the space where the floor goes. Benda piece of brass to fit and solder it to the inside of the cab.

Photo 5 shows the completed cab. Detail the cab interior tosuit. The cab will be removable to allow full cab details to beadded. Form the cab sides and solder the back wall in place.Now solder the window frames from the inside. The USRAcabs have a vent that runs the length of the cab on top. In addi-tion, the two hatches slide foreword. I almost goofed here as

Photo 2

2 ROWSRIVETS1 ROW

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5

#6Fig E.

Fig F.Cab - Half size for O scale

FOLD

CUT

WIDTH DETERMINEDBY BOILER

DIAM

OND

TREAD

BOILER

FRAME

Photo 3

Photo 5.

Photo 4

Fig G.

continued on page38


Pennsy hatches slide to the rear. (See Harry Hieke's articles inOST#1, #2 and #3 for details on making windows that slideand roof hatches that work - Ed.) Cylinders

Solid brass cylinders can be obtained from LocomotiveWorkshop. On my model I cut out the front and rear of thecylinder chest. The cylinder heads and valve heads are fromLocomotive Workshop (Photo 6). Assemble per Fig H. Soldera cast nut and washer to the center of the cylinder head andadd the valve guides.

Valve Gear & RodsThe valve gear hangers are made using the drawing in Fig I.

Most of the valve gear is from Williams PRR locos. Thecrosshead is from a Williams locomotive while the main andside rods from a USH PRR I-1, 2-10-0. Assemble the side rodson the drivers and make sure the mechanism is free of anybinds. Attach the cylinder and the valve gear. Make adjust-ments so the mechanism runs free by hand. After you are satis-fied add the motor and gear box and run it in.Details, Details, Details...

This is the part of model building that makes or breaks your

model. The amount of detail you elect to put on your model isyour choice. I find I want to apply everything I can. I study lots ofphotos and end up drawing what I intend to put on my project.

Let’s begin with running boards. I take engraved runningboard and solder .015" brass to the bottom, to give it somestrength. Solder the running boards to the sides being carefulto keep them straight. On this project the boards are straightwith no breaks for air tanks. After soldering the boards in,place I added the tank brackets in Fig J to the top of the boards.

This figure also shows how I make air tanks. The bracketswould normally attach to the tanks, but here we are only giv-ing that impression. I add angle brass to the sides of the run-ning boards.

Handrails are next. On this engine the stanchions are "U"shaped to receive the handrail and have nuts and bolts goingthrough them. These are available from Precision Scale Co.

Figure K shows the piping details and tank arrangement. Imarked each point where I added a cast union. The powerreverse goes on the right side.

This N2sa, as modeled, represents a later PRR engine so

SADDLE

BACK

FRONT

WRAPPER

STEAMEXHAUST

CYLINDERHEAD

CYLINDERHEAD

CROSSHEADGUIDES

SMALLWASHOUTPLUGS

VALVEHEADS

BOILER

NUT &WASHERCASTINGS

RIGHT SIDE

LEFT SIDE

POWER REVERSERIGHT SIDE

LIFTING LINK

Photo 6

Fig. H

Fig. I.

TUBING TO LENGTH

WALKWAY

TANK BRACKETS

SHAPED USINGDRILL & FILE

WIRE UNION

TUBING

STRAPS .010”2 EACH TANKFig. J


the details you would find on it would be similar to a PRR I-12-10-0. My detail sketches are showing in Fig L (on page 40).Figure M shows how to wire up the headlight and generator.

Cab detail depends upon you. I prefer that my models haveas many details in the cab as on the boiler. (Photo 7 page 40).

The lead truck and trailing truck can both be obtained fromPrecision Scale or Locomotive Workshop.

The pilot is made from a square piece of brass with the endsrounded (Fig N). Steps are fabricated using .015" brass. Thedeck is made using engraved deck material. The steps to run-ning boards are made from the same .015" brass. Add a traincontrol box to the rear of the deck.Tender

Now for some tender words. I hate building tenders. Iacquired a US Hobbies PRR M1a long haul tender and usedthat. Both PFM and Sunset have imported a USRA heavy 4-8-2 in the past and a tender from one of those engines would doas well. All either needs is a doghouse. Both Precision Scaleand Locomotive Workshop offer kits.

That’s it. Send it to the paint shop. ◆

Sources:Locomotive Workshop, 6 Appleby Dr., Helmetta NJ 08828, 732-605-2780Precision Scale Co., PO Box 278, Stevensville MT 59870,406-777-5071

POWER REVERSE

FRONT

CAB

LEFT SIDE

AIR PUMP

INJECTOR

FIREBOX

11 UNIONS

CAB

FRONT

RIGHT SIDE

1

3

HEADLIGHT

STEAM

SMALLLINES FRONT

2 LINES 2 LINES

NUT/BOLT CASTINGAND CLAMP DETAIL

HEADLIGHT

GENERATOR

GENERATOR

Fig. K

Fig. M

Fig. N


FRONT

ROOF DEFLECTOR

RAIN GUTTERHANDRAIL

HOOD

ARMREST

DISTRIBUTION VALVE

BLOWDOWN

STARTERVALVE

TOP OFBELPAIR

POP OFFVALVES

WASHOUTPLUGS

FRONT

FRONT

BOTH SIDESJUST IN FRONT OFSAND DOMEBOTH SIDES

SANDING VALVESBRACKET


Continued from last issue...The next morning as per instructions, I

got up after very little sleep, had anotherAmerican Breakfast, and went back to myroom. About 9:00 am I got a callfrom Ho Chul Lee. He spoke justenough English for us to communi-cate. I followed his instructions.

I left the hotel lobby and turnedright and proceeded to the corner.There, Ho Chul, Namh Il, and Ahn(I don’t remember his first name)met me with a taxi. I got in. We spedaway to the subway, about a mile or twofrom the Hotel Koreana. We got out. There

was little talking, so I just followed. Weboarded the subway and headed South. Werode for some time, far South of AnyongCity where the GangSan factory was. Wegot off the subway and hailed another cab.We rode for about 10 minutes and got out ata factory entrance, where Ahn went in thesecurity fence to meet someone and get akey. We then walked about 6-8 blocks andknocked on a door of a residence. Someonethere met us, wearing a suit, and I recog-nized him as one of the factory workers. Itseems that wearing a suit has some kind ofclass distinction in Korea. I noticed that

Crapolafrom theCupolaJohn C. SmithPecos River Brass

management in the factories wore suits andthat meant achievement to them. A Koreanworker will take title over salary every time,if he can wear a suit to work. I guess,because the American was here, and he waspicked to help, he wore his suit that day.

We unlocked the basement and down sixsteps were all the bits and pieces for myheavyweight passenger car project. We tookall the boxes up to the apartment and openedthe boxes. I took photos of my cars, half built,and PSC’s tank cars and Sunsets V&T steamlocos. They were all there. We didn’t wastemuch time. We put it all back, and went backto the hotel somewhat the same way, only thistime using a bus, taxi and subway. They leftme at my hotel and disappeared.

If I had thought about it more, I would

have looked over my shoulder far moreoften. I didn’t realize what was happening tome. What they did was very dangerous.They could have been followed to the mod-els and hurt very badly... me too. When I gotback to the hotel, I went to my room andthen, and only then, realized the danger thatI might have been in. There were lots ofmessages from other builders wanting tomeet with me. The word got out... a richAmerican is in Seoul looking for a builderand they all wanted to be that builder. Justthink about it, an American that is desperate.They must have been drooling.

Charlie had arrived. He was staying at adifferent hotel, the Westin Chosun, about 4blocks away and twice the price. Charlie hadflown first class, and could afford the best.

Charlie had been using Samhongsa forall his S Scale steam projects, but was hav-ing trouble with them and prices. They keptgoing up. Duh! Charlie was looking foranother alternative. We visited six factoriestogether. It was my only time to actuallyvisit Samhongsa and I appreciated the differ-ence immediately. Computers, digital

machinery, uniforms, clean floor, depart-ments, and, at that time, about 500 workers.They were the king. Se Yong Lee ofSamhongsa and I were never able to cometogether on a project. We tried several timesover the years but it just wasn’t meant to be.

We visited Mr. O, of OCS Microcast(casting company) and he took us to MSPark. Park brought out model after model inS scale that they built for another importer.Charlie would say, I have 3 of those andnone would run. I have 4 of those and only 2run. I have those and they don’t work. Parkwas getting frustrated. I took Charlie to theside and said to him, “Charlie, is Sam build-ing you a great model?” He agreed, and so Itold him to stay with Sam and pay the price.“Look at the MS quality. You don’t wantthat.” When we went back to where Mr. Oand Mr. Park were sitting, Mr. O could seethat Charlie was not liking what he was see-ing, so he turned to me and asked, “...per-haps if you would be interested in business. Ihear GangSan is no more.” I smiled.

So, I said, “I thought MS Models had anexclusive agreement with Overland?” Mr. Osaid, ”Only verbal, nothing in writing. Wewill use another name and nobody willknow.” I laughed, “Nobody will know?Everyone will know. There are no secretsover here.” I then said, “Isn’t your word yourbond?” Then he said, perhaps it would bebetter if we didn’t do business. Mr. O hasnever forgiven me for that remark. Seemsit’s OK to be dishonest as long as you don’tget caught. Charlie did business with Sam aslong as he lived, and paid the higher price.

One other note about this trip. Two dif-ferent model builders met us at our hotellobby, where we discussed general businessideas. As usual, we asked to visit the factory.Two different builders and two differentcompanies, and both took us to the samefactory! When we returned the second time,the factory workers must have thought, whatin the hell are these guys doing back here.Neither builder knew we had been theretwice, and we played along. It didn’t matter.I am sure that this was an assembly subcon-tractor and both companies used them as anassembly factory.

What an odd place, Korea. ◆


Tips from Neville Rossiter Perth, Australia

THE WORKSHOP[]\

Table with the structures waiting to be finished.

Building Multiple StructuresOn my new modular layout each module has a theme. One of

the themes is a “City Block” which required a number of structuresto be built, a daunting task for one person with a deadline to meetfor a show. Here is how I did it.

After the structures were chosen for the module and put togeth-er with the base and walls, I cleared a space directly opposite myworkbench and placed an old table for the structures and parts tofinish them.

I used the workbench for cutting and for mak-ing the odd part, and the table for final assemblyand hand painting.

I found that sitting between the bench and thetable was very convenient and sped up the work.After the structures were finished the table wasput out in the shed until needed again.

I also used a lot of Pecos River Brass modularbuildings. The hardest part of building the Pecosbuilding modules is working out where the parts go.

I would suggest to lay out all the parts sepa-rately on a table and either bundle them up withelastic bands or put them into containers (I usedice cream containers). That done, the flash canthen be cleaned off and the parts squared.

Now you are ready to start building. Lay allthe parts out on a flat surface. I use my cuttingtable that has a large self-healing cutting mat thathelps to stop the parts from slipping.

When gluing the parts together it is importantto use heavy weights to hold the parts square andinline while the glue is drying. The weights, ifheavy enough, act like clamps between the partsand the mat.

I prefer to use “frosted glass” for the windowsinstead of the clear plastic that is supplied. Forthis, I cut up plastic milk bottles into rectangles for the window glass. ◆

Workbench with tools and cutting board.

Overall view of the area, showing the bench, chair, and the table.

PRB modular building

O Scale DCCO Scale DCCDCC - SoundTed Byrne

Block Detection with DCC Command ControlDCC, and the other command control systems that

use AC on the tracks, make block detection simple.Why would you want block detection?

• An obvious reason is to control grade crossingwarnings (lights, gates, bells).

• Another reason is to control block signalinglights. For example you might have three-aspect lights that show red if the next block isoccupied, yellow/orange if the second blockahead is occupied, and green if both blocks arefree.

• A third reason is to control remote lights, suchas a CTC board, an indicator for hidden or stag-ing tracks, or as a personal computer input.

• A fourth reason is to control sound systems thatare triggered by the passing of a train, such asstation sounds.

• A fifth reason is to control reversing looppower automatically.

You can think of more reasons.Recall that a block is a section of track that has at

least one rail isolated (gapped) and is fed power by adedicated wire. Block detection goes way back, but theclassic method was Linn Wescott’s Twin-T detectordescribed in Model Railroader 1958. Block detectionwith DCC is a cinch because it is easier to detect AC thanDC. You just loop the block feed wire through a trans-former on the detection circuit (probably looped severalturns). There is no electrical connection between thetrack power and the detection circuit power so there isno decrease in train speed and no possibility of sneakconnections between blocks.

DCC block detection is also nicer because the trackpower is always ON even when the train has stopped. Soyou don’t get the situation where a lowered crossinggate doesn’t go back up when the train stops becausethere is no track power to signal them.

There are several sources for block detection devices,but I use the unit described in May, 2000 Model Rail-roader, page 90: “The DCC Optimized Detector”. Thearticle describes the device, which is about a big as a

cigarette pack, and tells how to build it yourself. They also giveoptions to buy it assembled or to buy a complete parts kit andassemble it yourself. I find collecting the onesy-twosy parts apain so I like buying the complete kit of parts. The kit is itemDCCOD kit and is sold by EASEE Interfaces, 801 BrysonLoop, Lakeland Florida 33809-8702. Each detector costs $14and there is a one-time shipping/handling charge of $6. Youcan assemble this if you are familiar with soldering small partsand have the tools and are careful. Have a magnifying glass orloupe as the part markings or colors are very small. Remembersome parts have a + and - end. By the way, if you build it your-self, be aware that there is an error in the electrical circuit dia-gram that is corrected on page 10 in Model Railroader July,2000 issue.

The device is fine as it is, but I made two changes. First Iused larger wire to thread through the transformer than the #22wire that they supply. They say their wire will support up to 20amps but I wanted less voltage drop.

Second, I didn’t use the connector they supply to plug theunit into a group container which is used to place all the detec-tors next to your bank of block detection switches. I haveblocks, but no block switches, so I put each unit right under thetrack board where power connects to the track with a powersupply and relay next to it.

Block detection depends on the train drawing some, but notmuch, current. DCC-equipped locomotives, passenger carswith lights, and a caboose with marker lights are no problem. Ifall your trains are shorter than the block length that is all thereis to it. The article describes other options such as conductivepaint on car axles and resistors soldered across the axlebetween the wheels.

This detector has the nice characteristic that it has a turn-ondelay of 0.25 second and a turn-off delay of 3.5 seconds. Youdon’t get false chattering because of dirt on rails or wheels. Theoutput is a transistor that can be used to energize a small relay orlights. The Radio Shack 275-206 relay is one possible choice.The whole unit uses a little more power than the relay or otheroutput devices. It does need 12 volts of fairly clean DC, but onesmall power unit can run many block detectors.

I would be interested in hearing what you use block detec-tion for and will discuss applications in a future column if thereis interest. ◆



NarrowMindedBobber Gibbs

3 New O Scale Narrow Gauge Locomotives Arriving SoonThis is a great time for O Scale narrow gauge modeling as

no less than three new ready-to-run locomotives are expectedto be available in the immediate future.

According to the Bachmann Trains website, they should beshipping their new Spectrum On30 Davenport 0-4-0 critter(with counterweights and side rods) in the next few weeks.This late 1930's era gas mechanical features die-cast frame, 5-pole skew-wound motor, low-speed gearing, amber LEDheadlight, full cab interior and will be DCC-ready. It will beoffered in the following roadnames: Greenbrier & Big RunLumber, Pocahontas Lumber, Midwest Quarry & Mining,Colorado Mining, Little River Logging, and painted and unlet-tered. It was displayed at the National Narrow Gauge Conven-tion in Colorado and, if it is as heavy and low-geared asconventioneers report, it looks like it will be another winner. http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/index.htmlMSRP:$90.

Broadway Limited Imports announced their new On30 C-16 2-8-0 with sound, that can be operated with a standard DCpower pack as well as with DCC. The C-16 was a generic nar-row gauge locomotive and will be available in several paintschemes, including D&RGW, RGS, Mexico Lumber, NCNG,Montezuma Lumber, the Pennsylvania RR, CM&StP andunlettered. The factory installed Quantum sound system withdual speakers will feature chuff, whistle, bell, squealingbrakes, Doppler effect, air release, air pumps, blow down, pop

off, blower hiss and more. It will include a 5-pole can motorwith flywheel, die-cast chassis, detailed tender underbody,backhead details, operating headlight, directional backup lightand can operate on 18" radius curves. Due in November.http://www.broadway-limited.com/products/drgw.htmMSRP $270.

Precision Scale/Mountain Model Importsrecently announced a new K-27 in On3 and On30in diecast and brass, painted, decaled and soundequipped, with lights, cab interior, and can motor. Itwill be available in D&RGW livery in several roadnumbers including 452, 453, 459, 462, 463, 464with choice of flying Rio Grande or D&RGW her-ald with green boiler. Expected early in 2004.MSRP $439.

It is interesting that PS/MMI may import 1,500K-27 models in On3 and 5,000 in On30, due to the

growing interest in On30.Note that all three ready-to-run locomotives will be painted

and DCC-ready and both of the larger locomotives will beequipped with sound, which is a recent and welcome trend inour hobby. These are certainly great times for O Scale narrowgauge model railroading. (Photos of the K-27 are not yet avail-able.)

More, soon. Bobber ◆


The Metro system makes access to the sights in town easyand enjoyable. Take advantage of it, for quick self-guided visitto places like the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum, or theMuseum of American History. For the artist in the family,there’s the National Gallery of Art and the Corcoran Gallery,each with both permanent and visiting exhibits on display. Ifnature is of interest, the National Zoo, National Aquarium, andthe National Arboretum are requirements, perhaps followed bya visit to the Museum of Natural History. All of these may bereached by using the Metro rail system.

Currently in the works, for those of the railroad persuasion,are tours of Metro’s shops and maintenance facilities, andAmtrak’s Union Station/ Ivy City facility. Also planned arebus trips up to Baltimore and the B&O Museum at the classicMt. Clare shops. This trip is contingent on the museum re-opening after last winter’s roof collapse, however, so staytuned.

Washington DC is indeed, one of the most educational, his-torical, and culturally rich cities in the world. Take some extratime with your family and come, not only to the Convention,but also for an experience your family will remember for yearsto come.

In the next issue, we’ll look at the events during the Con-vention, itself. Meanwhile, contact the Capital Area O Scalersfor their flyer, “Washington: 50 Things to Do and See”. Whileyour family is quickly filling the itinerary with ideas and“must-see” sites, you’ll want to check out the “2004 O ScaleNational Convention” flyer for clinics, contests, tours, layouts,and railfanning opportunities. Also, you’ll want to fondle oneof the special Convention cars in the privacy of your ownhome. Already available is the Red Caboose wood reefer let-tered for Fruit Grower’s Express, and Atlas-O will be shippingthe Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac (the boxcar redscheme!) USRA outside braced boxcars very soon. Just [email protected], or write to:

Capital Area O Scalers2004 O Scale National Convention10401 Grandin Rd.Silver Spring, MD 20902For hotel info, and reservations, be sure you mention the

2004 O Scale National Convention when you contact:Hyatt Regency, Crystal City at Reagan National Airport2799 Jefferson Davis HighwayArlington, VA 222021-800-233-1234“See you for a Capital Convention!” ◆

The 2004 O Scale National Convention will be held in theNation’s Capital on the 22nd through the 25th of July. At theNational, you’ll see old friends, get your arms around bothnew O Scale products and that classic old piece you’ve beentrying to find for years, and have the opportunity to learn fromsome of the scale’s masters. Not only will you be able to visitJohn Armstrong’s Canandaigua Southern and Ed Rappe’sbasement sized Pennsy, but you’ll see Doug Jones’wizardry ina small space, and several creative modular layouts in the hall.There will be plenty to inspire you, and we’ll look at some ofthese railroads in a later issue of OST.

A convention in Washington is just a little different thanyou’ve been used to. Here is an opportunity, not only to attendthe Convention, but also to bring your family for a wonderful-ly educational vacation.

If traveling by air, you’ll fly down the Potomac River toReagan National Airport, with direct shuttle service to thehotel in Crystal City, Virginia. While you are prowling thehalls and checking out the clinics, your family can head intotown to see the White House, the Capitol, and all the monu-ments just by availing themselves of the hotel’s ability toarrange a variety of DC tours to suit any interest.

If traveling by car, there are opportunities for you to stop onyour way and visit several places of interest to the railroadenthusiast, such as the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad,Cass, Strasburg, Horseshoe Curve and the Altoona Railroad-er’s Museum, and The National Capital Trolley Museum.

Then it’s arrival at the hotel for four days packed full of funand adventure, with the Capital Area O Scalers as your hosts.On your way home, your family may want to visit Lancaster,and Pennsylvania Amish Country, or maybe head South to seeGeorge Washington’s Mount Vernon, or Thomas Jefferson’shome at Monticello. Close by are also the great battlefields ofthe American Civil War, such as Antietam, Gettysburg, Man-assas, Fredericksburg, and Petersburg.

Travel by rail is a viable option, the only choice for the truered-blooded railfan. You’ll pull into the wonderfully restoredWashington Union Station, then take the DC Metro system outto the Crystal City Metro stop, where a complimentary shuttlecan be had to take you to the hotel close-by.

An Overview of SONC 2004An Overview of SONC 2004


2 0 0 4

Washington, DCJuly 22-25

Hyatt Regency, Crystal City at Reagan National Airport

SCALERS0Capital Area

Link

ing 1/4” Scale Modelers

2004 SONC

he Capital Area ‘0’ Scalers cordially invite you and yourfamily to join us in Washington, DC, for the 2004 ‘0’ ScaleNational Convention. The White House, the Capitol, and

many world class museums and monuments can be seen in thisbeautiful, attraction-rich city. The 2004 ‘0’ Scale NationalConvention hotel is conveniently located for access to all of themost popular sites.

We have a host of activities planned for your enjoyment.The Convention features more than twenty ‘0’ scale layoutsincluding John Armstrong’s Canandaigua Southern, Ed Rappé’sPennsylvania RR with an impressive view of Horseshoe Curve,and Tony Lash’s spectacular hi-rail empire. There will be a fantastic trade show for buying, selling and swapping, clinics, and model and switching

contests. Numerous railfanningopportunities and good times with new and old friends are certain to top off your convention experience.

T‘0’ Scale National Convention

Show Cars Use convention registration form to order. Limited number. First reserved, first served.

Atlas 40’ USRA outside-braced box car. Exclusive run. Boxcar red lettered “RF&P”.Red Caboose 40’ Fruit Growers Express reefer. Exclusive run. Four color paint with silver roofs. (Available Now)

Five ways to get more inforegarding the 2004 ‘0’ ScaleNational Convention• Visit us on the web at

www.2004onational.comfor information and registration forms.

• E-mail us at [email protected]

• Look for articles and regis-tration forms to be includedin future issues of 0 ScaleTrains magazine.

• Visit our display at shows.• Write to:

Capital Area ‘0’ ScalersP.O. Box 42563Washington, D.C. 20015

O Scale Trains MagazinepresentsA Guide To ModernO Scaleby Brian Scace

Now Available From O Scale Trains Magazine

A Guide To Modern O Scaleby Brian Scace

A Guide To Modern O ScaleFor the first time, here is a guide to Oscale two rail. This book was writtenby O scale modelers with years ofexperience in the hobby and they sharethat experience with wit and wisdom.We’ll show you how to get started in 2rail O Scale, what you need and whereto get it.

Of particular use is the list ofResources at the end of each chapter.

Get your copy today from your local Oscale hobby shop or direct from OScale Trains, just $14.95 plus $3 s&h.VISA & Mastercard Accepted.

Here’s a peek at the Table of Contents:1. Welcome, and a little History2. Concept of Operation3. Locomotives4. Rolling Stock and Couplers5. Space Prep and Benchwork6. Track and Track Plans

with Joe Giannovario7. Structures and Scenery

with Neville Rossiter8. Wiring and Control Systems

with Ted Byrne 9. Narrow Gauge

with Bobber Gibbs10. Consider Traction 11. Proto 48

with Gene Deimling12. Tools

with Neville Rossiter 13. Useful Tables, Tips,

and Short Notes14. Sources, Conventions,

and Meets15. Glossary of Terms

O Scale TrainsPO Box 238

Lionville PA 19353-0238610-363-7117These ain’t yer Daddy’s trains!

O ScaleTrains


Reader FeedbackReader FeedbackMoving Over From 3 Rail

I am a recent subscriber, after havingfound a copy of this magazine at a localnewsstand. I like the magazine. It has agreat friendly “feel” to it. As a newcomerto O scale from 3 rail, many O scale publi-cations come off as snobbish, but yourmagazine, rather than denigrating 3 railtrains, seems to have the right idea; use theincreasing emphasis on detail in 3 railtrains to get those detail interested 3-railerslike me to “lose that 3rd rail” and go scale.

Okay, I love the “Crapola from theCupola” section. It is really neat to learnhow the crazy brass trains business works.I also like scratchbuilding, and kitbashingarticles, as well as the 3 to 2 rail conver-sion articles. I still have a ton of 3 railstuff, I would rather convert and modifywhat is appropriate rather than start fromscratch. Yes, some will have to go, butthere are some 3 rail items that can beconverted/kitbashed, and/or detailed forscale.

Keep up the pressure for a 2 rail starterset. I agree that 2 rail sectioned track is thekey. This will allow more converts fromboth 3 rail and HO. There is no way that Iwill be hand laying track.

I know that many are concerned withthe Atlas RTR stuff, but frankly, I cannotafford all brass equipment. In order togrow, and attract newcomers, there mustbe a certain amount of O scale affordable,mass produced product.

BTW: Yes, there is a “greying” of OScale, but I am only 38, and just love it!!

Fred Talasco (via email)Joe G. says: Thanks for your com-

ments. I think more and more 3 rail model-ers will be coming over to 2 rail. If youthink about how the 3 rail market hasmoved closer and closer to 1:48 scalemodels and away from toy trains, it justseems logical that the final extension ofthis “scale movement” is 2 rail track. Asfor affordable brass, take a look at theSunset High Iron announcement in theProduct News and Reviews section of thisissue.

Who Built That?I’d like to wave my arms a bit, and the

cover shot on issue 9 will serve as alaunch pad. I doubt if I will get airborne,but here goes: That beautiful AC-5 wonfirst place at O Scale West, and is a testi-mony to the expertise of Sunset’s Koreancraftsmen. The windows and a skillfullyapplied coat of weathered black wereadded after purchase, and really make themodel look great. I don’t know for surethat it is a factory painted import, but Ihave in front of me an identical model,complete to the engine number, and thedetails track right down to the rivet pat-terns and numbers of rivets per line. Ihave heard of rivet-counters; I alwaysthought it was a joke.

Second place was a beautiful scratchbuilt model by Alf Modine. Alf has beenentering the OSW contest for years, andhas repeatedly placed second or third,often behind Japanese and Koreanimports. I felt so strongly about Alf win-ning a first place that I voted for himinstead of me. So did my wife, who hadher own ballot. I don’t know what themargin of victory is, but I know it isalways close—nobody I know ever visitsthe contest room, let alone votes!

O Scale West does not separate pur-chased models from kit and scratch-builtmodels in the contest room. They do atremendous job of putting on a conven-tion, and the work those guys do is appre-ciated by all of us. And there is probablynothing wrong with comparing the skillof a scratch-builder with that of a mass-producer. In fact, it might be incentive forthe scratch builder to improve his or herskill level. But I gotta tell you, I will neverhave the time, resources, or skill to dowhat Sunset does. Sure, I get my boilercontours closer to the actual prototype,but those details! Even with Dennis andKathy Mashburn helping [with castings],I’ll never come close to that AC-5. Butthere is a difference! A scratch or kitbuilder is displaying his or her own handi-work, and in the contest environment, isseeking recognition for that work. A pur-chaser is not looking for the same thing.At best, a purchaser is saying “Hey, look!Isn’t this neat?” Taking a ribbon home fora factory painted import doesn’t sound

like a very satisfying thing to me. Don’tget me wrong; the weathered grey andwindows were quite well done, and thepainter deserves credit. But the credit forthe locomotive belongs elsewhere.

I hope you don’t mind my suggestingthat the builder should be indicated whenyou use a model for your cover shot. Notonly would that be good for the builderand importer (in this case an importantadvertiser), but it would help your readersand would be more effective journalism.All that aside, the cover shot is a keeper!That model is gorgeous!

I have a couple of additional thoughts.Power packs are a problem for O Scalers.I recommend a combination of a goodlow-power auto transformer and a 24vhigh power stepdown transformer. I use asmall Stacor auto transformer (last pricewas $17, but that was a while ago) and asurplus stepdown. I follow that up with aninexpensive rectifier and a giant capacitor,with circuit protection on both ends andmeters and switches at the output. My testtransformer also has an AC output for hi-rail stuff. That generally gives me about18v at 6 amps, but I use a 3 amp breaker.You need the higher voltage for older OScale (Lobaugh and K&D) and the newcan motors can take it if you want.

Nice article on pickle cars. I’d buildone if I didn’t already have one. I am tick-led to see Roger Jenkins with a regularcolumn. And Gene Deimling is one of myheroes. He published the definitive workon SP 0-6-0s. Bob Stevenson is thinkingof a kit for such models; since I have builtsix, I’m hoping I can help. And I agreewith Brian Scace on several counts: Mytest layout is a full 56" high on the outsideloop pair; and I 100% agree with histhoughts on product reviews. Wait ‘tillyou see my latest! I have been known toskip a review when the product complete-ly misses the mark.

Keep up the good work – and againthanks for fixing my subscription in sucha rapid fashion.

Regards, Bob Turner, San DiegoJoe G. responds: Bob, thanks for the

comments. Not being an fan of westernsteam I did not realize the AC-5 was a


recent import. And, as the model contest atOSW is by “popular vote,” I’ll bet many ofthe voters didn’t know as well. I always tryto identify the models in the magazine,especially on our covers. I thought, asmany did, that the model was scratchbuilt.At the O Scale National, the contest wasjudged. Does that help? I don't have theanswer but I do agree that a brass importwinning First Prize in a model contest isn'tfair to other contestants.

Commentary on Issue #10I’d like to make several comments

about Issue #10. Clark Howell did a finefine job showing how to build realistictrack using castings from Lou Cross(Right-O-Way). Track is and should bejust as detailed as our models and a bigreason to be in O scale. I’ve built 23switches and many feet of track so far onmy Ware River Railroad using the sameequipment. It just doesn’t get any betterfor the realism it’ll impart on, and com-plement, our detailed rolling stock andrelated structures. Each switch takes meabout 2-3 hours to build but I wouldn’tsettle for anything less now. Just a couple

suggestions though. Lately the frog cast-ings come with no fishplates cast on. Thiseliminates cutting any insulating gaps onthe point rails. I use the plastic insulatingfishplates on all four frog rails like theprototype with an 18 gauge wire feedersoldered to the frog. Before I begin, everycasting and all rails are airbrushed with a50/50 mix of Floquil weathered black andrail brown. Even when the switch is com-plete, I airbrush the whole thing again andhighlight the castings and paint the tops ofties with random colors. I find that anywood grain is too coarse to scale down soties sometimes get varying degrees of thewire brush treatment using my Dremelonce they're glued-down. Try these cast-ings. You may get hooked!

I hate to say it but Brian Scace and Itend to think alike. (Sorry Brian, our con-versations can get spooky.) I’ve used theAristo wireless throttle intended for G-scale and a 10 amp Radio Shack powersupply for about 5 years now. I love it! Ithas a 300 foot range. I can run a trainwhile building a B&A caboose at mybench. Harry Hieke’s really obvious andsimple method of making working doors

on Intermountain cars is one of those real-ly obvious tips Brian talks about but herewe’ve struggled with complex solutionsfor too long. Now I’m glad I have allthose unbuilt kits! Who’da thought?

All we really need to do is expand ourthinking instead of using that "We alwaysdid it that way." logic. Don’t overlookcraft stores or the dollhouse stuff forscratchbuilding supplies! Even sets ofcheap makeup brushes have a great selec-tion of soft brushes with many uses but,uh, that could raise some eyebrows ifyou’re alone buying them.

Congratulations on making it to Issue#10! Every new issue brings many newideas.

Phil Opielowski (via email)

On Low Turnouts For The NationalIn your “Observations” column in the

#10 issue of OST, you opine that the mostlikely reasons for the low attendance atthe National was “...the unusual Sundayto Wednesday schedule. And the econo-my had a bit to due with it, too, I'm sure.”I’ll agree about the scheduling. I thinkthat John Smith made a bad choice in


if the Chicago “March Meet” became thede-facto “National” every third year! Ithink you get my drift.

In your column you also lament theabsence of O Scale manufacturers andvendors at the Dallas National. Youwould think that the National would be anideal venue for them. But, as many ofthem are in the business part-time, youmust also remember that they haveexpenses for travel just like the rest of us.Many of them must drive to the Nationalin order to take their wares to sell andthus cannot take advantage of cheap air-fares to a show site. This adds time andexpense. A friend of mine from Florida,who is a major brass dealer, took an infor-mal poll of his customers, asking them ifthey were going to attend the Dallasmeet. Of the 40 or so regulars that hespoke with, only 3 indicated they weregoing. The three reasons cited most oftenfor not attending were: 1-the South? insummer?; 2-the distance involved; 3-theSun-Wed Schedule. Based on that feed-back, he decided not to attend the showeither. After all, why go if your customersaren’t going to be there?

Finally, I think that there needs to besome kind of a determination of what Oscalers want from a National:

1. Dealer Room2. Clinics3. Contests4. Layout Tours5. Prototype Facility Tours6. Banquet & Guest Speaker7. Off site/non modeling activitiesI will cite again the Chicago March

Meet. They have only dealer rooms, con-tests, a few layout visits and it’s veryprobably the best attended O Scale eventin the country, year after year. Any groupthat is considering hosting a Nationalneeds to prioritize these things. I suspectthe #'s 1-3 rate high, #4 possibly, and 5-7as marginal at best.

Ted Leach (via email)

Vendors Pay AttentionThanks for saying what has needed to

be said for a long time about computersand the Internet: “Not everyone has orwants a computer, nor has Internetaccess!” (“Observations” OST#10).[Computers] have to get a lot more userfriendly, (not to mention Internet service

picking those days; days wherein mostfolks would have to take vacation days toattend, rather than over a weekend. As forplanning a vacation around it, I don’tthink many wives or kids would bethrilled with the idea of going to Texas inhigh summer. As for the economy, few ofthe “high-rollers” that I know of in thehobby have reduced the amount of travelor buying they plan to do.

The real reason, I think, is location,Location, LOCATION! I have been to theNationals in Chicago (2), Indianapolis,Atlanta, and Stamford (2) since 1989.The least attended was Atlanta. I havealso heard the shows in New Orleans andSan Antonio were poorly attended. Wecan now add Dallas to that list.

I applaud the efforts of those who puton the shows down South. I had a greattime in Atlanta and saw a couple of neatlayouts as well. But attendance was poorat best. (A possible exception is the 1991show in High Point, NC. I’m told it was asuper event and well attended. But then,that’s not the deep South.) In fact, two ofthe main reasons I went to Atlanta werethat fact the it was only a one-day driveand the offer of free lodging from a fel-low O Scaler while I was there.

I would not consider shows in the deepSouth or the West Coast because of traveltime/expenses and I think many other OScalers feel the same way. (I priced outcheap airfare, a rental car and a budget forthe hotel and meals in Dallas, and I wouldhave spent at least $800 not countingwhat I wanted to spend on trains!) Con-versely, perhaps O Scalers in the Southand Southeast would not attend a Nation-al in the Northeast or California becauseof these same reasons. But, let the majori-ty rule!

The National needs to be where themodelers are! Most O Scalers are concen-trated north of the Mason-Dixon Line andeast of the Mississippi River, with a fairnumber on the West Coast and a scatter-ing in the South and Southeast. I wouldsuggest the the National be held in one ofthree areas on a rotating basis each year.The first area would be the Northeast,somewhere in a triangle drawn aroundWashington, Boston and Cleveland. The2nd would be in the Midwest: Chicago,Indianapolis, St. Louis. The 3rd on theWest Coast. In fact, I wouldn’t complain

getting cheaper), before I buy one. WhenI consider what kind of loco I can buy forthe money, a computer runs last on mylist of priorities. We all have finite dispos-able income, and for the cost of a com-puter, I bought a 53" Sony TV on whichto enjoy my railroad videos.

I especially resent the assumption ofbusinesses that the only way to communi-cate with them is by computer! I nolonger attend conventions of a [certain]RR historical society because of themessy process in getting a refund for mywife’s registration when she was unableto go at the last minute. The only contactwas an email and snail mail, address, notelephone number. Give me a street, cityand state address, and a telephone num-ber, or they’re not getting a check fromme. An email address could be in Liberiafor all I know.

The other problem is getting suckedinto the computer. I had the latest Dell atwork, and if it were not for a BIG clocknext to it, I would never know when to goto lunch or to go home! I know I wouldspend too much sedentary Internet timearguing or discussing, and not enoughtime on physical activity. So far I’ve par-tially avoided Modeler's (and ComputerGeek’s) Gut.

After a flap about computer-alteredphotos in a Model Railroader contest, Ipredicted that a magazine called VirtualRailroading could not be far off, when themodels and layout only exist in hyper-space. (See the featured layout design inthis issue —Ed.) This is too far from real-ity for my taste; that’s why I work onstandard gauge tourist trains when mod-els are not a big enough “fix”.

I realize that a manufacturer can moreeasily and cheaply update their currentofferings on the Internet, but a telephonecall to them can do the same thing, andyou know your call was to the correct per-son, and acknowledged. New productreviews and ads are one of the reasons webuy OST, OSN and MRN.

On the helix article on p. 26, Micro-Mark sells pencil holders that can beattached to a trammel, (such as a yard-stick), so drawing radii of any length canbe more accurate than using a string.

Happy Rails,Lamar Scheuerman, Calif.


Product News & ReviewsProduct News & ReviewsREVIEW: Athearn 1:50 Scale John Deere Model B Tractor. Athearn, Inc.19010 Laurel Park RoadCompton, CA 90220310-631-3400www.athearn.com/home2.htmlReviewed by Gene DeimlingIn a surprise move, Athearn is again offering product for the O scale market. They have just imported a 1:50 scale model of

the John Deere Model B tractor. According to the “Retired Tractor” website, the stylized Model B was built from 1938 to 1952.The styling was done by none other than Henry Dreyfuss, designer of the shrouded NYC Hudson that pulled the 20th CenturyLimited. It appears that this Athearn model is based upon the 1947 update to the Model B.

I might suggest that you visit http://www.retiredtractor.com to learn more about this subject. This is an excellent choice sincemany of us still model in the late steam to early diesel era.

The model was manufactured in China for Athearn under license of JohnDeere. The color, lettering and overall design look to be very well done com-pared to the images contained on the above-mentioned site. The model has anumber of detail parts added like the headlights, steering wheels and exhaustsystem. Athearn’s tractor is clearly a cut above the typical die cast tractor soldby other companies. The detail is better and being 1:50 scale it is much closerto O scale.

The model retails for $16.95 and is available only from retailers.Athearn does not sell direct. While the price might seem a bit high fordiecast, this is a quality product that requires little preparation to place intothe most detailed scenes. A little weathering will make the model look likeit has been used down on the farm. This model and a few more that I pur-chased will go on a scratch built flat car as a load of new tractors. A little

wood blocking to hold the tractors in place and you have a highly detailed model that will attract a lot of attention. Lets hopethat Athearn will produce more classic John Deere farm equipment.

REVIEW: Chooch Enterprises Ultra Scale II Boxcar Detail Set #610. Chooch Enterprises, Inc.P.O. Box 1200Maple Valley, Washington 98038Website:http://www.choochenterprises.com/index.htmlReviewed by Gene DeimlingChooch Enterprises is offering a detail set for Intermountain 1937 AAR boxcars. The kit consists of multiple sprues made of

engineering plastic for ladders, bracketed grab irons and stirrups; and styrene for brake detail parts. These parts are designed tofit into the original kit parts. The parts literally slip into the existing holes. The parts have a very fine cross-section yet are tough.They can stand some rough handling and not end up as track litter on your layout. The kit also contains replacement parts for

the brake levers, brake fulcrum and brake platform. All of the parts are accuratelyportrayed and very close to exact scale. The brake levers even have their foundrymarks on the face.

Mounting engineering plastic partsrequires some care so they don’t fall offduring handling or operation. The materialis very slippery and will not bond withnormal styrene adhesives but can beattached with plastic formulated cyano-acrylates (CA) if the mounting holes are atight fit. There is a new adhesive speciallyformulated for engineering plastics. It iscalled Loctite Plastix. It is a two-part adhe-sive that you can get from a wide variety of

stores. It will bond engineering plastic to standard styrene. The detail set retails for $20 for enough parts to do four Intermountain boxcars. You can use the parts for other cars as well.

The grab irons work on the Intermountain reefer as well. I have used the detail sets on scratch built models, too. The kit is avail-able direct only from Chooch. They have a website that provides secure e-commerce transactions. You can also buy them at anumber of the major O scale shows that Chooch attends. They will be at O Scale West in February and the Chicago show inMarch. You will find a number of very interesting details parts they only sell at the shows.


REVIEW: Scaled WorldP.O. Box 97Cottleville, MO 63338-0097636-939-2397 www.scaledworld.comReviewed by Jeb KriigelNo scale railroad would be realistic without signals! For many years there has been a shortage of high quality super detailed sig-

nals for O scale. A few kits have been available. Custom signal builders are a bit pricey. Now, Scaled World has filled the void withtheir signal kits. Each kit comes with all of the necessary parts and hardware to build ascale signal.

Scaled World has taken the time to package all of the parts in a neat and organizedkit. Most of the components are made of brass, some of white metal castings, and thecolored lenses are made of plastic. Each kit comes with a 14v light bulb and wire leads.Step by step instructions are easy to read and follow. An instruction sheet shows anexploded view of the entire assembly process. It is critical to assemble the kit in theorder outlined. Do not take short cuts! If you have difficulty following directions don’tattempt this kit!

Basic tools are required and some ACC glue. A soldering iron is recommended forsoldering the brass. There is one word of caution: SOLDER ONLY BRASS TOBRASS. The white metal castings will be damaged by the heat. I test fit each part tomake sure of a good fit. Some castings may need to have the flashing removed. Someholes may require cleaning for a proper fit. The kit will take 3-4 evenings to completedepending on your modeling experience.

You can custom paint and detail the final signal to your own preference. This is agreat kit to customize to the exact specifications of your particular road. These signalsare manually operated. However, other manufacturers produce switches and controls tomake these fully operational. With a little patience and skill it is possible to assemble avery realistic looking scale signal that will certainly be a great addition to your pike.

Currently, Scaled World produces a double train order board, a 3 position signallight w. and w/o the control box and a switch signal. Several other signals are beingplanned and are under construction. See their web site for more information.

Don’t have the time, patience, or modeling skills: let Get Real Productions profes-sionally assemble these kits for you! See their ad elsewhere in this magazine.

NEWS:C&O Woodside Caboose Series 90700, 90600, 90800, 90900.R Y Models 7 Edgedale Ct.Wyomissing, PA 19610610-678-2834www.richyodermodels.comPainted in USA, $295.00,Painted, undec., $260.00,Unpainted, $245.00.Three rail version available. Brass construction, trucks & couplers.

NEWS:Ultra Scale II ModelsDiv of Chooch Enterprises, Inc.P.O. Box 1200Maple Valley, WA 98038Website: www.choochenterprises.comUltra Scale Models II, the O Scale division of Chooch

Enterprises announces their new window replacements forthe Weaver Pullman-Bradley cars. Cut in precise laser-cut

plexiglass, each window fits precisely into each frame to make the final appearance of a flush window. Look for part #650. Priced at $24.00 + $4.95 s/h. Available from your favorite Chooch Key Store or directly from Chooch Enterprises.


NEWS: Corgi Lionelville TrucksCorgi Classics, Inc.430 West Erie, Suite 205Chicago, IL 606101-800-800-CORGI phone (312) 427-1880 [email protected] , www.corgiclassics.comSugg Retail: $40Corgi Classics is adding two new models to its popularLionelville® Collection accessories. The two newadditions to the Lionelville Collection include: Mack AC Delivery Truck—H.P. Hood & Sons Milk—marked with the distinctive H.P. Hood & Sons logo,

this delivery truck is a follow-up to Lionel’s best-sell-ing 2002 release of the H.P. Hood & Sons milk reefer.The Mack AC Delivery Truck is available now and hasa suggested retail price of $40.Diamond T 620 Dropside—Pennsylvania Railroad—with a load of lube oil barrels. The Diamond T 620Dropside will be available in December and has asuggested retail price of $40.Corgi's Lionelville Collection is available at fine retailers across the country and can be located by logging on to www.corgiclassics.com.

NEWS: Joint Line Reproductions40' Steel Box CarsPO Box 906Littleton CO 80160Now arriving in 2- and 3- rail, O-Scale Weaver 40' steel box carslettered Colorado & Southern.Four road numbers available.$40.00 each plus $10.00 S & Hper car. Diecast sprung trucksavailable for an additional$10.00.

NEWS:TRAINBID.COM627 Cedar LakeEwing , Kentucky 41039606-267-3466e-mail [email protected] may list model railroaditems for sale on Trainbid atwww.trainbid.com. A basic list-ing is free. You can set an item toautomatically relist 100 timesuntil it sells and re-listing is easy.You can display 3 pictures of anitem. If a buyer clicks on youruser name or the “contact seller”link it goes directly to your e-mail address. Links in your listingcan take a potential buyer direct-ly to your web site. Keith Wiseman

NEWS: HIGH IRON DIVISION of Sunset Models37 Fourth StCampbell, CA 95008408-866-1727 www.3rdrail.comSunset Models has announced a new line of small, affordable, brass locomotives.

They call this new division High Iron as theseare the most advanced designs from Sunset

Models. This line differs from regular3rd Rail products in that you can

choose to either have allthe advanced electronicsincluded in your model ornot. Also, these models arenot produced in limitedquantities as with 3rd Rail,

therefore the economy of higherproduction quantities allows Sunset to

competitively price these smaller locomo-tives at or below diecast prices while maintaining

superior detailing and scale accuracy. These model arebuilt in China where Sunset has produced freight and passen-

ger cars, and electric locomotives over the last six years. The HighIron model’s quality will equal or surpass their Korean counterparts.

The first model from the High Iron line will be a Pennsylvania RR K4 4-6-2Pacific. Sunset is producing both the Pre- and Post-war versions of this locomotive.You can buy this engine for just under $600 in 2 Rail or 3 Rail configurations. For thatprice you get all the scale detail, a smooth running mechanism, and full complimentof directional lights with a simple electronic reversing unit in three rail models. If youdesire TMCC, Railsounds, Coil Coupler, Puff n' Chuff II Smoke and EOB cruise con-trol, this can be added for just $150 more. The first release is scheduled for January2004. Visit the Sunset/3rd Rail website for more info


Locomotives - 2 railAtlas..RS-1..LIRR, NH, PRR, Rut.+ new ones..$339-$359GP-35's..GMO, C&O, etc..$339-349. Non Powered..$189SD-35, Dash 8..B&O, CNJ, CSX, NW, Sou, WM..299-349SW's..CP, RRiv, B&O, LV, Rdg, Susq, NH..$225-$299Weaver...K-4, L-1, GG-1, C-628/630, others..........call..VO-1000..B&O,CNJ, GN, LV, MILW, PRR, Rdg, WM..$249..2-8-0 Consolidation..ATSF, B&O, DLW, NP, SOU..$459..U25's..BN, EL, LV, Rdg, MILW, NYC, PRR...$179-$239..RS-3..Erie, LN, LV, NH, NKP, PRR, Rdg, Rut, Susq..$249..RS-11..BN, CO, CN/CV, CNW, MEC, PRR, SP..$249..GP-38's..C&O, CP, CSX, ICG, L&N, LV, B&M...$249..Shaft drive RS-3's, GP-38's, FA/FB's..CNJ, D&H, EL.....GN, NH, PRR, RDG, RI, SOU, WM, undec..$99-$150MTH..PRR K-4..$695, Centipede..$895,..WP F-3's..$695

Passenger SetsWeaver..80' Streamliners..EL, SP, PRR, B&O..$275-$395..P-B cars..NH, Rdg, CNJ, LV, others..2/$219, 4/$419K-line...80' cars...Amtk, DRGW, PRR....$275-$449

Box Cars - 2 railPecos River..NYC, SOU, SP, SF, CBQ, WAB...$35..C&O, B&O, WM, PM, Erie, NKP; UP, SF end door..$45 Atlas..40' Steel...PRR, NYC, CNW, GN, Susq..$48-$5240' Wood..BO, CBQ, CNJ, NYC, PRR, Rdg, SP, WM..$45-$5040' 1970's..Erie, L&N, MEC, PRR, SSW, MILW, B&M..$3250'..ACL, RFP, D&H, NYC, MILW, MKT, SAL, SF..$55-$6053'..Aloha, Purina, B&M, MP, BN. IC, CNW, FEC..$35-$5060'..DTI, MKT, NS, CSX, B&O, EL, RG, Sou, NW..$35-$50Weaver..40' & 50'..ACL, ACY, ARR, ATSF, BAR, B&O,B&M, CBQ, CGW, CIRR, CNJ, CN, C&O, CP, CV, CR,D&H, DTSL, EL, GN, GT, IC, MEC, LV, L&N, MP, NYC,NH, NP, NYSW, PC, PLE, PRR, Rdg, Rut, SCL, SOU, SPTPW, UP, WM, WP, CN, Rbox, RI, MRL, more...$20-$30

Refrigerator Cars - 2 railWvr/Crown..PFE, CV, CN, NYC, BM, BAR, REA, Hoods,Whitehse, Dubuque, Oppenheimer, Nrn Refrig..$25-$3057' Mech..PFE, SF, BN, ART..15 roads..$29. w/sound..$39Atlas..36' & 40'...oldies, newies, and custom..$42-$89

Covered Hoppers - 2 rail Weaver PS-2.. Bakers, Jack Frost, Wayne Feed, PurinaRevere, Goiden Loaf, BN, CBQ, CNJ, CNW, CP, CR, CSXDLW, DTI, EL, LV, NH, NYC, PRR, Rdg, WAB, UP..$25-$30Wvr C'flow or Grain..CR, CP, ONT, LV, NYC, PRR,Sask, Sunbeam, Amoco, Sclair, Shell, Dupont, Hercules,Rainbow, WC, MRL, BN, UP, SP, RI, CNW, MNS..$25-$30Atlas..BN, Ches, NYC, IT, WGrace, GN, WAB..$35-$45 Airslide..LV, D&H, CSX, PRR, UP, Brach, Jfrost..$35-$45 PS-4427..BN, SF, MILW, LV, SOO, Wayne Fd, Cont..$55-$60

Coal Hoppers - 2 railAtlas..ACL, CNJ, C&O, D&H, LV, NS, Rdg, WM.. $45-$55 Wartime..B&O, C&O, CRR, SF, VGN, SOU, WAB..$47 Ore cars..(Wvr trucks) B&LE, CN, DMIR, UP, undec..$27Weaver..2, 3, 4-bay and Composite..B&O, CBQ, CP, GTCNJ, Clin"fd, C&O, D&H DLW, Erie, EL, IC, CR, NH, NYC,NW, PRR, Rdg, SF, UP, VGN, WM, SAL, NKP, B&A...$25

Tank Cars - 2 railWeaver..Jfrost, GULF, BN, Trusweet, Allied, ADM, Army Ethyl, Diamond, Hooker, DuPont, Sunoco,Bakers..$30Atlas..60'..Propane, ACFX, CNTX, Union Tex, .$40-$55 1950's..SHPX. UTLX, Hooker, Gulf, Warren..$57-$63

Flat Cars, Stock Cars, MofWAtlas..89' flats..$65. Trailers..$25. Auto Carriers..$85Pulpwood flats...ACL, ATSF, BN, SCL, IC, L&N....$47-$49Front runners......no trailer..$47; With trailer........$67Weaver Flats..SF, Rdg, CR, Erie, LV, BN, UP..$25-$30Stock..CNW, Armour, UP, RG, PRR, Rdg, Erie, etc..$30MTH..Plows, Cranes, Schnabel, dump cars, etc..callK-Line Diecast Double-Stack $50. Coil cars..$35-$4016 wheel flat w/load..NYC, NH, Rdg, PRR, UP..$45-$59Scale signals..MTH and Brass..20+ types..$20-$50

Gondolas - 2 railAtlas..CNJ, NW, PRR, GN, Rdg, C&O, MP, Chessie..$32 Wvr..Wartime..CNJ, PRR, LV, RI, SF, Rdg, UP, NKP..$27

Cabeese - 2 railWeaver..CP, B&M, IC, NH, NYC, Erie, LHR, LV, MILW,..D&H, Rdg, MEC, MMID, L&N, WM, CR, PRR..$20-$35Atlas..BN, CR, DH, RFP, Rut, GN, Chessie, RG..$50-$67Wvr diecast tks..$12.50/pr, installed add $8.95K-line 2-rail freight and Psgr trucks $13-$25

The Public Delivery Track

The Public Delivery Track • [email protected] Box 1035 • Drexel Hill, PA 19026

610-259-4945 • VISA•MC•AMEX•Dscvr

NEWS:Generic Hi-cube Boxcar kitAdirondack Car & Foundry160 Harwood Rd.Gray TN [email protected]: $20, plus $5 s&hThis is a urethane kit produced from in house masters and molds. The kit is ”flat-cast“, i.e., separate pieces for the sides,ends, roof, floor. Included in the kit arethe 3 piece AB brake components. It is up to the builder to provide his choice ofladders, grabs, handbrake, trucks andcouplers, and paint and decals of choice.It is a rather simple kit to assemble, notmuch more than a box on wheels.Assembly is best accomplished usingsome styrene glue blocks and CA glue.Some modelers might prefer using epoxy.Reference the website: http://espee.railfan.net/sp_fcss/sp_fcss-27a.html

NEWS:Fallen Flags Railroad Pictureswww.rr-fallenflags.orgHave been looking all over the web for pictures of your favorite railroads andhaven’t been able to find much? Boy do I have a source for you. George Elwood’sFallen Flags website. He started the site in 1995 and has had over 1,700,000 visi-tors! When you get to the site, please read the information about the copyrightlaws and how he wants his site to be treated. Copyright laws are quite specificabout whose pictures they are and how and if you can use them. Be careful orsomeone might come after you and ruin your whole day! If you have any ques-tions ask George and I am sure he can help you. FallenFlags is very interesting togo through. You will learn a lot about railroads you haven’t even heard of andmight even get interested in modeling that railroad. I am sure you will be happythat you have found this site.Stuart Ramsey

NEWS: Lionel 50 Ton Offset Side HopperLionel LLC50625 Richard W BlvdChesterfield MI 480511-800-4-LIONEL,www.lionel.comSugg. Retail: $59.99As early as the late1920s, the AmericanAssociation of Railroadsbegan designing stan-dardized 50-ton openhopper cars. The A.A.R. standard 50-ton open hopper was classified HM, whichdesignated it as a self-clearing open top car with two divided hoppers, fixed ends,fixed sides and doors hinged crosswise to allow dumping between the rails. Thecars were widespread on coal hauling railroads throughout the country.Lionel has again brought a “to-scale” car into its line of products with the intro-

duction of this die cast twin hopper. Thelevel of detail on this car rivals O scalebrass at about one-quarter the price. Thecar also has operating hopper doors anda coal load. The car is available in fourroadnames: #6-17018 NKP, #6-17019AT&SF, #6-17020 Frisco, #6-17021 NYC


Limited Edition Kit

Precise Laser-Cut

Engineeredfor Easy Assembly

50+ Detail Castings

Flexible Positioning

Positionable Doors& Windows

Master Creations’ O kit #18105 contains the tipple, headhouse, power house, storage shed, retainingwalls, and a ton of character for $549.95! The tipple is approximately 45 x 90 scale feet with the overalldiorama shown being about 24" x 48". Not all details are shown in the photo!

P O Box 561Seffner, FL 33583

Phone: 813-643-1105Fax: 813-681-7326Celebrating over 20 Years of

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S.A.S.E. for price list.

$6.00 s&h on all US orders.

Full Catalog - $5.00

CABIN CREEKCOAL COMPANY


Whitehall HobbiesSpecializing in Brass Locomotives1431 Windrush Circle, Blacklick, Ohio 43004 Voice: (614) 861-0018 - Fax: (614) 861-3034

[email protected]

OMI NP A4 4-8-4 unpainted, new TRO 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1795

PSC D&RGW L-131, F⁄P Road# 3600, black boiler, tender has correctspacing between the Rio Grande unlike the production run. No filmdecals from PSC. New, never run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3695

Key SP E7 A&B, latest run F⁄P Daylight, new, never run (pair) . . .$2595

Sunset PRR S2 6-8-6, Unptd., 1st run, like new, never run . . . . .$1495

OMI SP&S Z8 4-6-6-4 Unpainted Very Little Tarnish TRO New . .$3200

PSC SP AC-9 2-8-8-4 Coal 222 R-1 Tender F⁄P - Black Boiler New . . .$3195

Key D&RGW L-95 2-8-8-2, F/P Green or Black boiler, Var Rd#s . .$3795

Key D&RGW L-96 2-8-8-2, F/P Green or Black boiler, Var Rd#s . .$3795

PSC N&W Z1b 2-6-6-2 Factory Painted Rd# 1438 New . . . . . . . .$2975

PSC NYC S1a 4-8-4 C⁄P by Bernie Beedy Crown Series New . . . .$3995

OMI 120 Ton Crane Open Cab Version Industrial Brownhoist FactoryPainted Black, Unlettered OMI No. 0027.1 New . . . . . . . . . . . .$1195

Key B&A K3n 4-6-2, Factory painted, Rd#506, New . . . . . . . . .$2550

OMI UP FEF-3, F⁄P, Road# 844, new, never run . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2550

PSC C&O T1 2-10-4, C⁄P, like new condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2095

OMI UP DD40X F⁄P Road# 6931, like new w⁄Cockerham drive . . .$2250

OMI NP Z8 4-6-6-4, Unptd, New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3200

OMI WM I-2 2-10-0, F/P Rd# 1120, new condition . . . . . . . . . . .$1895

OMI GN FT A+B, C/P for OMI, Rd#402-A, New . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1495

OMI GN FT A+B, C/P for OMI, Rd#402-D, New . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1495

PSC CB&Q S-4a 4-6-4, Factory Ptd, Rd# 3003 new . . . . . . . . . .$2850

Key SP E9a 2 A units, Latest run, F⁄P Daylight (pair) . . . . . . . . . .$2695

PSC NP Z5 2-8-8-4, F/P Rd# 5006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3295

Kohs & Co NYC J3a 4-6-4, F/P Rd# 5424, late version PT4 tender,Boxpok drivers, plain rods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4000

Kohs & Co N&W Y6b 2-8-8-2, F/P Rd# 2178 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4000

Kohs & Co N&W Auxiliary Water Car F/P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$650

PSC C&O C-16a 0-8-0 Custom Painted for PSC Rd#242 . . . . . . . .$1750

PSC SRR Ps-4 4-6-2, F/P Rd# 1401 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1650

C&LS C&O H6 2-6-6-2 F/P Rd# 1477 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3295

C&LS WM M-2 4-6-6-4, F/P Rd# 1201, late version . . . . . . . . . . .$2995

Get Real Productionsis pleased to annouce its

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Voice: 434-589-2660 • Fax: 434-589-4898 •[email protected]


IntroductionAside from being a handsome and

useful addition to any model railroad,EMD’s ubiquitous GP-9 is prototypical-ly correct on any layout set from themid-fifties to the present. That’s nearlyfifty years of railroading, folks. What anincredible piece of work. Hats off toEMD for creating the Geep. It’s a goodlooking locomotive that can be used onvirtually any layout from empire size tothe smallest shelf switching pike.

Jerry Roy and I built a pair of theseGP-9 units, using stock Atlas/Roco F-9drives and trucks, and Red Caboosebody shell kits. In lieu of the Atlasdrives, you could use the P&D Hobbydrives, trucks and chassis, which weredesigned expressly for the Red Caboosebody (see the P&D ad in this issue). Wechose to use the Atlas/Roco drives andtrucks because they’re inexpensive andwe had several units on hand. With a bitof tweaking they run pretty well. Eventhough the Atlas/Roco F-9’s haven’tbeen produced since the late 70’s, thereare still plenty of them around. Thegoing rate seems to be around $40 to$50 per unit.

To locate Atlas/Roco F-9 units anddrives, contact P&D Hobbies, haunt theswap meets, check E-Bay and join thedefinitive O scale two-rail Yahoo maillist. The Yahoo group is free and wellworth it to access and share informationabout what’s going on in O scale andwhat’s for sale. Its also a great place toget answers and do some research on anew project.

The Red Caboose GP-9 loco wasintroduced back in the early nineties.Until recently, it was available in RTRform (painted and undecorated) alongwith an inexpensive body kit designed tofit the Atlas F-9 drive. Like those vintageAtlas F-9’s, there are still plenty of GP-9body kits available. Red Caboose soldtheir body kit inventory to P&D Hobby.The kits are available with or withoutdynamic brakes. You may also be able tofind the body kits at your local hobbyshop and at swap meets around the coun-try. Jerry and I purchased several bodykits sans dynamic brakes for less thanfifty bucks each.

The instructions that came with theRed Caboose body kits were reasonablyclear and easy to follow, but there are a

few areas where the inexperienced mod-eler might have a little assembly trouble.We’ll highlight those areas and tell youhow we tuned up the Atlas drives toimprove performance and reduce noiselevels. Jerry replicated a 1960’s Milwau-kee Road paint scheme where I fol-lowed the Soo Line’s late fifties maroonand gold pine tree scheme. Neither ofthese particular prototype units utilizeddynamic brakes. Let’s get started withthe body kit. Dry Fitting and Detailing The Body

Considering the way in which thesebody kits are assembled and later comeapart for maintenance, we found it agood idea to dry fit all componentsbefore final assembly. Every part in thebody kit is molded styrene. When every-thing is glued together, the unit is quitestrong. However, before assembly theparts can flex and may even be warped.This is very important in the frame-to-skirt fit as this where the frame, drive,and trucks separate for maintenancefrom the completed body after the loco-motive is assembled. The frame mustslide easily in and out of the skirt. Checkfor warpage in the frame and skirt. We

By Jerry Roy and Tom Houle

Building a GP-9Marrying a Red Caboose GP-9 Body Kit to an Atlas/Roco Chassis Building a GP-9Marrying a Red Caboose GP-9 Body Kit to an Atlas/Roco Chassis

By Jerry Roy and Tom Houle


found one of our skirts was drooping andwould not align to the frame. It’s not abig deal to fix. A gentle twist in the heatfrom a 100-watt light bulb corrected thewarp. But know about the warps beforeyou begin attaching parts We had to trimboth frame ends to allow the frame todrop into the skirt. (See Figure 1.) Wealso trimmed off the twin nubs that proj-ect from both sides of the frame in thetruck bolster areas. These nubs interferedwith the fit-up. We still haven’t figuredout why those nubs are there.

That done, we dry fit the hood cast-ing to the skirt. It turned out, on both ofour units, the locating pins on the hoodsdid not perfectly align to the holes mold-ed into the skirt. We had to slightlyenlarge the locating holes at both shorthood ends to allow the hood to fit tightlyto the skirt deck. With the hoods fitted tothe decks, we then tried dropping thecabs into the cut outs in the hoods. Wefound it necessary on both units to cutaway the molded strap between the longand short hoods to allow the cab to reston the walkways. This step is not men-tioned in the instructions, but we couldnot make the cabs fit any other way.Once the cab is glued in place, the con-necting strap becomes redundant.

To accurately replicate both locomo-tives, we did a lot of research on whatthese units looked like in our respectivetime periods. From there we selectedspecific GP-9 units to replicate. We usedthe Soo Line Historical & Technical

Society, the Milwaukee Road HistoricalAssociation (both are on the Internet),various Internet rail photo sites, and sev-eral back issues from the Soo Line His-torical & Technical Society and theMilwaukee Road Historical Associationmagazines to confirm and replicate allimportant differentiating details.

Based on the information at hand, Iselected Soo unit road number 400 asthe one I would follow. Jerry chose Mil-waukee Road unit 2421 as his prototype.Neither unit had dynamic brakes and

they both used thewinterization hatchover the forwardcool ing fan . Icapped off bothexhaust s tackswith half roundlengths of styreneto simulate theexhaust deflectorson the Soo unit. Ialso added a set ofP&D MU cablesto both ends. Note

that not all Soo units had these cables. We brush painted the internal parts of

the cooling fans with Badger MOD-ELflex Engine Black then completelyassembled them for both units and setthem aside. They are attached to therespective hoods after the hoods arepainted. The fan blades are supposed tobe free enough to turn inside their hous-ings, but we found this was not the case.Frankly, we didn’t bother correcting theproblem—if it even was one. They aresuperbly detailed and look great as is.

Painting andDecaling the Body

If you’re workingwith a painted shell,then follow the RedCaboose instructionsheet. We’re assum-ing you have anunpainted shell. Inthat case we deviat-

ed from their recommended assemblyprocedure. We (i.e., Jerry, acknowl-edged master of the airbrush) paintedthe frames, skirts, hoods, and cabs forboth units before we did the finalassembly. This avoids a ton of nearlyimpossible masking.

We painted all of the detail parts likeside and end railings, grabs, etc., right onthe sprues. We found out after attachingthe lift rings that the plastic lift rings wereso fragile we both broke off several whilehandling the hoods. At this point wedecided to substitute P&D Hobby #1027brass lift rings. We drilled out the brokenposts and attached the brass lift rings withCA glue applied to the insides of thehoods. The brass rings are much strongerand you cannot tell the difference.

Prior to priming and air brushing,Jerry washed the frames, skirts, hoods,and cabs in warm soapy water and letthe parts air dry overnight. These sameparts were air brushed with thinned Flo-quil gray primer. He let the parts cure foranother three days before applying thefinish coats. A word of caution: do nottouch any part to be painted with yourfingers or hands. Acrylic based paintswill not cover the oil from your skin.Since the final coat process varied fromthe Soo unit to the Milwaukee Roadunit, We’ll tell you how Jerry did both.Perhaps you’ll glean an idea or two forthe painting of your particular Geep. Soo Line

Jerry shot both hoods and the cab ofmy Soo unit with Badger MODELflexSoo Maroon which is very close to itsfresh paint hue and more maroon than

1


the reddish color normally seen on Soounits. Red based paints have a tremen-dous fade rate and the maroon quicklyweathers to a more reddish hue. If youwish to duplicate an older Soo unit, adda bit of red to the maroon. Apparently,Badger has since discontinued this Soocolor. There is a Wisconsin Centralmaroon that may work as a substitute.The skirt and frame were shot with Bad-ger Engine Black. Ditto for the handrailsand other sprue-mounted parts.

Decaling of the Soo unit was doneafter a three-day paint curing period. Wewere surprised to find Microscale’sunique gold “pine tree” decal for theshort hood end did not descend to thewalkway as it should. For no apparentreason, the decal was approximately 3/4"too short, leaving a big bare spot. TheMicroscale instructions acknowledgedthis fact and suggested filling in theuncovered area with Floquil’s Wiscon-sin Central gold paint.

At best, that’s an awkward solutionand at worst unworkable for such a largearea. No way were we going to try to

blend that paint inwith the decal. Wesolved the problem bycovering the bare spotwith a stacked pair ofgold hood side bandscut from a second setof Microscale decals.If you replicate thelater Soo Line paintscheme with a pinetree at both hoodends, then you’ll needto have three sets ofthese decals. Oneother note on theMicroscale Soo decalset, the gold strippingis not as opaque as Iwould like, somebleed through of themaroon is visible, Irecommend a liberala p p l i c a t i o n o f

Microscale blue solvent under the decalto prevent blotching. However, when fin-ished, the decals look fine.

That done, the road number decalswere added to the number boards andthe Soo Line lettering added to the hoodsides. Don’t attach the number boards tothe hood ends yet. This comes later. TheSoo Line used both expanded and con-densed lettering styles for the Soo Linelettering on the hood sides. Microscaleprovides the condensed version so that’swhat we used. More correctly for the400 unit, the expanded lettering shouldbe used.

Milwaukee RoadFor his Milwaukee Road unit, Jerry

shot the hood and cab sides with BadgerMilwaukee Road Orange. Three dayslater, he masked off the upper hoods andcab and then shot them, the skirt andframe with Badger’s Engine Black.

You wouldn’t think of using 3MScotch® brand Magic tape for masking,at least I didn’t. Jerry did and he swearsby it. No leaks and clean crisp lines.Jerry always uses a brand new roll whenhe starts masking. The tape should beburnished along the paint line. Youknow when it’s burnished because itgoes from frosty to clear. Jerry says thetape can easily be worked into cornersand it never leaks. To prevent paint pull-up when the tape is removed, Jerry rapidcures the paint with a hair dryer thenpulls up the tape gently at a reverseangle from the work after an overnightcure. You can’t argue with this tech-nique. Jerry’s results bear him out.

The finished decaled shells were shotwith Testor’s Dul-Kote. There was nointeraction between the Dul-Kote andacrylic paints underneath. Final Details

With the unit painting out of the wayand after waiting three days for the paintto fully cure, the hoods, sans the cabs,were permanently attached to the skirts.Make sure before final gluing that thehoods sit flush at both ends with theskirt walkways. That done, we added thedetail parts; grabs, lift rings, coolingfans, air horns, window glass, MUcables, wiper blades, etc. We used white


metal air horns from the scrap box andrelocated them on the Soo unit as theRed Caboose plastic horns weren’t cor-rect. It’s much easier to fully detail thecab interior and add the cab glass beforeyou attach the cab to the hoods. Jerryadded an engineer to his unit. I didn’t.When the cabs were finished, we gluedthem to the hoods. Next, we installed thedual headlight lens sprues, Miniatronicsconstant reversible lighting wiring andconnectors. No attempt was made toilluminate the classification lights; weused MV products lenses. “Starting tolook good,” Jerry cracked. I had toagree.

Handrails came next. These were airbrushed with Badger MODELFlex paintprior to attachment to the sides and endof the skirt. We recommend opening upall skirt handrail holes ever so slightly toaccommodate the handrail mountingpins. Also note the handrail pins extendthrough the skirt and will interfere withthe frame when the skirt is dropped ontothe frame. The pin extensions beyondthe skirt add nothing to handrailstrength. You might as well soften thepin ends with heat and flatten them orCA glue the pins to the skirt and thencut off the pin extensions (as we did).You could also file tiny notches into theframe to clear the pin extensions. Powering The Beast

We decided to power our Geeps withthe Atlas/Roco drives. We used thempretty much “as is” though we did makea few changes to improve performance.Back in the 1970’s when this chassisfirst came out, a lot of O scalers said itlacked the robust construction of an AllNation or Central Locomotive Worksdrive. Others thought it inferior by virtueof it’s almost all molded plastic compo-nents. Of course, back then, they werepulling cars that weighed about 15lbs.each and rolled as well as a brick.

Well, I think time and Atlas haveproved the naysayers wrong. Granted,we would not recommend pulling adozen weighted heavyweights up a two

percent grade with one of these units, atleast not for very long. The motorwouldn’t take that kind of current load.However, we found a single Atlas/Rocochassis will easily pull a 25 car mixedstring of Intermountain, Red Caboose,and Weaver freight cars on level trackthru some very tight radius curves. A lotof this is due to today’s better rollingtrucks. And if you’re really fussy aboutthose 30-year-old can motors, replace’em. If you want pure brute power forheavy loads and usage, use the P&Ddrive made for this unit.Truck Rework

Having used the Atlas/Roco chassisin a bunch of different conversions andkitbashes, we have concluded the weak-est link in the chassis is the trucks. Asbeautifully detailed as those side framesare, they do need a bit of rework. Any-one who’s owned an Atlas/Roco unitknows the side frames are difficult toremove for maintenance. And you can

easily break off the bosses that retain theside frames to the truck.

How to fix it? It’s easy. See Figure 2taken from the original Atlas/RocoMaintenance & Repair Manual. AtlasTool was kind enough to grant us per-mission to reproduce these drawings forthis article. In Figure 2, you’ll see thedownward pointing cast-on boss thatretains the truck’s side frame. Turn thechassis over and place it in a cradle.Remove the four screws that retain thetruck’s bottom cover plate. Watch forthose pesky little springs that equalizethe wheel sets. Remove the wheel sets,then the springs and place the lot into anempty cottage cheese container.

If the side frames are still attached,gently bend them away from the truckjust enough to clear the end pins. Then,slide the side frame down and awayfrom the truck. You can see this clearlyin Figure 2. If the side frame mountingboss is broken off, re-attach to the truck

2

Sideframe mounting Boss


with liquid plastic cement. If the sideframe is a tight fit, gently file the sides ofthe bosses and the insides of the sideframes to allow an easy slip-fit of theside frames over the bosses. Jerrysprayed the side frames with a base coatof Floquil Grimy Black followed by adusting of Floquil Rail Brown to givethe unit a clean but used look.

Before re-assembling the trucks, weremoved the original couplers. Againsee Figure 2. The couplers will slide outafter unsnapping the retainer clips.

We like to completely degrease thegear box gears and wheelset gears, thenfreshly lubricate all gears with Labelle’sexcellent #102 Gear Lube.

At this juncture, the builder mustdecide if you’re going to use the originalwheels (which we do not recommend)or replace with the drop-in North WestShort Line (NWSL) wheel sets listed inthe Bill of Materials. The issue with theoriginal wheel sets are their deepflanges. Atlas/Roco units will bump andthey may pick your switch points oncode 100 rail. We recommend puttingthe original wheelsets out alongside theengine house.

NWSL replacement wheel sets areavailable in three tread widths; 0.125"P48, 0.145", and 0.172". We used the0.145" width on the Soo unit and 0.172"width on the Milwaukee unit. Our con-clusion: use the 0.172" tread. The 0.145"width works okay on hand laid andHouse of Duddy code 100 rail, but itdoesn’t seem to like running on theolder code 148 Atlas rail. This could bedue to the way Atlas track is gauged.The 0.145" tread width will find its waybetween and even drop between the railheads at times.

Once the trucks are assembled, youcan’t tell the difference between the twowheel widths. We did find that theNWSL wheel sets in both widths madeintermittent electrical contact on cleanrail due to their blackened surface, so wecleaned the treads using a small wirebrush in a motor tool to remove the

down the Red Caboose vertical motormounting brackets and used two-sidedfoam adhesive to retain and insulate themotor from the Red Caboose frame (SeeFigure 4). Additionally, a wire tie strapmay be added to further secure themotor. The noise problem may havebeen due to the Red Caboose framebeing somewhat lighter than the originalAtlas/Roco frame. Perhaps the newframe couldn’t readily dampen andabsorb the sounds. We also added alayer of thin bubble wrap inside of thehood to further reduce noise. Therevised mounting system dramaticallyreduced the noise levels. We used theoriginal universal couplings and motorsin our units.Weighting the Chassis

It’s difficult to weight the RedCaboose frame with as much lead asyou can stuff into the original Atlas/Rocchassis. Even with added lead autowheel weights we weren’t able to matchthe original stock Atlas Chassis weight.However, that hasn’t been a problem.Neither of us will ever pull more than 20or so plastic cars. The Atlas drives willeasily do that. We placed auto wheelweights into the fuel tank before it wasattached to the frame. We also addedweights at each end of the motor. Nodoubt, some enterprising O scaler willfigure out a way to add more weight. Letus know if you do. Wiring

We don’t use DCC so we did nothave to fuss with installing decoders. Wedid install Miniatronics HO constantdirectional lighting kits. These kits comecomplete with headlights, circuitry, andcomplete instructions. They work greatin our units. To facilitate shell removal,we added Miniatronics connectors.These allow the shell to be unpluggedfrom the circuitry for maintenance. Final Assembly

Before we attached the two bodyshells to the frames, we ran the two unitssans shells around both layouts to ensuretracking, wiring, and trucks were all per-

blackening. Once this was done, bothchassis ran smooth with no problemsand have been running fine ever since.NWSL said the blackening was conduc-tive and hadn’t caused a problem, but itsure didn’t work for us. So, try theassembled chassis under power beforeyou wire brush the wheel sets. Whenyou reassemble the trucks, be sure tolightly lubricate the axles and brassbushings with Labelle’s #108 Light Oil.

The last fixit item for the trucks is theremoval of the cast-on bosses on thesides of the truck gear boxes. See Figure3. There are two bosses on either side ofthe truck. They must be removed or theywill interfere with the truck movementin the Red Caboose frame.

The finished trucks are now ready forinstallation into the Red Caboose frame.The trucks are installed just like they arein the Atlas/Roco chassis. You’ll proba-bly find like we did that the trucks in theRed Caboose frame will not be as loose-ly mounted as they were in their originalhome. You may find you have to removea minimal amount of plastic where thetrucks pivot in the Red Caboose frame.One of our frames required a bit of judi-cious filing to loosen up the truck towhere it would freely pivot. Don’t overdo it here. Just enough to loosen up thetruck pivot. Installing The Motor

We followed the Red Caboose motormounting instructions and were disap-pointed to find the units were too noisyfor our taste. A study of the problemrevealed that isolating the motor fromthe frame was the way to go. We cut

Remove

3


forming properly. Attaching the shell tothe frame is not hard, but it does requirecareful handling so as not to knock offhand rails and the like. We suggest gen-tly spreading the body shell and slippingit down over the frame. Make sure thebody locks on the flanges on the bottomof the motor cradle.

The Red Caboose frame has couplerboxes correctly sized for Kadee 804 and805 couplers. We used Kadee 804 cou-plers. A pair of long screws at the endsof the frame retain both the couplers andthe body shell to the frame.

Now, go on out and find anAtlas/Roco unit and build up your ownGP9. Better yet, build a pair. We figureyou can do this project for under twohundred bucks per loco. Not bad intoday’s market place. Just for the heckof it, Jerry and I MU’d the Soo Geepwith a state-of-the-art AtlasSW-8. Somewhat to our sur-prise, the two units ran perfect-ly in tandem. That includedrunning the coupled SW-8 andthe Geep at a couple miles perhour switching speed. Thirtyyears later, the Atlas/Rocochassis and drive are still doingtheir thing, this time in a RedCaboose GP-9 livery. ◆

Red Caboose GP-9 Bill of Materials

Red Caboose, GP-9 Body KitUndecorated RC-502 Atlas/Roco, F-9 chassis, trucks, anddriveNorthwest Short Line 2523-6, 0.172" or #2524-6, 0 .145" treadwheel sets P & D Hobbies, #2722 MU connector set- 6 cables per end, #1027 lift ringsMV Products LS29 classification lens Miniatronics, CL-013-01 Fwd/Revconstant lighting kit , #50-001-02 2-pinmicro-mini connector setBadgerMODELflex paint, #16-143 MilwaukeeOrange, #16-01 Engine Black, #16-18Soo Maroon (Not currently listed), #16-19 Soo Deluxe Gold

Floquil 110009 solvent-based primer 3M Scotch® brand Magic Tape Microscale #48-321 Milwaukee Roaddecals, #48-325 Soo Line (2 setsrequired)Labelle, Gear Lube #102, Light Oil #108

Resources:

Yahoo OTrains Email group:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OtrainsP&D Hobby Shop, 31280 Groesbeck,Fraser, MI 48026, Ph# 586-296-6116,www.pdhobbyshop.comNorth West Short Line, PO Box 423,Seattle, WA 98111, www.nwsl.com

4


IndianapolisMidwest Fall O Scale Meet

IndianapolisMidwest FallO Scale Meet

Top of the page: The Forthenback Mining Co. Railroad by Al Askerberg ofColumbus, Ohio. This approximately 24" x 36" in On30. Now that’s O scale ina small space.

Above: HO AHM Heisler converted to O gauge owned by Norm Hinkle.

Upper left: OST publisher Joe Giannovario (far right) presents the model awards tothe contest winners. From the left is Tony Michel, Andrew Sunderland, Jim Canter(Indy show host), and Norm Hinkle.

Lower left: Tony Michel’s scratchbuilt C.W. North & Co, engine house.

Below: Andrew Sunderland’s Los Angeles Pacific interurban.


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Above & Center: more scenes from the Forthenback Mining Co. Railroad

Below: Central Indiana O Scalers modular railroad.More photos on next page...


Above: Several vendors received awards from the show’s promoters. Included were Brian & Melissa Marsh of Overland Models with a LifetimeAchievement award, Rich Yoder for Manufacturer of the Year award, Norm Pullen of Norm’s O Scale for Vendor of the Year. Not shown is John

Smith of Pecos River Brass who received a Circle of Excellence Award for his work on the 2003 O scale convention.

Left: Phil Camp threwtogether this C&O loadingdock for the contest. Weliked it, so we shot it.

IndyMeet

SOUTHERN PACIFIC 5000 CLASS 4-10-2, 3 CYLINDER: The C&LS is importing an O scale model of the SP-5000 in fourdifferent detail versions based on engines numbered 5021, 5024, 5036, and 5048 late in their careers. The pilot modelpictured above shows our new builder’s willingness and ability to create models of the highest caliber in detail, quality andoperation. This superb model should be available by the time you read this. Checkout the C&LS website for more pictures andinformation and future ads in this magazine.

Car & Locomotive Shop, PO Box 20, Asbury NJ 08802 — Website: http://www.car-locomotive.comE-mail: [email protected] — Ph/Fax: 908-479-4736. Fax after 4th ring.

Car & Locomotive Shop — SP 5000 4-10-2

Pilot Model Engine #5036


FOR SALE: PECOS RIVER BRASS factorypainted Clinchfield, AT&SF cabooses, tankers,flats, Greenville boxcars, grains cars, Pullman-Standard, GATX covered hoppers, Airslides:$199. Listings, SASE. Ph: 727-391-3135.John Clemens, 5273 97 Way N, St. Peters-burg, FL 33708-3752

FOR SALE: Very rare MG ATSF 4-6-4 w/Ickendrive, beautiful new paint job. USH ATSF 4-6-2, custom painted. USH SP MT-3 mint OB.Sunset ATSF 2-8-0 new OB. Complete details:SSAE or email [[email protected]]. Ph:408-227-9491. Gary Schrader, 4201Kingspark Dr, San Jose, CA 95136-2319

FOR SALE: Vehicles that won’t embarrass youor your trains: Brooklyn, Conquest, DurhamClassics, 43rd Avenue, Goldvarg, HerbDeeks kits, Madison, US Model Mint, USAModels, Western, others. FAX 412-766-4213.Mail Order Trains Plus, 349 Roosevelt Rd,Pittsburgh, PA 15237-1024

WANTED: Gloorcraft PRR N6B cabin car,Walthers FP6-O 80’ Pullman Solarium 3Cmpt, 1 Dr rm, B.L.O. Pullman Standard CarCo Heavyweights: 3980 14 Single BedroomPullman, 3997 13 double bedroom. Email:[[email protected]], Ph: 518-482-2893 Frederick J Talasco, 971 New Scotland

Buy–Sell–TradeBuy-Sell-Trade ads are $5 for 30 words plus your address information. Additional words are $0.25 each. Subscribers are permitted one free ad per sub-scription cycle. All B-S-T ads are prepaid. You may send ads by postal service with a check or money order. Ads sent by email or called in must use a cred-it card. See our contact info on page 2.

FOR SALE: Adirondack Car & Foundry prod-ucts, Weaver, NWSL, Grandt Line, Kadeecouplers, Athearn trucks, Intermountain (whilesupplies last), OSN, OST. Contact Ed Reut-ling, AC&F. PH: 423-477-5790. Email: [email protected] Ed Reutling, 160 Harwood Rd.,Gray, TN 37615-3728

FOR SALE: Intermountain built up cars! Largeinventory... Box cars, Reefers, Gondolas,Hoppers, Tankers, $39. If you demand Inter-mountain quality, buy while they are avail-able.Ph: 727-391-3135. John Clemens,5273 97 Way N, St. Petersburg, FL 33708-3752

FOR SALE: YODER Chesapeake & Ohio hop-pers, dreadnaught, oval/notched ends,unptd, $175; Painted C&O cars all versions$199; Pennsylvania Glca hoppers $175;Western Maryland woodchips, covered hop-pers $175. SASE. (727) 391-3135. JohnClemens, 5273 97 Way N, St. Petersburg, FL33708-3752

WANTED: 2 rail - Anything C&O (exceptbrass)- especially hoppers 1930s-1960s, pas-senger cars, Atlas SW 8/9s, and structures.Email me for list [[email protected]].Ned Ferguson.

Rd, Albany, NY 12208-1111

FOR SALE: 1 SS 4-8-2 OB TRO, $875, 1Williams N&W 2-6-6-4, OB TRO $975.Chuck Burns, Ph: 254-547-3932. MiniatureLocomotive & Car Shop, 803 Beaver Lane,Copperas Cove, TX 76522-7601

WANTED: Overland SAL E-4, ABA, and bro-ken Roco Atlas & Red Caboose drives. Ph:336-861-0006, email[[email protected]], Robert L Young-blood, 4331 Hoover Hill Rd, Trinity, NC27370-8554

WANTED: Electric Shops kits or parts, CLWPA body and E or F nose castings. I amalways interested in parts, drivers, frames, carsides, etc. Ph: 440-417-1892. JeroldTownsend, 985 Abbey Dr, Madison, OH44057-9784

FOR SALE: Thinning out O scale steam,diesel, freight cars, books, etc. Free List. Ph:330-758-1561 William R Burns, 7455 West-view Dr, Youngstown, OH 44512-5550

WILL TRADE: 1 Art Director who spills inkoccasionally on my column for a few Kadeecoupler springs. I will make up price differencefor springs. Brian Scace c/o this magazine.

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X37 Boxcars Four road #’s: 65400, 65947, 66302, 66398.NEW 12 39 BLT 12-39. Beautiful detailingand add-ons. Nicely weighted. Custom runby Intermountain Railway. Hi-rail or scale.$45.00. Add $9.00 for hi-rail diecast trucksand couplers. Plus shipping & handling.

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TCRMRM, 1021 Bandana Blvd. East, Suite222, St. Paul, MN 55108, 651-647-9628,www.tcmrm.org

22,23,26,29&30 St. Paul, MNTwin City Model Railroad Museum/HolidayExpress 11am - 7pm, $2.00 (under 5 free),TCRMRM, 1021 Bandana Blvd. East, Suite222, St. Paul, MN 55108, 651-647-9628,www.tcmrm.org

28-30, North Haledon, New Jersey-Model Engineers RR Club of New Jersey Annu-al Open House, 569 High Mountain Rd, NHaledon NJ 07508. Fridays 7 - 10 PM, Satur-day & Sunday, 2 - 5 PM. Admission: $4, chil-dren free with an adult. For info call PaulHarbord before 9 PM at 973-427-4905.

20-21, Greensboro, MarylandCaroline County Public Library Toy Train &Model Railroad Exhibit. North County Libraryat 101 Cedar St. From 10 am to 3 pm. FreeAdmission. For more info contact Richard OSmith, Branch Manager, 410-482-2173.

January 200410 & 11, Holly, MichiganDetroit Model Railroad Club Open House, 104N Saginaw, Holly Michigan, 248-634-5811.Noon to 5:00 PM each day. Admission: Adults$3, Seniors 65 & up $2, Kids/Teens 5-18$1.50, Under 5 FREE.

10 & 11, Albany, GeorgiaFlint River Model RR Club of Albany, Ga., 13thAnnual Model Train Show. Open to the public.Sat 9am - 5 pm, Sun 11am - 4pm. Adults $3,12-18yo $1, Under 12 free w/adult. For infoor table rental contact Jimmie Swann duringevenings at 229-883-3517, or write to FRMR-RC, PO Box 884, Albany, GA 31702-0884.

11, Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown Model Railroad Assn., Flea Mar-ket. McMenamy's Hall on Rt. 422 in Niles,Open 10:30 am - 4:00 pm, $3.00 per personunder 12 free.Info: Jim Pope e-mail: [email protected] or call 330-547-3614.

July 200422-25, Washington, D.C.2004 O Scale National Convention atthe Hyatt Regency, Crystal City, Vir-ginia at Reagan National Airport. Conven-

Even

tsNovember 2003

1, Wind Gap, PennsylvaniaEastern “O” Scalers O Scale 2-Rail O ScaleSwap Meet - Plainfield Fire Hall, 6480 SullivanTrail. From 9 am to 1 pm. Admission $5 ($1discount on admission is given if you bring anindex card with your name and address). Ven-dors: table $16 (includes 1 admission), addi-tional tables $12. Info: EOS, PO Box 1781,Bensalem, PA 19020; (215) 639-3864; [web:http:⁄⁄www.EasternOScalers.com]

1,2,8,9,15,16 Youngstown, OhioYoungstown Model RR Assoc OPEN HOUSE,located at the corner of Raccoon and FourMile Run Rd., Open 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm all 6days $2.00 per person under 12 free. Info:Dean DeMain, [email protected] orcall 330-799-8691.

15, Strongsville, Ohio (Cleveland area)Annual Western Reserve O Scale Meet at theHoliday Inn Select in Strongsville. From 9 amto 3 pm. Admission: $5; tables $20. Info: BobBoeddener, 32165 Hickory Ln, Avon Lake, OH44012. Phone: 440-933-7169.

8 & 9, 28, 29 & 30, Holly, MichiganDetroit Model Railroad Club Open House, 104N Saginaw, Holly Michigan, 248-634-5811.Noon to 5:00 PM each day. Admission: Adults$3, Seniors 65 & up $2, Kids/Teens 5-18$1.50, Under 5 FREE.

28-30, North Haledon, New JerseyModel Engineers RR Club of New Jersey Annu-al Open House, 569 High Mountain Rd, NHaledon NJ 07508. Fridays 7 - 10 PM, Satur-day & Sunday, 2 - 5 PM. Admission: $4, chil-dren free with an adult. For info call PaulHarbord before 9 PM at 973-427-4905.

December 20035-7, 12-14, North Haledon, New JerseyModel Engineers RR Club of New Jersey Annu-al Open House, 569 High Mountain Rd, NHaledon NJ 07508. Fridays 7 - 10 PM, Satur-day & Sunday, 2 - 5 PM. Admission: $4, chil-dren free with an adult. For info call PaulHarbord before 9 PM at 973-427-4905.

14, St. Paul, MNTwin City Model Railroad Museum/CircusTrain Noon - 5pm, $2.00 (under 5 free),

Even

tstion and Dealer registration info is availablefrom the Capital Area O Scalers, 2004 OScale National Convention, 10401 GrandinRd, Silver Spring, MD 20902, or email [email protected].

Advertisers IndexAccurate O Scale 15Andersen’s Train Station 59AtlasO IBCBTS 48California Roadbed Co. 9Car & Locomotive Shop 58Central Locomotive Works 59Chicagoland 25Eagles Nest Miniatures 49Get Real Productions 49Hackworth Model Trains 25House of Duddy 20Joint Line Reproductions 15Keil-Line Products 9NCE Corp 48Norm’s O Scale 59O Scale Guide 39O Scale Realty 9O Scale Signals 18Old Pullman 60Overland Models 40P&D Hobby Shop IFCPecos River Brass BCPRR Brass 15Public Delivery Track 47Rail Photos Unlimited 15Rons Books 57Russian River RR Co. 15RY Models 42Scaled World 20SONC 2004 39Stevenson Preservation Lines 15Suncoast Models 18Sunset⁄3rd Rail 13, 21T Bone Models 9Train America Studios 59Weaver 20Whitehall Models 49


OST Dealer ListArkansasHobby Shack1200 John Harden DrJacksonville, AR 72076501-982-6836

Mickey’s Model Works611 Court St, Ste 4Conway,AR 72032-5417501-450-9423

ArizonaCoronado Scale Models1544 E Cypress StPhoenix,AZ 85006602-254-9650

CaliforniaAll Aboard Model RREmporium3867 Pacific Coast HwyTorrance,CA 90505310-791-2637

Bruce’s Train Shop2752 Marconi AveSacramento,CA 95821916-485-5288

Fulton Station454 Larkfield Shop CntrSanta Rosa CA 95439707-523-3522

Just Trains5650-H Imhoff DrConcord,CA 94520925-685-6566

Original Whistle Stop 2490 E Colorado BlvdPasadena,CA 91107626-796-7791

Railroad Hobbies119 Vernon StRoseville CA 95678916-782-6067

Reed’s Hobbies LLC8039 La Mesa Blvd.La Mesa,CA 91941619-464-1672

Train Shop1829 Pruneridge AveSanta Clara,CA 95050408-296-1050

ColoradoCaboose Hobbies, Inc.500 S. BroadwayDenver,CO 80209303-777-6766

DelawareMitchells’2303 Concord PikeWilmington, DE 19803302-652-3258

Trains & Hobbies313 Newark Shopping Cntr.Newark,DE 19711302-266-8063

FloridaKirkland Hobbies187 Concord CirclePanama City FL 32405850-215-1973

GeorgiaRiverdale Station6632 Hwy 85Riverdale,GA 30045770-991-6085

IowaCaboose Stop Hobbies301 Main StCedar Falls,IA 50613800-642-7012

IllinoisChicagoland Hobbies 6017 Northwest HwyChicago,IL 60631773-775-4848

Des Plaines Hobbies1468 Lee StDes Plaines,IL 60018847-297-2118

Hill’s Hobby Shop10 Prairie AvePark Ridge,IL 60068847-823-4464

Mike’s Scale Rails3008 N SterlingPeoria,IL 61604309-689-0656

Rails Unlimited126 Will ScarletElgin,IL 60120847-697-5353

IndianaBig Four Hobbies1005 E Main StPlainfield IN 46168317-837-1024

Mishawaka Railyard Inc410 S Spring StMishawaka IN 46545574-252-7245

KansasJ’s Hobby Haven5303 Johnson DrMission,KS 66205913-432-8820

MaineNorm’s O ScalePO Box 147S Casco,ME 04077207-655-2550

MassachusettsModeler’s Junction88 Lowell StMethuen,MA 01844978-683-0885

The Toy Doctor17 Meredith Road

Forrestdale, MA 02644508-477-1186

Tucker’s Hobbies29 Bacon StWarren,MA 01083413-436-5318

MichiganEureka Trains1219 Eureka RdWyandotte,MI 48192734-284-0521

P&D Hobby Shop31280 Groesbeck HwyFraser,MI 48026586-296-6116

Rider’s Hobby Shop2055 28th St SEGrand Rapids MI616-247-9933

MinnesotaSecond Ave Shops173 2nd Ave SENew Brighton,MN 55112651-633-5722

MissouriMarty’s Model Railroads9622 Gravois RdSt Louis,MO 63123-4345314-638-8250

North CarolinaDry Bridge Station236 N Main StMount Airy,NC 27030336-786-9811

NevadaHigh Sierra Models4020 Kietzke LnReno,NV 89502775-825-5557

New HampshireCustom TrainsPO Box 48Bath,NH 03740603-747-3492

New JerseyBig Little Railroad Shop206 W Main StSomerville,NJ 08876908-429-0220

New MexicoTrains West Inc.3351A Candelaria Rd NEAlbuquerque,NM 87107505-881-2322New YorkK-Val Hobbies277 Hinman AveBuffalo,NY 14216716-875-2837

Ohio20th Century Models32575 Pettibone Rd

Solon,OH 44139-5454440-248-3055

M&S Trains4157 W Broad St.Columbus OH 43228614-274-1178

Terminal Hobby Supply10200 Springfield PikeCincinnati,OH 45215513-326-3613

Western Hills Photo &Hobby6319 Glenway AveCincinnati,OH 45211513-661-2141

OregonWhistle Stop Trains11724 SE Division StPortland,OR 97266503-761-1822

PennsylvaniaC&E Branchline RR Shop102 W. Grove St.Dunmore, PA 18509570-347-7909

English’s Model RR Supply21 Howard StMontoursville,PA 17754570-368-2516

G&K Hobbies720 Gordon StReading,PA 19601-2312610-374-8598

Lin’s Junction128 S Line StLansdale,PA 19446215-412-7711

Mainline Hobby Supply15066 Buchanan Trail EBlue Ridge Summit,PA17214717-794-2860

Strasburg Train ShopRte 741 E, Box 130Strasburg,PA 17579717-687-0464

TennesseeAdirondack Car & Foundry160 Harwood Rd.Gray TN 37615423-477-5790

Hobbytown USA, 8901Town & Country Circle,Knoxville, TN, 37923, 865-690-1099

Smoky Mountain ModelTrains Ltd1933 Pittman Center RdSevierville TN37876

865-428-8595

TexasDiscount Model Trains Inc.4641 Ratliff LaneAddison, TX 75001972-931-8135

Pecos River Brass560 E Church StLewisville,TX 75057972-219-0202

VirginiaRailyard Hobby Shop7547 Williamson RdRoanoke,VA 24019540-362-1714

Walt's Hobby Shop, PO Box 1805,Petersburg, VA, 23805,804-861-1333

WashingtonCentral Hobbies1574 Gulf Rd #1136Point Roberts WA 98281604-431-0771

The Inside Gateway14725 Northeast 20thBellevue, WA 98007425-747-2016

WisconsinDepot Drygoods220 W Wisconsin AveNeenah,WI 54956920-725-8854

Greenfield News & Hobby6815 W Layton StGreenfield,WI 53220414-281-1800

Non-US Dealers

CanadaGeorge’s Trains510 Mt Pleasant RdToronto Ontario M4S 2M2416-489-9783

SwitzerlandTrainmaster3 Hochweidstr. KilchbergCH-8802 011-411-715-3666

United KingdomQuince Valley Designs17 West StreetWeedon,Northants NN7 4QU01327 341374


ObservationsJoe Giannovario, Editor⁄Publisher

The big news at O Scale Central tonight is the price reduc-tion on O Scale Trains Magazine. Because we’re now printingsufficient quantities, we’ve lowered the cover price of the mag-azine to $5.95 per copy and the subscription rate to $30 peryear for U.S. subscribers. For those who recently renewedtheir subscriptions at $36 a year, we’ve added an additionalcopy to your subscription to make up the difference. If youthought OST was a good value at $36, it’s an even better valueat $30. The lower cover price will help boost our newsstandimpulse buyers, too.

You may notice our illustrations look nicer in this issue.That’s because we now have two professional illustrators wecan tap to do drawings for us. I want to thank both CareyHinch and Richard Gardner (both were entrants in our LayoutContest) for their support of OST. You can get a good idea ofboth their work in this issue.

Another name that needs mentioning here is Brian Scace.Brian has been “promoted” to Associate Editor of OST. I wishthat meant something monetarily but it’s more to recognizeBrian’s extraordinary contributions to OST.

Speaking of Brian, we tapped him to put together our firstbook, A Guide to Modern O Scale. Brian had the unenviabletask of pulling together information from a wide variety ofsources and integrating that with special sections written byOST contributors Ted Byrne, Gene Deimling, Bobber Gibbsand Neville Rossiter. The end result is a resource guide to thelatest in O scale that has never been available before. I’m real-ly pleased with it and I think you will be, too. Check the ad onpage 39 for details on price.

We just got back from the show in Indianapolis and I haveto tell you that Jim Canter and crew did a great job. Over 400people attended the show. I appreciated meeting some of oursubscribers and putting faces with names. We also picked up apassle of new subscribers, too.

One thing I really liked about the Indy show is the schedule,Friday 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and then Saturday from 9:00 AM

until 3:00 PM. We were able to fly in Friday morning and thenleave Saturday evening. That worked out great for us as wewere finalizing this issue and didn’t have to spend too muchtime on the road. In fact, it worked out so well, we have photosfrom Indy in this issue.

We were proud to be the official sponsor of the model con-test at Indy. There were many fine model submissions. Con-gratulations to Tony Michel (1st place), Andrew Sunderland(2nd place) and Norm Hinkle (3rd place) on their awards.

You’ll find photos of their models in this issue and a picture ofme handing them their OST t-shirts. They also each won a freesubscription to OST.

In my last column I wrote about people who don’t haveInternet access. There’s a letter this issue from someone prais-ing me for bringing that up. On the other side of the fence is anote I received from John Smith of Pecos River which was toolate to put on the Letters page. So I include it here:

“By the by, with regards to your last editorial aboutprinted catalogs and those without Internet [access], Ihave these two comments.

“It is just too costly to print catalogs for a few peoplethat are too stubborn [and] resist computer and Internettechnology. There are many small garage operations thatjust don’t have the budget to advertise, let alone print cat-alogs. Even companies like Keil Line that have beenaround for some time, don’t have the time to keep upwith a printed catalog and diagrams of all of their parts.Don’t have the staff, or money, or time to do a catalogand do the product as well.

“Second, it is time for anyone on the face of the earth,with enough spare time and money to play with trains toshuck out a few hundred bucks for a computer or a fewminutes to go to the public library with the websiteaddress and learn how to research what they want toknow about. [At the library access] is FREE, andalthough I have not found the Internet a great place tosell stuff, it is the perfect research tool. And there is alibrarian to assist you, no matter what your age or com-puter skills are.”John does bring up some good points. Computers are

cheaper now than ever and usually come preset for Internetaccess. Both Apple and Microsoft make it an almost trivialtask to get online. (When I first set up a website in 1994, youhad to know Unix to post a web page!) And, virtually everylibrary in the country offers free net access.

But, there is still a significant percentage of homes withoutInternet access and even without computers. We get a fairnumber of subscription requests and renewals by snail mail, soI know there are non-Internet users reading OST. If you’re avendor and you want their business, then you had better beable to accommodate them.

Well, that’s it for this issue. As always, we’re interested inyour articles, comments, ideas and feedback.

Keep high ballin’! Hey Scace, where’s the booze? ◆

Atlas O, LLC • 378 Florence Avenue • Hillside, NJ 07205 • www.atlasO.com • 908-687-9590

Get thewheels of industry turning onyour layout with another handsome release of Atlas O'sRS-1 Locomotive. Sporting new paint schemes with prototypical paint-ing and printing, each locomotive also features a solid die-cast chassis,pilots, fuel tank, and detailed truck sideframes, highly detailed bodyand cab with separately-applied grab irons, piping and lift rings,steam generator details as appropriate per road name and all-metalseparately-applied handrail stanchions. Also featured are accurately-detailed AAR type B trucks with separately-applied brake cylinders,brake chains and other details, twin motors with flywheels, directionalheadlights and an operating diesel exhaust unit. Head down to yourlocal hobby shop and pick up yours today!

ITEM # 2-RAIL ITEM#DESCRIPTION DC/DCC READY 2-RAIL TMCC

O RS-1 LOCOMOTIVE - NEW PAINT SCHEMES!Undecorated ........................7870 ..................5870 Jersey Central......................7880-1 ................5880-1 Milwaukee Road ..................7881-1 ................5881-1 Rock Island..........................7882-1 ................5882-1 Susquehanna ......................7883-2 ................5883-2

LIMITED EDITIONAtlantic & East Carolina........7884 ..................5884 Two road numbers are available per road name except forthe Limited Edition Atlantic & East Carolina which has one

road number.

For the NEW Atlas O 2003-2004Fall/Winter Loco & Freight Car Catalog,please send $3 (plus $1 shipping) tothe address shown below.

(Background photo by Rob Pisani)

(Item #7881 - 3-rail models shown)

(Item #7884 - 3-rail models shown)

Additional TMCC features:• Lionel® TrainMaster® Command Equipped featuring RailSounds™ digital

sound system (Including horn, bell diesel-roar sounds, etc.); crew talk (incommand) and more

Additional 2-Rail Features:• All-wheels insulated with 8-wheel pickup• DCC ready • AC/DC operation* (2-Rail)• Kadee®-compatible die-cast scale couplers• Minimum curve: 36" radius* (DC operation for 2-Rail TMCC requires power inverter-sold separately)

TrainMaster® Command Control are registered trademarks of and licensed by Lionel, LLC.

(Item #7883)

New In Stock - from Pecos River BrassSANTA FE HEAVYWEIGHTS

• 80’ Combine,• 60’ Baggage,

• 60’ Storage Mail, • 70’ Fishbelly Baggage,

• 80’ Horse Car, • 70’ Baggage Mail

(2 versions), • 85’ Cafe Observation,FP Green or 2 Tone Grey.

Large Selection of PRB Brass at closeout prices • Check website or send SSAE for list.

Check out our website at http://www.pecosriverbrass.com

560 E. CHURCH • LEWISVILLE, TX 75057Phone and Fax: (972) 219-0202Pecos River Brass

[email protected] • visit our NEW website at http://www.pecosriverbrass.com

Modular Railroad Structures by Pecos River are ALL IN STOCK.

NOW AVAILABLE

VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES

NOW WITHLIGHTS &

INTERIORS

NOW WITHLIGHTS &

INTERIORS

DRGW 1951 PROSPECTOR& ROYAL GORGE

oscale · pdf filethe years but the one thread that ties the whole scene together is the new...

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