(jeb@oscalemag.com). - O Scale Trains Magazine Online

Product News & ReviewsReview: Scenic Details, Awnings MSRP $9.50, Sidewalks MSRP $8.75Frenchman River Model Works, HC1 Box 185A, Stratton, NE69043 ● www.frenchmanriver.comreviewed by Brian ScaceFrenchman River Model Works has been making a line ofHO scenic items for a while, now, and is now entering the OScale market with several interesting items.First off is a kit for window awnings, consisting of foursheets of striped-pattern awning material and the wire supportsneeded for mounting these awnings to your structureof choice. These are helpful for folks modeling the steam era,especially, as window awnings were more than decorationback in the pre-air conditioning era.While perusing their website, I also saw some sidewalkcastings that have some promise, too. Although marketedas an HO item, the #004 “Big City Sidewalk” scales outnicely (about four feet wide) for our use. The curb height isabout four scale inches, and the castings are nice and crisp.Included are a couple corners with storm drains, a sectionwith a vehicle ramp over the curbing, and a section with anHO-sized manhole cover cast in. Quick work with a drill andan O Scale manhole cover will take care of the li’l HO one,making all the pieces useful. I’d love to see them offer a baglot with a whole bunch of just the corner/storm drain pieces,which are certainly the hardest of the bunch to scratchbuildconvincingly. They’re certainly worth a good look.Frenchman is coming to market with a kit for a woodenrowboat (with an outboard motor), in keeping with theshoreside themes evident in their HO line. If you are lookingfor some nifty scenic detail castings and detailing kits, visitthem on their website to see what they’re up to.Review: Chicago Burlington & Quincy 28’ CabooseO Scale Kit # 403009 MSRP: $120.00Mullet River Model Works, 118 Huson Ct., Plymouth, WI53073 920-892-8159 ● www.mulletrivermodelworks.comreviewed by Martin BrechbielMullet River Model Works has been advertising theircabooses for quite a while in these pages. As it turns out,they actually offer 11 caboose kits, a flat car, and a gondola,as well as some structures (see OST, Jan/Feb ’07 page 54 fora review of their Wisconsin Central/ Soo Line Depot). Theseare all laser-cut kits of plywood construction with workingside windows and cupola windows, an etched brass underframe,and brass ladders. Having been more than mildlyintrigued, I was unable to resist an opportunity to check oneover first hand. These were older cars on the CB&Q that hadbeen remodeled with a steel underframe and using the samecupola as the 30’ cars. Window spacing varied on the 28’cars, since there were many classes of them. This model representsthe NE1 and NE4 cars.I’ll confess that I had not handled a modern-era craftsmankit (or any kit for that matter) for many years, so a smallamount of trepidation began to counterbalance my excitementpending actually opening the box and seeing whatbargain I had entered into with our Mephistophelian Editor.There were several very tidy plastic bags very neatly organizedwith laser-cut components cut from thin plywood.Included in the one bag was also laser-cut window glazingand decals. In yet another separate bag was a sheet of etchedbrass underbody framing parts, steps to be assembled, ladders,and even tissue paper for the roofing. There were fivepages of instructions and another five pages of explodedcomponent construction views, interior component views,and views of the etched brass components and their ultimaterespective locations.Assembly began with the lamination of the sides and ends.There are three layers of laser-cut plywood, and carpenters’or white glue is recommended along with weighting theseassemblies to keep them both flat and aligned. Everythingseparated nicely using a scalpel blade (whatever you prefer,invest in a new blade for this!) and, despite not liking usingwater based glues due to warping issues, I acquired a bottleof stainable carpenters’ glue. Everything went togethersmoothly and, between a bag of clothespins and leadweights, nice and flat as well. One critical issue to laser-cutkits with slot-and-tab construction – you really, really haveto keep all of the slots clear of glue. After I got the sides andends together, I made my first mistake. The next heading onPage 1 was “Assemble cupola components”, followed by alot of instructions on assembling the interior. Page 3 is wherethe cupola instruction really are (I knew that, did it anyway…really!).No real harm done but something to correct,and I was able to “adjust” the cupola sashes to be acceptableto me. Assembling the interior could be improved a bit withan exploded-view drawing of identified parts. Otherwise, it’sa puzzle that’s solvable on the basis of a limited number ofparts that simply have to go together a certain way. Gluingtogether the obvious and dry fitting the rest until you have acompleted sub-assembly, then gluing that into place, works.There was one slot in the right interior wall that is incorrectlypositioned that required removing one tab to install the interiorfor that side. Fortunately, it’s not noticeable. The bracingparts under the bunks all have tabs, but there are no slots for54 • O Scale Trains - Mar/Apr ’07