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O Scale 

Trains 

Jan/Feb 2008 u Issue #36 

MAGAZINE 

Celebrating 

the art of 

1:48 modeling 

US $6 .95 • Can $8 .95 

Display until February 29, 2008

Ted Byrne 

Carey Hinch 

Neville Rossiter 

Celebrating 

the art of 

1:48 modeling 

Issue #36 

Jan/Feb 2008 

Vol. 7 - No. 1 

Editor-in-Chief/Publisher 

Joe Giannovario 

jag@oscalemag.com 

Art Director 

Jaini Giannovario 

jaini@oscalemag.com 

Editor 

Mike Cougill 

editor@oscalemag.com 

Advertising Manager 

Jeb Kriigel 

jeb@oscalemag.com 

Customer 

Service 

Spike Beagle 

Complaints 

L’il Bear 

Contributors 

Gene Clements 

Hobo D. Hirailer 

Roger C. Parker 

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O Scale Trains Magazine, ISSN 1536-9528, USPS 24457, is 

published bi-monthly in January, March, May, July, September 

and November by OST Magazine, PO Box 289, Exton 

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oscalemag.com. 

O Scale 

Trains 

Features 

4 The Chemung Northern Story 

Ben Brown’s beautiful railroad will be open for tours during the ’08 SONC. 

11 Building Clugston’s Store — Part 2 

Martin Brechbiel finishes the second floor and final details. 

22 Soo Line Door-and-a-half Boxcar 

Bash this distinctive boxcar following Ray Grosser’s directions. 

27 Bay Ridge Harbor RR Cab Control 

This is Cab Control done the Aussie way, as told by Neville Rossiter. 

31 Postwar AAR Boxcars 

These are a few “must have” boxcars in O Scale, as defined by Larry Kline. 

62 OST Volume 6 Index 

64 2008 Scale O National Convention Preview 

Departments 

9 Easements – Brian Scace 

18 The Art of Finescale – Mike Cougill 

20 Traction Action – Roger Parker 

25 Confessions of a HiRailer – Hobo D. Hirailer 

34 The Modern Image – Gene Clements 

39 Reader Feedback 

47 Powering Up – Ted Byrne 

49 Product News & Reviews 

56 Modeler’s Shelf 

68 Buy-Sell-Trade Ads 

68 Events Listing 

69 Advertiser Index 

70 Observations – Joe Giannovario 

Cover: CN #12 is ready to pick up a loaded cement 

hopper at the Chemung Valley Cement plant on 

Ben Brown’s Chemung Northern RR, this month’s 

featured layout. 

Centerspread: Chemung Northern Consolidation #9 

gets serviced at the coal dock in Chemung, New 

York. 

Jan/Feb ’08- O Scale Trains •

The 

Chemung 

Northern 

Story 

Ben Brown 

Photos by 

Don Smith 

The Chemung Northern is a working railroad built to a scale 

ratio of 1/48, better known as O Scale. The railroad has been 

built around the walls of a 22’ x 34’ basement. The basement 

area has been finished and heated, a real benefit on cool New 

England evenings. 

Construction began some 40 years ago, when we moved 

from New York State to our present home. The railroad is built 

on a basic grid-style framework of 1x4 pine, topped with a subroadbed 

of 5/8” plywood and 1/2” Homosote. Finished cabinetwork 

made of 1x6 V-groove pine supports the grid construction, 

providing a rigid frame for storage shelving and the forced hot 

water heating system. 

Above the railroad surface, a lighting valence has been 

installed using some of the same 1x6 V-groove pine to provide 

visual continuity. Behind the lighting valence, three separate circuits, 

each with different colored lamps, provide 24-hour lighting 

effects. The lamps are, 40- and 60-watt clear for daylight, 40- 

watt amber for sunrise/sunset, and 25-watt blue for moonlight. 

The lighting circuits are manually dimmer-controlled; adding 

DCC-controlled motors to drive the dimmers is a future project. 

The basement is divided into two sections by the stairway 

in the middle. One section is home to a staging area and large 

modeling bench. The other section contains a lounge, video 

library, utility room, a small antique corner, and a milk car and 

associated memorabilia collection. 

The Chemung Northern, itself, represents an area of the 

Southern Tier of New York State. It is a hypothetical railroad, one 

that could have existed but never did. The concept of the railroad 

was developed after living and working in the vicinity for 

• O Scale Trains - Jan/Feb ’08 

several years. The concept is simple, being point-to-point from 

an interchange at Cayuta, NY, to the railroad’s terminus at Chemung, 

NY. The towns on the railroad are named for locations in 

the actual area modeled. Because of varied modeling interests, 

I have found it difficult to stick with just one era and locale. 

The late 1940s was initially chosen for the era of the Chemung 

Northern. For a successful shortline, the era offered a combination 

of hand-me-down steam and first generation Diesel power. 

However, after living for four years next to the Erie-Lackawanna 

mainline in the 1960s, I could not avoid the desire to build 

examples of what was passing by the house. The compromise 

has been to operate the railroad in two separate eras, and storing 

away whatever is inappropriate. 

1

As our four children began to move away from home after 

college, some additional space became available for railroad 

expansion. My wife first requested that the original laundry area 

be moved upstairs to a former bedroom. In its place, a coal-mine 

appeared (Photo 1). Then, with the lounge area no longer much 

of a family game area, the original mainline (which ran inside 

the top of surrounding bookcases) was exposed and the area 

expanded by cantilevering outwards from the narrow bookcases. 

This provided space for a small paper mill, a creamery, and a 

couple of support structures (Photos 2 & 3). 

The final expansion came when the computer left its alcove 

under the stairs and that area became a seaport (Photo 4). Now I 

could have easily modeled a typical lake port so prevalent in the 

Finger Lakes region, and that would have fit the theme of the railroad. 

But, I grew up on the Massachusetts coast, and had always 

been fascinated by rails that came down onto the fish pier, so 

2 

that’s what we now have. Today, as I look into the windows 

framed by cabinets and valence, I see mostly New York State, 

but there is also a special view that lets me see all the way to the 

Atlantic Ocean. 

The railroad itself has hand-laid and detailed trackwork, primarily 

using codes 148 and 125 rail. Some switches are electrically 

controlled, while others that are within reach are controlled 

manually. Power was originally provided by variable-voltage DC 

transformers. Today, after several iterations, the railroad uses 

digital command control (DCC). When first built there was a 

number of operating semaphores in place, moved by heated nichrome 

wire. They provided interesting vignettes but, with the 

change to DCC, it was realized that additional signals would be 

needed. The change was made to searchlight-style signals with 

their lower power requirements. Since some of the mainline is 

single-track and out of sight, working signals are a must with 

DCC due to the fact that two independent locomotives can be 

on the same track operating in opposite directions (Photo 5). 

Most mainline trackage is out of sight between towns or switch- 

5 

3 

4 

ing locations, reflecting the owner’s primary interest in switching. 

The railroad begins with the interchange at Cayuta. This is the 

location of a staging yard that represents the world outside the 

CN. The staging yard consists of five tracks, mounted on a large 

swivel sector-plate (Photo 6). The sector plate is eight feet long 

and is built above my workbench. The five tracks on the plate 

can be moved to align with either of two wye-tracks at Cayuta 

Junction, as necessary. This arrangement offers quite a bit of flexibility 

in preparing and removing trains during operating sessions. 

Cabinets provide additional rolling stock storage, serving to limit 

6 


that which is on the railroad at any given time. There is also a 

smaller sector-plate on the outboard end, allowing locomotives 

to escape to be turned for the next trip. 

Cayuta is the first town encountered, when entering the 

railroad from the interchange. It is home to a coal and lumber 

dealer, a small chemical plant, team track, and a barrel factory 

or cooperage (Photo 7). The PRR Elmira Branch also appears 

behind the Cayuta depot. Heading east, the next location 

reached is the Tioga Falls paper mill. The operation here is large 

enough to warrant two company-owned 44-tonners to be on 

hand (Photo 8). The location of Alpine, and its creamery, are at 

the end of the long passing siding. Leaving Alpine, we pass two 

branch junctions, one to Keuka Mine and the other to the seaport 

town of Truro (Photo 9). Both of these locations have their 

own assigned switching power. Keuka Mine has both empty and 

loading tracks for eight to ten hoppers. A leased road engine is 

usually on hand, to help the coal drags up the grade to the interchange. 

Truro is assigned CN #8, which sorts out cars at the pier and 

also brings reefers down to the junction at Big Flats (Photo 10). 

Big Flats hosts a passing siding and several industrial spurs. The 

industries include a cement plant, a feed mill, a shoe factory, 

gravel pit and a couple of distributors (Photo 11). Chemung follows 

Big Flats, and is the end of the CN line. In addition to a 

shop and engine facility, there is a woolen mill, tannery, box factory, 

machine rebuilder, feed mill, grape products company and 

a farm supply distributor (Photo 12). 

Train crews sign in on a white board, and trains are operated 

in sequence following audible and visual rules. Switchlists are 

7 

9 

10 

11 

8 

12 

• O Scale Trains - Jan/Feb ’08


provided on small clipboards for each train. The clipboards are hung on hooks provided 

under the lighting valence to keep them from being placed on the scenic’d railroad 

surface. During operations, the uncoupling of cars is performed either by magnet or 

some type of wand. 

Most structures are scratchbuilt and freelanced, with the exception of the three 

depots. They are models of favorite prototypes located at Hammondsport, NY, Big 

Flats, NY, and Walpole, MA. The Chemung enginehouse is patterned after one that 

used to be in Claremont, NH. Structures are all lighted, bringing the railroad alive during 

night operations. 

All locomotives are equipped with sound decoders. There are also several strategically 

placed stationary sound modules, producing appropriate sounds such as a waterfall, 

shop noise, flange squeal, and harbor background noise. Most of the rolling stock 

and locomotive fleet are either kit-built, scratchbuilt, or modified from the original, a 

modeling task I really enjoy. I am especially pleased with my unusual milk car display, 

which required much of 

the artwork to be created 

along with the car 

bodies. 

We plan to be part 

of the layout tours during 

the 2008 O Scale 

Convention. My wife’s 

garden railroad will 

also be hosting an open 

house. We look forward 

to meeting old and new 

friends alike during that 

time. 

u 

Deichman’s Depot 

ATLAS O Scale 2-Rail 

3518-1 Conrail SD-40 DCC Gold $407.95 

3513-1 WM SD-40 DCC Gold $407.95 

7458 C&NW SS Box $45.00 

7462 Reading SS Box $45.00 

7519 Bend Mills 53' Evans $55.20 

7521 NN&S 53' Evans $55.20 

7638 Chessie Safety EV Caboose $63.70 

7639 Family Lines EV Caboose $63.70 

9019 Southern Star 36' Reefer $53.50 

9052 ASD 36' Reefer $53.50 

9103 Merchants Biscuit 40' Reefer $53.50 

9125 Farimont 40' Reefer $53.50 

9159 Mathieson 40' Reefer $62.65 

9374 Edgar Clay 70T Hopper $55.20 

9371 WM 70T Hopper $55.20 

9519 Santa Fe 40' Steel Reefer $55.20 

9707 C&NW 1937 AAR DD Box $55.20 

9766 C of NJ 1923 ARA X-29 Box $59.45 

9855 Schmidts 50' PS-1 Box $59.45 

9403 NH 50' PS-1 DD Box $55.20 

7974 Southern 89'4" Flat $63.70 

ALL Trainman Rolling 2rl Stock $36.50 

CHECK WEB for AVAILABILITY 

Deichman’s Depot 

110 Ivyside Dr, York PA 17402 

Ph: 717-755-1108 • Fax: 717-840-9650 

deichmansdepot@comcast.net 

www.deichmansdepot.com 

• O Scale Trains - Jan/Feb ’08

Scace’s Laws 

Many of you have asked about Scace’s Laws of O Scale, 

since they have been mentioned from time to time in this 

column. Well, here they are, in one handy package for your 

amusement. 

1. Scratchbuild it. They will then produce it. 

2. Never lay more track than you are willing to clean. 

3. The hidden turnout breaks first. 

(Eschbach’s Corollary) The most invisible/inaccessible gap 

is the one that closed. 

4. The quality of the tool is inversely proportional to the 

quantity of the blood. 

Finally, there’s Scace’s Theory of Relativity. Your relatives 

will call it a ”train set”. 

All Good Things… 

OST #36 marks the beginnings of a transition, hopefully a 

healthy one. After five years with OST (four years of which 

has been editing) I’m sliding out of the Editor’s chair, and Mike 

Cougill is slipping in. It’s been a wonderful ride, but it’s also 

time for a new thumbprint to be placed. While I’ll always have 

a historian’s perspective, Mike brings an artist’s touch. Mike 

is also a relative newcomer to the scale, so he brings a newcomer’s 

perspective and enthusiasm. It’s a healthy thing, and I 

can’t help but feel strongly that, occasionally, a new perspective 

is needed to keep OST fresh. 

Now, before the rumors start (I know you guys!), you’ll be 

disappointed to know there is no juicy gossip behind this. I 

know it’ll be tough for you not to have some learned explanation 

that you’re privy to (but nobody else), but be strong. 

I’m just ready for something else, the magazine is ready for 

someone else, and my boy is no longer a toddler. He and I 

have big plans. 

Joe, Jaini, and Jeb have been wonderful to work with, and 

will always be special friends. All the columnists, past and 

present, represent a wide variety of backgrounds and opinions 

(some strongly held!), and all have kept me on my toes and 

made me appreciate the wide spectrum of pursuits available in 

our O Scale World, much wider than I would have otherwise 

appreciated. We have a great team of authors, here. My only 

wish is that more of you will join the ranks of these talented 

folks. OST depends on its authors, without whom there really 

would be no exchange of ideas, methods, technique. There’d 

be no magazine ”celebrating the art of O Scale modeling”. 

You, the reader, have been wonderful to work for. I’ve 

enjoyed all the repartee (whether we’ve agreed or not), 

whether by mail, email, or face-to-face at the various meets. 

I’ve also been amazed at how much I did not know, even after 

some 40 years as an O Scaler. I’ll always appreciate the kind 

words and, yes, the candor of the last four years. Without that 

candor, we’d never know what you think (agreeable or not) 

and the magazine would never have grown to what it is. Stay 

vocal, and keep Mike honest! 

Joe will be going back to his original role of Editor-in-Chief/ 

Publisher with this issue, and Mike will be taking my place 

on the masthead in short order. Please send whatever correspondence 

you’d be sending ”to the Editor” to Joe, while 

Mike is getting used to his new responsibilities. Mike and I did 

this issue together, to make sure the transition is as seamless 

as possible. Starting with #37, Mike will be in the driver’s seat. 

Once he’s firmly in the saddle, I’ll be ducking out and joining 

the rest of you as another subscriber and perhaps an occasional 

article author. It’s been an honor to be a part of this. 

Meanwhile, the Boy awaits! Let’s go Exploring! u 


P&D 31280 Hobby Shop P&D Hobby F Unit Sale 

Model shown is #8001 

Groesbeck, 

Fraser, MI 48026 

586-296-6116 

Open Mon-Fri 10-8, 

Sat 10-6, Sun 12-5 

Fax: 586-296-5642 

www.pdhobbyshop.com 

POWERED F “A” Units: Reg. $350, SALE $289.99 

#7001 EMD F3-Ph4, F7-Ph1 early , 36” low fans, 36” dynamic 

brake, 2 portholes, horiz grilles 

#8001 EMD F7-Ph1 late, F7-Ph2, 36” low fans, 48” dynamic 

brake, 2 portholes, Farr (vert) grilles (shown above) 

#9001 EMD F9, 36” fans, 48” dynamic brake, 2 portholes, 

Farr (vert) grilles 

UNPOWERED F “A” Units: Reg. $225, SALE $189.99 




brake, 2 portholes, Farr (vert) grilles 



F Unit “A” Body KITS: reg. $99.95, on sale $82.99 




brake, 2 portholes, Farr (vert) grilles 



POWERED F “B” Units: Reg. $315, SALE $264.99 

#3001 EMD F3-Ph3, F7-Ph1, 36” low fans, 36” dynamic 


#4001 EMD F7-Ph1 (late), F7-Ph2, F9, 36” low fans, 48” 

dynamic brake, 2 portholes, Farr (vert) grilles 

UNPOWERED F “B” Units: Reg. $200, SALE $169.99 





F Unit “B” Body KITS: reg. $94.99, on sale $79.99 





All kits include brass etched grills, appropriate detailed 

parts, and preformed grab irons for indicated model. 

These kits include only the parts above the frame.

Building Clugston’s Store – Part 2 

by Martin Brechbiel 

At the end of Part I, I had stopped 

with the first floor basically completed, 

minus the doors and windows (to be 

installed close to completion). All of the 

interior details for the first floor were 

installed and the adjacent storage shed 

was finished up to the actual sheathing 

of the roof. 

Before we continue, let’s define the 

compass again. You can refer back to 

Part I, or just remember that the wall 

with the front entrance porch is ”South”. 

The opposite deck-side wall is ”North”. 

The storage shed is on the ”West” wall, 

and the outside stairway to the second 

floor is on the ”East” side. Whoops! We 

haven’t started to build the outside stairway, 

yet. So, with that being said, here’s 

how I built the second floor and interior, 

the various roof components, and finished 

building Clugston’s Store. 

Building the Second Floor 

I started building the second story 

of the main building by installing the 

perimeter sills, 1/16” x 3/16” dimensional 

lumber, that rest directly on top of the 

2x4 caps of the first floor walls flush 

with the outside edge (Photo 1). The sills 

1 

for the East & West walls were extended 

out over the front porch. The sill above 

the front door was installed flush to the 

inner wall, to provide a resting site for 

the porch roof rafters. The end sill for 

the second floor porch was inserted 

between the two extended sidesills to be 

supported down to the first-floor porch 

through the extended posts. I added a 

length of 2x2 on the lower inside edge 

of that end sill to provide a support for 

the other end of the porch roof rafters. 

Floor joists were then inserted to finish 

the second-floor support system. Before 

inserting the floor joists, I finished installing 

the stairway to the second floor, 

made from the two merged Gould Company 

#1007 stairway sets. I used some 

scrap 1/16” x 3/16” dimensional lumber 

and a full joist length of the same material, 

boxing in the steps and creating a 

landing at the top of the steps. Almost 

all of the rest of the floor joists were 

added, again using 1/16” x 3/16” dimensional 

lumber, on two-foot centers with 

the exception of a square gap left in the 

middle of the floor. I framed in a lift-out 

area of joists for access to the lighting 

and for access to the first floor. 

A finished and accessible interior 

needs some lighting. I had the lighting 

units from the Berkshire Valley ”Country 

Store” detail set in hand, so these were 

installed. I glued (with Walthers Goo) 

the bulb holders to some 1/32” scrap 

spanning three joists from underneath, 

soldered up the wire, and ran the leads 

through the floor joists over to the shed. 

I then dropped the leads down through 

the shed for eventual hook-up to power. 

The lift-out joist box was used, both for 

this installation and to put the bulbs in 

place (after a quick test to prove that I 

could get my fingers through, around, 

and up, to put bulbs in). 

The Second-Floor Flooring 

The flooring was made from 1/32” 

thick, 3/32” scribed siding from Northeastern 

Scale Lumber. The perimeter of the 

floor, say six or eight scale feet in from the 

edge, was glued (CA) into place in sections, 

including ”wrapping” it around the 

stairwell (Photo 2). The remaining center 

2 

section was assembled by edge-gluing 

together two large pieces of scribed siding. 

This entire section was planned as a 

removable lift-out, populated with the second-floor 

interior walls and furniture. These 

same features were planned to provide 

a ”handle” for lifting this section out for 

access to the first floor. 

Building the Second-Floor Exterior Walls 

I modified my approach used for 

building the first-floor walls, and stopped 

at the framing stage with the interior 

”plaster” walls painted (Polly S Aged 

White) and glued down flush to the 

perimeter without adding the exterior 

clapboards. 

All four of these pre-assembled studwalls 

were assembled with nine-foot 2x4 

studs on two-foot centers with a 4x4 on 

each end (Figure 1, page 17 and Photo 3). 

The 2x4 studs below the windows were 

3 

doubled for support, and headers over 

the windows were included in all walls 

as needed. 

Having committed to an interior on 

the second floor forced me to include 

some sort of access to the attic. The 

North wall unit then expanded to 

include the interior wall for the secondfloor 

stairwell interior wall coming up 

from the first floor, and also incorporated 

the stairway space directly over that 

going up to the ”attic”. 

I first built the exterior wall and 

framed it for two Grandt Line #3702 

windows, ”plastered” the interior with 

0.005” styrene, cut out the window 

holes, trimmed out the windows with 

O Scale 1x4, and painted the trim and 

the walls as described for the first floor. 

Then, I built an interior wall using the 

same construction style, except it was 

sheathed with styrene on both sides, and 

connected it to the exterior wall with 

similarly sheathed framing for a Grandt 

Line #3602 door up to the attic. I also 

installed a spliced together and cut-tofit 

Grandt Line stairway over a sheet 

of 0.005” styrene, closing off this area 

from the lower stairwell. The wainscoting 

theme (3.5’ high using Kappler 1/16” 

Jan/Feb ’08- O Scale Trains • 11

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locomotive are controlled. A backlit LCD screen with graphical interface and easy-to-use menu buttons make 

operation and programming of up to 9,999 addresses and CVs simple and intuitive. The ten function buttons allow 

for one-touch operation of sound and lighting features. Turnout and accessory decoders can also be fully controlled 

by the Dynamis ® system, giving you total freedom and control of your railroad. 

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• constant digital information updates of handset 

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• joystick control for locomotive selection and speed 

• 9,999 locomotive addresses 

• supports 14, 28 or 128 speed steps 

• full CV programming 

• turnout and accessory control 

• easy-to-use backlit LCD screen 

• control of up to 40 locomotives at any 

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12 • O Scale Trains - Jan/Feb ’08 

Item No. 36505 

MSRP: $300.00 

Shipping: Fall 2007

scribed x 1/32” thick siding capped off 

with an HO 1x4) was carried over from 

the first floor into this space, through 

the stairwell space, and around into this 

interior hallway area (Photo 4). 

The second-story South wall was 

4 

built up similarly to the first-floor wall, 

and was framed for a Grandt Line #3601 

door in the center and four Grandt 

#3702 windows equally spaced. The 

second-story West wall was similar in 

dimensions to the first-floor wall, and 

was framed for front room and bathroom 

Grandt #3702 windows. Some additional 

4x4 framing was run out from this wall to 

intersect with the planned interior walls. 

I had planned a kitchen window, but that 

ended up interfering with the chimney 

(well, the stove has to exhaust somewhere…). 

The second-story East wall 

was framed for three Grandt #3702 windows 

for the front room, dining room, 

and bedroom, and again some 4x4 for 

intersecting interior walls. This wall was 

also framed out to accommodate a second 

story side entrance. I’ll come back to 

building that access later (Photo 5). Once 

all of the interior window trimming and 

painting was completed, the North wall 

5 

unit was CA’d in place first. Then, the 

remaining second-floor walls followed 

with all of the ends being glued together 

as well (Photo 6). 

The exteriors of the second-story walls 

6 

were finished in individual clapboards 

just like the first floor walls (Photo 7). An 

HO 2x8 kick-out board was glued at the 

base of the South wall, due to the installation 

of the joists for the porch. I also 

doubled the exterior of the sidesill where 

the second-story side entrance platform 

7 

would be attached. Clapboards, of HO 

1” x 16” lumber no more than 12’ long, 

with staggered joints were used to finish 

these walls. Window openings were cut 

out and test fitted with their respective 

Grandt Line castings. 

Building the Second-Floor Interior Walls 

Again, before building any interior 

walls, I assembled all of the furniture I 

had collected together (Berkshire Valley, 

Karen Cary’s Miniatures, Builders 

in Scale, BTS, and other ”stuff”) and 

laid out floor-plans that would accept it 

all on a piece of foam backer-board. I 

did remember to take into account the 

space occupied by the stairways and the 

landing areas in the back of the building. 

I laid out a bedroom, dining room, 

bathroom, small office/study, a kitchen, 

and a meeting room. I decided that, 

with Clugston owning and operating a 

sizeable store, he should also be a man 

of some means and influence within the 

community, thereby entitled to a meeting 

or ”great” room where town meetings 

and such might be held. 

The interior walls were constructed 

on O Scale 4x4 frames and sheathed 

with 0.010” styrene. These were initially 

set up as two independent sub-structures, 

East and West, to form a central 

hallway running from the back stairway 

with access to the great room in the 

front. The walls were painted Polly S 

Aged White. After the doorways (Grandt 

#3602) were cut out, the baseboard and 

door trim (O Scale 1x6 and 1x4 respectively) 

was painted Polly S Light Green 

and installed. The West sub-structure 

contains the bathroom, a small office/ 

study, and the kitchen, while the East 

sub-structure contains the bedroom and 

dining room. The ends of the walls fit 

snugly adjacent to the O Scale 4x4 framing 

members that I had left exposed in 

the exterior wall framing, but the interior 

walls were not attached to the exterior 

walls. Both sub-structure interior walls 

were secured to the central lift-out portion 

of the floor, along with the room 

contents. The furniture and details 

not on the lift-out were secured to the 

perimeter flooring or to the exterior 

walls (Photo 8). 

8 

The Second-Story Porch 

The porch floor was then installed 

using Northeastern (1/32” thick x 3/32” 

scribed) siding. Railing posts (Grandt 

#3537) were spaced above the support 

posts from the first-floor porch. Grandt 

#3505 railing was cut down or glued up, 

as needed, to fill the gaps between the 

posts. After the railing and post assembly 

was completed, it was painted with 

Polly S Aged White. After the decking 

had been stained, the railing unit was 

secured with CA (Photo 9). I took a 

Grandt #3810 screen door, expanded it 

with some scrap styrene to fit the doorframe, 

then added some brass screening 

to the back. After painting it Aged 

White, I secured the door in place with 


New! O Scale Birney 

This is a true O Scale 1:48 model. The die was 

made from the drawings of a real Birney! 

The model comes with a complete interior, less power 

truck and lighting package: $35.95. We expect a 4-wheel 

power truck kit in mid-April, followed by the lighting kit. 

Pa Heritage Models Ltd. 

715 Ridgeway Road, Birdsboro, PA 19508 

www.paheritagemodels.com 

Ragg’s...To Riches? 

499 Davis Hill Road 

Middlebury Center, PA 16935 

www.raggstoriches.biz 

(570) 376-2025 

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14 • O Scale Trains - Jan/Feb ’08

a thin film of Goo. The last thing I added 

were some laser-cut rocking chairs and 

benches from B.T.S. 

The First-Story Porch 

Six support posts for the secondfloor 

porch were made from two Gould 

Company #1009 square porch-post sets, 

extended with a matching square wooden 

post to support the second-floor joists 

that would overhang the porch. Railings 

were made up from Grandt Line #3505 

parts, cut to fit in between the posts and 

secured in place with Walthers Goo. 

The posts and the railing units were prepainted 

with Polly S Aged White. These 

units were installed after the exterior 

painting was completed, to allow access 

to the front porch. 

The steps leading down from the front 

porch were built using a stairway template 

that I created. Four stairway stringers 

were cut out of 1/32” scrap, attached 

to the front sill resting equidistant on a 

seven foot long O Scale 4x4. The stair 

treads were made from O Scale cedar 

2x10 and glued into place. 

I added the produce racks, made 

from scrap lumber and scrap 1/32” sheet 

basswood, to hold an array of produce 

boxes, baskets (Hamm River), and two 

barrels of cucumbers left over from Lauthers’ 

Perfect Pickles. Finally, I added 

one of the ”locals” checking out the produce 

before going inside, to complete 

the scene (Photo 10). 

The Second-Story Side Entrance 

The second-story entrance started out 

9 

10 

by building the platform out of the now 

familiar 1/16” x 3/16” dimensional lumber 

deck over with the same Northeastern 

1/32” thick, 3/32” scribed, siding. 

The support legs were made from some 

O Scale 7” x whatever pine-stock from 

Kappler, with HO 3” x 12” cross-braces, 

all fitted out with Grandt #23 nut-boltwasher 

castings. The stairway was the 

result of mingling my remaining Grandt 

and Gould stairway castings, the result 

of which I gave a little twist to make it a 

bit more rickety. The footing was made 

from some foundation stones; the ”twist” 

was accommodated with some leftover 

chimney bricks. The railing around the 

deck was made from HO 8x8 for posts, 

with more HO 3” x 12” lumber for the 

railing topped with some HO 3” x 18” 

stock (Photo 11). I added another Grandt 

#3810 screen door, expanded with some 

scrap styrene to fit. Again, some brass 

screening was added behind, and the 

11 

whole was painted Aged White, before 

attaching the assembly to the frame. The 

last thing I added was Mrs. Clugston and 

her cat (both from Arttista) checking out 

the commotion over those new washing 

machines on the loading dock and wondering 

which one was hers. 

Finishing the Shed and the Shed Roof 

The shed roof had been gap-sheathed 

with HO 1” x 24” planking in preparation 

for a metal roof. The East end of the 

shed, going up the exterior of the rafter 

area, was first closed in with additional 

individual HO 1” x 14” clapboards. The 

roofing was done with Builders in Scale 

metal ribbed-seam roofing material. The 

roofing material was pre-cut to four foot 

widths prior to gluing it down. The shed 

roof was done in two courses on each 

side, using eight-foot long sheets secured 

with Goo. This process worked nicely 

to hold this material down, working leftto-right 

starting from the bottom corner 

of the roof. Make sure the seams cleanly 

overlap, leaving a small overhang. The 

flashing seal to the exterior East wall 

of the main building was done using a 

small excess of the same roofing material, 

folded up and secured onto the framing 

prior to installation of the clapboard. 

The peak of the metal roof was sealed 

with sections of the standing rib, cut 

from scrap roofing sections, along with 

a small portion of the roofing. These 

pieces were very carefully hand-formed 

to conform to the standing seams of the 

roofing, then secured with Goo. 

Trim Boards 

All of the corners of the building’s 

clapboard sheathing were trimmed out 

with O Scale 1x6. The trim boards were 

added after the walls were assembled, 

the shed and porch roof framing completed, 

and all of the clapboard had 

been installed. I also built up some trim 

for the exposed sills for the second-floor 

porch using some quarter-round and 

some other wooden ”special shapes” out 

of my scrap box. 

The Main Roof 

The rafters, made of 1/16” x 3/16” 

dimensional lumber (Figure 2, page 17 

and Photo 12), were all built in place and 

test-fitted into their specific locations to 

insure a proper fit. Then, I assembled 

the entire roof in place on the building, 

12 

to ensure a tight fit on top of the second 

floor wall framing, so it would be removable 

with minimal gaps or warping. Soffit 

boards, of 1/16” x 5/16 dimensional 

lumber, were glued in between and to 

the rafters. This serves to fill the gaps 

between the rafters and to lock them 

into place making a single solid unit. 

Scraps of 1/32” sheet basswood were 

glued into the interior corners, above the 

two end-rafters of the roof, to stabilize 

the corners. Lead weighting was Goo’d 


onto these scraps to hold the entire assembly down and to 

stabilize the shape. The entire roof was gap-sheathed with 

HO 2” x 20” material, leaving a gap for the chimney to pass 

through on the West side. The North and South ends of the 

main roof were closed in with board-and-batten made from 

individual HO 1” x 24” and 1” x 3” boards (Photo 13). 

Concurrent with building rafters, sheathing the roof, and 

then putting on the metal roof, the chimney (Photo 14) was 

13 


14 

extended up the side of the second story to the base of the 

soffit board running between the rafters. I made a break in the 

actual chimney, then glued the portion of the chimney (from 

the soffit board up) to the soffit itself. This method made the 

roof removable without breaking the flashing seal around the 

chimney and the metal roofing. See Part I for more details on 

how I made the chimney partly removable with the roof. 

Roofing 

The roofing for the main building was done with more 

Builders in Scale metal ribbed-seam roofing material, precut 

to four-foot widths. The roof was done in two courses of 

12’ roofing and one course of eight-foot long sheets on each 

side, carefully fitted around the chimney. Again, I used Goo 

to secure this roofing material, working right-to-left starting 

from the bottom corner of the roof leaving a small overhang. 

The peak of the roof was sealed over using sections of just 

the standing rib cut from scrap roofing sections. These pieces 

were carefully formed by hand to conform to the standing 

seams of the roofing and secured with Goo. 

All of the metal roofing was painted with two coats of a 

one-to-one mixture of Polly S Mineral Red and Special Tan, 

to simulate an older red-oxide painted roof that has been oxidized 

and faded by the sun. The characteristic brown staining 

of old rust breaking through was added, using three applications 

of Minwax stain mixture that was ”dropped” into seams 

with a small brush and allowed to wander about on the roof. 

After drying, these areas were drybrushed with Polly S Roof 

Brown and Rust. All of the joints, such as where the shed roof 

butts up against the building, around the chimney, or where 

the boiler house roof meets the exterior wall, were also sealed 

with ”tar” using Polly S Steam Black. The entire roofing array 

was then airbrushed with an overspray of dilute Floquil Grimy 

Black to seal this effect. The entire interior framing of the roof 

was also stained with Pecan Minwax. 

Painting & Finishing 

All of the exposed wood, the baseboard and stone foundation 

were stained with my Minwax mystery mix (I still don’t 

know what’s in it.) After this dried, all of the weather-exposed 

siding of the building was hand-painted with an undercoat of 

Floquil Wisconsin Central Gold. This undercoating was done 

very quickly and unevenly, with a fairly large stiff brush, to 

work it into the clapboards. While this might sound sloppily 

done, care is required to ensure that the color doesn’t get on 

anything else. Then, all of the exterior sheathing was given a 

top-coating of a one-to-one mixture of Polly S Mineral Red 

and French Earth Brown. Those portions given the Floquil 

undercoat were top-coated after no more than an hour (and 

most likely much sooner than that) after application of the 

undercoat. This causes all of the Polly S painted surfaces with 

the tacky Floquil paint undercoat to actually glaze and crack, 

giving the appearance of peeling paint of one color revealing 

the prior color underneath, while the more ”sheltered from 

weather” surfaces retain a more evenly painted surface. By 

the way, while Wisconsin Central Gold may seem very bright, 

after this technique was completed it took on a more cream 

color. This paint is also completely unlike any other Floquil 

paint that I have used. It was very thick and appeared to have 

gloss added, as well. 

Some of the final details to be added were the signs for 

Clugston’s Store, on the second-floor porch railing, and the 

collection of advertising signs on the East and North walls. 

I made the front signs (”Clugston’s” and ”Post Office”) using 

a laser-printer. The paper was trimmed, glued to some 1/32” 

sheet basswood, and framed with some Northeastern 1/32” 

wooden angle. Afterwards, the signs were stained with 

Minwax and painted in the same scheme as the rest of the 

exterior. The two signs were strung together using 2mm stanchions 

(from Precision Scale) and some 0.019” brass wire. 

They were then hung from the front of the second-floor porch 

with another pair of stanchions. The advertising signs for the 

exterior were first printed in a variety of sizes, using an ink-jet 

printer, so I could pick the ones that fit the areas best. The 

selected signs were then thinned with some 220-grit sandpaper, 

positioned onto the clapboard, and pre-creased to fit the 

contours of the wall. They were then soaked in water to soften 

the paper fiber, as well as to let the ink leach out to fade and

age the signs. The backs of the signs 

were sprayed with a thin application of 

3M Spray Mount Artist’s Adhesive and 

pressed into place. 

The smoke jack for the pot-belly 

stove on the first floor is a Turner Model 

Works casting. I managed to locate the 

stove piping from the inside to align 

the smoke jack, and cut a round hole 

in the clapboards. I made a bracket to 

support the casting, connected that to 

two brass anchors that I mounted to the 

wall with some 0.010” wire, slipped a 

small washer over the end as a gasket, 

and mounted the casting in place. Some 

painting with various blacks, browns, 

and rust, followed by some Bragdon rust 

powders, finished the smoke jack. 

Window and Doors 

All of the doors and windows were 

pre-painted with two coats of Polly S 

Aged White, glazed with polyacetate, 

and inserted after the building was 

painted. Some light dry-brushing with 

the Aged White, to simulate streaks from 

water running off of the windows, was 

added after the exterior building painting 

was completed. 

To finish this building off, I dusted it 

with a lot of my own ground-up pastel 

chalks and also played a bit with some 

of the Bragdon powders. I then lightly 

Figure 1: Framing plans for the East, West, North and South 2nd floor walls. 

Figure 2: Pattern for the Roof Rafters 

over-sprayed the whole building, using 

an airbrush, with Floquil Grimy Black. I 

added a heavier pattern on and around 

the chimney. The West wall and roof 

adjacent to the chimney were heavily 

blackened, to complete the exterior. 

Some final touches were to cap the 

chimney with some crows from Arttista. 

Then, I just had to load up the back 

deck with a selection of barrels, crates, 

and assorted debris. I had just gotten a 

jib-crane casting from Model Tech Studios, 

so I decided to add that, as well. I 

modified the mounting mechanism with 

strip styrene and a bunch of Grandt #23 

nut-bolt-washer castings, used some 

Evergreen channel to mount 

it to the wall with more 

”nbw’s”, some surgical silk 

for a cable, and a hook from 

Precision Scale. I tossed the 

wire supplied for making the 

cranks into the scrap box, and 

soldered my own up from 

some brass bar-stock. I even 

added some more foundation 

stones under the porch to 

support the base of the crane. 

Just when I thought I had this 

detail finished and swiveling 

nicely I realized that, if it ever 

had ever carried any weight, 

it would come right off the 

wall. So, more channel stock 

with nbw’s pre-painted Aged 

White just had to go on the 

inside of the stairwell walls to 

support this crane. So much 

for planning ahead, and thank 

goodness for long thin tweezers. 

Well, with all this stuff 

on the back deck, I had to 

keep adding more people and 

a dog from Arttista, and those 

new washing machines that 

just got delivered. 

So, that just about wraps up how I 

built Clugston’s Store. All I have to do 

now is to install this new building into 

my layout, and add the scenery and surrounding 

details, before moving on to 

my next building project. 

u 


The Art of Finescale 

Michael Cougill 

Keeping Track 

With the New Year upon us, some 

of you might be first time readers of O 

Scale Trains. Maybe you’ve thought of 

moving from another scale or converting 

from 3-rail to 2-rail. Perhaps you’re 

switching from standard O Scale (1-1/4” 

gauge) to P48. Regardless of where 

you’ve come from, let me extend a warm 

welcome to you. 

If you enjoy prototype fidelity and 

accurate modeling, then P48 will be a 

comfortable home for you. You might 

have the impression that P48 modeling 

is all about scratchbuilding everything, 

locomotives, cars, etc. Nothing could be 

further from the truth. While many P48 

modelers are accomplished scratchbuilders, 

we also convert many cars from 

the worlds of Hi-Rail and Standard O 

that are dimensionally accurate. With a 

simple change of trucks or replacement 

wheelsets, they make great looking models. 

We’ll often sweeten up the detailing 

a bit too, such as adding separate grab 

irons, ladders, or new couplers, to further 

refine the car’s appearance. You can 

have a satisfying P48 layout using off-theshelf 

components. 

However, there are always new skills 

to master in model railroading. One such 

skill is handlaying track. I don’t know 

why so many find this process intimidating. 

I can assure you it isn’t as frightening 

as it seems. Once you dive in and get 

your feet wet, you’ll wonder why you 

waited so long to try it. 

I do agree that well detailed P48 


trackwork can make one 

think twice about trying 

it. All that detailing can be 

scary. And spiking each 

and every tie? Here’s the 

secret. Break the task 

down into small manageable 

pieces. If you’ve 

never handlaid a piece 

of track in your life, start 

with a short section of 

display track. The investment 

in time and materials will be minor 

but the knowledge gained will pay huge 

rewards. 

I’ve handlaid track in different scales, 

but had never worked with individual tieplates. 

I knew there’d be a learning curve 

and the test section helped. Spiking the 

rails every third or fourth tie, as you normally 

do, makes it hard to slip the adjacent 

tieplates in place. I found that, with 

a nice heavy track gauge to hold the rails 

steady, you can place several tieplates 

under a length of rail before spiking 

things down. By placing several tieplates 

at a time, you can put in enough spikes 

to hold the rails in gauge (every tenth tie 

for example). Then go back and slide in 

the missing tieplates, align the rails, and 

spike every tie if you wish. 

A visitor once observed that I didn’t 

pre-paint the gray plastic tieplates before 

installation. I said that I merely painted 

the rail sides and the tieplates in one pass 

with a small brush. With the right size 

brush, it’s fairly simple to keep the paint 

off the ties. Like so many things, all it 

takes is a little practice. 

If you’re serious about working in P48, 

then handlaying track is a skill worth 

cultivating since there are no ready-torun 

commercial P48 track components 

at present. House of Duddy used to offer 

P48 flextrack in a variety of rail sizes, but 

I believe it has been dropped from their 

line. As for turnouts, they’re definitely a 

handlaid project. Thanks to companies 

like American Switch and Signal (1945 N. 

Highway 300 West Winamac, IN 46996), 

the hard work is done for you. Their 

frog, point, and guardrail castings are just 

superb. Right-O’-Way Products (23682 

Road 15-3/4 Chowchilla, CA 93610) carries 

an amazing variety of tieplates, joint 

bars, and other track components. Be 

aware that R-O-W’s turnout and crossing 

parts are for Standard O, not P48. 

Like so many aspects of the hobby, 

learning a new skill like laying track takes 

time. It involves making some mistakes, 

learning from them and trying again. 

I encourage you, whatever your level 

of skill, to give something new a try in 

2008. I’ll be practicing what I preach as 

I move to the Editor’s chair to succeed 

Brian. Best wishes and good luck, Brian. 

Your influence on these pages will be 

sorely missed. 

Best regards. 

Mike 

u 

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Rail Yard Structures from B.T.S. ! 

Freight House 

#17500 $169.95 

At the freight house, the goods were logged 

in, the paperwork and billing done, and the 

goods were stored until the next outgoing 

freight car was available. Incoming goods 

were handled the same way. 

This is a variation of a CB&Q prototype and 

consists of laser-cut basswood, plywood, 

and cardstock, tarpaper roofing, and detail 

castings.The footprint of the building is 74’ 

x 20’ with a 30’ loading dock on the end. It 

can be built with scribed siding or board & 

batten as shown. 

MoW Shed 

#17501 $49.95 

Maintenance of Way, i.e., the maintenance of the track and roadbed requires the railroad 

to keep a stockpile of spikes, tie plates, switch stands, and other components. 

This kit consists of laser-cut basswood, plywood, and cardstock, tarpaper roofing, 

detail castings, and loads of character. It was based upon an AT&SF prototype. The 

doors are positionable, and individual battens are included, if board-and-batten siding is desired. The tabbed, well-engineered 

construction provides fast and easy assembly. The footprint is about 22’ x 29’. 

Handcar Shed 

#17503 $49.95 

Track gangs needed a place to store their handcars when not in use as well as all their 

tools and supplies. Sheds with tracks quickly answered the need. The prototype for this 

model was near Delta, PA on the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad. This kit consists 

of laser-cut basswood, plywood, and cardstock, tarpaper roofing, and detail castings. 

The footprint is approximately 18’ x 20’. 

Bridge Crane 

#18505 $119.95 

Overhead bridge cranes were located at various places including the team track, engine house, 

large industries and the freight house. It was used to move heavy loads from flats and gons. 

The model is a brass import. The hoist trolley is positionable on the bridge. The model is 

painted and ready for you to simply hang the hook and chain on the hoist. Approx. Size 

- scale 20’ wide with 16’ clearance from ground to the bottom of the bridge. This is a limited 

run project that is sold direct only from B.T.S. 

P O Box 856 

www.btsrr.com 

Elkins, WV 26241 

Shipping is $5.00 per order in the US 

Phone: 304-637-4510 All Scale Catalog - $5.00 

Fax: 304-637-4506 Celebrating over 28 Years of Service since 1979

Traction Ac- 

Roger C. Park- 

Inspiration Is Where You Find It! 

Inspiration for new models can come from anywhere, 

including books you may have owned for decades, as well as 

rolling stock you encounter while visiting trolley museums. I’d 

like to share the story behind three of my recent acquisitions 

that illustrate the value of one-of-a-kind models. 

Piedmont and Northern #5600 

For close to 20 years, I’ve enjoyed my copy of Piedmont 

and Northern: The Great Electric System of the South, written 

by Thomas T. Fetters and Peter W. Swanson, Jr. The book was 

published by Golden West Books in 1974 for the then mighty 

sum of $19.95, and has long been a favorite of mine. (Note: a 

limited number of used copies are available from [www.alibris. 

com] starting at $100, a fair price for the value you’ll receive 

for the book.) 

The Piedmont and Northern was a 128-mile electric railroad 

built to steam railroad standards with lots of private right-ofway. 

There were two separate divisions, one in North Carolina 

and the other in South Carolina. The two lines were separated 

by a gap of 51 miles. The Piedmont and Northern was characterized 

by multi-car passenger trains, numerous atmospheric 

terminals, high level platforms, and several observation cars. 

During World War I, the line’s growing interchange freight 

traffic was severely taxing their existing freight engines. Needing 

an immediate solution, the line built four unique engines 

in their own shops by placing unused freight and express bodies 

on articulated platforms. Each chassis contained a pair of 

two-axle trucks. The resulting power was more than enough to 

handle 40-car freight trains. 

Talking to Gene Deschenes about the line’s unique engines, 

he mentioned that he also found both the engines and the 

book fascinating. The result of that conversation is a large, 

powerful model that dwarfs other models in the same way the 

prototype 

engines 

dwarfed 

the line’s 

other rolling 

stock. 

Aroostook Valley #70 

Aroostook Valley combine #70 is an elegantly-lined car 

that currently resides at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, 

Maine [http://www.trolleymuseum.org]. My 

favorite memories of it were when the museum used it for their 


Photos by Gene Paltrineri 

Haunted 

Trolley rides 

each Halloween. 

Typically, 

these rides 

took place 

on the coldest 

nights 

of the year, 

but the hot 

cider made up for the temporary discomfort. 

One of the reasons for its use at Halloween, of course, was 

the car’s dilapidated condition at the time. The car has recently 

been restored to ”as-built” condition, and that’s the way Gene 

Deschenes modeled it. 

Montreal & Southern Counties #504 

Many years ago, Arthur Ford measured the Montreal & 

Southern Counties combine and coach, also on display at 

the Seashore Trolley Museum. It had always bugged me that, 

although my sons and I had often explored the matching freight 

motor in the Highland Barn at Kennebunk, I didn’t have a 

model of one to pair up with the matching combine and coach. 

Again, Gene Deschenes to the rescue! The lines of #504 

perfectly match the coach and combine when coupled 

together, as they often were. This three-car lash-up will make 

a perfect complement to my planned model of the Montreal 

& Southern 

County’s 

perfectlyproportioned 

Montreal 

terminal, 

described in 

one of my 

early “Traction 

Action” 

columns, OST 26 (May/Jun 2006). 

Conclusion 

So, what are your favorite prototypes? What photographs 

in books fascinate you, year after year? Which museum rolling 

stock brings back favorite memories? It’s never too late to 

model your favorite prototype! Having a one-of-a-kind model 

of your favorite prototype is a great way to keep your interest 

in traction modeling alive. 

u

East Gary 

Car Co. 

Dept OST 

3828 St. Joseph Ct 

Lake Station IN 46405 

They’re Back! 

Former Indianapolis Car Company sides 

are now available from new tooling. 

Parts #100 & #200 

$3.00 each 

Orders under $50 please add $4.50 for postage and 

handling. SASE for updated list. 

www.modelbuildingservices.com 

Coal Mine by K&P Brick & Building Co. 

Model Building 

Services 

Models built by Stu Gralnik 

264 Marret Rd • Lexington MA 02421 

Ph: 781-860-0554 

stu@modelbuildingservices.com 

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detailed... 

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W. Springfield, MA 1/26-27 

Amherst Show - now in 4 buildings! 

Check www.amherstrail.org for our location 

Timonium, MD 2/2-3 Allentown, PA 2/23-24 

Contact us for further show info 

Mail Orders - Credit Cards - Gift Certificates 

Products to make your railroad better ! 

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Remote 

Control Systems 

of New England 

Sales and Service East of Mississippi 

Remote Controls for “O” Scale 

Trains. Batteries, Chargers, 

Sound Systems, and Installations. 

Systems starting at $170 

Don Sweet 

Phone: (603) 321-1347 

Email: dsweet@rcs.mv.com 

www.remotecontrolthrottles.com 

NEW! Steel Industry Loads 

Introducing several new steel industry loads! 

These include various styles of steel billets, 

plates and blooms. Fill your flats and gons with 

these highly detailed, painted and weathered 

loads. Check them out by visiting our website 

or by calling us for more information. 

St. Charles Model Works, Inc. 

www.Trainloads.com 815/457-2453 

B R U M M Y ’ S 

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email: railsunl@sbcglobal.net 

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Baldwin Forge & Machine 

Box 5, Baldwin MD 21013 

How can we help you? Custom machine 

work, 3-R to 2-R conversions for steam, 

diesel or electric. Driver castings 

machined. General repairs to O Scale locomotives. 

Call Joe, evenings 7 to 9 PM. 

410-592-5275 or rrjjf@aol.com 

Stevenson Preservation Lines 

O Gauge Kits and Parts from past 

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Baldwin Model Locomotive Works 

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Adams & Sons 

Lenoir 

Kansas City Kit 

Hines Lines 

Alexander 

Pearce Tool Co. 

Bob Stevenson, 2326 230th St. Ames, IA 50014 


2 

Soo Line 

Door-and-a-half 

Boxcar 

3 

4 

5 

General 

I saw a photo of this unique Soo Line 

door-and-a-half car in “Focus on Boxcars” 

at the 2007 Chicago O Scale meet. 

I was looking at a Rails Unlimited CB&Q 

outside-braced boxcar model, which 

has four more braces on the sides, and 

I asked Ted Schnepf if he thought this 

might work. He indicated that it might be 

close enough, if I reconfigured the side 

braces. The more I thought about it the 

more appealing the idea was, so I had 

Ted send me one (Photo 1). 

The car is molded in a medium-soft 

urethane resin plastic, similar to several 

other car kits I have built in both HO and 


1 

Ray Grosser 

O Scales. I enjoy these kits since doing 

something different with the model is not 

difficult and the results are very pleasing. 

Modeling in O Scale is relatively new to 

me, but I am enjoying it. As I get older 

my hands shake more, and the larger 

models are easier for me to put together. 

Some of the kits available will work for 

the Soo Line that I love to model. This kit 

is an example of those possibilities. 

I started my model by removing the 

unneeded cast-on braces with a chisel 

blade in an X-acto knife. I tried to be 

careful and not let it slip, but I am finding 

in my older years that careful isn’t what 

it used to be, if it ever was. I did nick the 

adjacent braces in a few places (Photo 2). 

Stuff happens! 

After removing the bracing, I filed and 

sanded the areas flush with the wood 

siding. This operation does remove some 

of the very nice original wood-grain 

detail on the model (Photo 3). When 

6 

7

everything looked smooth and reasonably 

flat, I used a regular #11 blade in 

the knife to scribe new board lines into 

the urethane body using a rule as a guide 

(Photo 4). When the lines were cut, I 

reworked the wood grain by pulling a 

razor saw over the surface (Photo 5) until 

the wood grain details stood out again. 

Although the result was not equal to the 

original, it was acceptable to me. 

The boards all looked alike. I pushed 

the flat end of a mill file over all of them 

to add variation in the grain patterns. 

You cannot really see the old bracing 

locations, but you can see a difference 

between my work and the original (professional) 

modeling work done on the 

car side. Except for my marring the adjacent 

bracing, the whole thing turned out 

nicely (Photo 6). I then replaced the bracing 

plate with 0.010” x 0.115” Evergreen 

styrene strips. I was not up to making the 

rivet details for the piece, and it really 

does not show all that much. Once this 

was CA’d in place, I glued a 0.060” x 

0.060” square piece of styrene on top of 

it, using Plastruct solvent glue, to resemble 

the existing car fabrication. Again, 

close enough for my needs (Photo 7). 

Brake Rigging 

I have come to the conclusion that 

one can go on for hundreds of hours, 

adding every nut and bolt to one of these 

models. The brake rigging on a boxcar 

is only slightly noticeable on a moving 

model train, and if you are talking to visitors, 

no one asks if it has an underframe 

detailed like an imported brass model. I 

have modeled only a facsimile of the real 

thing, with the usual air reservoir, cylinder, 

brake valve, some piping, and air 

hoses on the end (Photo 8). 

Car Body Details 

There are no real instructions supplied 

with the Rails Unlimited kit, but 

there are some very nice photos showing 

some details that I copied for my model. 

I had only one photo of the Soo Line 

car I wanted to model, from the Guy N. 

Kieckhefer collection and appearing in 

the Fall 1994 issue of the Soo magazine 

8 

(published by the Soo Line Historical & 

Technical Society). The page appears just 

above my model in the photos. 

When I started drilling holes for the 

ladder rungs on the sides and ends of 

the car, I discovered that the car had a 

bolted-on ladder on the upper parts of 

the ends. I used a Chooch ladder, which 

is a close match to the prototype. The 

photo shows individual grab irons on the 

lower two rungs. The sides have individual 

rungs, so I made them of 0.019” wire. 

Nut-bolt-washer castings would improve 

the detail if one wanted to go to the time 

and effort of installing them (Photo 9). I 

made the stirrup steps from Detail Associates 

0.015” x 0.040” flat brass stock. 

The brass steps hold up to handling better 

than plastic glue-on types. I drilled 

some holes in the sill, installed the stirrups 

with CA and, when it cured, I bent 

the steps out slightly as they appear in 

the photo. I could have just glued them 

onto the outside of the sill, but I wanted 

them to stay on the car. The brake wheel 

is from Precision Scale and I soldered it 

to a straight wire that is seated in a piece 

of flat brass stock at the bottom. 

Roof Details 

The roofwalk is made of Evergreen 

0.020”x 0.125” strip styrene. I used my 

razor saw to scribe in some wood grain 

before installing it on the car. I used some 

end walks from Chooch (they have some 

fantastic plastic detail parts for boxcars); I 

then installed some grabs using bent wire. 

I decided to not bother with the bolt and 

washer details, even though they would 

add a great deal to the end result. The 

doors are cast into the urethane carbody 

and the detailing is sufficient for me, so I 

left them as they were. 

Trucks and Couplers 

I found a pair of Athearn plastic 

Andrews trucks, perfect for this car even 

up to the 1960s when the cars were 

scrapped. These are nicely done and, 

with metal wheels from NWSL, they 

9 

are perfect. Unfortunately, I have been 

unable to find any more. Apparently, 

they are on back-order according to 

several dealers. I am not really particular 

about the couplers or cut lever details, so 

I fabricated some cut levers from brass 

wire and made the hangers out of flat 

brass stock from Detail Associates. I use 

Kadee couplers on almost everything, 

and installed #805 on this model. 

Painting, Decals, Finishing, and 

Weathering 

I rarely prime a model when using 

Scalecoat paint. I painted the car with 

Scalecoat Oxide Red, which is very close 

to the original Soo Line color (Photo 10). 

A spray booth and airbrush are absolute 

necessities for this work. 

10 

Some of the decals are not difficult to 

come by. I used Champ N-74 with OD-2 

data sets. The end numbers and lettering 

came from a leftover set of Mullet River 

caboose decals I had in my drawer. I am 

satisfied with the results, even if they are 

not a perfect match to the lettering in 

the photos. I am looking for something 

that gives the finished car a Soo identity, 

rather than a perfect model of a particular 

car. 

With the decals applied, I weathered 

the car with Floquil paints by spraying an 

overcoat of a diluted oxide color. I wanted 

to get the weathering similar to that 

shown in the lead photo. I applied some 

rust colored chalk on the truck springs, 

couplers, draftgear boxes, and underframe 

edges. I used a charcoal stick to 

get the effect of the paint coming off the 

wood siding. The results are varying and 

subjective but, in time, a “that’s good 

enough” effect comes to the surface. 

When I was satisfied with the weathering, 

I sprayed on a protective coat of 

dull lacquer. The finished car is a magnificent 

model and it is “Soo” enough in 

character for me. 

u 


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Sticky Business 

As a 3-Rail operator, my model railroading was pretty basic 

and straightforward. I started with some sectional track, a 

transformer, two wires with a lock-on, an engine, some cars, 

and I was ready to roll. As a Hi-Railer I learned to add details, 

scale scenery and realistic structures, but everything still had 

a basic simplicity (which, by the way, was not bad at that level 

of my interest). As my interest grew and my passion deepened, 

I got this bug for 2-Rail and off I went down the tracks 

like some hobo on an adventurous journey. 

Those same basic concepts apply with glues and adhesives. 

For over 50 years of Hi-Rail modeling, I thought that the only 

glues I would ever need could be found in a tube of plastic 

model cement and a bottle of white glue. Boy, was I wrong. 

Venturing on my journey into 2-Rail, I soon learned that a lot 

of things are more complicated and sophisticated over here. 

One of those elements is the glues and adhesives used in 

scale model railroading. While there are many kinds of glues 

available, each is designed for a particular purpose and each 

provides a unique bond. Now that’s not to say you couldn’t 

use some of them for other than their intended purpose, but 

the lesson initially is to follow directions and specifications. As 

every serious modeler has their list of favorite glues, this list is 

my own and is offered in the hope that it helps a fellow modeler 

on the same journey. 

Plastic model cement is generally what you find in the 

orange and white tube at most retailers. Made by Testors, it is 

used for several purposes, including model airplane building 

and plastic construction with styrene. It is okay for building 

plastic kits, but has a long curing time. 

The next step up that I began using is Testors Model Master 

Professional Model Cement. It comes in a triangular black 

plastic applicator with a long pointed metal tip. This is great 

for applying just a drop or two. It dries relatively fast and it is 

easy to use. Styrene seems to love this stuff. Now, I use it all of 

the time with kit building and projects. Just remember not to 

inhale the fumes. 

Getting back to white glue, Elmer’s has been around since 

my grade school days. It works on the model railroad for a 

variety of purposes. Diluting it down to a 50/50 mix with 

water and adding a drop of dish detergent certainly works 

for bonding track ballast. It, too, has a slow drying time but is 

great for general purposes. 

Stepping up from white glue is yellow or brown Carpenter’s 

Wood Glue. Elmer’s makes Probond that works pretty well. 

Another brand is Titebond. These glues are much thicker, but 

adhere very well to most surfaces. They set up faster than the 

white glue. I have found them great for laying track underlayment, 

Styrofoam, and roadbed. They also work great for most 

wood structure kits because they can be applied with a toothpick 

and will stay in place. 

I have learned to appreciate some specialty glues. Ross 

makes white glue called Weldbond. This is great glue for 

attaching signs and lettering to buildings. It has great adhesion 

and strength and can be applied in very thin coats. Also, it has 

a fast drying time, which is great if you are working with signs. 

It dries clear, a positive characteristic. 

Aleene’s Tacky Glue really surprised me. A modeling friend 

suggested that I try this glue. I had seen it at my local arts-andcrafts 

store but never seriously considered using it. Did I learn 

something? Yes. This stuff is great because it is thick, goes on 

easy, and becomes tacky very quickly. That is great for assembling 

detail parts on buildings. It dries clear and can even be 

used to fill in cracks. It even can be painted over. This is great 

glue and is becoming one of my most used adhesives. 

Now, the next level of glues. They are more dangerous 

to use, not water soluble like most of those previously mentioned, 

and require equal amounts of caution and common 

sense when working with them. Tenax 7R is advertised as ”a 

space-age plastic welder” and that is exactly what it does. 

You can apply it with a toothpick and it instantly melts both 

edges of the plastic. It bonds in 10 seconds! It is great for joining 

walls and sections of buildings and is very valuable for 

kitbashing. Keep the cover on the bottle as it evaporates very 

quickly. Also, avoid the fumes since it carries the warning, 

”Harmful if swallowed or inhaled” 

”Super Glue” or CA is a type of mender for most materials. 

A little drop goes a long way. It dries quickly and is good for 

gluing wood, plastic, and metal. It will hold chimneys in place 

on buildings, so it is a favorite among structure modelers. 

You can even get an accelerator (”kicker”) to make CA bond 

instantly. One word of caution, be careful not to get this glue 

on your fingers or other body parts [especially the eyes! –ed]. 

Once glued, it will be very difficult to get them separated. 

This hobo speaks from his ”hands-on experience!” Keep some 

acetone (nail polish remover) on hand for those emergencies. 

If you work with CA, sooner or later you will need it. 

Two-part epoxy is the next step up to gluing materials on 

the model railroad. When all else fails, epoxy comes to the 

rescue. Follow the directions by mixing Part 1 in a small container. 

Then add the second part (the hardener) to the first, 

mix, and apply to the materials. It will join most surfaces permanently. 

Some clamping is suggested. When dry, it will hold 

up under most conditions. 

continued on next page 


A relatively new adhesive, Gorilla 

Glue, is promoted as ”the strongest glue 

in the world”. In all of my applications 

with the product, I would have to agree. 

Follow directions by coating both sides 

with a light coating of glue, then clamp. 

You have to clamp it. It may appear not 

to be adhering at first but when it sets 

up, it will provide a super strong bond. 

When dry, it will hold up and you will 

not need to glue the project again. 

Contact cement comes in a little 

brown bottle with a handy brush in 

the cap. It has the consistency of thick 

honey. It is a matter of brushing on both 

edges of the project and clamping it for 

a time, usually overnight. This glue is 

especially helpful with benchwork and 

layout building. It also provides a strong, 

permanent bond. 

Those are my notes and observations. 

Everything is clamped down and this 

hobo is ready to pack it in for the night. 

Check back next time for more highlights 

as my great adventure continues. u 

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Bay Ridge Harbor Rail Road 

Cab Control System 

During the course of the many layout changes that have 

taken place on the BRHRR over the last few years, there have 

been as many, if not even more, changes to wiring and methods 

of conventional electrical control. 

Once the dust had settled after the first round of layout 

changes, we rewired the operation for standard cab-control 

between yards. Although this is a well-proven system, we 

quickly found it to be limiting in the context of BRHRR operations. 

With the wisdom of hindsight, we decided to make a 

number of alterations to create a series of independent running 

tracks between each yard and the float terminal at Bay Ridge. 

This arrangement enables each operator to continue switching, 

without interruption from passing traffic to and from the 

float terminal. However, we still needed an electrical system to 

interconnect nominated yards and select which cab has control. 

I will let Bruce continue to explain how it all works. 

The system now in operation uses a dedicated power wire 

or, as I prefer to call it, an interlock bus-bar. This runs side-byside 

with a light-duty eight-core cable between each control 

panel along the full length of the layout. Behind each panel, 

these wires hook up to an interlock module, which in turn is 

connected to the cab display panel and power control unit 

(Photos 1 and 2). Each module comprises a control relay, a 

same wire then returns for parallel connection to the normally-open 

contacts of the ‘Command’ push-button of each 

interlock module. From the same positive feed, a connection 

is also made to normally-open relay contacts in each module. 

The description makes it seem more complicated than it is, 

and wiring is straightforward by virtue of the different colors 

used in multi-core cables. The circuit diagram shows how it 

all comes together, with switches and relay contacts set for a 

train to be pulled out of Bay Ridge under the control of Pier 31 

(Figure 1, page 28). 

Only one yard can have control at a time. If none of the 

indicators are illuminated, any yard can take control of the 

interlock bus-bar by pressing their respective ‘Command’ 

push-button. Upon being energized, the module control relay 

(A) holds itself in through its own contacts and energizes the 

interlock module power relay (B). Contacts in the power relay 

then change over, blocking supply to all other modules and, 

at the same time, connecting the respective yard power control 

unit to the interlock bus-bar. These same contacts also 

complete a circuit to illuminate an LED on each panel to show 

which cab has control of the mainline. Locomotive control 

from or to another yard, however, is not conferred until the 

other yard relinquishes control by flicking the ”Local/ Mainline” 

switch on their panel to the ”Mainline” position. Okay, 

perhaps I’m not using the most appropriate terminology, but 

that was all I could think of at the time. Once the command 

button has been activated, the interlock safeguards against 

other cabs gaining control at the same time. Upon completion 

of the inter-yard movement, pressing the ”Release” push-button 

will terminate control over the mainline and extinguish the 

LED indicator on each panel (Photo 3). 

power relay, and four resistors in series with the respective 

control panel LED indicators, plus two rows of screw terminal 

connectors, all mounted on ”stripboard”. 

A positive feed from an independent 12VDC regulated 

power supply runs in series through normally-closed relay 

contacts in each module. At the farthest control panel, the 

A spin-off with this circuit is, by selecting ”Mainline” on all 

panels, a train can be moved anywhere around the entire layout 

from any one cab, ideal for when you are on your own. 

As you may have guessed by now, I like using relays. For 

those of us without an in-depth appreciation of electronics, the 

versatility of relays provides a simple and relatively low-cost 

solution for most basic control circuits. This method of interlock 

control obviously has its limitations, especially on large layouts 

with more than four to six cabs, but it is simple, reliable, and 

quickly understood by visitors to the layout. 

u 



M 

ullet River 

odel Works 

118 Huson Ct. • Plymouth, WI 53073 

Phone 920-892-8159 

WWW.mulletrivermodelworks.com 

O Scale Caboose Models 

See your dealer or our web site for more photos 

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403001 Soo Line Caboose with single window cupola $120.00 

403002 SOO Line Caboose with two side window cupola $120.00 

403003 DSS&A Caboose $120.00 

403004 C&NW Caboose with no end windows $120.00 

403005 C&NW Caboose with end windows $120.00 

403006 C&NW Caboose with all wood underframe $120.00 

403007 Big Four Caboose $120.00 

403008 Milwaukee Road Caboose with tall cupola $120.00 

403009 CB&Q 28' Caboose $120.00 

403010 CB&Q 30' Caboose $120.00 

403011 SOO Line 34' Caboose $120.00 

403012 Central of Georgia Caboose with tong and groove side $120.00 

403013 Yosemite Valley Caboose $120.00 

403014 Central of Georgia Caboose with plywood side $120.00 

403015 Colorado & Southern Caboose standard gage $120.00 

403016 C&NW Bay Window Caboose tong and groove side $120.00 

403017 C&O-Pere Marquette Caboose $120.00 

Silver Plume House 

laser cut wood building kit desinged from the 

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footprint is 8 1/2” x 9 1/4” 

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05301 

800-653-8214 


ANDY SPERANDEO 

The Model Railroader’s "Guide To" Series 

the Model railroader’s guide to industries along the tracks ii Wilson 

industries 

T h e M o d e l R a i l R o a d e R ’ s G u i d e T o 

along the tracks 2 

jeff wilson 

The Model Railroader’s Guide 

to Freight Cars 

Freight cars are the backbone of any railroad -- in 

the real world or on your operating layout. Get a 

brief history of each type of North American freight 

car, then learn how car designs have changed 

from WWI to the present. Includes techniques for 

modeling realistic rolling stock in any scale. By Jeff 

Wilson. 8¼ x 10¾; 96 pgs.; 75 color and 110 black & 

white photos; 15 illus.; softcover. 

12450 • $19.95 


to Freight Yards 

HO and N scale illustrations plus prototype and 

layout photos introduce modelers to the principles 

of designing, constructing and operating a realistic 

freight yard. Covers how real rail yards receive and 

classify trains; defines the various yard designs 

and structures; and offers techniques for modeling 

yards on a layout of any size or era. By Andy 

Sperandeo. 8¼ x 10¾; 80 pgs.; 50 color and 100 

black & white photos; 40 illus.; softcover. 

12248 • $18.95 


to Industries along the Tracks 

Provides model railroaders with an overview of 

North American mining, refining, and agricultural 

operations served by the railroads, and the 

specific techniques used to model them on a 

realistic layout of any scale. Numerous photos and 

illustrations show key structures, the sequence of 

operations, and details. By Jeff Wilson. 8¼ x 10¾; 

88 pgs.; 50 color and 150 black & white photos; 

20 illus.; softcover. 

12256 • $19.95 


to Industries Along the Tracks 2 

Add realism to your layout! Jeff Wilson provides 

insights, photos, and guidelines for modeling 

several rail-served industries. Includes overviews 

of creameries and milk traffic; the paper industry; 

breweries; iron ore mining and transloading; 

freight houses and less-than-carload traffic, and 

coal customers. 8¼ x 10¾; 88 pgs.; 60 color and 

107 black & white photos; 4 illus.; softcover. 

12409 •$19.95 

T h E M O D E l R A i l R O A D E R ’ S G u i D E T O 

PASSENGER 

EQUIPMENT & 

OPERATION 

T h e 

COAL 

M o d e l R a i l R o a d e R ’ s G u i d e T o 

RAILROADING 

Tony KoesTeR 


to Passenger Equipment & Operation 

This book from Andy Sperandeo, Model Railroader 

executive editor, offers insight and instructions 

to help modelers integrate realistic passenger 

trains and operations into any layout. Learn about 

passenger train history, types, equipment, and 

terminals. Includes tips for modeling equipment, 

structures, trackage, and details appropriate for any 

era. 8¼ x 10¾; 96 pages; 130 color & 70 black & 

white photos; 20 illus.; softcover. 

12244 • $19.95 


to Coal Railroading 

Master modeler Tony Koester gives you a 

handy reference for modeling a coal-hauling 

prototype-based or freelance railroad. Chapters 

introduce coal and the coal industry. Includes 

information on modeling coal trains, company 

towns, and coal customers, plus operating tips. 

8¼ x 10¾; 96 pgs.; 70 color and 63 black & white 

photos; 20 illus.; softcover. 

12453 • $19.95 

M o d e l R a i l R o a d e R ’ s H o w - t o G u i d e 

D E T A I L I N G 

Freight Cars 


to Bridges, Trestles, & Tunnels 

Overview of different types of bridges, trestles, 

and tunnels, featuring prototype information 

and modeling projects. By Jeff Wilson. 8¼ x 10¾; 

88 pgs.; 75 color and 100 black & white photos; 

15 illus.; softcover. 

12452 •$19.95 

M o d e l R a i l R o a d e R ’ s H o w - t o G u i d e 

D E T A I L I N GDIESEL 

LOCOMOTIVES 

The Model Railroader’s Guide to Junctions 

This book gives the reader the scoop on railroad 

junctions — where tracks meet and cross. Photos 

of full-scale junctions from the past and present 

show how junctions work and the details that 

surround them. Drawings provide ideas for track 

planning and explain train operations. Sidebars 

illustrate techniques for modeling functional 

junctions in any scale. 8¼ x 10¾; 88 pgs.; 150 black 

& white photos; 30 color photos, 20 illus.; softcover. 

12408 • $18.95 

Jeff Wilson 

Jeff Wilson 

www. 

CALL 800-533-6644 

Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5:00pm Central Time 

Outside the U.S. and Canada, 

call 262-796-8776 

FAX 

262-796-1615 

PMK-ADO-07X1498RH 


to Locomotive Servicing Terminals 

Offers hobbyists a guide to modeling locomotive 

service, repair, and storage terminals. Also 

includes tips and techniques for modeling 

trackage, structures, and other terminal 

details appropriate for the steam or diesel era. 

By Marty McGuirk. 8¼ x 10¾; 125 color and 50 

black & white photographs; softcover. 

12228 • $18.95 

ModelRailroaderBooks.com 

TO ORDER BY MAIL: 

Send your order to Kalmbach 

Publishing Co., Dept. X2002, 

21027 Crossroads Circle, 

P.O. Box 986, Waukesha, WI 

53187-0986. Use chart for 

shipping & handling charges. 


to Detailing Freight Cars 

Jeff Wilson shows modelers how to improve 

ready-to-run and kit HO and N freight cars both 

visually and operationally with upgraded details, 

wheels, couplers, and loads. These how-to-tips 

apply to both the cars pictured in the book and 

the readers’ own HO, N, O, and G scale cars. 

8¼ x 10¾; 88 pgs.; 100 color and 50 black &white 


12420 • $18.95 

MERCHANDISE TOTAL 

ADD 

$15.00 or less $4.95 

$15.01–$30.00 $5.50 

$30.01–$50.00 $6.50 

$50.01–$75.00 $7.50 

$75.01 or more $8.50 

Available at hobby shops. To find a store 

near you visit www.HobbyRetailer.com 

Canada add an additional $2.00, 

other foreign add an additional 

$5.00. For Wisconsin delivery, add 5% 

sales tax to total; for Pennsylvania 

delivery, add 6% sales tax to total. 

For delivery in Canada add 6% GST 

to total. Payable in U.S. funds. Prices 

and availability subject to change. 


to Detailing Diesel Locomotives 

This companion to Detailing Freight Cars by Jeffrey 

Wilson shows model railroaders how to improve 

the appearance of their diesel locomotives and 

the realism of their layouts by adding essential 

details like horns, hoses, and grab irons. 

8¼ x 10¾; 88 pgs.; 175 color and 25 black & white 


12421 • $19.95 

X2002

Postwar AAR Boxcars 

Larry Kline 

I have been accurately modeling freight cars in O Scale for 

more than 20 years. Prototypically accurate freight cars have 

been available in O Scale for much longer. The Rail Craft 

models, introduced in the late 1930s, are based on specific 

prototypes. The Athearn 40’ boxcar, introduced just after 

World War II, is an accurate model of the 1937 Association of 

American Railroads (AAR) 40’ boxcar. The Atlas sliding door 

car, introduced in 1972, is an accurate model of the AAR 40’ 

boxcars that were built between 1948 and 1957. Atlas-O has 

reissued this car (with a few modifications) in their Trainman 

line and the original models are available on eBay and at O 

Scale meets. This article shows how the Atlas boxcar can be 

used to model several versions of the AAR cars built after 

World War II with varying degrees of accuracy. Modifications 

resulting in more accurate models are also discussed. Except 

for the new Atlas-O car, the models shown were built around 

1980 when much less prototype information was available. 

More than 330,000 ARA/AAR all-steel boxcars with an 

inside length of 40’-6” were built between 1933 and 1961. The 

design was developed by the Car Design and Construction 

Committee of the American Railway Association’s Mechanical 

Division and was approved by the member railroads in 1932. 

In 1936 the ARA was reorganized as the Association of American 

Railroads. The boxcar design evolved in several ways as 

time went on. The approved inside height was increased two 

times, first to ten feet in 1936 and then to ten feet six inches 

in 1941. Most AAR standard boxcars built for US railroads 

used roof and end components supplied by the Standard Railway 

Equipment Manufacturing Co. (SREM). However, over 

time, the appearance of the SREM components changed with 

designs for cars with several different inside heights. 

Roofs and ends from a number of manufacturers were also 

used, resulting in cars that looked different from those using 

SREM components. Additionally, a number of different door 

designs and sizes, along with a variety of different handbrakes 

and running boards, were used. All of these combinations led 

to considerable variation in the appearance of the AAR cars. 

Ed Hawkins has complied rosters for most of the ARA and 

AAR boxcars. These rosters include detailed information about 

the appearance of the cars and are currently available on the 

Steam Era Freightcars website [www.steamerafreightcars.com]. 

The book, Freightcar Models Vol. II, Boxcars Book 1, by Robert 

Schleicher, includes reprints of many articles, photos of the 

different car types, and descriptions of the nomenclature that 

freight car modeler-historians and model manufacturers have 

developed for the components of AAR boxcars. 

More than half of the AAR steel boxcars were built using the 

SREM Improved Dreadnaught end. Freight car modeler-historians 

use the term ”postwar AAR boxcars” for these cars. The 

first postwar cars were built by the Chicago Burlington & Quincy 

in August 1945. These cars used the same rectangular panel 

roof used on earlier cars. Most of the doors were manufactured 

by the Youngstown Steel Door Company and the Superior Car 

Photo 1: SP&S #11000 built in January 1946 by the Pullman-Standard Car and 

Manufacturing Co. Lemoyne, PA, August 11, 1946. (NMRA Kalmbach Memorial 

Library Robert W. Charles Collection) 

Photo 2: P&WV #1200 built in December, 1946 by American Car and Foundry 

Co. (ACF photo from American Car & Foundry by Edward S. Kaminski 

Signature Press, 1999) 

Photo 3: Rectangular Panel (left) and Diagonal Panel (right) Roofs. 

Door Company, using designs that evolved over time in widths 

of six, seven and eight feet. Photo 1, of SP&S #11100, illustrates 

the original Improved Dreadnaught end (IDE) and six-foot 

Superior doors. Photo 2, of P&WV #1200 built in January 

1946, shows a slightly different version of the original IDE with 

a shorter top rib and eight-foot Youngstown doors. This version 

was used on cars with an inside height of ten feet four inches, 

such as those built for the CB&Q and Canadian railroads. Cars 

with a ten-foot inside height used a third version of the IDE 

with only three ribs in the top section of the end. 


Photo 4: PRR Class X43C built in September, 1951, by Mt. Vernon Division of 

Pressed Steel Car Company. (PSC photo, Bob Johnson collection) 

Photo 5: Atlas factory paint job in the PRR plain keystone scheme 

Photo 6: PRR ”circle keystone” paint scheme. Paint and decals by Larry Kline. 

In 1948, SREM introduced a new design for the Improved 

Dreadnaught end and a new diagonal panel roof. The first 

cars that used the diagonal panel roof were built by the Illinois 

Central in April, 1948. The first cars that used both the new 

Improved Dreadnaught end and diagonal panel roof were 

built by the IC in July, 1948. Photo 3 shows the differences in 

appearance between the SREM rectangular panel and diagonal 

panel roofs on an Intermountain 1937 AAR boxcar (left) 

and a new Atlas-O Trainman boxcar respectively. Photo 4, of 

PRR class X43C #71064, shows the 1948 IDE with an eightfoot 

Youngstown door, reflecting a later design. A good model 

of this car has been available in O Scale since 1972, when 

Atlas introduced a new line of O Scale models. The Atlas car 

is an accurate model of the Pennsylvania Railroad X43C boxcar, 

of which 1,500 were built for the PRR in 1951 by The Mt. 

Vernon Division of the Pressed Steel Car Company. 

Photo 5, of #71064, shows one of the four paint schemes 

used by Atlas when these cars were first released. This is the 

plain keystone scheme, which was the last paint scheme used 

by the PRR. Photo 6, of PRR #71398, shows the as-delivered 

”circle keystone” paint scheme for the X43C cars. This car was 

painted with Scalecoat II Oxide Red and lettered with Champ 

decals. The roof was repainted using a mix of Polyscale Steam 

Era Black and White to represent Dupont F1 car cement. The 

trucks were painted with Polyscale Roof Brown to represent 

road grime. 

Atlas-O has recently released a new version of this car in 

their Trainman line. It has a see-through running board, the 

new Atlas-O cast steel trucks, and a simplified underbody. 

The new Atlas-O car, lettered PRR #60211, is shown in Photo 

7. Atlas-O lettered the car for class X43A. The prototype X43A 

cars are similar to the X43C class, with seven-foot Youngstown 

doors and six-panel welded sides. 

Photo 8, of P&WV #1265, shows one of the original Atlas 

cars painted for P&WV with no modifications. This car was 

painted with Scalecoat II Boxcar Red and lettered with Champ 

decals. A more accurate model could be built by removing 

the diagonal panel roof and replacing it with an Intermountain 

rectangular panel plastic roof or an Athearn metal roof, and 

by replacing the top rib on the Improved Dreadnaught end 

with a new rib using the prototype photo as a guide. 

Photo 9, of B&O #468379, shows one of the original Atlas 

cars painted as a B&O class M-62 car with no modifications. 

This car was also painted with Scalecoat II Oxide Red and lettered 

with Champ decals. The B&O M-62 cars were built in 

1956, and have a third version of the IDE. The version of this 

end, used on ten-foot inside height cars like the B&O M-62, is 

shown in Photo 10 (B&O #468399). Note that the shape of the 

ribs is different. The placard board has not been lowered on 

the model, but this would be an easy modification. 

Most cars that used this style of car end had an inside 

height of ten feet six inches, and used a different version of 

the IDE with a rectangular rib above the three ribs in the top 

half of the end. The Hawkins article, on final 50-ton, AARstandard 

40’-6” boxcars, is a more detailed reference. Accurately 

modeling this end would require scratchbuilding. u 

Photo 7: Atlas-O factory paint job in the PRR ”circle keystone” scheme 


Eagle’s Nest 

Paint Work — 2 week 

delivery possible* 

Miniatures 

Brass Work — 4 week 

delivery possible* 

Photo 8: P&WV #1200 series as-delivered paint scheme. Paint and decals by 

Larry Kline. 

• Custom Painting • Brass Detail Upgrading • 

• DCC Installation • Repowering • 

• Sound Systems • 

Japanese Quality by an American Craftsman 

Eagle’s Nest Minatures 

Harry A. Hieke, Jr. 

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856-625-5506 

*Ask about our premium payment plan! 

Photo 9: B&O M-62 as-delivered paint scheme. Paint and decals by Larry 

Kline. 

DYNAMIC RUNNING BASE 

For Use With JAK ROLLERS 

Photo 10: B&O Class M-62 #468399 built in April, 1956, by the American Car 

and Foundry Company. (ACF photo, Anderson Barkan King collection) 

References 

Rosters complied by Ed Hawkins for 1932 ARA boxcars, 1937 

AAR boxcars, modified 1937 AAR boxcars, and postwar AAR 

boxcars can be found at: [www.steamfreightcars.com/prototype/ 

frtcars/protofrtcarsmain.html] 

The book Freightcar Models Vol. II, Boxcars Book 1, by Robert 

Schleicher, has a number of articles about modeling AAR boxcars. 

[www.railmodeljournal.com/mainsite/Pages/subscribe.html] 

Ed Hawkins, 10’ 0” Inside Height Postwar 40’ 6” AAR Boxcars, 

Railway Prototype Cyclopedia, Vol. 8, pp 75-105. 

[www.geocities.com/rpcyc/] 

Information on PRR freight cars, including the X43 family of 

postwar AAR boxcars, can be found at: 

[prr.railfan.net/freight/] 

Ed Hawkins’ article on the final 50-ton, AAR-standard 40’-6” 

boxcars, built circa 1955-1961, was published in Railmodel Journal, 

July, 1999, pp 15-23. 

Generation II 

JAK ROLLER 

O-Scale 2&3-Rail 

Oak DRB 4-8-4 w/ 2 JAK Rollers $139 

Oak DRB 4-8-8-4 w/ 4 JAK Rollers $174 

Available in Standard Gauge, G, O, S, HO Scales 

Optional 

Display Covers 

Materials 

Finishes 

Sizes 

Engraving 

Wired & Insulated - No setup necessary 

JAK ROLLERS can be used independent of Dynamic 

Running Base for service, testing, and wheel cleaning! 

Generation II JAK Rollers Available with Wheel Cleaning Pads 

JAK Tool And Model, LLC 

INFO@ JAKTOOL .COM 

Tel (732) 610-5787 

PO Box 291 Matawan, NJ 07747 WWW.JAKTOOL.COM 


Specialty Trains 

Take a second and look at the train shown in Photo 1, 

simply one engine with two passenger cars. Any idea as to 

the function of this unit train? I’ll give you a hint. It’s not used 

for local commuter service. If you haven’t figured it out, here 

is the story. The 

first car behind the 

engine is BNSF 

#81 (ex-ATSF #63) 

Regal Crest. It is a 

generator-equipped, 

power, tool, and 

supply car for the 

rear car in the train. 

The rear car is BNSF 

#80 Rio Grande 

River, which has 

1 

been converted into a track geometry test car. Both cars are 

company-converted passenger equipment which perform the 

vital function of checking track alignment and geometry. 

Having operated this train several times over the years, 

let me explain how it works. First, the train crew is under 

the supervision of the crew operating the test car. Usually 

the Roadmaster, and Road Foreman of the territory being 

checked, also ride along. Once the technicians on the test 

car have their equipment under the car set up to start testing 

and checked for correct alignment, we’re ready to start. Once 

cleared to move by the test car, the train operates at maximum 

authorized speed for any and all track on the territory, 

up to 60 MPH in our case. 

Track testing for the territory is usually done over a round 

trip. The mainline will usually be tested on one leg of the trip, 

while sidings are tested on the return trip. Depending on the 

flow of traffic and ability to access sidings, this can always 

vary. The geometry test car not only checks track alignment, 

but also curve super-elevation, grade alignment, and both 

narrow and wide rail gauge. The Roadmaster, on board the 

car, has the ability to notify a maintenance crew or the dispatcher 

to immediately protect a segment of track that may 

be found to be defective and require reduced-speed train 

operations. The test car can accomplish, in a matter of hours, 

what used to take a multitude of patrol crews several days to 

complete. 

After the completion of a test run over a territory, the 

Roadmaster will have a detailed computer-generated printout 

of the track, showing any and all defects as well as areas that 

are in compliance but starting to show signs of deterioration. 

All this information aids in the assignment of resources and 

manpower to maintain the track for maximum-speed operations. 

The creation of 

a model of this prototype 

train might 

be just the thing for 

someone who models 

modern operations 

of a Class 1 

system, as I am sure 

other major railroads 

use the same 

or similar technology. 

To create models 

of these cars, a 

fluted- and smoothside 

passenger 

car kit, such as by 

Kasiner, Mac Shops 

or American Standard, 

would be a 

good starting point. 

A scratchbuilding 

project would not be out of the question. Dick Scott’s article, 

“Styrene to Streamliner”, published in the January, 2004, edition 

of Model Railroader, explains how to use styrene to build 

a similar car. Plans could be tracked down via an Internet 

search, and more detailed photographs of these cars can be 

found at [www.rrpicturesarchives.net]. Whether modeling a 

prototype, or a railway system of your own creation, it would 

seem that a small fleet of passenger equipment would always 

be in order to handle those specialty needs of this modern 

day. There will always be the need for an Officer’s Special or 

that public relations train tour, so give it a thought. 

Until next time, “High-ball”. 

Babbitt Railway Supply Co. 

Limited Run Brass Steam Locomotive Kits (Pacific 4-6-2 shown). 

Also available: 4-4-0, 4-4-2, 4-6-0, 4-6-2, 4-8-2, 2-6-0. Kits complete 

with full instructions and pictures. Also, restoration, repair and all 

parts available. Send $1.00 for catalog. 

Babbitt Railway Supply Co. 

715 Barger • Mayfield • KY 42066 

270-247-0303 • boyceyates@bellsouth.net 

2 

3 

u 


Buy⁄Sell⁄Trade 

Gem PRR B6 0-6-0, C/P or N/P, OB............................................. $575.00 

WSM PRR J1a, 2-10-4, C/P, OB................................................ $1,650.00 

WSM PRR M1, 4-8-2, C/P, Nice, OB......................................... $1,150.00 

Weaver Brass WP GS64 4-8-4, F/P, LN, OB................................ $795.00 

USH C&O 2-8-4, C/P, Runs good, OB....................................... $1,275.00 

USH PRR M1a, 4-8-2, C/P, OB.................................................. $1,275.00 

OM N&W J1, 4-8-4, War baby, New......................................... $1,995.00 

MG B&O 2-8-8-4, C/P, NOB...................................................... $1,995.00 

OM N&W Y3 2-8-8-2, N/P OB................................................... $1,895.00 

SS PRR I1 2-10-0, long tender, N/P, OB, new........................... $1,150.00 

MG PRR J 2-10-4, C/P, Icken gearsm NOB.............................. $1,895.00 

USH NYC H10, 2-8-2, Mint, N/P, OB........................................ $1,275.00 

USH NKP S-2, C/P, OB .............................................................. $1,250.00 

Gem PRR A5 0-4-0, C/P, NOB....................................................... $575.00 

OM CR SD80Mac, N/P, OB, New.............................................. $1,395.00 

OM BNSF C44-9W, F/P LN OB................................................. $1,875.00 

OM N&W C630 High Hood FM trucks, New OB.................... $1,195.00 

PSC Common 4-Track Signal Bridge, N/P. New.......................... $325.00 

Jim Hackworth 

MODEL TRAINS 

(and Subsidiary JH Consulting) 

2631 Edgevale Road, Columbus OH 43221-1113 

Phone: 614-4514517 Fax: 6144514557 

Email: jhmtrains@msn.com • Web: www.jhmtrains.com 

• • • All Offers Cordially Considered • • • 

Consignments 

Joe Fischer(??) PRR R50b Express Reefer.................................. $200.00 

OM PRR PAPB Set, Late Run, F/P, New.................................. $2,875.00 

MG PRR N5 Caboose, N/P, OB..................................................... $250.00 

GEM PRR A5 0-4-0, runs good, C/P, OB..................................... $625.00 

PRB 100T Cement Hopper, F/P SBD, New.................................. $295.00 

PRB 2-Dome GATX Tank Car, New............................................. $295.00 

OM ATSF Erie Built “B” Unit, F/P, New..................................... $899.00 

Weaver PRR N5c Caboose, LN, N/P, OB..................................... $350.00 

Scale Mod Ind Roundhouse kit..................................................... $195.00 

PRB 40’ Airslide F/P BN, New, OB............................................... $249.00 

PRB 60’ Greenville Boxcar F/P GT New...................................... $295.00 

OM 89’ TTX flat, C/P TTX Yellow, LN, OB................................. $275.00 

OM #0026 Tri-Level Auto Rack, Ptd, not Ltd, OB LN............... $495.00 

PRB Sealand Gunderson D. Stack, set, LN, OB....................... $1,395.00 

PRB 62’ Boxcar, F/P MP/UP, LN OB............................................ $295.00 

PRB BN Gunderson D. Stack, set, LN, OB............................... $1,395.00 

MG PRR N8 Caboose, N/P, NOB.................................................. $250.00 

Alco PRR N6a, C/P or N/P, each................................................... $225.00 

Layaway Available 

LSASE for Complete List 

Shipping 6% - $6.95 Min., $15.00 Max 

Ohio Residents Add 6.75% Sales Tax 

Estates⁄Liquidations 

Collection Reductions 


Sumpter 

Valley 

Depot 

135 NW Greeley Avenue, 

Bend OR 97701 

● Specializing in O Scale 2-rail 

model trains since 1985 

● We buy or consign brass model 

collections 

● Model reservations gladly 

accepted 

● Prompt, courteous service 

Check our website for latest 

O Scale Listings 

www.sumptervalley.com 

trainman@callatg.com 

Tel: 541/382-3413 

Fax:541/389-7237 

Hours: 

Mon. thru Fri 8:30 AM - 5PM 

and sometimes on Saturdays 


VALLEY 

MODEL TRAINS 

PO BOX 1251, Wappingers Falls, N.Y. 12590 

Credit Card Orders Welcome 

Order/Info(845)297-3866 Fax(845)298-7746 

Laser-Art Structures O Laser Cut kits 

462 

Kit includes appropriate 

signs and coal bin. 

401 

A comfortable, 

convenient 

cottage home 

of six rooms, 

with Tower 

462 Flagstop Station O... 5" x 6" x 4" ............39.98 36.00 

401 Tower House O.. 10" x 7" x 12" .........179.99 161.98 

The prototype 

480 

for the kit was 

built at Clark’s, 

near Campbell 

Hall, NY on the 

New York, 

Ontario & 

Western RR. 

480 The Creamery O.....12" x 7" x 5".......199.98 179.98 

Crow River Products O....Crafstman kits 

Includes additional 

walls to increase 

the size of the 

main building. 

(Tree not 

included) 

305B 

305B Barrett and Sharp.16"x16" approx .....265.00 225.00 

315 

Bar Mills Models O.. Laser Wood Kits with details 

934 944 

934 Saulena's Tavern O.... 5 3/4" x 11" net 99.98 

944 Majestic Hardwar & Feed O 9” x 12”net 169.98 

Rusty Stumps.. HO Limited Edition Kits 

K4502 

O56 

The Fall Creek Freight Depot 

is a laser cut craftsman kit. 

22' x 46' Footprint 5-1/2x11-1/2 

K4503 

K4502 Backwoods Water Tower O .............net 79.95 

K4503 Fall Creek Freight Depot O... ..........net 69.95 

Downtown Deco.... O Limited Edition Hydrocal Kits 

The two buildings, Johnny Stechino's & 

Big Ed's, have a bit of something for everyone. 

Vehicle and figures not included 

This kit consists of CRP 305 Sylvester 

Supply Co. and the 305D Barrett & 

Sharp Diorama Kit. 

Includes 307 

Stainless Steel 

Industrial 

Smoke Stack 

and an 

Eyebrow 

Monitor for 

roof detail 

This kit makes an eye-popping diorama 

Twin Drum Hoisting 

Winch O… The hoisting 

unit is based on a unit 

built by American Hoist 

& Derrick. Although not 

an exact replica of the 

unit it's best features 

are included in this 

unpainted model kit. 

Sale 62.60 

Electric Winch / Car 

Puller O - 12.00 

40 

40 Johnny Stechino's & Big Ed's O ......89.95 81.00 

Add $6.00 S&H in 48 States • Others pay actual 

postage cost • N.Y. residents add 8.25% sales tax. 

(prices are subject to change w/o notice) 

www.valleymodeltrains.com 

Now order online! valleymodeltrains.com Visit our website to see hundreds of HO and O Scale Craftsman Kits valleymodeltrains.com Now order online! 

The Public Delivery Track 

Locomotives - 2 rail 

Atlas..GP-15's, RSD-15's, RS-3's....$199 

New 0-6-0's..PRR, CNJ, UP, CBQ....$479 

RS-1..Rutland, CNJ, NH, RI, LIRR, WT..$249-$309 

SD-35..WM, N&W, SOU, CNJ, B&O..$249-$309 

GP-35's..Dash 8's..a few early ones left..$249-$329 

GP-60, C424/425/628/630, SD-40, GP-9..$379-$419 

SW's..RR, LV, Rdg, CNJ, NYC, CofG..$229-$299 

MTH..K-4..$599 CNJ P-47..$749. others available 

Weaver..RSD-12, U25B, a few left..$199-$249 

VO-1000..B&O, CNJ, Rdg, WP, MILW, NKP..$199-$249 

Shaft drive RS-3's, FA/FB's, GP-38...$99-$150 

Passenger Cars 

Golden Gate..12-1 sleepers..a few left..$99 

80' Coachs..SP,SF, Erie, Rdg, B&O, RG..more..$399 

80' Alum streamilners..SF, NYC, 6 cars/$499 

SP 5 car alum set, or Articulated diner set..$525 ea 

Weaver..B-60 Baggage..$75. RPO...$80 

avbl in PRR, Rdg, NH, NYC UP, SF, N&W, more 

K-line..NYC, Amtk, RG, NH, SF, UP, more ..call 

Box Cars - 2 rail 

Pecos River..SF, WAB, NYC, WM, NKP, SP..$35-$40 

Atlas..40' Wood..B&M, B&O, C&O, CNJ, D&H, NYC, NW 

PRR, P&R, RDG, SP, UP, WAG, WM, more..$45-$55 

40' Steel..Erie, NH, PRR, NYC, CNW, GN, more..$47-$55 

40' Trainman..B&M, MEC, LN, NYC, PRR, UP, more..$37 

X-29's..PRR, MEC, Erie, RDG, CNJ, more..$55-$62 

HyCubes..60'..SF, WP, NS, SOU..$75; 40' ers..$37 

50'..MILW, DH, NYC, BAR, MKT, SAL, SF, LN, NH..$49-$55 

53'..Aloha, Purina, B&M, IC, CNW, FEC..more..$35-$47 

60'..C&O, MKT, B&O, EL, RG, Sou, NW, WM..$40-$55 

Weaver.. ACY, BAR, B&O, B&M, CBQ, CIM, CR, D&H 

PHD, EL, GN, BLE, PC, MP, NYC, NW, NH,more $20-$30 

Refrigerator Cars - 2 rail 

Weaver/Crown..B&M, BN, CV, CN, NYC, REA, 

Dubuque, Nrn Refrig, WIF, PRR..25+ roads..$20-$30 

57' Mech..PFE, BN, WFE, Trop..10+ roads..$35-$45 

Atlas..36' & 40' wood..Erie, NYC, CNW, SF, PFE, 

Meats, beers, foods..25+ billboards..$45-$75 

40' steel..IC, NYC, ART, DLW, FGE, more..$45-$55 

40' plug door..NH, PRR, WM, WP, BAR, REA 

FGE, CNJ, NP, ATSF, NYC, SSW, ART, more....$37 

53' express..REA, ARE, WP, MP, SOO..$69 

K-line..PFE, MDT, CNW, 15+ billboards..$35-$40 

Covered Hoppers - 2 rail 

Weaver PS-2 and AC-2..BN, CBQ, CNW, CP, PRR, 

D&M, DLW, B&M, C&O, EL, L&N, NH, NYC, ++..$20-$30 

50' Centerflow or Grain..CR, CP, LV, NYC, PRR, RI, 

EnJay, Dupont, ADM, Amoco, Arco, UP, more..$20-$25 

Atlas..3 bay..UP, CBQ, BN, Jack Frost..$37 

ACF..Erie, DLW, GN, SP, WM, UP, SF, SSW..$55 

New Panel Side..PRR, NYC, NH, RI, D&H, RI..CV..$52 

Airslide..LV, D&H, UP, SP, LV, Erie, SF, RG..$40-$50 

Hopper Cars - 2 rail 

Atlas..3 bay..WM, SOU, BN, NH, Rdg, RG..$37 

Ore cars..CN, UP, DMIR..$27; H21..PRR, VGN..$50-$58 

2 bay..PRR, NYC, P&S, CNJ, Berwind, Rdg, D&H..$45-$52 

Weaver..2 bay, 3 bay, and 4 bay..20+ roads..$20-$30 

Tank Cars - 2 rail 

Weaver...40' & 50', new & old, 20+ roads...$30-$35 

Atlas..33K..CNTX, ACFX, GLNX,, Sub Propane..$49 

17K..Diamond, Hooker, Stauffer, ACFX, SHPX..$55-$60 

8K..Bakelite, NE Alcohol, Phila Qtz, 10 more..$50-$55 

11K..SHPX, UTLX, Hooker, Solvay, Spencer, 10+ roads..$55 

Flat Cars, Stock Cars 

Atlas..Double stacks..$125-$169. Front runners..$47 

Containers..40/45'..$25. Wvr 20'..$12/pr K-line..$10 

40' Stock cars..CNW, RG, B&O, GN, MKT, more..$37 

Wvr..flats..LV, Erie, BN, SF, CR, TTX, more..$20-$30 

Gondolas - 2 rail 

Atlas..40' composite..PRR, NYC, C&O, SP..$52 

50'..B&O, CNJ, GN, NW, NYC, PRR, Rdg, UP, LV..$37 

Wvr..CNJ, PRR, LV, RI, SF, UP, Rdg, NW, SOU..$27 

Cabeese - 2 rail, 3 rail scale 

Wvr..CR, Rdg, D&H, Erie, PRR, Monon, more..$$25-$45 

K-line..B&O, EL, NYC, SOU, SF, UP, more..$48 

MTH..PRR, EL, NYC, C&O, SP, CP, NH, more..$45-$60 

Atlas..RFP, Rut, RG, NH, SF, 15+ roads..$37-$70 

www.stores.ebay/publicdelliverytrack 

e-mail us at pdtrains@earthlink.net 

PO Box 1035 • Drexel Hill, PA 19026 

610-259-4945 • VISA•MC•DISC•AMEX

Photo Info Supplied 

In response to Mr. Seaman’s question 

from the ”Reader’s Feedback” in #34, 

about the photo specs for Warner’s Maumee 

Lines article, I used a Canon AE-1 

with a 28mm lens stopped down to f32. 

Scenes were lit with one, sometimes two, 

3200 Kelvin photofloods. I used regular 

one-hour processing and scanned the 

prints into my computer with an HP Scanjet 

4670 scanner, where the images were 

cropped and converted to JPEG files for 

you. Really old school for the most part. 

I’m planning on going digital as soon as 

funds allow for a Nikon D80 (maybe in 

’08.) 

Richard Bourgerie uses a digital camera 

and manipulates his images with a software 

package that allows for tremendous 

depth of field. Here is his description. 

”For the last year I’ve been using a Casio 

EX-Z750 with 7.2 megapixels. The camera 

has manual capability, so I can set it for 

aperture priority, and then stop it down to 

the highest number F-stop for maximum 

depth of field. It also has manual focus 

capability.” 

”Recently, I’ve been using software I 

purchased online called Helicon Focus. 

I’ll take ten to 14 photos of the same 

scene, each one with a different focal 

length from ten centimeters to one meter. 

The software then takes all the photos 

and combines them seamlessly into one 

photo with excellent depth of field. Other 

software I use are Microsoft Digital Image 

Pro 9 and Adobe Photoshop for post processing, 

adding effects such as the sky, or 

smoke and lights on the locomotives.” 

Mike Cougill, Indiana 

CTRRA #1 

I see from the photographs that Brian 

Scace left the basement walls painted but 

uninsulated. This is contrary to much current 

wisdom of many building standards, 

but I am in agreement with Brian on this 

one in his decision not to finish the basement 

walls. 

Twenty-five years ago, my basement 

was finished with tar paper, 2x4’s, 

fiberglass insulation and plastic vapour 

barrier. This was done according to Canadian 

Mortgage and Housing Standards 

(CMHC). But, there’s a problem in this 

because, although moisture entry is very 

slow it is insidious, and what enters as 

a gas (moisture) condenses against the 

cold concrete wall and migrates into the 

wood framing. CMHC is also the people 

who approved urea formaldehyde foam 

insulation back in the ’60s and then had it 

declared unsafe in the ’70s to everyone’s 

great expense. Now we have black mould, 

rotten studs, and a messy tedious job 

removing that insulation, not to mention 

the disruption to the layout. 

In my humble opinion insulation 

belongs on the outside of the concrete 

such that the concrete rises to the temperature 

of the living space and does not 

get condensation dripping down it. I am 

now digging a trench around the house 

and putting in foam as deep as possible 

and then covering the exposed area with 

cement parging for protection. 

In the 1600s, early settlers built their 

homes out of field stones covered by 

wood because the stones absorbed the 

heat from the fireplace during the day and 

slowly released it at night. The wood insulated 

the stones from the cold outside, but 

had to be replaced every so often because 

wood decays. Later occupants removed 

the rotting wood and, because the stones 

were pretty, insulated from the inside. 

A finished insulated wood wall inside a 

basement may be pretty but it’s a bad 

idea. 

Robert Langlois (via email) 

CTRRA #2 

Hi Brian, 

Really good article on your model 

railroad. I appreciate the fact that it isn’t 

finished nor perfectionistic. There are a 

whole lot more like yours than the few 

that actually arrive at a finished state, 

including my own MSRY (Middlesex and 

Saraburg Railway) which is loosely modeled 

after the Attica and Arcade. It is 

mostly a switching layout in the shape of a 

U with a switchback at one end connecting 

it to a Pennsy branchline at one end 

and a bridge connecting it to the Erie at 

the other end. 

Your unorthodox use of the old Atlas 

2.5 switches and Roco flex track also was 

reassuring. Given the space requirements 

for the MSRY and the deliberate use of a 

24” radius curve at one corner of the U, 

I too had to use the old Atlas switches, 

Roco and AHM track. Seems we have 

both been around awhile to even know 

that those things existed. 

I used hollow core doors and insulating 

foamboard for a foundation, set on the 

remnants of an earlier layout framework. 

So far so good. The MSRY runs two PRR 

A-5’s and a B-6 plus a gas electric car for 

passenger service during the 1940s and 

early fifties, and towards the end of the 

’50s first generation Diesels, two 44-tonners, 

an Alco HH600, and an SW-1. On 

the Pennsy branch you will see an H-6, 

H-10, an E-6 (strayed a bit from its usual 

haunts) and two RS-3’s, an RS-1, a VO- 

1000 and a GE 44T. At the other end of 

the line, the Erie serves the connection 

with a VO-1000 and an ex Reading Camelback 

0-6-0. 

Middlesex is a small industrial city with 

a power plant, feed processing company, 

furniture plant, a produce terminal, an 

electrical supply company, an oil terminal 

and a cement plant, plus a passenger station 

and separate freight house, engine 

house and an adjoining caboose and 

service track. It’s a pretty busy place. 

Between Middlesex and Saraburg (PRR 

junction) lies the village of Johannasville. 

A rural station, team track and a Bordens 

milk plant provide more traffic for the 

MSRY. Overall, the layout is about 12’ 

wide and 16’ long. No continuous runs 

here obviously, but plenty to do to keep 

one or two operators busy. 

I started on it about two years ago 

when we moved to Burlington, Vermont, 

after I retired. I was torn between doing 

a B&M/NH connecting shortline and 

over the years had collected quite a bit of 

equipment for that. But I finally decided 

to sell off all that stuff and stick with the 

A&A analog. As you know, anything more 

recent than the 1950s creates problems in 

terms of car length. As it is, I have a few 

50’ cars of the Tuscan red era that have to 

be gently coaxed through that 24” radius. 

The limitation provides a good financial 

discipline on the tendency to want to buy 

more and more. While that undoubtedly 

is good for the hobby, what it tends to do 

is overwhelm the owners who can never 

find space for a layout to accommodate 

all this equipment nor time to build it 

either. 

I am a ways from having it scenic’d or 


properly wired or the buildings finished. 

Nearly all of the latter are in need of 

work. But once I get a little further along 

I will send you some photos and possibly 

an article based on the above info which 

should give you some idea of what I am 

attempting to do. Like I said, your article 

inspired me to think I might be able to 

send you something worth publishing 

without waiting for a finished product. 

which may never arrive anyway. 

Sarah Flynn, Burlington, VT 

Brian writes: Thank you both for 

your kind words. Robert, you also put 

me in mind of a friend who, after taking 

his beautifully finished railroad down in 

preparation for a move, discovered that a 

slow water leak between his drywall and 

cinder block had caused enough mold 

growth such that the entire basement had 

to be gutted and redone before he could 

market the house. While certainly this is 

climate dependent to a degree (he lived 

in Virginia), it has made me choose carefully 

between a fully finished cellar space 

(my house is an older structure) and freestanding 

backdrops as a perfectly viable 

alternative. It’s worth thinking about your 

climate, age of that cellar and how it was 

built, and how the house or building is 

heated/air conditioned when considering 

fully finished spaces versus free-standing 

or modular railroad construction. 

Sarah, and everyone else who has ever 

felt this way, I strongly encourage you to 

share some views of your work in progress. 

Don’t be afraid of it just because it 

isn’t finished. We are here to help folks 

(especially those in the generations 

behind us) to see what we build and how 

we build. What we have built is all well 

and good, but the most informative stages 

of ”how it’s done” are often with the skin 

off. You might not think about it, but one 

of the biggest reasons for an article NOT 

getting in print is because there are few, 

if any, photos taken during the building, 

rather than after it’s finished. My advice 

to all is that we have more to teach about 

the process than just showing off the 

product. Everyone, write it up and take 

some images. 

Prototype Modelers 

I went to the Prototype Modelers Meet 

in Naperville, Illinois this past weekend. 

There are a number of these meets around 


the country and I think this meet is the 

largest. These meets are primarily HO 

Scale meets, however there are S and O 

Scale modelers who attend and display 

models. The people who attend are active 

modelers and bring models for display. The 

display room is roughly the size of a twocar 

garage and is full of display models. 

I had a table, as did Mike McConnell 

from Chooch, Ted Schneff from 

Rails Unlimited, and Merlyn Lauber from 

Caboose Stop Hobbies. The HO Scale 

modelers are very impressed with the 

quantity and quality of O Scale models 

that are available. 

I think these shows are fertile ground 

for bringing new people into O Scale. 

These people study the prototype and 

their knowledge of the prototype exceeds 

the limitations of HO scale. The larger 

size of O Scale appeals to them. The 

drawbacks are the perceived size requirements 

for a layout, the cost, and the availability 

of product. We can refute all these 

concerns. At the Indy National we talked 

at the O Scale Kings meeting about promoting 

O Scale. I would suggest that we 

make a concerted effort to have a display 

at these types of meets and address these 

concerns. Also the O Scale magazines 

should have a table to sign up new subscribers. 

We see many very good small O Scale 

layouts, the rest of the hobby does not see 

them. The cost of O Scale equipment is 

more, but you don’t need as much of it. 

Lastly there is a lot of product available. 

The problem is that hobby stores will not 

stock O Scale product due to the limited 

market and advertising in non-O Scale 

magazines (MR) is prohibitively expensive. 

As a manufacturer I would be willing to 

send $50-$100 per year to O Scale Kings 

for support of a traveling display highlighting 

what O Scale is and a list of O Scale 

manufacturers. Current advertising reaches 

people already in O Scale, but I would 

be willing to try to reach non-O Scalers. If 

all other O Scale manufacturers would do 

the same, O Scale Kings could support a 

nice display and have it manned. I think it 

would be good for all of us. 

Glenn Guerra, Mullet River Model 

Works 

Brian writes: I, myself, concur. I’d also 

add that it would be an excellent idea 

for those folks putting on the Prototype 

Modelers Meet, and also those folks who 

are hooked up with the Prototype Modelers 

SIG, to get the word to us regarding 

meet info. I’d love to see this in the 

”Schedules” section in OST. Many, many, 

of us here are pretty rabid on the subject, 

but haven’t been privy to the meet info 

beforehand. The result could be increased 

O Scale participation in these meets on a 

personal level, increasing the meet popularity 

itself, as well as spreading the O 

word on a one-to-one basis between folks 

of common interest, yet different scale. 

Can you get the word out to the meet 

organizers that we’d love to get their event 

info printed here? 

The City Mail Pouch 

[I] always enjoy the magazine! A 

couple of years (five?) ago, I found that 

it was getting progressively harder to see 

what I was doing in HO, and scratchbuilt 

a couple of boxcars in O, which came 

out acceptably and got me started back 

into the ”king of gauges”. I expected to 

find almost nothing available in O, but 

have been pleasantly surprised at the cornucopia 

we’ve had in recent years. One 

change. In HO, I had an impossible mix of 

everything attractive. In O I’ve restricted 

myself to New Haven in the ’40s, and 

again am surprised at how much has been 

available. 

Anyway, to the subject. The Mail 

Pouch barn was a universal feature of 

rural scenes, but there was also an urban 

version. Anyone who rode the Long 

Island in the ’30s or ’40s will remember 

an urban version of the Mail Pouch barn 

described in the Nov/Dec issue. The New 

York Frame & Picture Company, of 110 

Fulton Street, NY, had very similar ads, 

also in white and yellow lettering on a 

black background, on the back of every 

garage that backed up against the LIRR 

tracks. You saw the signs so frequently 

that you couldn’t forget the name! I think 

the last time I noticed one of these was 

in the 1970s, but there might still be one 

or two. Anyone modeling LIRR should 

include at least one of these. 

Hank Raudenbush, via email 

SP Caboose Info 

My copy of OST #35 just arrived today 

and I read your review of the SP caboose 

and your comments on trouble finding 

info. I understand your problem. I had

THE WESTERN RESERVE “O” SCALE TRAIN SHOW 

CLEVELAND, OHIO 

Saturday, November 3, 2007 9:00 am - 2:00 pm 

Admission: $6.00 6’ Tables - $37.00 

LAKELAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE 

I90 and ST.RT. 306 (S.E. Corner) 

Held in the Auxiliary Gym / Athletic Center 

24 Hr. Police • Public Welcome • Free Parking • 2-rail “O” scale only • Please no other gauges 

SORRY NO PASSES ACCEPTED AT THIS SHOW • THIS SHOW IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE WESTERN RESERVE O SCALE COMMITTEE WHO ANNUALLY PUT ON A SIMILAR SHOW 

BOB FRIEDEN - 9695 CHILLICOTHE ROAD - KIRTLAND, OHIO 44094 - 440-256-8141 - FAX: 440-256-1749 

Custom Building, Repair & Painting Services Available Buy-Sell-Trade, Consignments-Appraisals, eBay Sales 

Website: www.alleghenyscale.com • Email: oscale@alleghenyscale.com 

470 Schooley’s Mountain Road, Suite 8-117, Hackettstown, New Jersey 07840 • Voice - (908) 684-2070 • Fax - (908) 684-8911 

Passenger Sets 

OMI 1935 Hiawatha Steam Passenger Set CP New, 4-4-2 and 5 Cars, Pro Paint, Exceptional .......$3,750 

Sunset NYC 1938 20th Century Ltd. Set UP New, 8 Car Set w/Trucks, KMT Japan ............................$1,895 

Custom N&W 2 Car Steel Passenger Set CP L/N, Coach and Combine, Interiors .................................. $550 

Calumet PRR 5 Car Heavyweight Set CP New, Combine, Coach, Diner, 12-2, 10-1-2 .......................$2,295 

Calumet PRR 3 Car P-70 Coach Set CP New, Coaches 1064, 3915, 3941 ..............................................$1,395 

Steam 

USH AT&SF Pacific 4-6-2 CP L/N, Professional Paint and Weathering ...................................................$1,425 

USH AT&SF 2-10-4 UP New, Late Run ................................................................................................................$1,595 

OMI B&O S-1 2-10-2 UP New, OMI O147, Road Pilot, Overfire Jets .........................................................$1,350 

C&LS C&O H-6 2-6-6-2 FP New, Vanderbilt Tender .......................................................................................$2,825 

Weaver NH I5 Streamlined 4-6-4 FP Mint, Late Version, Script Lettering, 2 Rail ................................$1,075 

PSC NYC F-12e 4-6-0 UP L/N, Straight Cyls, 5000 Gallon Tender .............................................................$1,050 

USH NYC H-10b 2-8-2 UP Mint, Never Assembled .......................................................................................$1,095 

Westside NYC J1e Hudson 4-6-4 UP Mint, Never Assembled ...................................................................$1,495 

USH NYC L4b Mohawk 4-8-2 UP Mint, Never Assembled ............................................................................. $995 

USH NKP Berkshire 2-8-4 CP L/N, Pro Paint, Ball Bearing Gearbox .........................................................$1,150 

Oriental N&W Auxiliary Water Tender FP Mint, Lights .................................................................................... $425 

PSC N&W Auxiliary Water Tender UP New, PSC No. 15635 ........................................................................... $450 

Max Gray N&W Class J 4-8-4 UP V/G, Can Motor, NWSL Gearbox .............................................................. $750 

PSC N&W Z1b 2-6-6-2 FP New, Road No. 1462 ..............................................................................................$2,495 

USH PRR 210p75 Riveted Tender UP New, For USH M1a .............................................................................. $325 

Sunset PRR 210f82a Welded Tender CP New, Full Scale Version, 8 Wheel Trucks ................................. $395 

Gem PRR A5s 0-4-0 UP EX, Early Version ............................................................................................................. $375 

Weaver PRR A5s 0-4-0 FP New, Late Version, 1 of 12 ...................................................................................... $695 

Gem PRR B6sb 0-6-0 CP V/G, Early Version ......................................................................................................... $395 

PSC PRR B6sb 0-6-0 UP Mint, 2 Window Cab Version, PSC 15525 ...........................................................$1,295 

Westside PRR H6sb 2-8-0 UP New ......................................................................................................................$1,295 

Key PRR H8sc 2-8-0 FP L/N, Test Run .................................................................................................................$2,395 

Key PRR H9s 2-8-0 FP New, Professionally Weathered ................................................................................$2,495 

Key PRR H10s 2-8-0 FP L/N, Test Run .................................................................................................................$2,495 

OMI PRR HH1 2-8-8-2 CP L/N, Test Run, 1 of 10 ............................................................................................$2,395 

USH PRR I1sa 2-10-0 UP Mint, Late Run, New Correct Driver Tires .........................................................$1,495 

Westside PRR J1a 2-10-4 UP New .......................................................................................................................$1,695 

USH PRR K4 4-6-2 UP Mint, Late Run, Correct Boiler ....................................................................................... $995 

USH PRR L1s 2-8-2 UP Mint, Late Run ...............................................................................................................$1,195 

USH PRR L1s 2-8-2 CP L/N, Custom Modernized Front End ......................................................................$1,295 

WSM PRR M1 4-8-2 UP L/N, No Backhead Detail, PSC Detail Kit ................................................................ $975 

WSM PRR M1 4-8-2 UP EX, No Backhead Detail, Cab Repaired ................................................................... $595 

Max Gray PRR M1a 4-8-2 UP New, 210p75 Tender, Late Run ....................................................................$1,195 

USH PRR M1a 4-8-2 UP L/N, 210p75 Tender, Tarnish ...................................................................................... $750 

USH PRR M1a 4-8-2 UP L/N, 210p75 Tender ...................................................................................................$1,095 

OMI PRR M1b 4-8-2 FP Mint, 210p75 Tender w/Antenna, No. 6750 ......................................................$2,195 

Max Gray PRR N1s 2-10-2 CP New, McCafferty Paint and Weathering ..................................................$1,695 

Sunset 3rd PRR Q1 4-4-6-4 Deskirted FP Mint, 2-Rail ..................................................................................$1,195 

WSM PRR Q2 4-4-6-4 UP New, KTM Japan .......................................................................................................$2,195 

Weaver PRR T1 4-4-4-4 Duplex FP L/N, Repowered, Early Porthole Version .......................................... $795 

Sunnyside PRR T1 4-4-4-4 Duplex FP L/N, Late Version ..............................................................................$3,295 

OMI RDG T1 4-8-4 UP Mint, W/Decals, OMI No. 0150 ..................................................................................$1,695 

PSC SP AC-12 Crown 2-8-8-2 FP New, Crown Model, No. 4294 ...............................................................$4,895 

GPM SP-T&NO M6 Class 2-6-0 FP Mint, 7 Versions, New Announcement ..........................................Reserve 

PSC UP Bull Moose 2-8-8-0 FP New, BL FWH, Dual Pumps, Road No. 3553 .........................................$2,595 

PSC UP Bull Moose 2-8-8-0 FP New, SA FWH, Late Oil Ver., Road No. 3560 .........................................$2,650 

Sunset UP Early Challenger 4-6-6-4 CP EX, Cockerham Drive, Road No. 3939 ...................................$2,395 

Key UP FEF-3 4-8-4 FP New, Early Excursion, No. 8444, 1 of 10 ................................................................$2,395 

OMI WM I2 Decapod 2-10-0 FP New, Test Run, OMI No. 0189.1 ..............................................................$1,995 

C&LS WM J1 Potomac 4-8-4 FP New, Test Run, Road No. 1407 ................................................................$2,550 

Diesel 

Oriental ALCO C-420 Phase II High Hood UP New, High Adhesion Trucks ............................................. $795 

Key AT&SF ALCO PA-PB FP New, Warbonnet, 1st Run, Exquisite .............................................................$2,650 

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Key D&RGW EMD F-7 A-B FP New, 1st Run, Black Scheme, Road No. 5551 .........................................$2,150 

Oriental EMD GP-20 Low Nose UP Ex, Can Motor, Samhongsa .................................................................. $450 

Oriental EMD NW-2 Phase IV CP Ex, Painted B&O - Fair Paint ...................................................................... $595 

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Red Cab. NYC GP-9 Kit FP Mint, Black Lightning Stripe ................................................................................. $250 

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OMI PRR P5a Electric - Box Cab UP Mint, OMI No. 0219, Last Run ..........................................................$1,195 

CNJB SP ALCO RS-3 CP V/G, Black Widow, As Is ................................................................................................ $295 

Key UP EMD E-8 A-B Units FP New, 1st Run, Samhongsa ..........................................................................$2,395 

Challenger UP EMD GP-7 Phase 2 FP Ex, Heavy Weathering, Road No. 119 ........................................... $895 

Oriental UP (Missouri Pacific) EMD SD-40 CP L/N, KES Clutch Drive, Lighting, Pro Paint .................. $795 

Rolling Stock 

Custom N&W Wood Combine CP EX, Custom Built LaBelle Kit, Interior .................................................. $225 

Sunnyside PRR P85br Streamlined Coach FP New, Deluxe Gold, Road No. 4169 ................................ $650 

PSC Pullman Troop Kitchen Car UP L/N, PSC No. 16333 ................................................................................ $295 

P. Co. PRR X-42 Mail Storage Car UP New, 62' .................................................................................................... $425 

OMI B&M Wood Caboose UP New, OMI No. 0078, Verticle Brake Staff .................................................... $295 

PSC NYC 30 Ft. Wood Caboose UP Mint, PSC No. 15437 ............................................................................... $295 

OMI NP (SP&S) Steel Caboose CP L/N, OMI No. 0753, Late Steam Era, Pro Paint .................................. $250 

CNJB PRR N5b Cabin Car w/Antenna UP New .................................................................................................. $325 

Sunnyside PRR N5c Steel Cabin Car w/o Antenna UP Mint .......................................................................... $325 

ALCO PRR N6a Wood Cabin Car UP New ............................................................................................................. $175 

Car Works PRR ND Wood Cabin Car UP Mint, 4 Wheel Cabin Car ............................................................... $375 

OMI WM "NE" Steel Caboose UP New, OMI No. 0720 ..................................................................................... $295 

OMI WM "NE" Steel Caboose CP L/N, OMI No. 0720, Speed Lettering, Pro Paint .................................. $275 

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Mid Div PRR X-29 Box Cars FP Mint, All Versions Available .............................................................................$65 


much the same grief years ago when trying 

to scratchbuild a C-30 and this was 

before Google. Anyway, besides what you 

turned up, there is the following: 

• RMC July ’61, very nice O scale 

drawing of a CA class caboose. 

• How To Build Model Railroads and 

Equipment, Barton K. Davis, Crown Pub., 

HO Scale drawing of a C-30-1 caboose 

and construction article. 

• Southern Pacific Freight Cars Vol. 2: 

Cabooses, Anthony W. Thompson, Signature 

Press, THE book on SP cabooses with 

drawings and lots of photos. 

Regarding dimensional questions, 

the carbody should be 30’-2” long, 35’- 

5” over platforms, and 37’ over running 

boards. The edge of the first window 

frame should be about 37” to 38” (variations 

in trim wood) from the corner. The 

window space under the cupola is 9’ from 

frame to frame. The cupola should be 

centered over that space. 

I did see the model at the O National, 

but did not get to examine it closely. It 

looked very good from what I could see 

of it a distance. I noted that the presence 

of the tie bolts on the bottom of the sides 

mark O it Scale as Mag a car Ad - built 7.4 x 4.9, by 07/12 the - full Sacramento 

color, v3.1. 

shops. Two questions, does it have Vulcan 

caboose trucks and is there a boot (toolbox) 

underneath? I can’t tell this in the 

magazine photo. 

Regards, Charlie Morrill 

Joe G. replies: I blew up the photo of the 

model and I can see the ”ears” and unique 

cutout shape of the Vulcan caboose truck. 

The photo of the cab at the Sunset website 

shows a toolbox. 

Custom Builder Jerry White 

Jerry White, formerly of Menlo Park, CA, 

passed away October 26 in Napa, CA. Jerry 

was one of the giants of model railroading. 

He was known for his scratchbuilt-to-order 

steam locomotives in scales ranging from 

TT to O. He scratchbuilt-to-order numerous 

complete passenger trains. He re-powered 

and re-geared (he called it customizing) dozens 

if not hundreds of imported brass steam 

locomotives. He developed and produced 

the Kurtz Kraft HO scale PS-1 boxcar and 

a reefer, both of which had free-standing 

molded ladders and grabs. He had a lifelong 

passion for trains and for building models 

of them, and was a tireless promoter of the 

model railroading hobby. 

Jerry began model railroading in the 

1930s, before the advent of the NMRA. His 

experiences with incompatible model railroads 

made him a staunch advocate of standards 

and, as an NMRA member, he worked 

hard on standards to all of our benefit. 

He was fun loving, personable, and 

always quick to crack a joke. A longish obituary 

that touches on his many contributions 

and accomplishments can be found at [http:// 

www.rodmiller.com/jerry_white_obituary]. 

Thank you to the many who already have 

shared condolences and your personal experiences 

with Jerry. 

Rod Miller 

Indy Contest Photo Correction 

I enjoyed the recent issue covering the 

Indy show. There were a few problems with 

some of the photo captions. The most glaring 

one is the Cotton Belt drover’s caboose. The 

builder is Jim Zwernemann and I believe he 

won first place with it, not the B&O wagontop 

caboose listed in the text. 

Gene Deimling 

Likes the Traction Action 

Roger, you continually amaze me by writ- 

Have It (Sounds) Your Way! 

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ing about just the kind of things that I think 

about. I do wish I had you for a neighbor. I 

include a photo of a LaBelle kit modification 

I made (O-256 THI&E combine) into a reasonable 

representation of a Waterloo, Cedar 

Falls & Northern car as pictured in ”Iowa 

Trolleys”, Bulletin 114 of the CERA. It wasn’t 

all that hard to build. I chopped off the baggage 

end and put the platform there. These 

LaBelle kits are so easy to modify. Thanks for 

another fine article. I look forward to them. I 

would enjoy a photo of your observation cars 

when they are finished. 

Gerald Brothers, via email 

Just when we thought Silflor couldn’t get any better, those 

scenery gurus at MiniNatur have developed a new multi-depth 

grass process that takes textures to a whole new dimension. 

Cow Pastures with Tufts begin with a short 2mm base grass 

and inserts 6mm tall tufts randomly throughout the mat. 

Pastures with Molehills (or ‘Cow Pies’) carry things a little further by 

adding little brown deposits of organic fertilizer on the grass. Both 

pastures match perfectly with the entire Silflor product line including 

Prairie Tufts and Grass Pathways. 

Spring Tone Cow Pasture 

2mm & 6mm multi-depth grass. 

SF71321 .................. $33.99 

Summer Tone Cow Pasture 


SF71322 .................. $33.99 

Show off your railroad with a wireless video 

camera. Capture the Engineer’s view of 

your railroad and share the pictures with 

the railroad 

community. A 

Complete line of 

wireless camera 

and receivers start 

at $66.95 

Sheet Measures 12” x 19” 

Late Summer Cow Pasture 


SF71323 .................. $33.99 

Autumn Tone Cow Pasture 


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Now Available! 

Field parts for your interlocking 

tower: pipe carriers, crank stands and 

cranks. Visit our web site for details. 

Spring Tone Pasture and 

Molehills 2mm & 6mm multidepth 

grass and cow pies. 

SF71421 .................. $33.99 

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Sheet Measures 12” x 19” 

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The Irish 

Tracklayer 

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www.irishtracklayer.com 

175 Sheffield Drive, #100 Delmont, PA 15626-1723 • Tel: (724)468-3106 

www.scenicexpress.com Please add $8.49 shipping • Pennsylvania residents add 6% 

State Sales Tax. Request FREE 200 page catalog with order or send $4 to cover postage. 


Precision Turntables for the Discerning Modeler 

FEATURING PRO-DEX TM INFRA-RED POSITIONING & DYNAMIC BRAKING 

Now it’s easy & exciting to operate 

prototypically: 1. Select direction 

2. Push run button 3. Watch bridge 

advance to any of 48 positions, then 

slow & lock on desired track when 

you release button! 

AAA PRECISION 

TURNTABLES 

PO Box 64, Plantsville, CT 06479, USA 

1-800-569-1423 • www.AAATurntables.com 

• Heavy-duty museum-quality construction 

• Realistic operation! 

• Painted and ready to run 

• Manufactured in all scales from Z to G 

and all bridge sizes on a per order basis 

• Mfg in U.S.A. by skilled machinists using 

CNC precision parts. Hand assembled & tested 

• Call for specs or visit our website 

These highly detailed hydrocal kits feature 

full color graphics, laser cut doors and 

windows and complete finishing instructions. 

Fairly simple construction as most of the 

amazing detail has been cast right in place. 

Add a flat $10.00 S & H no matter how many 

kits you order. Satisfaction guaranteed. 

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u 

] 

t 

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Buy Direct! 

31 Turnberry Drive, Arden, NC 28704 (828) 684-6785 

Footprint: 10” x 4.5” 

Buy Directly from our e-store! 

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ASSEMBLED 

BUILDINGS ARE 

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• Pre-Cut Basswood Body 

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e-mail: 

twinwhistle@hotmail.com

New Expanded Website for Locomotives, Passenger and Freight Equipment 

WWW.OSCALEREALISM.COM 

10% Discount on All Diesels, 

Electrics & Freight Cars 

Thru 3/31/08 

2-Rail STEAM 

MTH 2-Rail Locomotives 

ATSF Northern $1150 

CNJ Blue Comet Pacific $1200 

CNW Streamlined Hudson $900 

C&O Greenbrier $975 

C&O Steam Turbine $1100 

NKP Berkshire $1100 

PRR T-1 #6110 $1200 

N&W Class A 2-6-6-4 $1150 

SP AC-6 Cab Fwd $975 

SP 4-8-4 Daylight $1250 

UP Big Boy 4-8-8-4 $1350 

UP Gas Turbine 3 units $850 

Weaver 2-Rail Brass 

PRR K4 F/P Early $1100 

PRR K4 C/P ’35-’41 scheme $1400 

PRR K4 C/P ’42-’57 scheme $1400 

PRR L1 F/P $950 

RDG G1sas Crusader #117 or #118 $1200 

RDG Crusader 5-car passenger set as-built $750 

RDG Crusader 5-car set with corrected glazing 

and shades $950 

Other 2-Rail BRASS 

USH PRR K4 C/P Full Striping $1650 

USH NYC Dreyfus Hudson 

custom ptd first scheme $1850 

OMI MILW 4-4-2 Hiawatha C/P #1 $1750 

PSC SOU Ps4 F/P Cresc Ltd. #1393 $2500 

WMS L5 Rdg Camelback C/P $750 

WMS SP Daylight 4-8-4 F/P $1100 

SS UP 4-4-2 Atlantic, vandy tdr $975 

MG Erie K5 Pacific, C/P mint $2900 

2-Rail DIESEL 

MTH PRR Centipedes $1250 

MTH ATSF F3 Warbonnet paint $500 

MTH T&P GP9 $325 

3-Rail Scale Steam 

LIONEL 

Sou Ts-1 4-8-2 detailed $1000 

N&W Class A 2-6-6-4 NIB $1000 

NYC Custom J1e Scullin disc PT Tndr $1400 

N&W K2 4-8-2 custom, #123 $1250 

N&W Y3 2-8-8-2 $1100 

VGN 2-8-4 $1000 

Weaver 

PRR Std K-4 F/P $950 

PRR K-4 C/P Early Low Tdr Striping $1450 

PRR K-4 C/P 36-41 Condensed Ltr $1250 

PRR K-4 C/P 41-47 Expanded Ltr $1250 

PRR K-4 C/P 47-57 Modern Solid Pilot $1350 

NH 

I-4, 4-6-2 w/Elesco, long vandy tdr, 

sound, smoke $1500 

PRR A-5 0-4-0 F/P $800 

RDG G-1sas Crusader $1100 

RDG Matching Crusader Cars $600 

RDG G-2 Pacific #177 $975 

SAL C/P USRA 0-6-0 Sound $750 

SOU C/P 4-8-2 Grn Stripes $1500 

B&O C/P T-3 W/Vandy Sound Smoke $1750 

WM H-7 C/P Dull Alt # $750 

C&O 2-8-0 C/P Dull $750 

UP ’49er S/L 4-6-2 $1100 

Williams 

RDG L5 Camelback C/P $750 

PRR E-6 C/P Late #6513 $950 

PRR B-6 C/P Dull #5244 $750 

PRR L-1 C/P Dull Dg’ Tdr #714 $950 

PRR L-1 C/P West Tdr #7345 $1100 

PRR K-4 Custom Modern #646 

Sound Smoke $1250 

SOU Ps-4 Custom w/Elesco system 

Green w/Stripes #6689 $1250 

N&W Class A 2-6-6-4 Detailed $1350 

N&W J 4-8-4 C/P #600 “dull” $650 

B&A Custom 4-6-4, brass, upgraded $750 

Westside Brass 

RF&P Custom Governor 3-Rail Conversion 

Sound Smoke Stripes Logo Etc. $2750 

Sunset/3rd Rail 

PRR H-6 C/P Late Scheme $975 

PRR H-6 C/P PRSL #6016 $1075 

PRR E-6 F/P Sound $1150 

SP 4-4-2 Std $1000 

SP 4-4-2 F/P Daylight $1150 

UP 4-4-2 F/P $1050 

PRR Turbine – Upgraded $1000 

UP Big Boy W/ Sound $1950 

ATSF Northern $1200 

GN S-2 4-8-4 Glacier $1200 

Sou Custom 4-8-2 Grn w/stripes, Weaver 

motor and chassis, #6693 $1650 

N&W K3 4-8-2 Water Buffalo $1300 

MTH 

ACL 

4-8-4 Custom Mod 8 wheel 

tennder #1801 $1650 

C&O 4-8-4 Greenbrier $975 

C&O Custom Greenbrier Early #605 $1250 

C&O Kanawah 2-8-4 w/Psgr Announ $1250 

DM&IR Yellowstone $1650 

N&W Class A Custom #1216 Correct 

& Detailed $1500 

N&W Streamlined J 4-8-4 $1100 

NYC Dreyfus Hudson $975 

UP Northern #8444 $1250 

PRR T-1 Duplex #6110 $1250 

CNW S/L Hudson $800 

ERIE Custom Superdetailed K-5 

w/Vandy Tdr $1650 

PRR Custom G-5 #5720 W/Brass Tdr $1100 

PRR K-4 Modified As K-3 C/P #9999 $1000 

RF&P 2-8-4 Custom Modified W/Striping $1450 

WM H-9 2-8-0 c/p dull #802 $950 

WM Challenger, 2 numbers CALL 

3-Rail Scale Electric 

Weaver 

PRR GG-1, Tuscan 1 Stripe & Silver 

1 stripe $850 

Williams 

PRR GG1-Bruns 5 C/P dull $475 

PRR GG1-Tuscan 5 C/P dull $475 

PRR GG1- Tuscan dummy $200 

Sunset 

PRR P5A modified-sound $800 

Lionel 

DL&W MU pwd & dummey $650 

DL&W MU combine/coach dum $550 

L.I.R.R. custom pwd dum-Tuscan $900 

MTH 

MILW Bipolar $775 

NH E3B $700 

NH EP-3-M’Ginnis $875 

PRR GG-1, Tuscan 5 & Conrail $675 

K-Line 

NH EP5 $350 

RDG MU 70’ TT green pwr/dum $375 

RDG MU 70’ Blue/Wht pwr/dum $425 

PRSL MU 60’ Tuscan w/poles $400 

3-Rail Scale Diesel 

Atlas 

GN SW8 Green/Orange $325 

AMTK DASH 8 #509 $395 

C&O RS-1 $375 

N&W SD-35 $375 

UP SW-9 $350 

WT (Wash. Terminal) RS-1 $400 

LIONEL 

EL Alco PA A-A w/fact. sound $575 

MTH 

ATSF F-3 A-B-A $700 

ATSF DL-109A/B custom fixed closed pilot $650 

B&O E-6 A-B custom fixed closed pilot $750 

B&O E-8 A-B-A $650 

C&O F-3 A-B $450 

C&NW DASH 9 $275 

FEC BL-2 $350 

GM&O GP-38 $300 

NYC E-8 A-A custom l/s $700 

MILW DL-109 $300 

NH DL-109/110-Custom pilot scale cplr $650 

PRR Centipedes-5 Stripe $1000 

PRR E-8 A-A custom Bruns 5 Stripe $700 

PRR E-8 A-A custom Tuscan 5 Stripe $700 

PRSL AS-616 custom #6000 $475 

SAL E-8 A-B-A Citrus Scheme $650 

SAL E-6 A-B custom fixed closed pilot $750 

SOU DL109/110-cust. ptd fixed pilot $700 

RDG GP7 cust pt 1st scheme #600 $475 

RDG GP7 cust. pt no dynam. #660 $525 

RDG Trainmaster 1st scheme #860 $550 

RI E-8 A-B-A $695 

Weaver 

B&O VO 1000 $199 

C&O RS-3 $250 

C&O RSD5 $250 

C&O GP-38 $275 

UP E-8 AA $375 

Williams 

Custom E7 Diesels - All with fixed pilots, scale 

lead couplers and diaphragms. 

ACL AB $550 

B&M A unit, custom single headlight $300 

CB&Q AB $550 

L&N AA $450 

Sou AA Custom Painted $650 

Correct passenger cars are available for most locomotives, custom and/or production. Inquire for availability. 

Railroad Collectibles, 86 W. Johnson St., Philadelphia, PA 19144 

Voice: 215-438-4330 • Fax: 215-438-7322 • Email:oguage.railroad@verizon.net 


The OGLE Coaling Tower is HERE! 

Black (Dark Brown) 

Brown 

(Shown) 

At 22 inches tall, this is the biggest 

free standing, ready to use plastic 

coaling tower ever produced. There 

were many OGLE coaling towers 

serving most railroads into the 50s. 

Included are 4 exterior and 2 interior 

lights, that just plug into your existing 

track power. The coal chutes are 

adjustable in height and very realistic. 

The roof components are removable for 

access and detailing of the interior. 

Available in 2 Colors, Black (dark brown), 

Brown (shown). $199.95 Delivered! 

“I got my tower yesterday it’s flawless, 

breathtaking, worth every penny” - R.D., MA 

International Shipping: 

CANADA $20 

EUROPE / ASIA / AUSTRALIA $50 

Redwood is Sold Out! 

Note: Chains Require Installation. 

“Little People” Seated Figures for O Scale 

Highly Detailed, Variety of Painted Men and Women 

Available Now $30 / Pack of 40 Figures 

Standing Figures (ALMOST GONE) $20 / Pack of 15 Figures 

add $5 S&H 1-4 Packs 

STANDING 


www.goldengatedepot.com / FAX: (408) 904-5849

A Short Story about Short Circuits 

Many of us O Scale modelers begin by using the less 

expensive plastic train cars with plastic trucks and wheels. 

Whatever other good or bad features these cars have, they do 

have one major advantage. They don’t conduct electricity, so 

they can’t cause electrical problems. 

But, along the way changes happen. Perhaps we accumulate 

some old cars or we upgrade to new ones with metal 

center-sills, trucks, and wheels. Maybe we replace the plastic 

trucks with metal ones because we prefer them. I am convinced 

that metal wheels work better, although I have no 

proof for that. They certainly sound better. I have even sawed 

notches in my rails every 39’ (scale) to provide the clicketyclack 

sound of the bolted joint days. Any of these changes can 

cause electrical problems, ranging from a short circuit that 

shuts you down but is easy to find, to an intermittent short 

that can drive you crazy. 

It all starts with the metal wheels. Almost all metallic 2-rail 

wheelsets (I’m sure there is an exception someplace) have one 

wheel on each axle insulated from the axle and everything 

else. The non-insulated wheel connects the truck to whatever 

metal might be in the car and that leads to the first problem. 

Metal cars with metal trucks and wheels create an electrical 

path between the two bolsters. If one truck gets rotated 

180 degrees, there can be a short circuit through the car. Of 

course, the solution is to reverse one truck. 

Some cars use track voltage to power their lights, such as 

passenger cars and cabooses. Here, the trucks are connected 

to the interior circuit. Rotating one truck will keep the lights 

from working. 

Whether a car uses or does not use electricity, it may 

still have a temporary short circuit. An insulated wheel rim 

may touch part of the car, a stirrup, or a coupler box, when 

going around a curve or on a grade. You can grind away the 

affected area and inspect the car to be assured there are no 

accidental contacts. Painting the area will just postpone the 

problem until the paint wears through. 

Then there are cases where individual cars are fine, but a 

pair of cars causes a short circuit. Many modelers use Kadee 

#805 couplers. These are metal couplers with a metal box. 

Installing them on a metal car electrically connects the coupler 

to the carbody and to the wheels on one side. If the next 

car happens to be similar, and is connected to the opposite 

rail, then the two cars will short out via the couplers. Any 

metal car with metal couplers can be a culprit. Diesel locomotives 

and steam locomotive tenders are always live and 

always a potential problem source; so you have to break the 

circuit someplace. 

You could insulate the coupler from the car by insulating 

the mounting screws from the coupler box as Kadee suggests. 

I have found that very difficult (An easier way might be to 

insulate the trucks from the car with a non-metallic machine 

screw and non-metallic washer.) Remember that neither the 

screw head nor the screw shank can touch the coupler box, 

and the coupler box cannot touch the carbody. A better 

approach might be to try this. Digi-Key sells nylon #2-56 and 

#4-40 machine screws in various lengths (for example #2- 

56 by 3/4” nylon machine screw, H-538-ND, 100 for $9.26 

and #4-40 by 3/4” nylon machine screw, H-550-ND, 100 for 

$9.19). Then you should insulate between the coupler box and 

the car with a small piece of paper. 

You could also use Kadee #800, #801 or #804 couplers, 

which are made of plastic in different colors and fit into a 

standard-sized Kadee coupler box, or #806 couplers which 

are also plastic and come with a shorter coupler box. These 

are not as strong as the metal ones (You may recall that I tested 

a Kadee #805 coupler to destruction at 74 pounds load.) 

You can even put metal couplers into plastic coupler boxes 

and vice-versa. 

You can test for sneak electrical paths with an ohmmeter or 

a battery and small light bulb. I have a test track with the battery 

hookups already in place. I just set the car down, wiggle 

the wheels and trucks, and look for red lights. 

The photo shows an example of a ”time bomb car”, an old 

NYC Pacemaker 

40’ 

boxcar. At first 

glance it looks 

harmless. It 

is a kit with 

a wood floor 

and ceiling 

and pressed 

board sides, 

over which is 

a thin pressedmetal 

shell with the detail and the paint. There is a metal center-sill 

that secures the trucks, so they are connected together. 

The center-sill does not go as far as the coupler boxes, but the 

metal cross braces touch the center-sill to the metal shell and 

the coupler box lips also touch the metal shell. In effect, all 

the metal in the car is connected to one rail. Moreover, when 

the trucks turn, the wheel rims can touch the metal cross 

brace and the metal coupler box, thus shorting out the track. 

See if you can find any cars like this on your layout. 

[More recent readers may not have heard this tip, so I’ll 

repeat it here with Ted’s indulgence. If you are having problems 

figuring out where that sneaky intermittent short is, wait 

until it’s dark out, turn out the room lights, and look for the 

sparks. There it is! –ed] 

u 


SEVEN MORE Reasons WHY OUR 

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Send $1.50 for our full color catalog featuring the nearly 400 PEWTER Figures AND Accessories 

we produce in O Gauge All Made and Hand Painted in the USA with Pride. $7.95 S&H per order. 

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1482 Young woman jogging....... _5.99 / 4.00_ 

1483 Woman fixing shoe ........... _5.99 / 4.00_ 

People make 

the difference!

News: Depot Kits, MSRP: see text 

American Model Builders, Inc., 8229 Brentwood Industrial 

Drive, St. Louis, MO 63144 

314-646-8588 • www.laserkit.com 

Kit #450 Southern Pacific Combination Type 23 Depot, 

MSRP $279.95. 

AMB announces the release of kit #450, a Southern Pacific 

Combination Type 23 Depot. Between 1877 and 1894, 

the Southern Pacific developed a series of 26 standard depot 

plans. Of these designs, the One Story Combination Depot 

Number 23 was used as the basis for over 30 station structures. 

Built between the years of 1896 and 1918, examples 

of the Type 23 could be found in both California and Oregon. 

Although not as numerous as its two-story cousin, the 

Type 22 with its upstairs living area, the one-story building 

featured a passenger waiting room, operator’s office, agent’s 

quarters, separate express room, and freight room. 

Our O Scale rendering of this classic 80’ x 25’ Southern 

Pacific design follows the company’s 1911 revised plans. 

As modeled, the O Scale building has a 42’ freight room 

with a 60’ x 33’ freight dock on the freight end. Photos 

of depots built to this plan show a multitude of variations 

from building to building in the number and placement 

of windows and doors, as well as in the style of doors. 

This later version of the Type 23, for example, is denoted 

by its two adjacent windows on the end wall of the waiting 

room. Earlier Type 23 depots utilized three windows 

spaced across the end. While we have modeled the dock 

and housetrack location at the front of the building with a 

“right hand” bay window, many had the housetrack located 

on the back side of the building. 

This latest O Scale LASERKIT features 100% laser-cut 

parts with tab-and-slotted wall and roof construction, premilled 

siding, 

peel-and-stick 

windows, doors, 

and trims, peeland-stick 

threetab 

style shingle 

strips, white metal 

smokejacks, 

interior floor 

and wall partitions, 

exposed 

rafter tails, properly 

shaped roof 

brackets, and a 

separate wood 

loading dock with 

both stairs and 

ramp access. The 

assembled structure 

itself measures 

20” x 6.25” 

x 6”. With the 

addition of the 

dock, the facility stretches almost 30” in length, making it 

not only the longest 1/48 scale structure cataloged by American 

Model Builders to date, but a true visual centerpiece for 

any O Gauge layout. 

Kit #470 Northern Pacific Class C Depot, MSRP $159.95. 

Over the years, the Northern Pacific used several different 

series of standard plans for various types of depots. Most of 

the plans were of combination depots containing passenger 

and freight facilities. Each series had several different sizes of 

depots and included both one-story and two-story structures. 

In the years 1889 through 1899, Chief Engineer J. W. Kendrick 

directed the preparation of a group of plans referred to 

as the S-26 drawing series. The series included plans for three 

different lengths of one-story depots with each length having 

two versions. One version had a low platform and the other 

had a high platform. The longest one-story frame combination 

depot in the S-26 series was 75’ 8” x 24’. The smallest 

version with a low platform, the Class C Combination Depot 

and the subject of this new O Scale kit release, was 55’ x 24’. 

The Class C prototype basically saw the elimination of the 

waiting room found on the larger classes, as well as utilized a 

smaller operator’s bay with several changes in door and window 

positions. 

Our O Scale rendering of the NP Class C Combination 

Depot features 100% laser-cut parts including tab-and-slotted 

wall and roof components, peel-and-stick windows, 

doors, and trim, authentic roof and gable brackets, interior 

floor with wall partitions, white metal chimney, peeland-stick 

three-tab style shingles, and color signage. The 

assembled structure measures 16.5” x 8.75” (including roof 

overhang) x 5”. 


O 

S 

C 

A 

L 

E 

by AMB Laser 

Ellington 

Mercantile 

$89.95 

Building Kits & AccessoriesFor The Model Railroad Hobbyist 

by Twin Whistle 

by JV Models 

Curved 

Trestle 

Bridge 

$79.95 

Orders over $100.00 receive free shipping in contiguous U.S. • AZ residents subject to sales tax. • All items listed on our website are in-stock. 

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Phone: 1-480-357-8800 • Toll Free (Orders Only): 1-877-385-0200 


Art 

Deco 

Gas 

Station 

$49.95 

by Schomberg Models 

Stiff Legged 

Derrick 

$32.50 

by Model Tech Studios 

Waterline 

Work Barge 

$26.95 

Stone Engine House 

$124.95 

www.mesamodels.net 

by Crow River 

Twin 

Drum 

Hoisting 

Engine 

$62.95 

by Scale University 

O'Mally's Bar 

$64.95 

by Mesa Models, Inc. 

Hillside Church 

$59.95 

by Sodders 

Fuel Drum On Stand 

$3.95 

O 

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News: Structure Components and Castings 

Westport Model Works, 24 Cob Drive, Westport, CT 

06880 

203-226-2798 • www.westportmodelworks.com 

Westport Model Works displayed, at the TCA meet in 

York, their new resin castings for building panels and interior 

and exterior details. An example is the combination USPS 

and Railway Express facility created from their Resin Building 

Casting Set #1. These are not kits, but individual resin-cast 

wall panels that enable you to choose from a variety of panel 

designs to create a building to your custom size and configuration. 

Among the many buildings that can be created from 

this set are row houses, a railroad station, warehouse, LCL 

facility, or small manufacturing plant. The only limitation is 

your imagination. 

Shown above is an interior photo of the USPS portion of 

the building, showing a few of the 130+ interior and exterior 

resin castings that can be used to detail your structures. Specific 

to this building are the postal letter sorting table, hanging 

mail bags and stands, and assorted mail sacks. Another 

specific example is, for their firehouse, they offer castings for 

a rolled hose, fireman’s boots, helmet, and coats. General 

interior items shown are roll-top and plain wood desks, swivel 

chairs and clothes locker. Contact Westport Model Works 

for availability and prices. 

Review: SpecCast 1:50 White WC22 Dump Truck, MSRP: 

$37.95 

Available from Diecast Direct, 3005 Old Lawrenceburg Rd, 

Frankfort KY 40601 

502-227-8697 • www.diecastdirect.com 

Reviewed by Joe Giannovario 

I started looking for a dump truck to fit in with my late 

40’s-early 50’s theme. I wanted it to haul cinders out of the 

branchline locomotive servicing area. I searched all over 

and could not find anything suitable for a reasonable price. 

Brooklin makes a 1:43 1947 International dump truck, but 

it costs $99.50 and seems to always be out of 

stock. Then I saw an ad for the SpecCast 1:50 

WC 22 dump truck. 

I checked around and found that Diecast 

Direct would let me pre-order the truck which 

was due, according to the ad, in January 

2008. So, imagine my surprise when the truck 

showed up in early November. 

I can’t really do a ”proper” review since I 

don’t have any plans or specs for the prototype. 

What I can tell you is that this is a very 

nice model of an early 1950s dump truck and 

it is perfect for my needs. 

The model has working doors and hoods 

with a nicely detailed engine. The dump bed 

lifts and the tailgate swings free with chains. 

The color is a bit bright but I can weather that down. This 

model also comes in a ”John Deere” version that is bright 

yellow. As for the scale, I’d much rather have a 1:50 model 

then a 1:43. 

Overall, this is a really nice dump truck and the price is 

not too expensive. After all, I don’t need a fleet of them and 

this will be in the foreground. 

SpecCast makes other 1:50 construction equipment 

including a White WC22 tractor with lowboy trailer and an 

International TD-24 bulldozer. Check them all out at Diecast 

Direct online or call SpecCast at 800-844-8067, ext. 245, 

and ask for a catalog. Tell them you saw their dump truck in 

O Scale Trains Magazine. 


Review: QSI Quantum PnP Sound Decoder, MSRP $179.95; 

QSI Quantum Programmer, MSRP $ 99.95 

QSI Solutions, 57 River Road Suite 1023, Essex Junction, VT 

05452 

800-671-0641 • www.qsisolutions.com 

Reviewed by Gene Clements 

The Quantum Magnum decoder, shown on page 49 of Issue 

#35, is available and ready for installation. The Quantum Programmer 

is also available and ready to upgrade any QSI decoder 

equipped with Version 7 chips. We will cover each item separately 

and finalize with an overall evaluation. First, the Quantum 

Magnum. 

Quantum PnP Sound Decoder 

While the Quantum Aristo is also available (intended for G 

Scale), the O Scale modeler will want to initially look at the 

Quantum Magnum for O Scale, which includes a plug-in power 

board with screw-down terminals for the wiring connections. 

Included with the decoder were printed instructions showing a G 

Scale installation, as well as drawing showing the wiring and plug 

connections. 

If you have done decoder installations in the past, you will 

have no problem with this decoder. The O Scale installer will 

need to follow the connection diagram for board #670-0153-01. 

The connections are pickup positive and negative, motor positive 

and negative, and both unregulated and forward-and-reverse 

headlight connections. The board will require either an 8-ohm or 

16-ohm speaker. A volume reed switch and plugs for the speaker 

and chuff switch were included with the reviewed unit. 

I did a temporary installation into a Weaver U-25b that was 

sitting on the shelf waiting for a decoder. Installation was quick. 

Next, it was off to the program track to activate the address. 

Activating the short address and programming the long address 

worked fine with my NCE Power-Pro cab. Then, it was on to the 

mainline, dial in the address, set the direction, and advance the 

throttle. 

The speaker came to life with the announcement of the software 

and chip version, then S-O-U-N-D. Whoops! It was the sound of 

a steam locomotive. The sound was great though, the whistle fantastic, 

and my first thought was, “I could have a ball with this!” At 

this time I am not that much into steam, so the question was how 

do we make this U-25b sound like a GE Diesel locomotive? The 

Quantum Programmer corrects this situation. 

Quantum Programmer 

As reviewed, the programmer package consists of the installation 

and instructions guides for both the programmer and ”CV 

Manage”, the programmer, power supply, a USB cable that connects 

the programmer to a USB port on your computer, and two 

software CD’s. 

I took a couple of days to read through the instruction and 

installation manuals to get a feel for the programs and how they 

work. As a note to all, this software is designed for use with Windows 

XP or Vista operating systems. I installed the software onto 

my laptop following the instruction manual and the Windows 

”Installation Wizard” prompts. You will need to make a powered 

program track, separate from the layout, that will connect to the 

programmer. A piece of flextrack mounted to a 1x4 with 18 

gauge wire soldered 

to the rail and attached to 

the screw terminals on the 

programmer completed 

the preparations. 

Operating the programs, 

to shorten a long 

story, I encounter a couple 

of minor problems (due 

in part to not following 

instructions) that resulted 

in a telephone call and 

e-mail to QSI. The people 

at QSI were very helpful, 

I found that some of the 

software on the installation 

disks has been upgraded 

by QSI and was available 

as a download, and necessary 

to operate the programmer 

with the Q2 firmware. 

After updating, it was time to make the U-25b sound like a GE 

engine. I loaded the Q2 “- 9” firmware. I retrieved the locomotive 

information from the U-25 on the program track, verified it 

would work, performed a compatibility check confirming we 

were ready to update. Upgrading the locomotive took about five 

minutes. Once complete, the laptop displayed a message that the 

update was finished. I reprogramming the short and long address 

of the decoder, and it was back to the main track. Again, dial in 

the address, set the direction and advance the throttle. The voice 

responded again with the firmware and chip number and then S- 

O-U-N-D, GE locomotive sound, not U-25b sound but rather a 

GE - 9-44 sound. I know what a prototype GE - 9 sounds like. 

Summary 

I am not a computer expert by any means. If I can install 

this and make it work, so can the average modeler. It is not an 

extremely complicated system and, from what I have seen it can 

do, it will set the standard for a long time to come. 

Having not dealt with sound since my exit from TMCC, I 

did set up the system and take an Atlas O TMCC 8-40-B out of 

storage to compare the sound between the two systems. In my 

opinion, QSI sound is superior in quality, correctness and detail 

in comparison to TMCC sound. 

For the O Scale modelers who have been waiting for an aftermarket 

upgrade for your Silver Series Atlas O Engines, your wait 

should now be only for the correct sound file to be released by 

QSI. In my conversations with the people at QSI, I was told that 

software, as well as new sound files, are in the works and will be 

released for download as soon as possible. Those modelers who 

decide to purchase and operate this system should keep checking 

the QSI website for new upgrades. I was also told by QSI that 

the power supply furnished with this review sample was rated at 

300mA and has since been found to be insufficient for the O and 

G decoders. QSI now recommends a 500-800 mA power supply 

be used for O and G Scales. Check out these items at [www.qsisolutions.com] 

to see what these products will do, since what I have 

covered in this review is only a quick look at the possibilities. 


Review: Boxcar Interior Kits for Atlas/Intermountain 

boxcars, MSRP: $19.50 plus $2.50 shipping. 

Canter Rail Services, 1203 Rotherham Lane, Beech Grove, 

IN 46107-3323 • 317-782-3322 

Reviewed by Mike Cougill 

We don’t often see the insides of many boxcars. Railroads 

prefer to have the doors closed and secured, while the car is 

in transit, to keep cargo and loose debris in and unwanted 

passengers out. Occasionally, you might see an empty car 

with the doors open. Representing this on a model involves 

scratchbuilding an interior of some sort, or putting up with 

the bare plastic insides. 

Jim Canter has produced a line of interior kits designed to 

fit most Atlas 40’ transition-era boxcars. He has a separate set 

for the Atlas X29 boxcar, along with floor inserts for the Atlas 

and Lionel gondola cars (MSRP: $12), plus a deck for the Red 

Caboose flat cars (MSRP: $10). Two varieties of wall panels 

are available, one representing individual board walls and 

one with plywood sheathing for later-era construction. Both 

sets consist of five pieces, a floor, and right- and left-hand 

wall pieces of 1/16” thick laser-cut and scribed basswood 

(Photo 1). The parts are cleanly scribed, fuzz-free and feature 

a complete nailing pattern, along with the load level marks 

on the walls for grain loading of corn, barley, rye, wheat and 

so on. The laser-cut lettering is miniscule, but readable. It’s 

amazing what this technology can do. 

I had a 1970s vintage Atlas boxcar that I fitted with a set 

of plywood sheathing inserts. Removing the body from the 

underframe is the easiest route to go. Once I had the body 

off, I found a pair of cast-on ridges on each side of the door 

that prevented the wall inserts from laying flat. I chose to cut 

these ridges off to make a flat interior wall surface. A couple 

of minutes with a cut-off disk in my Dremel tool made short 

work of things. A little touch up with an emory board, and 

the panels laid nice and flat. Another issue with my car was 

Review: Lionel PS-4 TOFC Flat Conversion MSRP: $95.00 

Norm’s O Scale Trains, PO Box 147, South Casco, ME 04077 

207-655-2550 • www.normsoscale.com 

Reviewed by Brian Scace 

Although Lionel appears to be firmly committed to the three-rail 

marketplace, several of their offerings are worth considering for 

two-rail applications. To this end, we have a new player in town, 

Norm’s O Scale. 

Norm was showing his conversions of Lionel’s PS-4 flatcars, 

with trailers, at the 2007 Indianapolis O Scale National, and they 

were extremely popular. Our sample arrived ready to plunk down 

on the track, with Kadees and Intermountain wheelsets very 

elegantly installed. A quick once-over with the ever-present Kadee 

and NMRA gages showed all critical interchange dimensions to 

be just fine. The workmanship of the conversion is first-rate. Everything 

was neatly done. 

the cast-on lugs that the upper door tracks fit into (They can 

be seen above the door in Photo 2.) These also interfered 

with the fit of the panels. I simply notched the wall panels 

around these lugs, rather than try to remove them and 

remount the tracks. This didn’t take any time at all and was a 

lot easier. 

There was a slight hiccup with the fit of the floor panel 

too. Even though it doesn’t run the whole length of the car, 

I had to trim it around the truck mounting lugs or screws. 

Once past these little snags, things went together without 

a hitch, and the results look great. I used thick gel-type CA 

adhesive 

to secure 

the wall 

panels 

in place. 

You 

could 

also try 

doublesided 

tape or 

an epoxy. 

Watch 

out for rubber cement or 

similar adhesives, as they 

tend to warp plastic when 

used in large quantities. 

These inserts make 

a nice interior detail for 

rolling stock, whether it’s 

Standard O, P48, or Hi- 

Rail, and would be useful 

to scratchbuilders too. 

The car, as it comes from Lionel, isn’t a bad candidate for this 

type of attention. About the only thing I would do at this point 

would be to fill in the end-beams (notched for three-rail Talgo 

couplers), add a gubitz here and there, and give the whole thing a 

good weathering up. By the way, for you ’40s/’50s folks, the trailers 

are actually very nice models of the 20’ round-nose boxes typical 

of the era. I’d love to find more of these separately! They are quite 

good. 

Anyway, these cars are very nicely converted; the workmanship 

is quite good. Roadnames, subject to availability from Lionel, currently 

include UP, C&O (with REA trailers), CNW, Milwaukee, PRR, 

NP, DL&W, and NYC (with Pacemaker trailers). I hope Norm and 

his minions are in the car converting business for the long haul. 


Review: Kohs & Co., N&W/VGN Wood and Steel Cabooses, 

MSRP: $525 Wood, $495 Steel 

Kohs & Company, PO Box 689, Clarkston, Michigan 48347 

248-625-6396 • www.kohs.com 

the plan view in the Bowers and Brewer book. The toilet 

area is occupied by the lighting circuit which is adjustable 

Reviewed by Joe Giannovario 

The Prototype 

George Kohs has done a great service to N&W and Virginian 

modelers by importing models of the N&W CF and C2 cabooses. 

Some historical details can be found in my article ”Scratchbuilding 

an N&W Steam-Era Caboose” in OST #20 (May/June 

2005). I also recommend “Cabooses of the Norfolk and Western”, 

by Robert G. Bowers and James F. Brewer, published by 

the Norfolk & Western Historical Society [www.nwhs.org], PO 

Box 13908, Roanoke, VA 24038. 

The N&W CF wood caboose is a classic N&W design which 

had a lengthy service life. The construction of the 381 cabs 

started in 1914 and they served well into the Diesel era undergoing 

many changes and modifications along the way. Kohs has 

offered the CF in several paint and lettering variations to cover 

operations from 1940 through 1966. The C2 steel caboose is 

offered in paint and lettering variations covering 1949 through 

1971. The N&W C2 was also used as class C-10 on the Virginian. 

The Virginian cab paint and lettering offered covers the 

period 1949 to 1959. 

The Model 

I am focusing here on the CF wood caboose. The model 

comes painted, lettered and lighted. I chose to order the earliest 

wood version which covers the period October 1940 through 

December 1947. This is the paint scheme that uses the ”&” rather 

than the word ”and” between Norfolk and Western. 

The body sides are actually made of laser-scribed wood, 

both inside and out. The body is painted bright red. The roof is a 

muddy-brown. Lettering is white. The end platforms, frame and 

trucks are black. This is all correct per N&W specifications. 

Every window and door that would open on the prototype, 

opens on the model. If you look closely at the model photo, you 

will see that the front and rear cupola windows are open. They 

have tiny latches that work, too. 

The roof is removeable, but be careful if you decide to peek 

inside. The cupola windows will fall out when you remove 

the roof. I almost had a heart attack when this happened, but I 

found it was quite easy to get the windows back in place when I 

replaced the roof. Just be prepared. 

The interior is nicely detailed and lighted. The layout matches 

for intensity. I liked the dimly lit appearance from the factory 

setting and the bulbs will last longer that way. 

The model comes with removable marker lamps. Instructions 

included with my model said the lamp housings were a tight fit 

in the brackets, so I decided to test fit them before attempting 

to install the bulbs. I found the fit quite loose and actually lost 

one housing during the course of the review photography. I have 

since applied a dab of white glue to the bottom of the housing 

and bracket to keep them in place. 

The marker lamps may be installed at either end of the cab, 

and electrical fittings are provided under each roof overhang. I 

used a tweezer to install the fittings first, then threaded the bulbs 

up to the marker lamps. Both bulbs must be plugged in for the 

lamps to light. Getting the housings with bulbs installed takes 

some patience and care but the end result is worth the effort. 

The underframe is the most detailed I have seen yet on an 

N&W caboose model. It represents the steel underframe used 

on these cabs, and includes complete brake rigging and piping. 

These cabs come with true-to-scale couplers which open with a 

working cut lever. 

Fidelity 

Several plans have been published (including our own) of 

N&W cabooses, but Kohs used official N&W drawings received 

through the N&W Historical Society. I can find no significant 

differences in any major dimensions. The paint and lettering on 

my CF and C2 samples were extremely well done. The lettering 

is nice and sharp. If there is a flaw here someone more intimately 

familiar with these cabs needs to let me know. 

Compatibility 

continued next page 


The wheelsets passed muster on the NMRA Standards 

gage and rolled just fine on my Code 148 track. If there is 

going to be a problem it will be on sharp curves. While 

handling the cabs I noted the trucks hung up on part of the 

brake rigging if they were rotated too far off the centerline. I had 

no trouble on a 40” radius curve, which is the tightest on my 

layout. I suspect some modification may be necessary if your 

curves are tighter. 

These cabs comes with true-to-scale couplers. I checked 

them with my Kadee height gage and they matched perfectly. 

These scale couplers mated nicely with Kadee’s and Weaver’s 

couplers, but did not work or play well with stock Atlas couplers. 

Review: ”Savings Bond” EMD SD40 (2-Rail Gold) MSRP: 

$479.95 

AtlasO LLC 378 Florence Ave, Hillside, NJ 07205 

908-687-0880 • www.atlaso.com 

Reviewed by Brian Scace 

When Atlas sent us one of the new SD40s to review, I was 

actually curious to know why, since we looked at the previous 

run of these units equipped with QSI DCC several issues ago. 

Well, here’s a unit with a different twist to it. Atlas has picked 

a couple of the icons from the 1970s and 1980s to model as 

”Special Runs”, the Conrail ”Savings Bond” SD40, and the 

CNJ ”Red Baron”. Both of these engines were unique, the former 

was a one-of-a-kind rolling ad for US Savings Bonds, and 

the latter was the only large CNJ unit to receive their flashy 

red scheme. Railfans in the Northeast regularly exchanged 

information about the whereabouts of these units for as long 

as they wore their unique dress. 

The ”Savings Bond” SD40 has an interesting history outside 

of mere dress, just by virtue of the unit’s longevity. Built 

by EMD back in early 1966, she wore the DGLE (”Brunswick 

Green”) and keystones of original owner PRR. As PC entered 

the picture, she was painted black, but retained her original 

road number, 6047. Upon the creation of Conrail, 6047 

became 6300, and eventually wore the scheme that made 

the unit famous in the railfan community. In 1993, 6300 

was rebuilt to Dash-2 standards, emerging as SD40-2r 6982. 

Conveyed to Norfolk Southern during the Conrail breakup, 

the unit survives today as 3437. At forty-plus years, this survivor 

is older than many of the folks who run it today. 

Fidelity 

As with the previous runs of these engines, the basic 

dimensions are where they should be, and the fit, finish, and 

detailing are as we 

have come to expect 

from Atlas. The story 

this time around is in 

the graphics, of course. 

This is a complex lettering 

exercise, what 

with all sorts of stars 

and extra slogans 

Conclusions 

On first blush, you may think these models are too pricey. 

However, I spent upwards of 25 hours scratchbuilding a CF 

without an interior, which could easily double that effort. For 50 

hours labor you cannot find a custom-builder who would touch 

a project like this for less than a $1000, probably more. With all 

the fine detail, paint and lettering, plus the 11 different variations 

offered, you can’t match the value. 

George Kohs has raised the bar once again, at least for N&W 

modelers. These cabs make a fine complement to his N&W Y6a 

and Y6b offerings. 

adorning a modified Conrail blue background scheme. Our 

sample was neatly executed and matches up with my photos 

of this unit nicely, a good reproduction of a very complicated 

set of graphics. 

Compatibility 

Everything applicable checked out with the on-hand 

NMRA and Kadee gages. About the only compatibility issue 

I can find, testing the unit with conventional DC, DCC, and 

with an MRC ”Black Box” occurs in straight DC cab control. 

Because the QSI system doesn’t allow the unit to start 

moving until about half of the available voltage is applied, 

MU’ing with other manufacturer’s Diesel power isn’t practical 

using conventional DC control. I wonder if it would be 

worth Atlas’ time to look into putting a slide-switch underneath 

future offerings that would allow the DC cab control 

guy to bypass the QSI system entirely, so he could MU the 

newer Atlas Gold offerings with previous Atlas (not to mention 

other manufacturers) units already on his roster. Might 

be an extra sale or two in this idea. 

Performance 

The lighting used for the headlights is the yellow-white 

LED’s used in Atlas’ previous run of SD-40. The sound is rich 

and clear. It sounds like an SD40. Operations in DCC are 

quite similar to those QSI-equipped units already reviewed. 

Using default settings, the top speed is higher than I care for, 

low end is a little jerky getting going, and the usable speed 

range is proportionally reduced thereby. Some thoughtful 

time spent with speed table CV’s will reduce the top speed, 

gaining controllability in the process. 

All in all, a decent model of a Northeastern railfan icon, 

and an interesting new twist from Atlas in making ”Special 

Run” models of some of the units that many folks, armed with 

camera and scanner, remember as high points of the hunt. 


Modelers Shelf 

Bill Nesbitt sent this photo of 

his latest model. The privy is a 

Paper Creek free download with 

added detail — a roll of paper 

and an O Scale copy of O Scale 

Trains Magazine on the seat! 

Gerald Brothers sent a photo of a 

Crane Car fashioned after a car on 

the Quebec Railway Light & Power Co. 

The crane is a Crow River Products 

pewter model. The car is almost all 

styrene with metal details. Trucks are 

CLM Peckham 40 sideframes powered 

by Q-Car Co. The car is shown on the 

RCBH&W third rail division in the town 

of Mystic. The crane does clear a 21’ 

overhead wire. 

Daniel LePage sent a couple 

pictures of his conversion of a 

K-Line 3-rail Diesel to 2-rail. 

This is stage one. He says he 

needs to do some more detail 

work on this when he get the 

chance (he is moving) and will 

send more photos then. 


Juerg Luetscher sent us these photos 

from his home in Switzerland. They 

were shot on a friend’s modular layout 

in natural light. 

SP’s famous Daylight streamliner 

makes a brief stop at the station. The 

cars were scratchbuilt in styrene by 

Juerg. 

SP GS-4 #4447 has come 

to a stop just outside of the 

station shed, while on the 

track behind a second Daylight 

train waits for its departure. 

SP GS-3 4-8-4 #4421 speeds 

a fast mail train into the 

evening. The low sun gives the 

locomotive a realistic look. 



This is one of OST Publisher Joe 

Giannovario’s personal projects. 

It’s a conversion of an MTH PRR 

H3 into N&W G1 #6. The cab is 

a resin casting by Ed Reutling 

that Joe modified to fit the H3. 

The cylinders and running boards 

still need to be lowered and other 

details added. These locos were 

built in 1897 and ran into the 

mid-1950s. 

Frank Miller is scratchbuilding 

this N&W M2 for Joe from 

plans acquired through the N&W 

Historical Society. The tender is 

from a PSC N&W Z1a. 

This traction item is 

a scratchbuilt line car 

lettered for Martin 

Brechbiel’s Chambersburg, 

Greencastle & Waynesboro 

line. Martin worked from 

a prototype photo of a 

similar line car. 


The locomotive is an old 

Locomotive Workshop kit of a 

PRR H1 2-8-0 built as #52 of the 

Cumberland Valley RR. Martin 

Brechbiel worked from photos 

in History of the Cumberland 

Valley Railroad 1835-1919, 

by Paul J. Westhaeffer. 

This is a scene from Bob Boelter’s 

Great Western RR which was 

the featured layout is OST #24. 

CHICAGO “O” SCALE MEET 

March 15 TH & 16 TH 2008 

Setup, Friday March 14 th (only for pre-registered table holders and helpers) 

Sheraton Chicago Northwest Hotel 

Show registration – write or email 

3400 West Euclid Avenue MARCH MEET – PO BOX 333 

Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005 Park Ridge, Il 60068 

1-888-627-8093 Ask for the Chicago O Scale Rate marchmeet@sbcglobal.net or 847-401-4333 

WWW.MARCHMEET.NET 

Considered the best O Scale show of the year------Limited tables available--------Register early for your preprinted badge 



In the magazine biz we call this a ”teaser”. 

We received these photos from master 

locomotive builder Tom Mix with this note: 

“I have experimented with means to shift 

the valve gear on a steamer. The sample 

attached photos show one engine (a 4-8-2) 

under construction that shifts pretty well, 

although it needs some improvement. There 

is a slightly different method on a 2-10-4 

that also works. I have several projects in 

motion and I will try to set them aside and 

get something written up.” Oh, yeah! Look 

for Tom’s article in OST later this year. 

Here’s another teaser. 

Ed Reutling and Martin 

Brechbiel will tell us how 

Ed built this trestle in the 

next issue of OST (#37). 


Conley Wallace sent along these 

photos from his recent open house. 

Conley is an N&W/VGN modeler. 

The first scene is a work-inprogress. 

The two brick buildings are 

kits. Everything else is scratchbuilt. 

The N&W tracks in the foreground 

pass before a model of the Coaldale 

tower. 

A pair of VGN Trainmasters with 

a string of empties. The locos are 

reworked and detailed Williams 

shells with Central Locomotive 

Works drives. All of the houses are 

models of specific prototypes from 

southern West Virginia. 

A VGN “battleship” gon 

scratchbuilt in brass by Conley. 


Volume 5 INDEX 

Sorted by Title Name Issue # Pg 

Across the Pond Molinaro, Jacky OST #26 25 

Art of Finescale (col) 

Introduction Cougill, Michael OST #24 26 

Long and Short of It (Turnout selection) Cougill, Michael OST #25 26 

A Riveting Hobby Cougill, Michael OST #26 26 

Little Things Cougill, Michael OST #27 26 

Standards-Pt 1 Cougill, Michael OST #28 39 

Standards-Pt 2 Cougill, Michael OST #29 35 

Bay Ridge Harbor Revisited Rossiter, Neville OST #25 4 

Branchline Engine Shed Houle, Tom OST #26 40 

Building a Small O Scale Layout: 

Part 7 - Road & Fence Culham, Michael OST #24 17 

Part 8 - Structures & Signs Culham, Michael OST #25 16 

Part 9 - Structures & Signs Culham, Michael OST #26 18 

Part 10 - Plumbing Supply Store Interior Culham, Michael OST #27 23 

Part 11 - Structure from DPM Wall Modules Pt 1 Culham, Michael OST #28 31 

Part 12 - Structure from DPM Wall Modules Pt 2 Culham, Michael OST #29 31 

Building Lauther’s Perfect Pickles - Pt 1 Brechbiel, Martin OST #27 40 

Building Lauther’s Perfect Pickles - Pt 2 Brechbiel, Martin OST #28 4 

Building Trucks for Cars and Locomotives Mix, Tom OST #24 29 

Canadian Pacific Ice House Houle, Tom OST #27 13 

Cedar Grove Feed Mill Cougill, Michael OST #28 17 

Confessions of a HiRailer (col): 

Changes in Hobby Hirailer, Hobo D OST #24 22 

Going Around & Around… Hirailer, Hobo D OST #25 31 

Check Your Baggage Hirailer, Hobo D OST #26 23 

Adapting to Change Hirailer, Hobo D OST #27 29 

2-Rail Track Hirailer, Hobo D OST #28 15 

Laying Flextrack Hirailer, Hobo D OST #29 23 

Converting K-Line Hoppers to 2-Rail Morse, Ron OST #26 15 

Courageous Cuts: A KTM GP35-Based GP38-3 Marx, Roland OST #24 38 

Creating Work at Lancaster on the Great Western Boelter, Bob OST #24 4 

Creation of a Cam-Liner Fryant, John OST #27 60 

Easements for the Learning Curve (col): 

Neurotic’s Guide to Moving Scace, Brian OST #24 13 

Sound & Control System Discussion Scace, Brian OST #25 11 

Pros & Cons of Basement Preparation Scace, Brian OST #26 11 

Car Thing Scace, Brian OST #27 9 

Control Thing Scace, Brian OST #27 9 

Backdrops Scace, Brian OST #28 13 

RR Structure Common Architectural Styles Scace, Brian OST #29 9 

From the Forest to the Sawmill Templar, Paul OST #26 4 

Good Old Days (col): 

Hawk Model Co Kahn, Jace OST #24 15 

Structure Mfrs Kahn, Jace OST #25 13 

Baldwin Model Locomotive Works Culliton, Bill OST #26 13 

Growing Up O Scale Brusgard/Lavezzi OST #25 35 

Idea File: Grain Elevators Cougill, Michael OST #27 48 

Latest Stop on My O Gauge Journey Charbonneau, Norm OST #29 4 

Lenses & Portholes Iftody, Marty OST #25 21 

Lionel, Atlas and Very Cheap Motive Power Stilgoe, John OST #24 10 

Manual Turnout Horvath, Ted OST #24 9 

Modeling Ground Cover Cougill, Michael OST #26 48 

Modern Image (col): 

Modern Utilities Hinch, Carey OST #25 47 

Modern Accountability Hinch, Carey OST #27 50 

Modern Order Hinch, Carey OST #28 43 

Work Trains - Storm Cleanup Clemens, Gene OST #29 12 

Narrow Minded (col): 

On30 History Gibbs, Bobber OST #24 32 

Simulating Working Hopper Car Doors Gibbs, Bobber OST #25 33 

Bachmann Product Reviews Gibbs, Bobber OST #26 33 

Thoughts on DCC Gibbs, Bobber OST #27 33 

Comments re Digital Camera Gibbs, Bobber OST #28 41 

D&RGW #50 (ex-SV 101) Gibbs, Bobber OST #28 41 

Miscellaneous Activities & Comments Gibbs, Bobber OST #29 41 

O Scale Coaches Fischer, Joe OST #26 61 

O Scale Indianapolis Meet 2005: Winners OST #24 60 

O Scale Influences: Joe Fischer Scace, Brian OST #26 60 

O Scale Trains Magazine: 2006 Digital Photo Contest Winners OST #29 63 

O SCALE TRAINS; Index Vol 3; 2004 OST #25 64 

Observations (col) Giannovario, Joe OST #24 70 

Giannovario, Joe OST #25 70 

O Scale Generations Scace, Brian OST #26 70 


Report on the 2006 O Scale National Giannovario, Joe OST #28 70 


Photos from 2006 O Scale West Ferreira, Jim OST #26 58 

Photos from the 2006 O Scale National Convention OST #28 58 

Planning the New Cascade Northern RR Robart, C Victor OST #24 46 

Powering Up (col): 

Build an O scale Pwr Supply - Pt 2 Byrne, Ted OST #24 64 

Light Illusions Byrne, Ted OST #27 34 

Sound Illusions Byrne, Ted OST #27 34 

Running O Scale 2R Trains from a 3R Controller Byrne, Ted OST #29 62 

Progressive Sandcast Recasting Pulskamp, Nick OST #24 42 

Quench Your Loco’s Thirst Robart, C Victor OST #25 49 

Reviews: 

Rail Cam Onboard Video System by ATS Hinch, Carey OST #24 53 

N&W Wood and Steel Cabooses by Weaver Models Giannovario, Joe OST #24 54 

PRR 2-10-4 by MTH Electric Trains Giannovario, Joe OST #24 52 

Trainman Series Freight Cars by Atlas O Scace, Brian OST #24 59 

Berwick 60’ Hy-cube Boxcar by Atlas O Hinch, Carey OST #25 56 

On30 Annual, ISBN 0-9655365-7-2 Giannovario, Joe OST #25 56 

PRR P70 Coach by Golden Gate Depot Scace, Brian OST #25 57 

NYC S-motor Conversion by Baldwin Forge & Machine 

Scace, Brian OST #25 55 

DM&IR Yellowstone w/Caboose by Sunset/3rdRail Scace/Giannovario OST #25 54 

Southern Ry 41’6 Composite Gondola Kit by Smoky Mountain Model Works 

McFall, Don OST #25 58 

Alco RSD-4/5 Trainman Series by Atlas O Scace, Brian OST #26 54 

EMD SD-40 Master Series by Atlas O Scace, Brian OST #26 54 

NKP 4-6-4 by Weaver Models Giannovario, Joe OST #26 56 

RGS Galloping Goose by Precision Craft Models Giannovario, Joe OST #26 57 

Baldwin Catalog On30 2-8-0 by Bachmann Gibbs, Bobber OST #27 56 

Battery-Powered Motor Tool by Dremel Scace, Brian OST #27 55 

C&O 2-6-6-6 by Sunset/3rdRail Giannovario, Joe OST #27 54 

Proto-Switch Stand (non-working) by Motiveworks Hobbies 


Trackside on the Pennsylvania Vol 2, by Highlands Station 


Work Station by Dremel Scace, Brian OST #27 55 

NYC J3a 20th Cntry Ltd Hudson by MTH Scace, Brian OST #28 55 

Display Cases by Greenway Products Scace, Brian OST #28 57 

X29 Boxcar by Atlas O/Middle Division Scace, Brian OST #28 57 

EMD GP15-1 & T Trainman Series Diesels by Atlas O 

Clemens, Gene OST #29 55 

Alco Century 628 Diesel by Atlas O Scace, Brian OST #29 54 

Battery-Powered Radio Control System by RCS NE Eschbach, George OST #29 57 

Coalveyor Bathtub Gondola by Atlas O LLC Clemens, Gene OST #29 55 

Track & Signal Components by Irish Tracklayer Scace, Brian OST #29 56 

Running Trains With Their Own Fuel Boelter, Bob OST #25 29 

Saran Wrap Adventures Schwartz, Stan OST #25 45 

Scratchbuild a Gas Station Houle, Tom OST #29 42 

Snap-on HiRail to Scale Coupler Adapter Pulskamp, Nick OST #27 58 

Steel Crankpins from Scratch Pulskamp, Nick OST #28 45 

Track as Scenery Cougill, Michael OST #25 40 

Traction Action (col): 

Small Interchange Jnct between Interurban & Steam Parker, Roger C OST #24 34 

Small City Terminal Based on IT at Decatur IL Parker, Roger C OST #25 39 

Modeling the Montreal & Southern Counties Terminal Parker, Roger C OST #26 38 

Baltimore Terminal of the WB&A Parker, Roger C OST #27 38 

DC Terminal of the WBA Parker, Roger C OST #28 27 

Cultivating the Next Generation Parker, Roger C OST #29 60 

Turntable for the Cincinnati & West Virginia Gribler, Ron OST #29 14 

Working Water Scoop Hieke Jr, Harry A OST #27 4 

Workshop (col): 

Scenery Tricks with Figures Rossiter, Neville OST #25 25 

Scrap Tire Pile Rossiter, Neville OST #24 25 


Sorted by Author Title Issue # Pg 

Boelter, Bob Creating Work at Lancaster on the Great Western OST #24 4 

Boelter, Bob Running Trains With Their Own Fuel OST #25 29 

Brechbiel, Martin Building Lauther’s Perfect Pickles - Pt 1 OST #27 40 

Brechbiel, Martin Building Lauther’s Perfect Pickles - Pt 2 OST #28 4 

Brusgard/Lavezzi Growing Up O Scale OST #25 35 

Byrne, Ted PowerUp (col): Build an O Scale Power Supply - Pt 2 OST #24 64 

Byrne, Ted PowerUp (col): Light Illusions OST #27 34 

Byrne, Ted PowerUp (col): Sound Illusions OST #27 34 

Byrne, Ted 

PowerUp (col): Running O Scale 2R Trains from a 3R Controller 

OST #29 62 

Charbonneau, Norm Latest Stop on My O Gauge Journey OST #29 4 

Clemens, Gene Modern Image (col): Work Trains - Storm Cleanup OST #29 12 

Clemens, Gene Review: Coalveyor Bathtub Gondola by Atlas O LLC OST #29 55 

Clemens, Gene Review: EMD GP15-1 & T Trainman Series Diesels OST #29 55 

Cougill, Michael Art of Finescale (col): Introduction OST #24 26 

Cougill, Michael Art of Finescale (col): Long and Short of It OST #25 26 

Cougill, Michael Track as Scenery OST #25 40 

Cougill, Michael Art of Finescale (col): A Riveting Hobby OST #26 26 

Cougill, Michael Modeling Ground Cover OST #26 48 

Cougill, Michael Art of Finescale (col): Little Things OST #27 26 

Cougill, Michael Idea File: Grain Elevators OST #27 48 

Cougill, Michael Art of Finescale (col): Standards-Pt 1 OST #28 39 

Cougill, Michael Cedar Grove Feed Mill OST #28 17 

Cougill, Michael Art of Finescale (col): Standards-Pt 2 OST #29 35 

Culham, Michael Bldg. a Small O Scale Layout - Part 7 - Road & Fence OST #24 17 

Culham, Michael Part 8 - Structures & Signs OST #25 16 

Culham, Michael Part 9 - Structures & Signs OST #26 18 

Culham, Michael Part 10 - Plumbing Supply Store Interior OST #27 23 

Culham, Michael Part 11 - Structure from DPM Wall Modules Pt 1 OST #28 31 

Culham, Michael Part 12 - Structure from DPM Wall Modules Pt 2 OST #29 31 

Culliton, Bill Good Old Days (col): Baldwin Model Locomotive Works 

OST #26 13 

Eschbach, George Review: Battery-Powered RCS by RCS NE OST #29 57 

Ferreira, Jim Photos from 2006 O Scale West OST #26 58 

Fischer, Joe O Scale Coaches OST #26 61 

Fryant, John Creation of a Cam-Liner OST #27 60 

Giannovario, Joe Observations (col) OST #24 70 

Giannovario, Joe Review: N&W Wood and Steel Cabooses by Weaver OST #24 54 

Giannovario, Joe Review: PRR 2-10-4 by MTH Electric Trains OST #24 52 


Giannovario, Joe Review: On30 Annual, ISBN 0-9655365-7-2 OST #25 56 

Giannovario, Joe Review: NKP 4-6-4 by Weaver Models OST #26 56 

Giannovario, Joe Review: RGS Galloping Goose by Precision Craft OST #26 57 


Giannovario, Joe Review: C&O 2-6-6-6 by Sunset/3rdRail OST #27 54 

Giannovario, Joe 

Giannovario, Joe 

Review: Proto-Switch Stand (non-working) by Motiveworks Hobbies 

OST #27 57 

Review: Trackside on the Pennsylvania Vol 2, by Highlands Station 

OST #27 56 

Giannovario, Joe Observations (col): Report on the 2006 O Scale Natl OST #28 70 


Gibbs, Bobber Narrow Minded (col): On30 History OST #24 32 

Gibbs, Bobber Narrow Minded (col): Simulating Working Hopper Car Drs OST #25 33 

Gibbs, Bobber Narrow Minded (col): Bachmann Product Reviews OST #26 33 

Gibbs, Bobber Narrow Minded (col): Thoughts on DCC OST #27 33 

Gibbs, Bobber Review: Baldwin Catalog On30 2-8-0 by Bachmann OST #27 56 

Gibbs, Bobber Narrow Minded (col): Comments re Digital Camera OST #28 41 

Gibbs, Bobber Narrow Minded (col): D&RGW #50 (ex-SV 101) OST #28 41 

Gibbs, Bobber Narrow Minded (col): Misc Activities & Comments OST #29 41 

Gribler, Ron Turntable for the Cincinnati & West Virginia OST #29 14 

Hieke Jr, Harry A Working Water Scoop OST #27 4 

Hinch, Carey Review: Rail Cam Onboard Video System by ATS OST #24 53 

Hinch, Carey Modern Image (col): Modern Utilities OST #25 47 

Hinch, Carey Review: Berwick 60’ Hy-cube Boxcar by Atlas O OST #25 56 

Hinch, Carey Modern Image (col): Modern Accountability OST #27 50 

Hinch, Carey Modern Image (col): Modern Order OST #28 43 

Hirailer, Hobo D Confessions of a HiRailer (col): Changes in Hobby OST #24 22 

Hirailer, Hobo D 

Confessions of a HiRailer (col): Going Around & Around... 

OST #25 31 

Hirailer, Hobo D Confessions of a HiRailer (col): Check Your Baggage OST #26 23 

Hirailer, Hobo D Confessions of a HiRailer (col): Adapting to Change OST #27 29 

Hirailer, Hobo D Confessions of a HiRailer (col): 2-Rail Track OST #28 15 

Hirailer, Hobo D Confessions of a HiRailer (col): Laying Flextrack OST #29 23 

Horvath, Ted Manual Turnout OST #24 9 

Houle, Tom Branchline Engine Shed OST #26 40 

Houle, Tom Canadian Pacific Ice House OST #27 13 

Houle, Tom Scratchbuild a Gas Station OST #29 42 

Iftody, Marty Lenses & Portholes OST #25 21 

Kahn, Jace Good Old Days (col): Hawk Model Co OST #24 15 

Kahn, Jace Good Old Days (col): Structure Mfrs OST #25 13 

Marx, Roland Courageous Cuts: A KTM GP35-Based GP38-3 OST #24 38 

McFall, Don Southern Ry 41'6" Composite Gondola Kit by Smoky 

Mountain Model Works OST #25 58 

Mix, Tom Building Trucks for Cars and Locomotives OST #24 29 

Molinaro, Jacky Across the Pond OST #26 25 

Morse, Ron Converting K-Line Hoppers to 2-Rail OST #26 15 

Parker, Roger C Traction Action (col): Small Interchange Jnct between 

Interurban & Steam OST #24 34 

Parker, Roger C Traction Action (col): Small City Terminal Based on IT at Decatur IL 

OST #25 39 

Parker, Roger C Traction Action (col): Modeling the Montreal & Southern 

Counties Terminal OST #26 38 

Parker, Roger C Traction Action (col): Baltimore Terminal of the WB&A OST #27 38 

Parker, Roger C 

Book Reviews: Cincinnati on the Go and Cincinnati Subway 

by Arcadia Publishing OST #28 54 

Parker, Roger C Traction Action (col): DC Terminal of the WBA OST #28 27 

Parker, Roger C Traction Action (col): Cultivating the Next Generation OST #29 60 

Pulskamp, Nick Progressive Sandcast Recasting OST #24 42 

Pulskamp, Nick Snap-on HiRail to Scale Coupler Adapter OST #27 58 

Pulskamp, Nick Steel Crankpins from Scratch OST #28 45 

Robart, C Victor Planning the New Cascade Northern Railroad OST #24 46 

Robart, C Victor Quench Your Loco’s Thirst OST #25 49 

Rossiter, Neville Workshop (col): Scrap Tire Pile OST #24 25 

Rossiter, Neville Bay Ridge Harbor Revisited OST #25 4 

Rossiter, Neville Workshop (col): Scenery Tricks with Figures OST #25 25 

Scace, Brian Easements for the Learning Curve (col): Neurotic’s Guide to Moving 

OST #24 13 

Scace, Brian Review: Trainman Series Freight Cars by Atlas O OST #24 59 

Scace, Brian Easements (col): Sound & Control System Discussion OST #25 11 

Scace, Brian Review: NYC S-motor Conversion by Baldwin Forge & Machine 

OST #25 55 

Scace, Brian Review: PRR P70 Coach by Golden Gate Depot OST #25 57 

Scace, Brian 

Easements (col): Pros & Cons of Basement Preparation 

OST #26 11 

Scace, Brian O Scale Influences: Joe Fischer OST #26 60 

Scace, Brian Observations (col): O Scale Generations OST #26 70 

Scace, Brian Review: Alco RSD-4/5 Trainman Series by Atlas O OST #26 54 

Scace, Brian Review: EMD SD-40 Master Series by Atlas O OST #26 54 

Scace, Brian Easements (col): Car Thing OST #27 9 

Scace, Brian Easements (col): Control Thing OST #27 9 

Scace, Brian Review: Battery-Powered Motor Tool by Dremel OST #27 55 

Scace, Brian Review: Work Station by Dremel OST #27 55 

Scace, Brian Easements (col): Backdrops OST #28 13 

Scace, Brian Review: Display Cases by Greenway Products OST #28 57 

Scace, Brian Review: NYC J3a 20th Century Ltd Hudson by MTH Electric Trains 

OST #28 55 

Scace, Brian Review: X29 Boxcar by Atlas O/Middle Division OST #28 57 

Scace, Brian Easements (col): RR Structure Common Architectural Styles 

OST #29 9 

Scace, Brian Review: Alco Century 628 Diesel by Atlas O OST #29 54 

Scace, Brian 

Scace/Giannovario 

Review: Track & Signal Components by Irish Tracklayer 

OST #29 56 

Review: DM&IR Yellowstone with Caboose by Sunset/3rdRail 

OST #25 54 

Schwartz, Stan Saran Wrap Adventures OST #25 45 

Stilgoe, John Lionel, Atlas and Very Cheap Motive Power OST #24 10 

Templar, Paul From the Forest to the Sawmill OST #26 4 


Layouts at East Wind ’08, The 2008 

O Scale National Convention 

By John Roberts 

At the 2008 O Scale National 

Convention, we are planning to 

have a variety of modular layouts 

to go along with the home layout 

tour. In this article, we will provide a brief description of some of the 

modular layouts you will see at the Convention. 

The Southern New England Model Railroad Club began as an 

informal group of O Scale modelers, known as The Southern New 

England “O” Scalers. The group was organized by John Roberts, at 

the request of Robert Buck (then the Show Director for the Amherst 

“Big” Railroad Hobby Show). Bob was interested in giving O Scale a 

larger presence at the upcoming show in February of 1991. The original 

layout built for the 1991 show was 45’ x 21’. Over the years the 

SNEOS has evolved into The Southern New England Model Railroad 

Club, with a layout that has grown to 81’ x 33’. Today the layout uses 

DCC operation with bi-directional signals and interlocking indications. 

Some of the features on the layout include over 200’ of double 

track mainline with a scale 475’ double-track mainline bridge scene. 

The layout has arrival and departure yards, a large Diesel servicing 

facility, and a steam servicing facility including a turntable and 

roundhouse. There is an industrial switching area, a freight yard 

with a capacity of over 200 cars, and a newly constructed express 

and coach yard. The equipment operated on the layout ranges from 

steam-era freight and passenger service up to and including the most 

modern Diesel power running intermodal service. 

The Central Ohio O-Scale Engineers was formed in the summer 

of 1993. At its first meeting, it was decided that the club would focus 

on building a portable modular two-rail O Scale layout. Specifications 

were developed and work began almost immediately. By the fall 

of 1994, the first modules were set up as part of modular layout with 

the Indianapolis club at a show in Richmond, IN. 

COOSE was established by 22 members of an earlier group that 

operated a model railroad display at the Ohio State Fair for 12 years. 

Part of that display was a 1,500 square-foot O Scale layout. The double-track 

mainline features two 25-car passing or storage sidings at 

one end. Originally, a shorter trolley loop was planned, but designing 

a transportable overhead system proved impossible, so it became the 

branchline. In later years, additional spur tracks and 60-car stub-end 

storage yard were added inside the squared oval-shaped layout. The 

length of the layout can be almost anything, from as little as 40’ to as 

much as 100’ with a width of 15’. 

The Central Jersey O Scalers’ model railroad modules allow for 

big trains running over serious territory. After seeing Bill Driscoll’s 

large O Scale Ammanoosuc Valley modular layout (as well as others), 

complete with double track mainlines and yard trackage, Russ 

Kress and Pete Hess each made their own plywood and foam 30” x 

72” modules. They were designed and built, complete with scenery 

and working Pennsy signals, to be combined with Bill’s layout in New 

Hampshire and West Springfield, MA. Then, John Dunn and Buzz 

Burnley joined, with their four-foot and six-foot modules including 

two very prototypical modules featuring the Absecon, NJ, station. 

Chris Bond helped build the Central Jersey O Scalers’ six cornermodules. 

Built on lightweight doors, they serve to close the circle and 

permit continuous running without long-range visits by Bill Driscoll 

and Bill Johnson. Jim Kerner has added new Bachmann-based narrow-gauge 

trackage, rolling stock, and vehicles to the layout. 

The East Penn Traction Club is a group based in the Delaware 

Valley/Philadelphia area, with over 300 members. Members share a 

common interest in the history and modeling of electric-powered rail 

transit vehicles, known more affectionately as trolleys or streetcars. 

The models actually take their operating current from the overhead 

wire, just as the prototype does. East Penn is perhaps best known for 

its adoption and promotion of modular layouts, having refined the 

original standards formulated by the late Everett F. Wood in 1969. 

This concept allows for the quick assembly of large layouts capable of 

complex operating possibilities. Traction layouts generally, and modular 

layouts especially, are well suited to the sharp curves, short trains, 

compact and varied scenery typical of real electric transit lines. 

Bill Driscoll’s layout started out as a simple 8’ x 16’ double-track 

mainline modular layout, originally used to display and sell O Scale 

model trains for his O Scale train shop. Bill worked with Jerry White 

and other modular groups to help develop the NMRA O Scale modular 

railroad standards. Bill’s railroad has developed into a 12’ x 36’ 

modular display, complete with scenery and double-track mainline. 

The main-line radii are 68” and 64” respectively, with passing sidings 

on one end. All trackage is code 148 Atlas with manually controlled 

Roco and Atlas switches. Bill Driscoll and Bill Johnson prefer to run 

steam motive power from Weaver and KTM imports as much as 

possible, with an array of rolling stock from Walthers, Athearn, All 

Nation, and brass imports. All of the rolling stock is equipped with 

Athearn trucks and metal wheelsets. Bill Driscoll prefers to model the 

SP and Bill Johnson the UP. Between them, they have an impressive 

line up of major SP and UP locomotives. 

The Moose Creek Railroad and Timber Company is an On30 

portable layout. It is a fictional logging railroad with scenes of logging 

and woods. It is approximately 23’ long and eight feet wide, made 

with ultra light technology. It is operated using North Coast Engineering 

digital command control (DCC). The timeframe represented is 

from 1920 to 1940, running Shays, Climaxes and other small steam 

engines. The layout is the work of four modelers, Roland Marcotte, 

Howie McCluskey, Bruce Erickson and Kirk Dyer. 

The Connecticut Society of Ferroequinologists and Model Railroad 

Engineers has a portable modular O Gauge layout, occupying 

a rectangle approximately 12’ x 32’, that has been used for demonstrations 

and educational purposes at train events in southern New 

England. An O Gauge model railroad club centered in Manchester, 

Connecticut, it has had a permanent layout in a retail store since the 

1980s. The club had its beginnings in 1952. With a roster approaching 

two dozen, the club engages in a number of public service, educational, 

and charitable activities. These activities include operation 

of portable model train layouts in about half a dozen Connecticut 

and Massachusetts events each year. 

The current effort, with its New England industrial theme, replaces 

the 1990 version of the layout. It is larger, and includes more than just 

material and equipment replacements. Some of the upgraded features 

include a double-crossover, an operating quarry, an operating 

drive-in theater, and a large number of both kitbashed and scratchbuilt 

structures. The operating Niantic River bascule bridge has been 

replaced by a larger Schzerzer rolling liftbridge. 

In the next article, we will feature the home layouts that will be 

open on the layout tour. See you at the Convention. 

u 


O SCALE WEST 

18th Annual Meet 

Thur. - Sun. February 7-9, 2008 

Hyatt Regency Santa Clara 

5101 Great America Parkway 

Santa Clara, CA 95054 

800-233-1234 

Thursday Feb. 7: videos, layout visits, clinics 

Fri.-Sat Feb. 8-9: sales/exhibits, contests, layout visits, etc. 

Sunday Feb. 10: layout visits 

Registration: $25 individual or family, $30 after December 31 

Table Rentals: $35 each, $45 each after December 31 

To receive a newsletter with all the details send an LSSAE to: 

O Scale West, Dept. 2R 

876 Boyce Avenue 

Palo Alto, CA 94301-3003 

See [http://www.oscalewest.com] for the latest on the meet, 

and to download the newsletter and the registration form. 


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3R: N&W, SP TT Gray, UP TT 

Gray, CB&Q, NP, SP Green 

New PRR (P70) 8# 

PRSL, Keystones 4-Pk 399 

$450 

K-Line 2-R Shay PLC, Lack 

2111 Reading GP-35, DC 299 

2112 SP GP-35, DC 299 

2113 Savannah & Atlanta 299 

2114 WM GP-35, DC 299 

2115 NKP GP-35, DC 299 

GP-35 also in PRR, CNW, GA 

2234 MR Hiawatha AA Set 549 

2235 MR Hiawatha Power B 299 

7892 Washington Terminal 339 

Other RS-1: NH, RI, C&O 

7805 Jersey Central SD-35 315 

7807 SP SD-35, DC 315 

7822 CSX SD-35, DC 315 

7823 Penn Central SD-35, DC 315 

Dash 8, DC Und, UP, BC, SP 349 

Dummy for above 195 

Fax Orders to 

(302) 368-6447 

7848 GE Demo Dash 8, DC 349 

GP60M SF, DC 349 

GP60M BNSF, DC 349 

GP60B BNSF Red/Silver DC 325 

GP60B BNSF Red/Sil, Dmy 190 

2263 VT Railway GP60, DC 349 

Undec, SF 349 Dmy 185 

GP-9, DC WM, C&O, SP 339 

Owned By Just Trains 

304 3-Stall Roundhouse, 30”D 189 

304A Xtra Stall or 304B Extender 45 

7890 Ann Arbor RS-1, DC 339 

20-5566-1 PRR Green GG-1 565 

305 Sandhouse, 16 x 6 45 

302 One Stall Diesel Shed w/Shop 75 

307 3-Stall Trolley Barn 23 x 11 85 

315 Grain Silo, 7 x 19 x 22 H 75 

320 3-Stall Roundhouse 26” D 135 

905 Blackshear Refrig. Transport 59 

908 Shanahan Freight 75 

917 Gen Lt & Power Sub Station 32 

921 JLC Manufacturing 65 

950 American Flag Co. 14 x 9 65 

953 Joe’s Pickle Factory 14 x 9 65 

954 Buck Island Canning 8 x 12 49 

955 RJK Tool & Die 9 x 14 65 

956 James Company 13 x 8 x 9H 49 

958 Mill Works 11 x 7 w/Tower 49 

959 Midland Supply 2-Story 8 x 6 32 

967 Shoe Co. 7 skylts 20 x 9 x 11 69 

968 Jenco Freight 49 

969 Gen Lt & Pwr Office 6x13x12 65 


Jus Trains 

Info (302) 453-0465 

Orders (888) 453-9742 

*Mon-Fri 9-6 Sat 11-4* 

Fax Orders (302) 368-6447 

215 Newark Shopping Center 

Newark, DE 19711 

Store open 7 days a week 11-6 

$200 Free Ship on Most Orders 

MC VISA DISC. AMEX 

Third Rail Brass 

PRR Brill Gas Electric 2/3R 675 

C&O L-2/L-2a Hudson 1175 

CPR D-10 4-6-0 Early or Late 875 

UP 4-8-4 FEF, TMCC, EOB 1199 

3 types up to $200 free rolling stock 

CN U2g, GTW U3b, OC U3b 1175 

TMCC, RS 4.0, EOB Cruise 

C&O 4-8-4 Greenbrier, EOB 1125 

North Shore Electroliner Set 899 

Burlington S-4 #4000, EOB 1149 

Sante Fe Dash 9 Conv w/Sound 550 

Mercury 3-Car Passenger Set 775 

PRR Q-1 Skirted, TMCC, EOB 1100 

PRR N-1 2-10-2, Conv w/Sound 695 

PRR T-1 4-4-4-4 Conv. W/Snd 975 

LIRR BB1 Rats (2), Conv w/Snd 575 

B&M R-1 4-8-2, TMCC, EOB 925 

Y-3 2-8-8-2 TMCC SF, VGN 1050 

NYC L3B 4-8-2 Mohawk, EOB 950 

P5a Streamline Conv w/Snd 595 

Golden Gate Depot 

21” Aluminum Passenger 6-pk 489 

Full Interior, People, Detailed 

NYC, SF 2-Pk 239 

21” SP Daylt Alum 5-Pk 525 

SP Articulated Diner Set 525 

PRR P70 20” Coach 4-Pk 399 

PRSL, PRR w/Keystones 12# 

PRR B70 Baggage, PB70 Combine, 

BM70 Mail RPO 3-Pk 359 

REA 54’ Steel Reefer, 4# 65 

7 Variations 

Heavywt Diner/Obs 2-Pk 259 

B&O, C&O, CB&Q, CP, GN, N&W, 

NH, NP, NYC, PRR, Pullman, SF, 

SP x 3, UP x 2, Unlet 

Heavyweight 20” 4-Pk Coaches 399 

Undec Green, , CNW, GN Empire, 

N&W, C&O, B&O, CN 

Custom Runs Reading, DRG, B&M, 

MR, LV John Wilkes, Erie, JC 

Atlas O 

C628/630 Power 415 Dmy 205 

LV, Mono, PC, CN, SCL 

SW-9 Switcher 2 or 3 Rail 335 

Belt Railway, Erie, Frisco, LV, UP 

Aliquippa & Southern $345 

GP-9 2 or 3 Rail 389 Dmy 182 

B&O, Burl, NKP, NP, RG 

C424/425 Power 409 Dmy 205 

GB&W, M&E, SP&S, Wab, NH, EL 

40’ 1937 AAR SD Box 3R 52 2R 56 

SP, B&M, C of GA, Monon, T&P +$4 

40’ Reblt Wood Reefer 3R 52 2R 56 

Can Dry, Lack, Pere Marq, Prairie, SF 

55-T Panel-Side 2-Bay 3R 45 2R 49 

CV, D&H, NYC, RI, NH/PRR 2-Pk 

X-29 Box Car 4# 3R 52 4/$205 

B&O, JC, Pere Marq, CGW, W&LE 

40’ GATX Airslide 4# 47 4/$185 

Corn, LV, NKP, Soo, WM, SP/SSW 

17,360 Gal Tank Car 4# 57 4/$225 

ACFX, GATX, Occi, Hooker, SHPX 

Anniversary Woodside 4-Pk $205 

Decker, Eagle Beer, Selecto, Krey’s 

40’ Steel Reefer 3R 52 2R 56 

Burl, Erie, FGE, MDT/IC, PFE 4# 

11K Tank Car 3R 52 Adirondack, 

Anchor, Hooker, Texas, Wyandotte 

PS 4427 Hopper 45 Any 4/175 

Undec, Continental, BNSF, LV, PRR 

Producers, ADM, B&M, Transport 

ACF 3-Bay Cyl Hopper 45 4/175 

EL, CSX, Cumberland, Hercules, USI 

40’ Airslide 45 Erie, GN, PC, CGW 

Mid Div PRR x 8 types 3R 58 2R 60 

Coalveyor 45 DPC, WP, IA, RTPX 

50’ PS-1 Box 45 UP, B&M, B&O 

PRR War Hopper 8# 49 4/190 8/370 

PRR War Bonds 2 # in-stock 

H21a Hopper 45 Und, PC, VA PRR 58 

89’ Flat 3R 55 4/205 Erie, SF, WP 

B&O Fishbelly 4# 49 4/190 

70T Covered Hopper 3R 45 4/175 

GN, UP, B&M, D&H, Edgar, PM 

Trainman 

Train Set 305 349 w/Trans 

RSD-7/15 Conv 189 TMCC 289 

B&LE, PC, SF, Cotton Belt 

RSD 4/5 CB, CNW RS-3 D&H, GN 

RS-3 Conv. 189 TMCC 289 

D&H, Reading, RI, GN 

PRR O-1 2-Unit Electric, TMCC 975 

GP-15 Conv. 189 TMCC 289 

Conrail, Chessie, NS, BN, 

Rolling Stock 3R 33 2R 35 RC Uncplr #107 $22 Op. #108 $27 

52’ Flat car w/Load CP, Erie, PC, UP Gantry Crane Track $18 Stainless $20 

40’ Hycube Box MR, Burl, SF, UP 

40’ Plug Dr Box NP, CO, CGW, WM 

40’ Sgl Door Box BAR, JC, Lack, GN 

3-Bay PS-2 Covered Hopper BN 

Jack Frost, N&W, PLE (NYC) 

50’ 6” Box Car Apalachicola North 

Atl & St. Andrews Bay, CSX, Rail Box 

B/W Caboose 3R 36 2R 39 

CSX, MP, SP, Frisco/BN 

Atlas Track 

Remote Switch, Steel or Nickel 48.95 

O36 O45 O54 O72 Wye 

#5 Double-Slip Switch 125 

O72/O54 Curved Switch or #5 63 

7.5 (O81) High Speed Switch 66 

40” Rigid 12.00 Case (12) $139 

40”Flex/Concrete 13.00 CS $149 

10” or O54 3.15 Case (48) $145 

1 ¾ 4-Pk 6.70 4.5” 2.60 5.5” 2.95 

1 ¾ Uncoupler 9.95 Under Table 13.30 

Accessory Rails 9.95 Switch Machine 10 

O36 Curve 3.15 2 Circles (24) 70 




O81 Curve 5.55 1 Circle (16) 85 

O90 Curve 6.60 1 Circle (16) 99 

O99 Curve 7.45 1 Circle (16) 112 

3-Stall Roundhouse 30”L 165 

24” Motorized Turntable 139 

Deck Bridge 2 or 3 Rail 82 

40” Bridge 105 40” Double 129 

Atlas 2-Rail 

Pulpwood 49 C&O, SF, Frisco, D&H 

40’ Airslide 45 RG, PRR, Brach, GN, 

Chessie, Erie, PC, Southern 

PS-4427 Hopper 52 4 for 200 

Und, Cont. Grain, SOO, Producers, 

PRR, B&M, Transport Leasing 

War Em. Hopper 46 4/165 B&O, 

C&O, GA, L&N, Alton, Ann Arbor, SF 

40’ Sgl Sheath Box 46 4/165 SP, PRR 

JC, CNJ, WM, RFP, Ann Arbor, MKT 

40’ Steel Reefer 50 4/175 CNW, MP 

Roscoe Snyder&P, C&O, PRR, EJ&E 

53’ Evans Plug Door 50 4/175 CNW 

UP, BC, WC, MP, Aloha, MN&S 

Illum. Caboose $60 2/$110 4/$200 

E/V: BN, RG, BN Freedom, CBQ, 

DMIR, Chessie Safety x 3, SF, SOO 

Rutland, GN, IHB, RF&P, CR 

Std Cupola: MRL, NS, N&W 

NE-6: NH x 2, Clinch, PL&E, WL&E 

N&W, NYS&W, Conrail 

40’ Woodside $55 4 for $195 B&M 

Grand Union, Ralston Purina, Blatz, 

Del Maiz, Silver Edge, WP Ice, ART, 

Phenix, Century, Merchant’s, Nash, 

Fairmont, Donaldson-Burke 

Fishbelly Hopper $46 4 for $165 

Und, NS, ACL, D&H, CNJ, ACY 

H-21 Hopper 55 4/$195 PC, VGN 

89’ Die-Cast Flat 63 4/$225 GN, Sou 

Erie-Western, FEC, SF, WP 

36’ Woodside $55 4/$195 Und, Swift, 

Hormel, Oscar Mayer, Krey’s, Cudahy, 

NKP, Pluto, Sou Star, Clicquot, Page, 

Pearl Brand, Peter Fox, Wescott, Crown 

Kornblum, Rath, Columbus, Noack, 

Kahn, Clicquot, Swift Warbonds 

11K Tank 55 4/$205 Und, Hooker 

Col. Sou, Tank Gas, Warren 

17K Tank 60 4/$225 Und, Shamrock, 

Hooker, Stauffer, PPG 

Dbl Sheath Box 46 4/$165 CNW, BM 

TH&B, Rutland, FEC, ACL 

USRA 55 Ton Hopper 46 4/$165 

NH, NYC, Pitt & Shaw, PRR, Public 

Sunset N YC RDC Power 450 

Weaver 2-Rail RS-11 225 MEC, Sou 

VO-1000 DC WM, GN 219 

Hiawatha Morning 5-Car Set 475 

Gargraves (USA) 

O Gauge 

37” Flex Tinplate $5.25 Cs 50 239 

37” Flex Stainless Phantom Case 290 

42, 72, 100” Tin Switch Man 30 Rem 49 

Above w/DZ-2500 TMCC $55 

90 Degree Crossing $18 Video $8 

Now with Wood Ties 

Circle 032/ $37 042/ $43 054/ $57 

063/ $60 072/ $65 080/ $83 

089/ $88 096/ $90 106/$96 

DZ Products 

DZ-1010 Crossing Gate Set 79 

DZ-1011 Block Signal Detectors 19 

DZ-1020 Crossing Signal Set 55 

DZ-1030 Wigwag Signal Set 79 

DZ-1040 UQ or LQ Semaphore 49 

DZ-1050 3-Light Trackside Signal 36 

DZ-1060 7-Light Trackside Signal 39 

DZ-1200 Station Announcement 85 

DZ-1220 Trolley Stop & Control 79 

DZ-1240 Auto Stop & Reverse 38 

DZ-1260 Water Tower Animator 36 

DZ-1265 Fuel Station Animator 38 

DZ-2500 TMCC Switch Machine 25 

K-Line Blow-outs 

VRE 21” Bombardier 4-Pk 250 

Lackawanna Alum 15” 4-Pk 199 

616-6501 Nestle Scale Caboose 40 

694-6201 NYPD Autoloader 35 

DRG Semi-Scale Boxcar 6-Pk 59 

Smoking Aluminum Diner, Music 60 

PRR, NYC, SF Midnight 

Operating Speeder Shed 75 

www.justrains.com 

Lionel 2007 Vol II 

7-11020 Hogwarts Express 235 

Friends of Charleston Brass Set 315 

TMCC UP SD90 Diesel Freight 425 

31956 Thomas & Friends, 80W 129 

Expansion Pack x 2 $79 each 

31960 Polar Express Set 229 

30001 SF El Capitan, Sound 315 

30016 NYC Flyer, Sound 209 

Expansion Packs x 3 $79 each 

30018 PRR Flyer Set, 80W 149 

Expansion Pack x 3 $79 each 

30034 Great West. Lincoln Log 159 

Expansion Pack $79 

30020 North Pole Xmas, 80W 165 


30045 Alaska Steam Work Set 202 

30047 Northwest Diesel Freight 219 

30056 Transylvania Set 165 

11004 NASCAR Train Set 219 


31771 Flying Yankee 4-Unit 509 

31757 #2289WS Berkshire Frt 619 

#101 Trolley & #1100 Trailer 377 

UP FEF w/Legacy Grey or Blk 989 

Mikado WP, UP, SF, MR 699 

Shay Birch Valley, Cass Scenic 699 

2-8-0 Rdg, NYC, B&O, WM 377 

14265 Sawmill w/Sounds 95 

Traditional Product 

4-6-4 Hudson w/ Snd 175 Cab 30 

NYC, C&O, ATSF, Lionel Lines 

30085 MTA M7 Commuter (4) 210 

4-6-2 Pacific w/TMCC & RS 258 

UP, Erie, Southern, B&M 

PRR 4-6-2 K4 w/TMCC & RS 274 

PRR N5c Illuminated Caboose 38 

50’ Flat w/Piggybacks 63 2-Pk 125 

REA, NYC, Lack, Milw. Rd, UP 

Scale Double Door Box Car 53 

UP, NKP, LV 

2007 Volume I 

18384 Milw. EP-2 BiPolar E-2 775 

18385 Milw. Rd BiPolar E-1 775 

11127 Sou Pac. GS-4, Legacy 1019 

25506 SP Daylight Hvywt 4-Pk 365 

18” 2-Pk 192 Stationsnd Diner 215 

11117 Sante Fe E6 Atlantic 499 

31755 Tex Special E-7 Pass Set 1025 

21” 2-Pk or 21” Sound Diner 227 

CSX SD40-2 Husky Stack Set 639 

2826x UP Heritage SD70ACe 377 

MoPac, WP, Katy, UP 

U30C MR, Conrail 382 Dmy 145 #990 Legacy Command Set 259 

GP-7 Power 335 Non-Power 145 #993 Legacy Expansion Set 219 

NYC, GN, RI, UP TMCC Cab-1 55 Command Base 55 

E-7AA Power/Dmy 575 B Dmy 145 TMCC Command Set 109 

B&O, PRR Pwr B 263 Breakdn 235 TPC 400 147 TPC 300 109 PM-1 62 

F-7 ABA Pwr/Dmy/Dmy 725 ARC 73 ASC 67 AMC 73 BPC 67 

Pwr B 259 NYC, WP Breakdn 235 

NYC Shark AA 519 Dmy B 137 

18” Heavyweight 4-Pk 365 2-Pk 195 

SF, SP Daylt, MR, PRR, B&O 

Traditional Product 

51010 #246E O Gauge Pass Set 515 

0-4-0 Switcher RG, Army, Rdg 145 

Rolling Stock 

Husky Stack 63 2-Pk 125 

CSX ,BN, A&Z, Greenbrier 

Northeastern Caboose 64 

Rdg, Chessie, Conrail, Jesey Central 

Die-Cast 2-Bay Hopper 48 3-Pk 107 

C&EI, Erie, Frisco, Chessie 

PS-2 Covered 2-Bay 45 2-Pk 89 

UP, Imco, PC, NYC, SF, PRR 

3-Bay Die-Cast Hopper 52 2-Pk 102 

C&O, PRR Power, SF, C&NW 

Dble Sheath Box 48 UP,GN,CB,CNW 

Mechanical Reefer Car 53 2-Pk 103 

BNSF, SPFE, UPFE, GN 

40’ Flat w/Load 47 NYC, GN, SF, GT 

Weaver Brass Sale 

NKP L1 Hudson TMCC RS 525 

K-Line Circus 

Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey 

Die-Cast Porter 89 S-2 Diesel 68 

Flats w/ 3 Circus Wagons (2) 38 ea 

Flat w/ Load (4) Logs, Crates, Con 38 

Flat w/ 2 Tractor Trailers 47 

13.5” Passenger 4-Pk 149 2-Pk 79 

15” Aluminum Advertising Car 85 

Lionel Blow-outs 

C&O 4-Pk 250 2-Pk 140 Diner 150 

25458 PRR Congressional Diner 150 

Operating Hot Box w/RS 60 2/115 

MDT, Swift, PFE, SF 

Amtrak Acela 3-Pk , TMCC 395 

PRR F-7 Pwr B 160 Breakdn B 150 

24597 NYC E-7 Breakdown B 150 

24593 Sante Fe F-7 Power B-Unit 165 

Missile Launcher 205 Snd Car 115 

28250 N&W C420 Dummy 99 

31747 PRR Ballast Train Set 325 

31754 N&W Space Freight Set 699 

K-Line Specials 

Tank Engine TMCC RS Cruise 

CNJ,B&A, Rdg, Tenn 525 

W.MD Fireball Plymouth Set 95 

Die-Cast Plymouth & 6 Ore Cars 

Scale State Box NJ, PA, NY, DE 25 

Lionel TMCC & Power 

OTC 59 AVC 105 SC-2 Controller 74 

Weaver Models 2008 

CP 4-4-4 Jubilee 939 Cmd 1039 

PRR C-1 0-8-0 455 TMCC 545 

Freight Sets add $100 

CN U4b Royal 4-8-4, Cmd 1045 

RPO w/ Celestory Roof 4# 79 

B60 Baggage w/Celestory 75 

PRR, NYC, CN, NH, N&W, B&M, SF 

RPO w/Round Roof 4# 79 

B60 w/Round Roof 4# 75 

Rdg, NYC, CP, CSS, UP, B&O, NH, 

PRR, LIRR, Unlettered, 

N&W 

New Haven I-5 TMCC/EOB 1049 

O-54, 24” L, Script or Block 

NH Green Coach 4-Pk 415 6-Pk 615 

Transformers 

MRC Dual Pure Power 270W 225 

Lionel ZW 365 180W Brick 75 

Williams 150 Watt 99 Z-1000 75 

MTH Z-4000 375 Z-1000 Brick 59 


Buy–Sell–Trade Events 

Buy-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 subscription 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 credit card. See our contact info on page 2. 

WANTED: Custom-built or scratchbuilt 

N&W G1, W, V, M, M2, or K1 classes 

of steam locomotives. Contact Joe 

Giannovario, PO Box 289, Exton PA 19341 

or call 610-363-7117. 

VAN BUREN, ARKANSAS. Area’s 

neatest hobby store from Z to O, new 

and used. Visit Dave’s Hobby Shop at 600 

Main St in the Anhauser Busch Building 

or online at [www.daveswebshop.com], 

479-471-0750. 

LAYOUT FINISHING SERVICES: 

Experienced modeler with 40+ years 

experience will enhance your scenery 

and structures on your layout, from 

new construction to renovation of your 

existing layout. Portfolio/references 

available on request. Bonded. 

Serving the Northeast. John Schaub, 

Railroad Model Scenery Studios. Email 

[railroadmodelscenery@yahoo.com], 

phone: 516-946-6880. 

January 2008 

19-20: Allentown, PA 

Lehigh Valley Train Meet: two day train 

show at Merchant’s Square Mall, 1901 

S 12th St., in Allentown. Admission: 

$5, children under 12 free. Tables: $15. 

Contact Valley Rail Promotions, PO Box 

64, Coplay PA 18037, 610-440-0487. 

19-20: Plano, Texas 

23rd Annual Dallas Area Train Show at 

the Plano Center, 2000 E Spring Creek 

Parkway. Sat.: 10 AM to 5 PM; Sun.: 10 

AM to 4 PM. Admission: $7 per person, 

children under 12 free. Contact bbbart@ 

sbcglobal.net 

26: LaCrosse, WI 

Great Tri-State Rail Sale: all scales, 

equipment and accessories. Railroad 

antiques and memorabilia. Books, 

magazines, supplies, diecast models and 

more. Admission: $4, children under 12 

free. Held at the LaCrosse Center, 300 

Harborview Plaza, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. 

For more info phone 

608-582-4761. 


WANTED: Joe Fischer pass. and headend 

cars. PSC and Amer. Hvywt 10 sec. 

Pullmans. Walthers Erie coach, RTR only. 

ATSF double vestibule combine, kit or 

RTR. What have you? Mail only please. Jim 

Seacrest, PO Box 6397, Lincoln, NE 68506- 

0397. 

FOR SALE: On30 Bachmann rolling stock, 

unused, in original boxes. 2-6-0 (painted 

and unlettered), six Colorado & Southern 

freight cars, and two Colorado & Southern 

coaches. SASE for list. Myles Gray, 11454 

Mother Lode Circle, Gold River, CA 95670- 

3042. 

FOR SALE: O Scale craftsman kits, over 20 

years old, in original boxes. Freight cars by 

Main Line Models, Ambroid, All Nation, 

Suncoast, Quality Craft, Korber building 

kits. SASE for list. Myles Gray, 11454 

Mother Lode Circle, Gold River, CA 95670- 

3042. 

February 2008 

7-10: Santa Clara, CA 

18th Annual O Scale West. There will be 

over 200 tables, Favorite Model and Photo 

contests; O and S Scale layouts operating 

on site, door prizes, clinics, movies and 

videos, and self-guided visits to the 30+ O 

and S Scale home and club layouts in, and 

adjacent to, the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Cost: Family admission (includes spouse 

and children under 16) is $25 for the event 

($30 after December 31, 2007); no single 

day rate. Selling/display tables are $35 each 

($45 after December 31, 2007). For a free 4 

page newsletter, send an LSSAE to: O Scale 

West. 876 Boyce Avenue. Palo Alto, CA 

94301-3003. 

March 2008 

14-16: Arlington Heights, IL 

Chicago O Scale Meet: The Chicago 

O Scale Meet is a 3 day gathering of 

vendors, customers, clinics, and fun held 

annually on St. Patrick’s Day weekend 

in the Chicagoland area. Hundreds of 

vendors gather to buy, sell, and trade 

their products to the open public. This 

is the Chicago O Scale train show you’ve 

heard of. Anything the O Scale enthusiast 

FOR SALE: Original Central Locomotive 

Works EMD GP-35 all-brass kit. Still in 

original cartons, never assembled. Two 

Pittman motors, high and low noses. Jim 

Frierson, 225 Springwater Dr, Columbia SC 

29223, or email [jmfrierson@earthlink.net]. 

FOR SALE: 2-Rail O Scale locomotives. 

MTH NYC Hudson $450; C&O 2-6-6-6 $950; 

Weaver PRR K4 $450; UP 4-8-4 $750 OBO, 

plus shipping. All new TRO. Brian Martin, 

330-823-7761. 

FOR SALE: Linde-Union tank Liquid Argon 

F/P (OMI#80017) $600; PSC SP 4-6-2 F/P 

(#2467) $2300; SP GS-3 4-8-4 U/P (OMI TRO 

w/new larger Pittman motor) $2500; two 

SP 2-8-0 (PFM and Glacier Park); ATSF 4-6-4 

May Gray (custom paint & drive by Doug 

Cockerham) $2750. Best offers considered. 

Contact: bantell@pacbell.net or 650-347- 

4402; Bruce Antell, 50 S San Mateo Dr, Ste 

105, San Mateo, CA 94401-3857. 

could want to find or buy will be found 

here. Dealer setup on Friday, 14th, 4:00 

to 9:00 PM. Registration fee: $20. Tables: 

$55 before 1/31/08, $60 after. Contact: 

marchmeet@sbcglobal.net, or call 847-401- 

4333 or 847-823-1719. 

July 2008 

23-26: Worcester, Mass. 

The 2008 National O Scale Convention will 

be held at the DCU Center in Worcester 

Massachusetts. The DCU Center will 

provide us with over 50,000 square feet of 

exhibition space. In this large area we plan 

to have a large amount of dealer tables, 

wide aisle spacing and many operating 

layouts including the Southern New 

England Modular Layout that measures 

27’ x 81’. The DCU Center is located in 

downtown Worcester about 2 blocks from 

the newly renovated Union Station. Click 

on the Union Station link to see more 

about the station. One of the Providence 

and Worcester mainlines runs across the 

street from the front of the DCU Center. 

An all day railfan trip is planned for 

convention goers on Wednesday 7/23/08.

2008 O Scale Conv. 65 

AAA Turntables 44 

Allegheny Scale Models 41 

AM Hobbies 26 

AMB/LaserKit 26 

Arttista 48 

Babbitt Railway Supply Co 34 

Bachmann 12 

Baldwin Forge & Machine 21 

Banta Modelworks 29 

Brummy’s Ballast 21 

BTS 19 

Buffalo Creek Graphics 29 

Caboose Hobbies 29 

Chicago O Scale Meet 59 

Crusader Rail Services 21 

Custom Signals 65 

Deichman’s Depot 8 

DM&M Railroad Co. 8 

Get Real Productions 69 

Golden Gate Depot 46 

Hackworth Model Trains 35 

Irish Tracklayer 43 

JAK Tool 33 

JD’s Trains 24 

Just Trains 66,67 

Kalmbach Publications 30 

Key Imports 44 

LaBelle Woodworking Co. 38 

Mesa Models 50 

Model Building Services 21 

Mountain Model Imports IFC 

M.T.H. Electric Trains IBC 

Mullett River 29 

NCE Corp 35 

Norm’s O Scale 14 

O Scale Realty 44 

O Scale West 65 

QSI Solutions 42 

Raggs to Riches 14 

Rail Dreams 26 

Railroad Collectibles 45 

Rails Unlimited 21 

RCS of NE 21 

San Juan Car Co. 24 

Scenic Express 43 

SMARTT 50 

St. Charles Model Works 21 

Steam Era Structures 48 

Stevenson Preservation Lines 21 

Sumpter Valley Depot 38 

Suncoast Models 21 

Sunset⁄3rd Rail 

BC 

Toys for Collectors 24 

Turner Model Works 21 

Tru-Scale 18 

Twin Whistle Sign & Kit 44 

Advertisers Index 

Downtown Deco 44 

Old Pullman 48 

Valley Model Trains 38 

Eagles Nest Miniatures 33 

PA Heritage Models 14 

Weaver 8 

East Gary Car Co. 21 

P&D Hobby Shop 10 

Western Reserve O Meet 41 

Evans Design 9 

Public Delivery Track 38 

Westport Model Works 26 


A Changing of the Guard 

Welcome to 2008, our seventh year of publishing OST. 

Those of you who scrutinize each issue from cover to cover 

may have noticed a change in the masthead. That ain’t Scace’s 

mug in the Editor’s slot. Starting with this issue (#36), Brian 

Scace retires from the Editor’s chair and Mike Cougill (our current 

”Fine Scale” columnist) succeeds him. Mike and Brian 

worked together editing this issue, and I expect Mike to take 

on issue #37 solo. Brian will also take a break from his column 

duties, but he has assured me he will be available for reviews, 

promised to submit articles, and will generally stay in touch. 

I hope to coax him back into our regular writers’ fold sooner 

rather than later. 

No one should read anything into this change that isn’t 

there. Brian and I have been talking about this for a while. He 

wants more time with his son (and to play with his trains, rather 

than just write about them). I agree and I don’t begrudge him 

the desire to back off from the magazine 

Brian has made an indelible mark on O Scale as Editor of 

OST. I value not only his contributions to the magazine but, 

even more so, his friendship. I learned much from him. We 

made some great decisions about what the magazine should 

be and where it should go. Thanks, Brian, for all you’ve done 

for OST! Mike, you have some large shoes to fill. 

There are other changes in this issue as well. We are 

dropping Bobber’s “Narrow Minded” column. Bobber has 

been with OST from the beginning, and his contributions 

have been greatly appreciated. However, I have come to the 

conclusion that we have little or no base among O Scale narrow-gauge 

modelers, not even On30. We never get any mail 

about narrow-gauge modeling, nor do we get any articles. I’m 

sure the Gazette and other specialty pubs have it well covered. 

I thank Bobber for his support when I needed content 

to start up OST, and I’ve made sure he has a lifetime subscription 

to the magazine. 

Which brings me to the next item, traction. I felt the same 

way about traction that I do about narrow-gauge; we had little 

base in our readership. Then came Gerald Brothers’ letter and 

I relented, sorta. Starting with the next issue (#37) Roger Parker 

will alternate his “Traction Action” column with in-depth book 

reviews. Roger has been cranking out mini-reviews on the OST 

Blog for some time now, and I feel he should take a shot at longer 

reviews for the magazine. So, if you are a traction modeler 

and you want us to keep ”Traction Action” as a regular feature, 

let me hear from you, pronto. It will help a great deal if you 

offer a traction modeling article or two, as well. 

Brian, Mike and I have discussed where we ought to take 

OST in the next few years. We want to continue to feature highquality 

O Scale modeling that pushes the envelope. To that end, 

Mike (who is involved in Proto48) has asked some of his contacts 

to submit articles about their work. I expect we are going 

to see some amazing modeling articles coming from them. 

I, personally, am also interested in having some basic articles 

that will entice the “ready-to-run” crowd into trying their 

hand at some model building. I am also pushing for more articles 

on exploring DCC for O Scale. I am convinced that DCC 

is “ready for the masses” in O Scale. The only real remaining 

barrier to widespread adoption is the receivers, and that is 

changing. I have commissioned a comparison article on DCC 

decoders suitable for O Scale, both with and without sound. I 

hope to bring that to press by the May 2008 issue. 

3-Rail Scale vis-a-vis 2-Rail Scale 

There has been a clamor online about the need for a 3-Rail 

Scale forum. Putting aside the semantics of “3-Rail Scale”, if 

you run three-rail trains and you want your models and layout 

to look more O Scale than O Gauge, then all you have to do is 

adopt some (if not all) of the standards of O Scale 2-Rail. 

One gentleman online was complaining about how a 

recently imported set of plastic full-length passenger cars were 

uncoupling and derailing on his three-rail layout. When questioned 

by others, he revealed his curves were O-81 (For us tworailers, 

that’s a 40-1/2” radius). Most every experienced two-rail 

modeler from N Scale to O knows that you can’t expect to run 

full-length passenger equipment ”out-of-the-box” on curves that 

sharp, at least not without either some modifications to the cars 

by the owner or compromises in fidelity by the manufacturer. 

Now, I am not suggesting you need to join the NMRA, 

although that would be a good start as they have a book of 

Standards and Recommended Practices that you get with 

your membership. At the very least, however, get the bible of 

track-planning, John Armstrong’s Track Planning for Realistic 

Operation, and start from there. You will learn just about all 

you need to know to build a fine operating O Scale layout. 

And you would have learned that 46” radius curves (O-92) are 

barely adequate for full-length passenger equipment. 

Scale Versus Toys 

That line of thought brings me to manufacturers who make 

both 2-Rail and 3-Rail. I feel that some of our O Scale models 

are being “dumbed down” because the 3-Rail nostalgia train 

market is much larger than the 2-Rail side of the house. I also 

think that our Hi-Rail (3-Rail Scale?) brethren feel the same 

way as the 2-Rail modelers. Top speeds are too high, low 

speed control is sacrificed, gaps between trucks and carbodies 

are too large, and the list goes on and on. 

Manufacturers, listen up! O Scalers, both 2-Railers and 

Hi-Railers, want scale models, not toys that zip around at 120 

smph! There is a great market out here for correct scale models 

and, trust me on this, it doesn’t cost any more to do a model 

correctly than to do it incorrectly. We’re willing to help you get 

it right the first time. All you have to do is ask. 

Keep Highballin’ 

u 


O Scale Trains mth 1-2008.qxp 11/5/2007 4:47 PM Page 1 

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