• Terrific inspiration and just plain funto look at• The magazine is O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> not2-Rail <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong>.• I model in 3-Rail scale, and enjoyseeing layouts in both 2-Rail and 3-Rail,the scenery and buildings are an inspiration.• Most of your “how-to” articles areappropriate for my layout, too.• Most of the layouts you featureactually have pictures in which onecan’t see the number of rails, includingpictures in this issue. If these guys thinkmodeling is all about the number of railsin the picture, say the center spread inIssue #23, they are missing the point ofO <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong>.• I subscribe to the magazine.• I buy from most of the suppliersthat advertise in the magazine, and, assaid countless times before, without us3-Rail scale guys buying products fromthese manufacturers, there wouldn’t beenough of a market of just 2-Rail scalebuyers to support the hobbyI wish these guys would chill.Stephen R. Nelson, Carmel, IN3-Rail (#8)After several years taking your magazine,I will decline [to renew] because ofyour Hi-Rail/3-Rail bias.E. Campbell, Calif.3-Rail (#9)I was going to let sleeping dogs lie,but you asked in “Observations” regardingthe 2-Rail versus 3-Rail articlesissue, so I will respond. My criterion iswhether the article contributes to myknowledge in some aspect of the hobby.If someone tells us how to build a reallygreat structure or background, and hislayout happens to be inside or outsidethird rail, I will not <strong>com</strong>plain. We havelearned much about modeling andoperations from the past masters whoworked in outside third rail (Armstrong,Ellison). I collected a number of articlesby Thornburgh from the NMRA Libraryback when I was a member. Surprisinglysome of his lo<strong>com</strong>otives were built forthird rail -- yet I learned a lot about metalworkingfor model building from all ofthose articles.The cautionary note here is to avoidthe OGR approach of having onlyarticles that are about layouts whichare merely display sites for collectionsof three-rail RTR equipment, track andstructures off the shelf. If there waseven an operating scheme presented,it might have redeeming value -- butthese are more like extensions of the38 • O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> - Mar/Apr ’07product reviews. That is why I stoppedsubscribing about ten years ago. Manyof the vendors in which I would haveinterest would not advertise in OGR. Ofcourse, I like craftsman kits and articleson constructing rolling stock, buildingsor trackwork.By the way, the revision of your layoutin the OST Blog would have beenworthwhile for the magazine. I wonderedhow that was <strong>com</strong>ing along.Von Richards (via email)3-Rail (#10)On Page 20 of OST #30, you publishedthree letters from readers opposedto material about 3-Rail. I do not regarda one-page Hi-Rail column, occasionalarticles about well-sceniced Hi-Railmodel railroads, or articles about convertingthree-rail O <strong>Scale</strong> models to 2-Rail as heresy or any kind of threat to the2-Rail way of life.The wide variety of <strong>com</strong>mercialproducts available in O <strong>Scale</strong> today isa direct result of the increasing numberof Hi-Railers. Some of these people, Ibelieve, are supporting the O <strong>Scale</strong> magazinesbecause they want to learn moreabout scale modeling. I see no need toexclude or offend this group of seriousmodelers (who happen to run on threerailtrack). After all, the primary contentof [other O Gauge magazines] is materialrelated to toy trains, their layouts (asopposed to model railroads), and thecollecting of toy trains.I think that many 2-Railers today aresenior citizens that have built their layoutsand are well-saturated with modelsand un-built kits, not buying much newproduct. This group is thus providinglittle or no support to the <strong>com</strong>mercial O<strong>Scale</strong> manufactures and doesn’t reallyneed most of the information providedby the O <strong>Scale</strong> magazines. If the magazinesare to remain viable and able togrow, they need to appeal to youngermodelers, who are actively building andbuying, including HiRailers. After all,some of them may eventually be<strong>com</strong>e2-Railers!J W Mathews, by email(…and that is the end of that discussionin OST. -Joe G.)Looking for O <strong>Scale</strong>rs in NevadaI am a life member of the NMRA andwould like to set up a club in Pahrump,NV, that could meet and share ideasand have a show every once in a while.If there are any of you in Pahrump orout that way please drop me a line andmaybe we can get together and havea train show in this town. If there isenough interest we could have a layoutsomewhere in this growing town.Dan LePage[dan@emeraldstationstudios.<strong>com</strong>]A Staggering PhotoRead your “Easements” column inIssue No. 30 that arrived this afternoon.Another great issue! Prototype railroadsalso have the problem of joining railsof different weights and heights (versuscodes). They use special <strong>com</strong>promise railjoint-bars, made to fit left and right sidesfor the various sizes of rail that meet.Attached is a photo I shot in 1997 ofa <strong>com</strong>promise rail joint on the B&O inOhio, where 85 lb. per yard siding railsmeets the 110 lb. per yard mainline rails.The <strong>com</strong>promise rail joints are directlyopposite each other on the same tie,rather than staggered as in the usual USpractice. Note the rail bonds for the signalcircuit as well!Ed BommerCentral UpdateThought I would give an update towhat’s happening with “Central” thesedays. We have moved the shop to a newlocation but are still working on gettingthe place powered up. We are able tosatisfy some small part orders for now,but orders for built-up lo<strong>com</strong>otives won’tbe processed until sometime early ‘07.The website will be down for a timeas we are working to update it.We have had several inquires for theAAR-A (switcher) truck kits lately. Thepatterns for this truck are being updatedand as soon as everything fits up, wewill order castings for stock.We will be offering the entire steamline for sale again in the near future. Patterns,molds, dies, etc., for the Ps4, H-10,“X-Series” parts, as well as the 2-10-4,USRA Heavy Mike, NYC L2a, will beincluded. The stock is a mix of Central,Saginaw, <strong>Scale</strong> Craft and several patternmakers who supported the Central businessunder Bob Smith’s ownership.Plans for new Diesel models havebeen put on hold for the time being,but we will continue to produce currentcatalogued models (starting in early ‘07).Re-power gearbox orders and “2 railing”of other manufacturers’ models are
the larger part of Centrals’ business these days, rather thanthe high-priced brass sales of times past. The newer 3-Railscale stuff has shined a lot of light on O <strong>Scale</strong>, especially withaffordability. We think there’s still a niche for Central.Best to you and yours!Lou Houlemarde, Central Lo<strong>com</strong>otive Works, PO Box401231, Hesperia CA 92340clw2000@earthlink.netA Different TurnI loved the article about constructing the turntable (OST#29). It’s filled with good ideas. The only thing I question is themethod of transferring power to the turntable. Here are twoalternatives which I think are easier to build and more reliable:(1) Cut short pieces of copper water pipe and glue themonto the wooden dowel (for insulation). Arrange wipers tocarry current to the turntable. For a third circuit for lights, justadd one or two more pieces of copper pipe.(2) Go to Radio Shack and get the following parts: #274-0893 Adapter, $5. This has a male stereo plug on one endand two female mono jacks on the other. #042-2548, Y-cable,$6. This has a female stereo jack on one end and two 15-inchcables with male mono plugs at the other. Plug the stereoplug into the stereo jack and the two mono plugs into the twomono jacks, forming a loop. Cut the two cables anywhere inthe loop. Voila!! You now have a rotating electrical union withthree conductors. This is sufficient to provide track power andlighting to the turntable, if you use a <strong>com</strong>mon bus or <strong>com</strong>monrail system.Neither of these methods provides for reversing the polaritywhen the turntable rotates, but I don’t consider that necessary.I prefer to use a separate reversing toggle switch for the turntable.I would use a momentary-contact switch with a springreturnto “off” or “open” to operate the turntable. I would alsouse a momentary switch for each stall track. I think this wouldbe easier to operate and far easier to build and wire. It’s foolproof;you can’t leave the wrong stall track “on”.Ed Miller, Broomfield, CO.uMar/Apr ’07 - O <strong>Scale</strong> <strong>Trains</strong> • 39
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