OScale Trains

More on GenerationsBrian: I liked your “Observations” inOST #26 very much. It mirrors what I’vebeen saying for many years (which iswhy I liked it of course). The cry comingfrom the old-timers (I’m 57) has beenthat we are watching the demise of OScale “as we know it”.My reply has been that the decline inpopularity of O Scale is attributable, inpart, to the fact that anything really newis looked on with great cynicism. I don’tmean new kits and brass locomotives. Imean new ways of reaching the desiredgoals, or even the goals themselves.There are those that still think that asuper-detailed scratchbuilt caboosesitting on a piece of 3/4” plywood isa thing of beauty, while denigrating aready-to-run box car on a realisticallydetailed scene.Times have changed. It’s no longergood enough for a yard to hold madeuptrains waiting their turn to circuit thelayout. It’s no longer good enough foran engineer to be more concerned withwhich toggle switch to throw to keepcontrol of his train, rather than thinkingahead to his next task. I don’t find anythingwrong with a scratchbuilt cabooseon a piece of plywood, but I do takeexception to the idea that it is whatmodern O Scale is all about.Now, I model in On2, so you knowhow much ready-to-run equipment Iown. But, I’ve been modeling most ofmy life. This is where I’ve ended up, notwhere I began. If it wasn’t for Lionel, Idon’t know that I’d be writing this message.If it wasn’t for Athearn, MDC,Atlas, and HO ready-to-run, I don’tknow that I would be still interestedtoday. If it wasn’t for Central Valley,Northeast Scale Models, Ambroid, etc.,I don’t know if I’d be in On2. Lionelgot me hooked on trains, RTR got mehooked on scale model railroading,and craftsman kits got me hooked onscratchbuilding. Times have indeedchanged, but the process hasn’t. Trainsets have replaced Lionel, Atlas hasreplaced Athearn, and resin kits havereplaced Central Valley. What haschanged is that the overall railroad hasreplaced the collection.I don’t have a massive collection ofantique brass. I can’t afford to buy everynew brass locomotive that comes out. IfI end up with four or five nice locomotives,I’ll be happy. That will be enoughto run my “railroad”. Why the guys withmassive collections dominate the DCCdiscussions with comments like, “I can’tafford to convert all my locomotives”,I’ll never understand. Why would theseguys even comment on something thatis of no relevance to what they aredoing? It would be like me commentingon traction.I think you have done a great serviceto O Scale. You’ve made it acceptableto rethink the way you look at thehobby, and that from an “old-timer”.Who knows, in time, you may evenget away from using wire with braidedinsulation!Ed Kozlowsky, Sanford, MEMaking DoI operate 3-Rail locos and cars. Thisis tolerable, but necessary, since I havea 4’ x 16’ space to run trains. I find thatmuch of today’s 3-Rail equipment is“dead-on” except for the horrible thirdrailand huge flanges and couplers.Otherwise I enjoy O Scale which would[normally] require a 16’ x 64’ space. Iam sure you have many [readers] likeme, right? We might be the silent majority...but without a political agenda. Mylayout features a four-track hump yardwhich works, but was an operationalchallenge.Herb Cearley, Long Beach, CAJoe says: Well, I think a lot of readerswould like to see your hump yard.Send us a photo and we’ll find space in“Modeler’s Shelf” for it. I estimate about40% of OST readers are HiRailers, soyou are not alone Herb. Thanks for yourcomments.More Slope Sheets, Less Gee-WhizHi Joe : Just got your latest issuetoday [#27]. Regarding the NMRA/OScale National possible combinationwould be the issue of membership inthe NMRA and that is not cheap. Wein this area think that it is basically anHO organization, hence none of ourguys take any interest in joining. Yearsago there were many very good articlesdone in the NMRA Bulletins by O Scalers,but that has gone away since. Inregards to the conventions, they arevery expensive to attend these days.We have discussed them and believe OScale will ultimately end up at Chicago,Indianapolis, the California show, oneof the Eastern shows, and our Clevelandshow. Why these areas? Because theseareas will support them.In regards to DCC, TMCC, &c, Mostof us don’t like it because of the complicatedand expensive extra electronicsinvolved and it takes up space. Everwonder why Sunset does not do slopesheets in the tenders of their steamlocos? You got it. 3-Rail TMCC. Theheck with the sound. We prefer theslope sheet. I have asked Sunset manytimes to put a removable top in the tendersand that always fell on deaf ears.I always enjoy your editorials, by theway, mainly because they help to providemuch insight into what is going onin the O Scale hobby. I hope they willserve to promote 2-Rail scale as well.Best Regards, Sam ShumakerLayout AlertThe other day I was invited to visita great O Scale layout. The layout is inthe basement of Vic’s Hobby Supply,606 Northeast Broadway Street, Portland,OR 97232 (503) 281-1032. If youare looking to profile great layouts foryour magazine, this would be a worthycandidate. It is very nicely done.Scott Long, Beaverton, ORJoe Says: Anybody in the Portlandarea interested in doing an article onthis layout? Contact me by email or atthe magazine’s postal address.RemoteControl Systemsof New EnglandSales and Service East of MississippiRemote Controls for “O” ScaleTrains. Batteries, Chargers,Sound Systems, and Installations.Systems starting at $170Don SweetPhone: (603) 321-1347Email: dsweet@rcs.mv.comwww.remotecontrolthrottles.com28 • O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct ’06